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Top Gun wrote:

That season 1 BD set was somewhat tempting, but the wonky packaging coupled with the fact that I haven't even watched my Anime Classics set yet makes double-dipping seem like kind of a waste.

I'm pretty sure there's a few hundred people who would be glad to buy that one off you.

Animegomaniac wrote:

I can't even call them successful with their own model since they can't even decide on an HD release format; Kill la Kill got singles while AD0 got drawn out and quartered. Their latest release Saekano is getting 2 parts with 13 sub only episodes- spread over 4 BDs?

*looks at BD collection that averages 9 episodes per BD* To quote someone somewhen, that ain't right. Are they using 25 GB discs on purpose to inflate perceived value or are they wasting 50 GB space just because they can?

Well, I know Bakemonogatari and Blue Exorcist's HD quality from their AoA BRs is excellent to my eyes. Not saying FUNI's or Sentai's HD isn't good, just not on the level I've seen in some of AoA's releases.

Okay everyone, as a pre-warning, don't start making this thread a repeat of what the other thread was. There were several mod presences in the other thread, and we'll be keeping our eye out on this one.

Barbobot wrote:

omoikane wrote:

Maybe you (or others) can explain, but I don't see why buying shows on home video has anything to do with streaming. They are two different ways to access the context and are hardly exclusive of one or the other. I personally stream a lot of anime and buy a lot of anime. If anything the two are complementary, it's good to have both options and there's no reason to look down on one or the other.

The point he's making is that with streaming you don't know when shows will be taken down leaving you with no way to watch it, like what just happened with Darker than Black. Having the show physically means that regardless of the shows streaming status, you will be able to watch it. I don't think he was looking down on streaming, only that he doesn't solely rely on streaming for his favorite shows.

Yeah, my point was that if you don't buy the physical release, then you can't watch it once it's no longer being streamed (the same goes with download-to-own schemes that involve DRM). So, if you like watching it streamed, then you're certainly welcome to watch it that way, but if you don't also buy the physical release, then eventually, it won't be streamed anymore, and you won't be able to watch it anymore. Even Netflix doesn't keep stuff up forever. As long as you don't have a local copy of something that does not rely on any external service, you're forever at the whim of whoever is in control of that content and/or service in terms of your ability to watch it.

Now, I don't personally like watching movies or TV via streaming, and I am concerned that streaming will become so prominent that it'll kill off physical releases (we already have enough problems with stuff ending up on DVD but not Blu-ray), but if someone wants to watch movies or TV via streaming, I have no problem with that.

Last edited by One-Eye on Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

doctordoom85 wrote:

Percival King wrote:

It's not as bad as it seems. ...From youtube unboxings, anyway.

I've seen Youtube unboxings, and it looks BAD. The ways the discs are held looks totally unsecure and likely to scratch the discs. It's why so far I've avoided the so-called "Premium" editions from FUNi (why not just give it a nice normal LE like they did with the Eureka Seven BR?)...

I own the set and I have to agree its meh. The artbook is nice to have and so are the BDs, but the whole thing is made out of cardstock paper with slots for the BDs. Its a little on the fragile side imho and obviously an attempt at cost cutting. However, maybe they went this route because they knew the license would be up and they were trying to cash in as much as possible. Still I got it on pre-order for around $50 and while not really "premium" it was far from outrageous at that price.

Dfens wrote:

Baccano on Blu Ray was a flop for Aniplex it was a upscale and it was priced at 50 dollars which was in line what all the Aniplex whinners wanted and it still sat for years unsold. Eventually it did sell out and they just said forget reprinting it since it took so long to clear out the original batch. It's not a popular show no matter how much the small group of fans who liked it want it to be.

Uh, I believe you are incorrect there. It wasn't exactly a flop. They first released an LE that sold out in less than a year and after it sold out they released a standard edition which I believe took about a year and a half to sell out. I don't think they would release a standard edition if the first one sold poorly. The SE did end up on an RS xmas sale (if I recall correctly) at about $10 cheaper and then soon sold out a month or two later. So I wouldn't say that it sat for "years" unsold. BTW, I own both the Funimation DVDs and the Japan BD release which has an actual box unlike AoA (oh, look they cost cut too!).

Animegomaniac wrote:

Even for the titles that Japan doesn't want, they offer editions that even Americans don't want. "Sure, it's a sub only DVD that's lower quality that what we're streaming for free but what do you expect, effort? We don't want to release it- at quality product level- because no one wants to buy it- at premium prices."

I think they said on the last ANNCast their DVD-only releases underperformed (Not surprising since they were overpriced, barebones releases). We probably won't even get a release for Mushi-Shi -Next Passage-, Samurai Flamenco, Day Break Illusion, or Mekakucity Actors. Anyone that wants to own these titles will probably have to import the UK or AU releases of them.

As for Darker Than Black, I believe AoA has said they have no interest in catalog releases so I would assume there won't be a re-release from them and just get the Funimation release now while you can.

Sachiko2010 wrote:

I'm kind of interested to see whether their model is sustainable for them (and I would include Pony Canyon in that too). My sense has always been that it is ultimately not sustainable, but I guess time will tell. I'm not an economist, and I'm as likely to be wrong about that prediction as not.

It seems like it works for the really big stuff but not so well for shows that are less popular. IIRC, Justin has talked about that before (maybe on ANNCast? - or maybe it was an article; I don't remember now). Aniplex doesn't have to sell as many copies to make good money, because the price is so much higher. They're after maximizing profits after all, not maximizing how many fans get their hands on a show. And if a show is really popular or has a rabid fan base that's at least large enough to buy enough copies of a show at a high price, then Anixplex's model can work. Fate/Stay and the other Type-Moon stuff is a great example of that, and it seems to be working quite well for them. But shows that are less popular won't sell at the higher prices and thus will likely never get released. Similarly, Aniplex is likely less incentivized to keep stuff in print, since the folks who were willing to pay the high prices probably bought the show when it was first released. So, Aniplex's model can definitely work for them, and it can result in some really great, high quality (albeit expensive) releases for fans, but it definitely isn't geared towards trying to please the fanbase in general.

What surprises me though is the Ponycan releases. None of the ones that they've released seem to me like the sort of show that folks would be willing to pay the high prices for, but maybe I'm just not familiar enough with those shows. But if they really aren't shows that have a large enough fanbase willing to pay those prices, then Ponycan is just shooting themselves in the foot. At least with Aniplex, they're releasing big stuff like Fate/Stay Night, Durarara, and Sword Art Online where there are clearly folks willing to pay the high prices, much as they might prefer lower prices.

But as streaming becomes more prevalent, we may very well see more of a trend towards expensive releases, since the folks who wouldn't pay the high prices would probably be streaming rather than paying the lower prices for the discs anyway. Only time will tell.

WingKing wrote:

As I recall, NISA's licenses for two other Aniplex shows, Anohana and Working season 1, also expired within the last few months. This is definitely starting to look like a trend of Aniplex reclaiming their own catalog, or at least the titles where they think there's still money to be made. So if you were thinking of buying Soul Eater, Angel Beats, or FMA, I'd suggest doing it now, just to be safe.

Soul Eater is not an Aniplex series. So you don't have to worry about that one.

But yeah, I'd suggest for those who want a physical copy of Darker Than Black to buy it now rather than later.

doctordoom85 wrote:

I've seen Youtube unboxings, and it looks BAD. The ways the discs are held looks totally unsecure and likely to scratch the discs. It's why so far I've avoided the so-called "Premium" editions from FUNi (why not just give it a nice normal LE like they did with the Eureka Seven BR?), and for DtB I've got the DVDs but may actually buy an AoA BR release of it since at least they seem to know how to securely package discs.

The packaging for the Premium edition of Darker than Black is horrible. The artbook is definitely a nice perk, but the discs slide into pockets in the cardboard, and it's all wrapped up in a cardboard envelope that's a bit like a bulky manila envelope (so it won't fit on your shelf properly). No one should ever release DVDs or Blu-rays in anything but a case where the discs snap into place. They should never be put into cardboard sleeves like this. It results in scratched discs in the long run. Funimation is far from the first to do this (and this isn't the first time that they've done it - e.g. they did it with Kiddy Grade back in the day), but it's atrocious - especially for a "Premium" release. Anyone who bought it and really cares about their discs is going to need to put them in another case.

I'm very grateful that Funimation released Darker than Black on Blu-ray, but if Aniplex re-releases it, I'll buy their release just so that I can get decent packaging.

[Edit]: removed unnecessary nested quotes. Please read the quoting guidelines. Errinundra.

Percival King wrote:

But, what about the mad-popular stuff like FMA or Soul Eater? That stuff is completely at risk to AoA's Martin Shkrelification. And that's what needs to be prevented from happening.

WingKing wrote:

As I recall, NISA's licenses for two other Aniplex shows, Anohana and Working season 1, also expired within the last few months. This is definitely starting to look like a trend of Aniplex reclaiming their own catalog, or at least the titles where they think there's still money to be made. So if you were thinking of buying Soul Eater, Angel Beats, or FMA, I'd suggest doing it now, just to be safe.

Not sure where you both got the idea Soul Eater (Including Soul Eater Not!) is an Aniplex property. FUNimation got both series from Media Factory, which is now part of Kadokawa. This is evident from the logo on the show sites, as well as the home video releases, and the logos that pop up when you stream these series.

Dfens wrote:

Their is no excuse unless you are new to Anime, not to have bought Darker than Black on DVD you had 8 years to do so. Hell I bought my copy on a Rightstuf Christmas sale for only 19.99 a few years back. I may even splurge and get the Blu Ray set even though I hate the premium packaging they did for it as long as I can get the discs is all I care about.

Well for me I was going to eventually get to streaming it first (I can't afford to blind-buy everything I watch, and I've seen A LOT of shows), but sadly that is no longer an option, and who knows if Aniplex will even bother streaming the series themselves. And you forget not everyone's financial position is the same, I'm still working part-time on minimum-wage to afford my anime. My anime budget has been bogged down by me recently getting into figures two years ago, and me owing my parents $200 a month. Sure I had a good amount of time (Though part of that was eaten up by the great Bandai rush of late 2012, months after I finally got my part-time job), but could people have really seen a big series like this going OOP? In any case, I don't think it's exactly fair to say there was "No excuse". It's also not the only series going OOP atm, like for example, Nana Set 3 just recently went OOP as well as all of Kekkaishi.

Felis wrote:

As for Darker Than Black, I believe AoA has said they have no interest in catalog releases so I would assume there won't be a re-release from them and just get the Funimation release now while you can.

That they did, so if there's an old Aniplex title you want them to put out, sorry, it's not happening.
http://www.fandompost.com/oldforums/showthread.php?43312-ANNCast-Aniplex-of-America&p=305320&viewfull=1#post305320

Do not count on AoA rescuing it and just pick up the FUNimation release while you still can.

XChampion wrote:

My real question is it just the first season or is it also the 2nd season and OVAs as well that has expired?

Both, S2 is going OOP.

Dark time are upon us anime fans lol. I'm glad I got that LE of DTB past spring. Now I need to look into what else Aniplex owns that I need to get my hands on asap.

I don't want to be extreme, but it seems publishers like Funimation could seriously be in trouble if more Japanese companies decide to publish their own shows in the West themselves and yank the licenses. Not saying it will happen, but I also never thought in the past that anything like what is happening now could be possible either.

doctordoom85 wrote:

I've seen Youtube unboxings, and it looks BAD. The ways the discs are held looks totally unsecure and likely to scratch the discs..

Blu-ray discs can't get scratched by paper. Not even remotely. Wonky packaging aside, they're quite safe in there.

willag wrote:

Okay everyone, as a pre-warning, don't start making this thread a repeat of what the other thread was. There were several mod presences in the other thread, and we'll be keeping our eye out on this one.

Neighborhood Watch Alliance: Assemble.

I think we can all agree that Aniplex of Japan is the most difficult licensor to deal with at this point. It's not just with FUNi either. Sentai and Aniplex of America have had their own restrictions with them to address (remember the dub-only Persona 4 Blu-rays?). It really does look like they're terrified to the bone of reverse importation. EJ of AoA mentioned on an ANNCast that AoJ can shut them down if they don't do exactly as they say. He said they're well-aware of the price complaints, and even that they would release shows normally if they could. At least they're keeping these shows widely available through free streaming, both subbed and dubbed. I used to be annoyed at AoA too, but that ANNCast interview really did imply that they're being misblamed here.

Hopefully FUNi won't loose the Fullmetal Alchemist license. That show is pretty synonymous with them, almost as much as Dragon Ball Z (in fact, it's probably their second biggest show).

But I will say: other than with shows from Aniplex, it's a pretty good time to be an anime DVD/Blu-ray collector, and that's sorta made up by Aniplex shows being the EASIEST to stream.

Last edited by BigOnAnime on Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:44 pm; edited 3 times in total

Ambimunch wrote:

Dark time are upon us anime fans lol. I'm glad I got that LE of DTB past spring. Now I need to look into what else Aniplex owns that I need to get my hands on asap.

Well this list I recently made should prove helpful. I should have down just about everything that's in-print.
http://myanimelist.net/blog.php?eid=781052

PurpleWarrior13 wrote:

I think we can all agree that Aniplex of Japan is the most difficult licensor to deal with at this point. It's not just with FUNi either. Sentai and Aniplex of America have had their own restrictions with them to address (remember the dub-only Persona 4 Blu-rays?).

From what I hear Sunrise is rather difficult to work with, as well as TBS who treats anyone not ADV/Sentai like crap (There's much more I could say about TBS). Anyway with the dub-only Persona 4 Blu-rays, the blame for that can be placed entirely on Sentai for being complete morons. You DON'T attempt to release a show on Blu-ray ONE MONTH after the Japanese release finished, you just don't. Had Sentai never done that we would've gotten the Japanese audio and extras on the Blu-ray years ago.

Similarly FUNimation also pulled a stupid move that people wrongly blame Kadokawa for. FUNi tried to release Heaven's Lost Property: Forte and Strike Witches 2 too close to the BD box re-releases Kadokawa solicited well in advance. Because FUNi didn't listen, it introduced reverse-importation fears. So Kadokawa rightfully restricted FUNi by forcing them to delay stuff and release many titles DVD-only.

Percival King wrote:

doctordoom85 wrote:

I've seen Youtube unboxings, and it looks BAD. The ways the discs are held looks totally unsecure and likely to scratch the discs..

Blu-ray discs can't get scratched by paper. Not even remotely. Wonky packaging aside, they're quite safe in there.

I don't think so... Yes Blu-rays don't get scratched by paper, and there is a scratch-resistant coating in the packaging, but I heard stories of people having their BD discs arrive scratched. And it's not a surprise as to why, just look at this mess!
http://www.fandompost.com/oldforums/showthread.php?2925-Darker-Than-Black-Seasons-1-amp-2-OVA/page15
https://youtu.be/BxCzehA5JkE?t=3m6s
https://youtu.be/qRy9JV4HwvU?t=8m38s
https://youtu.be/hlzq8dTgf3o?t=2m3s
https://youtu.be/iJra512vYfc?t=4m31s (They don't say anything, but note the disc at the bottom)
https://youtu.be/js-nSAXCofI?t=9m40s
https://youtu.be/lWpexXBabr4?t=13m12s
https://youtu.be/wZP7r0Vz4K8?t=2m17s

Nearly every single copy arrived with loose discs, and some had the misfortune of glue getting stuck to them.
https://youtu.be/MpKd6eyPubE?t=6m41s

You can hardly say they're quite safe inside that awful and cheap packaging. Good thing FUNimation finally learned what digipaks are again and hasn't used these cardboard sleeves since the Soul Eater Premium Edition.

Ambimunch wrote:

Dark time are upon us anime fans lol. I'm glad I got that LE of DTB past spring. Now I need to look into what else Aniplex owns that I need to get my hands on asap.

Off the top of my head(ShanaFan has the complete in-print list of Aniplex shows)

FUNimation
Black Butler
FMA and FMA Brotherhood
Sekirei
Shiki

Sentai Filmworks
Angel Beats
Inu x Boku SS
Persona 4 The Animation
Tsuritama

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