Kadokawa Shoten (Japan)

Background: Kadokawa Shoten Corporation is a Japanese publisher, who owns its film and video divisions. The film unit used the Kadokawa Shoten branding from 1993 to 2002.

1st Logo (1993-1996)
Logo : On a black background, we see the pre-1996 Kadokawa bird. Below it was the word "KADOKAWA SHOTEN PRESENTS".

FX/SFX : None.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Rare. Seen on early Kadokawa releases, like the ADV VHS release of Slayers.

Editor's Note : None.

2nd Logo (August 3, 1996-2002)
Nicknames : "The Silver Bird", "Dragon/Phoenix Transformation", "The Fiery Medallion"

Logo : On a black background, we zoom out from a glass orb with blue flames bursting inside, which they burst out and we zoom out through a dark tunnel until we zoom out of the mouth of a red dragon, who's breathing out blue fire and carrying the glass orb flying around a dark blue cloudy sky. A giant book zooms from the bottom of the screen and a fiery comet flies around from the bottom-left corner, causing the dragon to fly away to the top-right, and the comet hits the book, letting out 2 shock waves and the flash of light, dissipating it into pieces in the process to reveal a gold CD inside, while the same dragon flies in from the bottom and transforms into a fiery firebird, resulting from the destruction of the book. The firebird then briefly halts at the bottom-left and circles the CD, turning it into a gold medallion with the famous Kadokawa bird embossed on it, and enveloping it in flames. Then the medallion explodes, causing the same bird, but made out of silver, to appear instantaneously. The bird zooms out and the crystal shards forming "KADOKAWA SHOTEN" and "PRESENTS" and multicolored streaks shooting outwards from behind.

Trivia : The firebird enveloping the CD/bird medallion and exploding is the call-back to the 1st Kadokawa Pictures logo.

Variants :


 * A short version of it exists, starting with the bird medallion burning and exploding.
 * See the 3rd Kadokawa Video logo for more info.

FX/SFX : Everything, in excellent CGI.

Music/Sounds : We start out with computer beeps backed by a whoosh, then it segues into a dramatic orchestral theme similar to the film counterpart's second logo coupled with sound effects (windchimes for the shine of the glass orb, the dragon's roar, whooshes for the comet's impact and the firebird setting the medallion on fire, hisses for the destruction of the book).

Availability : Seen on later Kadokawa Shoten releases from the era, like the Slayers sequels. It was replaced by the Kadokawa Pictures logo in 2002.

Editor's Note : None.