Editing Bandai Visual (section)

=== Mainstream success and Bandai Entertainment (1996–2005) ===
In April 1996, Bandai Visual published ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]]'', the sixth mainline installment in the ''[[Gundam]]'' media franchise. Though it was a moderate success in Japan, ''Gundam Wing'' was especially popular in the United States, being credited for single-handedly popularizing the ''Gundam'' franchise for Western audiences. Following the show's success, Bandai established a subsidiary named Bandai Entertainment Inc. in [[Cypress, California]] as a subsidiary of its United States division, Bandai America. Though Bandai Visual did not have any direct control over Bandai Entertainment, the latter company often licensed many of Visual's anime series for publishing and distribution in North America, such as ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'', ''[[The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', and multiple ''Gundam'' sequels.<ref name="CBR">{{cite web |last1=Gramuglia |first1=Anthony |title=From Bandai to 4Kids, the Anime Distributors That Didn't Survive |url=https://www.cbr.com/bandai-4kids-dead-anime-distributors/ |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |publisher=Valnet |access-date=January 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027083035/https://www.cbr.com/bandai-4kids-dead-anime-distributors/ |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |date=October 21, 2020}}</ref> Bandai Entertainment also published English-translated [[manga]] series and American [[graphic novels]],<ref name="bei-manga">{{cite web |url=http://www.bandai-ent.com/products/manga.cfm |title=Bandai Entertainment |access-date=July 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717210717/http://www.bandai-ent.com/products/manga.cfm |archive-date=July 17, 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> in addition to offering a "fan support" program to facilitate public screenings of licensed content at [[anime club]]s and [[anime convention]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-12-02/bandai-announces-anime-club-support-progam|title=Bandai announces anime club support program|publisher=Anime News Network|date=December 2, 2002|access-date=January 2, 2012}}</ref>

Bandai Visual was listed on [[JASDAQ Securities Exchange|JASDAQ]] market in November 2001; by that time, the company was worth over {{yen}}2.1 billion (US$20 million).<ref name="History"/><ref name="Masuda">{{cite book |last1=Masuda |first1=Hiromichi |title=アニメビジネスがわかる |trans-title=Understanding The Anime Business |date=July 25, 2007 |publisher=NTT Publishing |isbn=9784757122000 |page=206}}</ref> In January 2003, the company acquired Emotion Music and made it a wholly owned subsidiary, as a means to further expand into the music industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=バンダイＶ、著作権事業開始…エモーションＭを子会社化 |trans-title=Bandai Visual starts copyright business ... Makes Emotion Music a subsidiary |url=http://news.braina.com/2003/0130/enter_20030130_002_0010___.html |website=Braina News |publisher=Braina |access-date=January 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060327041721/http://news.braina.com/2003/0130/enter_20030130_002_0010___.html |archive-date=March 27, 2006 |language=ja |date=January 30, 2003}}</ref> Bandai Visual also began supplying content for broadband distribution networks, such as the [[Bandai Channel]] television station.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ann Wright |first1=Jean |title=Animation Writing and Development - From Script Development to Pitch |date=July 18, 2013 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=9781136144059 |page=28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ito |first1=Daichi |title=BBコンテンツの雄「バンダイチャンネル」の戦略 ～ブロードバンドオリジナルの作品が来年にも登場～ |url=https://bb.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/special/5210.html |website=BB Watch |publisher=Impress Group |access-date=January 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908221855/https://bb.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/special/5210.html |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |language=ja |date=May 12, 2001}}</ref>