[JP] Fullmetal Alchemist movie Blu-ray to be included in new DVD boxset

[Buster Darkwings]

http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd.php?num_sid=639456

The movie, the 2 "box exclusive" bonus discs, and the theme song compilation CD will use new masters, while the TV series and OVA discs will be the previous masters. Also includes a case illustrated by Yoshiyuki Ito, 148-page artbook including designs and new 4-koma manga by Hiromu Arakawa, replica goods (posters, movie ticket), and pin-up(s) by Arakawa. Doesn't seem to say what's on the bonus discs.

I'm glad I don't care much about FMA at this point (watched the first few eps and it didn't catch my attention much although I might get around to watching more of it someday), or I'd be pissed about having to shell out 60,000 yen just to get the movie on Blu-ray...

[Quarkboy]

That's just evil...

It's one thing to include a DVD with the Blu-ray, but to include DVDs for the entire TV series and price the thing at $500 is insane, and cruel. They'd better sell the blu-ray seperately.

Even Otaku would be seriously pissed at this move, I think.

Imagine this: What if 2 years down the line they sell a blu-ray release of the TV series finally, but it doesn't include the movie. Then the only way to get the movie on blu-ray would be to buy this, now old and probably out of print box set that includes DVDs you would have no use for whatsoever.

[kakugo]

To be fair, the RahXephon DVD Box (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=ZMSZ-3249) ($320~) included the theatrical movie on an HD DVD, and that was strictly for the first pressing: the box is still in print, but lacks any HD features, and doesn't have nearly as many episodes/as much swag as the FMA box.

Under the circumstances, this is a DVD Box with a Blu-ray as a bonus disc, not a Blu-ray with a DVD box as a bonus. It's still evil of them, I'm not denying that, but I'd expect that "bonus" disc to get a stand alone BD eventually.

[Randall Miyashiro]

Imagine this: What if 2 years down the line they sell a blu-ray release of the TV series finally, but it doesn't include the movie. Then the only way to get the movie on blu-ray would be to buy this, now old and probably out of print box set that includes DVDs you would have no use for whatsoever.

For some reason I assumed that the television series was animated for standard definition. Bones seems to be a bit backward as far as tech goes with their shows with all of the ones that I can think of being stereo 4:3 releases, unlike Gonzo or production IG for example which have been on the 16:9 format with many titles in 5.1 and high definition for several years now.

[Buster Darkwings]

I'm betting they'll release the Blu-ray separately somewhere down the line, but they really should do that in the first place...

[Skywise]

FMA came out in 2003, and is one of those titles that I don't believe was animated for HD. It's 4:3 even, which makes it even less likely. If/when we see a BD release for the series it'll probably be an upconvert, or just more eps on fewer discs.

The movie OTOH can fully benefit from hidef, and, I've seen screencaps from it a while back.

[Quarkboy]

FMA came out in 2003, and is one of those titles that I don't believe was animated for HD. It's 4:3 even, which makes it even less likely. If/when we see a BD release for the series it'll probably be an upconvert, or just more eps on fewer discs.

The movie OTOH can fully benefit from hidef, and, I've seen screencaps from it a while back.
I've always wondered who they are selling sets like this TO, anyway?

The hard core fans probably bought the first press DVDs as they came out, right? So do they expect them to double dip for this box set? Or are they thinking they could entice a few extra people to drop half a grand on a show they didn't think was worthy of buying on singles?

I bet that the majority of sales of this set will be to people who just listed their DVD collection on yahoo auctions :).

[Skywise]

They'll be selling it to the same people they always sell to. Now and then they come out with limited boxsets of popular shows that cost quite a bit, and this one is not really unique, and the price isn't that bad. You have to remember that this is over 50 eps we're talking about.

[Quarkboy]

They'll be selling it to the same people they always sell to. Now and then they come out with limited boxsets of popular shows that cost quite a bit, and this one is not really unique, and the price isn't that bad. You have to remember that this is over 50 eps we're talking about.
Do we have any sales numbers for sets like this? Do they sell in the 1000s or the 100s?

[Skywise]

US sales figures are hard enough to come by, never mind Japanese ones. Based on regular Japanese anime dvd sales though, I'm going to make a guess that they aim to sell 500-2500 sets. 500 being realistic, 2500 being "OMG".

[muhootsaver]

Well, definitely a pass. They are just trying to milk the last drop before they move on to Blu-ray totally.

[Bezerker]

Like how Funi released the FMA Movie LE version two months after the regular (so people who wanted to see it on dvd would have to buy both the regular and later the LE versions), they will probably do the same thing as this. They'll make the Premium OVA collection & Blu-ray disc exclusives for a year or so, then release them seperately.

Needless to say, I wont be buying the R2 release.

[AUSTIN316]

You'd think that Sony would be doing more with getting their popular properties out on BD to promote their own format. They have released nothing as far as anime goes so far and their music releases are a joke too. I want to be buying the new L'Arc~en~Ciel and abingdon boys school concerts on blue-ray, not DVD damn it. I DID just buy the new T.M.R cd single which came in a CD+BD format so it was nice to finally see a PV in 16:9 format. Shame the PV itself was about the lamest I have seen in my life. They should have just labelled it a Sony ad and been done with it.

I still hope for a BD remaster of the Street Fighter II: Movie one day. Maybe the release and hype of SFIV will finally bring that about.

[Skywise]

Actually Sony have the most BD music releases in Japan. TMR is also Epic Records, not Sony. What you want is this:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000P28QXG/

179 mins of concert footage - enjoy.

[AUSTIN316]

Actually Sony have the most BD music releases in Japan. TMR is also Epic Records, not Sony. What you want is this:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000P28QXG/

179 mins of concert footage - enjoy.

Yep I have that as well as the HYDE concert that came out at the same time. I was back in Japan at the time and saw a demo video of both concerts (as well as Patlabor and Royal Space Force on HD-DVD, heh. I still have the HD-DVD tissues from that store ^_^) playing in an electrical store so I grabbed them. I thought Epic and Sony were the same though? When Sony first bought out Columbia, of which Epic was a sub-label, they were called "Epic/Sony Records" in Japan. It was under that label that they published their first games on the Super Famicom and Mega Drive too (Hook, Jelly Boy, Karura Oh).

I have seen a few other Sony label artists' BDs but it seems that they released them all in June/July last year and have had nothing since. It also seemed like it was some of their "they were once popular, but not so much any more" artists such as Nakashima Mika and Hirai Ken while more popular artists such as Laruku and YUI have had nothing. I wish they would start releasing new concert DVDs in both formats for all their artists. I also hope Avex Trax starts up BD releases, I will be broke when that happens. I just hope their BD authoring will be better than the crap DVDs they constantly put on the market...

[Cyber Inviso]

The Fullmetal Alchemist movie Blu-ray is really tempting to get to me. But getting the whole boxset, that too expensive. :(

[Danime]

The hard core fans probably bought the first press DVDs as they came out, right? So do they expect them to double dip for this box set? Or are they thinking they could entice a few extra people to drop half a grand on a show they didn't think was worthy of buying on singles?

From the looks of it, the only decent extra that came with the first pressing of the originals was a tin box to hold all 13 of the DVDs, so I guess if this package comes in some super awesome box, with all the extras, fans will be gagging at the chance to get hold of it.

[Skywise]

Hmm.. you're right, in that Epic Records is owned by Sony. That just means that they've even been more prolific about music releases than I thought. Nakashima Mika and Ken Hirai are also safe bets, in that they've been popular for years, while artists such as Yui are much newer.

As for Avex, they were on the HD DVD wagon, so it could take a while before they start with BD releases. .

[AUSTIN316]

As for Avex, they were on the HD DVD wagon, so it could take a while before they start with BD releases. .

Ahhh, I had no idea. Oh well, I can just see them dumping pvs and concert dvds on blu-ray with no remastering or anything, because their dvd division sucks. I will of course re-buy all my beloved Hamasaki Ayumi dvds once again on blu regardless. I was hoping for some sort of box set this year for the 10th anniversary but I wont hold my breath, heh.

[Skywise]

Well hopefully those concerts were shot in HD. I have a HD recording from A-Nation last year which was awesome.

[AUSTIN316]

That of course, is the big question. I have often wondered if the concerts and pvs are shot on film that can be remastered in 1080p or if they go the cheap route and use video tape. This goes for the Japanese music industry as a whole. I don't know how much time and effort the companies will want to go to getting everything ready for HD release though. Much like the begining of anime dvds, they certainly didn't put alot of effort into early DVD releases (or in Avex's case, ANY DVD releases) from what I have seen.

[Skywise]

Most concerts in HD are shot in 1080i actually. That will change over time as they switch to 1080p cameras (which is used to make movies).

[JoshMilewski]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet:

FUNimation / Geneon New Title Solicitations (Oct 08) via TRSI

???
FullMetal Alchemist: The Movie (Blu-ray) - $29.98
http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showthread.php?t=84454

So FUNimation is releasing the movie on Blu-ray in North America. No release date yet, though.

And although WTK says in that post that he got his information from Right Stuf, I can't find the movie listed on there anywhere. =/