Bandai Entertainment has had a bit of news late this week with Otakon and Robert Napton has sent out some clarifications since there's some speculation out there, particularly in regards to the Kannagi release.
Kannagi:
Kannagi (Crazy Shrine Maidens) was a topic of conversation before and after the panel with audience members. A few key points were made clear:
“There will be no dub of Kannagi – there’s talk about people thinking this is the same formula as Gurren Lagann where we released a sub only followed by a bilingual edition – that was a unique case for us where we had to rush out a sub only release for Gurren and then as a result of a broadcast deal we needed to make a dub version for TV. That is NOT the plan for Kannagi – this is a specific release model and a dub is not part of the plan,” said Director of Marketing Robert Napton. “Furthermore, when we do make this sub only version available to the mass retailers at some point down the line it will be the same product for a HIGHER SRP – not less expensive as being speculated, so the obvious inference is to get it for less, get it NOW.”
“On a different note, we wanted to announce a Kannagi DANCE CONTEST. Participants merely have to record themselves doing the dance, upload to youtube and email me the link at naptonr@bandai.com. Winners we be announced and shown at our panel at New York Anime Festival – so start sending those entries to yours truly,” said Robert Napton.
Kurokami: The Animation:
Kurokami-the animation DVD plans will be detailed in the near future but it was announced at the panel that this will be the first Bandai Entertainment TV series to also be released on blu-ray as well as standard definition DVD.
Eureka Seven:
Eureka Seven ‘good night, sleep tight, young lovers’ will be in approximately 432 theaters on the night of the event with Fathom Events on September 24th. Information can be found at www.FathomEvents.com/EurekaSeven. Tickets go on sale August 21st.
Also it was announced that there would be a Eureka Seven cosplay contest in association with American Cosplay Paradise (www.acparadise.com). “Anyone who goes to a participating theater on the night of the Eureka Seven movie event, September 24th, and takes pictures of themselves in costume in front of the theater, in the lobby, etc, can submit them online to Acparadise.com and we’ll have an online contest afterward with some great prizing. The Eureka movie features some bold new designs of the characters that have gotten a make-over, so it should be fun to see
the new characters in cosplay at the event and we really hope people will participate,” said Robert Napton.
In conjunction with the movie event, there will be a ‘Eureka Seven Day’ at Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York on September 20th. The event is being coordinated by Kinokuniya and New York Anime Festival (Sept 25-27) “It’s going to be a big party for ‘Eureka’ and anime fans. There will be giveaways, episodes screened and attendees are encouraged to come in cosplay,” said Robert Napton. Part of the day’s giveaways will include NYAF Weekend Tickets.
"Kinokuniya is excited to be part of Bandai's kick-off of Eureka Seven," says John Fuller of New York Kinokuniya Bookstore, "We've been lucky to be involved in hosting some truly ground breaking product release events and Bandai's announcement about Eureka Seven is one of the most exciting we've seen. New York Anime Festival's involvement makes this an almost guaranteed home run and we're really looking forward to it."
“The New York Anime Festival’s honored to be part of Eureka Day,” Peter Tatara, NYAF Programming Director said. “NYAF’s always excited to partner with our friends at Bandai and Kinokuniya, and we can’t wait to throw this party for all of NYC’s anime fans.”
I also cant get kannagi because i live in europe and its going to cost too much with tax.if it was available normally i wouldnt hesitate to get it but have no intention in being made to get it later for more money unless its only a slight price difference.
"Buy it NAOW!!!!! or we'll start charging even MOAR!!! for the same thing!"
Way to hose your customer base, too, Bandai... I guess Kannagi just got shifted from my possible buy list to my Netflix instant watch list.
Man, between the Lucky Star OVA, Hayate the Combat Butler and Kannagi, it seems like Bandai's falling into Bandai Visual's old habits.
Come on, Robert Napton. Have you learned nothing from what happened with Bandai Visual? They went sub-only, charged high prices and expected people to buy it. Needless to say, they went belly-up in less than two years. Now you're saying Kannagi's sub-only and will be sold at a higher price? If this keeps up, you'll be no better than ADV/Sentai (trust me, no anime company wants to sink that low). Apparently, Robert, you've forgotten the old phrase: "Dubs sell, subs sit on shelves." If this marks the beginning of a trend in which FUNimation's the only company producing dubs (provided Media Blasters doesn't head down ADV/Sentai's path), then I guess it's bye bye, Bandai. I hope these poor business decisions, like MARI0 said, do come back to bite you (and anyone else in marketing that decided sub-only was a smart choice) in the ass hard enough to rectify your mistakes. Otherwise, see you in the unemployment line, bastards.
Posting a follow-up regarding Bandai's panel at SDCC.
They said that their recent releases aren't going to be dubbed because there's no TV distribution deal. The hell? If that's the case, then why did Lucky Star get dubbed? Why did dreck like Tide-Line Blue and Rescue Me, Mave-Chan get dubbed, and yet, solid series like Hayate The Combat Butler (which has a manga out in English from VIZ) get passed over? Television's dead, and the Internet's the box they buried it in. As I said earier, going sub-only and sans-extras not only alienates potential fans (and sales), it also makes you look cheap... ADV Films-cheap (and that's low).
I'm stealing this post from godofchaos (sorry, dude) and making this my quote:
"Any problems with the industry is an exact reason to INCLUDE more extras. Create a product that is better and appears to have more value. Creating cheap products gives people a reason not to buy, especially when they are giving the show away for free online."
And to paraphrase a late-90's videogame ad:
"I don't care what the $&% it costs you! Just give me the goddamn item NOW!"
Those two phrases pretty much sum up my feelings for the lack of dubs and extras in recent releases. It's a frightening trend that I hope Bandai takes a second look at. Otherwise, they could be heading down the same path that Bandai Visual went. No dub and no extras equal low sales, which, in turn, leads to squandered potential, lost jobs and bankruptcy. If this were Rightstuf/Nozomi or Media Blasters, I'd be more forgiving... but this is freakin' Bandai Namco, a multi-national multi-media conglomerate! Just use your sales from the videogame division to cover your losses. There, problem solved. Now get back to releasing dubbed and extras-loaded DVDs!
(*Sigh.* If it were only that simple...)
I'm very disapointed in Bandai as well. For me it started when they released Please Teacher volume 4 at 40 dollars a pop. It has just gone downhill from there.
I would have liked to check out Shrine maidens to but I don't buy stuf from amazon. RIght stuf.com has it but I don't know how long it ouwld take for the order to go through.
If they screw up the Eureka Seven movie dvd release scheduled to be Jan 26 2010 Many fans will just ignore bandai altogether.
LOGIN
REGISTER
RSS
HOME
I am seriously pissed at Bandai for this Kannagi deal. Not only did they cut out dub fans, but more importantly, they cut out some of their biggest and most loyal retail customers like RACS. Way to screw over every online anime retailer outside of Iowa Bandai. I'm sure this come back to bite you in the *** in due time.