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NEWS: HIDIVE Streams Incomplete Version of Sword of the Demon Hunter Anime's Episode 21


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loveliver



Joined: 26 Nov 2014
Posts: 210
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 10:47 am Reply with quote
Let's see if I get this right.

Good on HIDIVE for having the guts to do the version they got on time and willing to replace it with the final version coming later. If the viewers wanted to watch the anime for the story and wanted to get it on time, this is the way to do it. Just let us know if the final version has been uploaded and we're good (sad for the sub-licensed contractors like The Roku Channel and all).

Bad on Yokohama Animation Lab. Still as incompetent as ever.

Mixed on NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. That overall decision there is respectful. Just that they shouldn't have worked with YAL to animate a show without it looking like crap. Nobody should at this point until they get more competent people in their studio.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 10:53 am Reply with quote
It's what I expected. Hidive used what they were given because the deadline was there, but they know about it so they already plan to replace it.
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Glordit



Joined: 11 Sep 2020
Posts: 1192
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 10:57 am Reply with quote
Quote:
As part of our commitment to subscribers and in order to meet the show's simulcast schedule, the Licensor provided an interim version of the episode to release as scheduled on September 1.


Did they forget to finish giving a reason for that happening?

They A) got the episode early so they could sub, and then either got the two versions mixed up or B) the production didn't supply it in time. I'm going with option A because ADN & bilibili had the correct version.

Interestingly, this happened to ADN for episode 2. Some scenes had missing background details or lacked post processing.

Old: https://files.catbox.moe/vpm4yu.webp
New: https://files.catbox.moe/jxr0ke.webp
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Kan2Screm



Joined: 08 May 2025
Posts: 61
Location: Portugal
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:01 am Reply with quote
loveliver wrote:
Mixed on NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. That overall decision there is respectful. Just that they shouldn't have worked with YAL to animate a show without it looking like crap. Nobody should at this point until they get more competent people in their studio.


NBCUniversal isn't even in the committee for this show let alone handling international sales for it lol
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Glordit



Joined: 11 Sep 2020
Posts: 1192
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:02 am Reply with quote
loveliver wrote:
Let's see if I get this right.

Good on HIDIVE for having the guts to do the version they got on time and willing to replace it with the final version coming later. If the viewers wanted to watch the anime for the story and wanted to get it on time, this is the way to do it. Just let us know if the final version has been uploaded and we're good (sad for the sub-licensed contractors like The Roku Channel and all).

Bad on Yokohama Animation Lab. Still as incompetent as ever.

Mixed on NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. That overall decision there is respectful. Just that they shouldn't have worked with YAL to animate a show without it looking like crap. Nobody should at this point until they get more competent people in their studio.


How is it the studios fault if other services like ADN & bilibili had the correct version of the episode?
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BalmungHHQ



Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:04 am Reply with quote
The thing is, the TV broadcast in Japan was already the completed version of the episode, so the final video did exist by the time HiDive's simulcast went up. Streaming services with this show in other countries such as Bilibili had the completed video from the start for their simulcast.
What's not being said in this article, and what I believe is likely part of the reason behind this, is that North America just had a holiday weekend, and there may not have been anyone on-site at HiDive's offices on Monday to swap out the episode's video with the final cut. (assuming the finished video only came in at the last minute)

Also just so everyone knows, yesterday on Sept 2nd they did eventually swap in the completed video sometime in the afternoon.
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Abbot



Joined: 31 Aug 2025
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:28 am Reply with quote
I think it's HiDive's fault because other streaming services have the complete version except hidive, so it's possible that HiDive had an error while processing the video. Plus, the full version is aired on TV, but HiDive has the incomplete episode. It makes me wonder if they rushed to upload the video on their platform, and that could be what caused the corruption. Maybe hidive have hardware issue or poor internet while uploading the video.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 25610
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:37 am Reply with quote
Gotta say I watched the incomplete version of the episode and didn't notice anything amiss. That's me, Mr. Attentive and Eagle-eyed.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 5973
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 12:02 pm Reply with quote
Honestly with all the issues this show has I don't know how it made the ANN daily streaming reviews when none of it sounds appealing in the slightest.
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Jellooo



Joined: 14 Mar 2016
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 12:23 pm Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
Honestly with all the issues this show has I don't know how it made the ANN daily streaming reviews when none of it sounds appealing in the slightest.


Believe it or not, we like the show.
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BalmungHHQ



Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 12:39 pm Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
Honestly with all the issues this show has I don't know how it made the ANN daily streaming reviews when none of it sounds appealing in the slightest.

I honestly think it's one of the best shows this year. I don't know what you've heard, but from my perspective this series has been severely underrated by the wider anime community.

Though, I do agree that I kinda wish it didn't have the weekly reviews on ANN, because the reviewer they have on it is clearly not vibing with the kind of show it is and often ends up painting it in an unnecessarily negative light.
(Though a word of advice in general: Don't let ANN reviews, or any reviews for that matter, influence how you feel about a show. Especially if you haven't yet seen it for yourself.)
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Zhou-BR



Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 1584
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 1:02 pm Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
Gotta say I watched the incomplete version of the episode and didn't notice anything amiss. That's me, Mr. Attentive and Eagle-eyed.


To be honest, for a while I was wondering if those monochromatic, texture-free CG backgrounds in the scene where Jinya confronts Hatakeyama were a stylistic choice by the director. And then this shot happened.

Anyway, I'm glad HiDIVE finally got the correct version of the episode.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 5973
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 2:34 pm Reply with quote
BalmungHHQ wrote:


Though, I do agree that I kinda wish it didn't have the weekly reviews on ANN, because the reviewer they have on it is clearly not vibing with the kind of show it is and often ends up painting it in an unnecessarily negative light.
(Though a word of advice in general: Don't let ANN reviews, or any reviews for that matter, influence how you feel about a show. Especially if you haven't yet seen it for yourself.)
I watched episode one and though it seemed like it had potential but it also felt like a generic action show I've seen done better a million times before. But if y'all hate anime reviews you shouldn't have voted for it to be covered. Rolling Eyes
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BalmungHHQ



Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 3:26 pm Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
I watched episode one and though it seemed like it had potential but it also felt like a generic action show I've seen done better a million times before.

See, I wouldn't even consider this series to be an action show in the first place. It has action in it, sure, but I wouldn't consider it the main draw of the storytelling.

Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
But if y'all hate anime reviews you shouldn't have voted for it to be covered. Rolling Eyes

Well, I personally didn't vote for anything, lol. But I can see why those who voted for it did so, since it is quite a good show.
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Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 19143
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 3:41 pm Reply with quote
BalmungHHQ wrote:
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
Honestly with all the issues this show has I don't know how it made the ANN daily streaming reviews when none of it sounds appealing in the slightest.

I honestly think it's one of the best shows this year. I don't know what you've heard, but from my perspective this series has been severely underrated by the wider anime community.

Agreed. The series has had a couple of weak episode (most notably the one this article is talking about, even if you set aside the technical issues), but overall it's probably the most under-appreciated series of the last two seasons.

BalmungHHQ wrote:
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
I watched episode one and though it seemed like it had potential but it also felt like a generic action show I've seen done better a million times before.

See, I wouldn't even consider this series to be an action show in the first place. It has action in it, sure, but I wouldn't consider it the main draw of the storytelling.

Also agreed. It features some great period detail, especially strong character writing, and a fair amount of visual symbolism. It got voted in for episode reviews for its second half because audiences (at least around here) finally started to notice.

I had it ranked among the top five series for last season and would probably put it there this season, too.
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