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Media Blasters Anime Solicitations


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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23669
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:14 am Reply with quote
Well, the only new release MB solicited so far this year is Ai no Kusabi: The Space Between which was supposed have been released this past Tuesday. TRSI does not note it in its Notable New Releases & Pre-Orders section and the listing for it in the catalog says, We'll Get it for You!

That suggests to me it was not released on time or they gave TRSI like 1 copy which promptly got sold.

Shamanic Princess which is a re-release was supposed to come out on April 9th. I'm not sure if it did because it already has a We'll Get it for You! listing at TRSI.

Of the three other re-releases that MB managed to squeak out this year, one has a We'll Get it for You! listing at TRSI (QB Complete Collection).

I dunno, I don't think it's time to retire the MB is a effin' joke comments just yet.
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WTK



Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 4036
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:43 am Reply with quote
The reasons Kruszer provided were releases not getting released, delayed multiple times and canceled.

I disagreed and listed the issue (and a huge one) a couple posts ago lies with their distribution instead.

By distribution issue, I mean that not everyone is getting their products at the same time. I don't know how this arrangement exactly works, but it needs major work. Either that or their print run for each batch is miniscule.

As to the specific titles that were just mentioned:
- Ai no Kusabi: in-stock @ Amazon.com
- Shamanic Princess: in-stock @ Amazon.com & RACS
- QB S1+2 DVD: in-stock @ Amazon.com & RACS

Fushigi Yugi: OVA Collection up in May has been shipping out since earlier this month from Allegro's (they are MB's distributor) own storefront @ Half.com. Same thing can be said for 2013 anime releases from January to April.

I have no issues with the MB joke comments if the at least one of the reasons was in the lines of their distribution set-up. Allegro's own store appears to get their products first. Next appears to be Amazon.com. The rest seems like it's a toss-up.

The 2013 releases so far are out there (don't know how many and if it ties in with the number of copies pressed) and somehow they are not reaching their retailers. This is the next hurdle that MB needs to find a way to address this year.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23669
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:30 am Reply with quote
I suspect their print runs are very small and that's the crux of the problem. Honestly, I have no idea what's keeping the lights on at MB. I know they have only a tiny staff left, so that obviously keeps operating expenses down, but even so. It seems hard to believe they are generating much revenue from their releases. That Ai no Kusabi OVA is the first new title they've "released" (sorry, I just can't take their current wonky distribution system seriously) since 2011. I can't imagine its going to be a huge seller.
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WTK



Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 4036
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:12 am Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
I suspect their print runs are very small and that's the crux of the problem.

It really has to. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why distribution of their releases are all over the place. And also catalog title replenishment takes forever (as in months and months or no ETA).
Quote:
Honestly, I have no idea what's keeping the lights on at MB. I know they have only a tiny staff left, so that obviously keeps operating expenses down, but even so. It seems hard to believe they are generating much revenue from their releases.

It's anyone's guess really. One of their bigger projects supposedly has been Shinobi Girl (live-action). It apparently will be distributed on internationally on TV (AU, JP, UK).
Quote:
That Ai no Kusabi OVA is the first new title they've "released" (sorry, I just can't take their current wonky distribution system seriously) since 2011. I can't imagine its going to be a huge seller.

2011 had Ikki Touse DD, Kanokon, MazinKaiser SKL, Squid Girl S1, and there was that dud incomplete release Bakuman. It's definitely hard to imagine Ai no Kusabi to be a huge seller. They have a couple releases to watch out for now in the near future (Juden-chan and Super Robot Wars).

Whatever the future lies for them, I can't imagine it worse than 2012 (it was a bare year for anime releases and full of delays/cancellations).
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OldCharlieStoletheHandle



Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Posts: 1288
Location: Mastic Beach, NY
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:03 pm Reply with quote
Another barometer may be what's on their dealers room table at local cons. Unfortunately, the I-Con SF con scheduled for late March (which they always have a table at) was indefinitely postponed and I haven't been able to attend any of the recent small cons in the area. I do know some people who will be at AnimeNext in NJ in June so maybe I can find out if they show up and what they have available for sale.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7981
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:44 pm Reply with quote
WTK wrote:
Kruszer wrote:
WTK wrote:
Kruszer wrote:
Does it matter, I mean it's not like Media Blaster is ever going to release them, anyway. They'll just say they are, delay them 3 times and then cancel like they always do.... Razz

A joke that's really getting old...

A joke that's sadly more truth then jest.

More truth then jest? How? The 2013 solicited anime releases so far are getting released even with the weird distribution (of which still needs to be addressed as noted from my previous post).


Well, for starters I was thinking about the obvious ones, canceled Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians, canceled Squid Girl 2, canceled Bakuman, delays everywhere. Too many bad apples have spoiled the barrel. I mean you're the one always posting these updates all the time you shouldn't even have to ask why people would think the company isn't so great. A company's bad track record doesn't just disappear and get erased like a statute of Limitations you have to earn that trust back, which as Blood- pointed out they're not really doing yet. Plus for me, they'd actually have to get some titles I'm interested in for that to happen. I only have have 41 MB titles in my collection of like 800 or so and the most recent one was bought two years ago. Sad
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WTK



Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 4036
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:42 pm Reply with quote
Kruszer wrote:
Well, for starters I was thinking about the obvious ones, canceled Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians, canceled Squid Girl 2, canceled Bakuman, delays everywhere. Too many bad apples have spoiled the barrel. I mean you're the one always posting these updates all the time you shouldn't even have to ask why people would think the company isn't so great.

The issue isn't really about how great MB really is. My opinion right now is that they are not. My issue with them is their distribution (can't get your new releases to ALL retailers and lack of ETA on when catalog titles can be replenished). They still have a ways to go to rebuild their business and trust of the consumers.

My approach is the near present and future. Your approach is tracking back to past cancellations and delays. That's your opinion and you are certainly entitled to that. I merely pointed what's really going on with their current 2013 releases so far.
Quote:
A company's bad track record doesn't just disappear and get erased like a statute of Limitations you have to earn that trust back, which as Blood- pointed out they're not really doing yet. Plus for me, they'd actually have to get some titles I'm interested in for that to happen. I only have have 41 MB titles in my collection of like 800 or so and the most recent one was bought two years ago. Sad

I'm not expecting anyone to trust Media Blasters all of the sudden (or some ever). There are still people out there that won't buy anything Viz Media anime due to past incomplete releases (Monster, Full Moon, Hikaru no Go,...).

In any case, I will just leave at this as everyone's opinion differs on this. We will get a better picture on how MB's releases will be really treated with their upcoming June and July anime releases. If Juden-chan and the two SRW releases truly get released on time, it could be a good sign that they are the right track.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:42 pm Reply with quote
I certainly hope so, WTK. As an avid collector, my view when it comes to distribs is: the more the merrier. I'd love MB to get back on its feet and be a major player like days of yore.
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Alan45
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Joined: 25 Aug 2010
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:35 pm Reply with quote
Trust really doesn't matter in this. If Media Blasters brings out a show I want, I'll buy it. If they delay it or cancle it there is not much anyone can do. It is not like back when shows came out as six or eight singles, now you get a season in one go. To refuse to buy a show just because you don't like the company is going to hurt you more than them.

So far, I haven't seen any problems with the quality of the disks which it the only thing that would limit what I get. Granted, delays and cancellations are an irritant, but given their apparent financial situation, it is not as though any thing they get was wanted by anyone else.

Like Blood- said, the more distributors the better. MB is not doing well now, but a recovery is not impossible, we should hope for the best.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
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Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 2:38 pm Reply with quote
Nah, I'd be perfectly willing to buy from them as I've done in the past....they just haven't been getting anything I want. But then as I noted already, the titles they usually pick up are often just not my thing.

Basically I'm saying their unreliability makes them unreliable, so I'm a bit worried about sinking money into a series that might not be completely released. I don't really want another situation again where I can only own a part of a larger series. It's happened more than a few times and find it really annoying. So whether or not I buy the first "part" or don't and take a wait and see approach would depend on how much I trust the company to finish what it starts.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:03 pm Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
I certainly hope so, WTK. As an avid collector, my view when it comes to distribs is: the more the merrier. I'd love MB to get back on its feet and be a major player like days of yore.


I've been wary of them for a while, but they're slowly earning trust back. I hope it leads to more hentai licenses, that's been dead for half a decade now aside from rereleasing old crap or releasing new Vanilla Series crap. Either way, buying something that's guaranteed to be a single whole set feels like the safest bet from any seller; how many times does FUNi or Sentai miss an OVA episode for a given series? That's just as annoying sometimes.


Last edited by walw6pK4Alo on Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Alan45
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:04 pm Reply with quote
I agree that getting only a part of a series is a pain, but I think it is a minor issue these days.

Given Media Blasters current status, I don't see them committing to any long series. Even Fushigi Yugi was put out in complete season sets.

As far as other companies are concerned, most seem to be in good condition. In any case most of the longer series being put out are license rescues or inexpensive older series. Most of the new anime out is either short or done in multiple seasons.

Back when Rouroni Kenshin and Cardcaptor Sakura came out here you had to be patient and trusting. However, I don't see that sort of thing being issued these days.
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4070
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:30 pm Reply with quote
Media Blasters has a certian style about their releases and even animes as fluid/modern as Queen's Blade {BD} and Squid Girl {DVD}has that look to them. I don't know if it's their mastering or encoding but I'd never mistake one of their releases for a Funimation, Sentai or Maiden Japan product {more ADV then Sentai is as I've finally got one of their releases to find out what the difference is}.

On the other hand, I do have over 30 of their titles and bought many of them because they were Anime Works so it's not as if I hate the style.

I'd love it if they became a license rescuer then trying to keep up with the new stuff or releasing new titles on the *really* cheap end.
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Covnam



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3629
PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:22 am Reply with quote
WTK wrote:
Blood- wrote:
I suspect their print runs are very small and that's the crux of the problem.

It really has to. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why distribution of their releases are all over the place. And also catalog title replenishment takes forever (as in months and months or no ETA).


I imagine they are balancing production costs of small runs vs having left over / unsold stock in retailers hand. In their case it's probably better to have a higher demand then supply as it may cause consumer unrest, but it's less risky to their bottom line.
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Alan45
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:17 am Reply with quote
Media Blasters do not manufacture their own disks. It is likely that the companies that produce the disks and the cover art work are well aware of the company's financial status. The small production runs are probably an artifact of how far their cash/credit will go at a given time. If they owed you money, how far would you trust them?

Larger print runs are usually cheaper per item. They should at least be producing enough to cover their preorders from retailers. If they aren't, it is probably because they can't. Another example of when you are poor, everything costs more.
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