Kodansha Comics

Background

Kodansha Comics is a manga publisher and anime distributor founded in Japan.

1st Logo (1984-1986)

Logo: On a black background, we see the text "KODANSHA VIDEO" zooms in and out via a motion blur effect.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on early Kodansha Video releases.

2nd Logo (1986-2007)

Logo: On a purple background, we see a peach and black checkerboard floor on the bottom moving upwards to the background. Then, we see some colorful rays and a golden CGI "K" zooming in and transforming into a stylized monogram with "KV"; which rotates until it stops. At the end, the logo becomes 2D and the text "Kodansha Video" (set in Handel Gothic) in white wipes in. After a few seconds, the logo fades in and the publishing house's name in Japanese, appears on a black background.

Variants:

A still version exists.
Early releases would have the logo in white fading on a black background, followed by the second part of the standard logo.
A version with a blue background and white logo exists.
On other releases, the Japanese word "講談社" appears in the black background.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A beeping theme with chimes, and then some beeping, ending in a phaser-like sound when the Japanese text appears.

Music/Sounds Variants:

For the still variant, none.
For the short variant, A rising synth tune with a synth flute flourish at the end.

Availability: Seen on Media Blasters DVDs of Ah! My Goddess and possibly other Kodansha VHS and DVD releases from the time.

3rd Logo (1995-2007)

Logo: On a space background, we see the planet Earth rotating on the bottom left. The rainbow colored letters of "Kodansha" (in the same font as before) fly up from the globe and play along. We then zoom inside and see a sky background with a hilly area, with the letters around some tree trunks, houses, going to the pond, and settling by a tree trunk. The letters hit the tree trunk, and a bear looks up. The letters bounce all the way to the top of the tree trunk and begin dancing. We cut to the sky with the letters, and then return to the tree trunk shot. The letters flip in and form the finished product, before it jumps into the sky and flips into the Japanese characters "講談社" in yellow.

Variant: A short version exists where it just shows the logo jumping to the sky and freezing in mid-air. The Japanese characters are cut out.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A bouncing synth and campy theme, with cartoonish sound effects.

Music/Sounds Variant: For the short version, it is either silent or the end theme of the show.

Availability: In Japan, this was used on family and children's video from the publishing house. In USA, this appears on the Nelvana dub of Cardcaptor Sakura, retitled Cardcaptors. Also on Medabots and the 2000 revival of Babar.

4th Logo (2007-2016)

Logo: On a table, we see a book that was flipping toward the center. As the book flips, a movie countdown quickly appears which then changes to the Japanese word "講談社" which flickers as the book continues to flip. Then the kanji disappears as the book closes, then it flashes to reveal the gold text via a sparkling effect "KODANSHA" in a Copperplate Gothic-like font.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy chime theme with film projector sounds, then it ends in a whoosh and a glass shattering sound.

Availability: Seen on Japanese releases of Kodansha material.

5th Logo (2016-2021)

Logo: On a white background, we see a red 2D book. Then the book flips in to reveal garden in it, with some leaves, and forming the Kodansha logo (which consists of the "講談社" kanji with the word "KODANSHA" flying in, first in rainbow and then to black, as the book disappears, while leaves fly away.

Technique: 2D animation. Done by Polygon Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A page flipping sound, followed by a piano theme with sounds of children laughing.

Availability: Seen on Kodansha releases from the era. Used in tandem with the last logo.

6th Logo (2021-)

Logo: On a black background, we see seven white lines moving and crisscrossing about, forming a stylized "K" in a box. The camera pans out, as the word "KODANSHA" writes itself in on the right.

Technique: Computer animation.

Music/Sounds: A synth tune with rhythmic Asian drumbeats.

Availability: Current. Seen on all the Kodansha anime releases by this period.