Forum - View topic

NEWS: Manga UK Confirms No DVD for Honey & Clover, 3 Others

J-Syxx wrote:

The British Bard of Film Classification is a joke. You people need to get free speech rights.

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. The BBFC is there so an age certificate can be issued to the film and therefore go on sale and buyers can make informed decisions about the content. All films here are required to carry an age certificate by law. It's nothing to do with censorship, the only likely reason anything would get censored would be if it contained illegal content.

In any case, it's a shame about Honey and Clover, guess I'll have to import then.

Teriyaki Terrier wrote:

mudduck454 wrote: was ichigo 100% ever released anywhere besides japan???? Viz Media licensed the manga several years ago. However, that was several years ago. Probably Viz either finished years ago or recently. Since there was little to almost no news about the series, it's really hard to tell what happened to the series.

Sadly, Viz went with a quarterly schedule for the manga, so they will not be done releasing it in the USA until January 2012, if they don't slow it down, like they did with Yakitate!! Japan.

Do you have the option of releasing something "Not Rated"?

Because other wise it is censorship. And "illegal content" in a film is a joke. I know for a fact that a lot of horror films can't make it past the chopping block on DVD over there. Like I said, invest in the freedom of expression maybe.

You're probably a lot more likely to be shot while walking down the street. Invest in some gun control laws maybe.

Interesting news.
Ichigo 100% might not pass the BBFC test now (the show is very ecchi anyway), but back when Manga acquired the license, it might have been more viable. Not the kind of anime we should be waving a flag for maybe but some fans love it, and perhaps Manga think it would be a waste of money now. Besides that, I guess any harem show, with even mild sexual themes or jokes is a potential target too.

Perhaps going online is a smarter move, where Manga can stream these shows, without any cuts, just the way fans like it, and sticking two fingers up at the BBFC. How they'll turn that into money or physical product is another thing I can't answer though.

How much does it cost to import DVDs from the US to the UK? I always wondered that since it seems anime isn't released as much there as it is here.

I suppose it was only a matter of time until someone decided to eschew a DVD release and go digital-only

ADV Films, and Arts Alliance Media (AAM), a leading provider of digital film distribution services in Europe, have joined forces to offer brand new and classic anime for Download To Rent and Download To Own, available to the public from 21st May 2007.

New shows that will never get a UK DVD release such as Air Gear, Chance Pop Session and Comic Party Revolution and existing show titles Jinki: Extend and Gilgamesh, with features such as Parasite Dolls and Lady Death, and advance releases of new titles like the revamped action classic Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor are available.

To celebrate we are making the first episode of these shows free to download from http://www.vizumi.com/anime/

I guess they're in this hole since they seem more like a "hand-me-down" distributor that lacks direct contacts with Japanese companies.

I also wonder if they got those licenses due to bundle deals or if they genuine thought they would sell well when they got them.

Do you have the option of releasing something "Not Rated"? Because other wise it is censorship.

And "illegal content" in a film is a joke.

I know for a fact that a lot of horror films can't make it past the chopping block on DVD over there.

Like I said, invest in the freedom of expression maybe.

I suppose it was only a matter of time until someone decided to eschew a DVD release and go digital-only, but the circumstances here seem to fall under different reasons aside from potential sales. I can understand doing so because of manufacturing costs and such, and perhaps their wanting to test the digital distro-only pool, but I have mixed feelings, as I wonder what their full budget and costs are like to drive them to this point and why they are only doing it with these shows.

I guess they're in this hole since they seem more like a "hand-me-down" distributor that lacks direct contacts with Japanese companies. I also wonder if they got those licenses due to bundle deals or if they genuine thought they would sell well when they got them. Regardless, much of this points to the need of anime distributors to expand the audience/awareness of their titles. Only attracting the same people (and potential customers) can only get you so far. Though such things can be easier said than done with some of the budgets those companies possess. Better spending doesn't hurt, either.

Films can also be shown at public cinemas without classification but only with the approval of the local council (which isn't required if the film is rated).

Statutory powers on film remain with the local councils, which may overrule any of the Board's decisions, passing films we reject, banning films we have passed, and even waiving cuts, instituting new ones, or altering categories for films exhibited under their own licensing jurisdiction.

Hence we get some stuff licenced first but potentialy have to wait years for a US dub to be made and released before it comes out here. Think I got word on MVM having to wait on a few due to US versions getting delayed (e.g. some of the Media Blasters stuff like Moribito)

In a follow-up Twitter post, Manga UK claimed that it had not "dropped" the titles, and were hoping to distribute them digitally in the UK. The company added that it decided not to pursue the DVD option of the last two titles due in part to the costs of converting masters from NTSC to PAL, submitting to the British Board of Film Classification, authoring, and marketing.