Before I buy an overpriced set, I’ll use the nuclear option.
[quote=chrisc]
[quote=mitamaking]
I think I heard they are surviving month to month but with them grabbing a bit higher profile shows like Angel Beats[/quote]
I agree with you on your comment but Bandai released K-ON, Haruhi Suzumiya season 2 and movie last year, also don’t forget about Gundam animes, Sadly all are higher profile shows then Angel Beats and Bandai still failed.[/quote]
Bandai only got K-On! because the other R1’s wouldn’t play ball over ridiculous licensing conditions, such as a singles release and extremely high costs. It nearly ended up in the hands of someone else.
Manga UK has also admitted the show has not performed well in the US and Bandai was very disappointed with the sales. In fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if the flop of K-On! was one of the final nails in Bandai’s coffin. They would have had initial sales numbers in October when the decision was made.
As for Gundam, only a few of the series have been commercially successful. There have been plenty of the shows that have underperformed. Bandai didn’t really handle Gundam the way they needed to maintain its popularity.
Even Haruhi, which Bandai said was one of the best performing shows, had HUGE B&M retailer returns, particularly for the LE sets. Best Buy alone sent THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of copes back, not to mention the flopped Lucky Star LEs. In fact, I noticed Bandai’s problems really came to a head after that particularly brutal send back.
As for Sentai and Funimation, I wouldn’t worry about that presently. They both seem to have long term plans for the anime business, beyond the DVD and bluray markets, something Bandai, CPM, Geneon and others lacked. They both have significant streaming platforms, digital delivery and download methods, and their own anime-centric channels. Not to mention that they both make smart decisions about what they acquire, how they market it, and how they will make a profit on it.
Funimation seems to be in a bit of a lull lately, with few new licenses coming out compared to some other companies and a release schedule made up largely of re-releases. But I feel that is more due their placing all their eggs in the Geneon Universal basket and then getting burned. They spent an awful lot of money on titles they haven’t been able to release yet; money that could have been spent on other shows that would have came with less complications. There was active bidding on Shana, Hellsing, and others from the other R1 companies, so those titles weren’t cheap. They may have been better off if they had let a few of them go to someone like Sentai or Media Blasters and spent more money at other licensors.
I am a bit concerned about Funi’s 24 hour channel though. It’s really struggling to gain any traction, similar to Anime Network’s 24 hour feed, which we know now was a money loosing operation. I can’t really see how it can be making any money. Even though it may be part of their long term plan, if they keep pouring money into a loss maker like a 24 hour channel, they could find themselves in deep trouble, especially without the deeper pockets of their former parent company.
[quote=dragonrider_cody]
Bandai only got K-On! because the other R1’s wouldn’t play ball over ridiculous licensing conditions, such as a singles release and extremely high costs. It nearly ended up in the hands of someone else.
Manga UK has also admitted the show has not performed well in the US and Bandai was very disappointed with the sales. In fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if the flop of K-On! was one of the final nails in Bandai’s coffin. They would have had initial sales numbers in October when the decision was made.[/quote]
Cody,
Some anecdotal evidence on my part regarding K-ON!.
I decided to go ahead and collect the Bandai singles about a week after the first disk was released. Both Amazon and RightStuf were out-of-stock and after a month I ended up getting it from one of the Amazon “partners”.
The second disk was out-of-stock again on it’s release date and it was a couple of weeks before I could get a copy. ( At this point I was not hitting Best Buy for Anime despite there being one relatively close to our house, that was a brain failure on my part plain & simple. )
So, I pre-ordered both the third & fourth disks and got them at release.
Sometime around the third disk’s release our local Best Buy abruptly had multiple copies of 1, 2 & 3 on their shelves. They kept what appears to have been a deep ( 5 or more disks of each Volume ) stock thru the disk 4 release and Christmas. The stock seemed to sell, but appeared to be replaced quickly.
I think this indicates a declining-sales-over-release pattern, the first volume did well enough, but each subsequent disk dropped off. Also, as has been noted, consumers in the U.S. really do expect a higher episode count and extra features in their purchases vs Japanese expectations. K-ON! from Bandai was lacking in both those areas.
If that was what put Bandai under, even in part, then TBS is not going to have any takers for their second season & movie K-ON! in North America without backing off on their license conditions.
It’s a shame that something as enjoyable - for me - as K-ON! was could end up taking part in the failure of a long time vendor like Bandai Entertainment.
Mark Gosdin
[quote=dragonrider_cody]
I am a bit concerned about Funi’s 24 hour channel though. It’s really struggling to gain any traction, similar to Anime Network’s 24 hour feed, which we know now was a money loosing operation. I can’t really see how it can be making any money. Even though it may be part of their long term plan, if they keep pouring money into a loss maker like a 24 hour channel, they could find themselves in deep trouble, especially without the deeper pockets of their former parent company.[/quote]
They face the same problem that kept The Anime Networks 24hr channel for being a success no one out side of a very few TV providers want to pick it up.
I had heard from a reliable source that the purpose of them getting a VOD section on Comcast was the eventual push for 24/7 channel on it. It depended on viewing numbers and Funimation has had a VOD on Comcast since I think around July 2009. I’m guessing the numbers were not there for Comcast. I figure if it’s hard to convince them Boomerang or Chiller would be great adds then a Anime channel is a big no. I remember back when Comcast bought out Marcus cable here they actually removed CN and Scifi. There being a huge outcry from cable subscribers. After I think 2 or 3 months Comcast caved though it still took several years for it to end up in all Comcast service areas. That was back when TV viewers were not so apathetic and lazy. Most of them now are if I can’t click a button I don’t want to bother.
I also stand by my the only way a 24/7 Anime Channel will work is if all the companies are in on it. One company doing it alone is a failure waiting to happen. It would also mean that if it did fail they are splitting the cost so the blow would be much lessened. They won’t do it though because they view it as helping the competition instead of helping the industry as a whole. Selfish bastards! 
[quote=psychopuppet]
I also stand by my the only way a 24/7 Anime Channel will work is if all the companies are in on it. One company doing it alone is a failure waiting to happen. It would also mean that if it did fail they are splitting the cost so the blow would be much lessened. They won’t do it though because they view it as helping the competition instead of helping the industry as a whole. Selfish bastards! ;)[/quote]
I completely agree with you, PP (surprised?) except for one thing. I think that a third party should run the network. That way all the companies would be treated equally. It would also allow for other features on the network that might not be anime-related that anime companies would not go for but would enhance the marketability of the channel.
That has been my “If I won the Powerball/MegaMillions BIG jackpot” fantasy for a few years now. I even have a location for the headquarters-a three story office building in Tulsa that sits empty. It’s got a great view of the southern sky (for satellite uplinks/downlinks) and a nice location right near a major highway.
I get Funimation’s 24/7 channel, and while it’s nice and everything… I don’t watch it often because it airs a lot of shows I’ve never seen and would only watch if I could see them from the beginning. If they happen to be airing the first episode of a show I’ve never seen I’ll watch, or if they’re showing an episode of a show I’ve already seen, I’ll watch.
Otherwise, I see no point in ever watching that channel…
That doesn’t mean they don’t show stuff that I wouldn’t watch. They show a lot of stuff that I actually would like to watch.
[quote=Newshawk]
[quote=psychopuppet]
I also stand by my the only way a 24/7 Anime Channel will work is if all the companies are in on it. One company doing it alone is a failure waiting to happen. It would also mean that if it did fail they are splitting the cost so the blow would be much lessened. They won’t do it though because they view it as helping the competition instead of helping the industry as a whole. Selfish bastards! ;)[/quote]
I completely agree with you, PP (surprised?) except for one thing. I think that a third party should run the network. That way all the companies would be treated equally. It would also allow for other features on the network that might not be anime-related that anime companies would not go for but would enhance the marketability of the channel.
That has been my “If I won the Powerball/MegaMillions BIG jackpot” fantasy for a few years now. I even have a location for the headquarters-a three story office building in Tulsa that sits empty. It’s got a great view of the southern sky (for satellite uplinks/downlinks) and a nice location right near a major highway.[/quote]
I said the same thing on some forum before. there needs to be one anime channel that shows animes from all the companies.
Newshawk has a point it needs to be a third party that owns the channel.
While the idea of a third-party can work, that in itself comes with it’s own problems. For starter, will the channel be financed by all the R1 companies themselves and let this third party make all the decisions, or will third party carry the burden of financing by themselves.
If it’s the former, I can see the R1 companies fighting among themsleves and the third party for more air time, depending on how much each company invests on the channel. If R1A gives, oh say 30% money wise compared to R1B and C, who both gave only 20% because that’s all they can give, I doubt R1A would want to be treated “equal” as the others.
If it’s the latter and third party group is responsible for the whole sheabang, I can see a time were eventually third party would want to expand to do original programming, like say CN or SciFi, and slowly cut into anime time.
[quote=Tonka]
If it’s the latter and third party group is responsible for the whole sheabang, I can see a time were eventually third party would want to expand to do original programming, like say CN or SciFi, and slowly cut into anime time.[/quote]
That would depend upon whether it was the bean counters running the show or people with an entertainment/broadcasting background.
[quote=Newshawk]
That would depend upon whether it was the bean counters running the show or people with an entertainment/broadcasting background.[/quote]
Without active intervention by an involved owner it will be the “Bean Counters” that end up in charge. They have far more endurance than anyone else, trust me I know this.
What Newshawk dreams of is doable, but it will take someone with passion and a will – much, much harder than iron to make it work. ( Not to mention truckloads of cash. )
Mark Gosdin
[quote=blakdragon7]
I think Sentai’s business model is working great. They haven’t slowed down since reforming. I see nothing to be worried about anyway.[/quote]
If they went under Anime Network would be in trouble. This post-ADV era revolves around those titles. I personally love their shows and they’ll be around for years to come I hope.
Sentai is clearly doing well if they can go back and dub series, but they have me a little afraid to buy new titles because I don’t want to spend $25-$40 for a set that 6, 12 months later is in the RSI bargain bin for under $10 because they’re doing a dub release.
The only way a 24-hour anime channel would work is if it was owned and controlled by the remaining importers - I don’t see them working together to make a channel like that work. Too hard to divide up the prime time spots, especially if you run a 6 hour block and repeat it with say a daytime, G to PG block and an evening PG13 to R block.
[quote=rebecca12]
Sentai is clearly doing well if they can go back and dub series, but they have me a little afraid to buy new titles because I don’t want to spend $25-$40 for a set that 6, 12 months later is in the RSI bargain bin for under $10 because they’re doing a dub release.
The only way a 24-hour anime channel would work is if it was owned and controlled by the remaining importers - I don’t see them working together to make a channel like that work. Too hard to divide up the prime time spots, especially if you run a 6 hour block and repeat it with say a daytime, G to PG block and an evening PG13 to R block.[/quote]
I’d split it up evenly each day.
I know this is sort of early, but I think this is necessary. What shows that Bandai currently has would you like to see Sentai get. I personally would like all the UC Gundam shows that haven’t been released to find a home here. A simple sub only release would do.
K-ON Season 2 & movie would be my choice, even if Bandai didn’t license them they released the first season.
One Bandai Entertainment show that should be rescued immediately is Gosick.
If they’re gonna acquire anything it will be either of the cancelled new licesnes:
Gosick
Nichijo
Turn a Gundam
Everything else, like Cowboy Bebop, Eureka Seven, etc, Bandai will still keep until the license expires.
Out of those three on top, I say the best chance if any would be Turn a Gundam, dvd and sub-only.
Gosick and Nichijou, I expect Gosick to get rescued by Sentai actually, Nichijou, Right Stuf for some reason.
I think **Gosick and Nichijou **will be licensed toghether, a two-pack sorta deal, since both are Kadokawa properties. I may be wrong, probably am, but wasn’t there some “animosity”, maybe too harsh a word, between Kadokawa and ADV - whether that continues with Sentai, I’m not sure - since the Newtype USA incident.
My money, freshyly printed and in ciculation, is on Turn a Gundam, even though I ain’t really a Gundam fan.
Time a ham n cheese sammich.
Some of Bandai’s shows that actually ran on TV should either be expired, or should be expiring shortly. We already that Wolf’s Rain is out of print.
I would love to see Sentai nab Dragon Drive. It was a fun show that I really enjoyed. I think it could pick up some decent sales with reasonably priced boxsets.