UK Anime Distributor Crunchyroll/Funimation/Manga UK Discussion Thread

But the difference is that the US have had two options as stop-gaps until the physical release - Crunchyroll and a limited theatrical release. Meanwhile, in the UK, we've yet to have any official access to the first, of three so far, movie.
The lack of general availability here and a home video push-back are apples and oranges. The presence or lack of streaming/theatrical will have no impact on our home video releasing timing; the only hold-back appears to be that of the dub for the U.S. release, which itself may be independently subject to its own theatrical hold-backs.

I think it would be neat if Manga Entertainment could arrange even a limited theatrical run though, or if they have streaming rights too, perhaps build a bridge with Crunchyroll and give us access for a limited time? (Say, the day of its original release date until New Year?).
 
The UK market is seemingly an afterthought to an afterthought to Toei...

I can see why they'd not want the UK release out months ahead of the US one.

However, if the UK's release date is 3 months after the US, then I feel really bad for Manga. That's stupid and doesn't do anything but penalise UK fans. If that is the case, I would personally suggest we repeatedly write to Toei and the US distributor making it clear the hold clause is ridiculous, and that it achieves nothing but generating badwill towards the US distributor.
 
The UK market is seemingly an afterthought to an afterthought to Toei...
The feelings mutual, let me asure you.
I can see why they'd not want the UK release out months ahead of the US one.

However, if the UK's release date is 3 months after the US, then I feel really bad for Manga. That's stupid and doesn't do anything but penalise UK fans. If that is the case, I would personally suggest we repeatedly write to Toei and the US distributor making it clear the hold clause is ridiculous, and that it achieves nothing but generating badwill towards the US distributor.
Let's face facts here, if Toei gave a care they wouldn't listen to what manga has to say on the matter of their content being available in the UK (Which is to say, except where Saban can interject otherwise, at Manga's beck and call, so Sailor Moon gets no love, One Piece will never keep pace (or indeed current video format), Digimon gets taken down from streaming sites to apease the Sir Video Coaster and God help us all once Western English DB Super becomes "A Thing".)

Manga could have had thier underwear clean by allowing CR to stream TRI but I guess thier business acumen is noted by thier inability to read a contract for trying.
 
Last edited:
The new release date for Digimon Adventure tri. is only one week after North America's, which was a requirement to include the dub (originally it was going to be sub-only here).

Source: Jerome.
 
He also said Death Note was delayed because Manga was sent sub-par materials with technical issues and is pushing for better ones.

He goes on to suggest the problem is a common occurrence due to the lack of a standardised delivery spec.
This is no slight on any one in particular, but #animedelays happen a lot because there is no uniform material delivery procedure from Japan. Every company handles things differently. Often materials are only labelled in Japanese. English speaking production teams often have to become super-sleuths to decode and unravel what is sent. Often, materials are poor quality or below spec. And because more anime than ever before is being licensed out we are experiencing more problems like this. TBH delays only affect a small fraction of #MangaUK and #Animatsu releases. It doesn't mean we like it, nor should you. I hope this helps ease some of the frustration some of our British customers feel towards our business on occassion. You are super customers and we love you.
 
Manga could have had thier underwear clean by allowing CR to stream TRI but I guess thier business acumen is noted by thier inability to read a contract for trying.

You make it sound like Toei would have let CR stream it without Manga's intervention. And I get the feeling that that's not the case.

Toei's European licensing arm clearly seems to class streaming as an afterthought, making CR's Tri license for NA useless over here without Toei-Europe's say-so.
(Out of 19 titles they have on CR, only 7 are viewable over here.)

And here's the problem. For CR to get Digimon Tri over here, it would require the local license to be picked up by someone with a strong interest in streaming. Manga have a pre-existing relationship with Toei which clearly works for Toei, otherwise they'd've likely pulled it long before now.
It's Toei who separate their licensing arms. It's Toei who decide that, for Europe, broadcast and physical trump streaming and to not just automatically grant CR wider rights.

Like it or not (and I don't...), Manga have already decided that sublicensing out the streaming doesn't work for their business model. So if their Digimon license does include streaming, I can't really see them going out of their way to get it onto CR if Toei haven't already done it beforehand.

Now, if CR'd been streaming it up until now and pulled it after Manga got the UK license then that'd be a different story. But they didn't and there's a whole world between that and Toei having not bothered to get it up on CR in the first place.

The main fault lies with Toei. Manga are merely guilty of prolonging an already bad situation, they aren't the cause.
 
Given that AL seem to get most other things via their Funimation and Aniplex deal, I can imagine there's much Sentai stuff they won't get at this point. Saying that, I have no idea who Occultic;Nine belongs to, but I don't think it's Sentai, so that's odd.
I think it's Aniplex who has Occultic. Jerome seemed to suggest Manga hadn't fallen out with Aniplex, it was just that they wanted to control streaming rights. Maybe that's no longer an issue.

I personally don't think it's likely, especially given the difficulties AL seem to be facing with Aniplex, but it would be interesting/exciting if it happened.
 
I think it's Aniplex. Jerome seemed to suggest Manga hadn't fallen out with Aniplex, it was just that they wanted to control streaming rights. Maybe that's no longer an issue.

I personally don't think it's likely, especially given the difficulties AL seem to be facing with Aniplex, but it would be interesting/exciting if it happened.

AL are having difficulties with AoA?
 
AL are having difficulties with AoA?
I think it's Aniplex who has Occultic. Jerome seemed to suggest Manga hadn't fallen out with Aniplex, it was just that they wanted to control streaming rights. Maybe that's no longer an issue.

I personally don't think it's likely, especially given the difficulties AL seem to be facing with Aniplex, but it would be interesting/exciting if it happened.

Control streaming rights?, knowing Jerome it would be to make sure there would be none at all. Can he just be fired from Manga UK/Animatsu alltogether and maybe things will get better?
 
Back
Top