Re: Manga Entertainment Discussion Thread.
It's a shame that MangaUK don't seem to want to play ball with Universal with A Certain Magical Index, so I guess I'll have to rely on MVM or Anime Limited...or just get FUNimation's release.
If I remember though, there are some MangaUK titles that we don't have dates for that have come out in the States, like Aria of the Scarlet Ammo. Looking at Kazé's website as well, it seems like the French are getting Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust in June. Maybe we could get a little poke saying to expect it here later in the year? Or a poke on whether a Blue Exorcist dub boxset is coming or a release date for Kazé's Mirai Nikki? (They did pick that one up for physical distribution didn't they? If not, that can be an announcement!).
Due to Comic Con being just around the corner, I doubt we'll see a huge list of new announcements as the biggest will probably be saved for Comic Con (I just hope they can confirm whether or not they are seriously looking into the possibility of a showing of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica movies later this year. It bugs the hell out of me that the UK was one of the only major countries not to receive one last year). Bakemonogatari seems like one that would be saved for something like that, as it is a pretty high profile release and one of the most requested I've seen.
In terms of new licenses though, I'd like to see Kokoro Connect and Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions announced at some point, but they're both so recent that the earliest I can see them coming out here would be 2014 (6 months after final Japanese release for America, then another 3 months for UK). I'd love to see Beelzebub, but I doubt MangaUK will want to risk such a long series that they'd have to release as sub-only. Maybe Bunny Drop? If I remember correctly, in the past Jerome has spoke highly of the series, but I just wonder if something like that will sell (for the record, I'd totally love to see Wandering Son too, but not even the US has picked that one up). Is This A Zombie? might be a possible license. I also wouldn't mind knowing if MangaUK are going to try releasing Squid Girl season 2 as sub only or not.
But really Manga, all you have to do is say the magic words "We will be rereleasing The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya and K-ON! on blu-ray".
Speaking of MangaUK though, I just found out that the Kazé France Bakuman release is BD as well (most likely because it has a French dub). Would it have killed Kazé to simply put the English subtitle track on that release for those who would have liked it on blu-ray? I respect that sub-only releases are still new territory so the already risky blu-ray would be a bad idea here and that Kazé might not want to put English subtitles on a French release that they intend to release a few months down the line in England, out of fear of it cannabilasing sales, but...
I just hope that due to the weird situation with Media Blasters and the dub that this kind of thing is only a one-off.
