Upcoming MangaUK Blu-Ray Releases Moved To DVD-Only

So does this mean the last part of Hellsing Ultimate is only going to be dvd too? Been holding out on buying them because I knew Manga UK would screw up somehow. They excel at bad decisions and alienating their core market.
 
I am so glad that I import most of my anime. About the only Manga release I can think of getting this year is the Psycho Pass blu-ray collection and I only got that as I won it in a competition. The only UK releases I got this year apart from the Ghibli releases are from Anime Limited and MVM (although most non-anime releases that I get tend to be UK releases with the exception of Criterion releases).
 
I have to admit I'm shocked at how quickly all this has happened. From only a month or two ago when Manga were releasing Attack on Titan - potentially one of their biggest, most mass market properties to date - to this situation where they're potentially alienating the majority of their core fanbase, I'm just bemused at how things could fall so far, so quickly.
 
PandoraHane said:
Even though this doesn't affect me, what with being behind the times and still only buying DVD's, I still don't think it's a good thing. I know from being on here that most people will only buy Blu-Ray and really that makes this all very worrying.

I have the Fairy Tail collections on DVD, but how annoying for those buying Blu-Ray. It would upset me if I'd been collecting in that format.

This is really going the opposite way to what I thought would happen. What's going on Manga?
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Since they've already paid out to actually make the first batch of BDs and it's that which costs a large chunk of the cash, they could make the collections combo packs or something if they wanted to cut down on SKUs and encourage people who only want one format to buy early (which would be good business sense, and play to people being obsessive about their collections - it would also be an excuse to bump the price up for the collection slightly). But they keep changing things around when it's too late, forcing people to change their buying patterns.

Manga UK are making it really complicated and frustrating to buy anime on the format you want (or they would be, if I wasn't already boycotting them for the sheer suck they've been responsible for in recent years). Their willingness to backstab their core audience of shounen adaptation fans continues to be a disgrace when other companies are bending over backwards to try to do right by their fans.

R
 
Seems manga have some sort of death wish. They will continue releasing the big name sellers (bleach, naruto etc) but won't bother with anything else
 
Ben-to & Good Luck Girl, where real annoying as they were announced right off as coming to BD, is still somewhat understandable given they're niche.

Fairy Tail makes no sense? If they're releasing singles on BD, how can they not pack them into a collection? The disks are there ..

I saw someone wrote it maybe due to Jerome & Andrew leaving, so there's some other big gun in the office taking control, I agree with that possibility, maybe they're trying to cut costs but sadly at the same time, severely alienating the fanbase.

I feel for Jeremy being their social media guy, he's probably preparing himself for a storm of angry fans :S I hope people remember it isn't his fault...
 
It seems to me that a corporate Yes-man has been put in charge until a replacement for Jerome is hired (assuming that even happens). No doubt this Yes-man has the simple instructions 'maximise profit' and sees BluRay as an unnecessary expense. I wouldn't be surprised if he considered cancelling Ben-To & GLG completely until he realised that money has already been paid to the licensor, and the only way to recoup that is a cheap as possible release. I tell you what though, if Eva 3.33 ends up DVD only I'll go absolutely apes***. And then buy it from Australia.

As for the theory that Manga are scaling down their operations to pre-Jerome levels I think it's way too early to say. Jerome left Manga with only a handful of licenses for the near future and whoever is running things now is probably not in a position to acquire more. If Starz intend to see Manga continue as it has been then it will be several months before a replacement for Jerome is hired, and then several more months before he/she can get new license contracts signed, and then another six months before those licenses are ready for release. It could be a full year before Manga is back on it's feet, and that's a year that MVM, AL and possibly Animatsu will use to grow and leave the former superpower Manga struggling to compete.

I can't help feeling sorry for Jeremy in all this, he's been left to take the brunt of the public backlash with no real hope of any good news to calm things down.
 
Cel said:
Not to sound like an insensitive asshole, but he's the PR guy, so it's his job to put up with the complaints.
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Wait until Manga realise that they're 'wasting' money on a PR account when they don't have a full release slate to promote, and it will soon be silence from them again, with about as much customer feedback possible as for Kaze.
 
It's kind of an odd situation, the industry we're in, where there's so much passion/vitriol about one company - but precisely because the UK anime industry is as small as it is, I kind of feel some kind of statement is justified sooner, rather than later, to keep us abreast of what's going on. As much as it's easy to hate on them, I feel like - as a fan - I have a vested interest in Manga as a company, and I'd like to see them continue in some shape or form (although obviously rectifying a lot of the mistakes they seem to be making at the moment).

If it really is radio silence for much of the next year, I'm not really sure what to think - as this will no doubt have wider repercussions too; ie. more titles heading MVM/Anime Ltd's way, what do NEO/MyMag cover if loads of Manga's releases (and advertising money???) dry up.
 
Cel said:
Not to sound like an insensitive asshole, but he's the PR guy, so it's his job to put up with the complaints.
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That's true, it's more targeted to people who take it to levels that are uncalled for.
 
Elaniel said:
So basically Manga UK do a rubbish job creating Blu-Rays, so they just stop doing all of them barring a few here and there?

I was collecting Fairy Tail, and am not wanting to carry on as I imagine eventually they'll cease the parts on Blu-Ray too.

I shall purchase any Manga UK steelbooks for classic films going forward (doubtful they will have much I'm interested anymore to be honest) and everything they license I shall import.
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Some of their DVD Releases (namely Devil is a Part-Timer and Attack on Titan - Part 2) suffered from the same issues (if not more) as the Blu-ray releases. I.E. Devil is a Part Timer had some 'questionable' audio quality that, in reality, made the product defective.

It's an odd choice that they stopped releasing BD's of Collections; especially as its just the same disc re-packaged.
 
Awwwww hell no. That is some BS right there. The whole thing. BS.

Especially the no more BD Fairy Tail collections. I bought the first 2 with every intention of watching it as they came out. Welp, I guess it is importing time, kids!
 
megagold5 said:
Awwwww hell no. That is some BS right there. The whole thing. BS.

Especially the no more BD Fairy Tail collections. I bought the first 2 with every intention of watching it as they came out. Welp, I guess it is importing time, kids!
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Collections 3, 4 & 5 should be Region B compatible in case you're wondering when it comes to Funimation's Collection sets (using the same discs as their Part sets). Note that Collection 6 onwards and Part 11 onwards are locked to Region A and 1 (interestingly enough the later sets also have locked subtitles).
 
Okay - thoughts were invited on this, so I'm going to offer them:

Single volumes available on BD, but no BD option for complete collections is a bad model to follow.

Bit of a slap in the face to the fans who either can't afford single volumes / initial releases or don't like the idea of those over a complete set.

BUT... before I pull on my Entitled Fan trousers, I'd prefer to see something more comprehensive by way of an explanation for this. If this is a cost cutting measure, it may need a re-think. If it's to do with licensing (which isn't completely impossible, as I understand it) then it still stinks, but we could appreciate Manga Entertainment's hands being tied.

I'm disappointed, though. I mean, if this is the plan going forward for their releases in general, I'm not enthusiastic. I was just getting used to the idea of having anime on BD, as well.

I'm making assumptions here, granted, but IF this is how Manga Entertainment are intending to do business... just look at this thread for an indication of how that's going to work out. Fans are becoming irritated and rejecting new releases at their point of solicitation. And if that doesn't ring alarm bells, I don't know what will.

I've got a bad feeling about this.
 
NormanicGrav said:
megagold5 said:
Awwwww hell no. That is some BS right there. The whole thing. BS.

Especially the no more BD Fairy Tail collections. I bought the first 2 with every intention of watching it as they came out. Welp, I guess it is importing time, kids!
Click to expand...

Collections 3, 4 & 5 should be Region B compatible in case you're wondering when it comes to Funimation's Collection sets (using the same discs as their Part sets). Note that Collection 6 onwards and Part 11 onwards are locked to Region A and 1 (interestingly enough the later sets also have locked subtitles).
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Yeah, I had heard as much. Luckily there are ways around such things. Granted, such ways are not as elegant as with DVD region locking, but they are there nonetheless.
 
I sense Manga won't be in business by this time next year. Not much has been coming out from Manga that I wanted lately. I may pick up a few back catalogue things which are cheap and then import/hope a better UK distributor picks up the things I'm interested in.
 
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