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Which North American anime company is your favourite? |
Bandai Entertainment |
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7% |
[ 12 ] |
Funimation Entertainment |
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49% |
[ 78 ] |
Media Blasters |
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1% |
[ 3 ] |
NIS America |
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5% |
[ 8 ] |
Nozomi Entertainment (Right Stuf) |
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12% |
[ 20 ] |
Section 23(ADV) |
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10% |
[ 17 ] |
Viz Media |
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3% |
[ 6 ] |
Other |
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8% |
[ 14 ] |
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Total Votes : 158 |
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 11387
Location: Frisco, TX
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 12:35 am
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Geneon was always my #1, great series, great packaging, and great dubs. It's a damn shame they tanked. I really wish they would've done a better job marketing Hajime no Ippo, too. Had they given it a quality dub and put it on [adult swim] back in the heyday of televised anime, it would've been gold. Tsk, tsk.
I liked Bandai around the earlier part of the century for their selection of titles and pretty decent dubs, but their lackluster effort in keeping up with the HD market is a tad disappointing to me.
I'm still a little irked by FUNimation's McDonald's syndrome of ruling over most of the market, and it feels kind of pretentious the way people just "omgzzzz absolutely looooovvvvv~~Eeee11 their dubs"-gasm, but they're the only company putting forth any real effort with the transition to HD content and the like. Plus, they pulled a good amount of Geneon's old stuff out of the closet, so I thank them for that, too. Not so happy they assimilated a lot of ADV's voice pool, though.
ADV, hate their dubs. Hate the overzealous fans that love their dubs like the second coming of Jesus [expletive]-Tom-Brady-Boston-Red-Sox-Christ. Oh, and they over-saturated the US market with crap, crap, crap. I'm happy they tanked. fudge you, ADV.
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PetrifiedJello
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 3782
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:41 am
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Not sure how I missed this poll, but it's time for me to write about each of them, given it'll be necessary as I could not vote for a single one of them in the poll choices.
Bandai - if there is any company which defines "love/hate relationship", it is this one. No company has ever pissed me off as much as Bandai, but I can't hate them because they distribute titles I love. Without them, I would have never experienced Cowboy Bebop, Haruhi, or Lucky Star, just to name a few of the many exceptional titles in their catalog.
I despise their business models of introducing singles in boxset world (K-ON!!), refusing to dub except for titles they believe we want the most of (2nd Season of Haruhi), and the ridiculous price tiers which match nothing of their history (Hey, let's just throw this arbitrary price of "Screw You!" on Haruhi season 2).
No way can I ever vote them my favorite until they change.
FUNimation - Yes, I know, I praise this company as often as I can, but it's difficult to call them my favorite. It seems of late, delays and re-releases has bogged this company down into something less than appreciative, but not to the point I can easily dismiss them. While they are trying, it's just not enough. I fully understand their hands are tied (as with other local distributors), but this isn't an issue which should punish its customers, and it does. Royally.
Media Blasters - *huggles* This company gave me Ramen Fighter Miki and I so love them for it. Yes, I know, there are more titles, but they clearly are very, very picky and choosy on what they release. The small number of titles in their catalog makes it difficult for them to be a favorite, and the recent re-releases seems like a final grasp before dropping into the grave. It sure doesn't help they've stopped dubbing as well. Not sure what's going on with them, but I do hope things turn around for them.
NIS America - I haventbought anyting frm ths company, but ater reeding complnts from ths woo did, ths cmpy has wy go b4 I by from them. I don't want to return everything I buy.
Nozomi Entertainment - I am not a fan of overpaying for paper and plastic, and Nozomi emphasizes this with just about every release in their catalog. This is important, because it's a false sense of value over price, and to those who care little for this crap, it means the price remains high. I'm also not a fan of the tremendous time it takes Nozomi to release a lower-priced collection, which seems to be one of the largest in the industry. Again, their catalog does offer some fantastic series, but in a sub-only world, I want as minimal a package as possible for an exchange of even $10 off the ever-changing sales price on their website. I certainly don't regret any of my purchases, but then again I usually have to wait for another TRSI sales option to swing around before collecting more titles from this distributor.
Section 23/Sentai Filmworks/ex-ADV - Rot in hell, you bastards who shell out crap subtitling at huge markup only to release a dub later while packaging it in the worst case option to fans of anime. Okay, that was harsh, but it's a truth I find intolerable. I was absolutely floored my upgrade version of Clannad came in a goddamn stackpack clamshell after trading in my wonderful singles in the program. A mistake I will not make again.
I'm also tremendously pissed several titles I purchased have now been released as a dub without an upgrade program. What the hell. Why is Clannad so goddamn special?
It'll be a long, long time in the making before this company gets even an honorable mention as a like, let alone a favorite. I can't recall the last title I purchased from them because I'm this pissed.
Not a good thing to do in a shrinking market, geniuses.
Viz - As far as I'm concerned, this company doesn't exist to me.
Other
-Central Park Media - Despite its closing, there are a few titles still around worth owning, and I've been scooping them up if only to ensure I have a piece of history. Shamefully, I didn't pay particular attention to them while they were around, but is this really my fault? It's not as though they rushed out and licensed what they could.
-US Manga - Re:CPM
This leaves on major distributor, now defunct, remaining, and that's Geneon. Despite not being around, if there were any distributor to call a favorite, it would be this one.
Truth be told, it wouldn't be today. Geneon came from a time where anime was a different beast. Just one look at its catalog and it's quite easy to see it's filled with anything but mainstream titles. Sure, it has quite a few successes, but it's also filled with major failures (Melody of Oblivion, anyone?). This company was so diverse, it's a shock they managed to stay afloat as long as they did, especially when local distributors undercut them via the box set to sell over and over, even to this day.
Geneon's internal demons finally plagued them into closing forever in the NA market, and we'll never see another company like it ever again. We can't, because anime is different today. Companies still around must be more cautious than ever to pick and choose titles they believe will sell, especially in a world where digital distribution threatens them every day.
While it's impossible to pick a favorite, it's definitely not impossible to appreciate each and every one of them for what they do bring to the table, even if some of us have complaints.
After all, if it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be reading this post right now.
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SecretAgent94
Joined: 27 Nov 2010
Posts: 204
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:08 pm
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Funimation is great and all; it is awesome that they are getting all these licenses and whatnot but their major problem is that they are spreading themselves a little too thin.
I am tired of them using the same 12 people cast in every anime. It is weird seeing the same voice on a different character and really breaks the immersion.
Knock it off with the repetitive voices.
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Sanosuke_Inara
Joined: 23 Nov 2009
Posts: 1662
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:04 am
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SecretAgent94 wrote: | Funimation is great and all; it is awesome that they are getting all these licenses and whatnot but their major problem is that they are spreading themselves a little too thin.
I am tired of them using the same 12 people cast in every anime. It is weird seeing the same voice on a different character and really breaks the immersion.
Knock it off with the repetitive voices. |
They don't do that for the sole purpose of pissing people off, ya know. There's isn't some insanely massive pool of VAs that they can use down there, and they work with what they can. If somebody who the use often fits a role better than somebody who they hardly ever use/has never used, then that vet is naturally gonna get the role. That's just the way it works.
And 12 is an exaggeration if I've ever heard one.
There was an ANNcast that talked about this a while back--listen in on that for an in-depth chat about that whole ordeal.
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asimpson2006
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3151
Location: USA
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:06 am
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Sanosuke_Inara wrote: |
SecretAgent94 wrote: | Funimation is great and all; it is awesome that they are getting all these licenses and whatnot but their major problem is that they are spreading themselves a little too thin.
I am tired of them using the same 12 people cast in every anime. It is weird seeing the same voice on a different character and really breaks the immersion.
Knock it off with the repetitive voices. |
They don't do that for the sole purpose of pissing people off, ya know. There's isn't some insanely massive pool of VAs that they can use down there, and they work with what they can. If somebody who the use often fits a role better than somebody who they hardly ever use/has never used, then that vet is naturally gonna get the role. That's just the way it works.
There was an ANNcast that talked about this a while back--listen in on that for an in-depth chat about that whole ordeal. |
It also has to do with who is available for work. I have no problem with the same VA's doing work, but I would like some diversity now and then.
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Sanosuke_Inara
Joined: 23 Nov 2009
Posts: 1662
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:34 am
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asimpson2006 wrote: | It also has to do with who is available for work. I have no problem with the same VA's doing work, but I would like some diversity now and then. |
Yeah, that too. And don't get my wrong, I'm all for diversity, but I understand that we can't always get that with all projects.
Besides, if anybody needs to get accused of using the exact same people for almost all of their dubs, then it's Sentai. Not angry with them either, but you tell me how many of their recent dubs they've used David Matranga/Jessica Boone/Luci Christian/Andrew Love/Hilary Haag/some others in.
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SecretAgent94
Joined: 27 Nov 2010
Posts: 204
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:01 pm
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I don't think that is the case. I remember watching a "DBZ Kai" interview and how Sean was telling you how much wider the talent pool has grown since their first DBZ dub. (I think it was a couple of hundred people?). Well if that is truly the case, then there is really no reason to recycle the same handful of people for the major roles and leads and leave everyone else for the extras.
It could be because Funimation has a habit of trying to turn their voice actors into mini-celebs. I don't know. I've even read complaints in the Funimation forums about it so it is definitely a problem.
It may not be quite a problem for most fans, but for fans like me who try to know as little as possible about the voice actors and let the characters speak for themselves, it is jarring.
I would rather Funimation license less anime and produce quality dubs for them using their wide talent pool rather than they just grab every anime possible and get their same 12 person-cast wonder to read the lines.
Not that I am disrespecting the actors! They are extremely talented at what they do.
It's just that I am getting to the point where I cannot watch any anime without recognizing at least 3 or 4 voices from DBZ Kai or FMA Brotherhood.
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Tris8
Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 2114
Location: Where the rain is.
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 2:24 pm
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Sanosuke_Inara wrote: |
Bandai is winning? How the F**K is Bandai winning? I thought the people on this board hated Bandai with a burning passion. |
I have no doubt it is the trolls... They have also struck in the Best Anime of 2011 Poll, which because of trolls Fractale is winning.
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-Jade
Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 3
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 8:22 pm
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I voted Viz
but i love Funimation also D:
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The King of Harts
Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 6712
Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 5:10 am
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What do you love about Viz? Is how they never do rereleases or how they rarely finish what they start? Perhaps you enjoy buying singles without an art box? Or maybe it's that you like paying the same amount for less (Bleach)? I'm quite curious.
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DarkRoseFairy
Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 271
Location: Alberta, Canada
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 6:38 am
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The King of Harts wrote: | What do you love about Viz? Is how they never do rereleases or how they rarely finish what they start? Perhaps you enjoy buying singles without an art box? Or maybe it's that you like paying the same amount for less (Bleach)? I'm quite curious. |
They do release a couple of big hits like Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, Vampire Knight, etc, so I'm not surprise if some people vote for them. I personally think Viz should just be a manga publisher, but those popular anime series must be making them alot of money.
At this point I feel like the poll results doesn't matter anymore, since alot of people think that Bandai have the most votes because they are the first choice.
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Sanosuke_Inara
Joined: 23 Nov 2009
Posts: 1662
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:10 am
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SecretAgent94 wrote: | I don't think that is the case. I remember watching a "DBZ Kai" interview and how Sean was telling you how much wider the talent pool has grown since their first DBZ dub. (I think it was a couple of hundred people?). Well if that is truly the case, then there is really no reason to recycle the same handful of people for the major roles and leads and leave everyone else for the extras. |
That's funny, because of I've heard/read interviews that say the opposite. As in, the talent pools aren't as big as we'd like them to be. If it the pool from which they get the VAs for their shows is really "a couple of hundred people,"(in Texas, of course, where FUNi is) then we probably wouldn't be having this discussion right now, so I doubt that it's anywhere near that big.
All the points I(and simpson) raised were all ones that I've heard/read in interviews--it may be that different peepz in the industry have different views on the status of dub casts, but I'm gonna stand by what I've heard.
But that's all beside the point. Really, I don't see this changing anytime soon, so it's something you're just gonna have to deal with.
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lilredphoenix
Joined: 05 Jun 2011
Posts: 156
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:42 pm
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I agree with most of the posters have been commenting on about Funi I voted for them only because they have been putting out many releases that would have been lost such as Saiunkoku I had bought volume one and hadn't anything for months only to hear Geneon went under I did not think I was going to be able to collect the whole series. Also I rem when Geneon was Pioneer I was in the process of collecting the Sailor moon series I got up to season 3.
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OldCharlieStoletheHandle
Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Posts: 1288
Location: Mastic Beach, NY
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 12:13 am
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I voted here the way I vote in most elections-for the lesser evil which, in this case, is FUNimation.
The conundrum, of course, is that if I want a show I have to deal with whatever company licenses it since I cannot afford to import.
This is the only thing that's kept me from totally boycotting Bandai. From the idiocy of Bandai Visual to the Kurokami debacle to 4-episode Blu-ray singles, these people just don't get it. Even when they try to do the right thing they still f*ck up (going straight to a boxset for season 2 of Haruhi Suzumiya only to stick us with mono Japanese Audio). I don't care if it's the fault of their Japanese overlords or what, as a consumer I am really fed up with them. But, they have shows I want to own so I'll patiently wait for those Anime Legends sets and watch for online deals (DeepDiscount seems to be doing a lot of Bandai sales).
When I started buying anime DVDs money was very tight so price had a lot to do with what I could buy. In the beginning I went with movies and one-disc OVA's so had a lot of Manga Entertainment titles. Then ADV started doing bricks which for some reason Best Buy used to discount heavily, so for a while most of my DVDs were from them. I knew Pioneer/Geneon had a lot of good shows but I just could not afford their prices.
Then the bubble burst and TRSI started selling off a lot of Geneon stuff really cheap, so now I have a lot of their titles as well.
Nowadays, of course, FUNimation is the 800-lb gorilla so I'm getting a lot of their titles and I know if I'm patient I'll get a good price. What concerns me is I sometimes get a whiff of the old ADV "we're the Microsoft of anime" arrogance from them.
When Sentai first started they set a pretty low price point and since I mostly watch subs I bought some stuff from them, though on 24-26 episode shows I wait till they do a full season set (this occasionally leads to a dub and/or a BD release, otherwise we get a stackpak ). Now their price points have increased so I'm waiting to see what happens next with them.
I feel uncomfortable seeing the hate that Media Blasters gets around here sometimes. I know it's frustrating when things get delayed, but it's not like they are deliberately trying to piss people off. Besides, how many companies are there where you can have a nice chat with the CEO at their table in the dealer's room as I have? And I know nobody watches hentai (that's why the viewing rooms at cons that show it are always so crowded) but, for those that do it looks like MB is the only licensor geting any new titles (Critical Mass seems to only do CPM rescues).
Nozomi has some good titles but not enough to be considered a favorite. It does sometimes take a while for prices to come down but they will eventually-one advantage of having a big backlog is I can be very patient (that Anime Value Dirty Pair set will come some day).
What really confuses me about licensing companies is the waves of unconditional love that NIS America gets around here. In the same forums where I see people threatening to bomb Sentai for licensing their favorite show because they fear it won't get dubbed NISA-which doesn't dub anything-seems to get nothing but praise. $70 MSRP for twelve episodes with no dub on DVDs that may or may not work in a package that will not fit on my shelf...ooh, sign me up for that. And it's not like their "standard editions" are a bargain either.
As for Viz, I can count the number of shows I have of theirs on one hand with fingers to spare. In fact, I have as many DVD titles from Tokyopop (who remembers when they licensed anime?) as from Viz-three. I think I have more from Columbia-Tri Star (movies mostly).
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asimpson2006
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3151
Location: USA
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 12:25 pm
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OldCharlieStoletheHandle wrote: |
(going straight to a boxset for season 2 of Haruhi Suzumiya only to stick us with mono Japanese Audio).
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Not all of the HS2 DVD's are mono, my set is the first release and it sounds fine to me.
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