Forum - View topicNEWS: Bandai Visual USA Gets Haruka TV Anime Series
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Emerje
 Posts: 7336 Location: Maine |
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My thoughts exactly. It is MUCH more common to find an anime DVD with a dub track than it is to find one that doesn't. Only a couple years ago it was practically unheard of to do sub only DVDs in North America, we're only seeing them now because distributors are experimenting with ways to cut costs, not because it's the standard. And a lot of foreign films from Asia (mainly martial arts and monsters) do get dubs. So yes, I do expect a dub from the latest kung-fu release. Emerje |
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Colonel Wolfe
 Posts: 370 |
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What boggles my mind is that if a company like Bandai Entertainment can succeed at releasing anime DVD's with a 26 episode anime series on 6-7 DVD's why can't Bandai Visual do as much?
Ever since the company released the first titles over here, they've received nothing but criticism because they're using an obsolete business model to release anime DVD's. I wanted to pick up the Freedom series and the Haruhi series but after discovering that there were only two episodes per disk just didn't interest me to pick it up. Even the Best Buy in my area has a hard time of selling the Haruhi DVD's. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15298 |
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Yay, another niche title based on a game only a few japanophiles have played. At least Air has WOM and a company that knows how to promote it. Seriously, Bandai V, if you're going to charge that kind of dough, get something awesome like Silent Mobius or Mind Game. I've made recommendations on your message board, but you're letting Jerry Chu have all the glory.
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indrik
 Posts: 365 Location: yonder |
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Would this be true if the dvds we're talking about were of some higher quality? If BVUSA is putting out a higher audio or video quality product, would the manufacturing costs change significantly? I seem to recall (that is, I might be wrong) that one of the justifications BVUSA made for higher prices was that they were making higher quality products. I don't know if that's true, or if it's a valid justification, but I'm curious. I think the point that they've got a good idea of sales and profits at this point is undoubtedly correct, and might have something to do with why they don't seem to have a plan to release Haruka in the US. Or, it could just be the distributor issue. |
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Dargonxtc
 Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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That's the sad part. If they are making a profit, even if it's not as much as they could, or not exploring the full potential of the market. As long as they stay in the black, the schemes are unlikely to change.
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james039
Posts: 103 |
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As someone who has bought a number of BV titles I can confirm they are paying more attention to video/audio quality as well as packaging with their releases. The packaging is always excellent and includes booklets describing the series, but as far as the real meat and potatoes of the product, the video and audio on the discs are pretty much universally superb. The picture is very sharp and artifact free (likely attributed to the fact they only put 2 episodes on discs at a time, but the 4 episode GA Rune discs look just as stunning).
If you read any BV title review on this or other anime website, most of the reviewers agree, the product is top notch, but the price makes it sadly not worth it to anyone but the most hardcore of fans. With this series, it looks like they've made a concerted effort to match the US 'normal' price of $29.99 MSRP. The original Japanese run of this show was also 9 Volumes, however it cost 6000yen each or roughly $54.70US per volume. The fact they aren't trying to charge $49.99 or even $39.99 seems to suggest they've finally gotten the message about price. If this release is just as good quality as what they've been putting out so far, it seems like pretty good value to me. It's not bargain pricing by ANY stretch, but it's a definite step in the right direction. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15298 |
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dormcat: Yes, but Haruhi might actually be worth owning at that price.
Porcupine: That's actually a good question. I'm guessing SP will probably distribute this to retail stores like they did w/ FLCL. Zalis: ADV would have to release Gasaraki at eight discs, though. Geneon pretty much did it across the board, even when they tried to release "collector's editions" which basically amounted to the same price. And then they wonder why they went under....
Angel: You'd be surprised how many people walk out of foreign films, because they're subbed. Many people prefer dubs, because they're more casual. Xanas: I'm sure they know about business, just not American business. Ryusui: They have to sell stuff at certain prices in Japan to make their money back on the costs. Randall: Even if they are making money back, I doubt it's enough profit to justify their approach to a show which should theoretically have less niche appeal. james: I imagine the price drop has more to do with their belief that they can reach a wider audience with this title, even though Americans, and American girls in particular, do not play dating sims. But anyway, having read the press release, it's not the price which I think is insane, but the fact that they're releasing it all monthly, rather than bi-monthly. Explain to me again why Broccoli Point has problems finishing "I'll Be An Angel", but they want to support shows which no one is likely to buy? |
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HitokiriShadow
 Posts: 6251 |
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I was horribly disappointed with the Haruka manga and I was hoping the anime would be decent and wanted to give it a chance. Well, thank you Bandai Visual, you have removed the temptation of spending money on it and finding out.
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GATSU
Posts: 15298 |
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Hitokiri: T.H.E.M. didn't think much of it.
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6867 Location: Kazune City |
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In one respect, I actually like Bandai Visual for maintaining these higher prices on sub-only DVDs. There's a contingent of people out there who say "I hate dubs and I refuse to buy DVDs because dubs suck and it's an insult for companies to spend money on them and add crap to the cost that I have to pay even though I would never watch the dub anyway even if it were good." But what these out-of-breath people don't realize is that sub-only DVDs are automatically even more of a niche product than standard anime DVDs, and thus get sold (by BV) at a higher price point to compensate for the smaller consumer base. Of course, Media-Blasters' sub-only DVDs are cheaper, so the trends kind of cancel each other out. But BV's practices show what might happen to anime prices if English dubs are completely abandoned. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15298 |
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Zalis: The disc count for Gasaraki was justified, because it was a niche show. And MB's sub-only shows are cheaper, because: 1) They're based on manga currently in N. America, 2) They're short, and 3) They're not that niche.
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bjiougirl2000
Posts: 4 |
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I do love this anime, but I am so glad I already bought it from a different source awhile back. The cost per dvd/and the ratio of per episode on each dvd will definately make me not wanna buy a good anime here in the states. At least in Japan when you purchase a series you get some amazing bonuses with the dvd releases. Actually I drool over the bonuses and cry because I can't get them. Those are too expensive to import here to the states. I totally wished I lived in Japan because there I could have easier access to anime than I am here in the states. With the recent news in anime; with Geneon and then Newtype bringing out a new anime. Plus reading a article in Protoculture Addicts I am terrified that anime is gonna be gone or very very very rare in the states in the future. Costs are rising for everything and not many people can keep up with the costs without them getting hurt. I wish the companies would make the dvd releases a little more cost efficent (pardon spelling please). Like releasing less dvds for a series by putting more on a dvd or releasing them in boxset instead of spending the money to release them seprately then re-releasing them again but in a boxed form. There are animes out there that I want to buy but they are getting harder and harder to find at stores. Hell even Best Buy is getting harder to get anime from. So now on I have too look on the net for it. They stopped selling anime that I have been working on getting for awhile and only place to find it is at Suncoast which there arent many stores near me in WI.
 I just wished companies would think more before they act. I'm glad more animes are being released in the states. I'm glad more people are taking an interest in anime, but at the rate things seem to be going its gonna be a luxury to have anime >.> and I dont think something like that should happen.
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bjiougirl2000
Posts: 4 |
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I do love this anime, but I am so glad I already bought it from a different source awhile back. The cost per dvd/and the ratio of per episode on each dvd will definately make me not wanna buy a good anime here in the states. At least in Japan when you purchase a series you get some amazing bonuses with the dvd releases. Actually I drool over the bonuses and cry because I can't get them. Those are too expensive to import here to the states. I totally wished I lived in Japan because there I could have easier access to anime than I am here in the states. With the recent news in anime; with Geneon and then Newtype bringing out a new anime. Plus reading a article in Protoculture Addicts I am terrified that anime is gonna be gone or very very very rare in the states in the future. Costs are rising for everything and not many people can keep up with the costs without them getting hurt. I wish the companies would make the dvd releases a little more cost efficent (pardon spelling please). Like releasing less dvds for a series by putting more on a dvd or releasing them in boxset instead of spending the money to release them seprately then re-releasing them again but in a boxed form. There are animes out there that I want to buy but they are getting harder and harder to find at stores. Hell even Best Buy is getting harder to get anime from. So now on I have too look on the net for it. They stopped selling anime that I have been working on getting for awhile and only place to find it is at Suncoast which there arent many stores near me in WI.
I just wished companies would think more before they act. I'm glad more animes are being released in the states. I'm glad more people are taking an interest in anime, but at the rate things seem to be going its gonna be a luxury to have anime >.> and I dont think something like that should happen.
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HitokiriShadow
Posts: 6251 |
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Their reviews can be amusing, but I really don't put much stock in them. In addition to my tastes just not aligning with theirs, they write reviews judging entire series but most of the time, they've only watched part of it. |
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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I too have a number of BVUSA titles and will have to admit that the audio video quality on these releases are solid. I wouldn't consider any of them reference quality, but I would be praising them if it weren't for the poor episode to dollar count. The booklets while nice are not very different than the bigger Funimation books that came with titles like Fulletal Alchemist or the Samurai 7 inserts which I believe were between 20 and 30 pages and were included with the regular editions. I think ADV's D'Eon books also run around 20 pages. My fourth volume of The Third actually came with two inserts which was enough of a weight difference that I noticed it before opening the DVD! Being one to buy R2 releases and BVUSA titles I suppose I'm arguing about BVUSA more for the sake of fandom and the lack of anime penetration into the US market. I originally didn't want to buy any BVUSA titles and considered just staying with the R2 releases, but as mentioned above there is still a price difference in BVUSA and BV Japan prices on non-HD releases especially if you preorder titles. I do however like Chris Beveridge's opinions on BVUSA arguing the other side since he raises some good points in BVUSA's favor. Although the BVUSA prices don't stop me from buying their titles and doesn't bother me too much on a personal level it still is sad that it prevents others from buying their releases. This is also why I love cheap complete collections that I rarely buy, and anime on television even though I don't have cable anymore. |
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