Exciting Return of Sponsors for Fuji TV's Summer Anime Season
Discover how Chibi Maruko-chan ends its 3-month sponsorship drought, bringing fresh excitement and new opportunities for fans and brands alike.
Chibi Maruko-chan Ends 3-Month Sponsorship Drought on Fuji TV
Recently, Fuji TV's popular anime series, Chibi Maruko-chan, has returned to full sponsorship after a three-month period without external sponsors. This marks a positive shift as the summer season kicks off.
Sponsorship Revival for Fuji TV Anime
According to staff from ANN, the return of sponsors coincides with the start of Fuji TV's summer anime lineup. Currently, three long-running series are fully sponsored:
- Gegege no Kitarō: Featuring a rerun of selected episodes from the franchise's 60-year history.
- Chibi Maruko-chan
- Sazae-san
Sponsors Returning to Chibi Maruko-chan
Chibi Maruko-chan experienced a sponsorship drought from mid-March to late June. However, with the new season, several companies have come back on board:
- Energy company Mitsuuroko
- Semiconductor manufacturer Sumco
- Pharmaceutical firm Ryukakusan
- Toy giant Takara Tomy
- Pet food producer Inaba
Partial Sponsorships for Other Series
Meanwhile, some series like Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse, Tensei Sōshū no Hadōtan, Call of the Night Season 2, To Be Hero X, and One Piece are only partially sponsored. These shows still feature commercials promoting related products such as Blu-ray discs, DVDs, theme song CDs, video games, and merchandise.
Commercial Content and Sponsorships
Most commercials during these broadcasts are for Fuji TV's own productions—films, theatrical shows, dramas—as well as some general corporate sponsors. Interestingly, the rebroadcast of Assassination Classroom airs without its own external sponsorship but still features ads for music CDs, Fuji TV's productions, and a few sponsors.
Context Behind the Sponsorship Gap
The recent drought in sponsorships is linked to a scandal involving Fuji TV. In June 2023, former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai was reported to have engaged in nonconsensual activities, leading to a settlement and subsequent resignations of Fuji TV's president Koichi Minato and chairman Shuji Kano. As of now, there have been no announcements regarding future sponsorship plans for Fuji TV's anime lineup.
Stay tuned for updates on how this situation develops and whether more sponsors will return to support Fuji TV's beloved anime series!