I have a couple of questions about the kodakawa/crunchyroll alliance thing
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My questions are.
Does their deal mean that home video rights would go to crunchyroll as well (eventhough they are just a streaming service)?
Does this also mean that funimation will lose any kodakawa published anime that they already have?
And lastly Does it mean that funimation won't be able to get future seasons of shows they already have the rights to like strike witches and highschool dxd?
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- currently unknown. It could certainly happen, they are using Discotek to release the few shows they have home video rights for
- no, the deal is not retroactive
- also currently unknown. DxD is Media Factory, not Kadokawa, so that's not an issue
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- currently unknown. It could certainly happen, they are using Discotek to release the few shows they have home video rights for
- no, the deal is not retroactive
- also currently unknown. DxD is Media Factory, not Kadokawa, so that's not an issue
All these unknowns are very scary.
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DxD is Media Factory, not Kadokawa, so that's not an issue
Actually, Media Factory is a Kadokawa brand. That said, I don't think this new partnership will affect series that are already licensed to particular companies. What I am concerned with is how this would affect any hypothetical future seasons of any such series, like DxD and Index.
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What I am concerned with is how this would affect any hypothetical future seasons of any such series, like DxD and Index.
Yeah I'm worried about that to. I guess we'll have to wait and see with the upcoming season of strike witches or any other kadokawa published anime the could be coming out. Also I hope funimation can at least get home video right to kadokawa anime because if they can't it will basically kill any chances of kadokawa anime being dubbed.
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I don't think there is anything to worry about for DxD, if Crunchy does get it they will most likely dub it since it's so popular. (Like they did with Free).
Or I can be totally wrong, I don't really know what happened with Free getting a dub on Crunchy.
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Crunchyroll has the rights to season 1 of Free, while Funimation has the rights to season 2. Crunchyroll got lucky and managed to get the guys who dubbed season 2 to dub season 1.
Back on topic, my other main question about this alliance is does it affect only new anime series published by Kadokawa, and most likely Media Factory; or does it affect anime adaptations of all manga and light novels that Kadokawa or any of its brand companies are involved in publishing? I've been doing some research on Kadokawa, and it looks like they're involved in quite a lot of literary titles.
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What I am concerned with is how this would affect any hypothetical future seasons of any such series, like DxD and Index.
You do not need to worry about Index since FUNi got the license from Universal Geneon.
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You do not need to worry about Index since FUNi got the license from Universal Geneon.
The publisher of the Index light novels is a Kadokawa brand company, which brings me back to my previous question about how broad the scope of this alliance could affect things.
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Ok so I decided to ask crunchyroll the questions about the alliance on their Facebook. I asked how will it affect dub fans, would it cause chances for kodakawa anime to get dubs drop to almost 0? I asked if the deal would prevent companies from getting future seasons of kodakawa anime that they already have licensed?
Their answer: "These questions will all be answered in due time - I really appreciate your concern and thoughtful questions, but we're understandably not able to address anything here specifically at this time."Now I really don't like that answer because with my experience of asking companies things when they give that type answer it means that the answer is yes to all those questions but legally they can't say it.
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could be that, but I'd put money on them not actually knowing the answers to those questions.
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It probably has to be decided for each show individually.
I really don't see anything happening differently from what (eventually) happened with Free! (except that they'd plan on going that way from the beginning). If anything, it could actually speed up the dubs, having them work so closely with the Japanese producers. Honestly, I think it's likely that the same thing would happen if Aniplex decides not to license Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic to FUNi - that they'd still get FUNi to do the dub. Which is also what FUNi did years ago with ADV and Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid - they licensed it but had ADV dub it.
There are reasons why they can't say until they have everything in place for an individual show. I wouldn't be worried.
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It's also important to not presume that everything is going to negatively affect you. You know, less scrambling over licenses could have a lot of positive effects throughout the industry that you might never know about if you don't work in the industry.
I really hope nerd negativity doesn't stop people from doing business deals that would be good for anime…
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yup, that is a possibility. one of many. anything could happen here, and right now it doesn't do any good to run rampant with speculation when we know nothing. dont panic yet, just wait and see
Funi and Viz aren't the only sources of dubs. Sentai still dubs, as does Aniplex USA. Media blasters has stated dubbing again, and Netflix dubs everything they license as well. NIS:A, Pied Piper, Acttil, Toei, Sunrise as well.
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^This.
Also, you have no idea what went on behind the scenes with Free getting a dub.- You don't have to buy a barebones release - that's what streaming is for.
You "fail to realize," to use your phrase, that businesses exist to please their customers - otherwise, someone else will come in and do what they do better than they do it, and they'll lose all of their customers. If broadcast dubbing becomes more worthwhile for anyone but FUNi (or any show but Durarara!!), Crunchyroll might take an interest and get into it.
If something's a big hit, they're not going to not dub it. Whoever they are, if they're in a position to license anime, they're also in a position to call up Bang Zoom or whoever and hire them to dub the show if they think it will sell. Anime industry people like to work together and get the best possible product out to fans. If you don't trust them, you're really just shooting yourself in the foot.
Even if this particular deal results in more shows getting sub-only releases (at least initially, e.g. NIS:A), it's probably good for the industry overall to have more connections like this.In the long term, you know what a deal like this would probably really do for dubbing?
Have you watched any broadcast dubs? They're, uhh,… not that great. But that's not because the people involved lack skills/talent/whatever - they're the same people who do the good dubs. The issue with the broadcast dubs is time. And you know what could get them more lead time to make broadcast dubs? Closer relationships with the Japanese producers.
A deal like this is less likely to result in fewer dubs overall and more likely to result in higher quality simultaneous dubs, like Space Dandy.
Can you imagine an epic action-drama show along the lines of Code Geass, getting a high-quality dub the same day it comes out in Japan? This is how we get there.Not to mention... not having to wait a year plus for anything that's released in theaters instead of on TV in Japan. (e.g. Akito)
Basically all of the issues we still have about speed and quality of releases can be dealt with through deals like this.
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Also, you have no idea what went on behind the scenes with Free getting a dub.
Do you know what went on? I'm really curious :)
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I'm like the guy in all the conspiracy movies that tries to warn people of their impending doom and nobody believes. I guess we'll just have to wait and see who is right.
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I don't know, but nothing I've heard about the industry, over years and years of reading things from various sources, would indicate that there would have been "forcing" involved. Everything I've heard about the industry would indicate that they'd know what the fans want, and all parties work together to make a deal that works for everyone, the biggest obstacle being the contractual obligations of some of the Japanese producers (e.g. music rights, approvals, etc.)
Crunchyroll doesn't hate dubs. Crunchyroll specializes in subtitled simulcasts because their purpose is to get things online, legit, the same day they're on TV in Japan. When I said that broadcast dubs are only feasible right now for FUNi, do you know what I meant by that? FUNi dubs in-house, non-union, so it's a lot easier for them to organize things to make dubs cheaper and faster, after getting materials, to put out something quick enough to call it "broadcast". Anything slower than that falls outside of Crunchyroll's area, so this is why Crunchyroll hasn't gotten into the habit of having dubs made. Crunchyroll does post dubs, though - they have Durarara!!, Blue Exorcist, and a few other shows on the site in both. This sort of deal is what would make it feasible for Crunchy and others to make more dubs, not less.
Like I said before, they know what fans want. No one is actually under the illusion that no one wants dubs. There are sub-elitists who want to deny dub fans their shows, but those people are as far away from the actual industry as possible.
