Toei Company

Credits

Descriptions by
Eric S.mr3urious, and Edc4

Video captures courtesy of
shimomov, DaVinci30, MarkStarCrashes, TheH-Man, Eric S., and Edc4

Background

This company was founded in 1949 during the dismantling of the traditional Japanese film industry, as a result of some of the oldest elements of motion picture producers Makino, Toyoto Eiga Company, Ltd., Tokyo Film Distribution, and Ohizumi Films. In its early years, Toei preferred to build local cinemas in villages and near train stations more than make good movies. In 1956, Toei established an animation division, Toei Animation Company Limited at the former Tokyo-Ōizumi animation studio, purchasing the assets of Japan Animated Films. In 1960, Toei established Daini Toei (later New Toei) to produce and distribute more gendaigeki films, gendaigeki being a genre of Japanese drama that deals with contemporary life.

1st Logo (1950?-mid 1950s?)

2nd Logo (mid-1950s?-1958?)

File:Toei 2.jpg

3rd Logo (1958?-2001)

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Nicknames: "The Seashore", "The Triangle", "Waves and Rocks"

Logo: We see a shot at sea with some rocks and waves crashing ashore. Then, when big waves form, a triangle with the kanji "東映" (which means "TOEI") in a superimposed style, zooms in.

Variants:

• Sometimes, the logo would appear in B&W.
• On early prints of the logo, the words (also in Japanese text) "COMPANY, LTD." are seen below the logo.
• On some English export prints, the logo is translated into English, with the words "A TOEI COMPANY, LTD. Picture".
• Other English export prints have the text "A TOEI PICTURE" pop in a split-second after the logo settles.
• When ToeiScope premiered, the logo would appear with the letters "TOEI SCOPE" surrounding the logo.
• The logo may be completely still on some films.
• On a Greek VHS of The Golden Bird, there is a blue tint to the logo.
• On The Fugitive From The Past (1965), there is a name on the logo translated to "Toei W106 Operation".
• There is a variant seen on the 1958 movie Hakujyaden in which two "fireworks" explode on a blue background, which is followed by the Toei logo (in yellow) zooming up.
• On the Dragon Ball fire safety video Gokū no Shōbōtai (Goku's Fire Brigade), the Toei logo is a gold model on a black background.

FX/SFX: The live-action background and zooming of the logo.

Music/Sounds: The sound of waves crashing, silent, or the opening theme of the film. The Hakujyaden variant uses a patriotic fanfare.

Availability: Seen on Toei releases from the late 50s to 2001. Sometimes is removed or plastered with local distributors logos on export prints, but is often retained. Common films that have this are the Dragon Ball films, the Sonny Chiba Street Fighter films, The Fugitive From The Past, and Karate Bullfighter. The variant that says "A TOEI PICTURE" appears on the English version of Shogun's Ninja. The Thorn EMI release of Roaring Fire has the variant with the text "TOEI COMPANY, LTD. Presents" fading in below. It may have appeared on older prints of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind but no evidence proving this has shown up as of yet. It might have also been seen on the earliest prints of Castle In The Sky, as well as on original release prints of Kiki's Delivery Service but has since been replaced on most home video releases of both films with the current Studio Ghibli logo. It is not known if it appeared on any prints of Fist of the North Star but all known versions currently avaliabe do have an in-credit reference to Toei at the beginning of the film.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (2001- )

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Nicknames: "The Seashore II", "The Triangle II", "Waves and Rocks II", "The New And Improved Seashore", "Wall Of Clouds/Water"

Logo: A light appears and reveals a "wall" of clouds/water, which takes over the entire screen. A black Toei logo is revealed on the wall for a few seconds. The words "TOEI COMPANY LTD." emerge from the water at the bottom side of the screen, and the "wall" crossfades to the seashore from the previous logo and the cyan Toei triangle zooms in, and while it does so it turns back to its white color. The seashore fades out, leaving the text and triangle on a black background.

Variant: Since the 2010's, the wall looks more like it's made of water, and the Toei logo isn't revealed on it.

FX/SFX: The light, the "wall", the words emerging, the fading, the live-action background and triangle zooming in.

Music/Sounds: Same as before.

Availability: Currently in use. Films that have this are all modern Super Sentai and Kamen Rider films and the Special Edition of Battle Royale.

Editor's Note: None.