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partially wrote:

I think what FUNimation need to explain first is how they have not done this long ago. If they can handle and sell the show SOOOO well, why have they not been given these rights several years ago? If they cannot do that, they just sound salty. Netflix is a far better streaming platform with than Funimation Now. And these are streaming rights, nothing else.

I think it comes down to a lot more than simply Netflix outbidding them.

Netflix appears to have worked out extremely well for companies like Polygon Pictures, and I think their success more than anything is what got the deal for Netflix.

This is exactly what I was trying to say. I worked on a position for Polygon Pictures last year and they couldn’t stop talking about the influx of money Netflix pays for their animation productions. The executive I met with said it was 60% higher than the average market rate compared to other TV broadcasters. To anime companies, they have an extremely high reputation for the funding they are pumping into the industry as a whole. In Japan for business, this kind of reputation and a company showing respect for the industry goes a long way for business deals.

For Japanese licensors for shows like Eva that already makes a pretty penny back home in Japan, they aren’t looking at overseas merchandise sales that they wouldn’t make much off of. Netflix is essentially a worldwide broadcasting service that gives them far more direct return on their investment. If these are indeed only streaming rights, the Japanese companies can push and license out the merchandise among a broader amount of vendors rather than just give the full rights to one owning company like Funi. There’s a lot of intricacies on this contract I’m sure that aren’t being disclosed. The Japanese holders are most certainly trying to push Eva past the North American otaku market into something much more mainstream. Netflix simply is a different beast than Funimation, a local distributor.

supersqueak wrote:

I don't really trust Netflix with anime.

Netflix is esteemed here in Japan as being a major saving force for the entire industry.

Kicksville wrote:

bluesheep02 wrote:

The Netflix deal is advantageous for all local parties involved as Netflix is a global operation with offices here in Tokyo directly working with the head office in the states. There’s many more layers to media contract agreements that I don’t think you people realize and that Funimation wouldn’t have been capable of delievering. I assist Netflix on anime production positions in the Tokyo market for their local in-house operations on occasion. They have fully integrated into the local production market on levels people don’t realize as far as both financing and higher paying positions for the talent. Regarding Eva, there’s more too it than “Funi can give better brand management in the US”. Yea, to the anime fandom sure. But they are aiming towards a MUCH larger demographic.

I appreciate the information, although please be generous to those of us who are just fans spit ballin' here for giggles and don't have an insider perspective - there's no need to talk down to anyone.

I agree that it sounds like Netflix has things to offer that other companies don't or couldn't have before, but I suppose the reason why I would assume boo koo bucks might've been able to overcome that kind of thing in the past is, well, why did they give Funimation the Evangelion Rebuild movies if all that other stuff is so important? I assume they don't think that iteration of the property is less deserving. It sounds like they ran into issues with 3.0, but that was later.

Apologies if I came off rude. Just trying to give a local insider perspective as someone who works with Hulu Japan, Netflix, Polygon, Mad House etc. My apologies if I came off condescending.

My main point would be Netflix is the equivalent of a modern day broadcast network. Except it has global reach. They won’t be pushing the media the same way because they aren’t focused on physical products, only content. This would allow the Japanese companies to directly license out the merchandising rights to multiple vendors directly and make direct returns on their investment. It’s important to note that Netflix only bought the streaming rights as of now. Funimation probably wanted the rights to the full property for American distribution. That’s probably the exact reason Netflix was chosen. It let’s the Japanese Side maintain more control over the property while allowing international broadcasting. It’s a very different contract from full out property rights.

Netflix probably won’t push it the same way as Funimation, and they don’t need to. They aren’t a merchandising business. As long as we watch, they make money.

Keep in mind there’s a huge problem in Japan of people importing American blu rays etc on amazon for 1/4 the price of the Japanese release. That’s often times why you can’t turn off the subtitles on American blu rays for Japanese audio or get less than masters for star properties, I.e sailor moon. As I previously mentioned, this allows the Japanese companies to maintain strong control while gaining worldwide distribution and market opportunities for merchandise.

I would also like to point out that Gen Fukunaga has no way of knowing WHAT Netflix paid for the streaming rights. Japanese contracts are extremely protected by confidentiality laws. The Japanese owners could have kept the price unreachable for THEM because of the risks to their own ROI, but significantly lowered it for Netflix as a streaming only distribution contract including local distribution in Japan. As someone who negotiaties contracts here daily, these types of practices and negotiations are normal in japan. If the contract is advantageous for the owning studios, then there’s no doubt in my mind they would have offered a different price to Netflix, who gives them the massive benefit of both local and international broadcasting for their property.

Fukunaga just sounds like a bitter American businessman that didn’t get his way. He has no way of knowing the contents of the deal. Period. But in my opinion it makes complete sense they wouldn’t offer it to him. Funimation doesn’t have a streaming network or platform in Japan/outside the US and offers no added commercial benefit to the owning studios.

Also just a side note, I’m sure there was a stipulation in this deal for some type of creative control over the English/foreign language voices for the dub. The old actors starting a petition is utterly falling on deaf ears, if not being missed entirely by the Japan side who probably doesn’t care. This is probably out of Netflix’s hands as much as the new sailor moon voices were out of Viz’s without the creators direct approval. The fact is, as “classic” as that dub may be to American fans, it simply doesn’t have the mass appeal for the larger demographic they are aiming at.

People seem to underestimate both the reach of Eva being available worldwide *and* to casual viewers. Those people who'd watch an Anime or two, but would never in their life pay for an Anime-only subscription service.

I saw articles about Netflix acquiring Eva on news channels that are not at all Anime focused. People, general people, care about this. I don't see this happening if some Anime-only streamer had picked it up.

I'm also super exited to (hopefully) get the German dub back, so, more yay for Netflix. We're one the world's biggest dubbing markets, because we hate subs the most, I guess.
Which is another point that hardcore Anime fans may overlook, but those cheesy English 90's dubs, and the Eva dub in particular, are just not TV-quality. You can't show them to non-fans and expect them to like them (I tried, it failed). Airing the old dub to fans only may have worked, but the general public expects better.
Modern English dubs sound just fine, on the other hand.

Quote:

. "Had My Hero Academia gone onto Netflix, it would have just dropped on the platform with any number of titles and probably would have died as a brand,"

and it would've 100% been mis-labeled as a Netflix "Original" anime.

bluesheep02 wrote:

[My main point would be Netflix is the equivalent of a modern day broadcast network. Except it has global reach. They won’t be pushing the media the same way because they aren’t focused on physical products, only content. This would allow the Japanese companies to directly license out the merchandising rights to multiple vendors directly and make direct returns on their investment. It’s important to note that Netflix only bought the streaming rights as of now. Funimation probably wanted the rights to the full property for American distribution. That’s probably the exact reason Netflix was chosen. It let’s the Japanese Side maintain more control over the property while allowing international broadcasting. It’s a very different contract from full out property rights.

One problem with streaming only licenses for current non-catalog titles that Netflix shares with Amazon is that you NEVER get the final product. The subsequent home video always comes with improvements and extra content.

Have you seen the difference between the Netflix version of Knights of Sidonia and Sentai's Director's Cut? It's huge, literally, every single episode is changed and the final episode is 15 mins longer. Now not every anime undergoes such drastic changes but every anime does have changes and/or added content.

The advantage for Funimation and Sentai (HIDIVE) negotiating for the home video rights is that they can--and are currently the only ones that offer--both the broadcast and home video versions (which Funimation calls "uncut") streaming on their platforms and not just via physical bluray.

Yes I fully understand the fear towards reverse importation from the licensor's side but from the consumer side, obtaining the home video rights is an advantage often taken for granted

I was sort of with him when he was talking about it maybe not doing well on netflix due to the size of it all. But then he went into bragging that it was them that made My Hero Academia, because a long running Shonen battle title from BONES would not have done well without them, and being so inhibited that it didn't go to THEM. Not that it should have gone to another service like them, HiDive or Crunhcyroll, but only them, because clearly in his eyes only they can sell an already very famous title like Evangelion.

Last edited by FackuIkari on Thu Dec 13, 2018 6:56 am; edited 1 time in total

Maybe he has a point but f**k em, Funimation doesn't work outside of the US, thank you Netflix, at least I can use you where I live

Emerje wrote:

While Funi would certainly promote it better, Netflix will probably provide the best experience. Funi would probably just release whatever the best version out there is, but Netflix is most likely to remaster the footage to get it in line with the rest of their content along with that new dub and have it BD ready. It's going to be great for anime fans, but not likely to be handled in a way that'll draw in new ones.

There was a Blu-ray release of it in Japan a few years ago, so they do not have to remaster it.

I don't really care who gets it in the end so long as we get a remastered or cleaned up blu-ray release.

I won't watch a redub.. so not worth commenting on that.
If that is all netflix offers then I'll pass.

wait to see Eva get branded as a Netflix original when it's really not like they do with every anime they have

I'm just so not used to the Netfilx model of anime distribution... releases just fly under the radar for me and because they aren't released over a long period of time, the hype for them and the buzz surrounding them is nearly non-existant.

bluesheep02 wrote:

supersqueak wrote:

I don't really trust Netflix with anime.

Netflix is esteemed here in Japan as being a major saving force for the entire industry.

I can't say I personally understand the logistics of the deal completely but personally I think Hulu has a much better selection of anime so I would much rather Funimation gotten it so it would be on there and there would be a guaranteed physical release. I notice that shows tend to disappear from Netflix more frequently Netflix is so here today gone tomorrow. I would rather Netflix focus on making more original content than anything else.

Well maybe Funimation should've acquired it themselves ages ago instead of being caught with their d*ick in their hands.

Psycho 101 wrote:

I would hazard a theory that he's this salty over it because Netflix screwed up their plan at Funimation. I would guess the price for Eva was easily in the "are you out of your damn mind" range, which is why they didn't get it before. Plus with the constant delays and everything being pushed back I bet Funi figured if they played hard ball and waited it out a bit more they could get it for cheaper. Thus making more of a profit.

Then the new kid on the block with their trust fund came along and said "give me that shiny thing!" and bought it right up from under them.

Just a guess.

I like your sense of humor.

So what do you think Hideki Anno is going to do now with his really big check from Netflix?

supersqueak wrote:

bluesheep02 wrote:

supersqueak wrote:

I don't really trust Netflix with anime.

Netflix is esteemed here in Japan as being a major saving force for the entire industry.

I can't say I personally understand the logistics of the deal completely but personally I think Hulu has a much better selection of anime so I would much rather Funimation gotten it so it would be on there and there would be a guaranteed physical release. I notice that shows tend to disappear from Netflix more frequently Netflix is so here today gone tomorrow. I would rather Netflix focus on making more original content than anything else.

Again, Hulu US and Japan are entirely separate companies. This was a deal aimed at not just overseas but local Japanese distribution as well. This is why it went to Netflix, a global distributor and not Funi-Hulu. Netflix titles that have original dubs don’t disappear from the catalogue as it’s a longer standing agreement as it’s branded as a Netflix original property for the production of the dub. This section gets a different treatment than just properties that are 100% licensed for streaming only with already produced dubs.

Keep in mind, this isn’t about the American market only. Please read my previous post for a fuller understanding.

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INTEREST: Funimation President Talks Netflix's Evangelion Acquisition: 'We'd Do Better at Brand-Mana