Deadman Wonderland is a really great series, but seems luck is not on it's side, because anywhere it get's released, the distributor responsible does everything for it to fail.
In Japan Kadokawa released the series too soon after the tragedy, so for obvious reasons it failed. I mean, if (sorry for the example) terrorists would blow up half of Washington DC with a suitcase nuke, how many people would want to buy 3 months after a tragedy like that, an anime where the story evolves around Washington DC being destroyed/blown up? I don't think many would buy it or at least it would drastically effect the sales.
At least I don't see any other reason why this fwseries failed so big in Japan, since others with worse story and characters did better.
I was really happy that it will get an US release, so I pre-ordered, but the bad luck follows Ganta and Shiro from Japan and 2 things have already been set in motion to decrease US sales:
1) Kadokawa did not sell the Blu-Ray rights for this series, so unlike other Funimation releases, this will be a DVD only release. I am okay with this, but many are not.
2) The box cover designed by Funimation is terrible. REALLY terrible, I mean look at this:
After I've seen the series 2 times already, I have to say that this cover is terrible.
1) Too many evil smiley faces
2) Important characters are missing from the front cover, like Takami Yō, Makina and Tamaki Tsunenaga
3) If they put a supporting character like Kiyomasa Senji on the cover, why not put Takami Minatsuki/Hummingbird on the cover too? Senji and Minatsuki has about the same screentime and both of them have the same amount of fans.
4) Why is the main antagonist of the story, Wretched Egg/Red Man missing from the front-cover?!
5) This series is a horror/action series with many blood and gore, so why is the box so colorful?
6) The main subject of the story is blood, so why isn't the dominant color red, but instead yellow?
The box designs are usually good, but this is a terrible work from the box designer.
Long story short: important characters are missing and the box has the design of a kids show.
Great series, but really unlucky....
You think this looks like a kids show?
There's a ton of blood splatter in the bottom half.
- A) Deadman is in the title on the show.
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- C) The tagline is "Death is the main attraction.
How does that spell kids show?
Anime is still such a niche market that a show's quality and word of mouth will sell a show better than its cover design.
It's what on the inside that matters.
THats just a matter of opinion. But yeah there are obvious clues on the box itself that suggest that the show is obviously not for kids. Personally I think the box looks good.
I reject your reality and replace it with my own.
Unfortunately I am not the only one who thinks that this cover is bad, look up independent forums that are not related to Funimation, other people dislike it too.
khthibault-kun, you are wrong, the inside is not the only thing that matters, every time a person takes down a DVD from the store shelf or look it up in an online store, the first impression that he gets is from the look of the front-cover of the box. Even a bad show can be sold by just making a really awesome cover for it. Of course I am not referring to the the people who already know the series like the palm of their hand, I am thinking about the people who never heard of it before and will only see it in the store for the first time. A person like that will get an impression like "What is this happy colored cartoon?" when he/she takes it off the shelf.
"Death is the main attraction" title and a smiley face (even if it looks "evil") is somehow doesn't really go together, not to mention the rainbow colored stripes in the background and the dominating yellow color. Like if someone would show up in a red/green/yellow colored suit to a funeral, it would be terribly out of place.
That is a blood splatter at the bottom?
"Deadman" is in the title yes, so is "Wonderland".
Of course I will buy this title even if I literally feel bad just by looking at this cover, because I loved this show.
1) If someone buys something just based on the cover, and they don't flip it over and read the plot description, then they're an idiot. If you just shop blindly without taking an extra minute to actually read what the product is about, then you're a fool.
2) What if I made a show called "Rape Wonderland?" It must be fine for kids. Wonderland is in the title.
And
If you could only choose one, which would you rather have? A great show or a great cover? Which is ultimately more important?
That is nonsense. I do not understand how are they related to each other in a matter where I would have to choose and we can't have both.
The front cover of the DVD/BR is the "face" of the product that gives the first impression, if the first impression is not good, then it is harder to sell the item. If someone browses through the items and doesn't even bother to read the description on the back, because he did not take interest in the cover, then that is a problem. These are not something I come up with, this is marketing basics 1o1.
There will always be someone who will not like something, but the fact that so many people doesn't like this cover is something that should not be overlooked.
.......I think it looks cool, to be honest.
You WISH you were this awesome.
Ugh, since Funi wasn't streaming the show I had forgotten about it, and didn't realize that it was up for physical release until I saw the recent posts here. Which is interesting, as Funimation has been putting many of its cover art previews up on Elite and I don't recall seeing this one.
As such, I did not know how fugly the cover art to the box was. It like the unholy love-child of an old-time carnival and Soul Eater, only pulverized by the ugly stick. Part of me wants to believe that this is some twisted joke, that Funi is trolling, but I think that's a hope against hope.
With that art, no bluray, and that I didn't really get into this show in the Japanese version, it looks like this will be a Funi release that I'll be streaming. If I like the stream, I'll see about getting it, but all things considered, I certainly won't be preordering.
I thin k is give a good representaion to the show. On the Outside of Deadman wounnder land its portyaed as a theme part but for thoes on the inside they know its really a hell on earth. So the artwork showing the carnival struckture with the bloods spattering IMO shows a good representaion of the show. What you see on the outside is only coverin gthe hel within. Hence the Blood Splatter on the bottem part of the box.
But agian that is just my opinion. So you can complain about the artwork if you wnat. Or just wait til lthe regular release comes with diffrent art owrk that may or may not be better or worse. Or just buy the show and enjoy it.
I reject your reality and replace it with my own.
Wait Deadman Wonderland IS a kids show, mind you older males 13-20 range, but the box art is pretty much tailer made for that audience, the manga was released in Shonen Jump and the anime aired pretty early on Japanese cable networks. The box set is also mainly marketed for the Toonami/Adult Swim viewers so it's following a similar color to their releases (and the ads that pop up during bumps).