Kodansha Comics

Background

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

1st Logo (1984-1987)

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

FX/SFX: The blur effect.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on early Kodansha Video releases.

2nd Logo (1987-2007)

Logo: On a purple background, we see the red and black checkerboard floor on the bottom moving upwards to the background, Then we see a stylized letters "KV" rotates until it stops. Then, the text "Kodansha Video" in white wipes in.

Variants:

A still version exists.
A version with a blue background and white logo exists.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

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 (January 1995-2004)

Logo: On a space background, we see the planet Earth rotating on the bottom left. The rainbow colored letters of "Kodansha" flying up from the globe and playing along. Then it zooms inside and then we see a sky background with a hilly area, with the bouncing Kodansha letters around some tree trunks, houses, going to the pond, and settle on a tree trunk. The letters hit the tree trunk, and a bear looks up. The dancing letters appear on a tree trunk, which bounces all the way to the top. We cut to the sky with the Kodansha letters, and then return to a tree trunk shot, and we see the bouncing Kodansha letters, and flips in, and then it then jumps to the sky and flips into the "講談社" in yellow.

Variant: A short version exists where it shows the last part of the logo.

FX/SFX: The letters jumping, dancing and the environment. Nice CGI animation for 1995.

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 infamous Nelvana dub of Cardcaptor Sakura, retitled Cardcaptors. Also on Medabots and the 2000 revival of Babar.

4th Logo (2007-Late 2010s)

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 font.

FX/SFX: The book flipping, the changing of the logo.

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 (Early 2010s- )

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.

FX/SFX: 2D animation. Done by Polygon Pictures.

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

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