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Most contracts include the right to release both, but with limitations on them to protect the Japanese market from reverse importation (i.e. the discs must use industry-standard copy protection, must use region codes, must block the Japanese track from being played back without subtitles, etc.). Most specifically state that no other languages can be included other than English and the original Japanese audio.

It may work for stand-alone players, but any somewhat modern pc and right software and those protections are easily nuked...

As for streaming, the amount of shows varies quite a lot depending where you live because of region-blocks(like Crunchy) and services bound to certain regions(like Funimation). Physical releases aren't much of an issue, because as said above the protections don't really matter (except for region-restricted stand-alone players).

I just can't see anime booming again like what happened in the 90's, due to what anime is being put out, while it's doing fine when it comes to profit, quality and variety are slowly declining due to various factors such as not adapting riskier material, the advent of mobile game adaptations, and a lack of a push for independently created anime.

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We STILL don't have a street date for Funimation's BD/DVD release of Evangelion 3.33, and that was announced back in 2013.

I nearly forgot about this one....Its coming up on two years ago this came out in Japan (April 2013)! Unfortunate they couldn't figure out a way to release this like Gundam UC and get it out world wide and Japan at the same time.

toyNN wrote:

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We STILL don't have a street date for Funimation's BD/DVD release of Evangelion 3.33, and that was announced back in 2013.

I nearly forgot about this one....Its coming up on two years ago this came out in Japan (April 2013)! Unfortunate they couldn't figure out a way to release this like Gundam UC and get it out world wide and Japan at the same time.

They could but Funimation probably doesn't want to do an import release of it, and since Funimation doesn't want to charge Japanese-style prices, Studio Khara is holding onto 3.33 until they think they've squeezed every dime from the BD in Japan and then they'll allow Funi to sell 3.33 for "bargain basement" prices. So yeah, despite what they're saying, it's reverse importation that is holding up 3.33.

ANN's Justin Sevakis wrote:

And that's just disc releases. Let's talk about streaming. Japan is still producing a near-record amount of anime every quarter, and we are getting subtitled simulcasts for nearly all of it. Funimation is making dubs of as much as they can possibly make dubs for, within weeks of its premiere. Crunchyroll is simulcasting 40 shows currently, Funimation adds another 12 exclusives, meaning 52 new episodes of anime are being streamed on US shores every week -- nearly 100 hours of anime per month. And while that's happening, Sentai, TMS and Bandai Visual are all dumping as much of their back catalogs online as they can. I'm not even counting everything!

That pretty much sums up my view on the main difference between the 90s-early-00s Boom to the current one.

The market was oversaturated in physical merchandise: discs, figures, posters, the limited edition box sets, mugs, shirts. You name it. The biggest advantage the online distribution has is not having to worry about where to store the stuff, much less about how to make the room seem presentable when bringing over guests who aren't anime fans (to put it lightly).

All it takes is a Username, a Password and good Internet connection and you are set. Additionally, most distribution companies, as answered in the column, no longer pump out as many discs as the retailers' shelves can hold, but make a smaller print-run and print more should enough demand rise, either from the few retailers who still sell animes, or by approaching the distribution companies directly.

That isn't a fool-proof, 100%-financially-secure method by any means, but it is a whole lot safer than the methods used in the first Boom.

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And there may or may not be bad blood remaining from the stillborn live action project (that ended in a lawsuit).

Yeah, I actually wouldn't be surprised if that's holding up a license rescue of the original series and movies. Otherwise, FUNi would've snatched them a long time ago.

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My second guess would be Viz, given their recent success (sales-wise, if not quality-wise) with the Sailor Moon reissue.

When all is said and done, I think Viz will have probably lost its shirt on that damned show. They paid more than it was worth for both the original and reboot, and only Kodansha and Takeuchi will benefit from it.

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The other thing is, it's going to take years. We STILL don't have a street date for Funimation's BD/DVD release of Evangelion 3.33, and that was announced back in 2013.

See above. Those Rebuild movies probably cost more than they earn back. So FUNi has no incentive to release 'em on time. They're more likely trying to sell more profitable anime to offset their losses.

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I fully expect this market to pop at some point, but when it does, from what I can tell, I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as bad as the last time. There simply aren't as many ways for the anime publishers to eat dirt this time around.

Oh, if they double down on shows which weren't successful the first time, like Jojo, then it can be worse than last time. And Aniplex is trying to bring back the failed overpriced OST thing which was niche to begin with.

Hoppy800 wrote:

I just can't see anime booming again like what happened in the 90's, due to what anime is being put out, while it's doing fine when it comes to profit, quality and variety are slowly declining due to various factors such as not adapting riskier material, the advent of mobile game adaptations, and a lack of a push for independently created anime.

I think you're idolising the 90s there. It featured numerous bombs and derivative crap, the same as any decade.

Justin wrote:

So enjoy the good times, because we are in them. We are waist-deep in them.

It's more than waist deep. We are drowning in new anime and nearly all of it is ridiculously affordable. This is a golden age the likes of which the anime fandom has never seen.

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Opening up the film vaults is a terrifying prospect for licensors, since those film elements are irreplaceable.

I would think they'd want to digitize them before the film starts to rot (and it will probably only get more expensive to do). Over the decades, celluloid ages and becomes brittle, colors fade, fire, tsunami and other unforeseen catastrophes happen, and the sooner they're backed up, the safer they would be. Sitting in a vault, even climate controlled to perfection, doesn't profit anyone and doesn't guarantee preservation.

Hoppy800 wrote:

I just can't see anime booming again like what happened in the 90's, due to what anime is being put out, while it's doing fine when it comes to profit, quality and variety are slowly declining due to various factors such as not adapting riskier material, the advent of mobile game adaptations, and a lack of a push for independently created anime.

The last boom was because of shows like Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and similar titles. Not exactly risky material or independently created anime. Most anime is considered risky material in the American market because unless it's an action shounen, it's not going to get a big audience with Americans. Sports shows are easy money in Japan, but in America they're considered a risky adaption. Same with shows deemed "too Japanese" like the current massive hit Youkai Watch, or shoujo series like the myriad of magical girl series that are not streaming or licensed and can only be watched fansubbed. I think you're confusing your preference of certain anime with risky adaptions.

-Stuart Smith

Hameyadea wrote:

The market was oversaturated in physical merchandise: discs, figures, posters, the limited edition box sets, mugs, shirts. You name it.

*glances at Excel Saga lunchbox, idly wonders for the millionth time if he was part of the problem or part of the solution*

Blanchimont wrote:

...It may work for stand-alone players, but any somewhat modern pc and right software and those protections are easily nuked.....

True, but I would think most people don't want to go to all that trouble. As much as I would love to have Gosick, I am not going to buy the Australian discs and fiddle with my computer to get them to work.

The PC is for fansubs and travel watching (and streaming for streaming fans), and BD's are for the entertainment center.

I agree with Justin 100%. Neo Tokyo is about to explode as 2014 may have been amazing but 170+ titles of which 2/3 were midnight channel releases (so they are glorified ova´s) can´t and should not live. I am cool with us drowning and me getting to watch less greater anime for a few years(?) in the process as this town desperately needs an enema and japan is all about rebuilding from the ashes. And then we go boom and bust again and again and ...
I started to watch these thing when i was very young un the 90s and the market just recovered so this will be my 3rd one i guess?
On a related note: Please come back Ghibli when we come back to stability as we truly need you even if we do not deserve you. But please figure out how to be financial responsible for one! Wtf was Kaguya about It was an art house movie only. How did you expect for it to be marketable to kidZ or Gaijins?
The manag market is dong fine in my book btw. but a lot of specialty publications (15-20k. sellers) closed shop during the last 2 years. All my favorites like Dorohedoro moved on so i barely felt it. Who needs to run against a wall too is the US comic market. They now have issues with 50+ variant covers and triple shipping for formerly monthly books. My poor pull list.

I also pre-odered the Evangelion Japanese BD box set. I am not patient enough to wait for a local BD release. I have my fingers crossed, hoping that the set will at least have English subtitles.

And thanks Justin for confirming that the prices of licences is going up. I am not bothered by this as long as it only happens with the big titles.

We're waist deep alright. Waist deep in waste, which proves where there's muck there's brass. Wink

angelmcazares wrote:

I have my fingers crossed, hoping that the set will at least have English subtitles.

According to cdjapan, it will be released with two versions of japanese audio, but no subtitles. Not even japanese subtitles.

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