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Tokyopop Starts DVD-on-Demand Service with Rave Master
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The North American distributor Tokyopop has announced on its Twitter feed on Tuesday that it is releasing a complete collection of Studio DEEN's anime adaptation of Hiro Mashima's Rave fantasy action manga, renamed Rave Master for its English release, on an on-demand basis through the online retailer CreateSpace. All 51 episodes, released in English-dubbed format only, are available in DVD-R format for US$39.99. CreateSpace is a part of the Amazon group of companies, and also sells books and CDs, all on an on-demand basis.
Tokyopop had originally released the DVDs of the series, but had only released the first three volumes.
ImaginAsian Entertainment, owner and operator of iaTV, had also released on-demand anime DVDs in 2007. Its released Orguss, Nobody's Boy Remi and Cat's Eye through its website and through the online retailer Right Stuf. However, the ImaginAsian's supplier TitleMatch halted production of the DVDs in 2008.
The Rave Master anime premiered in Cartoon Network's Toonami block in June of 2004. The American television network Syfy then launched the anime during Manga Entertainment's Ani-Monday programming block in March of last year.
Tokyopop had published Mashima's Rave Master manga from 2003 until 2009, when Kodansha ended its contract with Tokyopop. Del Rey then announced at New York Anime Festival in 2009 that it picked up the license.
Source: AnimeOnDVD
Image © Hiro Mashima, Kodansha/Rave Partnership
