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NEWS: Media Blasters Drops Lodoss Wars Release Plans


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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1684
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:29 pm Reply with quote
GhostShell wrote:
Like a couple of others recently posted, Lodoss Wars seems right up Discotek's alley. If MB couldn't get the HD masters from the licence holder in Japan, though, Discotek or anyone else might have the same problem.

It's not just that they can't get them, it's that they don't exist. Kadokawa isn't sure where the film elements are either, though I'm not sure they've spent enough time searching for them that they can really be called "lost." Meanwhile MB was trying to tinker with restoring 'em off the old LD masters (which is all that exist right now), but quickly found that they're not very good and not much can be done with them. (We were remarking about how bad they looked at CPM, and look how low our standards were!!)

Not that this doesn't indicate bad things are still happening at MB, but this really wasn't shaping up to be a great release anyway. Not sure anyone will be able to improve much upon the last release CPM did.

TurnerJ wrote:
Actually, I think RightStuf might be a really good choice. They have had good relationships with the New York Anime companies and VAs (they got them to do voices in their dubs). If New York doesn't have another Anime distributor providing work for these work-starved VAs in the Big Apple, then why not Right Stuf?

Well that doesn't matter at all. Both series are dubbed already, albeit badly, and nobody in their right mind would redub them now, it's not gonna sell THAT many copies.


Last edited by jsevakis on Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Dark Absol



Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 813
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:29 pm Reply with quote
Nothing on Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei?

Oh, well...I'll still get Queen's Blade: Rebellion since I'm sucker for ecchi. :p
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BigOnAnime
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 1219
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:30 pm Reply with quote
jsc315 wrote:
So are they releasing anything anyone wants at all this year?
Yes, Queen's Blade, as it sells a lot.

You got to put out what will sell, and these days, ecchi sells quite well. What should a business do, put out a not well-received by reviewers ecchi show that will sell a ton, or some highly-acclaimed more niche show that may not sell well?

Clearly the former, and that's why with FUNimation for example, they'll pick up more fanservice shows. Though, these fanservice shows can in the end help pay for the other shows people who don't want just fanservice want.
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TurnerJ



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 481
Location: Highland Park, NJ
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:32 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
GhostShell wrote:
Like a couple of others recently posted, Lodoss Wars seems right up Discotek's alley. If MB couldn't get the HD masters from the licence holder in Japan, though, Discotek or anyone else might have the same problem.

It's not just that they can't get them, it's that they don't exist. Kadokawa isn't sure where the film elements are either, though I'm not sure they've spent enough time searching for them that they can really be called "lost." Meanwhile MB was trying to tinker with restoring 'em off the old LD masters (which is all that exist right now), but quickly found that they're not very good and not much can be done with them. (We were remarking about how bad they looked at CPM, and look how low our standards were!!)

Not that this doesn't indicate bad things are still happening at MB, but this really wasn't shaping up to be a great release anyway. Not sure anyone will be able to improve much upon the last release CPM did.

TurnerJ wrote:
Actually, I think RightStuf might be a really good choice. They have had good relationships with the New York Anime companies and VAs (they got them to do voices in their dubs). If New York doesn't have another Anime distributor providing work for these work-starved VAs in the Big Apple, then why not Right Stuf?

Well that doesn't matter at all. Both series are dubbed already... and nobody in their right mind would redub them now, it's not gonna sell THAT many copies.


No no I didn't mean redub them, but I just mean they'd be a good solicitor for NY dubs.

And as far as the dubs go, I personally liked the OVA dub. It has its shortcomings and it's not perfect, but it's not a bad dub to my ears. It's a solid production for a 1996 effort. Not perfect, but still pretty good. The VAs sounded fine for their roles and the acting wasn't too bad for the most part, although I DID detect the occasional awkward and/or stilted line. Still, it's a series I love in English pretty much unreservedly and it's hard for me to watch it in Japanese; even to my ears it still holds up pretty well.

The TV series dub, on the other hand, is very inconsistent and sadly not as good, although I did enjoy Crispin Freeman's performance as Spark and Angora Deb's Leaf as well as the returning cast, but the supporting characters sounded much iffier, and the switching of VAs in select episodes was really bothersome to me. Then again, I wouldn't say it's a bad dub, just flawed and inconsistent. I've heard much worse dubs, honestly.
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:37 pm Reply with quote
TurnerJ wrote:
No no I didn't mean redub them, but I just mean they'd be a good solicitor for NY dubs.

What does THAT mean?
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TurnerJ



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
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Location: Highland Park, NJ
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:38 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
TurnerJ wrote:
No no I didn't mean redub them, but I just mean they'd be a good solicitor for NY dubs.

What does THAT mean?


I meant that if Media Blasters goes under, that maybe then this RS will still provide work for the starved NY voice talents. That's what I meant to say. Sorry if that was confusing.
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luffypirate



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:46 pm Reply with quote
Where the heck you guys gettin' the idea they are going under???
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Surrender Artist



Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 3264
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:47 pm Reply with quote
TurnerJ wrote:
jsevakis wrote:
TurnerJ wrote:
No no I didn't mean redub them, but I just mean they'd be a good solicitor for NY dubs.

What does THAT mean?


I meant that if Media Blasters goes under, that maybe then this RS will still provide work for the starved NY voice talents. That's what I meant to say. Sorry if that was confusing.


I believe that Nozomi's policy is not to go to the expense of an English dub anymore. I believe that the last Nozomi title that was dubbed in English was The Third, which was released mostly in 2007.

Media Blasters seems to hire Los Angeles studios at least as often as New York studios, so I doubt that all that much would change if Media Blasters ceased to be a going concern or abandoned English dubs.


Last edited by Surrender Artist on Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1684
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:48 pm Reply with quote
TurnerJ wrote:
I meant that if Media Blasters goes under, that maybe then this RS will still provide work for the starved NY voice talents. That's what I meant to say. Sorry if that was confusing.


Ah, well, no worries, MB wasn't doing much for the NY voice community these days anyway. I hear a lot of rumors I won't repeat here, but suffice it to say that many people were turning down work from MB for years.
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TurnerJ



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
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Location: Highland Park, NJ
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:52 pm Reply with quote
Surrender Artist wrote:
TurnerJ wrote:
jsevakis wrote:
TurnerJ wrote:
No no I didn't mean redub them, but I just mean they'd be a good solicitor for NY dubs.

What does THAT mean?


I meant that if Media Blasters goes under, that maybe then this RS will still provide work for the starved NY voice talents. That's what I meant to say. Sorry if that was confusing.


I believe that Nozomi's policy is not to go to the expense of an English dub anymore. I believe that the last Nozomi title that was dubbed in English was The Third, which was released mostly in 2007.


True, although I think that was when they were just getting started in the industry. Now that they have a bit of a grapple right now, maybe they could try again. After all, they're reissuing UTENA and BOOGIEPOP PHANTOM and they're including the dubs on there too—granted they are preexisting dubs, but still... anything COULD happen.
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TurnerJ



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 481
Location: Highland Park, NJ
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:57 pm Reply with quote
luffypirate85 wrote:
Where the heck you guys gettin' the idea they are going under???


Some of us are worried that it may happen what with the layoffs announcement and recent shuffling around and/or cancelling of certain titles. Still, it seems that this dropping of Lodoss is more of a case of being unable to find the elements instead of poor sales (which is what Bakuman apparently suffered from, and who knows whether that will continue or not. Ditto with Ikki-Tousen; I wonder if Media Blasters is selling that off to Discotek or Nozomi?)

Then again, Media Blasters has done things that seemed like they were doomed, and yet they still thrived, so... who knows. At this point, it's anybody's guess, but I prefer not to think about the worst case scenario. It doesn't do me any good.
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RyanSaotome



Joined: 29 Mar 2011
Posts: 4210
Location: Towson, Maryland
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:05 pm Reply with quote
Cartoon boobs even sell in America, huh? I always thought Americans hated ecchi but I guess not.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:07 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
GhostShell wrote:
Like a couple of others recently posted, Lodoss Wars seems right up Discotek's alley. If MB couldn't get the HD masters from the licence holder in Japan, though, Discotek or anyone else might have the same problem.

It's not just that they can't get them, it's that they don't exist. Kadokawa isn't sure where the film elements are either, though I'm not sure they've spent enough time searching for them that they can really be called "lost." Meanwhile MB was trying to tinker with restoring 'em off the old LD masters (which is all that exist right now), but quickly found that they're not very good and not much can be done with them. (We were remarking about how bad they looked at CPM, and look how low our standards were!!)


Is the alternative getting crappy LD upscales like 3x3 Eyes? When I see those, I just go cross eyed and ponder why they ever bothered.
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BigOnAnime
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 01 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:26 pm Reply with quote
TurnerJ wrote:
Ditto with Ikki-Tousen; I wonder if Media Blasters is selling that off to Discotek or Nozomi?)
Is Ikki Tousen not selling well? I find it strange that a fanservice show like Ikki Tousen wouldn't sell well.
RyanSaotome wrote:
Cartoon boobs even sell in America, huh? I always thought Americans hated ecchi but I guess not.
Many do, but it sells. It's a 50/50 kind of thing. 50% really like it, 50% really hate it, and are annoyed with how their well-received shows which might not sell well aren't being licensed, and fanservice shows that will sell well get licensed instead.

Also, you didn't know lots here liked ecchi when this happened?
http://blog.funimation.com/2010/12/boobies-for-the-win-sekirei-sells-out-at-distributor-level/
Sekirei's second season, the LE managed to make it as high as like 250 in Amazon's best-seller ranking for DVD in general when it came out. Even DBZ has a tough time getting in there.
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Giant_Robo_28



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 52
Location: Chicago
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:35 pm Reply with quote
While they've never been as big as Geneon or Bandai, I've always loved Media Blasters as a company. While it does suck that they're going through some rough times and can't get releases out properly, I really hope they don't pull out of the game entirely.
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