[Overseas] Anime News & Announcements

NormanicGrav said:
I think the problem is that they've probably don't know if the demand is there for the show, heck they skipped out on Season 2. The fact that it managed to get dubbed in the end is surprising but I think it will at least help the show out in terms of sales.

If we all want Blu-ray and the later seasons then this is the only way to support the English release - by buying the DVD. I hear Kingdom is very good (with the manga selling like crazy in Japan). I'm willing to go after the set but we all know my budget situation. :lol:
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Well maybe they shouldn't have been jerks and been the only people to do an English language stream so people over here couldn't see it at all :(

I was pretty hyped about Kingdom back at the time and even participated in the 'draw a panel of the manga' promotion. Not a great time in FUNimation's history.

R
 
Just an update on Kingdom's release:

- Funimation have set the default language to Japanese with English subtitles.
- There are no plans for a Blu-ray release, it's worth noting there isn't one in Japan.
 
Sentai Filmworks' February 2016 line-up.

Akame ga Kill! - Collection 1
Release Date: February 9th | Region: US/1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray, DVD & Combo | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $59.98 [DVD], $69.98 [BD], $129.98 [COMBO]
Special Features: AkaKill! Theater; Japanese Promos; Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Special Features (CE): Standard Edition Extras + Hard Cover Booklet; Poster; Tattoos; Sticker
Notes: COMBO is Collector's Edition.

Blade Dance of the Elementalers - Complete Collection
Release Date: February 2nd | Region: US/1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: Japanese
Price (SRP): $49.98 [DVD], $59.98 [BD]
Special Features: Japanese Promos, Blade Dance Special Mini OVA's, Clean Opening & Closing Animations.
Notes: Subtitle only release. Despite only having 12 episodes, extras have allowed this set to be 2 DISCS.

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei! - Complete Collection (Season 2)
Release Date: February 16th | Region: US/1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $59.98 [DVD], $69.98 [BD]
Special Features: 2wei! Shorts; TV Spots; Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Notes: None.

From the New World - Complete Collection
Release Date: February 2nd | Region: US/1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $79.98 [DVD], $99.98 [BD]
Special Features: Japanese Promos; Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Notes: Discs re-authored to reduce disc count (DVD 5 discs, Blu-ray 3 discs).

Indian Summer - Complete Collection (Sentai Selects)
Release Date: February 23rd | Region: 1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: DVD | Languages: Japanese
Price (SRP): $19.98 [DVD]
Special Features: Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Notes: Sentai Selects label. 3 Episode release so it's 1 Disc.

Photo Kano - Complete Collection
Release Date: February 23rd | Region: US (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray | Languages: Japanese
Price (SRP): $59.98 [BD]
Special Features: Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Notes: Subtitle only release. Series is 13 episodes long = 2 DISCS.

Space Brothers - Collection 7
Release Date: February 16th | Region: US/1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: Japanese
Price (SRP): $49.98 [DVD], $59.98 [BD]
Special Features: Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Notes: Subtitle only release. Collection 7 has 12 episodes = 1 DISC.

Shiro Bako - Collection 1
Release Date: February 9th | Region: US/1 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: Japanese
Price (SRP): $49.98 [DVD], $59.98 [BD]
Special Features: Clean Opening Animation; Clean Closing Animation
Notes: Subtitle only release. Collection 1 has 12 episodes = 1 DISC.

Overall summary:
1 Sentai Selects release (Indian Summer).
1 Blu-ray upgrade (Photo Kano).
1 Complete Collection upgrade (From the New World).
1 Collector's Edition release (Akame ga Kill!).
5 Japanese w/English subtitles only releases (Blade Dance, Indian Summer, Photo Kano, Space Brothers C7, Shiro Bako C1).
2 Japanese w/English subtitles only Blu-ray releases that have 1 Disc (Space Brothers C7, Shiro Bako C1).
2 Japanese w/English subtitles only Blu-ray releases that have 2 Discs (Blade Dance, Photo Kano).
3 Bilingual releases (Akame ga Kill!, Fate/kaleid 2wei!, From the New World).
 
As much as it's nice to have a date for Shirobako, I'm slightly surprised (and probably more disappointed) that it's just a standard release (and apparently a single disc one at that). I wonder why they decided not to do a fancier edition, I'd have thought it has enough of a fanbase that would probably be willing to pick up a collector's edition. I can understand that it's not quite the standard kind of popular show but it seems to have done reasonably well with a wider audience despite that (not that a wide audience is necessary for a collector's release, sometimes the opposite could even be better for that).

I'm not discounting the possibility that they couldn't do a fancier release for some reason (contractual or whatever), I'd just be interested to know the reasons behind it. I supopse it could be a good opportunity for Anime Limited (or someone else maybe) to step in and do something with it, though I suppose they could run into the same problems (depending on what they were and if it was a "problem" at all).

While I'm not worried about a dub, I do think Shirobako could have been a candidate for that too.

Oh well, I expect they have their reasons. Still disappointing though.
 
Shirobako skews old and wasn't a big success except in certain fields, I don't think it's going to sell very well. I also think that's why we won't see a UK release for a while, because it's so big in Japan, the asking price is probably ridiculous.
 
Buzz201 said:
Shirobako skews old and wasn't a big success except in certain fields, I don't think it's going to sell very well. I also think that's why we won't see a UK release for a while, because it's so big in Japan, the asking price is probably ridiculous.
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You've got a point, especially about it's success in Japan causing issues but I'm not sure what you mean about it not being a big success. At least, I'm not sure what measures that would be using, did it not get many views streaming outside of Japan or something?

If the success in Japan is part of the problem then maybe a UK distributor would have an advantage since we have a different Blu-ray region (though not DVD, I suppose). Still, it's tough to say if it'd do well enough to justify such a deal even if they could make one (though I'd like to think Anime Limited would have a shot at making it work, maybe wishful thinking).

Is "skewing old" really a big problem? I'd have thought that older fans are more likely to be the types to both have money and be willing to part with it for physical releases (especially of favourites and Shirobako tends to get good reviews from those who have watched it). Anime has been around long enough that it probably has a reasonably sized non-young fanbase. I can't say I really know either way though, I haven't seen any reliable information on it.

Still, you're probably right about there being issues due to it's success in Japan and, even if there aren't any other issues, that would probably be the decider.
 
Smeelia said:
You've got a point, especially about it's success in Japan causing issues but I'm not sure what you mean about it not being a big success. At least, I'm not sure what measures that would be using, did it not get many views streaming outside of Japan or something?

If the success in Japan is part of the problem then maybe a UK distributor would have an advantage since we have a different Blu-ray region (though not DVD, I suppose). Still, it's tough to say if it'd do well enough to justify such a deal even if they could make one (though I'd like to think Anime Limited would have a shot at making it work, maybe wishful thinking).

Is "skewing old" really a big problem? I'd have thought that older fans are more likely to be the types to both have money and be willing to part with it for physical releases (especially of favourites and Shirobako tends to get good reviews from those who have watched it). Anime has been around long enough that it probably has a reasonably sized non-young fanbase. I can't say I really know either way though, I haven't seen any reliable information on it.

Still, you're probably right about there being issues due to it's success in Japan and, even if there aren't any other issues, that would probably be the decider.
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As I understood it. It was almost dead at the beginning of it's streaming run, but built up a fanbase as it went along.

Stuff that sells well tend to be the sort of young(er) skewing shonen stuff. I can't imagine it being a big problem, but if you're Manga and you have data that says shonen stuff sells better, you aren't likely to punt on Shirobako
 
It did seem that people didn't really know what Shirobako was at first (and thus weren't interested) and it really seemed to take off based on people recommending it and/or giving it positive reviews. It might have been the same in Japan, as I understand it later volumes seemed to be doing better when they were released (to be fair though, the show does also improve as it goes along).

Not every release is the same sort of thing so there is at least some room for variety in the market. I'd like to think that includes room for Shirobako, even if it's a long shot. I do think there's a decent chance we'll get a release at some point, though it's also likely it'd be along the same lines as the basic Sentai one (maybe even a DVD only deal from MVM).
 
Considering how Warner Bros. Japan licensed the series out to Sentai Filmworks instead of keeping it in the family like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, I'm praying that this is a sign that they won't be handling the series here. My ideal release for the series would be for Anime Limited to pick it up and release it over two halves, with the first including a booklet of production artwork for both the actual series and Exodus (if possible), as well as the corresponding OVA and themed-reversible cover. Then the second would contain the same, but for The Third Aerial Girls Squad.

I do wonder if Sentai Filmworks are planning on including the series' two OVAs (which are the first episodes of Exodus! and The Third Girls Aerial Squad). Judging from the RIghtStuf listing, it's clear that at least Collection One won't include the first one which is a shame, because I thought it would have been a fitting extra. If recent trends are anything to go by, they'll probably try to release them as their own standalone collection 9.9.
 
Looks like Funimation have licensed the live-action Prison School series, they have a video up on their YouTube (region locked of course). They're simulcasting the show starting November 13th.
 
Joshawott said:
Considering how Warner Bros. Japan licensed the series out to Sentai Filmworks instead of keeping it in the family like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, I'm praying that this is a sign that they won't be handling the series here. My ideal release for the series would be for Anime Limited to pick it up and release it over two halves, with the first including a booklet of production artwork for both the actual series and Exodus (if possible), as well as the corresponding OVA and themed-reversible cover. Then the second would contain the same, but for The Third Aerial Girls Squad.

I do wonder if Sentai Filmworks are planning on including the series' two OVAs (which are the first episodes of Exodus! and The Third Girls Aerial Squad). Judging from the RIghtStuf listing, it's clear that at least Collection One won't include the first one which is a shame, because I thought it would have been a fitting extra. If recent trends are anything to go by, they'll probably try to release them as their own standalone collection 9.9.
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Or perhaps it's a sign Warner Bros. doesn't hold international sales rights, Showgate does...

I can't find any information about the OVAs, but I wouldn't bank on them having the same production committee. Even the recut of Gatchaman Crowd's finale was a different production committee to the main series.
 
Buzz201 said:
Or perhaps it's a sign Warner Bros. doesn't hold international sales rights, Showgate does...
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After what happened to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, discovering that they don't hold the international sales rights to a particular series is almost a cause for celebration in its own right.

I can't find any information about the OVAs, but I wouldn't bank on them having the same production committee. Even the recut of Gatchaman Crowd's finale was a different production committee to the main series.
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That one not making it out of Japan was just cruel.
 
As far as I'm concerned any of Gatchaman Crowds making out of Japan was cruel...

That aside, maybe Sentai will be able to clear a separate release for the two OVAs, there's two of them so it'd feel less like a con if they were sold separately than CG's finale would. (I mean people slaughtered Sentai for it, even though their claim about not being able to mix production committees is probably true.)

Also, WB's treatment of Terraformars is probably worse, realising a heap of **** is one thing, but actively blocking another company's release and not announcing a replacement damn quick is unforgivable.
 
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