...about the release of titles...Sora no Otoshimono was a DVD/BD release...where Sora no Otoshimono: Forte was a DVD release...just like having to buy Sekirei (first season) again because of the newer DVD/BD release...I would really prefer if all the titles were DVD/BD releases...
...anyone else have thoughts on this???
Kadokawa restricted all foreign Bluray releases for the current fiscal year, limiting anything of theirs that Funimation released to DVD only. While I hate doing it, I'm holding out on all Kadokawa purchases until later since chances are high they will be re-released with Bluray. It sucks, I hate holding out on purchases especially with Funi (and Heaven's Lost Property was one of my favorite releases they've done) but with newer releases Bluray makes a huge difference.
Yeah, it does suck that Kadokawa is limiting Blu-ray releases for anime, but I personally don't care for Blu-ray so I'm not missing out on anything. Besides, I don't have a Blu-ray Player or a PS3 so it really dosen't matter. Until then, I'll just get the series I want from Kadokawa on DVD. That's what I did with Panty & Stocking, and I have yet to buy an anime Blu-ray disc, mostly due to the fact that with 2D Animation, what's the difference with SD and HD animation aside from more vibrant colors, which you can get by uping the saturation.
If You're Reading This, You Have Too Much Time On Your Hands...
As said the previous DVD/BD releases being changed to DVD only is because of Kadokawa in Japan, Funimation sadly has no control over it. They want to release DVD/BD combo packs, but the company in Japan says no.
LET ME PLAY FOR YOU, THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE!!!
Sekirei is a unique case, since season 1 was only done in standard definition while season 2 was done in HD. The DVD set was also released at the time, when Funimation was just dipping their toes into Blu-ray.
Avatar: Rosette and Chrono from Chrono Crusade
There's quite a bit of difference actually, especially if the show was made in Native HD. The colors look much better, the images are much more sharper and the particle/special effects really stand out. There was a night and day difference when I watched season 2 of Sekirei on DVD and Blu-ray. I bought a BD player several months after buying the set, so I saw both versions.
Homura's flames (especially his wings) really stand out. The burning ambers looked really impressive when watching it on Blu-ray, while they looked rather plain on the DVD version. Tsukiumi's water attacks also looked rather impressive.
Avatar: Rosette and Chrono from Chrono Crusade
Doesn't bother me.
I bought Heaven's Lost Property: Forte when it was confirmed for a DVD-only release! If it was a combo pack I wouldn't have bought it.
Since I have a region-free DVD player and actually imported season 1 from Madman Entertainment (Australia) to AVOID having a blu-ray included.
They still keep the formats separate so I wanted to show my support.
I don't care for Blu-ray and never will.
If it's a series I really like (Sekirei: Pure Engagement, Freezing) I'll make an exception and force myself to buy the crappy combo pack but those Blu-ray discs may as well be used as beverage coasters...
I suppose I could sell them on ebay (I already have blank cases) but then I'd have some funny looking packaging with empty disc slots, and I'd rather not use blank cases because I do like the artwork on the cases.
At least Sekirei: Pure Engagement and Freezing are native HD so if blu-ray players cost $1 in the future or someone gives me one for free I might actually use the Blu-rays... But for Heaven's Lost Property Season 1 (if I did buy the combo pack) the Blu-ray is just an inferior upscale and not native HD so that's no real upgrade from DVD = useless
Sekirei Season 1's Blu-ray is an upscale too. So as much as I like the franchise I'm happy with my original DVD set. The Blu-ray for the combo pack is useless in my opinion so I have no plans to ever buy that release.
Any other combo pack titles I like I'll wait for bigger box sets (e.g. Fairy Tail 24 episode box sets and a complete series collection for Shiki). Hopefully Funimation will be smart and have the formats separated for those re-releases.
I'm also hopeful Anime Classic and S.A.V.E. re-releases will separate the formats for all original combo pack titles.
So far there are good signs.
e.g. Funimation could've easily "combo packed" Vexille and Ouran High School Host Club but they didn't!
Of course these titles were originally released on separate formats to begin with before Funimation started their combo pack releases, so maybe they wanted to be consistent for re-releases too.
However that never stopped Funimation from "screwing over" fans by abandoning consistency for releases for new seasons.
e.g.
Hey fans Black Butler 2 is a combo pack! Now if you want a "complete" collection buy the combo pack for season 1 too!
You'll now have two sets of DVDs since you bought the original DVD-only set (thanks btw for supporting that original release!)
We LOVE Blu-ray as you should too! Who cares about extra DVD copies. Hurray!
*BARF* They didn't really say that but they might as well have...
They should've separated DVD and Blu-ray for shows like Spice and Wolf 2, Black Butler 2 and Sekirei: Pure Engagement to be consistent... but doing this method, they can force the OCD fans to re-buy the first season again.
Who knows maybe Funimation will re-release DVD-only box sets and a Blu-ray only box sets for anime franchises with multiple seasons in the distant future. I'm sure that would make many fans happy who are waiting patiently.
e.g.
*Sengoku Basara + Sengoku Basara 2
*Spice and Wolf + Spice and Wolf 2
*Eden of the East + Movie 1 + Movie 2
For me it's Funimation's last chance to get my money for certain titles. Otherwise I look forward to doing more business with Madman Entertainment.
IMO if a company is going to re-release a title multiple times, they should give their customers different options instead of forcing them to settle for one choice not everybody agrees with...
Dubs > Subs
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com
http://www.myanimelist.net/profile/jackson_h
http://www.funimation.com/user/jacksonh/blog
So you paid more for an item with a higher retail price, coupled with import shipping fees and shaky region free DVD player quality all in order to protest getting a higher quality product and the original DVD release. Let me say that again, for a much higher price you get an inferior product.
While I am not too happy with what Kadokawa is doing, I don't think we really have a choice in the matter other than waiting or buying the DVD copies. For Panty and Stocking and Is this a Zombie, I caved and preordered the DVD copies since I have no idea how long we would have to wait for the blu-ray counterpart to release. The prices were pretty reasonable from rightstuf with the 10% off. Still, I always prefer to get the blu-ray/dvd combo packs since they are the best deal and I have a handful of blu-ray players (3 to be exact).
While there has no been no official statement by FUNimation or Kadokawa, many of us believe the reason is because Japan is worried about reverse imports hurting Japanese sales. I think we will have to wait until Sentai Filmworks releases Another later this year. I think I remember reading that Another is a Kadokawa show and if Sentai Filmworks is able to release a blu-ray version of it, we will have to make the assumption that there was a falling out between FUNimation and Kadokawa. If Sentai Filmworks only releases a DVD, we will have to come to the realization that it might be harder to get blu-ray copies of our favorite anime out of Japan.
I fear for the worst with the FUNimation release of Steins; Gate. I am really hoping for a blu-ray/dvd combo pack but if it doesn't happen I'll have to just settle for the DVD copy.
Or we can also assume that Sentai paid lots and lots of money (maybe overpaid) to Kadokawa for BD rights.
Fixed!
I got exactly what I wanted; Madman's DVDs look great.
Heaven's Lost Property was a special case. If Season 2 was a combo pack (like it was originally supposed to be), I would be waiting for a DVD-only "complete series" (with both seasons) box set re-release.
From the recent ANNCast HLP is a best seller, so that means = future Anime Classic re-release
I don't plan to import very often; HLP was a series I really liked and since I bought season 2 which was DVD-only I decided to import the DVD-only box set of season 1 and I'm happy with my decision.
Why buy Funimation's combo pack and get more useless Blu-ray discs I don't want?
One imported DVD from Australia is nothing compared to some fans who spends hundreds of dollars every month importing from Japan.
The ball is in Funimation's court. They can separate the formats for future re-releases and have my money or they can make a mistake and re-release even bigger crappier combo packs (e.g. Casshern Sins) and lose the money I spend on anime DVDs every month.
(In the case of Cassherns Sins I thankfully bought the half-set DVD releases since they were still available)
I have an Elite Video Subscription so I still get to watch new dubs.
I get to discover some great new anime like Shiki but I don't have to buy it.
DVD box set = yes
combo pack = no
I can spend my DVD money supporting Sentai, Media Blasters and Discotek until the re-release collection I want actually happens.
Funimation has more market share than the others so they usually have the most appealing new titles (lately not so much) but I have no complaints buying titles from other companies as a higher priority if they want to alienate some of their customers.
I also find it amusing that the main reason for creating combo packs (certain retailers won't stock anime unless it's Blu-ray or no Blu-ray section for anime in the anime DVD section) is no longer a big concern.
Best Buy and brick and motar stocks are going out of business or closing down branches.
Online shopping is increasing and those sites sure as hell don't care how home video releases are packaged.
Everything regardless of size is shipped directly from a warehouse where everything is stocked in a box or crate.
Having appropriate sized packaging and pandering to the ways B&M stores stock their inventory (they want Blu-ray because studios pay for shelf space and want to the format to succeed; though it's ultimately been underwhelming) isn't going to be a concern when there are fewer walk-in stores in the future.
Dubs > Subs
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com
http://www.myanimelist.net/profile/jackson_h
http://www.funimation.com/user/jacksonh/blog