Forum - View topicNEWS: Funimation Adds We Without Wings – Under the Innocent Sky
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Next Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kit-Tsukasa
Posts: 930 |
|
|||||
|
Unless Funimation is saving up some major announcements at Expo or Otakon this summer, the fact that they tossed Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Zero no Tsukaima for this certainly surprises me.
Considering Funimation has been picking up significantly more ecchi titles like this, Sekirei, Freezing, Sora no Otoshimono, etc... tells me at least one of three things (if not all 3): 1) the ecchi genre is what the average consumer in the US market is picking up most (which would be a very sad thing), hence where the "true" market is and/or 2) Funimation has absolutely no idea what they're doing and they're just picking up whatever is cheap and/or 3) considering Funimation is now an independent company after buying itself from former parent company Navarre, Funimation may be short on cash and simply trying to find ways to actively keep itself in the market while simultaneously restructuring. If its the second, all I can say is that we could very well be seeing the end of Funimation soon. In my opinion, Funimation has a few advantages keeping it afloat, but it won't be long before its competitors overtake it, including the fansub side. Sentai/Section 23 are picking up more and more titles (regardless of crap or not) and selling them off cheap. NIS is a start-up in the industry but are at least picking up respectable titles. Aniplex USA likely has stronger partnerships than Funimation through direct relationships and are also picking up major titles and selling them off profitably (or so it seems). In addition, they have the rumors of possible acquisition of Madoka and Bakemonogatari, both of which will likely be announced at Expo or Otakon. Media Blasters is often dormant, but when they pick up titles and sell them, they're at least of decent quality with some decent effort put into them. Viz picks up major titles and have their manga business also supporting them, especially now with Tokyopop gone from the US market. Bandai has the Gundam/major mech franchises easily supporting them as well as a few other titles every now and then. Crunchyroll easily has the simulcast advantage and of course the fansubbers are producing better quality work than Funimation to date. As for Funimation's advantages, they have the major One Piece title as a simulcast, they are one of the few that still produce dubs (if not the only one that always does it), and they had a jump start when the market was depressed back in 2008 and 2009. Of course, with the US anime market gradually recovering if not turning over a new leaf, Funimation is still stuck in the past, if not worse off from where they were before. So if you ask me, there are some signs point to Funimation going under. While not anytime soon, I don't think they're going to be able to keep this up for long. Last edited by Kit-Tsukasa on Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
||||||
|
||||||
Cryssoberyl
 Posts: 240 |
|
|||||
|
I confess I don't understand this. I watched just enough of this show to conclude the animation was subpar, the characters hackneyed and the comedy unfunny. Now my opinion certainly does not make or break any series, but the fact is that I don't think I've heard anybody anywhere on the web say anything good about this show. If I remember right, it was even excoriated by ANN's own reviewers.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
configspace
Posts: 3717 |
|
|||||
Lol, selective memory tunnel vision is right. What people like to complain about is not that they aren't licensing other types of show--which they obviously are, and a good amount of--but the fact that they licensed a show they don't like! And yes you're exactly right that the same complaint always comes up with other companies like Sentai as well: people see fanservice shows licensed then somehow forget that they also acquired stuff like Guin Saga, Angel Beats, Kobato, etc, just to name a few recent titles As for me, I'm grateful the fact that there is a lot to choose from, since I love 'em all (it's unfortunate that there a few here that share the same broad preferences or at least are not antagonistic about stuff they don't like).
quick google: http://sugoiblog.com/tag/ore-tachi-ni-tsubasa-wa-nai/ http://angryanimebitches.wordpress.com/category/anime-currently-covering/oretachi-ni-tsubasa-wa-nai/ Of course that doesn't mean you'll like it. As far as ANN's reviews and previews go it may be a good gauge for others, but I pretty much ignore all of them except for Theron's Last edited by configspace on Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Kit-Tsukasa
Posts: 930 |
|
|||||
You had Shinji Ushiro as the director and Kouno Takamitsu Kouno as the series composer...I don't see why many people were expecting something good out of this. For those who don't know, Ushiro directed Strait Jacket, Da Capo I.f, Shukufuku no Campanella, Omamori Himari, and Da Capo I and II PSP Re-Animated....none of which were even half-decent except Da Capo I.f. As for Kouno, Kouno wrote the series for Lamune, Ayakashi, and Kyou no Go no Ni (2008)...i.e. one series every 2-3 years....none of which have been that good so far. Lamune was okay, but Ayakashi was bad. Kyou no Go no Ni was....Kyou no Go no Ni. In other words, this show was made to fail from the start. As much as I love Navel visual novels, their anime adaptations have been terrible thus far except Shuffle! |
||||||
|
||||||
immortalrite
 Posts: 56 Location: Yonkers, NY |
|
|||||
|
Wow, We Without Wings... really Funimation, really?
This series was so bad I couldn't even get through half of the first episode, which I only watched out of morbid curiosity via Zac's dishonorable mention on ANNCast of the "do you want to put your monster in my kitten?" line. Then again, if garbage like Kämpfer can get licensed I really shouldn't be surprised, the only difference being that the one was smartly relegated to the DVD-only, sub-only sector by Sentai, whereas this will not only be dubbed but, judging by Funimation's recent activity, probably also get a fancy limited edition Blu-ray combo release. Of course this news is only made doubly depressing coming on the same day in which we find out that the same company has now officially and permanently forsaken all things Higurashi. In any case, I suppose the people have spoken. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
everydaygamer
|
|
|||||
|
people seem to think that just cause they don't like a show that no one else does. i mean if these type of shows didn't sell funi wouldn't license so many of them. I'll be honest i would buy these dvd's if i lived alone since i prolly wouldn't let my parents or sisters see them lol.
as for people complaining about how funi gets show's like this but not show's like angel beats, guess what funi isn't the only company out there. sometime another company beats funi to the license and some shows no one can get because the companies in japan are unwilling to license it out or some other reason. doesn't mean they don't try. |
||||||
jyuichi
 Posts: 125 |
|
|||||
|
I admit its a hard show to get into and it won't appeal to everyone...
...but I will totally buy this  Thank you Funi <3
|
||||||
|
||||||
kh_gal
 Posts: 65 |
|
|||||
|
Ugh, really? I haven't seen this show so I can't judge, but to me it looks like one of those average cliche eicchi titles. If FUNimation can license stupid shows like this, why can't they get more of Higurashi and Zero? Those shows are similar if not better. -Sighs- I just don't understand how titles like We Without Wings can sell better than those.
Come on Anime Expo. I hope FUNi announces better aquisitions there. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
zaeris
Posts: 102 |
|
|||||
hmm........ why not blame the market or the consumer instead for not purchasing Higurashi or Zero? and what if 'We, without Wings' sells better than Higurashi wouldn't that be ironic. Even though I don't find 'We, without Wing' to be an attractive title but I could never second guess the market as such in using my preference as a gauge for consumer consumption of said product. I believe not selling well enough is a good reason for not picking up the sequel. What more do people want? in the end Anime licensing and distributing/selling product is a business. however you may argue if there was poor marketing of said series but it may be more an issue where fans of the series are not willing enough to put their wallet where their mouth is. |
||||||
|
||||||
ArsenicSteel
 Posts: 2370 |
|
|||||
|
No what would be ironic is if We Without Wings sells less than When They Cry.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
kh_gal
Posts: 65 |
|
|||||
I do. That's exactly the reason why the two series didn't sell in the first place - Zero and Higurashi have fairly large online fanbases, but no one wanted to support the US release by purchasing the DVDs. Look at what happened with Case Closed. There are millions of bitching fans that want it and yet they didn't buy the DVDs. Granted it's also partially FUNimation's fault for poor marketing, as these two titles were picked up from Geneon closing. I agree with you about the company stuff- FUNimation IS a buisness, and it has to do what it has to do to operate. But at the same time it's just kind of frustrating to see We - Without Wings get a release when the quality of the show is very similar to Zero and Higurashi. =/. I know there's nothing we can do about it because what sells sells, but still.
No kidding. |
||||||
|
||||||
luffypirate
 Posts: 3186 |
|
|||||
|
I have never even heard of this show. I must be behind on anime.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
configspace
Posts: 3717 |
|
|||||
There were issues in the how those Geneon titles (and still are Geneon's) were handled in addition to Hell Girl. First the singles. Obviously, those aren't gonna sell. Secondly the box set, which took forever and very poorly marketed. Then disc problems. There were also two releases of the same Higurashi box with different prices, the later being cheaper the first being cancelled, if I recall correctly. Anyways, I also bought them (the final box sets) but it took a good long while. In contrast, I snatched up the Hell Girl sequels from Sentai when there was a sale. But then again, look at Black Lagoon. It's been working well for them (good marketing, fairly quick release of box sets) and they picked up the OVAs.
It just means Funi believes they can market it well enough to get decent sales. Certainly some of us who are not complaining will buy it But it's not like Funi has always been right in it's projections. And since there's no sales data like Japan (from regular merchant surveys) we may never know exactly how it performs
|
||||||
|
||||||
tuxedocat
 Posts: 2183 |
|
|||||
|
Misogynists without Wings (at least that's what I understand this show should be called based on the reviews I've read, heh heh)
Why would I actually BUY a show when I refuse to even stream it for free? lulz. I guess this is why they are announcing this loser on a weekend (when everyone is out doing summertime things), and not during the upcoming anime convention. |
||||||
|
||||||
the Rancorous
 Posts: 2248 Location: Hunting the Dragon in Gransys |
|
|||||
I just want to clarify that I was referring specifically to the people who were claiming that Sentai is not doing what they claim Funimation is doing are dead wrong in my post. I mean, Sentai has licensed several mindless ecchi titles like Asu no Yoichi, He is My Master, Demon King Daimo, MM, Kampfer, Koihime Musou, and although High School of the Dead is not necessarily "mindless" ecchi, it's still pretty damn ecchi. It's just that Sentai's overall output of shows in general is much less than Funimation's, but their ratio is still pretty much the same. So this "Sentai has more variety!" crap is complete BS. But whatever, those people will likely still choose to ignore the full reality of things. Annoying fan boys will remain annoying... |
||||||
|
||||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group