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As I look at my shelf right now, most of my anime is from Funimation but my current favourite right now is Nozomi. I really like some of the series they pick up, currently I’m buying Maria Watches Over US. Also as a person who doesn’t watch anime dub, I’m really love their releases. Since they don’t need to add an English dub, their series have very nice packaging and extras at a low price.

That's a good question.

I've found that the better English dubs come from titles Bandai Entertainment license, but Bandai doesn't seem to care that much about their customers. Release delays after release delays, Japanese pricing for a certain Gundam title, and a lack of connection with the consumer leads me to have my doubts about Bandai, especially in the past couple of years. And yet, a huge chunk of my anime collection is Bandai releases.

Meanwhile, Funimation, who I always found to be a little arrogant and always trying to put their own "creative" input in the shows they license where it doesn't belong, is clearly a company that cares about its customer base. They stream titles online, blog about their releases on a regular basis, do those live "Funicons", they license rescue anime favorites, and just seem overall more friendly. They license some pretty good titles. I'm not huge on most of their English dubs, but they've improved in some areas. They seem to deserve a lot of the hype they get. I wish they would use more visible subtitles on their Blu-Ray releases and stop pretending they created the shows they release, though.

Then there's the dark horse Discotek which has licensed some old favorites that go ignored by the other companies. They're certainly worth a mention.

It tends to be split for me. In terms of pricing and generally making their products available, I'd have to give it to FUNimation. They've also gotten on my good side lately for being the rescuer of a lot of titles from ADV and Geneon's implosions (though it'd be great if they'd ever release them, as it's the sole reason my shelf is still lacking in Hellsing Ultimate).

As for quality of translation and the licensing of niche titles I never thought would get licensed in a million years, though, I'd have to lean towards Nozomi. Anyone who'd have the cajones to try Marimite on the American market is worth at least a favorable nod.

Penguintruth brings up an important point I'd almost forgotten, though. Nearly all of the dubs that I would consider to be truly outstanding, to the point that I regularly prefer them over watching the series subbed, come from Bandai. Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain, Big O, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex would be a few really noteworthy examples in that regard. No other distributor has the track record with dubs that Bandai does.

I went with other, mainly as a none of the above option.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate these companies and enjoy their releases, but right at the moment none of them leaps out at me as being significantly better than the others. Also I worry about the quality of the video when companies are squeezing six or seven episodes onto a DVD.

Bandai often suffers from release delays and glitched discs. They've picked some awesome titles over the years, but the above issues keep me from picking them. If it was just release delays that would be one thing, but if they take the extra time to do something right and still release something that has mono sound, episodes that won't play properly, or some other issue, then that's a problem.

Funimation: I have bought quite a few titles from them but a lot of their recent offerings are a result of them picking over the bones of Geneon and ADV, so I haven't bought a whole lot lately. Also their subtitles have been having more grammatical errors than usual.

Media Blasters: the last new release I bought from them was the final disc of Genshiken 2. And it's not like they've released more than a handful of things since then. But I do like most of what I've gotten of theirs at least.

NISA: Some disc issues but otherwise I like what they've done. If they continue to pick up good series on a semi-regular basis, then I might eventually vote for them.

Nozomi: I really like what they do. Probably they would be my favorite of this bunch, but I do wish they would license a few more things. One to two new titles a year is not really enough for me to consider them for this.

Section23: I find myself purchasing a fair bit from Sentai lately, which is good. My problem with ADV was that I felt they licensed too many subpar titles and then made me feel like a goat when they released their cheap collections so soon after finishing the singles. Also I did not like a lot of their special boxes. For me, Section23/Sentai do seem to be back on the upswing. I have no problem with sub only releases, but it's good they're starting to do some dubs again.

Viz Media: Other than Death Note and Ranma, I haven't really bought anything from this company.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Pioneer/Geneon from the first half of the last decade. I liked a lot of their releases, including smaller details like menus, extras, and boxes. I do realize I'm in the minority on this. People complain about their pricing (seriously, they latch onto that for some reason) but I don't think that was really the issue.

Well, that's my two cents.

If it had been a choice I would have picked "all (or rather most) of the above. I have always been more interested in the show than on which North American company made it.

Until I started reading the forums, I didn't realize there was so much fussing about various companies. I don't think there is a company that doesn't have several posters claiming it is the ruin of region one anime. Personally, I give a pass to any company that provides a series I enjoy.

Of course it helps that I gave up on watching dubs before the studios did and that I don't try to pick apart a show to figure out why I do or don't like it.

Nagisa wrote:

In terms of pricing and generally making their products available, I'd have to give it to FUNimation. They've also gotten on my good side lately for being the rescuer of a lot of titles from ADV and Geneon's implosions (though it'd be great if they'd ever release them.

I can't wait when they release Haibane Renmei; I'm so happy that Funimation rescued it.

I suppose it would have to be Funimation, not because they are particularly flawless or without deserving a fair amount of criticism but because almost everyone else is worse or at least generally unimpressive.

Though it still early to tell, I'm really surprise Bandai is in the lead right now; not surprise funimation is close second. There was a lot of hate for Bandai in some of the threads that I read here, but I guess that might be only a few people. Since I don't own any of the shows that Bandai released, I don't hate or like them.

larinon wrote:

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Pioneer/Geneon from the first half of the last decade.

I was only thinking of existing companies when I make this poll, so I forgot to add Geneon or any other companies that no longer exist like Central Park Media. I regretting this right now, since I also really like most of the shows Geneon released.

Bandai is winning? How the F**K is Bandai winning? I thought the people on this board hated Bandai with a burning passion. Laughing

Someone mentioned in another poll thread that it seemed like the first choice always garnered more votes in perhaps a mysterious manner. Maybe the first option should always be "I am a robot".

Now I really curious about what the results would be, if I had put Viz as the first choice.

Edit: Right now the only company that doesn't have any votes is NIS; Now I feel like I shouldn't have put them as a option, since they only have 5 titles so far(for some reason I thought they have more then that), oh well.

Geneon USA, although defunct, is definitely my favourite. It always will be.
I cried like a baby when they "collapsed". I still keep all the Geneon Spot Podcasts on iTunes. Sometimes I listen to them, although they are about 3 years old.

I miss Geneon! That was my all-time favorite - especially since they brought us Hellsing.

But in reality I have mostly Funi stuff.

ADV forever. I was scarcely acquainted with them before their fall from grace, and now I deeply lament that, as I was not able to support the most dedicated company in the business. What company could be more dedicated? Let me know when another puts hours of video interviews with the English cast on its dvds, heaps on the English commentary tracks, decks out its studio in show-specific decor, or includes other English live action extras. All while throwing in many of the Japanese extras.

ADV has voice actors dedicated enough to publicly cross-dress as a promotional event for the show they starred in, I want to know when another company has that. Thus far, that's the epitome of dedication in this business. I have yet to see Funimation even come close to this. Funimation has dedicated actors, sure, but their efforts (ie That Anime Show) are not the efforts of Funimation. Also, Matt Greenfield is a huge fan who runs the con circuit and takes an active hand in all fields of production. Gen Fukunaga may have finally rebought Funimation, but he still strikes me as an aloof manager, a corporatist who lacks passion for the medium. I have no issues with businessmen worshiping their Bottom Line, but I am going to root for the one who does it with the most passion, and that's not Gen Fukunaga IMO.

Geneon was pretty good too, they had some great shows. Geneon seemed to have the market cornered on "heady" shows, and had some of the best. New Generation Pictures also churned out some most excellent dub work.

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I've found that the better English dubs come from titles Bandai Entertainment license, but Bandai doesn't seem to care that much about their customers.

I agree with your latter assertion. However, the former I can't agree with. Bandai titles are frequently dubbed with Bang/Zoom, the studio which has put out the most bad dubs I've experienced. A Bandai title dubbed by Bang/Zoom is all but fated to suck. Worst offenders? Mai-Otome, Mai-HiME, and especially Witch Hunter Robin. I can think of some bad Geneon dubs off the top of my head. I can't really come up with ADV or Funi titles off the top of my head, but I could give you a litany of atrocious Bandai dubs. Before you launch Lelouch at me, I'd like you to know that I haven't heard it in English, and as such I don't count it as a Bandai pro or con in making my previous statement.

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Mai-Otome, Mai-HiME,

Those were dubbed by Blue Water, which is a Canadian studio. Odds are that the other bad dubs you heard from Geneon and Bandai came from either Blue Water or Odex (a singapore company).

Bang Zoom isn't perfect, they have stinkers like Magic Knight Rayearth, but they're mostly awesome since they also did Haruhi, Samurai Champloo, Scrapped Princess, Gurren Lagann, and several other shows renown for their great dubs.

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Favourite North American anime company