Monster Coins (anime)

Monster Coins is a Japanese-Canadian-American anime series and proposed toy franchise that first aired on TV Tokyo stations across Japan in 2008. Cartoon Network XD began airing the anime in the United States upon its launch as one of its first original series on February 2nd, 2009. Due to the anime's status as a Cartoon Network XD original series, AuraAnime Licensing has the perpetual master license in North America, despite home media rights being sub-licensed by Cartoon Network XD to Bandai Entertainment prior to the latter's 2012 shutdown.
A 12-episode anime, titled Monster Coins: Reunion, was announced by Studio Comet in late 2017, with character designs by Jewelpet character designer Miyuki Okumura. Switching animation studios aside, nearly all of the show's original production staff returned, except for the 2009 anime's character designer, Cartoon Network XD staff (who were replaced in the production phases by NickFamily Studios staff), and Veronica Taylor as Justin Mel (Bryce Papenbrook was cast as the new English voice actor for Justin in March 2018). The new anime was aired between January and March 2019 in Japan and was simulcast by Crunchyroll in North America and Netflix in Australia.
In June 2019, in addition to Nickelodeon Family's AuraNightfall block acquiring the syndication rights to the first anime, it was announced that Monster Coins: Reunion would also air on AuraNightfall. Reunion is also syndicated on SurgeAnime Extra in the United States. Aura acquired the rights to the first two seasons in Germany in 2019, with Finale to allow in August 2020. All three seasons would run on the channel in both English and German. In April 2020, Kabillion acquired the on-demand rights to the first series, making its first on-demand appearance since its brief Nick on Demand release in 2013. Flare+ acquired the North American and UK/Ireland streaming rights to the dub in November 2020, also marking the anime's first European release outside of Wales and Germany.
Due to overwhelming support, a third and final anime of Monster Coins was greenlit by Studio Aura I (Finale: Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei) and premiered on April 4th, 2020 on all TXN stations as well as TV Akihabara. The season was simulcast by Crunchyroll in North America. The new series is aimed at the seinen audience who grew up with the series in the late 2000s. AuraNightfall began airing the season in the United States in July 2020.
In May 2020, the staff behind Monster Coins have noted that Sega Toys and Studio Aura are in talks to make a Monster Coins spin-off anime project for spring 2021. In July 2020, Monster Coins ReStart!, featuring a separate storyline from the original series, was announced for a spring 2021 airing on TV Tokyo. Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Flare+ will simulcast the reboot anime in North American territories, while Flare+ will exclusively simulcast the series in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In December 2020, it was announced that AuraNightfall will broadcast the reboot on linear cable in the United States beginning in July 2021, like the previous Monster Coins series before it.
An epilogue feature film, Monster Coins: Epilogue, will serve as the final installment of the original Monster Coins continuity and is scheduled for a 2021 release in Japan. The film is produced by Studio Aura with animation by C-Station, Gaina, Telecom Animation Film, Studio Comet, and Studio Signpost, with 3DCG animation by Boundary. Funimation Films will handle theatrical distribution of the film in North America.
==Characters==
*Raki Tamino (known as Justin Mel in the English dub) (Saki Fujita (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English; 2009 anime), Bryce Papenbrook (English; Reunion & Finale))
TBA.
==Plot==
11-year old Justin Mel is brought in to test out a new product developed by several corporations, called "Monster Coins". However, several spirits possess the coins, which turns the thought-to-be-harmless coin-based game into a massive free-for-all between users of Monster Coins.
==Episodes==
TBA.
==Videogames==
Videogames based on both Monster Coins: Reunion and Monster Coins: Finale were developed by Now Production in association with Aura Games, who acquired the publishing rights in North America. The Reunion game was scheduled for Japanese release in April 2020, but was delayed to July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the delay in the Japanese market, both games were released digitally for the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Switch platforms by Aura Games in North America in April 2020. The Finale game was released in Japanese markets in October 2020, while a physical release of the Switch ports is planned for January 2021 in North America.
In November 2020, Bandai Namco Entertainment announced they would be taking over Now Production's involvement in the Monster Coins videogames as part of a deal with Aura Games, beginning with a videogame adaptation of ReStart!.
==Home media==
Throughout 2010, Bandai Entertainment released the series in 4-episode volumes and in 2011 announced a DVD boxset set for 2012. The DVD boxset was later cancelled due to Bandai Entertainment's closure.
NickFamily DVD Distribution released two DVD boxsets, one containing the 2009 anime and the other containing Reunion, in fall 2019. Funimation co-distributed the Blu-ray release in one boxset in December 2019.
NickFamily DVD Distribution and Funimation will co-distribute a Region A Blu-ray boxset for Monster Coins: Finale in November 2020.
==Trivia==
*A proposed toyline was expected to roll out in the United States in 2010, but the popularity of Bakugan (another Sega Toys toy property) as well as CN XD Studios Kyoto opting not to produce a second season resulted in the toyline being shelved. Plush toys of the main characters, however, are available for sale on AuraAnime's digital store in the Bantaview shop.
*The original pitch to Cartoon Network XD (then known as Cartoon Network TOO) was rejected for being too similar to Bakugan, so Studio Kami reworked the concept as early as 2007.