Forum - View topic

Funimation's Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood License to Expire in March

I am pretty livid at the news, but at the same time, I feel a sense of "I told you so" about what Aniplex is up to here.

I'm developing a theory that this might be Aniplex starting a phased withdrawal from the US market outside of streams. There is not much on the physical release calendar from AoA outside of YLIA, DRRR, and Saekano (whose ultimate form of release is unknown) now that SAO is wrapped up. I am sure Erased will get a physical release, but honestly, what else by Aniplex has made an impact over the last year? Even Charlotte's chances at a dub and physical release look iffy. And I don't even know if DRRR will complete its physical release either, it has not been lighting up the sales charts and that union dub is expensive.

Aniplex of America is a protectorate, not a licensor, and Aniplex's behavior here at not allowing FUNimation to renew their licenses continue to show the true intentions of the company. This is not about serving the American market, this is to protect the Japanese sales due to reverse importation paranoia. At this point I doubt Black Butler Season 3 will even get a Stateside release.

The loss of FMA is a staggering blow to FUNimation at all levels. FMA was a moneymaker for both Aniplex and FUNimation this way. Now this franchise is about to go to anime purgatory the way Sailor Moon once was, the product of memories and episode circulation. I am sure Aniplex will stream it on CR, but any physical release will be quadruple or quintuple what FUNi is offering, especially for a Blu-Ray, assuming it gets one at all.

Aniplex has likely made the decision to quit the American market in order to protect the Japanese sales. So they're going to pull their licenses from the third parties that still have them by making it impossible for the licensors to renew, and then they'll draw back on the physical releases and dubs outside of those who get popular Stateside in spite of Aniplex's behavior. If an anime somehow gets popular Stateside, they'll have Bang Zoom hack out a non-union dub and put out a quick, prohibitively expensive physical release to make a quick buck and never re-release it again.

This is taking the ball and going home. Which is what Aniplex's rep said would happen on ANNcast last year if things got bad. Coincidence? I think not.

And good riddance. They're so paranoid of losing otaku sales that they'll abandon the American market? They deserve the slow, painful fall that will be coming to them as their sales atrophy anyway.

i feel bad I've only seen a few eps of FMA LOOKS LIKE I may have to pick em up I just hope they have both in bluray box sets

As a FUNimation Forum mod, are you notified about license expirations before the general public or are you in the same boat as the rest of us?

aniplex should take the example from marvel and leave some of their products alone with other companies. so far it worked for marvel since x-men is doing well by fox and spider man by sony, so this is one time they should let funi keep the FMA franchise completely if they want to keep its reputation intact.

I am pretty livid at the news, but at the same time, I feel a sense of "I told you so" about what Aniplex is up to here.

I'm developing a theory that this might be Aniplex starting a phased withdrawal from the US market outside of streams. There is not much on the physical release calendar from AoA outside of YLIA, DRRR, and Saekano (whose ultimate form of release is unknown) now that SAO is wrapped up. I am sure Erased will get a physical release, but honestly, what else by Aniplex has made an impact over the last year? Even Charlotte's chances at a dub and physical release look iffy. And I don't even know if DRRR will complete its physical release either, it has not been lighting up the sales charts and that union dub is expensive.

Aniplex of America is a protectorate, not a licensor, and Aniplex's behavior here at not allowing FUNimation to renew their licenses continue to show the true intentions of the company. This is not about serving the American market, this is to protect the Japanese sales due to reverse importation paranoia. At this point I doubt Black Butler Season 3 will even get a Stateside release.

The loss of FMA is a staggering blow to FUNimation at all levels. FMA was a moneymaker for both Aniplex and FUNimation this way. Now this franchise is about to go to anime purgatory the way Sailor Moon once was, the product of memories and episode circulation. I am sure Aniplex will stream it on CR, but any physical release will be quadruple or quintuple what FUNi is offering, especially for a Blu-Ray, assuming it gets one at all.

Aniplex has likely made the decision to quit the American market in order to protect the Japanese sales. So they're going to pull their licenses from the third parties that still have them by making it impossible for the licensors to renew, and then they'll draw back on the physical releases and dubs outside of those who get popular Stateside in spite of Aniplex's behavior. If an anime somehow gets popular Stateside, they'll have Bang Zoom hack out a non-union dub and put out a quick, prohibitively expensive physical release to make a quick buck and never re-release it again.

This is taking the ball and going home. Which is what Aniplex's rep said would happen on ANNcast last year if things got bad. Coincidence? I think not.

And good riddance. They're so paranoid of losing otaku sales that they'll abandon the American market? They deserve the slow, painful fall that will be coming to them as their sales atrophy anyway.

There is not much on the physical release calendar from AoA outside of YLIA, DRRR, and Saekano (whose ultimate form of release is unknown) now that SAO is wrapped up.

At this point I doubt Black Butler Season 3 will even get a Stateside release.

I am sure Aniplex will stream it on CR, but any physical release will be quadruple or quintuple what FUNi is offering, especially for a Blu-Ray, assuming it gets one at all.

Another thing that may support this is they've been letting A-1 Pictures-made shows be licensed by FUNi and Sentai a lot more frequently recently. Like FUNi got Ultimate Otaku Teacher and Grimgar while Sentai got GATE and Perfect Insider. Maybe Aniplex themselves are only holding onto the A-1 shows they think can really bring in the cash and let the rest go to whoever the hell wants them? I dunno. I just know a couple of years ago you had to pry A-1 Pictures shows from Aniplex's cold dead hands and now they are practically giving them away to FUNi and Sentai.

I'm frankly surprised that Funi seems to be letting go of this one without a fight. I mean, it's FMA! Welp, time to order my own copy instead of mooching off of my sister. ^^;

And as pointed out, the people to blame ARE the people that supported Aniplex's insane prices. This is what happens when you support greed. Of course, most of these same fans probably don't care because they're more wealthy (or their parents are) than most people.