Forum - View topicNEWS: Funimation: No More Big Windup! Anime to Be Licensed
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2640 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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That's a good point to bring up. Personally, I think Lance was just using tricky English when he said "same genre of sports anime" so as to not discourage fans from hoping or buying, but it doesn make one think at the same time. Really, Big Windup! is the kind of sports anime that takes its time to tell a story and puts a lot of focus on every aspect of the sport it's about, in this case baseball. Hajime no Ippo/Fighting Spirit was also like that to an extent, and that was also another giant bomb, though the release method for that show also certainly helped it bomb. Really, it seems that when the companies over here license sports anime, they normally seem to go for the ones that put a lot of focus on the sport and like to stretch things out and not the ones that might appeal to a larger audience. Think about it: Princess Nine, Big Windup!, Hajime no Ippo, Dan Doh!!, Hoop Days... None of them are really the kinds of shows the were going to be big hits, as they all had aspects that severely hurt their chances at being really successful with the larger audience, no matter the actual quality of them all. The trick is to find the animes that invovle sports, but instead have other aspects that appeal to the larger audience. Bamboo Blade has the pretty girls, One Outs has the gambling and pshychological wrafare, Shion no Ou has the murder mystery, Ring ni Kakero 1 has the crazy shonen action that only a Shonen Jump title can bring, Cross Game has the love story, and I do think that Prince of Tennis could have been a moderate success, but Viz did mess with the release and that turned people away... I know it did for me. So, yeah, we'll see what happens, but at the same time we have to show the companies oevr here that not every sports anime is like the ones that have been gaint flops, sales-wise. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18362 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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See my comments in the Year in Review piece. I fully expected that Cross Game's fate would depend on Big WindUp's success or lack thereof. It's not really Funi's style of show anyway. Now, that's not to say that CG doesn't still have a chance of being picked up by someone else. It is as much about romance as it is about baseball, after all, so it's possible Section 23 or someone else might give it a shot. But now I consider that to be a longshot. |
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Maidenoftheredhand
Posts: 2634 |
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Well I guess there goes my hope for Cross Game to get picked up.
I guess I didn't help matters much because I still have not picked up Big Windup yet. I do plan to buy it eventually (it might not be until the complete box set is out though). |
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hikaru004
Posts: 2306 |
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Me wonders how many orders got cancelled because of the announcement of no season 2.
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CCSYueh
Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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Who are you to decide what others can afford? I have over 2300 anime dvds which I've acquired in the last 8 yrs meaning approximately 300 dvds per year, but I'm pretty damned sure I didn't buy 300 dvds last year because I had a really rough year. It's a boon for me the industry has switched away from singles, but last year was bad enough, I am waiting for full sets at viridian prices for most everything I buy. Yeah, the day TRSI put up this week's Funi sale I ordered One Piece & Sgt Frog, but they are about the only titles I'm buying in their initial releases. I'm always up for gal harem & yaoi, so I'm looking at Neo Angelique at the next Section 23 sale. Hetalia will be first Funi sale after they're posted. (A gal has priorities) Why WOULDN'T a company try to recoup their costs? Yes, one could argue it's bad business to offer super-cheap sets across the board because people know they can wait, but some choose not to. Some dislike the cheaper packaging or the longer wait, etc. Retail is all about what the customer will pay. The seller offers the item & certain people buy it while others wait for a sale. If the seller believes s/he can sell more, the price might drop. Don't we see this in domestic movie releases? The week it's released, a movie retails for more than it can be had for if the buyer is willing to wait 6 months or a year. Eventually the movie will probably hit the $5 bin. It's a matter ofd appealing to different fans. The "must haves" ones are likely amongst those who buy it pretty close to the initial release (& impulse-good sale+spare cash). The $5 eventual price is for the ones who wouldn't pay $20, but see it in the $5 bin & pick it up because it was a pretty good movie, worth $5. I'm not a sports fan. I really don't see the point of sports anime (why not just hire a bunch of kids & do it live-action? Has to be cheaper) & they are pretty low on my "must have" list |
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kgw
Posts: 1139 Location: Spain, EU |
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Not enough to license second 2, I am afraid. Sports anime usually just work in TV, at least around here. Captain Tsubsa was a big hit on TV, but DVD and manga didn't work that good. And let's not talk about the "Prince of Tennis" fiasco*... * its "thousands" of fans** did vanish after the manga got licensed... **PoT's yaoi dôjinshi scans' fans, probably |
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einhorn303
Posts: 1180 |
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Furthermore, don't complain when the only shows that do get licensed are C-list crap, which is basically what we're getting now because of the cheapness and poor support of the "fanbase." The reason Funimation hasn't licensed K-On or Toradora yet is most likely because they think it would make them lose money. They can mostly only go for cheap licenses.
Actually, if you're going to throw around the term "logical fallacy," I would like to point out that "relativist fallacy" or "subjectivist fallacy" is a recognized fallacy, but what I'm doing isn't. Logic is a system that relies on applying the same rules across all situations: consistency above all. "If a, then b" not "If a, then b, except for in some arbitrary situations where I'll ignore this rule." I'm not saying that you don't have a point with your cultural relativism angle, but tossing aside my point as a "logical fallacy" is incorrect. Edit: Link: http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Relativist:fallacy.html
I hope you realize that the $5 bargain bin price offers basically no profit margin to the original publisher. It's just done to empty out inventory. Last edited by einhorn303 on Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:14 am; edited 2 times in total |
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DuelLadyS
Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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Agreed- I'd like to add that, despite being delicate in appearance, they aren't attractive by any traditional anime standards (which would have at least netted a small fujoshi audience.) End result is a show about a sport Americans largely don't care about anymore, in art style that doesn't seem to cater to a male or female audience, being marketed at a fanbase that doesn't like sports shows to begin with. I don't think it ever had a chance to begin with. (I know I don't want to buy it, despite the praise it's gotten here... it's ugly. I can't shake my opinion of the art on this one, I just don't like it!) |
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hikaru004
Posts: 2306 |
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@DuelLadyS: There are people that care about baseball in the US.
But it became a self-fullfilling prophesy imo. It will most likely to continue to have low sales because the people who wait for the s2 to come out before buying won't bother now. The announcement shot it in the foot imo. |
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hissatsu01
Posts: 963 Location: NYC |
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Frankly it doesn't matter. The second season wasn't announced until recently and won't start airing in Japan until Spring. The absolute quickest release it could have in the US would be some time in 2011, with 2012 just as likely. If these hypothetical buyers were willing to put off buying a show because of an unannounced second season (it was announced 3 months after the second Funi volume was released) and wait several years to buy it because of that, their potential purchase really doesn't mean anything. By that point any remaining copies would long have been in the bargain bin, and next to no money is made off that. You vote with your wallet. You want to see more of something? Buy it. This is a niche title in a niche market during a crappy economy. Your purchase does matter. Holding off buying because of possible second seasons or complete collections is a good way to help ensure you don't see any more. |
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Revolutionary
Posts: 607 Location: New England |
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I'm shocked how many people actually cared about this. Even though I knew what Big Windup! was I never heard anybody talk about it (save for one ANNCast).
Now that FUNimation has confirmed no second season everybody started freaking out... I was like "Huh?" |
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here-and-faraway
Posts: 1529 Location: Sunny California |
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Big Windup! was one of my favorite 2009 releases. I pre-ordered both of the season 1 boxsets. I understand that Funimation has to stay in business, so I don't begrudge their refusal to release season 2, but have to say I'm bummed. Sigh.....
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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I would like to ask you to take a look at my anime collection. I consider it very diverse and not limited to the descriptions you offered. I'm not going to rush out and spend $90-$100 on a 26 episode series when I can get 3-5 at the same price. If you think your disappointed remark at anime fans in general is going to change my spending habits, then I would strongly suggest you not invest in titles that have an unknown future. You will be disappointed again when such announcements are made in the future, especially if those titles come from Section 23, Sentai Filmworks, and Bandai as I will not buy them (initially). I'm sorry you feel this way, but I don't believe the type of anime is the only reason for your frustration. Just some advice you may want to consider. Accept my intrusiveness of it, but I felt I had to say my piece given I'm part of the "anime fandom" you addressed. |
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Megiddo
Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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I agree that there is a slim chance that someone other than FUNi could license Cross Game, but I'm sure companies will be even more cautious now with sports titles since they know that even in 2009/2010 they don't sell well. Also, I've been watching Cross Game for 38 or so episodes, and it's just now starting to get to the romance (other than a few small spots over the first few). I think coming-of-age story is more appropriate for not only Kou and Aoba, but also Azuma and the rest of the team. |
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domino
Posts: 373 |
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Nooo..! I wonder why heartfelt sports series do so poorly among western audiences and yet junk like FLCL becomes a hit? I've never seen the appeal of FLCL at all...
Interestingly, Big Windup! is a huge hit in Japan and FLCL is unheard of. I wonder how preferences can vary from country to country so much? Oh well. Maybe there is at least hope for the show's second season on Crunchyroll. |
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