Toei Video

Credits

Descriptions by
Eric S., RSX-798 and Thisisnaswer

Compiled by
Henrynguye5

Captures by
Henrynguye5 and RSX-798

Editions by
Henrynguye5, RSX-798 and Gilblitz112

Video captures courtesy of
VHSlover

Background

Toei Video Co., Ltd is the home entertainment division of Toei that was formed in 1975 to distribute Betamax tapes, then VHS tapes. It is the oldest home video distributor.

1st Logo (1975-1982)

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Visuals: On a blue background, there is the Toei logo with the Japanese text "東映ビデオ株式会社" below.

Variants:

• In early years, the text "制作・著作" was shown above the logo.
• There is a version on a light blue background, with a red logo.

Technique: A digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on the first VHS and Betamax tapes released by the company, from 1975 to 1982, like Tokyo Olympics Highlights.

Legacy: Along with the Magnetic Video Corporation logo, this is one of the earliest home video logos.

2nd Logo (1982-1989)

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Visuals: On a cornflower blue background, the large white text "Video" is seen in a bubbly font, with a much larger "V" than the rest of the text. On the top right ledge of the text, "TOEI" sits there in a squashed looking font.

Variant: From 1983-1985, the "TOEI" font was completely different, having it look more abstract as well as the hole in the "O" being star-shaped. The background was also darker and the logo was closer to the screen.

Technique: A digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Toei Video's releases from the era from 1982 to 1989, such as Toei 100 Great Heroes Super Fight and Amon Saga.

3rd Logo (1984)

Visuals: On a black background, the 1983-1985 logo in yellow flips and zooms inwards as smaller versions of the same logo accelerate and zoom out from the top and bottom of the screen. The main logo also has trails of itself flipping zooming in and briefly appear once the main logo flips into place before they disappear and everything fades out.

Technique: Analog computer animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on few releases during the period like Harlequin American Romance.

4th Logo (1989-1990)

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  Normal
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  V-Cinema
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  V-Anime

Visuals: On a night sky, large dark purple clouds slowly move about, while light rays emerge from the center of the screen. What appears to be a land mass can also be seen on the bottom of the screen. A glass square then zooms out from nowhere, and the light rays intensify. The square then zooms out and rotates around to reveal itself as a triangular prism, while 3 light blue lasers shoot into it, producing a rainbow-colored ray of light. As the triangular prism forms into a normal triangle, the Toei logo in white zooms in from the center of the screen, and then overtakes the triangle, causing it to disappear and a ghostly copy of the Toei triangle to shoot towards the screen. The light rays then glow brighter as the background darkens, and the logo fades out as the light rays die down.

Variants:

• Much like the next logo, there exists a variant for its V-Anime releases. After the logo is completed, a golden line draws in below the logo, and "Vアニメ" drops down from it, with the “V” in a Times New Roman font. The text then shines brightly.
• A V-Cinema variant exist that is similar to the above variant, but with the text in the same style as the next logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Silence is first heard, followed by the sounds of shuffling metal. This then transitions to a bombastic orchestral fanfare, complete with choir, that ends with a violin solo. Twinkling sounds can also be heard near the end. The rest is silent.

Availability: Seen on releases during the period like Sniper II: The Shootist.

5th Logo (1990-2004)

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  Normal
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  The Masker Rider: Kamen Rider Zo
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  V-Anime
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  V-Cinema

Visuals: On a black background, the camera dives deep into a pile of pink, purple, and yellow gemstones, all of which have light coming out of them. When we get to the bottom, the gemstones shatter, and a white light is left on the screen. When the light exits, what looks like dust begins to disappear as the Toei logo zooms in on a black and periwinkle gradient background. There also appears to be a cloud texture in the Toei logo that moves to the right before stopping.

Variants: On V-Cinema/Anime releases, the words “VCINEMA” fly in from behind like a Frisbee (or the disc in the Paramount DVD logo), colored yellow, “V” in Times New Roman font, and “CINEMA” in Haettenschweiler font. The V-Anime version has the same animation as the V-Cinema variant, but “CINEMA” is replaced by "ANIME" in a unknown font with smooth corners. Both have the same cloud texture as the Toei logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: An uplifting synth-orchestral theme that gets more dramatic towards the end.

Availability:

• Found on many Toei video releases of the era like Grappler Baki: The Ultimate Fighter and Strange Love.
• It was also seen on DVD releases of their titles up until the mid-2000s like Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai.
• Also seen on a few U.S DVDs of titles licensed to anime distributors, such as the ADV releases of The New Cutey Honey (which use the same video masters as on the Toei releases), and was also seen on The Masked Rider: Kamen Rider Zo for the Sega CD.
• Speedy Video's VCD releases of their infamous English dubs of some of the Dragon Ball Z movies and Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (a.k.a. The Way of the Strongest) retain this logo as well.

6th Logo (2004-2009)

Visuals: On a black background, the camera slowly zooms out from a disc. As the screen zooms out, it starts to spin, becoming faster and faster as the screen zooms out. When it's spinning, it becomes brighter by an iris in effect in the middle, as if data is being written to it. As it continues to spin, it starts to shake, sparks and smoke comes out, and, as it starts to become fully bright, electricity hits the logo, creating a explosion. When the explosion clears out, the disc which is now in the shape of a triangle, stops spinning and the sparks and smoke clear out. It fades to become the Toei logo and "T O E I V I D E O" fades in under the logo as it slowly zooms out.

Trivia: This is the company's first logo to be produced in a 16:9 aspect ratio, as well as the first one to have a wordmark.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A jet engine starting up as the disc starts spinning, weird whistle-y like sounds as sparks fly, electric sounds, a "clank" and jaguar-like vocalistic roars when the explosion is made, and an ominous horn tune when the Toei logo is formed.

Availability: It can be seen on various DVDs and later VHS tapes of Toei material like Gekijo ban Gegege no Kitaro: Nippon bakuretsu.

7th Logo (2009- )

Visuals: On a black background, a blue laser flies around a bit. It then carves into the background, producing a blue glow throughout the entire screen. The laser then draws a black triangle shape, before going downwards to wipe in the Toei kanji and disappearing. The logo then shines a bit before flashing white. The flash then dies down to fully materialize the logo in white, and reveals "TOEI VIDEO" in the same font/arrangement as before. The logo slowly zooms out as a lens flare is seen on the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A hollow chime tune can be heard through out, with the sounds of a laser being heard as well. A loud "clank" can also be heard when the logo is complete, and a phazer sound when the logo flashes.

Availability:

• Seen on their current DVD releases like Ari No Mama de Itai.
• It was also seen on their Blu-ray releases like Super Sentai THE MOVIE series.
• Used in tandem with the next logo.

8th Logo (2013- )

Visuals: On a white-gray background, there are some brushes drawing in, and triangles draw from the center, and the then more triangles zooms out, while a big wave crashes, revealing it was the Toei logo, alongside the text "TOEI VIDEO COMPANY, LTD." below the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Writing sounds, followed by the sound of waves crashing.

Availability: Seen on Toei Video productions, like 009-1: The End of the Beginning.