Forum - View topicNEWS: Bandai Visual USA Makes Website 'Interim Retail Center'
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Heretic
Posts: 177 Location: Laurel, Maryland |
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The latter I suppose, but with them catering to a corner of an already niche market they may continue this distribution strategy indefinitely. Given their pricing strategies and all, this may actually be the best route for BV.
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CorneredAngel
 Posts: 854 Location: New York, NY |
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I've held myself back a lot before wanting to say something like this. But. Have any of you guys ever wondered why live-action foreign films (think like Pan's Labyrinth) are almost always released sub-only, and why there is never *any* kind of movement to dub them? Well, why *shouldn't* anime be treated the same way? Hell, if nothing else, that kind of treatment really is what BVUSA is aiming for. And if you can't deal with it, well guess what, you are *not entitled to something you don't understand.* |
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jsyxx
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Anime and live-action are not the same thing. Anime is dubbed to begin with in Japan. Don't let your head explode from that paradox. |
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CorneredAngel
Posts: 854 Location: New York, NY |
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Um, not 'dubbed', but voiced in the original language of where it's created. Same as any other foreign film that makes its way to the US is. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6867 Location: Kazune City |
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As for the actual topic: I don't think this means the end of BVUSA -- it just means they need to find another distributor, and there are others like ADV and Funimation who have distributed for smaller companies in the past, such as ADV with AnimeNation's Risky Safety, or Funimation with AN's Hare Guu. For now though, I continue to not buy any of BVUSA's releases, for the simple reason that none of them, aside from Galaxy Angel Rune and maybe Gunbuster, hold that much interest for me. At least not enough interest for me to pay that price. But since I have not seen any of their series through illegal means, I feel no moral obligation to support them, either. |
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Tumalu
 Posts: 17 |
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Part of the issue with dubbing live action may just be that the lip movement won't match right, whereas with anime, it doesn't even tend to match quite right in its original language. But it's not like live action movies don't get dubbed in other countries. Many English movies do indeed get dubbed in Japan and elsewhere. Furthermore, just as people aren't entitled to something that they "don't understand," they also have no obligation to buy what they don't understand. There's a difference between refusing to buy Bandai Visual USA's dub-less releases and thinking that one is entitled to dubs from them. And in the same token, dub-fans have every right to complain about the lack of a dub just as sub fans have the right to complain when certain companies don't include the Japanese track and subs. When it comes to what kind of entertainment is made available to them, people aren't entitled to anything. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15305 |
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I'm just wondering. Are they allowed to work with another distributor, or are they still bound by any possible contracts with Geneon?
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teh*darkness
 Posts: 901 |
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My problem with BVUSA is they've released quite a few series that have gotten good reviews, and normally, seeing as how several are from genres I normally enjoy, I'd have gone off and bought them... dub-less doesn't bother me, but 1-2 eps for 40-50 USD is really pushing it... especially when ADV's 3 eps for 30 USD retail bugs me (though I can easily get them for 20 USD at any number of brick-and-mortar or online stores).
If they'd release the same number of eps for 20-25 USD, I'd almost be willing to buy it at retail, if the video quality was good enough (though, again, you'd find it for less at most online stores). But what bothers me most, is those interviews from the recent con season, where they seemed genuinely confused about people being incensed with the pricing scheme. Honestly, why did they think they could come into our pre-existent market, release less episodes per disc, with no dub, at a higher price than every other company, and not get complaints? Again, the dub issue doesn't bother me as much as it might others, but seriously... If they'd just lower their prices, I'd probably buy several of their releases... here's hoping they eventually do. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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The reason live action is rarely dubbed is because it looks terrible because of the lip movements. With Anime this is not a problem. So what exactly are you saying here? I don't want to jump to conclusions but it kinda comes of as very elitist anti-dub. What exactly do you mean? I have trouble following your reasoning since I see the awnser to "why shouldn't anime be treated the same way?" as: becuase it doesnt have the problem of live action that forces us to do so. |
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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Emerje
 Posts: 7338 Location: Maine |
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Anyone else feeling a sense of deja vu right now? What Bandai Visual is doing right now is a lot like what Bandai Entertainment did nearly 10 years ago with Anime Village.
-Online only -Sub only -Limited release -Few episodes per volume However, this time I doubt the demand will come through to bring the releases into stores again. If people were happy with the way things were handled then it would have never come to this. As for this newly sparked sub vs. dub debate; nearly all live action foreign films I've seen, be it from Asia or Europe, have been dubbed. In fact I find it harder to find a domestic martial arts flick that is sub only than I do bilingual. Talk about a moot point, it's like saying anime is rarely dubbed because Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was sub only.  For these companies the choice to make something sub only is purely about saving money and nothing more. It isn't about artistic integrity, it's about the bottom line. If it wasn't about the money then you wouldn't have anime like Karin getting crappy Singapore dubs.
Emerje |
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Aresef
Posts: 909 Location: MD |
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If BVUSA goes belly-up, it will have been their own damn fault.
And watch dot-anime charge full retail prices, meaning you won't even be able to use Amazon or Deepdiscount to escape. |
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Desslar
Posts: 70 Location: Washington, DC |
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Live action foreign films are regarded as having more artistic credibility, and thus there's more emphasis on keeping them as authentic as possible.
Anime is mostly aimed at kids, who care more for ease of understanding than authenticity. Plus you can't see the original performers, so the audience doesn't really build a close connection with them. |
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CCSYueh
 Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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I thought part of the idea behind Bandai Visual was to release pretty durned close to the Japanese release date, thus we're being treated like Jpaanese fans-obscenely high prices. And I just ordered Super Robot Wars 2 days ago & have already watched my Demon Prince Enma many times. Maybe they'll go under, or maybe they're pricing to sell to the collectors. |
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james039
Posts: 103 |
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I think BV USA will be successful with their formula, because although 80% of the people will balk at their high prices and/or no dub, the other 20% who are willing to buy the product at the high prices will net with BV breaking even or profiting on their titles anyway. I for one, have already purchased the Gunbuster OVA set from them, as well as the first two volumes of G.A Rune, with the other two already pre-ordered. I am really happy with the quality of their releases, which is on par with the excellent quality that generally comes on R2 releases.
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