Forum - View topicNEWS: Netflix Debuts Little Witch Academia TV Anime's 1st 13 Episodes on June 30
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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I see a lot of Netflix fans defending the Netflix binge model, which doesn't make sense: 1. Unless you work for Netflix, you wouldn't have access to their numbers because they don't make view numbers public; and 2. Netflix does release this show weekly--in Japan, which is part of the problem. It's one thing if you are premiering all the episodes of a new show worldwide at the same time, releasing it episodically in some countries and binge model in others is a recipe for piracy in our instantly and internationally connected spoiler-phobic culture, and the young techies at Netflix should know this more than anyone. There are some anime that are released binge model worldwide, like ReLife last summer, and no one has a problem with that (well, I'm not particularly fond of it, but the majority of people are ok or even prefer it). But the piecemeal approach, people can't stand that. Anime fans are very all-or-nothing fans who can't stand delays more than anything (besides double paywalls, we hate those more, Amazon!  ).
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5424 Location: Iscandar |
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I can tolerate the wait, but these 13 episodes of Little Witch Academia better come with a dub. If not, I will join the hate brigade and perhaps finally CANCEL my Netflix subscription.
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DeTroyes
 Posts: 520 |
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Bingo. Otaku only make a tiny percentage of Netflix's audience. Those that really, really want to can certainly find the series ahead of it's "official" release, but I'd wager that amounts to >1% of the number of people who will watch it on Netflix. And frankly, a lot of people who are watching it now will also re-watch it when a streamed version becomes available (my daughter, for instance). Like it or not, we're extremely small fish in Netflix's eyes. Frankly, I don't think this series could have been made without Netflix's money. I've seen no evidence beyond a smattering of interest for it in Japan, so its unlikely this project could have even been produced there on its own. If this is what it takes to get a project as enjoyable as LWA has been off the ground, well... Netflix's release policies may be annoying, but I'll take them as the price to pay for the chance to hang out with Akko and friends for a half hour each week. |
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firedragon54738
 Posts: 3113 Location: wisconsin |
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There just releasing it now its all most over they should of waited to drop the whole thing at once
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DeTroyes
Posts: 520 |
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[Voice=Old Fogey Otaku]
[sound=rocking chair creaking] All these young'un otaku whippersnappers. Gett'in all worked up 'cuzz they gots to wait months fer new episodes show'in up on the Netf'ix... Why, in my day, we sometimes had to wait years fer anime to show up. And they'd be no subtitles or dubs or anything. Just straight Japanese. And we'd all have to fig'ure out what was go'in on. And the video would bleed all over da' place, 'cuzz it'd been copied so many times. Yep, you kids ain't got no i-dear how good ya' all got it. [/voice] [/sound] Sorry. Couldn't resist. 
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Stuart Smith
 Posts: 1298 |
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Netflix had nothing to do with the production of LWA. They are only the licensor for American distribution. Do not by misled by their 'Netflix Original' tagline. Both movies and TV series were created without foreign money (the Kickstarter was for additional footage only, it was going to be made regardless) It might be more popular in America, but that does not excuse licensor mishandling. Quite franky, encouraging licensors to chase a mainstream audience over anime fans should never be encouraged. Just know your support will benefit mostly Netflix, who will be encouraged to hold more licenses hostage in the future. -Stuart Smith Last edited by Stuart Smith on Tue May 23, 2017 1:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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DeTroyes
Posts: 520 |
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I stand corrected then. |
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DRosencraft
Posts: 665 |
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That really was good, De Troyes.
I don't think any needs an excuse for impatience. If you can't wait, that is your own issue, and your own personal demons. That being said, many of the arguments for Netflix's binge model are terrible. I, and many people I know, find it much easier to set aside ~25 minutes a week to watch an anime, than 5 1/2 hours on a given day to marathon an entire series. More often than not, what happens is that after having to wait this long anyway, we put it off again and again because of other things to watch, or other things in life in general, that get in the way of taking that much time to watch anything back to back. And yes, it is obviously to the benefit of the individual to stop when they want or need, the binge model quite obviously promotes the idea of watching as much of what is available all at once. I find it hard to imagine that any anime on Netflix under this binge model will do better under this model than if it was on a standard weekly model, or wasn't itself designed precisely to cater to a binge format. You have to remember, before recently (last couple years) Netflix's main claim to fame was movies and old seasons of TV shows - i.e, stuff you've already watched once but want to re-watch. The end of June is ~5 weeks from now. That will be the end of the Spring, beginning of the Summer, anime season. With no other anime to look forward to on Netflix, most anime fans are going to be immersed in finishing off the current season, and looking at the new season. Rather than catching the casual anime fan that might look to see the show, it could very well be forgotten, left to be merely stumbled on sometime down the road, except by all but those who already are just that interested and paying attention to it. Netflix has to make a choice - does it want to make a play for the anime crowd, or not? As much ire as Amazon has raised, they do seem to be serious about making their mark in the anime community. They had several shows this season, they look to have several next season. They've clearly been putting money into acquiring the streaming rights for the stuff that will attract eyes their way. It just doesn't seem Netflix is all that interested. If they're not, then perhaps they should save themselves and others the time and money and just step back. |
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DeTroyes
Posts: 520 |
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I don't really want to get into an argument over which business model is best for anime. Netflix clearly has one that is different from everyone else, and while its frustrating on our end, its seems to be a company-wide policy that they have decided to apply regardless of genre or series and have indicated that they have no plans to change that policy. To me, this just means that its part of the landscape: you may not like that swamp, but its there and there isn't a whole lot you can do to change that, so you simply have to adjust your expectations accordingly.
Personally, I'm just happy that someone is taking the care to make these shows available in the US without butchering them. Netflix is a huge player in the streaming market, so any series that appears in their inventory is going to get a significant amount of viewers watching. And if some of those viewers get hooked on anime as a result, so much the better. I would much rather put up with some mild inconveniences and occasional delays than face the prospect of not getting these shows at all. |
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Rederoin
 Posts: 1427 Location: Europa |
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Which is the reason many prefer netflix to not license anything, other big streamers would have picked up something as big as LWA anyway. I really wish they would stay out of the anime streaming market. CR streams anything it can get it hands on these days, it seems. |
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zrnzle500
 Posts: 3767 |
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@DRosencraft Actually I think the window between the seasons they usually release their selection of the season is the best time under their model. By then most anime is done and the new season hasn't started yet, so for a brief window there is a relative dearth of shows to watch, so Netflix's offering of the season provides something to watch in between seasons. If one doesn't have much time I can see it getting put off, but I generally have the opposite problem, so I'm fine with the timing.
------------------------------ Whatever you think of their practices, I think their minimal seasonal offerings are optimal. I don't mind waiting but I'd rather they not grab much of the simulcasts each season if they release it as they do. I don't want them to leave the market but I'm fine with their level of interest given their business model. |
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thekingsdinner
 Posts: 1069 Location: Geertruidenberg, Netherlands |
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I don't have Netflix so this doesn't really concern me, but what is the reason for them waiting this long to finally start streaming the show? Why not weekly like every other streamer?
I'm already caught up with the show but I admit I haven't heard much talk about it and i guess this may the reason why. |
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DeTroyes
Posts: 520 |
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Netflix's policy is to make an entire season of a show available for streaming at a time. This is because they have built their business in large part by encouraging "binge watching", i.e. watching a bunch of episodes of an ongoing series at a time. This policy doesn't work well with the "show the episodes as they are aired" model that Crunchyroll and other services use. And yes, I know, they are treating the first half of the series as one "season". Since they changed the opening song at ep 14, its a natural point to break. They'll probably make the other half available as "season 2" sometime in the fall. |
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Panoptican
Posts: 160 |
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I checked the ANN page for LWA producers and it lists Trigger, Good Smile (figures), Toho Animation, and Little Witch Academia Production Committee. It's that last one that I'm unsure about. Who does that consist of? Is there not a chance that Netflix sits on that production committee? Also it's clear to me that Netflix would want this show to have a dub on day one of availability. It would have been nice if that was done faster, but they're not in the business of speed dubbing like Funi. LWA has potential for a larger audience than most anime, so I think Netflix is the perfect home for it. Could it be handled better? Sure. But in the end I think this is the best route for a show like LWA. |
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DeTroyes
Posts: 520 |
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And lets not forget, the licensing fees alone were probably no small amount to begin with. Answerman had something about those awhile back, and for a 25 episode series it definitely would have gone into the 7 figures (US$), possibly 8. No small amount of cash. And since Netflix already has some idea what the likely interest in the series would be based on the response to the two videos already released, its a fair bet they were willing to pay a little more to make sure they had it exclusively. And thats just for the North American rights; I think they also have the Latin American and European rights, which would have added to the bill. ALSO, I would point out that in most of the world the term "producers" just means "the guys who line up the cash to make the production". Often, at least one of the entities on a production team are just an umbrella company whose sole job it is to gather cash from a myriad of sources, both private and public. I'd say its likely the "LWA Production Committee" is that entity, and its entirely possible Netflix had some contribution to that (and please, I don't want to get into an argument about whether or not they did, lets just leave it at that). |
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