Rumors

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Certain unforseen things have happened behind the scenes of The Twelve Warriors: Eto Rangers...

These news items have been compiled by Tonomura's Eto Rangers Website. Here is the rundown of all these recorded events, in English...

The year is 1995.

I&S Corporation, the advertising company for Eto Rangers, was planning to do the following in 1995, when Eto Rangers was supposed to have been released:

1. Broadcasting over local Japanese channels
2. Video sales
3. The Eto Rangers attraction show (convention)
4. Sale of game software
5. Sale of various ER-related, licensed merchandise
6. The magazine serialization (i.e. manga)
7. Exporting the series to other countries

So far, they have only succeeded in exporting the series to other countries. The Eto Rangers series was broadcast in Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines, among other countries.

According to Mr. Kawai in the official fan club, the Eto Rangers may have also been broadcast in North America. (I know, it's a far-off idea, but hey, this is a rumors page, remember? =)

In addition video sales were canceled in the early days, before the last episode were broadcast in Japan. As a result, some tapes made it to the store, but there was no hope of getting an entire set. Nippon Columbia Inc. had judged that the Eto Rangers video sale would not become profitable.

Spring 1996 (spring's about March in Japan)

"About the series's rerun, there is a possibility that it will be broadcast again next autumn..." someone said.

Eto Rangers was shown in Japanese satellite broadcasting. Generally, as for usual programs which broadcast via satellite, the second run was often done over local channels. Many believed that the series was again broadcast in the ground wave.

August 1996

Rebroadcasting was cancelled due to a case filed in court... something about copyright infringement...

August 27, 1998

Mr. Kawai of the ER fan club reported that the Eto Rangers may have gone to court, according to sources in I&S.

August 30, 1998

Mr. Tonomura (of the Tonomura's Eto Rangers Site) got the opportunity to ask the staff of NHK, which had broadcast the series. They mentioned that "The company which made Eto Rangers went bankrupt... if someone else buys the copyright of Eto Rangers from the current company, we may broadcast the series." (Strange, how can a studio's bankruptcy affect showing of a series?)

But since I&S wasn't bankrupt, or going bankrupt at all, the bankrupted company might be a company called Renaissance, Inc. which is also contesting the copyrights to the Eto Rangers. Many believed that Renaissance wouldn't go bankrupt soon, though.

July 1999

Tonomura asked a lawyer named Mr. Fugaku, who is familiar with civil law, about companies which had gone bankrupt recently. According to public records, Renaissance did not go bankrupt.

To verify the story, Tonomura found the phone number of Renaissance and was able to contact a Mr. Ikeda, one of the heads in Renaissance. Ikeda claimed to be the creator of the Eto Rangers series, and denied rumors that Renaissance was going bankrupt.

In addition, Ikeda added that there was a trial for the rights to Eto Rangers, I&S vs. Renaissance. Until the trial ends, broadcast and video sale of the said franchise cannot be done.

However, a deal is in the works which would reconcile the two companies and to avoid the trial going on.

"If everything works out, we will make an effort to broadcast the Eto Rangers."

June 26, 2000

The deal is closed. Renaissance and I&S signed a deal, which gave them joint rights to the series, and the ability to work together and share profits (don't they all think this way) on broadcasting and video sales.

If all goes well, perhaps their other dreams may be realized...

September 2001?

Eto Rangers will be broadcase on Japanese satellite television again!? WOW!?