[Overseas] Anime News & Announcements

I have to admit this is one of the most ludicrous decisions I've seen recently in anime - though I suppose if they know the show is only going to sell a limited amount, they'd be keen to pump as much money from it via the more expensive version. But seriously - you've got to be looking at over 200 dollars to own the entire series now? It's pretty sketchy. Annoys me all the more now they've got Sound Euphonium.

And as others have pointed out - you've got to wonder whether they've spent more money on marketing / adverts than they'll ever make back off Rokka anyway. They seem to be everywhere.

I think they've played a real stinker here in terms of long term reputation / customer relations.
 
Lutga said:
I think they've played a real stinker here in terms of long term reputation / customer relations.
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I think it's probably best defined by the words that immediately came to my mind when I saw this news:

'Why the hell should I support that?'
 
Early reveal but here's the list of titles for Funimation's February 2016 line-up.

The pages for most are screwed up but I'll update as soon as they're fixed or when info is fully revealed.

Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo
Release Date: February 2nd | Region: A|B|1|2|4 (Publisher: NTV) | Format: Blu-ray/DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $34.98
Special Features: Rebuild of Evangelion: 3.33, EVA-EXTRA 08, Japanese Teasers and Trailers, TV Spots, U.S. Trailer, Trailers
Notes: None.

Free! Eternal Summer - Season 2 (Standard, Limited & Premium Edition)
Release Date: February 16th | Region: A|B|1|2|4 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $64.98 (Standard), $69.98 (Limited), $119.98 (Premium)
Special Features: Episode Commentaries, Web Previews, Extended End Card Collection, Illustration Collection, Memorial Promo Video, Promo Videos
Textless Opening, Textless Closing, U.S. Trailer, Trailers
Notes: Funimation page is broken.

Ga-Rei-Zero - Complete Series (S.A.V.E.)
Release Date: February 23rd | Region: A|B|1|4 (Publisher: Kadokawa) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $34.98
Special Features: Location Specials, Series Premiere/First Episode Promo Videos, DVD Promo Videos, Textless Songs, Trailers
Notes: None.

Lord Marksman and Vanadis - Complete Series (Standard & Limited Edition)
Release Date: February 9th | Region: A|B|1|2|4 (Publisher: Kadokawa) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $64.98 (Standard), $84.98 (Limited)
Special Features: Episode Commentaries, "Tigre and Vanadish" Chibi Theater, Preview for Episode 1, Promotional Video, Blu-ray/DVD Commercials, Textless Opening, Textless Closing, U.S. Trailer, Trailers
Notes: None.

No-Rin - Complete Series
Release Date: February 23rd | Region: A|1 (Publisher: Showgate) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $64.98
Special Features: Episode Commentaries, Promotional Videos, Commercial Collection, Textless Opening, Textless Closing, U.S. Trailer, Trailers
Notes: There's no Limited Edition version.

Tokyo ESP - Complete Series (Standard & Limited Edition)
Release Date: February 23rd | Region: A|B|1|2|4 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $64.98 (Standard), $69.98 (Limited)
Special Features: Episode Commentaries, DVD/BD Spots, Commercial, Textless Opening, Textless Closings, U.S. Trailer, Trailers
Notes: None.

Tokyo Ghoul - Season 1 (Collector's Edition)
Release Date: February 9th | Region: A|B|1|2|4 (Publisher: ???) | Format: Blu-ray & DVD | Languages: English/Japanese
Price (SRP): $129.98
Special Features: Episode Commentaries, Kaneki in Black and White, Japanese Commercials, Promotional Videos, Preview Collection, Textless Opening, Textless Closings, U.S. Trailer, Trailers
Notes: Standard & Limited Edition already available.
 
RACS on their thoughts of Ponycan cancelling the Rokka SEs (from their latest newsletter):
PonyCAN Cancels SE Versions of Rokka

Ponycan USA confirmed yesterday that it has cancelled the standard edition BD and DVD releases for the Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers anime. In a particularly lame statement, the company offered the following reason:

"Because we would like to focus on the collector's edition. That's why we have recently added additional gift with purchase to make the collector's edition more attractive to the fan to possess. We are planning to explore various measures to satisfy the fans who will buy our collector's edition in the future."

The collector's edition, and only that version, is still slated for release on December 10. While most folks see this for what it is, one forum poster who also often defends AniPlex, stuck up for them by saying:

"Or it could be the other versions weren't selling well enough and would have ended up as a net loss. Can we stop turning every god damn PonyCan USA and Aniplex USA thread into "They're just greedy money grubbing jerks!"

I know everyone wants to believe that's the case [about the other versions] - but it isn't. Almost all of our pre-order action for Rokka was in the regular editions - about 90%. When Rokka was announced all I heard from folks was a collective sigh of relief that maybe PonyCAN had finally seen the light and was going to start making their shows more affordable. But I imagine when they started counting up the recent retailer pre-books and found most of us were almost exclusively going in for the regular editions, they decided that so many orders for the CE had been sucked into the SE that the more profitable collectors edition was doomed unless it was the only edition they pressed. Given a choice, the standard editions is where the lions share of fan interest will go for any given show when released simultaneously. It has nothing to do with the CE not being desirable, it's just that so many people just can't justify forking out $15-$20 per episode for a show. Those prices (similar to the Japanese market) are absolutely outrageous no matter how many goodies they stuff in a box set. I have said this many times. And a multi-tiered release model that serves the multiple budgets in the marketplace needs sales volume that requires a studio to make distribution partnerships here in the US they do not seem willing to maintain. I have also said that many times - ad nauseum.

So unfortunately, yet another decent show gets 'Aniplexed'. We will need to cancel all pre-orders for the SE editions, but if you had one of the SE's on pre-order and want to change it to the CE (as PonyCAN clearly hopes you will do), just drop us a line.
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Wow. That's bloody ridiculous. Christ, I hope they pull their act together for Sound! Euphonium and put out an SE or reasonably priced CE or it gets picked up in the UK by someone decent. That's a show I really loved but I'm not prepared to spend that kind of money on it.
 
Weird to see somebody so overtly calling them out for ****** behaviour. Then again, it's also weird that nobody at PonyCanUSA saw that coming...

It's also weird to see a retailer calling Aniplex's prices outrageous, I keep being told Aniplex's prices are reasonable because "I'm willing to pay them and they always sell out" (neither of which actually contributes to making them any less ridiculous)...
 
NormanicGrav said:
It has nothing to do with the CE not being desirable, it's just that so many people just can't justify forking out $15-$20 per episode for a show. Those prices (similar to the Japanese market) are absolutely outrageous no matter how many goodies they stuff in a box set. I have said this many times. And a multi-tiered release model that serves the multiple budgets in the marketplace needs sales volume that requires a studio to make distribution partnerships here in the US they do not seem willing to maintain. I have also said that many times - ad nauseum.
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I disagree with the first part of that statement. A major reason why I'm not buying PC's CEs is because they're undesirable - a major part is due to the size - the same reason why I won't buy any more NIS old style CEs (Love Live aside). The packaging is just fugly and doesn't look premium or have the nice look to it that other R1 releases do - an issue Aniplex had to an extent at first IMO - and an oversized DVD case? Really? Factor in that you're also paying Japanese prices for American quality discs and you can bugger off. I know I'm not the only one to feel this way either.

Pony Canyon's business model, assuming that they even have one, is utter nonsense. The fact that they're now also turning down any possible sales they could have suggests that they're either stupid or don't know what they're doing. They really should start taking feedback on board.
 
Mrclt1994 said:
Sentai Filmworks have a big announcement next week according to them it will be the biggest of 2015. Any predictions?
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I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be The Seven Deadly Sins but after what happened at Anime Expo anything could happen.
 
NormanicGrav said:
Mrclt1994 said:
Sentai Filmworks have a big announcement next week according to them it will be the biggest of 2015. Any predictions?
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I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be The Seven Deadly Sins but after what happened at Anime Expo anything could happen.
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Do you think Netflix would allow them to release it so soon after it was added to their service. Didn't Knights of Sidonia take almost a year to be released on Blu-ray/DVD in USA from when it was put on Netflix and they class them both as 'Originals'.
 
It could just be a "heads up, we have this", rather than confirmation of a release date.

If Netflix just holds broadcast rights, the hold clause is often time limited (as in it expires on a certain date, regardless of whether the episode has been broadcast), so it's possible their hold clause for the first 12 episodes expires soon or something. But House of Cards comes out 6 months or so after it premières, so maybe we could be seeing The Seven Deadly Sins around April time.

Aniplex is on the production committee though, so it might be an Aniplex of America title.
 
NormanicGrav said:
Buzz201 said:
Aniplex is on the production committee though, so it might be an Aniplex of America title.
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Last I heard the title was still in a bidding war, according to The Aniplex Guy.
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Fair enough, I would have assumed Aniplex of America would have them if they wanted them.

Can't see why it's in a bidding war though. From what I've read of the manga, it's okay shonen fluff. There's literally nothing special or original or unique about it, but then, because of that it'll probably sell like bloody hotcakes.

Although it does manage to avoid the "training arc" trap most shonen of that type falls in (for the first 6 volumes at least), and less training arcs are always appreciated.
 
Perfect Insider had Aniplex on the production comittee and is being produced by A-1 Pictures yet Sentai have the license in NA, so it's perfectly possible that they also have The Seven Deadly Sins. Although, would that warrant 'biggest announcement of 2015'? I guess the series was rather popular
 
If the announcement is SDS consider me disappointed. The show has been on my To Watch list for sometime so I want to watch it but I don't think it warrants that kind of hype.
 
IncendiaryLemon said:
If the announcement is SDS consider me disappointed. The show has been on my To Watch list for sometime so I want to watch it but I don't think it warrants that kind of hype.
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Same here, I really do like the series and it is popular but I don't think it would be the biggest announcement of 2015
 
Sentai Filmworks have announced the next Collector's Edition title - Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun!

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The set will contain the series on Blu-ray and DVD with these features:
- 2 Original Soundtrack CDs
- Poster
- Stickers
- Booklet
 
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