ADV Films UK halt sale & distribution of select titles

D

darksaviour

Completely Average High School Student
I've just recieved this email from anime-on-line...Kinda explains the sale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV FILMS HALT SALE & DISTRIBUTION OF SELECT TITLES

SEPECIFIED TITLES ON HIATUS FROM 16th JANUARY 2008

LONDON, UK, 16th JANUARY 2008

ADV Films as an international media group is facing up to the new digital future with clear-eyed vision. Recognizing the need to be more streamlined and customer-responsive, the group is transitioning its UK operations from a US-run office outsourcing to retail partners, to a partnership with a yet-to-be-named local home entertainment group possessing both the track record and the forward planning to handle such a valuable library of international licenses. For the moment, however, certain DVD titles will have to be placed on hiatus pending the outcome of current negotiations. These include all the titles listed below:

The Titles On Hiatus:

Pumpkin Scissors
The Wallflower
Ah! My Goddess Series 2: Flights of Fancy
009-1
Red Garden
Innocent Venus
Kurau Phantom Memory
Utawarerumono
Paniponi Dash
Guyver: The Bio-boosted Armor
Le Chevalier D'Eon
Coyote Ragtime Show
Jinki: Extend

All these titles have also disappeared off their site too
 
Obviously, this deserves a topic of its own. Though it's hard to understand whether or not we should be taking this "hiatus" as something serious or merely a part of a transition, I really hope we haven't seen the last of some of these titles.
 
darksaviour said:
Recognizing the need to be more streamlined and customer-responsive, the group is transitioning its UK operations from a US-run office outsourcing to retail partners,
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I'll let you decode who that's referring to and what it means for the UK industry as a whole :cry:
 
I’m collecting the Chevalier DVDs…does this mean all the above titles pre-released dates are basically null and void until further info? I don’t want to place an order for the next volume if it is possible the DVD won’t be released for a while.
 
fullmetalrose said:
I’m collecting the Chevalier DVDs…does this mean all the above titles pre-released dates are basically null and void until further info? I don’t want to place an order for the next volume if it is possible the DVD won’t be released for a while.
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I'd say it's probably wise to work on that basis, changing distributors is never easy.
 
Having thought about this for a while, it's sounding like ADV Films US are copying the method laid out by FUNimation in going through a company like Revelation Films in order to distribute their anime in the UK. The only problem is, didn't ADV have an entire office set-up in London for all of this in the UK, staffed by people like Hugh David? Basically, have they / are they all being made redundant?

Obviously, it explains the massive sale on their site, but it also goes back to the silence surrounding the Anime Network UK and the way the presenters, and then the channel itself, just disappeared; were they made redundant?

All in all, it's showing how ADV are really starting to struggle the world over :(
 
Paul said:
The only problem is, didn't ADV have an entire office set-up in London for all of this in the UK, staffed by people like Hugh David? Basically, have they / are they all being made redundant?
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At the risk of getting a slapped wrist from Hugh, yes.

You know, it's hard putting your feelings into words when things like this happen, and you know who its happened to.

Hugh, if you ever do read this, both myself and a lot of people out here are shocked and saddened by the news, and we're proud we've had the chance to work with such fine outstanding people like yourself and everyone at ADV UK. You've done so much for the UK industry, and we really don't want to see people like you go.
My wishes go with you on your future endeavours, may they always be profitable ;)
 
******* hell, what a waste of talent and experience. Someone want to send all of this to Anime News Network? I'm sure they'll be able to cause a bit of a fuss.
 
Paul said:
******* hell, what a waste of talent and experience. Someone want to send all of this to Anime News Network? I'm sure they'll be able to cause a bit of a fuss.
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When you take everything else into account that ADV USA are having to do to stay competitive, it's not such a big surprise. It still sucks though, especially when you know the people involved.

We are going to have to watch how this move will effect the UK industry, hopefully it'll help make ADV USA stronger and ensure their continued presence in the UK market.

Some of us just can't help but think that we've just taken a huge step backwards though....
 
R.I.P ADV

though tbh, they've seemed in trouble ever since news broke that they lost the rights to Full Metal Panic (lets face it, the show was one of their flagship products)
 
What the hell is going on in the Anime industry? It seems that ADV is in the center of a major breakdown of distribution inthe UK (maybe USA too?)

Well, I've seen the ones I'm interested in on that list, as the Hiatus isn't too bad for me. It's just annoying for news like this to be REGULARLY posted. (Not a shot at Paul or the Mods, but it looks like a downward spiral.)
 
Jesus Christ o_O (Sue me for Blasphemy)

I knew we were going to have a bad start as anime fans in 2008. With ADV's possibility of pulling out in the UK, the anime market will be redundant at this rate.

But this doesn't affect me greatly tbh. I'm not really a fan of most ADV titles.
 
Chrono Kitty said:
Jesus Christ o_O (Sue me for Blasphemy)

I knew we were going to have a bad start as anime fans in 2008. With ADV's possibility of pulling out in the UK, the anime market will be redundant at this rate.

But this doesn't affect me greatly tbh. I'm not really a fan of most ADV titles.
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if it makes u feel any better, the way the global markets are atm, it won't just be the anime market that's redundant
 
I can't help but thinking if the situation wouldn't be so bad if the communication with the potential market wasn't so lacking. In the past rather than telling anybody anything what they're doing they just seem to do it and not tell anyone. The major thing I'm thinking about in recent history would be that they put half of their well selling manga titles for nearly a year and didn't give any explanation whatsoever which led to some disappointed, confused and pissed off a lot of fans including myself.

I think they've shot themselves in the foot in that respect.
 
You know, thinking about it, I can't remember the last time I actually bought a full priced UK ADV DVD. :? ( Oh, hang on, yes I can, it was Pani Poni Dash. )

My point is though, recently there hasn't been any decent offerings from ADV, most of the stuff I buy these days tends to be Revelation and Beez, with the odd bit of MVM. ADV have just released a lot of - 'Meh, i'll pass'.

And to think, ADV won distributor of the year, or what ever it was. :?
 
ADV did seem to be a bit behind the times with their overpriced and cheap looking boxset offerings. I can safely say that seeing their sets in the store did not look value for money and that will have put off a lot of potential buyers.
 
It is a shame especially for everyone who's been collecting the series. Plus who knows when - and if - the new stuff will be released.

What with this and Funimation only releasing their stuff every 3 months, Beez and Manga keeping quiet as to what and when they're releasing its pretty much just MVM left
 
Yeah, the UK anime industry is a little screwed up :/ Manga Ent. don't have any kind of consistent release schedule for it's series (I think Bleach part 2 is due at the end of next month, even though part 1 was released about 2 months ago), ADV are finished, Revelation take ages to release a series and Beez and MVM aren't without problems, either. C'mon guys, get your act together! :[
 
I'm worried Rev Films are going to screw up what they have going. They have great quality releases and at a reasonable price and even give us little extras like the US market gets but the release shedule needs a serious rethink.
 
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