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Shay Guy



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 2092
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:06 pm Reply with quote
Re: the third question: Execution is everything.

No, seriously. Everything. Yeah, a great idea is, well, great. But when it comes down to whether something is truly good or not, it doesn't make much of a difference. For example, it wouldn't be that hard to use Time of Eve's premise to make a dumb harem comedy with a "Which girl is real??" gimmick. But Yasuhiro Yoshiura didn't do that. He took Time of Eve's premise and used it to make Time of Eve.

Execution. Is. Everything.
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Chagen46



Joined: 27 Jun 2010
Posts: 4377
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:20 pm Reply with quote
Shay Guy wrote:
Re: the third question: Execution is everything.

No, seriously. Everything. Yeah, a great idea is, well, great. But when it comes down to whether something is truly good or not, it doesn't make much of a difference. For example, it wouldn't be that hard to use Time of Eve's premise to make a dumb harem comedy with a "Which girl is real??" gimmick. But Yasuhiro Yoshiura didn't do that. He took Time of Eve's premise and used it to make Time of Eve.

Execution. Is. Everything.


I agree with you so much.

My main motto when writing is "It doesn't matter how big or odd your stick is, what matters is how you use it". Even the most trite of plots can be really fun if the author knows what they're doing.
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Asterisk-CGY



Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 398
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:04 pm Reply with quote
(and light novels)
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agila61



Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Posts: 3213
Location: NE Ohio
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:29 pm Reply with quote
Unlike Funimation, Sentai is licensing first and deciding sub-only DVD release vs hybrid DVD/BD release later. The certainty of having at least a sub-only DVD release locked into place and the signing portion of the Minimum Guarantee up-front must be attractive to a production committee, now that the hopes of big windfalls gains from North America have ebbed.

Also, I believe people keep forgetting about Sentai that they are not just licensing series for DVD distribution via Section23, they are licensing series for Video on Demand cable distribution via TheAnimeNetwork. The fact that they can determine up front what portion of the Minimum Guarantee TAN is willing to pay for a series means that their breakeven on home video sales of a marginal DVD-only, sub-only release is likely to be lower than other distributors.

Heck, the subtitle will ikely have been produced somewhere between Crunchyroll and TAN, so that is a fixed cost that is lower for the sub-only DVD releases.

Add in that they seemed to have sorted something out with Crunchyroll as far as obtaining streaming rights to a broader region than they are licensing home video and broadcast rights for, which will let them tip in a little bit extra on top for the streaming Minimum Guarantee, and that the days of bidding wars for rights are long gone for most series, and it seems likely that their break-even number for their sub-only DVD releases is quite modest.

Give that, the greater risk decision that Sentai takes on is when they decide which series will get a dub release. Provided they make that decision prudently, they likely can take on some extra licenses up front in hopes of picking up an over-performer. And even with dubs, dubs are likely to get greater Video on Demand viewership, so there is some spreading of the risk.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:50 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
So sit tight and hold on, people! I know these past few years have essentially beaten down our souls to the point where we brace for the worst of all possible outcomes when it comes to licensing, but why not just live in the moment? Somewhere amongst the dozens of things Sentai has licensed over the past few weeks, there's probably one or two shows you really care about. So let's just hope for the best. And of course, buy them when they become available for pre-order. That's pretty much the one thing you can do to ensure that Sentai doesn't choke on the magnitude of all this licensing. Everybody chill out, put your money where your mouth is, and everything should be alright.
Meanwhile straight ahead in the distance outside the aircraft's windscreen a mountain goat with "FUNI" sprayed on it's coat appears to be standing on a rather large cloud. Wink
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sokpupet



Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 133
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:54 pm Reply with quote
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree? $&@#in' classic!
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Aynslesa



Joined: 08 Feb 2012
Posts: 199
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:08 pm Reply with quote
I'm so thoroughly amused by Answerfans in the fact that two Yukiru Sugisaki series were mentioned. Not one. Two. Anyone sense a pattern?

And I hear she's starting two more series this year... Crying or Very sad
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rinmackie



Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 1040
Location: in a van! down by the river!
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:05 pm Reply with quote
Hey, Brian, I totally agree with you on the whole anime/CGI question. I'm taking a class in animation now and we're currently discussing CGI in animation. Mind if I reference you?
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:15 pm Reply with quote
Brian, the reason we are worried about Sentai is because we care.

We don't want to see it die off, the Anime industry is already precarious as it is without another major player going under. So we want Sentai to do well and therefore we get worried when it looks like they are overreaching themselves. Given the nature of business, even they won't know if they are overreaching themselves until the sales figures come in and by then it may be too late given the sheer volume of licenses they have already acquired.

We're not being negative nellies because it's fun or because we are cynical, but because we simply can't afford to lose Sentai. Think of us as people who are concerned that their friend is drinking way too much and may have a car crash on the way home from the party.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5407
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:34 pm Reply with quote
I understand that it is somewhat worrisome that Sentai is licensing a lot of anime. But I think these two points Brian made are very crucial. One, Sentai does not dub everything (like FUNi does). And second, the best way to ensure Sentai does not go under is too buy their releases.

If anything, I am more worried about the looming Funimation lawsuit that potentially could damage Sentai and other companies. Like many have said before here, I hope the parties settle out of court.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:34 pm Reply with quote
Yeah about CGi. I too whole heartedly agree with all of Brian's stance on it for exactly the same reason. No matter how "new" the tech, no matter how heard they try, it so far can never break through that plasticine stiffness and rigidness in look and movement. Even the Vocaloid CGi programmes like MMD, and Project Diva fail the same way, though with the system they used for the "live "concerts which was a very beefed up version running on a powerful desktop, the fluidity of movement was very much better than any movie I've seen to date, but still fails on facial expression and mouth movement. Not much better than a Barbie CGi movie in that aspect. but I love Vacaloid for the music, not the animation. Wink
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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:45 pm Reply with quote
Yup, Sentai has definitely been licensing quite a lot of series as of lately.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:50 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I was wondering why 3D CGI animation isn't being used in anime as much as anywhere else - the only anime films I can think of that are in 3D are one of the Yu-Gi-Oh! movies, and Tekken: Blood Vengence.


Because it's expensive, and looks fake and gimmicky? And outside of hentai, the non-moe Japanese animators want their viewers to watch anime which stands out.

Quote:
It's just that, the few of them I've seen (Vexille, Appleseed, Cat Shit One) haven't been... terribly... good.


Appleseed was enjoyable. It's Ex Machina which sucked. Though Advent Children does suggest the Japanese can put up a quality full-length CG film which can compete with Hollywood, if they really want to.
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SereneChaos



Joined: 14 Oct 2011
Posts: 384
Location: Middle of Nowhere, USA
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:09 pm Reply with quote
I do think that all of the pessimism about Sentai is getting annoying, but I do agree to an extent and can't blame anyone for it. We don't know anything about their profits or finances, which leaves everything to the imagination. We've only heard negative things about companies recently (Media Blasters, Bandai, Best Buy, etc.) so it makes sense that that's the first thing people think of. Over extending themselves is how they originally closed, and a certain Tokyopop executive has recently exhibited that not everyone learns from their mistakes. Besides, if you expect the worst, you can only be pleasantly surprised. Expect the best and you can only be let down.
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Youkai Warrior



Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 505
Location: Sarayashiki
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:23 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Brian, the reason we are worried about Sentai is because we care.

We don't want to see it die off, the Anime industry is already precarious as it is without another major player going under. So we want Sentai to do well and therefore we get worried when it looks like they are overreaching themselves. Given the nature of business, even they won't know if they are overreaching themselves until the sales figures come in and by then it may be too late given the sheer volume of licenses they have already acquired.

We're not being negative nellies because it's fun or because we are cynical, but because we simply can't afford to lose Sentai. Think of us as people who are concerned that their friend is drinking way too much and may have a car crash on the way home from the party.


This argument has a point. The anime industry is not doing well, like at all. Bandai stepped aside, who knows what's up with Media Blasters, Geneon has been dead for the past several years, as well as Central Park Media, AniMeigo (did I spell that right?)etc. Sentai has been licensing quite a bit this past week. It does remind me of 2002 when just about every anime was being licensed, and only a quarter of them were actually good. Too much isn't always a good thing, as your analogy at the end of your post says.

Quote:
I understand that it is somewhat worrisome that Sentai is licensing a lot of anime. But I think these two points Brian made are very crucial. One, Sentai does not dub everything (like FUNi does). And second, the best way to ensure Sentai does not go under is too buy their releases.


While it is a bit pessimistic, I can't blame anybody for being worried. Like I said, it reminds me of 2002, when just about everything was being licensed and only half that anime ended up raking in the dough. Then a few years after that, companies closed. I can see the worry here. Just cause people buy their releases might not ensure everything. Not everyone is going to buy all the releases they licensed. Some series will sell better than others. And as for me, I unfortunately will not be buying any of their releases this year because they have nothing of interest to me. *sigh*. Sad

Quote:
Besides, if you expect the worst, you can only be pleasantly surprised. Expect the best and you can only be let down.


Too true. I go by this mantra.
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