Re:ZERO's Video Quality in UK/US discs Discussion

They used to do that back in the DVD era with US distributors. They gave crappy composite masters to ADV for Full Metal Panic and Geneon for Girls Bravo.
You just reminded me of the time where Funimation literally edited the anime just to add their credits to the opening/ending themes. Sekirei and My Bride is a Mermaid were the most notorious examples if I remember right.

I would pay tons of money for Aniplex USA to release Sekirei again.
 
I've had a look at a bunch of the screenshots provided from multiple sources and the banding is so noticeable that I am disappointed with how it's been handled. Usually I wouldn't notice it but after figuring out what the definition of 'banding' meant I can see why it's a big deal to a lot of people. Funimation if I recall in response to the ANN article mentioned that it was already in that state from the masters they received (usually it would be Funimation causing it).

Since it's Kadokawa (I know TV Tokyo was involved but it seems to be the former this time around) I would not be surprised if Made in Abyss or No Game No Life Zero ended up in a similar situation.
They responded? Do you have a link by chance I'm kinda interested to read it :eek:
 
Funimation if I recall in response to the ANN article mentioned that it was already in that state from the masters they received.
If that's the case Funi should have told them that the master is not good enough and they need to send them a proper master.

Funi and other companies should have it written into the contract that they have to be supplied with the same master that was used for the Japanese release, or a master that is at least on par with it.

They delayed Deadman wonderland so long it had to be released under the anime classics label
They used to do that back in the DVD era with US distributors. They gave crappy composite masters to ADV for Full Metal Panic and Geneon for Girls Bravo.

So Kadokawa can be a bit of a dick at times then.
 
I don't doubt Kadokawa to be the potential issue, but when you are the biggest anime distributor in America, I'd think you should complain if you don't get a good enough master for home release. Even if you don't end up receiving it, it lets them know it won't be tolerated.
 
I think people know I'm not normally one for piling on our distributors with small criticisms, but on this occasion I don't think there's any defending this - Yeah, that banding is awful and incredibly noticeable. That picture quality might be acceptable on a streaming service you're paying a few quid a month to watch as much anime as you like, it's not acceptable for a £40+ for 12 episodes Blu-ray release.

As others have said, if a compressed pirated rip of the Japanese Blu-rays has better picture quality than the official western release, that's pretty terrible. For everyone, ultimately, including the creators, Funimation, Anime Ltd. and fans who want to support legal local releases. It's especially bad if video and audiophiles - The people most likely to shell out for a home media release in the belief it will offer them the best quality - come to believe piracy is a better option for them than legally purchasing. So it really is in everyone's interest that this sort of thing definitely stops happening.

I think apportioning blame is kind of irrelevant at this point, it's happened now, and I'm more concerned about the possible effects. If potential customers think this is the kind of quality they can expect, it will put people off pre-ordering. It will put me off pre-ordering until I can verify that the picture quality is what I'd expect for what I'm expected to pay. I think what would go a long way to easing my mind would be hearing from Funimation and Anime Ltd. that they don't consider this picture quality acceptable and that they won't allow a product with picture quality this poor to be released again. I don't really think that's too much to ask and if it is too much to ask, that's a bit worrying.

I say all this as someone who values very much the way Anime Ltd. has been bringing us physical anime releases and as someone who wants to continue to support them in future. But I couldn't support a release like this.
 
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Really, though? "A piece of ****"?

Not just "poor" or "substandard"?

You seems utterly shocked by those words that are being used frequently for other distributors release regarding tiny issues.


There has been quite a few flawed releases in France over the years (mostly around 2012-2014) but this one likely beat them all.
I mean, look at this.
P_20180628_183716.jpg



It's in almost every single shot in that Imgur gallery. It's beyond "poor" or 'substandard"- those describe most FUNimation releases. This is a whole other level of awfulness up there with Steins;Gate and Psycho Pass.

Steins;Gate has banding originally, even on the japanese release it's quite noticeable. Only Dynit (and Dybex) fixed it. So it cannot be compared with something that hadn't banding from the beginning.
 
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Steins;Gate has banding originally, even on the japanese release it's quite noticeable. Only Dynit (and Dybex) fixed it. So it cannot be compared with something that hadn't banding from the beginning.
That is correct, and Psycho Pass did have some banding in the original Japanese release, but it was later fixed for the JP BD Box.

mp3dom is a wizard and we need him in English language anime BDs.
 
I often wonder if mp3dom is interested in authoring English BDs or not. Like Anime Ltd could use his work for some of the titles if Sevakis isn't around to sort it.
He's a Dynit employee, not a freelancer like Justin. Even if he was interested, I don't think he gets the opportunity unless an international distributor struck a deal with Dynit (e.g. Dybex: Cowboy Bebop, Ergo Proxy / All The Anime FR: Madoka movies).
 
Rushing releases to meet some made-up deadline is the worst. Sometime it's better to have the thing delayed x months, in time to get new masters. French distributors prefer to do that nowadays. So yeah, they handled the thing poorly.
 
I get it, but there is no excuse for releasing something that bad. Anime Limited had good intentions, but the side effect was terrible video quality. I'm the kind of person who would rather wait for something better in the end than rushing something out the door. I think the majority of people actually buying anime on Blu-ray would as well, but it would delay it further.

FUNimation deserve the most fire, but Anime Limited isn't exempt from criticism here, either. It's sad this even had to happen at all...
 
there is no excuse for releasing something that bad. Anime Limited had good intentions, but the side effect was terrible video quality.
a not flawed release would have gotten overseas attention, even if its release would have been after the others.
Viewed in hindsight, yes. You've got to bear in mind that AL took the route they did to avoid a hail of fire and brimstone from irate anime fans over a longer wait for the UK release.
 
Just spoke with mp3dom, and if the time and circumstances are right, he could do something for AL. Thing is, both Dynit and AL would have to release a title around the same time. Again, not as a full-time job, but a collaboration (or in private).
 
Just spoke with mp3dom, and if the time and circumstances are right, he could do something for AL. Thing is, both Dynit and AL would have to release a title around the same time. Again, not as a full-time job, but a collaboration (or in private).
I reckon this could work for something like a film which AL might want to bring over to Europe. For example AL confirmed Penguin Highway for 2019 so if Dynit got it as well then I guess that would be an example of such.
 
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