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matt78
Joined: 25 Jul 2015
Posts: 250
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 3:37 am
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MarshalBanana wrote: | Sony are becoming to US Anime licensing, what Disney is to the film and TV industries. The thing is, what happens if the bubble bursts like it did in the late 00s? Both Bandai Visual and Geneon closed their US divisions, so if things got bad again, would Sony just see Funimation and Crunchyroll as dead weight divisions and close them.
And to the people complaining about censorship, not they won't censor your risqué fanservice shows. |
I actually don't believe this has anything to do with the North American market and that it is about getting Crunchyroll's international subscribers. There was an article a while ago about Sony's plans to expand Funimation internationally. I would imagine that it is easier to just buy Crunchyroll than trying to expand Funimation and build a competing subscriber base.
There have also been articles that have stated that Sony plans to make anime a major part of their business going forward. They see it as having crossover potential with their gaming and movie businesses as well as the merchandise potential.
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Catseyetiger
Joined: 20 Oct 2009
Posts: 779
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 4:32 am
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Sony is a good fit. Due to its gaming platforms and its audience. Also it’s close ties to the market that anime originates from. I thought that with Sony a company not in super debt like AT&T the worst cell service in history from poor customer service representatives to dropped calls and missing towers nationwide. I had this service for three years and it’s questionable at best. Let remember Crunchyroll was partnered with Funimation already this worked. With Netflix getting active in anime and Hulu steaming Funimation titles one can understand Sony wish to acquire Crunchyroll.
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Aresef
Joined: 22 Jun 2005
Posts: 910
Location: MD
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:21 am
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It’s amazing that a company would pick that show up and put it out there without first realizing that the name begins with “Interspecies.”
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Beatdigga
Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4377
Location: New York
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:25 am
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Aresef wrote: | It’s amazing that a company would pick that show up and put it out there without first realizing that the name begins with “Interspecies.” |
The manga did not show anything. At most you got some teasing shots, but the anime expanded that into well...something that’s only allowed on certain websites uncensored.
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AmpersandsUnited
Joined: 22 Mar 2012
Posts: 633
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 2:03 pm
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Censored streams has already been mentioned, but people seem to have also forgotten Crunchyroll Games censored some of their releases from the Japanese version as well. I'm not sure where this idea that Crunchyroll was a bastion of uncensored anime came from. I understand the concern of Sony's involvement given their increasingly puritan stance on their gaming division, but Crunchyroll hasn't exactly any better in that department themselves.
Beatdigga wrote: | The manga did not show anything. At most you got some teasing shots, but the anime expanded that into well...something that’s only allowed on certain websites uncensored. |
A bit misleading to say it's only "allowed" on certain websites. No law is stopping any of the mainstream anime sites from streaming it. It's purely a personal decision not to show it, much like Viz refusing to continue Ruroni Kenshin. I've never seen HIDIVE's version of Domestic Girlfriend, but they claim it's the uncensored version with the nude sex scenes in it. So assuming that's true, Crunchyroll choosing not to stream that version could be a licensing issue, or they personally don't want the uncensored version, but I'm not sure who the authoritative figure they need to appeal to to be allowed to do so would be.
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar
Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16935
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 7:51 pm
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octopodpie wrote: |
How are you measuring half? You can get Funimation, HiDive and CR, which would definitely get you more than half of all currently streaming and back catalog shows, for half that price annually. |
I was going to quote my own post where I broke it down for him once already, but I got beaten to the punch.
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Rob19ny
Joined: 13 Jun 2020
Posts: 1678
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 8:20 pm
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And the question is what will they do with all of this.
Beatdigga wrote: | That is not a good thing, at all. Especially if Sony gets censorship happy. |
I just know you're talking about the video game division called Sony Interactive (PlayStation) instead of Sony Pictures (related to the article). So what did you think of "Sony" releasing games on Nintendo again with the Switch? Did you find that weird or not?
BlueRex666 wrote: | While I can't say I'm happy Sony seems to be trying to get a monopoly on anime, the fact they allowed what was essentially a sex scene in The Last of Us 2 to slip through at least has me think they won't be as censor happy as everyone thinks they'll be. |
The fact that you are unaware that Sony Interactive Entertainment, the video game division known as PlayStation that has nothing to do with Sony Pictures (related to the article), are censoring Japanese games while letting Western games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and TLoU 2 release untouched when said content cant even be in a JP game to begin with is why misinformation spreads.
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Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4845
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:10 pm
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AmpersandsUnited wrote: |
A bit misleading to say it's only "allowed" on certain websites. No law is stopping any of the mainstream anime sites from streaming it. It's purely a personal decision not to show it, much like Viz refusing to continue Ruroni Kenshin. I've never seen HIDIVE's version of Domestic Girlfriend, but they claim it's the uncensored version with the nude sex scenes in it. So assuming that's true, Crunchyroll choosing not to stream that version could be a licensing issue, or they personally don't want the uncensored version, but I'm not sure who the authoritative figure they need to appeal to to be allowed to do so would be. |
There has been a stricter crack down on pornographic content on non-pornographic websites like Tumblr in reaction to the passing of FOSTA and you have avenues like iTunes that banned HiDive from their store because of their uncensored content. Other countries like Australia are also starting to crack down on mature anime more. Whether Funimation removed Interspecies Reviewers due to outside pressure or not we simply don't know enough about the internal decisions that lead to them removing it to say, but it's simplifying things to argue it's only a personal choice. Yes, it's partially a personal choice, but companies also have to take into account how streaming controversial mature shows will effect their reputation the more we see regulations against mature content online taking place around the world and if companies have the resources to defend themselves should there ever actually be an outside intervention.
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Covnam
Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3657
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:49 pm
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configspace wrote: |
The German release was uncensored so I don't think it's the licensor. Also, don't forget Funimation decision to drop Interspecies Reviewers |
Germany's a different region, so it could be the case that there were reverse importation fears by the licensor.
I don't think Funi has any desire to torpedo their own releases and image in the industry
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Sailor Sedna
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:06 am
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I do not want Sony (nor Disney) trying to monopolize the Western entertainment industry.
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TarsTarkas
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5836
Location: Virginia, United States
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:18 am
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Well, probably none of us actually know what is going to happen if this goes through.
The sad fact is that Crunchyroll's fate was sealed when it's creators sold them to our Corporate overlords. They are now just a commodity.
Increased censorship is a very real possibility, but it depends really, on what Sony wants Crunchyroll for. Everything will follow from that.
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Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4845
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 12:12 pm
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One positive benefit I could see from this is more physical releases and dubs of Crunchyroll shows and anime shows in general. We've seen Crunchyroll make some progress in making dubs of their Crunchyroll Originals shows and more physical releases through Sentai and Discotek, but it's not to the same degree Funimation puts out dubs and home videos of shows and they're still kind of inconsistent about what titles they'll dub or give a home video release. Years later we're still waiting for some sort of home video release for shows like Showa Rakugo, Planet With, and Place Further than The Universe.
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joeydoa
Joined: 30 Dec 2014
Posts: 121
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:20 pm
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They're not censoring freedom of speech or ideas or philosophies - they're blocking consumables for pedophiles. That store that sells shady videotapes (I guess in this age it would be that website off the beaten track) is more than happy to take your money for questionable materials. I mean, no one is stopping anyone from going on Amazon Japan and ordering whatever Blu-ray's, manga, etc. direct from the source. If customs seizes the order - well there you go - it is not censorship by private companies but a determination by the federal government that whatever was bought is illegal. Eroge is a niche product not a mass consumer item and actually it detracts from increasing the audience for Anime (at least in the United States). Eroge is still out there to purchase and stream - so I don't really get this argument.
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TarsTarkas
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5836
Location: Virginia, United States
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:16 pm
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Like how you shade everyone against censorship with that mark.
No one here is talking about bootlegs or buying from shady buyers.
Also, most Japanese anime BD's are not sub-titled, so unless you know your Japanese language, buying from Japan is useless, unless you are a completionist.
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Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4845
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 4:04 pm
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Do people really think Sony is going take us back down the dark ages of the 4Kids era or something or is this some AniTuber conspiracy thing again? I'm still waiting for people to point to an example of Funimation censoring an anime that wasn't already censored on Japanese TV which Japan somehow never gets any outrage when they do it. Also Sony has owned Aniplex USA for years and I've not known any of their titles to be censored which everyone seems to conveniently ignore.
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