Shogakukan Video (Japan)

Logo description by DreamMechanic Videos courtesy of zucker77 and Nlangkirby135

Background: This is the video division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan.

1st (known) logo (1984-2000's)

Nicknames : "Spinning and Moving Spheres", "SHOGAKUKAN VIDEO", "Spinning Planets" Logo : On a black background, several planet-like spheres (some are big, others are small, and all in different colors) zoom in from the center of the screen and while rotating on different axes, they move up and down in different ways; this becomes a pattern in which the smallest sphere goes into the screen and disappears but a growing blue sphere appears and stops growing and unfolds into a rectangular shape and fades out. At this point, several computer-generated geometric shapes come out from the unfolding sphere and zoom into several corners off-screen as the text "SHOGAKUKAN", in gold, with a blue glow zooms into the center in a spinning motion but stops spinning and then unfolds into the full text, it's flashes, then it turn white. Then "VIDEO" appears, also in gold and glows, and turns white. We fade out and the text "小学館" (Shogakukan written in Japanese characters) fades in.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor : The spheres moving, the unfolding sphere, the geometric shapes, and the text animation. The quality is great for the time period, but it's a little outdated now, but still very good.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy Sesame Street intro-like tune with electric guitar notes as the smallest sphere zooms into the screen. Then, an 8-bit like rising up dinging music can be heard. A Kirby-like wobbling noise can be heard as the geometric shape zooms out, then a drum, cymbal and electric guitar flourish and a robot voice saying "SHOGAKUKAN BIDEO" (that's how video is pronounced in Japanese) can be heard. At the end, there's a computer beeping rising up and down tune and a semi-orchestral hit as "小学館" appears. The computer beeping continues to the end of the logo.

Availability : Rare. Can be seen on Japanese Doraemon videos released by the company as well as a sing along tape of sorts and and tapes of the Ranma 1/2 OAVs. Scare Factor : Low. It's awesome in animation, but the music, red Japanese text and black background might scare some, respectability the robot voice.

2nd Logo (2000's-2006)

Nicknames: "S of Doom The S Of Eerieness S in Silver''

Logo : TBA

FX/SFX : TBA

Music/Sounds : TBA

Availability : TBA

Scare Factor: Medium to high. The creepy animation and music might unnerve some