Source: AnimeNews.biz
Humberto Saabedra wrote:
During a Twitter conversation last night, the subject of Funimation’s release of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt came up after preliminary listings for the show may have confirmed that the release would exclude a Blu-Ray version and only be released on DVD, despite the company confirming that the show would indeed be released on Blu-Ray the weekend before during its convention appearances at Anime Boston and Sakura-Con respectively. The discussion then circled around to Kadokawa’s apparent new rules on international Blu-Ray releases.
Back in February, Funimation Entertainment had finally confirmed that the second season of Sora no Otoshimono in Forte would be released on DVD/Blu-Ray as a combo pack in March after months of delays, only to be forced to announce to retailers that the release would not be released as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo as originally solicited, but would only be released on DVD, with no real explanation on why the Blu-Ray version was excluded only after being solicited to retailers 2 weeks before.
The sudden exclusion of the Blu-Ray version after being announced as such for months came as a surprise to fans of the show and led many to cancel pre-orders due to the lack of a Blu-Ray version. While many were quick to point the finger at Funimation for screwing up the solicitations, the real blame should be placed at the feet of the master licensor of the show in Kadokawa Pictures, which controls international licensing for many of Funimation’s most popular shows.
Recently, in statements made by Manga Entertainment UK via Twitter, it was revealed that Kadokawa had issued new mandates on home video releases to its international licensing partners that allude to the requirement that no Blu-Ray releases by international licensors would be allowed this calendar year and to adjust release formats accordingly.
Specific reasons were not given as to why the rule was put into place by the company, but recent activity by Funimation involving home video announcements may have confirmed the veracity of the statements, as The Future Diary was only confirmed for a DVD release later this year while no mention was made of a Blu-Ray version. Kadokawa Pictures controls international licensing rights for the show as Kadokawa Shoten also publishes the manga.
While Funimation also announced Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo release during Anime Boston, the earliest listings for the show are beginning to confirm that Kadokawa is indeed forcing international licensors to drop Blu-Ray releases from release plans and announcements.
Why Kadokawa is doing this now, when some of the most popular shows controlled by the conglomerate will see release on home video this year is unknown, but if I were to make an educated guess, the idea of reverse importation may be too great for the conglomerate to ignore and it appears perfectly willing to lose money on international licenses in order to protect its shrinking home market.
Unfortunately for Kadokawa Pictures, the home video market for anime in the US is moving swiftly away from DVD and rushing towards Blu-Ray as the preferred release method for newer shows, with many making purchasing decisions based on whether the series will have a Blu-Ray version available. For Kadokawa to make such mandates to its international licensor partners is not only short-sighted, but it only hurts those that want to support their favorite shows and the companies that work to license them.
If I had the ear of the executives at Kadokawa Pictures, I would strongly suggest they reconsider their stance on international Blu-Ray releases outside Japan, otherwise they face the wrath of a fanbase that is perfectly willing to spend their money elsewhere, or worse, not give them any more money at all and even resort to piracy, which only hurts everyone in the end. I really would like to be proven wrong and see Panty & Stocking get a Blu-Ray release when it gets released later this Summer, but based on the previous release in Sora no Otoshimono Forte, that looks less and less likely and places other Kadokawa Pictures controlled titles in doubt for their own Blu-Ray releases.
Although the article doesn't mention it, this issue, if true also affects Strike Witches as well.
All Kadokawa Pictures is doing here is fighting a rear-guard action.
For them this battle was lost when the US and Japan were put into the same Blu-Ray region.
It's all over but the shouting, unfortunately.
Mark Gosdin
Does that mean no Shana season 2-3, movie & OVAs and no Baka and Test season 2 Blu-ray since their publishers (ASCII Mediaworks and Enterbrain, repsectively) are Kadokawa subsidiaries?
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Yeah it is unfortunate that fans won't be able to get Kadokawa shows on Blu-Ray. I myself was looking forward to the P&S BD/DVD combo pack. But I am fine with just getting the series on DVD overall, however I do agree wit mgosdin, they really can't win in a situation like this. And overall they are only hurting themselves by nor letting fans in the U.S. U.K. & Europe have the option of purchasing a Blu-Ray of their shows.
I have an HD TV and I don't plan to ever upgrade to blu-ray until DVD is phased out completely or something better than blu-ray comes out.
This news (if true) sucks for the minority that prefer blu-ray, but I don't really care about blu-ray so I'm getting the most of my Elite Video Subscription (new dubs) and happily supporting the DVD-only releases that are still put out.
Any series I would want to buy DVD-only I'll import from Madman Entertainment if Funimaton decides to combo pack them; region free DVD player was worth the purchase!
If Funimation's release of Future Diary will be DVD-only I'll be a very happy customer; one less title to import from Australia.
If the packaging returned to DVD cases and box height (no stupid topper) I might consider buying combo packs again (wouldn't have to wait to import); I did buy a few before, but when the packaging was redesigned to pander to blu-ray fans I stopped supporting Funimation's combo packs (almost all new titles).
Dubs > Subs
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@Jackson: See I don't see how someone can be against combo packs, your getting BOTH formats for the price of ONE! Thats a pretty sweet deal. Also if its a size issue, well the Fairy Tail DVD/BD combo packs have DVD size cases. (But thats probably beacuase long running Shonen series into more brick n mortar stores then some of the other combo pack stuff I guess.)
I do agree however that overall the format is irrelivant as long as you can actually get the product you desire.
Although admitingly I myself have started buying Live Action Theatrical films on Blu-ray. And am of course glad the Noitamina anime series Funi & others are releasing will have Blu-Rays on top of DVDs. But yes most of the time DVD is just fine.
Avoiding the Combo vs Single Format morass, i.e. whistling past the graveyard.
I wonder how this policy will impact future licensing negotiations. If you are Funimation, Sentai, etc., then the present value of Kadokawa owned properties just went down by some yet to be determined value.
Also, the production committees in Japan are always made up of multiple companies. I wonder if this will make for interesting discussions whenever the worth of international licenses is a factor in production decisions?
Interesting times indeed.
Mark Gosdin
The blu-rays may as well be used as beverage coasters. I'll never get a blu-ray player, I'll never play them so why should I have them?
Buy enough combo packs and the BD piles up. May as well start selling them on ebay and that's not exactly benefiting Funimation if customers won't buy from the retailers who support their product and choose 2nd hand copies instead. Retailers buy the product and usually sell it for a bit more to make a profit. If the product doesn't sell they can ask for a refund and the company gets hit with returns (I believe that's how Geneon folded up so quickly).
It's basically the same as giving someone ingredients they don't want on their food. Should the customer just accept the extra stuff or should they be allowed to get exactly what they want?
And sometimes Funimation is just wasting money on blu-ray when it's an upscale that can actually look worse than the DVD or have no significant increase in quality.
Fairy Tail's blu-rays are upscales and therefore are junk; Japan doesn't even have blu-rays of the series.
I'm still waiting for a re-release on separate formats in larger collections like with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
If Funimation doesn't, then I'll just import from Madman who have my gratitude for keeping the formats separate for all of their titles; more money Funimation will lose from me.
Dubs > Subs
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com
http://www.myanimelist.net/profile/jackson_h
http://www.funimation.com/user/jacksonh/blog
I'm of the belief that "no blu-ray, no buy" for anime and I have stuck to that belief this year quite well and will continue to do so unless its a release that is something I truly want bad enough (The Garden of Sinners and some Nozomi Ent, Discotek stuff). I cancelled my HLP Forte pre-order and have not looked back since with regret on the decision. I can be patient enough for a BD release so while they won't get my money in the near future, they can get it in the far future. If one never materializes, I'll just wait for a SAVE release DVD. I can be a very patient man and hey, I save a lot of money as a result!
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In all honesty, separated formats is simply wasting resources. I can see the logical reasoning for combo packs.
And besides, it doesn't harm to have the discs in the case. I currently have a DVD player with HDMI and only just planning to eventually get a Blu-Ray player...but it's no skin off my nose that the discs are there in the case and not taking up any unneeded space or anything like that.
Quite frankly, it's superior in both resourcefulness and convenience [huge emphasis on convenience, though] to bundle them that way. [a reason I'm glad that even some movie companies are having both formats put into a single box for only a slightly higher price]
I'm in no rush for the aforementioned purchase, though. I'm quite satisfied with my current aforementioned setup and hear from a reliable source that the storage capacity and scratch resistance is the main difference between the two.
But now I'm getting off-topic. Excuse me.
That does suck, though. Blocking the BD releases for certain properties is rather brutal, I must say.