UK Anime Distributor Crunchyroll/Funimation/Manga UK Discussion Thread

Denny Fisher said:
So licensing requirements are to blame for my misery. Lol

So if people stopped buying part sets would
licensing requirements become a little easier?
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Unfortunately I wouldn't think so, anime licenses obviously cost money and releasing shows in parts is one way for distributors to recoup the costs. If everything had to be released as a complete series set, the anime licensing industry would have less money on their pocket for more titles (that's just how I see it).
 
You'd be in for Hell if you were Japanese, or even back in the old DVD era Denny. It wasn't unusual (and still isn't, in Japan) for a single series to be released in six or seven parts.
 
Nobody cares how much you paid for your fancy 20-part LaserDisc/VHS/DVD releases from decades ago. It's completely irrelevant, and is a ******, gatekeep-y statement I wish would die already.

The price of anime today (even bog standard SE releases) is prohibitively expensive for a lot of people. Yes, it used to be a lot worse, that doesn't mean people can't complain about it today.
 
That's some seriously unnecessary hostility about an off-hand statement that I imagine was supposed to be humorous in tone - As someone who remembers the days of spending that kind of money on single releases, (and not being particularly wealthy either) it amused me. If you're genuinely not in a financial position to be able to afford to buy anime, it's not like there aren't other ways to obtain it. I don't think there's any need to get angry here.
 
The FMA UE for £125 is actually very decent value in todays market imo.

  • The gate itself is very cool and well made
  • Huge hardback artbook
  • 2 rigid artboxes with digipacks
  • High quality art cards
  • 51 episode series
Compare that to your average AoA release...
 
Discs. The discs in their FMAB have the JP credit so I finally my 5th fav OP properly. It also has a chipboard and 9 discs. Only the half the series yes but still I don’t think a bad value set.
The CEs of FMA which were £35 weee way more palitable also as I had the US CE so I can actually not put my book away from my set.
And £125 was the EB it was being sold on ALs website for far longer at £250 justify that
 
The FMA UE isn't bad, sure. But look at the Bebop UE from the same company. Or ~£30-40 for 12 episodes in a bog standard Amaray from any other company.

ayase said:
That's some seriously unnecessary hostility about an off-hand statement that I imagine was supposed to be humorous in tone
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In jest or not, there's been plenty of times where I've seen someone parrot a similar statement, but completely seriously as a way to antagonise or otherwise get people to shut up about the modern pricing of anime.

Personally, the pricing of anime, is, and always has been, completely indefensible. I deal with it (and have been buying less and less lately, though mostly due to a backlog) because frankly, there's no other option if you want to actually own a show. Lately, I've been buying more Asian cinema (even more niche than anime) that are able to be released for more sensible prices.
 
The prices are set by the market. When you're target audience for a show barely reaches four figures then you have to price high to make any kind of profit. The people running these companies have to pay the bills, and their wages. Sure, I'd love anime priced like US TV. All of nu-BSG for £26, yes please. Buffy S1-7 for the same price, bought! But you have to be realistic. It's also true that for quite a while, anime was undervalued in the UK, back when Manga were doing complete series DVD boxsets for £30.

Prices have gone up this year. MVM's 13 episode SEs are now RRPing at £40 instead of £35, and I wouldn't be surprised if they go up ahain in April. What I do find difficult to defend is the current CE culture in the UK. All three companies are going fancy boxset first, and leaving the SE releases for three, six or even 12 months down the line, whereas the US manages day and date releases for both CE and SE. Being penalised and made to wait for not wanting a box of plastic tat is unfair. People are going to buy what they want regardless. I never say I'll buy a collector's edition because I'm forced to wait otherwise.
 
Joe said:
The FMA UE isn't bad, sure. But look at the Bebop UE from the same company. Or ~£30-40 for 12 episodes in a bog standard Amaray from any other company.


In jest or not, there's been plenty of times where I've seen someone parrot a similar statement, but completely seriously as a way to antagonise or otherwise get people to shut up about the modern pricing of anime.

Personally, the pricing of anime, is, and always has been, completely indefensible. I deal with it (and have been buying less and less lately, though mostly due to a backlog) because frankly, there's no other option if you want to actually own a show. Lately, I've been buying more Asian cinema (even more niche than anime) that are able to be released for more sensible prices.
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Despite paying more overall per series then, it is still about the same affordability. Apart from the overall price is it much different buying a 13 episode set every 3 months for £30 vs a 4 episode dvd in the same time frame? I don't think so, though the newer model from a cost analysis basis looks much better.
 
Joe said:
In jest or not, there's been plenty of times where I've seen someone parrot a similar statement, but completely seriously as a way to antagonise or otherwise get people to shut up about the modern pricing of anime.

Personally, the pricing of anime, is, and always has been, completely indefensible. I deal with it (and have been buying less and less lately, though mostly due to a backlog) because frankly, there's no other option if you want to actually own a show.
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At the end of the day, somebody has to pay for anime. By and large, that's Japanese consumers who are paying a lot more than we are, and if the Japanese production companies want it to continue to be profitable they can't let western companies release it for cheap otherwise their own domestic market will just start importing and undermine their largest source of revenue. Of course Bandai wouldn't be happy for Funimation to licence their shows if it meant taking away a huge chunk of their domestic business - If it came to that they'd rather not licence them at all. So I think it actually is defensible, if you want anime to continue to be produced.

Joe said:
Lately, I've been buying more Asian cinema (even more niche than anime) that are able to be released for more sensible prices.
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If you consider it per minute of entertainment is it really that much cheaper though? A movie lasts a couple of hours, which is like six episodes of anime. So surely a 12 episode series should cost twice as much as a movie and a 24 episode series four times as much?

I wouldn't suggest anyone should be going to wonga or remortgaging their house to buy anime, but the good news is nobody actually has to. You can get streaming memberships and consume anime that would cost thousands to buy on disc for a few quid a month. Or if someone's in such dire financial straits that even that's beyond their means, well... yar har fiddle de dee. There are plently of other non-essential luxury items people can't afford - Much as I might like a Lamborghini, I know that if I want one I either need to earn more money or just accept that I can't have one. I don't think it would be fair to complain to Lamborghini that I can't afford their cars. And sadly, as those old warnings used to remind me, I can't download a car.
 
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Azar said:
Am i the only one who liked the second half of Franxx?
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Badej said:
Nop you're not the only one. I can see the "hate" for the last two episodes though
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Crikey, I was going to chime in with the FRANXX discussion and say I agree with @Badej on this one...

But the pricing topic's way more interesting now I've read the subsequent posts. 😅

Personally, I'm all for spending only how much you're actually prepared to pay for something. Look at the price tag on it and decide if you like a show enough to pay the asking price. And then either buy it or don't.
*shrug*

FRANXX is one such show I'd be prepared to part with a little bit extra to own it on BD over two parts. (Even despite those last couple of episodes.)
 
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