Non-News: Funimation Sends Out C&D’s For Soul Eater, Eva 1.0, et al.

FUNimation confirmed today that it has sent out a batch of cease-and-desist notices to a number of fansub groups regarding D.Gray-man, Katekyo Hitman Reborn (which had been previously targeted), Soul Eater, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Mushi-Uta, Spice & Wolf, and Seto no Hanayome on behalf of Japanese studios. (Those groups got their C&D’s on Friday and include Rumbel, Tadashi, and Nyoron among others.) FUNimation originally licensed the first 51 episodes of D.Gray-man when it announced rights in May and I thought that was it but I guess we can assume they now hold claim to the second season and therefore the whole lot of 103 episodes. Or they may have expanded that license and I simply didn’t notice.

Like any other cease-and-desist notice, this latest action by FUNimation does not necessary mean that they will distribute any of the series that don’t involve Innocence as a source of supernatural powers. Kadokawa Pictures USA previously announced an in-house license for the first season of Spice & Wolf at Anime Expo but whether that also encompasses the yet-to-air second season is unclear as, well, it hasn’t been broadcast yet. I doubt it does. Also: in June, KP USA included Mushi-Uta among 11 series they wanted AnimeSuki to stop listing.