Stuff happened at Ayacon!

[fabio de lunatico]

They don't even have the title on the spine for when I stuff them on top of rows of cases ;_;

Wagnaria has the title on the spine but Toradora and Katanagatari don't. What.

At first I loved the idea of the NISA boxes, but now that I have a few I'm somewhat less keen. I have Katanagari stood on a shelf, front facing out because it looks snazzy, and the others put away, with just their thinpak cases on display.

 

[Rui]

Para: Personal opinion but even if I did like Hollywood movies, I'd like for the sections to all be separate so I could find the exact things I wanted to browse. I don't think anyone goes into HMV realistically wanting to view every single category together.

Wagnaria has the title on the spine but Toradora and Katanagatari don't. What.

The Pandora Hearts ones are just black on the spine, it looks a bit gloomy. I wish they had normally-shaped boxes, as there will eventually come a time when I run out of spaces to stuff them in.

R

 

[Paradox295]

Para: Personal opinion but even if I did like Hollywood movies, I'd like for the sections to all be separate so I could find the exact things I wanted to browse. I don't think anyone goes into HMV realistically wanting to view every single category together.

Still, it's a pretty big generalisation. Like saying all anime is orange ninjas.

 

[Joshawott]

Having said that, I haven't seen a Beez release in a physical shop in ages (though this is Kaze and likely to be Manga).

I personally don't care as I love anime, rather than cases, and my shelves take both.
R

I see the occasional Beez release in my local HMV and Forbidden Planet; but the majority of all anime titles I see in both stores are Manga UK.

BD here looks dead, unless they start printing for multiple countries they can't make the minimums with the market as hurt as it is.
.

Makes me wonder if Beez could support Blu-Ray; considering that they do release their titles in more than just the UK.

 

[ConanThe3rd]

But would 1500+ people go for it at full price (assuming a DVD version is available too)? Not saying they wouldn't, just curious

R

I imagine a good percentage of the not 100 that didn't buy X'Amd on blu ray did so because they knew Manga would probably arse up the second half of the season.

Like I said, making the Blu Ray version a boxset of the entire series sidesteps that issue. Though I'd probably mark the release more as a Kaze thing than a Manga thing because they have truly salted the earth for series on blu ray in the court of public opinion.

 

[beez_andrew]

lol that news is mostly terrible for us. The if it's licensed for the USA and not by FUNi we don't get it is not a good thing at all. Esp with more big titles going to Aniplex USA, NISA and Sentai.

NISA/Sentai is more possible as they focus on US rights so I'm actually investigating a few titles they have rights for ATM - watch this space .

The issue is when people take "all territories" for English and have no distribution arm or fixed agreement. The downside for a deal with Funimation is that usually you have a time delay between US and UK that has the inadvertent side-effect of promoting counter-importation.

It's not all doom there, I license stuff pretty early vs other territories too so that won't be a big thing and it's only select companies that if US rights are taken that it becomes too hard to acquire for one reason or another.

Andrew

 

[Reevothemusefan]

NISA/Sentai is more possible as they focus on US rights so I'm actually investigating a few titles they have rights for ATM - watch this space .

I don't think we have any stuff from what Nippon Ichi Software have licensed, it's great news that you might get a few titles from them. If you can get Toradora!, Arakawa Under the Bridge or Kimi ni Todoke that would be awesome!

The issue is when people take "all territories" for English and have no distribution arm or fixed agreement. The downside for a deal with Funimation is that usually you have a time delay between US and UK that has the inadvertent side-effect of promoting counter-importation.

It's not all doom there, I license stuff pretty early vs other territories too so that won't be a big thing and it's only select companies that if US rights are taken that it becomes too hard to acquire for one reason or another.

Andrew

That is a shame, I really can imagine Madoka Magica to be really hard to get a UK license now, Something like a subbed release wouldn't have really bothered me (e.g Durarara!!)

 

[ConanThe3rd]

Really all I read out of the Aniplex situation is "Aniplex US are a bunch of greedy so and sos"

 

[Vashdaman]

I wouldn't because I don't like being in region B

Why don't you like being in region B?

Beez/Kaze should seriously think about doing BD/DVD double packs, à la Funimation.

Really? I never understood that idea, it just seems mad to me. If I had a Bluray player why would I pay more money to own the DVD too, its just throwing money down the toilet isn't it?

 

[Rui]

Why don't you like being in region B?

Because we have all of the limitations of being in region A (i.e. Japan and America and the fear of cross-importation) since we use their assets for most things, yet we still need to get region B hardware to play local discs. Since my two main importing areas happen to be Japan and America, I feel like we've just been left out in the cold with all of the other unpopular kids.

Also, I don't want to buy a region B player because I'm cheap and happy with my current player (PS3). Nothing I'm interested in will ever come out here that doesn't have a region A alternative, whereas the converse isn't true.

Regioning for physical media needs to die a death, not to be supported by local companies at the expense of customers. If Manga could use the American discs for their releases they wouldn't have to sell such a high volume to justify a UK release, too (of course, they need to figure out a way to get past the BBFC hurdle too to do that).

R

 

[Just Passing Through]

I wouldn't because I don't like being in region B

Why don't you like being in region B?

Beez/Kaze should seriously think about doing BD/DVD double packs, à la Funimation.

Really? I never understood that idea, it just seems mad to me. If I had a Bluray player why would I pay more money to own the DVD too, its just throwing money down the toilet isn't it?

Well, I live in a house with one HD telly and Blu-ray player, and one SD telly and DVD player. Do I get a look in on the big TV? Only after 10PM. For a little casual watching it's nice to have a DVD copy at hand.

 

[Joshawott]

I wouldn't because I don't like being in region B

Why don't you like being in region B?

Beez/Kaze should seriously think about doing BD/DVD double packs, à la Funimation.

Really? I never understood that idea, it just seems mad to me. If I had a Bluray player why would I pay more money to own the DVD too, its just throwing money down the toilet isn't it?

Well, I live in a house with one HD telly and Blu-ray player, and one SD telly and DVD player. Do I get a look in on the big TV? Only after 10PM. For a little casual watching it's nice to have a DVD copy at hand.

Ditto.
The only HDTV in my house is the main one downstairs, which is mainly occupied by my little brother playing the PlayStation 3. When he's out, or in bed, it's my time. Otherwise, I have a small SD TV in my room, and my laptop.

I do agree though that region blocking has to stop. We know it's possible to code discs to have multiple (or no) region blocking...

 

[Vashdaman]

Why don't you like being in region B?

Because we have all of the limitations of being in region A (i.e. Japan and America and the fear of cross-importation) since we use their assets for most things, yet we still need to get region B hardware to play local discs. Since my two main importing areas happen to be Japan and America, I feel like we've just been left out in the cold with all of the other unpopular kids.

Also, I don't want to buy a region B player because I'm cheap and happy with my current player (PS3). Nothing I'm interested in will ever come out here that doesn't have a region A alternative, whereas the converse isn't true.

Regioning for physical media needs to die a death, not to be supported by local companies at the expense of customers. If Manga could use the American discs for their releases they wouldn't have to sell such a high volume to justify a UK release, too (of course, they need to figure out a way to get past the BBFC hurdle too to do that).

R

Yeah I do agree region blocking is very annoying and unnecessary, but it must cost you alot to have to import everything though.

Well, I live in a house with one HD telly and Blu-ray player, and one SD telly and DVD player. Do I get a look in on the big TV? Only after 10PM. For a little casual watching it's nice to have a DVD copy at hand.

That's actually fair enough, although I don't think I could ever justify buying two copies of the same film for myself though. I can't think of any film I'd want to watch that much.

 

[ayase]

Beez/Kaze should seriously think about doing BD/DVD double packs, à la Funimation.

Really? I never understood that idea, it just seems mad to me. If I had a Bluray player why would I pay more money to own the DVD too, its just throwing money down the toilet isn't it?

It seems like the studios sell more by doing double packs. Clearly those who are of the opinion that it's wasteful and redundant (count me among them) are in the minority, as they wouldn't be doing it otherwise. Besides, since double-packs rarely cost any more it's only throwing the world's resources down the toilet, rather than my money. Which I don't particularly like, but it isn't actually inconveniencing me at the present time*.



*Except when they put them in the wrong sized cases so I can't file them in the correct place on my shelving. And when they ruin cover art with massive blue bars at the top announcing TRIPLE SUPER DUPER PLAY EXTENDED UNRATED NEVER BEFORE SEEN ULTIMATE EDITION.

 

[Shiroi Hane]

lol that news is mostly terrible for us. The if it's licensed for the USA and not by FUNi we don't get it is not a good thing at all. Esp with more big titles going to Aniplex USA, NISA and Sentai.

NISA/Sentai is more possible as they focus on US rights so I'm actually investigating a few titles they have rights for ATM - watch this space .

The issue is when people take "all territories" for English and have no distribution arm or fixed agreement. The downside for a deal with Funimation is that usually you have a time delay between US and UK that has the inadvertent side-effect of promoting counter-importation.

It's not all doom there, I license stuff pretty early vs other territories too so that won't be a big thing and it's only select companies that if US rights are taken that it becomes too hard to acquire for one reason or another.

It looks like the this "one English licence to rule them all" seems common to US branches of Japanese companies since I think KadoUSA was the same and I have a feeling someone once told me that Geneon titles were licensed from the US rather than Japan. We still haven't got FMP:TSR and MVM had problems when Chobits was transferred from Geneon to FUNimation in the US. It makes sense since they're basically just delegating English rights to an arm of their company based in the biggest English-speaking territory for anime.

If Aniplex USA are (despite their name and the fact that we can't even watch their trailers on YouTube) grabbing UK rights along with the US then someone needs to get chummy with then and sub-licence. Preferably not Manga as a) that would be just greedy and b) no Oreimo as it is sub-only.

Working out something where we use the exact same discs (ala Honneamise but printed in the US not Japan) would help with both costs, volumes and speed. Problem would be the BBFC logos on the discs (I assume that is a requirement but can't find confirmation on the BBFC site). You'd either have to get it classified first, potentially delaying the US release, and have the logos present on the US discs also, or somehow add them on afterwards.

Why don't you like being in region B?

Because we have all of the limitations of being in region A (i.e. Japan and America and the fear of cross-importation) since we use their assets for most things, yet we still need to get region B hardware to play local discs. Since my two main importing areas happen to be Japan and America, I feel like we've just been left out in the cold with all of the other unpopular kids.

I was intensely annoyed with the region scheme for BD when it was announced and the PS3 specs made available since from an anime perspective it is most unfair - the US gets more anime quicker. At least being in the same as Japan DVD region imports were easy for us but with BDs even that advantage was "taken" by the US and the only way to play BDs and DVDs from all three regions is to get three consoles. Japanese BDs mostly being region free made some fears moot but still it irked.

Having said that, I haven't seen a Beez release in a physical shop in ages (though this is Kaze and likely to be Manga).

I see the occasional Beez release in my local HMV and Forbidden Planet; but the majority of all anime titles I see in both stores are Manga UK.

Beez titles have always been rarer around here - I still haven't got all of My-HiME since I was buying it from stores and they never stocked later than around volume 4 and I never saw more than a few volumes of Cowboy Bebop. I told myself I would get Durarara!! if I ever saw it, and regretted it when two volumes actually showed up in HMV (I mean, I regretted it later when I found out just how much cheaper it was online) but never seen volume 3. Not seen Sora no Woto at all.

 

[Vashdaman]

Beez/Kaze should seriously think about doing BD/DVD double packs, à la Funimation.

Really? I never understood that idea, it just seems mad to me. If I had a Bluray player why would I pay more money to own the DVD too, its just throwing money down the toilet isn't it?

It seems like the studios sell more by doing double packs. Clearly those who are of the opinion that it's wasteful and redundant (count me among them) are in the minority, as they wouldn't be doing it otherwise. Besides, since double-packs rarely cost any more it's only throwing the world's resources down the toilet, rather than my money. Which I don't particularly like, but it isn't actually inconveniencing me at the present time*.



*Except when they put them in the wrong sized cases so I can't file them in the correct place on my shelving. And when they ruin cover art with massive blue bars at the top announcing TRIPLE SUPER DUPER PLAY EXTENDED UNRATED NEVER BEFORE SEEN ULTIMATE EDITION.

Yeah that's my main problem with them as well really, what a waste of resources and packaging it is. They might as well chuck the other disk into the same box, but they seem to insist on two separate boxes.

 

[ayase]

My problem is less with the packaging (I like ostentatious packaging) and more to do with the fact that perfectly good DVD discs just sit in cases on my shelves unwatched - I live alone in a small flat with one HDTV all to myself. I have no IRL friends who like anime to lend/give them to. I neither need nor want extra DVD copies. In the case of the Ghibli double packs I'm going to end up with *two* DVD copies I won't watch as I already own them all on DVD! I'd sell them on in paper packets on eBay, were it not for the fact there will be such a surplus of them that they'll only be worth about 50p each.

 

[fabio de lunatico]

I'm thinking more from the perspective of the publisher. Right Stuf's boss was on ANNCast earlier this year talking about Funi's BD/DVD sets and he seemed to think it was more cost effective for them to do it that way than separate releases.

It won't work for Manga because their cheap DVD sets are apparently doing well for them, but Beez 's prices are higher anyway.

 

[ilmaestro]

Crikey, Mardock Scramble = good, multiple new titles at <100 units sold = crazy bad.

Sengoku Basara isn't getting a season 2 release here at all according to Manga following sales of season 1, only nobody seems to care

Hmm, I didn't care, because I didn't know that. Now I'm vaguely miffed.

top tier stuff

You actually manage to make the UK industry sound not dead (not meant to sound as back-handed a compliment as it probably does), kudos.