Top Five Things Anime Companies Have Done Wrong in 2008

[Chris Beveridge]

We're looking for some user feedback on this as we're prepping a piece and want to see what the readers think the anime companies have done wrong this year. It can be from any particular part of releases, strategy, communication, marketing, etc. What do you think they've done right?

[Konoha]

#1 wrong - Viz letting several titles slip into limbo lala land. Will think of four more later.

Actually, #2 - big pressings of botched discs (hi, Bandai)

[Fudce]

There have been some interesting "wrong" decisions taken this year. The obvious ones will be talked about a lot, so let's get it out of the way before this becomes yet another thread focussing on it.

ADV's lack of customer relations regarding the whole Sojitz debacle.

I'll leave it at that, since the Sojitz debacle itself was not what most people were annoyed at, but instead the way that dealt with things. Be that through choice or necessity, it was wrong.


Also annoying me this year, and I know I'm going to get counter-arguments about this, but I felt that Bandai did wrong in releasing Gurren Lagann first as sub only DVDs. Yes, I know this allowed then to release the DVD earlier, but I'd rather companies released complete DVDs straight away, rather than incomplete DVDs. It'd be like a company releasing the first two episodes of a series on a DVD six months before releasing the first four episodes.

Bandai Entertainment gets another mention with their slow and downright sloppy dealing with the errors on the Code Geass DVDs. My copy still has slight errors, but I'm happy it mostly works. :)

Geneon gets a mention as well, and while it may not be their control, I am annoyed at the lack of any credits on the Familiar of Zero DVDs. Creditless anime went away several years back, surely we're grown up enough to give credit where credit is due, even if they were forced to use alias's?

[kakitamike]

Viz's lack of sign/text only subtitles on english dub tracks.

Bandai's massive authoring problems.

[LordGeo]

I will agree that Viz's handling of the "on hiatus" titles has just been down right wrong, not to mention their handling on titles that they actually have licensed but done absolutely nothing with (Honey & Clover & NANA). While I myself won't be buying those two titles, it just confuses me that a company would license a title and then do nothing with it, let alone two titles being given the same treatment.

[tablesalt]

We're looking for some user feedback on this as we're prepping a piece and want to see what the readers think the anime companies have done wrong this year. It can be from any particular part of releases, strategy, communication, marketing, etc. What do you think they've done right?

I think companies are putting too many eggs in the 'free download' basket. It reminds me of 6-7 years ago when everyone was scrambling for tv content, which was a disaster for the industry (and one company in particular). It's fine as advertising, but where's the money? Funimation is the new ADV, but have they learned from their mistakes?

Few companies focus on the core customers. Nozomi does, but other companies continue to try to get by with the minimum.

As for companies collapsing (either completely or partially) I think it's a painful but necessary step for the industry to move forward.

[WTK]

My is pretty fluid with no particular order...
The lack of communication from ADV Films from all the issues & the debacles throughout the year
Bandai Entertainment DVD production issues / errors
Viz Media putting a a choke hold on many anime properties (Honey & Clover, Nana (TV),...)
Inconsistency from Media Blasters (Tweeny Witches Boxset coming out before the OVA, the so-called designer artbox for Moribito, lack of information on releases,...)
While it's great that FUNimation is putting a lot releases out of the door, there are some concerns of packaging (quality, sturdiness, matching the previous releases,...)

[Kirarakim]

* Bandai's DVD error issues especially on Code Geass (I actually didn't purchase this but I feel bad for those who did).

* ADV's lack of communication over the Sojitz & Gurren Lagann issue

* Viz refusing to release Honey & Clover

edit: And can I say ADV putting Yotsuba on hold again after only releasing 2 more volumes. I know that's a manga so it probably doesn't count but I wanted to vent anyways.

[Buckeye]

As for things companies have done wrong, here are my bottom 5:

1. ADV and Sojitz not seeing eye-to-eye which ultimately let to a lot of brouhaha going on with unfinished releases, the loss of the Gurren Lagaan license, etc.
2. Viz putting titles on hiatus out of a "strategic decision" or whatever.
3. Bandai's problems with disc quality.
4. Funimation's packaging of box sets leaves a lot to be desired.
5. Sony releasing Blood+ with dubtitles.

I might edit these if more things come to mind.

[something]

Not as fun as the "did right" list but here goes:

1) Lack of communication - Anime companies are, especially this year, absolutely atrocious at explaining themselves and keeping fans informed. They abdicate all PR responsibility and instead let rumor and conspiracy fly. They go silent on the fate of releases. They drop hints and then deliver nothing. Whether they intend it or not, they show serious disregard for their fans when they take this to extremes. ADV and Viz are, by far, the worst offenders. ADV gets a partial pass because they had such a strange situation (but still handled it HORRIBLY), but Viz is just disgusting. That company has nothing but the utmost disdain for anime fans, and makes no effort to hide it.

Even Bandai has really wasted a lot of the enthusiasm and good will from the Nebula project, going into hibernation mode for months, waking up only to feed us oddly ominous sounding lines like they *want* people to get worried. I don't appreciate that. Give us the news or keep quiet at this point. Funimation has long had a problem with borked solicitations, and they (Geneon shares some of the blame too) really didn't need to keep the Shana OVA thing a secret, discovered only when people got the discs in their hands. Honestly, the only company I can give a passing grade is Nozomi. Everyone else has failed the test.

2) Viz - Just... ugh. Seriously. I'll still buy their discs when they license something, so they never fell to 4Kids or BVUSA levels, but I really wish I wasn't giving them any of my money at all. I will never forgive them for how they handled their canceled shows and what they're doing to Honey and Clover.

3) What we have here is... a failure to communicate - Because once wasn't enough.

4) Legal digital offerings still kinda suck - The fact that they're doing ti at all would have been my 6th list on the "done right" column, especially that they're doing so much of it. The problem is that they're still doin' it wrong. Low quality or DRM or no download versions or all of the above depending. Inconsistent delivery of bilingual versions (for already-released stuff, I know they can't dub the simultaneous releases). I want the BOST model, but cheaper, and with less shittacular video. But I do realize I'm not the target audience for these moves... I'll just continue dling higher quality fansubs then a bit spending extra to get the DVDs instead of LQ dls or streams. I certainly wouldn't *mind* if someone would get digital right, though. But, nonetheless, they *are* improving... very slowly.

5) Glitched discs - Argh, Bandai, why? Argh, Geneon and Zero no Tsukaima timecodes, why? When I have to resort to fansubs to do things I should be able to do with my legally purchased R1 DVDs, something is wrong. The vast majority of releases are fine, but there's some really stupid crap going on. Also, all that intentional bad sectors to (fail to) stop piracy shit. Damnit, guys.

[LelouchLamperouge]

1. Viz is still around. Isn't that wrong enough?
2. Geneon/FUNimation ... I want my Shana OVA+artbox.
3. ADV's handling of the ARM/Sojitz partnership collapse. Lack of communication.
4. Anti-piracy Software on DVDs...y'know, the one that makes DVDs all bad. This includes Bandai's little super-happy-funtime with Geass replacements.
5. Media Blasters' near-crap releases(lookin' at you, Moribito) and lying(looking at you, that one MB rep about IT:DD same cast, etc etc).

I agree with something, every company has utterly failed this year in some way, shape or form with one notable exception -- Nozomi.

[TalonG4]

One of the reason I don't post so much is because something does it so much better. ;)

1) Communication or lack of - ADV and Bandai are the most guilty of this and they wonder why fans treat them harshly and rumour and innuendo go wild. In a vacumn, those things happen.
2) Nozomi releasing subtitled only sets. This is also on my "done right" list because I love the shows they have released this way but I would love to hear them in my native tongue as well. I'm worried this will set a bad example.
3)Bandai's pressing of bad discs - I know they didn't plan to make bad discs but still. I guess this would fall under lack of communication as well.
4)Digital or online releases - Still need improvement.
5)... can't think of anything more at the moment.

[Draneor]

#1 Communication during trying times. I'm sure they have their reasons, but sometimes being silent doesn't help matters. Especially considering many of anime fans do follow the industry. Specifically, I'm thinking of ADV. Although other companies have been known to remain silent about important issues as well. Let me add that incomplete communication can be worse than no communication. It can make the problems worse because it fans the flames. Sometimes it is better to say nothing than sharing a partial truth or part of the situation.

#2 Bull shitting. Seriously. ADV stop bull shitting about Sentai being an entirely different and unrelated company. Don't tell us everything is fine when it's obvious it's not. If a release is canceled because of poor sales, state it. We're going to find out one way or the other.

#3 FUNimation undercutting ADV by negotiating and buying the Sojitz titles, resulting in a market consolidation towards an eventually monopoly while publicly gloating during the negotiations. FUNimation may have gained a short-term advantage and permanently crippled ADV. Still, I think this was the worst event for the industry to happen this year.

#4 Ignoring the core collectors market and trying to turn otaku shows into mass-market items. I really think this will eventually become a problem as DVD sales continue to decline. You can only cut production values so far, trying to get new people to buy, before you lose the ones you already have. Whether you are cutting out convention appearances, English dubs, packaging, or quality control, I think lower production values will hurt the anime industry in the end.

#5 Letting some of the inter-industry in-fighting become public. Specifically, I'm thinking of when Fukanaga said something to the effect of we perceive difficulties on ADV's end while negotiating for Sojitz titles. Also, Robert's public comments regarding his issues with the industry.

[LordGeo]

I listed one thing, but here's my actual list:

1.Viz deciding to put some animes "on hiatus", even if they never even released a single DVD of them, and then refusing to elaborate on their futures
2.FUNimation not being able to release all Sojitz titles in ways that please the purchasers of the ADV releases (There are still some shows that are not being given the single treatment)
3.The industry being less willing to speak with the fans overall
4.Titles being given download-to-own releases but not DVD releases of any sort
5.Animewho's rough release schedule of Joe vs. Joe

Choosing the 5th complaint was tough, so I just went with the only real complaint I had with Animewho's admittedly really good release of Joe vs. Joe.

[joelgundam01]

My is pretty fluid with no particular order...
The lack of communication from ADV Films from all the issues & the debacles throughout the year
Bandai Entertainment DVD production issues / errors
Viz Media putting a a choke hold on many anime properties (Honey & Clover, Nana (TV),...)
Inconsistency from Media Blasters (Tweeny Witches Boxset coming out before the OVA, the so-called designer artbox for Moribito, lack of information on releases,...)
While it's great that FUNimation is putting a lot releases out of the door, there are some concerns of packaging (quality, sturdiness, matching the previous releases,...)

Those are pretty much my five peeves. Personally, I would go as far as saying that Media Blasters is stuck in 1999, when it comes information on their releases.

[The Great Bear]

1. Lack of communication.
Especially ADV's refusal or inability to come out and clear the air. It's not that there is a large public pressing down on them demanding "the truth." But, when PR is handled as poorly as it has been by ADV, the buying public, of which the "hardcore" segment is probably the most dependable (not largest, dependable) group for ADV, begins to lose faith in their (ADV's) ability to release a product entirely, in a timely manner.

2. Viz's stranglehold on properties.
Where is my Honey & Clover? I want to buy it. Why won't you sell it? If you have no plans to release it, then give it to someone else who will, or else give it up and let the market determine whether there will be a release or not. Just sitting on it does nothing but anger fans and give you a reputation for being the second most useless licensee in R1 for 2008, and a shot at the no.1 spot for 2009.

3. Bandai's replicator problems.
They really need to get their act together in this regard. How many replicators have they gone through in just the past two years?

4. The retreat from dubs.
While we can all take pleasure from the fact that certain companies are willing to license and release properties that were once considered tough sells, whose chances of ever being released here legitimately in R1 were between slim and none, the retreat from dubs by certain companies and with certain properties is not an entirely positive thing. For anime to continue, there is a need to bring in new viewers (and then hopefully new buyers) constantly. Either the fanbase (and the buying base) grows, or it dies. Dubs are important, because one of the best ways of bringing in new viewers who are more likely to become buyers is through broadcast outlets, and broadcasters overwhelmingly will only broadcast dubbed anime. I understand the economic rationale behind the omission of dubs on more and more releases of late. The logic of economics is harsh, but understandable. But that does not change the fact that dubs help to bring in new viewers who may go on to become buyers. For the long term health of the industry, we need dubs.

5. Delaying releases after announcing a license.
Bandai, Nagi and Hayate would like to have a talk with you. Seriously, I would rather companies hold off on announcing a license until they are closer to revealing a release date. With a long delay, much of the interest and attention that accompanies the license announcement fades away. This is not how you keep the fanbase motivated to sing the praises of a show you want to sell well. People move on.

If I wanted to mention a no.6, it would be release shenanigans, such as what Media Blasters has done with the Tweeny Witches OVA. This is how you basically ensure that people stop buying your singles and only buy you sets, especially the much less expensive economy sets. If that's the way you want it, Mr. Sirabella, our wallets will be more than happy to oblige.

[memyselfandi]

Things in my opinion which have been done badly this year ...

- Bad disks. Whether it's down to bad duplication or due to copy protection there has really been to much of this for high profile releases this year. For the first of these, you get what you pay for so going for a really cheap company is likely to produce problems and just annoy your customer base. The second of these seems pretty pointless as the vast majority of dubious copies I have seen listed online are normally sourced from online sources not DVD copies so by putting these "errors" on the disks you are causing issues for your customers and not actually preventing the issue you are trying to address.

- Lack of communication. Ok at times you may be in sensitive license talks so you may not be able to say to much but an indication that something is going on instead of complete silence would be nice. Also if you have licensed a series then some sort of indication of the time frame when it is going to be released would be nice (*cough* Viz *cough*).

- Online releases / streaming ... the latter in particular ... you know what, I want to watch things more than once, I want to watch them on a nice big TV instead of a computer, (or scaled up from postage stamp size on a TV), I want to have a physical media that I can use where I have a player instead of needing an internet connection and I don't want to mucked around by DRM forcing me to only be able to do things on one device.

[Splitter]

1. Lack of communication regarding ADV/Sojitz titles a week before Gurren Lagann's first attempted release
2. Bandai's discs are STILL poorly authored
3. Viz ignoring every title of theirs except Bleach, Naruto and Death Note
4. ADV's desperate attempt to partner with Crunchyroll
5. ADV's streaming Anime Network

[dragoon]

4. ADV's desperate attempt to partner with Crunchyroll
5. ADV's streaming Anime Network

What desperate attempt to partner with Crunchyroll? Putting a Gonzo title there, when there have been many Gonzo titles in the past prior; and putting other ADV titles there like Media Blasters has, isn't desperation. It's just part of them expanding their exposure.

How is streaming content on Anime Network a mistake?

[Speedy Boris]

-Media Blasters. Just, in general. Between initially releasing many series with no box and then coming out with a complete collection later, the long delays of Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny, and sub only on certain series (despite the lower price), they're not exactly in the best standing with me right now. They've done some good (and have released series I never thought would get released stateside, which I'm grateful for), but these things have annoyed me.
-Lack of communication. Not specific to any one company.
-Faulty discs. Though it should be noted that I personally haven't run into any problems so far, it does make me wary about purchasing anime DVDs if there's a chance of glitches. Doesn't exactly bode well for consumer confidence.
-No English credits on Familiar of Zero. What the hell? Who played Henrietta?!
-Abandoned releases. Granted, in some situations, this can't be helped (such as the whole Sojitz fallout at inopportune times), but in some it can. At any rate, it's vexing.

[HitokiriShadow]

It's a tough call for first place in this one.

#1? Most companies have been horrible about communicating with the fans. It's largely silence at precisely the times they should be engaging the fans most. Obviously there are things that the companies can't divulge, but almost completely ignoring the fans, people that actually care about your company and your releases is NOT the way to handle things. It's even worse when a rep actually does post once or twice but only to make inane comments that do not remotely address the issue at hand.

ADV's handling of the Sojitz situation was atrocious, plain and simple. Bandai made a nice effort to engage the fans with the website code, but they've blown it for the past few months as they continue to make commentary that amounts to nothing. Meanwhile, Viz is Viz and continues to almost try to make fans hate them.

#2? Then we have companies coding errors into discs in a misguided attempt and copy protection. It doesn't stop piracy and it punishes the people who actually buy the product. I can only hope anime companies immediately retreat from this practice.

I'm really not sure which was the bigger problem this year. Bad communication hurts but as long as we get the discs, it ultimately is not terribly consequential. But its been an issue with damn near every company in the industry. The fan punishing copy protection is a much bigger issue when it actually happens but thus far it seems to only have been an issue for a few releases from Bandai and, I think, Geneon.

#3 Then there is Viz in general. As its only one company and one that is doing fewer and fewer series, its significantly less of an issue than the other two. But they just can't help screwing up almost anything they touch and making sure to find a way to piss off anime fans. Canceling a bunch of series and then shoving them under the rug is not going to endear you to your customers. In addition, they have various issues with the actual releases, from minimal subtitle effort to changing the opening sequences to four months between singles with undubbed songs and no separate subtitle track for just them. Not to mention licensing titles and then sitting on them with, at best, an occasional Shojo Beat article claiming to be working on the dub. While they are doing the smart thing with Naruto, they continue to release Bleach in bi-monthly (roughly) singles.

I don't have a #4 as any other issues fall under the above categories.

[rooboy]

Really there's a #1 and then there's everything else:

#1 Communication - This problem is prevalent across all of the anime industry. Sometimes there's too much, sometimes there's too little. The obvious targets are ADV and Viz, the former for the lack of communication about the Sojitz thing and the latter for the lack of effective communication about Honey and Clover, Nana, Monster, and other series (seriously, we know they're cancelled, you know we know they're cancelled, just say it). Some of the better companies like Bandai and Funimation have even had communication problems (really, we don't need to know you licensed something a year before you're even ready to start working on it. It's okay.)

#2 Release flaws - From the "not intentional, okay they're really intentional" copy protection schemes to the lack of timecodes in Zero and even including the incorrect audio in the Emma release.

[ArcticMech]

I'm really surprised to see FUNimation's recent moves to cram more episodes onto each disc (applicable to their box set releases) not appearing on any/many lists - especially since I've seen this complaint brought up so much in the AoD forums in recent months.

[Daimao Raki]

1. ADV/Sojitz mess. Ugh...I don't want to ever see any R1 anime in a similar type mess like that again.
2. Viz not finishing several series. If they didn't want to release all of a show, give the license to somebody else.
3. Funi and their cheap as fuck packaging. Great price and concept...it's just I want my packaging to last more than a year. *Looks at DBZ slip covers and cries*
4. R1 Anime companies kissing CN/AS' ass. They should start to look for new partners.
5. Japanese not embracing digital distrubution earlier.

[Classical]

My is pretty fluid with no particular order...
The lack of communication from ADV Films from all the issues & the debacles throughout the year
Bandai Entertainment DVD production issues / errors
Viz Media putting a a choke hold on many anime properties (Honey & Clover, Nana (TV),...)
While it's great that FUNimation is putting a lot releases out of the door, there are some concerns of packaging (quality, sturdiness, matching the previous releases,...)

These are pretty much what I thought anime companies did wrong this year as well. I'll put down what I think though.

1. ADV's lack of communication was rather frustrating in general for 2008. You think they could have done something about all the speculation that was surrounding them. It seems some people don't trust ADV enough anymore and that has led them to become hesitant in buying future singles releases from them.

2. Viz needs to stop holding hostage the anime properties they've acquired. The only one I'm interested in is Zoids Genesis but I do feel bad for other fellow anime fans who've been wanting to see NANA, Honey & Clover, etc. If Viz isn't going to do anything with the anime properties, they should at least give up their rights to them so other companies can have the chance to pick them up.

3. Bandai's DVD production issues/errors are a problem for their customers. I like shows like Code Geass, but I've refrained from buying their DVDs because I don't want to wind up with a glitchy disc. There are others that feel the same way and this could result in a decrease of revenue for Bandai.

4. FUNimation's subpar packaging quality seems to be putting some people off from buying their releases, in specific the ones that were acquired from Sojitz. Rather than buying the titles that FUNimation has acquired from Sojitz people are looking for ADV's version of the titles instead.

There's no fifth one but I may type it down if I can think of a fifth thing done wrong by anime companies.

[Njr Scrawl]

1) No R1 licensing Evangelion 1.01 (AFA known) - 6 other countries, apart from Japan have released it.

2) Nozomi's mono track release of Emma set 1 (To Heart should have rung warning bells)

3) The vile English dub for Black Lagoon

4) Dubtitling of Blood+ by Sony

5) Dubtitling of Appleseed:Ex Machina by Warner

(I didn't know there were no credits on FoZ. That is #6.)

[dragoon]

3) The vile English dub for Black Lagoon


What's so bad about it? BL is probably the big series in recent times that I've been wanting to get/haven't seen yet... but in the English Track forum, it's a series that has been getting nothing but praise. Given Ocean's masterful work in Death Note, I'd be surprised if Black Lagoon was that bad, but obviously I can't comment on that. Was curious...

[ArcticMech]

3) The vile English dub for Black Lagoon


What's so bad about it? BL is probably the big series in recent times that I've been wanting to get/haven't seen yet... but in the English Track forum, it's a series that has been getting nothing but praise. Given Ocean's masterful work in Death Note, I'd be surprised if Black Lagoon was that bad, but obviously I can't comment on that. Was curious...

Black Lagoon is one of the handful of shows out in the past couple of years where I prefer to view dubbed rather than subbed.

[Martinman]

I'm going to go with:

Bandai replicator issues, obviously Code Geass, and I heard Gurrenn Lagann has some problems

Blood+ dubtitles

[soatome]

1. Viz putting several series on hiatis ( Hikaru No Go, Full Moon and Mar)
2. Bandai's disc replication issues.
3. Funimation's packaging slipping even further in quality
4. Cramming too many episodes onto one disc. 6 episodes is fine for a older show with a single Audio track such as Go Lion but One Piece and School Rumble, along with many other of Funi's releases suffer some noticeable issues on larger HD sets.
5. ADV's lack of customer relations regarding the whole Sojitz debacle. (It's not entirely their fault hence why it moved down to the bottom of my list.)

[kit-kat]

1) Viz not releasing Honey and Clover, Nana TV, and other licenses that they carry, with no real news on whether they will be released
2) Bandai's issues with their releases
3) Less dubs being released

[Kogepan703]

1) The whole ADV/Sojitz mess where we were at a loss of what was going on. For that matter, ADV in general, since I really want my Yotsuba& manga.

2) Viz sitting on titles and twiddling their thumbs. Also, Viz not translating on screen text and signs.

3) Horrendous lag time between announcing license and actually releasing (e.g. Ouran).

4) Funimation for releasing half season boxsets when there was only one single disc to go in a set. Eventually they fixed this, which puts them on the plus side for listening to their customers, but for them to actually try and get away with that was atrocious.

5) Disc quality by installing such crappy anti-pirate software on discs that they become unplayable. I'm steering away from any Bandai purchases, which is very very irritating, because I REALLY want Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and was totally going to buy Code Geass. But what's the point if I'm going to end up with a crap disc that doesn't work, and then I have to pay for stupid postage to exchange it, only to get possibly another crappy disc. I'm also hearing terrible things about Geneon's When They Cry series, but fortunately I don't have an interest in that series, and my other Geneon discs seem to be okay.

[HitokiriShadow]

3) The vile English dub for Black Lagoon


What's so bad about it?

He hates swearing, no matter how much sense it makes for the content. Little kids shoving nails into someone's head is fine as long as no one says "fuck".

[dragoon]

3) The vile English dub for Black Lagoon


What's so bad about it?

He hates swearing, no matter how much sense it makes for the content. Little kids shoving nails into someone's head is fine as long as no one says "fuck".

Ah, I remember someone telling me that when I asked something similar to Njr in one of the Steel Angel Kurumi discussions, since that had some cussing too.

The original language version had no swearing? ... just feels like a disservice to a potentially quality dub without a nuanced statement or for people who don't know Njr's background context when a whole dub is painted as bad. It feeds to the whole notion of dubs being crap on the whole, at least in some circles, of which is still violently present in Anime communities. (Thankfully not at this site. :))

[stfram]

1. Communication with fans. Hey companies, these people are BUYING YOUR DAMN SHOWS. This goes for Funi, Bandai, Geneon, ADV. Nozomi is a notable exception. Viz...their middle finger is getting tired. :sweat: :P

2. Funi's handling of ADV's former titles. Fans of NHK, PS, and RG shouldn't have had to worry about whether their shows were getting the final singles released, irregardless of how many copies previous volumes had sold. The vocal (and sometimes profane) dissent proved that the decisions they made were absolutely incorrect, and caused needless trouble for Funi, a company that just a couple of months earlier could do no wrong.

3. The cheap packaging of Funi's current half & full-season sets, and their "strategy" of compressing more episodes onto fewer discs. It may save a few dollars, but also offers me zero incentives to buy RIGHT NOW. This also applies to Bandai and their $50 sub-only keepcase sets (although Bandai isn't compressing their discs). Sorry, but both of you are being spanked by Nozomi.

4. Authoring and duplication errors in this day and age! Bandai gets a smack because they really should know better after years of consistent screwups. Nozomi gets a light slap on the wrist for their authoring glitches, but unlike Bandai, these are not to be repeated again. At least the replacement programs by both are well-handled and easily completed.

5. Inconsistency in releases. Geneon gets a slap because they seemingly can't decide between chipboard or cheap thin-board. This is causing me to hold off on some of their newly-released shows due to that uncertainty. Communication would be nice, rather than hearing the verdict thanks to someone that got a set in early due to preordering.

[Fencedude]

The original language version had no swearing? ... just feels like a disservice to a potentially quality dub without a nuanced statement or for people who don't know Njr's background context when a whole dub is painted as bad. It feeds to the whole notion of dubs being crap on the whole, at least in some circles, of which is still violently present in Anime communities. (Thankfully not at this site. :))

No, there was swearing in the original, in several languages, including English.

[bci110]

As had others mentioned already, the lack of communication between the companies and the fans is indeed the #1 thing anime companies have done wrong this year. I feel that the companies were dangerously close to alienating their fanbase and their paying customers by keeping them in the dark about important matters involving the state of the industry.

[band20]

My is pretty fluid with no particular order...
The lack of communication from ADV Films from all the issues & the debacles throughout the year
Bandai Entertainment DVD production issues / errors
Viz Media putting a a choke hold on many anime properties (Honey & Clover, Nana (TV),...)
Inconsistency from Media Blasters (Tweeny Witches Boxset coming out before the OVA, the so-called designer artbox for Moribito, lack of information on releases,...)
While it's great that FUNimation is putting a lot releases out of the door, there are some concerns of packaging (quality, sturdiness, matching the previous releases,...)

I second this list, it pretty much says everything that I was going to well complain about. :laugh:

[Drgnfuel]

COMMUNICATION.-Lack of communication from ADV during the Sojitz disaster. That was just a horrible time. And them not talking during it infuriates me still. Leaving their amazing fans out to dry. SHAME!

QUALITY CONTROL-Bandai's Defunct disks. We as the consumer should not have to worry about your discs not working and having to return them. Just horrible the amount of bad discs thrown out into the market by Bandai. This goes for Rightstuf and the mono Emma sets as well.

SUB ONLY- While this is nice for some it is getting a bit too common for my tastes. I like dubs. From Miki, Simoun, Marimite, To Terra the tv show, To Terra the movie, Gurren Lagann, Emma, Aria, Doujin Works, ect.. I don't like this direction. I understand why they exist but I DO NOT LIKE IT.

PACKAGING- I don't mind cheap packaging on cheap sets. I don't like the fact that Funimation hasn't been giving a premium alternative as well. This section also goes out to Media Blasters for releasing series on full singles with no artbox to hold them. As well as this wretched Morbito mess.

Viz- No need for an explanation. At least they are getting HxH to America.(Hopefully we will see more than 1 or 2 sets:anger200:)

[E-Arkham]

My is pretty fluid with no particular order...
The lack of communication from ADV Films from all the issues & the debacles throughout the year
Bandai Entertainment DVD production issues / errors
Viz Media putting a a choke hold on many anime properties (Honey & Clover, Nana (TV),...)
Inconsistency from Media Blasters (Tweeny Witches Boxset coming out before the OVA, the so-called designer artbox for Moribito, lack of information on releases,...)
While it's great that FUNimation is putting a lot releases out of the door, there are some concerns of packaging (quality, sturdiness, matching the previous releases,...)

Almost a carbon copy for me, too, with a couple of exceptions.

Viz's refusal to do anything with Honey & Clover is my #1. This is a completely ridiculous scenario, and I'm not even considering supporting this company by buying their other titles until Honey & Clover is released.

I don't have any issue with Media Blasters as I haven't bought anything from them recently, nor has anything they've released lately caught my eye. So I suppose I'm going with only a Top Four (though the Viz problem should count as two itself).

Kep

[loplop]

1) The almost complete lack of Quality R1 ero-anime releases in 2008. Too much repacking and re-releasing instead bring new titles to the market by CMV.

2) The Bandai Visual USA attempt to price many fans out of the market place by trying to double (and even triple) disk prices and cutting down on episodes per disk

3) The whole ADV/Sojitz Affair

4) Genshiken 2 & Cleavage not released by Media Blasters/Kitty Media (At least we will get Cleavage in January)

5) Viz's continual screw up of R1 releases licensed but not released.

[Daimao Raki]

What many people don't understand about the ADV/Sojitz affair is that maybe ADV couldn't have spoken due to legal reasons.

[LKK]

What many people don't understand about the ADV/Sojitz affair is that maybe ADV couldn't have spoken due to legal reasons.
As Chris Ayres said at a Nekocon 11 panel, that was exactly the case. For ADV to even say that "we can't say anything" would have been a disaster that ADV would have paid dearly for in terms of their business relationship with the Japanese companies as an industry.

[LordGeo]

What many people don't understand about the ADV/Sojitz affair is that maybe ADV couldn't have spoken due to legal reasons.

OK, that's a good reason for ADV... But I wonder what Viz's excuse is.

[Draneor]

What many people don't understand about the ADV/Sojitz affair is that maybe ADV couldn't have spoken due to legal reasons.

It's not that we don't understand. We just don't like how they went about it. I mean, heck, ADV didn't even say they couldn't tell us anything.

[HitokiriShadow]

I believe ADV did sent out a short message about a week after it happened. But that was it. Reps were nowhere to be seen, nothing else was said about it. It was almost complete silence for about a month with the only news from them being about Blu-Ray releases and they promptly forgot they ever said anything about it.

Obviously there are a lot of things they can't say. But to say almost nothing at all for that long is NOT the way to do things.

[Daimao Raki]

What many people don't understand about the ADV/Sojitz affair is that maybe ADV couldn't have spoken due to legal reasons.

OK, that's a good reason for ADV... But I wonder what Viz's excuse is.
Viz: We are too busy counting the stacks of money that Naruto/Bleach/Death Note is bringing in. Call back later.

[Daniel_Perales]

I believe ADV did sent out a short message about a week after it happened. But that was it. Reps were nowhere to be seen, nothing else was said about it. It was almost complete silence for about a month with the only news from them being about Blu-Ray releases and they promptly forgot they ever said anything about it.

Obviously there are a lot of things they can't say. But to say almost nothing at all for that long is NOT the way to do things.


Say that to the lawyers.:rolleyes:

Also, do you think that any other companies out there would want to get involved with another company who are willing to "air-out" their dirty laundry in public?



Danny

[Danime]

(It wasn't specified whether or not anime companies from Japan are included, and it's linked with American companies anyway, so...) The fact that the industry is still no further forward in terms of worldside physical media releases of anime - as a whole, although there have been a couple of improvements, though the Samurai 7 Blu-ray boxset is looking to be a let down. The main point, Japanese anime companies on the whole having the mindset of "reverse importation is the reason we're being selfish and only releasing stuff in our own country even though we have no evidence to back it up", and even though it makes absolutely zero sense when you look at every other industry, where the vast majority of people just don't import because it's just not what people do in general".

Funimation's descent into dreadful packaging to only cater for the retailers. Of course this is from the view of a collector, when actually this is a very good business decision of Funimation's part, just they get no kudos from me. At least they're not doing it with all their series though.

Bandai's absolute incompetence with regard to disc authoring, and how they handled the mess, although it could have been worse, but not much.

ADV not taking a reality check and trying to release an onslaught of shows that were never going to get fully released by them, and then being even more selfish and not owning up to the fans who helped make them who they are all those years ago.

Viz' relentless mocking of the core fans by showing that they really are just a company that's got a bloated (and still expanding) head from Naruto/Bleach/Death Note, by halting and/or slowing down tons of titles. Then making it worse by saying in an interview that they actually care about core fans and that they would never do wrong by them.

[HSaabedra]

1. Excessive DRM - I can understand wanting to protect copyrights, but forcing RipGuard/ARccOS on anime distributors in R1 is lunacy and should never be a stipulation for licensing.

2. Lack of Communication - I don't think I've ever seen a worse example of corporate ignorance towards a customer base than I have this year. Viz, Funi, Sony, Bandai, and ADV should strive for better relations with everybody from the press on down to the customer if they are to be trusted.

It's hard for me to recommend Bandai's newest lineup if its a crapshoot on whether or not the disc will play, Viz needs to cut the shit, stop the posturing, and either get Monster and Nana out or sell them to another company. Funi needs to reevaluate its authoring practices (again) and the less I say about ADV the better.

3. Dubtitles - Why this practice is still accepted is beyond me but it needs to stop.

4. Authoring - Seems that no one but Geneon cares about an above average transfer these days and I'd like to see the others step it up a bit next year.

[Doom85]

What many people don't understand about the ADV/Sojitz affair is that maybe ADV couldn't have spoken due to legal reasons.

It's not that we don't understand. We just don't like how they went about it. I mean, heck, ADV didn't even say they couldn't tell us anything.

Well, according to LKK, that itself would have caused serious issues.

[Prede]

1. Less dubs being made - I'm a dub kinda guy myself. So no dub pretty much means no buy from me. It's not a good thing :( . Acually makes me kind of sad. I'd like to see more dubs out there. I need a dub to enjoy my anime, and less dubs means less to watch :( .

2. Evangelion 1.0 still not out in North America? WTF!?!?

3. Viz Media and their shows being put on hiatus and delaying releases of newer licensed shows. Where are their new titles? When will their old titles come out of hiatus? Will they come out ever? Chalk up communication here as well. None of this is new for them, however.

4. Bandia's disks scare me - They should really get it right sooner or later. So little shows, so many problems.

[kakugo]

1) Bandai Entertainment can't even press a waffle. Forget a DVD that's glitch free. Even if the discs play we might get other issues, like those mysterious video dropouts on Agent Aika. As their pricing and presentation is often spectacular, the fact that there's literal content eating glitches on an otherwise stellar release is simply unacceptable. The fact that only half of the songs in Gurren Lagann are subtitled pales in comparison to the fact that it's turned my DVD player into a rocket ship, and make no mistake, it's blasting off.

2) Crunchy Roll gets more new titles than US media distributors. I don't want to give a site that makes money hosting R1 DVD rips and 'free' fan translated material my business, and the fact that they're about the only way to get a legitimate download of anything new from Gonzo or Pierrot makes me ever so slightly ill. I can't say I blame Japanese companies for this move with "support" moving away from traditionally packaged media, but it's not one I feel comfortable aiding.

3) Close mouth. Insert foot. ADV's dead silence during the behind the scenes struggle with Sojitz was a mess, if an understandable legally minded mess. Only in the last month or so have they finally made a visible effort to right their sinking ship, but they've done it using nothing but half-truths. Way to restore my consumer confidence, SentADVi...

4) Bandai Visual rises from beyond the grave. Despite the fact that they've been absorbed into Bandai Entertainment, we still have a separate line of "premium" Blu-ray releases. We're better off with Honneamise releasing Blu-ray at the prices they were releasing DVDs at, but I still feel like they've completely missed the point. Once Gunbuster vs Diebuster: Gattai! is available on DVD for half the price of the Honneamise release, maybe they'll have a reason to exist, but as it stands the only thing that's changed about them is the focus on what to consider 'premium'.

5) And then there was one... hentai licensor. Kitty Media be thy name. No, not a lot's come out this year from anybody, but while ASM is content to regurgitate old shows as compilations and the Dark Lord cleans out his pr0n closet with cheaper two-packs, MB continues licensing whatever watchable (...and otherwise) erotic anime they come across. I'd love for ASM to give them some competition, but with their last 'new' release I got excited over being hacked to pieces, maybe them simply porting old Nutech DVDs isn't so bad.

There are other gripes I'd like to address eventually, but these are the five that jump out and smack me the most.

[Sonic2nd]

My main problem is with Viz for leaving many anime series on dvd unfinished.

1. Zatch Bell 54-104 (50 episodes)

2. Mar Episodes 17-52 (35 episodes)

3. Hikaru No Go Episodes 46-75 (29 episodes)

4. Full Moon O Sagashite 29-52, (23 episodes)

5. Prince of Tennis Episodes 51-178 (127 episodes!)

Why should I even consider buying the anime they're releasing currently when they don't finish the series that they alreadly have?

[OptimusPrimeTime]

Bandai Entertainment selling Television Distribution of select titles to Manga Entertainment: Good Job Bandai. You're going to make tonnes of friends in Canada with this :rolleyes:

Viz: WHERE THE **** IS [INSERT TITLE OF ANIME SERIES HERE]???

Bandai Entertainment's Crap DVDs: You guys should have learned back in like January that whatever you were doing to replicate discs was not doing good. But you still went on.

ADV's lack of general retail space: Seems once the Sojitz problems have started I haven't seen a single ADV product on a store shelf since the release of Devil May Cry #1. I understand most store likely don't want old shows, but come on, atleast get your cash cow back into stores (this would be NGE). *Note* I'm a Canadian so your mileage with ADV's products in stores may vary.

FUNimation/Geneon's love children in stores?: Much like ADV I haven't seen a new Geneon product in stores that isn't Hellsing. Come on, atleast Black Lagoon? Like ADV, this may just be a regional issue.

[Daimao Raki]

My main problem is with Viz for leaving many anime series on dvd unfinished.

1. Zatch Bell 54-104 (50 episodes)

2. Mar Episodes 17-52 (35 episodes)

3. Hikaru No Go Episodes 46-75 (29 episodes)

4. Full Moon O Sagashite 29-52, (23 episodes)

5. Prince of Tennis Episodes 51-178 (127 episodes!)

Why should I even consider buying the anime they're releasing currently when they don't finish the series that they alreadly have?They should just hand those titles to Funimation. As much as I don't like to say this, Funi releases the shows they have licenses for.

[Prede]

Bandai Entertainment's Crap DVDs: You guys should have learned back in like January that whatever you were doing to replicate discs was not doing good. But you still went on.



Not to defend Bandai, but I think they got a new replicater after the first incident or whatever. Yet again though this replicater sucked as well, and screwed up the disks... So they didn't go on doing what they were doing, they changed it, and it still bit them in the ass...

[Jumbo]

Wrong:

1. Lack of communication with fans. covers the whole ADV/Soljitz and Viz debacles but I also want to include the reluctance of the majority of the R1 industry to come out and actually apologize when something goes wrong. Maybe an apology isn't worth anything to people any more but I know I'd at least appreciate them as opposed to silence or a one way "I bug you and your customer service department until you acknowledge my problems." approach.

I understand this industry is about making money first but I'm starting to feel that there really isn't a whole lot of people left in the industry that have a passion for what they are doing any more.

If your discs are glitching, give us a press release and apologize. I shouldn't have to dig through the glitch disc thread to discover links to replacement programs etc. Which brings us to number two.

2. Glitch Discs/Replicator issues. A consumer product you sell to make a profit should work properly the first time. DVD's are not software and can't be fixed with a firmware update. We are way to long into the life cycle of DVD to be having the stupid mistakes we have been seeing this year.

3. Video Quality issues. As more people move into the realm of HDTV and upscaling DVD players video quality still seems to be an issue across various companies and titles. I don't expect R2 quality when you are more concerned about packing 5-6 episodes on a disc but it could still be a lot more consistent.

4. Huge gaps between releases. As much as I enjoy the buy the collectors set and get the first nine episodes, I don't like the idea of having to wait two or more months to catch the next nine. I prefer the old one disc a month approach as opposed to the stop gap releases that seem to be coming more often in the titles I purchase. If you are going to release it like this you might as well just package it up in season sets.

5. Dealings with Japanese Companies. This probably has just as much to do with problems in Japan as it does with the US industry but if this year taught us anything it's that this whole "sell to the highest bidder," burn bridges and "Let God sort 'um out" attitude seems counter productive. A solid business plan should be more than a one way street for either the R2 company or the R1 company. If the industry is going through hard times could the blame also be on unwillingness to negotiate in a new, more respectful light?

What do you think they've done right?

A lot harder to come up with a top five for this, but here's a couple things that have helped take the sting out of this year for me.

RIGHT:

1. Finishing off Geneon's halted releases. Honestly, I was really skeptical about is ever seeing any more Rozen Maiden, When They Cry, etc. Getting these titles distributed gave me back some faith in the industry. They may not be perfect but at least an effort is being made.

2. Continuing to give us the option on boxes/collectors editions. Again, with the restructuring of the industry, I'd figured many of the boxes etc. that we'd been receiving were headed out the door as well.

[something]

4. Huge gaps between releases. As much as I enjoy the buy the collectors set and get the first nine episodes, I don't like the idea of having to wait two or more months to catch the next nine.
Generally the alternative was waiting two months for the next ~4, so this seems like an improvement to me. =P Shows still come out way faster on the whole if released in sets. Heck even an awful six month delay between sets is 4 months shaved off the typical time of a 6 discs 2 cour release. And a one cour show is done in "zero" time.

Three months seems like the sweet spot between cour sets, with four being okay too. Of course I'll buy em as fast as they can release them. But they'd have to stretch out to 10 months to lose all advantage over singles.

[JINROH]

Too many botched dvd pressings.

Another would be cheaping out on packaging !! I cant count how many broken hubs,cracked keep cases,etc I have run into this year versus
previous years.

I am sick to death of ultra 'thinner' packs.Givee me my chipboard artbox,please ! Even if it means you have to charge a few bucks
more initially.

Video qaulity seems to be going down on releases not up.


New one (My wife just mentioned this) Lack of different previews on Bandai disc's.Most often its the same stuff over and over again,dvd after dvd.


Got Right ? :

Funi bringing many a Genoen show back from beyond the grave.Thank you Funi for partnering with Geneon to do so !!! :)

Another would be,Bandai's giving people a choice on how they wanted to buy a series,with sub only,traditional singles,2 packs,or LE premium sets.

[Nana_fan]

I really don't have 5 things. My biggest complaint though is - Viz

Viz manages to TRY to do everything right, and then just doesn't know what the heck they're doing. They license NANA, good. However, they seem to have absolutely no intention of releasing it, which is incredibly bad.

There's a number of things that Viz can do to turn into a top tier company that (almost) everyone would like, for example

1) Shows not selling? Prince of Tennis for example, could easily be turned into a sub only release, then also keep the original OP and ED's to make fans happy, and because of no dub, you've got a series that should be able to at least generate SOME profit and make fans happy they get to at least see it

2) Subtitle when Japanese shows up in the dub. This is a big complaint of mine. For example, I love the Death Note dub, I just hate having to turn on subtitles on my player when a paper in japanese isn't translated on screen, and nobody is saying whats on the paper out loud. This angers me because every other company does it. What's so hard about doing that Viz?

3) Speed up Bleach. Seriously. It's only 4 episodes a disc, release one disc a month! :angry: (This is just my little personal complaint :p )

[Jumbo]

Generally the alternative was waiting two months for the next ~4, so this seems like an improvement to me. =P Shows still come out way faster on the whole if released in sets.


This one is completely based on preference for viewing with me. I'd rather have a single 4 episodes to sit down and watch than having the first nine thrown out at me all at once. With all the various stuff I watch and follow the monthly release schedule mixed it up better for me.

I suppose that could be phrased better in my original post but as you mentioned, this new method of releasing doesn't really do anything to decrease time wait per release period anyway. A simple monthly release was just that. Simple. None of this buy the singles separately or buy the collectors edition and get the first two DVD's etc. It isn't too difficult but it kind of feels unnecessary at the same time, hence the complaint.

EDIT: In the end, if they are going to release it in big chunks, I'd rather they just go ahead and collect it in a season set as opposed to a little-over-half-season-set.

[something]

This one is completely based on preference for viewing with me. I'd rather have a single 4 episodes to sit down and watch than having the first nine thrown out at me all at once.
It's the same really, it just leaves it up to you to pace yourself. Not the release's fault if you watch them all at once =P

With all the various stuff I watch and follow the monthly release schedule mixed it up better for me.
It was extremely rare for shows to be released monthly (assuming you literally mean once a month), though.

And while I'd too prefer shows all got released in their entirety at once, instead of a cour at a time, that would effectively double the up-front cost. Not a problem for me - I've already seen the shows and know I want it all - but $50-60 msrp seems like a nice sweet spot for a purchase installment for your usual fan. Doubling that (or raising it 80%, whatever) would be rather daunting even if it's still cheaper overall.

[dragonrider_cody]

1. Cheaper Quality and Poor QA. It's nice to see cheaper releases on the shelves, but it
sucks that this is being done at the cost of video quality and packaging. The new Funi
boxsets leave a lot to be desired, and their video quality is completely unacceptable. I
can understand the cheap packaging, but there is really no excuse for nearly
unwatchable video from the biggest game in town. And don't forget Bandai's glitch discs. The amount of Funi/Geneon and Bandai product that I've had to send back for customer returns and damaged packaging, and scratched or broken discs is appalling. And it's just getting worse each week.

2. Lack of communication. Viz's handling of it's titles, the ADV/Sojitz problems, Bandai
refusing to acknowledge it's disc problems, the Funi/Sojitz singles are just a few
examples. Most of the companies need to take customer relations classes ASAP.

3. Too much consolidation. I know less companies is good for business for the survivors,
but I don't think it's good for fans or for the Japanese producers. Less competition
means lower licensing fee and less shows ultimately produced. Fewer companies also
mean a lower chance of titles we want to see getting licensed.

4. Clogging retail channels. Nearly every company this year, with Bandai and Funi being
the biggest culprits, are flooding retailers with too much product. They've been
over-shipping and under-delivering on sales. This practice is really going to bite them
in the ass once the product starts coming back. Funi in particular has a ton of stuff out
there and needs to be careful, especially in a bad economy (and with it's corporate
parent.) The anime sections in many B&M retailers are growing very large, but from
product sitting on shelves, not from new product coming in.

I really can't think of a fifth at this time. But these are just the ones that have been bugging me. In particular, 3 and 4. I've been noticing #4 for sometime. Anime just isn't selling as well in B&M stores anymore, and I'm expecting some of the bigger retailers to be making cutbacks. We still have many so called "limited editions" sitting on our shelves, and those take up the most space. And while multiple editions is good for fans, it's not good from a retail standpoint, as it takes up twice as much space for one title. The amount of unsold Funi and Bandai in particular product sitting on shelves in my store is astonishing, and it leaves me a little worried about these companies. Perhaps Bandai's cutbacks will be a good thing after all.

[Skywise]

#1 Funimation asking for feedback about extras for Shuffle, and then ignoring the feedback and adding panties and nothing else. If you're going to ask for feedback at least try and listen to what people say. It may not make the big 5 for this site, but it's the big one for me and ultimately made me drop their release and get it on R2 DVDs instead.

#2 Shuffle was also the last show I was buying on DVD before switching fully to Blu-ray, which means I'm essentially a non-customer for the majority of US studios these days. All of them really need to start getting production set up and release content on it at this point. I know the economic realities and how hard it can be in the beginning - it is still something they need to wake up to however as more people go hi-def only. I think this season something like 90% of anime in Japan is finally either airing and/or produced HD, so the source material is no longer a valid excuse.

#3-5 Doesn't exist - without any new BD releases that interests me in the US this year it's hard to give feedback either way.

[kakugo]

I think this season something like 90% of anime in Japan is finally either airing and/or produced HD, so the source material is no longer a valid excuse.

If the R1 market were releasing titles airing this season, you'd have something.

At an average of 2-3 years behind the Japanese market, not to mention a general paranoia from the Japanese end for reverse importation, it's kind of amazing we're getting any anime on Blu-ray in the US at all. Certainly I'd love to see more, but FUNi and Bandai and all will milk DVD while they still have the chance, and knowing the realities of the situation I'll still buy DVDs when I have to.

[SleepyDog]

Coming into this discussion four days later (all this? and such long, thoughtful replies in just four days), I find myself just nodding my head to myself as I read all the responses before mine. However, I would like to respond to Chris' call for input with my own spin on the list and leave you with a humorous challenge.

ADV's lack of customer relations regarding the whole Sojitz debacle.

I'll leave it at that, since the Sojitz debacle itself was not what most people were annoyed at, but instead the way that dealt with things. Be that through choice or necessity, it was wrong. . . .

Bandai Entertainment gets [a] mention with their slow and downright sloppy dealing with the errors on the Code Geass DVDs. . . .

Geneon gets a mention as well, and while it may not be their control, I am annoyed at the lack of any credits on the Familiar of Zero DVDs. Creditless anime went away several years back, surely we're grown up enough to give credit where credit is due, even if they were forced to use alias's?

I agree with all three of these observations by Fudce, but I would switch the order of annoyance.

As many of you have pointed out already, DVDs have been in existence and popular use for well over a decade by my (admittedly generalizing) memory, so errors in playback, no matter the cause--bad replication or poorly conceived anti-piracy scheme--are unprofessional and unacceptable from any established firm (Hello, Bandai). I would allow a one-man operation a few coasters produced in any DVD-pressing run, but unplayable disks coming from companies that are listed on stock exchanges? Come on! Take some pride in producing a quality product. (I can only take solace that Bandai's recent spate of delayed productions indicates renewed vigilance to catch these errors before reaching the consumers. I credit Bandai's generally speedy disk exchange program, but to even have a known program by this title does not bode well.)

Speaking of quality product, not providing credits for the work of cast and crew is ridiculous (Geneon's production of FoZ). Whether dubbed by an established troupe or by an ad hoc assembly, not crediting their work, even by alias, is just not right.

ADV's non-communications some months ago have since faded in my memory of 2008's frustrations, but their actions then (or inactions, more accurately) seem just the highlight of an overriding tendency of the US licensors to not communicate at all, let alone clearly, with us, the consumers. Instead we are too frequently treated like mushrooms, kept in the dark and only fed--well, you can figure out the rest.

. . . . And can I say ADV putting Yotsuba on hold again after only releasing 2 more volumes. I know that's a manga so it probably doesn't count but I wanted to vent anyways.

I agree wholeheartedly with Kirarakim about ADV Manga's treatment of Yotsuba&! (and Gunslinger Girl, too, no?). I have always liked ADV Manga's releases for their engaging translations and decent production values, and I am just saddened by the sorry state of this branch of their company.

. . . . Nozomi releasing subtitled only sets. This is also on my "done right" list because I love the shows they have released this way but I would love to hear them in my native tongue as well. I'm worried this will set a bad example.

I reluctantly find myself agreeing with TalonG4 here. I say reluctant because I believe Nozomi is the most fan-centered licensor around, and they almost unfailingly provide great value in their products. Look at the beautiful box collection of Aria the Animation. Consider the insane effort in the dubbing and subbing of His and Her Circumstances. But then again, I can only imagine what a great job they might have done dubbing Aria and feel disappointed that they didn't.

Finally I particularly agree with the criticisms of The Great Bear (and which I cannot improve upon), but I'll only highlight one observation:

5. Delaying releases after announcing a license.
Bandai, Nagi and Hayate would like to have a talk with you. Seriously, I would rather companies hold off on announcing a license until they are closer to revealing a release date. With a long delay, much of the interest and attention that accompanies the license announcement fades away. This is not how you keep the fanbase motivated to sing the praises of a show you want to sell well. People move on. . . .

Unless Bandai's intention is to wait for Viz to finish releasing the entire manga series first and then let all the accompanying attention wither and die, I cannot conceive of why Bandai has apparently let all news of Hayate vanish from the limelight after their much-appreciated announcement some months ago.

Now for the humorous part: an old joke about European stereotypes famously observes In heaven, the police are British,
The cooks are French,
The engineers are German,
The administrators are Swiss,
And the lovers Italian.

In hell, the police are German,
The cooks are British,
The engineers are Italian,
The administrators are French,
And the lovers Swiss.

I can't help but think this joke has an analogy among US anime licensors. Help me flesh this out. My initial proposal begins:

In heaven, the anime dubbing is handled by ADV,
the anime licenses are purchased by (Funimation?),
the dvds are produced by (Geneon?),
the packaging is produced by (Bandai?),
and the PR and distribution are handled by (Funimation?).

In hell, the anime dubbing is handled by (?),
the anime licenses are purchased by (ADV?),
the dvds are produced by (Bandai?),
the packaging is produced by (?),
and the PR and distribution are handled by (?).

[Fudce]

blah blah blah

I agree with all three of these observations by Fudce, but I would switch the order of annoyance.
I should point out that nowhere did I say my list was ordered. I just wrote what came into my mind when it did.

Now for the humorous part: an old joke about European stereotypes famously observes In heaven, the police are British,
The cooks are French,
The engineers are German,
The administrators are Swiss,
And the lovers Italian.

In hell, the police are German,
The cooks are British,
The engineers are Italian,
The administrators are French,
And the lovers Swiss.

I can't help but think this joke has an analogy among US anime licensors. Help me flesh this out. My initial proposal begins:

In heaven, the anime dubbing is handled by ADV,
the anime licenses are purchased by (Funimation?),
the dvds are produced by (Geneon?),
the packaging is produced by (Bandai?),
and the PR and distribution are handled by (Funimation?).

In hell, the anime dubbing is handled by (?),
the anime licenses are purchased by (ADV?),
the dvds are produced by (Bandai?),
the packaging is produced by (?),
and the PR and distribution are handled by (?).

First of all, British cuisine is good, as well as varied. To say that British food is the worst in Europe is incorrect, and unfair.

As for the hell options...
Dubbing is (not) handled by Nozomi.
Licences are purchased by Viz
DVDs are produced by Bandai
Packaging by Funimation
PR by ADV.

[martod]

Unless Bandai's intention is to wait for Viz to finish releasing the entire manga series first and then let all the accompanying attention wither and die, I cannot conceive of why Bandai has apparently let all news of Hayate vanish from the limelight after their much-appreciated announcement some months ago.


I'm chomping at the bit for a Hayate solicitation as much as anyone, but I think the delay we're seeing now is unfortunately the downside of the switch from singles to sets. A twelve episode set is going to take more work and more time to finish than a four episode single, and a lot of work is going to have to be put in the second set when the first is released to ensure there isn't a six month delay between sets. This means that, unless a show is sub-only and requires less production, a considerably longer amount of time between the license and the releases, especially for a show like Hayate that, even if it's released in 12 episode sets, is going to need four releases. This is why Funi's dubbed sets typically take a while to get released.

[Skywise]

At an average of 2-3 years behind the Japanese market, not to mention a general paranoia from the Japanese end for reverse importation, it's kind of amazing we're getting any anime on Blu-ray in the US at all.

90% was this year - there's been HD anime produced in previous years as well, just not necessarily to the same extent. I'm saying that they have to start switching their production to compensate now, not in 2-3 years. There are titles out there that should and could be released. Funi and Bandai (visual) are barely starting out, and the rest are pretty much silent. There's also shows that by all rights should have gotten BD releases - Geass and G00 comes to mind as coming out simultaneously on DVD and BD in Japan for instance. Yes, they're different markets, but the concept remains the same - US companies are slowing down, whereas with DVDs they were at the forefront.

[ricecooker]

Viz sitting on their licenses for titles (NANA, Honey & Clover) that aren't of Shonen Jump fare. Why even license it in the first place if they're not confident of its appeal? Also, I have Hikaru no Go, Full Moon, and Prince of Tennis incomplete. I'm grateful these got a chance in the first place but I want the whole thing dammit.

Bandai's big replication problem. I was set on getting Code Geass but those glitches scared me off. Gurren Lagaan was another title I was going to get around the same time but I'm settling for the bilingual release, which seems ok so far. I also never like the keepcases they use for their releases...they reek and feel cheap.

ADV's lack of communication about their demise. They were one of the most consistently high quality companies to me and I was so glad to get the last volume of Ah! My Goddess from them, the last series I bought from them. I think they should've been more straightforward about titles possibly going into limbo so people won't be left with incomplete series.

Not necessarily a big deal to me, but I don't like how inconsistent FUNimation releases are. You get spectacular packaging for individual releases and yet half season boxsets get a "Viridian"-like treatment. Seeing School Rumble 2nd semester next to the yellow locker irks me somewhat.

[SleepyDog]

First of all, British cuisine is good, as well as varied. To say that British food is the worst in Europe is incorrect, and unfair.

As for the hell options...
Dubbing is (not) handled by Nozomi.
Licences are purchased by Viz
DVDs are produced by Bandai
Packaging by Funimation
PR by ADV.

Ah, Fudce, you know I'm joshing with you (and if we could not laugh at ourselves, we'd have to cry, more often than not. Didn't Goethe write something about seeing the world as a comedy vs. a tragedy depending on whether we're focused on thinking or feeling? Also, just by way of technicalities, I couldn't remember the full text of the joke to quote, so I finally tracked it down to a European weblog (http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/european-stereotypes-and-jokes/) and a variation at Eupedia (http://www.eupedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23838).) Still, I'm sorry if I offended your culinary sensibilities. As your avatars frequently feature Nishizawa as the food girl from HnG, perhaps I should have restrained myself.

Anyways, thanks for playing along with the madlib. Anyone else?

[Tyrenol]

Here in America or in Japan? :P

The top five things anime companies have done wrong:

Not giving anime titles English dubbing. (JapanAnime, BV USA)
ADV's lack of PR during the break up with Soujitz
No push to get more adult titles from Japan.
The allowing of Bandai's trolling (via Code Geass and such).
The continued disconnect between Western anime fans and the Japanese anime companies.

[kakugo]

Of course R1 animes studios were eager to adopt DVD: It allowed them to sell a bi-lingual product, and they would no longer have to convince retailers to stock two versions of the same title. You could also release any title at all on DVD without worrying wither you already had a DVD resolution master, or if one even existed.

I want to see more anime on Blu-ray, too. But I really don't expect it when getting Americans to pay for anime on any format is like pulling teeth.

[Skywise]

Umm.. hello? I'm not saying they need to release everything all at once - what they do need to do is actually start looking at producing some content however and get used to releasing on it.

[Nana_fan]

#1 Funimation asking for feedback about extras for Shuffle, and then ignoring the feedback and adding panties and nothing else. If you're going to ask for feedback at least try and listen to what people say. It may not make the big 5 for this site, but it's the big one for me and ultimately made me drop their release and get it on R2 DVDs instead.




Um, in this case, I think it was Funi listened to intently. In the thread asking if people wanted a box, a majority of moronic posters were going "PUT PANTIES IN THE BOX. LULZ"

And Funimation did exactly that. I blame these forums for what happened.

[something]

Um, in this case, I think it was Funi listened to intently. In the thread asking if people wanted a box, a majority of moronic posters were going "PUT PANTIES IN THE BOX. LULZ"
And Funimation did exactly that. I blame these forums for what happened.
You give them far too much credit. They put panties in the box because it was cheap as hell and definitely drove sales. Do you really think they went, say, "Okay, cheapo mass produced panties caus sex sells, or pay $xxxx to license the OST?"

If they did, they no doubt had decided before they even finished the sentence. This was never about "listening to the fans" and you're deluding yourself if you think so.

[Nana_fan]

If they did, they no doubt had decided before they even finished the sentence. This was never about "listening to the fans" and you're deluding yourself if you think so.

Check the thread where the poll for the box was, and you'll see that panties, even if people seemed like it they were obviously joking, was the #1 thing asked for. Problem was, Funi didn't seem to understand that some/most were joking.

I highly doubt that Funi had that as a bonus on their mind before all the people in that thread brought it up. Go ahead and call me deluded, but they weren't even thinking of an artbox until a poll on this site showed people wanted it, so yeah, they were listening.

[Sensuifu]

Problem was, Funi didn't seem to understand that some/most were joking.


granted it's only one panty, but at least someone, somewhere now no longer goes pantyless.

[Fencedude]

Check the thread where the poll for the box was, and you'll see that panties, even if people seemed like it they were obviously joking, was the #1 thing asked for. Problem was, Funi didn't seem to understand that some/most were joking.


There's also precedence, this was not in fact the first release to come with panties.

Of course, this kind of thing is generally only funny once.

[something]

Check the thread where the poll for the box was, and you'll see that panties, even if people seemed like it they were obviously joking, was the #1 thing asked for. Problem was, Funi didn't seem to understand that some/most were joking.
See, that's not really the point though. The point is that they never had any intention of putting something good (i.e. costly to them) in that box in the first place. Especially not when they weren't charging a premium for the box (no more than the perfectly standard $10 msrp bump anyway).

Besides, Funi had panties on the brain with Shuffle from the start, just look at their famously silly (and effective) ad campaign.

[Fencedude]

Well, think of the upside, if a random goddess/alien/demon/whatever girl suddenly plops down into your life, you have a pair of panties for her to wear.

That solves like, the number one crisis in that situation, doesn't it?

Thats my reasoning for holding on to the Najica panties.

[something]

Well, think of the upside, if a random goddess/alien/demon/whatever girl suddenly plops down into your life, you have a pair of panties for her to wear.
That solves like, the number one crisis in that situation, doesn't it.
Demon girl might be offended at being offered GOD panties though, and then you're screwed!

[Fencedude]

Well, think of the upside, if a random goddess/alien/demon/whatever girl suddenly plops down into your life, you have a pair of panties for her to wear.
That solves like, the number one crisis in that situation, doesn't it.
Demon girl might be offended at being offered GOD panties though, and then you're screwed!

Well, thats why I have a nice white pair of inoffensive Najica panties to offer her.

[Draneor]

[O]r pay $xxxx to license the OST?"

There is no seperate OST for the Shuffle anime. There is the game OST. If I recall, some of us did suggest Shuffle House, but FUNimation mentioned it was too expensive/not feasible. I was kind of pulling for the totally unrealistic body pillow cover myself. Truth be told, we know who first suggested the panties (http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showpost.php?p=1238729&postcount=182). This post (http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showthread.php?p=1244643&highlight=FUNiRepBlue#post1244643) would make it seem that FUNimation had not decided on the panties beforehand.

Personally, I wish they hadn't even bothered asking.

[Fudce]

I didn't mind the panties as an extra, since they're a laugh extra. They fit in the same box as the Haruhi extra's, the Choco Cornet Screenwipe, and things like that. Harmless fun.

But to be honest, I would have prefered Mayumi's Bra over Sia's panties.

[The Great Bear]

Sadly, I'd have to agree with something about the panty issue. It's not that Funi were thinking "LOL, panties" before it was suggested to them, but they were not thinking about anything that would cost them a significantly large amount of money to include with the box.

Frankly, I would have preferred a larger cheap poster or something of that sort. Panties = fail.

[Skywise]

There was also plenty of material and art they could have used for that, or stuff like pencilboards, postcards etc. Here's the R2 set to see what you're missing out on (first 10 pics):

http://picasaweb.google.com/frode.aleksandersen/HaulOctober2008#5261852454758907554

That did include music CDs by the way.

[Njr Scrawl]

Well, think of the upside, if a random goddess/alien/demon/whatever girl suddenly plops down into your life, you have a pair of panties for her to wear.
That solves like, the number one crisis in that situation, doesn't it.
Demon girl might be offended at being offered GOD panties though, and then you're screwed!

"Demon" on the panties would have been more fun. As (like Misato's in Evangelion 1.0) would black panties with white frills.

[OptimusPrimeTime]

Well, think of the upside, if a random goddess/alien/demon/whatever girl suddenly plops down into your life, you have a pair of panties for her to wear.
That solves like, the number one crisis in that situation, doesn't it.
Demon girl might be offended at being offered GOD panties though, and then you're screwed!
Well, I'm sure she would get some satisfaction with knowing she's sitting on GOD...*

*Panties, not really God. Please don't smite me Lord!

[Njr Scrawl]

I thought the word was on the panties front.

[Buckeye]

So with Thanksgiving today, I wonder which R1 distributor is the biggest turkey this year? Obviously, this question stems from the fact that sports websites like ESPN and CNNSI present these Turkey of the Year awards to the guys who have left a very bad impression in the world of sports. Pretty much, ADV and Viz are the biggest contenders, but I think ADV gets it for keeping us fans in the dark about the breakup and leaving their titles in limbo. Every R1 company has a case for being the Turkey of the Year I think, but I think going against your philosophy will do the most damage. At least with Viz, we sort of not had high expectations for them.

[martod]

Pretty much, ADV and Viz are the biggest contenders, but I think ADV gets it for keeping us fans in the dark about the breakup and leaving their titles in limbo.
Actually, to ADV's credit, the fact that they kept releasing videos normally for as long as possible after the problems with Sojitz started meant that their titles were only in limbo for about a week. They almost put them in limbo in February, which would have damaged them even more.

[stfram]

Pretty much, ADV and Viz are the biggest contenders, but I think ADV gets it for keeping us fans in the dark about the breakup and leaving their titles in limbo.


Not sure I get all the hate for ADV, when it's already been noted that if they said nearly ANYTHING with regards to the Sojitz situation, they would be in hot water with not only Sojitz, but also the R2 industry.

Everyone brings up how horrible they are are communicating, but EVERY R1 company, with the exception of Nozomi, shares that flaw. And they don't really have any legal excuses to hide behind, either...


At least with Viz, we sort of not had high expectations for them.

With Viz, their amazing levels of incompetence make it an unfair fight. At least their handling of Bleach and Naruto (and their boxing up of manga in huge sets) shows that they're not entirely hopeless.

With regards to the biggest turkey, I'll nominate:

Bandai - their constantly recurring replication errors...and it happening on a top-tier title.

Funi - for thinking that not releasing the last singles for RG\PS\NHK was an acceptable strategy, and then "going dark" on the whole problem thinking that it would just go away.

[Daniel_Perales]

Pretty much, ADV and Viz are the biggest contenders, but I think ADV gets it for keeping us fans in the dark about the breakup and leaving their titles in limbo.


Not sure I get all the hate for ADV, when it's already been noted that if they said nearly ANYTHING with regards to the Sojitz situation, they would be in hot water with not only Sojitz, but also the R2 industry.

Everyone brings up how horrible they are are communicating, but EVERY R1 company, with the exception of Nozomi, shares that flaw. And they don't really have any legal excuses to hide behind, either...


Because certain fans thinks that they have the god-given right to know what's going on with everything, right down to their sex-lives.:rolleyes:


Danny

[nakimushi]

Pretty much, ADV and Viz are the biggest contenders, but I think ADV gets it for keeping us fans in the dark about the breakup and leaving their titles in limbo.


Not sure I get all the hate for ADV, when it's already been noted that if they said nearly ANYTHING with regards to the Sojitz situation, they would be in hot water with not only Sojitz, but also the R2 industry.

Everyone brings up how horrible they are are communicating, but EVERY R1 company, with the exception of Nozomi, shares that flaw. And they don't really have any legal excuses to hide behind, either...


Because certain fans thinks that they have the god-given right to know what's going on with everything, right down to their sex-lives.:rolleyes:


Danny


Um, I don't know about that. I cannot fault people for being concerned about whether or not series they are buying will actually be finished, and wanting information about it.

As far as not saying anything about during the Sojitz situation, putting them in trouble with "the entire R2 industry", that seems to be a bit of hyperbole on stfram's part. As far as Sojitz goes, could it possibly ended any worse than it did?

ADV most likely kept quiet because they were trying to cover themselves and try to preserve their relationships with retailers. Which IMO is a valid reason, since they cannot really survive without them, so to be honest, I cannot really fault them for it either.


However, where ADV has been intentionally misleading has been more recently with their Switchblade/Sentai corporate shell game.

Trying to make Sentai seem like a "partner" that would be bringing either lots of licenses or cash (like Sojitz did), instead of merely an company run by the same people that run ADV, appears to be a cynical and insulting ploy to try and make people forget that ADV has consistently had financial problems since 2005.

I can't imagine Ledford et al, would go through the trouble of setting up Sentai and Switchblade, just for a diversionary tactic though, they couldn't have thought people were actually going to be fooled for long.

Perhaps Ledford and friends formed the LLCs because they weren't able to scrape up the cash necessary to buy out Sojitz's 20% stake in the ADV (which doesn't seem to be that unlikely), and the new LLC's Sentai and Switchblade are attempts to keep Sojitz from realizing any gain from their 20% ownership, by making sure that any possible profits are made not by ADV, but by Sentai and Switchblade (neither of which Sojitz owns a part), via transfer pricing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_pricing) on the licensing and production costs.

I hope that isn't really the case, because Sojitz still has an office in Houston, and in all likelihood more lawyers than ADV could ever hope to afford. However, I guess they could always figure that it won't be worth Sojitz's time or effort, and considering ADV's past history of not actually being profitable, it probably wouldn't be. :)

[Fencedude]

As far as not saying anything about during the Sojitz situation, putting them in trouble with "the entire R2 industry", that seems to be a bit of hyperbole on stfram's part. As far as Sojitz goes, could it possibly ended any worse than it did?


NDA

[Randall]

1. Less dubs being made - I'm a dub kinda guy myself. So no dub pretty much means no buy from me. It's not a good thing :( . Acually makes me kind of sad. I'd like to see more dubs out there. I need a dub to enjoy my anime, and less dubs means less to watch :( .

thats how i feel especially with Media Blasters and now even Nozomi is lacking in the dubbing department. Nozomi has some good series that would be awesome to have a dub like Emma and Aria. Media Blasters they only make a dub like maybe at most 3 times a year if that. And plus I hate how Bandai released Gurren Lagann with a sub only dvds and sure they released the new ones with dub and sub versions but its like for the people who bought the originals they basically just got a bare bones release. Plus for me it has to be dubbed just so i know what the characters are saying because i can not read subtitles literally.

Bandai's glitchy discs

Sojitz making ADV delay some of their pretty good anime like Kanon, Welcome to the NHK, Shattered Angels, Wallflower, etc.

Also hey ADV whatever happened to your version of Gurren Lagann?

Media Blasters where is the 2nd season to Ikki Tousen?

I don't really like Funimation's complete series part 1 and part 2 dvd sets they are bringing out now. They just feel so dumb and almost makes you feel like hey why don't you just release a complete box set instead of this?

my next complaint may not have anything to do with anime dvds or anything like that but I just wish America would get more anime style video games or ones based off of an anime. because i think all anime, video games, and just everything should go into a worldwide release instead of just like oh hey im only for Japan.

[something]

Also hey ADV whatever happened to your version of Gurren Lagann?
Is this a serious question or are you being facetious? They lost the license when they were having all that trouble, and Bandai picked it up instead. We already know this.

[Draneor]

my next complaint may not have anything to do with anime dvds or anything like that but I just wish America would get more anime style video games or ones based off of an anime. because i think all anime, video games, and just everything should go into a worldwide release instead of just like oh hey im only for Japan.

A company tried that. It was called Hirameki International. The games didn't sell, so they closed up shop. There is no market for almost all anime-based games in North America and I'm not even sure if a company could publish them, even if they didn't mind the lack of sales (Would Sony approve the Negima games for the PS2 for a North American release? I doubt it.). It's apparently hard enough for Nippon Ichi and Atlus to bring over the games they do.

In short, the games aren't coming over not because the nefarious Japanese want to keep them all to themselves. They don't come over because there isn't any demand for them.

[blinx01]

1. FUNimation cramming 7 episodes on 1 disc with these half season boxsets equalling in awful video quality.

2. Bandai yet again having glitches/issues with their releases.

3. ADV loosing a whole load of titles and not keeping the fans/buyers upto date meaning people now have even less faith in them as a company.

4. Sony using 'dub-titles' on their Blood+ releases.

5. MB's release of Moribito. 8 discs for a 26 epsiode series? No thanks.

[something]

In short, the games aren't coming over not because the nefarious Japanese want to keep them all to themselves. They don't come over because there isn't any demand for them.
Well, hopefully MangaGamer can get somewhere. If they ever can get a coherent translation ready and actually release the games, I mean. :sd:

Though, no, the market for these games will never be large, or even more than a few hundred dedicated consumers, I bet. And MangaGamer is only eroge and visual novels, which I suppose Randall isn't referring to.

[Suwako Moriya]

They just feel so dumb and almost makes you feel like hey why don't you just release a complete box set instead of this?

They probably feel by spreading out the cost a bit among multiple cour sets, people might be more willing to give a series a chance. Also it means people don't have to wait until 14-26 are done before being allowed to try 1-13. In other words it's balancing act that is often debated by many.

[Skywise]

A company tried that. It was called Hirameki International. The games didn't sell, so they closed up shop.

While I partially agree with you about the sales, Hirameki did a lot of things wrong. For one thing, even though their games were all-ages versions, they failed to distribute them to games stores. Instead of increasing their potential market size by removing adult content so they could get better distribution, they reduced their appeal to people willing to pay over the internet - porn sells, after all. By catering to the all-ages crowd they also "broke" some of the games so that they certain things didn't make as much sense. The DVD navigation was also a pain in the butt - they should have stuck to either console or PC versions ported directly from Japanese.

Finally, aside from Ai Yori Aoshi, the games they sold were for the most part completely unknown properties. There's no cross-over appeal that would get people interested in them. What they should have done is collaborated with some of the anime studios in picking up titles. Have a special deal, like if you buy the first disc of a show you get a coupon for $10 off the game or something, or the other way around.

With all that in mind, I don't think Hirameki is the right example to give as far as anime and games go. I think there's still room for those games, provided the right titles are picked (at the right price/cost) and that they're marketed the right way.

[Draneor]

While I partially agree with you about the sales, Hirameki did a lot of things wrong.

Oh no doubt. They were terrible as far as production quality goes. I'd even say their first few games were unplayable, and their selection was terrible. Still, even the games were perfect, there won't be any sales until stores start are willing to stock them. Adult games are out, because no retail store will carry them in the US (maybe porn shops, but I have my doubts). I've also heard Sony will not approve these kinds of games for a PS2 release either. Can online sales generate enough sales by itself?


With all that in mind, I don't think Hirameki is the right example to give as far as anime and games go. I think there's still room for those games, provided the right titles are picked (at the right price/cost) and that they're marketed the right way.

Well, I have my doubts. Naruto/Bleach games sure. But will we ever see the day when the Hayate no Gotoku and other anime-spinoff games come over? Niche RPGs are already hard enough.

Well, hopefully MangaGamer can get somewhere. If they ever can get a coherent translation ready and actually release the games, I mean. :sd:

I've already accepted the fact that MangaGamer is doomed for failure and the English version of Da Capo and Suika is vaporware.
[W]hich I suppose Randall isn't referring to.

Right. I thought he was talking more about anime-spin off games. Like more Naruto fighting games or whatnot (or the Ai Yori Aoshi game).

[something]

I've already accepted the fact that MangaGamer is doomed for failure and the English version of Da Capo and Suika is vaporware.
::shrugs:: Maybe. I know there are a bunch of proofreaders working on the games as we speak, but yeah, there's not much reason to be enthusiastic about visual novels' chances in the US. Even so, we might at least get Da Capo out of it before they shut down... :sd:

[Skywise]

I've also heard Sony will not approve these kinds of games for a PS2 release either. Can online sales generate enough sales by itself?


The console versions that were released in Japan would have been no problem, as they already have the adult scenes edited (and in such a way that the game remains intact). Online sales do work, but only if you retain the adult content because porn sells itself. Only something that's extraordinarily well known (like say Kanon) would sell online if you cut out the adult scenes.

So you basically have a choice - go adult only/online only, or go all-ages only pc/console and do a proper job of marketing it through retail distributors. Hirameki tried a mix of all-ages and online sales instead, which essentially killed them off in the long run.

[Draneor]

The console versions that were released in Japan would have been no problem, as they already have the adult scenes edited (and in such a way that the game remains intact).

My understanding is that Sony USA will not approve a visual novel type game for US release. Without their approval, a company couldn't release a PS2 version over here even if they wanted to. Maybe it's just a rumor, but that was what I heard. Certainly, Sony has had similar demands in the past, such as with Arcana Heart (dub it or take all the voices out), and also not approved certain RPGs for a North American release.

Just a short clarification, many of Hirameki's games were all-ages to begin with.

[blinx01]

1. FUNi and the awful video quality on their half season boxsets. If you're going to release 13 eps as one release, do it across 3 discs please, not 2....

2. Bandai and their constant glitches with discs.

3. ADV and their lack of communication with fans over their recent 'issues'. People have now completely lost faith in them as a company.

4. MB and their poor handling of Moribito. A 26 ep series over 8 discs and cheap ass packaging. WTF?

5. FUNi getting too many licenses, which they can't handle at once. This means a huge delay between license and DVD release since they are waiting on other series to wind down before production starts. If this is the case, get free subbed versions available on their YouTube channel asap.

[LordGeo]

3. ADV and their lack of communication with fans over their recent 'issues'. People have now completely lost faith in them as a company.

I never lost faith in ADV as a company. Really, I think fans treat having the ability to talk with the industry as a necessity and not as an extra. The companies never had to talk to us... They wanted to.

If they don't want to talk with us right now, and the way this forum was around a year ago certainly didn't make this place seem welcoming, then that's their choice. It's annoying, yeah, but in the end this is still a business and sometimes business comes before the fanbase.

I'll agree that ADV could have done a little better with rumor control earlier this year, if they could have, but it's never been like they actually needed to talk to us. And we still get the occasional post by LadyG, an ADV representative, about upcoming ADV releases... Which is more than what we normally get from companies like FUNimation. If anything, I've lost more faith in FUNi "as a company" than I have with ADV.

[Buster Darkwings]

The console versions that were released in Japan would have been no problem, as they already have the adult scenes edited (and in such a way that the game remains intact).

My understanding is that Sony USA will not approve a visual novel type game for US release. Without their approval, a company couldn't release a PS2 version over here even if they wanted to. Maybe it's just a rumor, but that was what I heard. Certainly, Sony has had similar demands in the past, such as with Arcana Heart (dub it or take all the voices out), and also not approved certain RPGs for a North American release.



This might not be a problem any more, actually: http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/sony-talks-about-an-open-ps2-platform-and-opening-the-psp-and/

I'm not sure if this will actually come to pass, though.

[something]

I never lost faith in ADV as a company. Really, I think fans treat having the ability to talk with the industry as a necessity and not as an extra. The companies never had to talk to us... They wanted to.
They don't have to, but if so they do then have to accept the consequences that arise from said silence, whatever they are. Yes, there are sometimes legal issues and NDAs. That's unavoidable. But consumer confidence doesn't care about that. Whether we're not being told the reason, or not allowed to be told the reason is a meaningless distinction, when you really get down to it. Maybe there's some sort of bizarre licensor restriction in place and Viz is not allowed to talk about why they dropped Full Moon halfway and refuse to have the decency to even officially cancel it. Guess what? I don't care. The end result is still them leaving the show in an insulting limbo.

It's not a matter of whether I "hate" the company for it or not. But in the end only the results matter, and the concrete results are precisely what the votes our wallets make are based on.

[dragoon]

The companies never had to talk to us... They wanted to.

If they don't want to talk with us right now, and the way this forum was around a year ago certainly didn't make this place seem welcoming, then that's their choice. It's annoying, yeah, but in the end this is still a business and sometimes business comes before the fanbase.

I'll agree that ADV could have done a little better with rumor control earlier this year, if they could have, but it's never been like they actually needed to talk to us. And we still get the occasional post by LadyG, an ADV representative, about upcoming ADV releases... Which is more than what we normally get from companies like FUNimation. If anything, I've lost more faith in FUNi "as a company" than I have with ADV.

LordGeo, reason and sensibility -- those aren't allowed in R1! ;) Nicely said though.

Less and less lately it seems, with regards to wanting to talk to us. Not only ADV, but look at all the other industry reps... Who exactly has been posting here lately? ADV, Funi, MB, Bandai... where are these reps?

The environment has become so unwelcoming that some of the reps are not posting at all or posting at other forums instead or avoiding this section of the forums specifically. As others have said in the past, during the tumultuous summer times... what separated this forum from others was exchanging ideas, thoughts and access to representatives, but now that is becoming less and less common across the board.

Granted there have been a lot of missteps by almost all companies, and certainly they should be questioned and criticized so that they can improve their failings... but there's a point of going too far. The zeal of a few have ruined it for the masses.

Perhaps I'm a romanticist, but after reading the forums casually for 3 years... the level of obsession and hostility in the last year has exploded to absurd levels, but I guess it's par for the course for anime fans. There have been people who have been posting quietly complaining about what has been going on in R1 this year, and their words always fall on deaf ears, sadly -- so instead they just give up and stay away from R1 discussions.

[Zalis]

I have to agree with Skywise from a few pages back about the lack of Blu-Ray/HD releases in the R1 industry. While I won't be going HD-only in the forseeable future (still using my 5-year-old DVD player and 4:3 27'' CRT), there need to be legal HD options for English-translated anime if it exists in HD in Japan. I hold no crystal ball, but I'd think a lot of the quality-obsessed downloaders out there would be a little more receptive to buying R1 releases if it didn't mean stepping down from 720p/1080p to 480i.

[stfram]

Perhaps Ledford and friends formed the LLCs because they weren't able to scrape up the cash necessary to buy out Sojitz's 20% stake in the ADV (which doesn't seem to be that unlikely), and the new LLC's Sentai and Switchblade are attempts to keep Sojitz from realizing any gain from their 20% ownership, by making sure that any possible profits are made not by ADV, but by Sentai and Switchblade (neither of which Sojitz owns a part), via transfer pricing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_pricing) on the licensing and production costs.


Wow...that makes so much sense that it's probably exactly what they're doing. :)

Sojitz did major damage to ADV by yanking all those licenses at the last minute, and causing them much embarrassment at AX08.

Even if that wasn't their intent to bankrupt ADV, and that's just how everything played out, I suspect that Ledford and Co are not eager to see more of their money go to Sojitz than absolutely necessary.

And perhaps this is a way that they can build up the funds to buy out the Sojitz stake in their company?

[mitamaking]

1.Silence by ADV-a little hint they lost the shows, some sign they were alive, I spent half a year trying to figure out if ADV was going to live or die, and guess what I didn't buy their anime during the time in fear of having more incomplete boxsets.

2.Viz's "diverse" catalog-I love Naruto but dang they have more than just the shounens, where is Mar, Monster, Prince of Tennis, Nana, Honey and Clover, Mar, why is there no more Mar, if it wasn't Bleach, Naruto, or Death Note it didn't come out. This is the one anime company that could afford to take one for the fans and realese a show that isn't a major hit.

3.Bandai's disc-there is this really annoying thing in my DVD player that Bandai disc hum, it is really annoying, but at least it reads mine.

4.Going after fansubbers more than bootleggers-One is making money, the other is not, let's go after the one not making money

5.Tokyopop dropping Full Metal Panic novels-how were they selling, can it really be that bad considering Full Metal Panic is actually a name?

[Skywise]

My understanding is that Sony USA will not approve a visual novel type game for US release. Without their approval, a company couldn't release a PS2 version over here even if they wanted to. Maybe it's just a rumor, but that was what I heard.

I don't believe it for a second. I think it more likely that people are confused because Sony won't let companies release the adult versions of the games on the consoles.


Just a short clarification, many of Hirameki's games were all-ages to begin with.

All-ages versions existed, but Hirameki made their own for several of them unfortunately.

[something]

Speaking of crappy communication:

I've attempted to contact Geneon regarding the missing timecodes in Zero no Tsukaima and Nanoha (to make sure they're aware and express my displeasure, if nothing else!) but geneonanimation.com now redirects to a Geneon products page on Funimation's website. With no obvious way to contact Geneon directly I go through Funi, making it very clear that I know that Funi did not produce the discs and is not responsible for any glitches.

The immediate response was nearly form-letter in pointing out that Funi didn't produce the discs and, essentially, washes their hands of all issues. Yeah... I know. It's not Funi's fault. So I clarify again and note that if she can't forward my feedback, I'd appreciate some sort of contact information at Geneon with which I could do it myself. Again, I'd have contacted Geneon directly by now if I knew how.

The response to that is that Geneon has no public contact information. I... find this hard to believe. Should I try the RightStuf approach (don't/didn't they handle some CS related activities for Geneon?) or will I get the same "Not my job!" reply? does anyone happen to know if this lady is wrong, and there is indeed contact info for Geneon somewhere?

Communication, argh.

[Draneor]

All-ages versions existed, but Hirameki made their own for several of them unfortunately.

I know at least Ai Yori Aoshi, Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, and Natsuiro no Sunadokei were created as all-age games to began with (although NatsuSuna did have an adult version made later). But yeah, it probably wasn't wise to release an all-ages version of a Nitroplus game.

[dragonrider_cody]

Perhaps Ledford and friends formed the LLCs because they weren't able to scrape up the cash necessary to buy out Sojitz's 20% stake in the ADV (which doesn't seem to be that unlikely), and the new LLC's Sentai and Switchblade are attempts to keep Sojitz from realizing any gain from their 20% ownership, by making sure that any possible profits are made not by ADV, but by Sentai and Switchblade (neither of which Sojitz owns a part), via transfer pricing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_pricing) on the licensing and production costs.


Wow...that makes so much sense that it's probably exactly what they're doing. :)

Sojitz did major damage to ADV by yanking all those licenses at the last minute, and causing them much embarrassment at AX08.

Even if that wasn't their intent to bankrupt ADV, and that's just how everything played out, I suspect that Ledford and Co are not eager to see more of their money go to Sojitz than absolutely necessary.

And perhaps this is a way that they can build up the funds to buy out the Sojitz stake in their company?

This is exactly what I've been thinking all along. I think Sentai is just to insulate these properties from any remaining liabilities ADV may have.

It could also have something to do with credit as well. If ADV was having financial difficulties, it would be very difficult to get financing in this market. Any entirely new company with a solid plan and some backing, (TBS perhaps?), may have a better chance. Especially sine Sentai and Switchblade just do licensing. The risks are minimal compared to also handling production and distribution.

[stfram]

With no obvious way to contact Geneon directly I go through Funi, making it very clear that I know that Funi did not produce the discs and is not responsible for any glitches.

The immediate response was nearly form-letter in pointing out that Funi didn't produce the discs and, essentially, washes their hands of all issues.


Makes me kinda wonder how many emails they're getting complaining about these discs, if the immediate response is to disavow any responsibility for the authoring.


The response to that is that Geneon has no public contact information. I... find this hard to believe. Should I try the RightStuf approach (don't/didn't they handle some CS related activities for Geneon?) or will I get the same "Not my job!" reply?


I don't recall anyone ever indicating that TRSI lost their contract to handle Geneon CS.

I would contact TRSI, and let the chips fall where they may.

Regardless of the result, it's somewhat worrisome with regards to the future of the sequels to ZnT, Nanoha StrikerS, Higurashi, etc.

[einhorn303]

In short, the games aren't coming over not because the nefarious Japanese want to keep them all to themselves. They don't come over because there isn't any demand for them.
Well, hopefully MangaGamer can get somewhere. If they ever can get a coherent translation ready and actually release the games, I mean. :sd:

Though, no, the market for these games will never be large, or even more than a few hundred dedicated consumers, I bet. And MangaGamer is only eroge and visual novels, which I suppose Randall isn't referring to.

My problem isn't with the translations so much as the DRM. It's a real shame...I'd love to buy and play their games, but I'm sure as hell never going to support a DRM product.

[something]

My problem isn't with the translations so much as the DRM. It's a real shame...I'd love to buy and play their games, but I'm sure as hell never going to support a DRM product.
Indeed a problem. I'll get Da Capo but if I have a single problem with the DRM they've lost me forever. Assuming they even get any other serious visual novels... mostly just a lot of crappy porn at the moment.

[Draneor]

My problem isn't with the translations so much as the DRM. It's a real shame...I'd love to buy and play their games, but I'm sure as hell never going to support a DRM product.

Eh. I've never had an issue with DRM's existence. As long as DRM is designed well, it shouldn't affect those who purchased the game. Almost all computer games have some sort of copyright protection these days anyway. Whether it is effective is another matter for another thread.

I will admit I am a bit annoyed at Minori and August since they are the only two companies that made games I have but cannot play (both Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two games & Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na). I've never had an issue with a Circus game though.

[Zeether]

-Media Blasters releasing budget sub-only DVDs

-Bandai Visual releasing expensive sub-only DVDs

-Bandai not dubbing all of GAX because of budget problems (unless they rerelease it with a full dub)

-Nozomi not dubbing Emma or Marimite

-Crunchyroll

[Richard J.]

#1: Poor communications from ADV over all of it's problems: I know they are a private company and they have the right to remain silent at all times but holy crap, if they'd just opened up a little maybe some of the problems could have been avoided. At the very least, we'd have been prepared for the inevitable.

#2: Sub only sets: I understand why MB and Nozomi and Bandai are doing these but at the same time, I see it as the coward's choice. They're running away from the reality that anime DVD sales are in danger and the fanbase is becoming smaller. We need innovative ideas to keep the number of fans who buy growing, not ways to decrease it. Seriously, I admire their selection of titles but were they all REALLY impossible to profit from with a dub?

#3: Media Blaster's poor communications: Or outright lies depending on how you look at it. We've got a number of examples, with Ikki-Tousen: Dragon Destiny and also with the early "it'll be dubbed!" for Doujin Works. Plus, there was the indication that only top tier titles would get a dub from them and then they dub Ah: My Buddha? Also, the Moribito situation with it's less-than-thrilling art box and 8 disc release. (I believe Genshiken fans have a bone to pick with them as well.)

#4: Replicator failures: Yeah, Bandai Entertainment, you are the obvious choice for the weakest link here. Quite a few screw ups. And all for a copy protection method that doesn't stop anything? Not very wise.

#5: POOR OFFICIAL WEBSITES FOR SHOWS!: Yes, I know, this has always been the situation but for the love of God it gets more glaring every year! Especially now with so many series being promoted online with legal streams and download-to-own! What, can't you people find some bored intern to do something? Hell, there are people who volunteer and MEAN IT on this site! You can't get people to come to you instead of fansubbers if you aren't even trying to catch their eye.

[NamaeX]

My only beef at the moment is companies releasing DVDs with only one audio option for the English track and that option being surround sound.

I'm looking at you FUNimation & Bandai

[SleepyDog]

#5: POOR OFFICIAL WEBSITES FOR SHOWS!: Yes, I know, this has always been the situation but for the love of God it gets more glaring every year! Especially now with so many series being promoted online with legal streams and download-to-own! What, can't you people find some bored intern to do something? Hell, there are people who volunteer and MEAN IT on this site! You can't get people to come to you instead of fansubbers if you aren't even trying to catch their eye.
I really need to second this complaint with you, Richard J.! I know advertising can be expensive, but as you mention, many skilled website designers on this very site would no doubt be willing to create or improve websites for shows for just the option to list the site as part of their portfolio. Every time I learn from an animé news site, such as AoD, of a new animé in development, a link to a dedicated page in Japan is available, often with wallpaper downloads and other goodies available. While I have fumbled my way through these sites for whatever I can glean despite my illiteracy in Japanese, I would much prefer, when a show gets licensed in the US, to view an English-language website with updates and info.

[something]

#5: POOR OFFICIAL WEBSITES FOR SHOWS!I really need to second this complaint with you, Richard J.! I know advertising can be expensive, but as you mention, many skilled website designers on this very site would no doubt be willing to create or improve websites for shows for just the option to list the site as part of their portfolio.
Even the official Japanese websites can be hit or miss, but you'd think the R1 sites would at least want to stay current on what volumes are available for sale... instead so many sites get a splash page and a summary of volume one and then they're never touched again. I have no need for these sites myself, but I imagine the small investment to put one together has to be worth something...

At least TRSI/Nozomi still cares about their websites.

[kakugo]

Seriously, I admire their selection of titles but were they all REALLY impossible to profit from with a dub?

Are we sure that shows like Toward Terra and OtoBoku are profitable even in their current sub-only release?

[Buster Blader 126]

I always thought that Toward the Terra could've been dubbed without much loss, as it doesn't feel like much of a niche title in comparison to the other things that are sub-only, but that's just my opinion.

As for my top 5 things, it's pretty much been beaten like a dead horse already, but I'll list mine regardless, in no particular order:

- Bandai's shoddy discs (i.e. Code Geass)
- ADV's relative silence throughout the whole ADV/Sojitz debacle (though I definitely understand why they might've kept quiet)
- Geneon USA's faulty discs due to intentional bad sectors or something like that
- This point isn't necessarily a wrong thing, though it is kind of sad to see less series being dubbed. I would've loved to see sola and True Tears have a dub.
- This is more of a personal gripe, but I find the R1 companies' (virtually) total lack of con presence in Canada to be somewhat disappointing. I like the fan-oriented structure of most cons here, though some sort of presence on a more consistent basis would be nice.

[Skywise]

Every time I learn from an animé news site, such as AoD, of a new animé in development, a link to a dedicated page in Japan is available, often with wallpaper downloads and other goodies available. While I have fumbled my way through these sites for whatever I can glean despite my illiteracy in Japanese, I would much prefer, when a show gets licensed in the US, to view an English-language website with updates and info.

Is this when I'm supposed to mention I do web site translations? :P

Unfortunately a lot of the time the companies don't think to include the rights to web materials, and they have to start from scratch instead. In a lot of cases a simple translation would have been cheaper than to do a new design, but of course both cost money.

[Darkex]

-less and less releases include physical extras like cds, pencil boards...
-poorly authored disc like When They Cry 4, 5 which don't work on all players
-Bandai's glitched discs
-Fumation releasing cheapish produced box sets which may fall apart any time
-when companies license shows and don't bother to release dvds for said shows
(Honey & Clover, Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny)

[Njr Scrawl]

This thread more than double the "Right" thread below again!

[something]

This thread more than double the "Right" thread below again!
You never expected otherwise though, right?

[The Pirate Queen]

This thread more than double the "Right" thread below again!
You never expected otherwise though, right?

It's far easier to complain than it is to praise.

[Suwako Moriya]

It's far easier to complain than it is to praise.

True, we take the good points for granted while the bad points are hard for us to ignore. That being said I've come to realize I have yet to make my own list. Probably because I'm undecided on what to mention. I guess I could talk about glitched discs and bad communication, but beyond that I'm not sure what I'd want to mention.

[something]

It's far easier to complain than it is to praise.
True, though also because it's easier to agree on what to praise than on what to complain about, hence the latter gets more back and forth debate than the fomer. There's only so many ways we can talk about how 98.5% of us absolutely love the move to cour/season/2-disc sets.

[red_hamsterx]

<what something said/>

My list would be pretty much exactly what something wrote on page 1, so I won't bother reiterating his post. However, I will alter the emphasis: more hate towards Viz for suspending titles (Full Moon, in particular) and absolute loathing towards the surge of copy-protection schemes that do much more harm than good.

Infinity Studios' decision to go with eBooks (yet still ship content on physical media) would make my list if this weren't an anime forum.