×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
NEWS: Kenji Studio Cancels Kickstarter for English Release of Santa Company Anime Film




Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Blanchimont



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 3426
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 11:33 pm Reply with quote
So, anyone have any inside info on the cancellations and suspensions and lackluster performance?

Though, one contributing factor could be the format of the rewards, no physicals(discs etc.) instead 'permanent url' (I'm pretty sure myself there's no such thing as permanent urls but ymmv...) and some pdfs for higher tiers. One higher tier had a script signed by a voice actor as a perk < THAT was a pdf by the way... Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
encrypted12345



Joined: 25 Jan 2012
Posts: 715
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 12:01 am Reply with quote
Blanchimont wrote:
'permanent url' (I'm pretty sure myself there's no such thing as permanent urls but ymmv...)

I can absolutely confirm that permanent urls do not exist. Don't let anyone scam you into thinking otherwise.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MagicPolly



Joined: 26 Nov 2020
Posts: 1568
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 2:57 am Reply with quote
I hope the dub comes out eventually and doesn't end up as lost media that was screened on Christmas only.

Blanchimont wrote:
So, anyone have any inside info on the cancellations and suspensions and lackluster performance?

Though, one contributing factor could be the format of the rewards, no physicals(discs etc.) instead 'permanent url' (I'm pretty sure myself there's no such thing as permanent urls but ymmv...) and some pdfs for higher tiers. One higher tier had a script signed by a voice actor as a perk < THAT was a pdf by the way... Laughing

Not insider info, but the kickstarters were doing absolutely awful. The Midsummer Merry Christmas and manga ones only made around 15% of their goal in the couple of weeks they were up. They weren't actually stopped by Kenji Studio, but cancelled by Kickstarter themselves for doing so badly. The Secret of Christmas got to around 80% before being cancelled, so I wonder what that was about.

I second the lack of rewards, I was thinking of donating but none of the rewards really seemed worth it. I mean you had to donate at least $23 to get a "permanent" URL and not be stuck watching the film once ever.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MarshalBanana



Joined: 31 Aug 2014
Posts: 5294
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 6:38 am Reply with quote
Blanchimont wrote:
So, anyone have any inside info on the cancellations and suspensions and lackluster performance?
My guess would be that a lot of people who would back this, already did before when it was funded and don't want to put even more money into it this has had two previews Kickstarters after all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
SHD



Joined: 05 Apr 2015
Posts: 1752
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:04 am Reply with quote
Blanchimont wrote:
So, anyone have any inside info on the cancellations and suspensions and lackluster performance?

I don't think there's any particular insider tea to be spilled. As mentioned already, the most likely reason is that 1. most people who wanted to see this movie have already supported the original kickstarter(s), and 2. it just didn't have enough of a market appeal for people to chip in again, or to invite new backers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:49 am Reply with quote
Kickstarters aren't as they used to be nowadays
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Primus



Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 2758
Location: Toronto
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 11:36 am Reply with quote
Blanchimont wrote:
So, anyone have any inside info on the cancellations and suspensions and lackluster performance?


It was a poorly run trio of projects. As you noted, there were no physical rewards at all. They split attention across three separate campaigns for no real reason. It really sounded like you were just doing a digital pre-order than funding the production of something that would otherwise not be made. They allegedly screened a WIP version of the dub back on Christmas Eve. What was the crowdfunding for? If they had already begun producing the dub, why are the only cast members on the page the Japanese ones?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sakura Shinguji



Joined: 09 Feb 2005
Posts: 190
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:21 pm Reply with quote
*sees "permanent url" as a reward for backing*

Tell me you're planning to do NFTs without telling me you're planning to do NFTs.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Triltaison



Joined: 03 Jul 2011
Posts: 717
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:34 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, I was curious enough to put some money toward a physical release for this KS... but that wasn't an option, so I skipped it entirely. Didn't really want any of the campaign offerings beyond the actual movie. -And that wasn't really a reward since you could only access it by visiting a website iirc, which meant the reward was really just access to a website. Seemed strange.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar


Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16935
PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:53 am Reply with quote
KS I believe also has policies against running similar or the same campaign multiple times. Yes this is not the same, but I don't trust KS people to pay attention or understand that. I am curious if that plays any reason or it's something else. Though if that is the reason, beyond being inaccurate, it's also a bit hypocritical given how many board game campaigns they let go which basically just sell you 1 new item and are really used as a way to push the original game more.

They don't usually just cancel projects if they do poorly and don't fund. I have seen many a crappy project get 2 or 3 backers and still go the full time. So something caused them to cancel it I would wager. Whatever that might be.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
#ONSK



Joined: 30 Jan 2023
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:20 am Reply with quote
Redbeard 101 wrote:
KS I believe also has policies against running similar or the same campaign multiple times.


Kickstarter backer for all three, and yes that was the case. KS suspended the other two since they weren't allowed to do three projects at the same time. Though they did mention that they passed KS review and it is interesting that violation wasn't caught at that point, but who knows how that process works.

They expressed they were going to rethink the campaign strategy, including rewards, since a lot of people expressed doubt towards permanent URLs and lack of physical version for the movie and likely, as people suggested, space the campaigns out more (I assume more than back to back to back) to allow better budgeting for people who wanted to back all three. They didn't say a BD/DVD was for sure gonna happen but they'll think about it, and possibly about adding other physical items.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
#ONSK



Joined: 30 Jan 2023
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:31 am Reply with quote
forgot to mention that this KS series I was super exited about but I don't know if I will back again...

"We only had one person in charge of the project, and that person had a corona, which made it impossible for us to respond to backers and promote the project for an extended period of time. The other members of the team were also busy working on other projects and were not able to take charge of this Kickstarter project."

One person?! for a whole kickstarter management (edit: actually three, which just makes it worse...)... This is giving me Tezuka DMP vibes again... doing too many things at once with not enough people on the team...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Primus



Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 2758
Location: Toronto
PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:24 pm Reply with quote
#ONSK wrote:
They expressed they were going to rethink the campaign strategy, including rewards, since a lot of people expressed doubt towards permanent URLs and lack of physical version for the movie and likely, as people suggested, space the campaigns out more (I assume more than back to back to back) to allow better budgeting for people who wanted to back all three. They didn't say a BD/DVD was for sure gonna happen but they'll think about it, and possibly about adding other physical items.


Since you backed it, were you able to watch their online screening? I'm curious to know what shape that dub was in.

I think it would be a smarter idea to make the other campaigns stretch goals. None of the amounts asked for were huge. The problem is if enough people care.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
#ONSK



Joined: 30 Jan 2023
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:35 pm Reply with quote
I wasn't, it was only available for a couple days and released on Christmas Night according to my emails. I didn't have internet since I was on a vacation trip with my family for some "real holiday bonding" so I never got the chance to. By the time I had gotten back and remembered to check the video was privated already Sad
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group