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PR: Right Stuf's Nozomi Entertainment Announces DVD Release of Princess Knight, Part 1




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belvadeer



Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Posts: 1526
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:48 pm Reply with quote
Not trying to sound like an audio purist, but why no Japanese version? The same thing happened with the 2003 Astro Boy DVD box set too. Is there some reason they never put Japanese tracks for DVDs of Tezuka's work when they get released overseas?
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kyokun703
Get off my lawn!Get off my lawn!


Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 2482
Location: Stormwind
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:55 pm Reply with quote
belvadeer wrote:
Not trying to sound like an audio purist, but why no Japanese version? The same thing happened with the 2003 Astro Boy DVD box set too. Is there some reason they never put Japanese tracks for DVDs of Tezuka's work when they get released overseas?


From the article:

Note: Due to the availability of materials, these DVD releases will utilize the edited and cut, broadcast video footage from Princess Knight's television syndication during the 1960s and 1970s. (Japanese audio will not be included on these sets because it cannot be synched to the video.)
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arromdee



Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 4:00 am Reply with quote
There is a Japanese DVD set. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=XT-1284 It is always possible to rip and use the Japanese set. Yes, they'd lose a generation if they have to recompress it, but using American video would lose a generation in a different way anyway. And why in the world would the Japanese company lose materials *after* putting out a DVD release in Japan?

The only way this announcement comes close to making sense is if the Japanese company actually refused to license the Japanese version at all and "availability of materials" is a technically accurate but not-what-it-sounds-like way of saying "the Japanese won't let us put out a Japanese version" (in which case materials that the Japanese refused to allow the use of are not "available"). And/or "we're really sublicensing the series and have to go through them, not the Japanese licensor, who we can't get anything from at all".

Remember when ADV claimed that their Sailor Moon releases were bad for similar reasons, and it turned out that they had actually sublicensed the series from DiC, who could only provide bad materials (while the Japanese actually did have good materials that could not be obtained from the sublicensor)? For that matter, remember before that when they put out dub sets only and used the excuse of materials to explain why there were no Japanese sets?
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Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 399
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 10:30 am Reply with quote
arromdee wrote:
The only way this announcement comes close to making sense is if the Japanese company actually refused to license the Japanese version at all and "availability of materials" is a technically accurate but not-what-it-sounds-like way of saying "the Japanese won't let us put out a Japanese version" (in which case materials that the Japanese refused to allow the use of are not "available").


In that scenario "availability of materials" is exactly what it sounds like.
"Available" would not mean that the thing exists somewhere. "Available" would mean that the material is available for Right Stuf to use. If the Japanese licensor chose to not allow Right Stuf to use the material, for any reason, then the phrase "availability of materials" is not inaccurate or misleading.
I see no reason to doubt Right Stuf.
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Mesonoxian Eve
Aria CompanyAria Company


Joined: 10 Jan 2012
Posts: 1565
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 10:58 am Reply with quote
arromdee wrote:
And why in the world would the Japanese company lose materials *after* putting out a DVD release in Japan?

The same way our movie industry is losing materials for older classics: acetate erosion.

Time is the biggest enemy, as the erosion is natural. Temperature and humidity control helps slow the process, but time will always remain the victor, especially for something made in the 60s.

While this collection may not be the "best" offered, it's a good bet the original is safeguarded to protect it as best as possible, leaving the distributed copies to work from.

Personally, I think it's a bit silly, but I can understand. The owners probably have a sentimental attachment to it and risk losing it forever is something they probably don't want to risk.

Maybe future technology can be deployed to save these older films, but unlikely. I just don't picture the MPAA spending millions to protect what it represents, and I doubt older anime owners have the resources to develop the process, which would be millions.
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belvadeer



Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Posts: 1526
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 4:55 pm Reply with quote
Mesonoxian Eve wrote:

The same way our movie industry is losing materials for older classics: acetate erosion.

Time is the biggest enemy, as the erosion is natural. Temperature and humidity control helps slow the process, but time will always remain the victor, especially for something made in the 60s.

While this collection may not be the "best" offered, it's a good bet the original is safeguarded to protect it as best as possible, leaving the distributed copies to work from.

Personally, I think it's a bit silly, but I can understand. The owners probably have a sentimental attachment to it and risk losing it forever is something they probably don't want to risk.

Maybe future technology can be deployed to save these older films, but unlikely. I just don't picture the MPAA spending millions to protect what it represents, and I doubt older anime owners have the resources to develop the process, which would be millions.


So what's their excuse for the Astro Boy 2003 DVDs then? You can't expect me to believe the Japanese footage eroded that quickly in only a small span of time.
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Kirben



Joined: 26 Feb 2003
Posts: 34
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:41 pm Reply with quote
The Japanese masters for Princess Knight are still available, and RightStuf could offer a separate DVD release with the Japanese version and English subtitles. But Shawne Kleckner mentioned he didn't think it was financially viable, in a interview on ANNCast.
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arromdee



Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:17 am Reply with quote
Kirben wrote:
The Japanese masters for Princess Knight are still available, and RightStuf could offer a separate DVD release with the Japanese version and English subtitles. But Shawne Kleckner mentioned he didn't think it was financially viable, in a interview on ANNCast.


That's very different from "we had to use the edited US version because of availability of materials".

I suppose all issues are ultimately about availability of materials, in the same way that all deaths are ultimately caused by the heart stopping.
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