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Alan45
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Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9812
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:27 am Reply with quote
Back on February 25th Rebecca Silverman reviewed Futari wa Pretty Cure as a streaming show. No mention was made in the article as to where it was streaming. Later in the associated Talkback thread she stated that “Generally speaking, since streaming rights aren't permanent, we don't mention sites in streaming reviews.” I would like to request that this policy be reconsidered.

To begin with, I think it would be an obvious service to the reader to show where the show could be accessed. Since streaming seems to be the wave of the future this will be coming up more and more often. Also this policy has not been consistent. Both the season previews and Shelf Life list streaming locations. These are as much a permanent part of the site as a formal review.

The transient nature of streaming rights could be handled simply by dating the referral. I think anyone checking the review a few years later would understand if it was not still available there. (For Example: As of (date of review) this show was streaming on (list of sites), these sites should be checked for current availability.)

I realize that Google or any other search engine of choice will reveal where the show is streaming, however general search engines do not limit themselves to legal sites. It has been mentioned that many newcomers to anime do not realized the difference. Listing the legal sites would help avoid such errors.

I would also like to note that Crunchyroll simply lists the show as “Pretty Cure”. I assume that if they get additional seasons of Pretty Cure they will be nested under the same listing. Such differences in naming should also be noted in the review.
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Dessa



Joined: 14 Jul 2004
Posts: 4438
PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 12:09 pm Reply with quote
This also goes hand in hand with this suggestion in the Encyclopedia Suggestions thread.

All reviews link (or at least should link) to the encyclopedia page for the series in question. Assuming this suggestion goes into play, the encyclopedia page would include a precision noting that the streaming rights have expired.

So, for example, the situation could play out like this:

"Oh, [anime x], this looks cool, I should check it out. It's streaming on [legal site y]? Sweet. Wait, I can't find it here? Where is it? Lemme check the encyclopedia page, maybe it was an error? Oh, it expired. Oh, but it says that [legal site z] has it now, cool!"
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Alan45
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Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9812
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:12 pm Reply with quote
@Dessa

I think the Encyclopedia is part of the problem. I looked up Erased which is currently streaming. On the main page at the top, where people coming here from a search would stop, it doesn't actually say anything about US availability. If you click on one of the episode review links, it shows that it is streaming on Crunchyroll. If you know to scroll down all the way to the bottom, it shows that it is also streaming on Daisuki and Funimation under English Companies. I think this is counter-intuitive, especially for anyone who is not familiar with the site. If the show is actually currently streaming in the US it should say so where you can see it with out scrolling. It should be the same with DVD or Bluray releases still in print.

If a show has ever been issued in North America, the DVD or Bluray is listed much higher on the page. Of course a lot of these are long out of print but continue to have attempted links to online retailers or links to secondary market offerings long sold or too high to sell. I think the Encyclopedia should simply state This set is out of print, it may be available on the secondary market but that is a different issue.

Edit 3/15/16: I just read the review of the home video release of Lord Marksman and Vanadis at the bottom of the review you provided links to both the encyclopedia entry for the show and for the release information for the specific release reviewed. Neither the specific release or Funimation's license for the show are any more permanent than a streaming license.

I think if people can cope with the idea that a specific physical release is only available on the secondary market, they can cope with the idea that an old reference to a streaming site is no longer valid.
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