[details=spoiler]It really amused me that Rei ended up swimming with penguins. I’ll never forget that speedo of his from the first season!
Overall, this was a good anime with a good ending. I was happy that all the individual characters got what they wanted in the end, and were satisfied with the direction of their lives. I was especially happy for Haru. I’m glad he had finally found his dream. Even that final scene with Haru and Rin competing on the international stage was perfect![/details]
At AWA this year, during the FUNimation Industry panel, someone asked about the likelihood of them licensing the first season of FREE!, which they already have the rights to the second season for. The answer given was that Crunchyroll had the rights to the series and that prevented a release, as they were the only ones that could do that. Crunchyroll, to my limited knowledge, has only physically released one anime (5 Centimeters per Second). Why would CR, a streaming service, hold the “home video rights” to a series that it was not going to release?
I was unaware that this was now public knowledge. Okay then. Yes, Crunchyroll has the home video rights to FREE! Some licensors do not like to break up individual pieces of rights to a show – if you want to license it, you have to license EVERYTHING. No streaming without home video, and vice versa. It’s a way for them to cut down on paperwork – smaller outfits simply don’t have time to deliver masters and negotiate contracts and go over approvals multiple times with different companies for the same territory.
And so, Crunchyroll is now stuck with home video rights to this, and a small handful of other shows. What they’ll do with those rights is anyone’s guess – maybe they’ll sell them off, maybe they’ll try to do a release themselves. But releasing DVDs and Blu-rays are a lot of work, and their previous path to distribution (via Bandai Entertainment) no longer exists, so they’ll have to start from scratch. I don’t think they’ll just sit on the home video rights to this show; they’re too valuable. The only thing I don’t see happening is them giving the rights to Funimation. Those two will likely not work well together.
We can only wait and see what will happen. I just hope that both seasons get (well) dubbed, and with the same cast. [/quote]
It explains a lot that Crunchyroll has the home video rights to the first season of Free!. Now we get to see how things go with the fans knowing where the rights are and, I’m sure, peppering Crunchyroll with requests to have it be released.
Somehow I don’t think the chances of it being dubbed the same as Funimation with season 2 are all that good. But maybe we will all be surprised and Crunchyroll & Funimation can find a way to bury the hatchet.
And so, Crunchyroll is now stuck with home video rights to this, and a small handful of other shows.
This part in particular, makes me wonder if that was/is the issue with My Ordinary Life & Gosick not being picked up by anyone else after the Bandai licenses reverted to the “licensors”, especially considering NISA has stated a couple times at cons that My Ordinary Life in particular was “already licensed”.
It would make sense, since Bandai picked them up pretty quickly and CR had a pre-existing relationship with Bandai at that point.
Regarding the Home Video Rights for Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
We’ve been getting a lot of questions today regarding the Anime News Network Answerman column, where Justin Sevakis states that Crunchyroll holds the home video rights for Free! Season 1. We know that many of you fans have been very curious about the home video rights situation, ever since our initial announcement of the simulcast of season 2 (Free! -Eternal Summer-).
We would absolutely love to make an English dub for season 1 and distribute it on home video, and we would be more than happy to work with Crunchyroll to make it happen. We have reached out to Crunchyroll to see if they would be interested in collaborating on this release; however, we have not heard back yet. Stay tuned for future developments though—we’re excited to report that we will be announcing the dub cast for season 2 very soon, so please follow our Free! -Eternal Summer- Facebook page or Tumblr to be the first to hear the news!
Funimation already streaming swimming TV series’ 2nd season
North American anime distributor Funimation announced on Friday that it will make an English dub for the Free! Eternal Summer television anime series. The company said that it plans to announce the dub cast for the the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club anime soon.
Funimation also stated that it has approached Crunchyroll about a collaboration to make an English dub of the anime’s first season and distribute it on home video. Crunchyroll currently holds the home video rights for the first season. Funimation said that Crunchyroll has yet to reply to their inquiry.
Funimation announced in June that it acquired North American streaming and home video rights for Free! Eternal Summer. The anime premiered on July 2, and both Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan.
The season features the new character Sōsuke Yamazaki, one of Rin’s best friends from elementary school who understands him well. Yoshimasa Hosoya plays Sōsuke.
The official website for the Free! Eternal Summer anime announced in August that an unaired, special episode will be included on the seventh Blu-ray Disc and DVD volumes of the series, which is slated to ship in Japan on March 18, 2015.
maybe Funi shouldn’t have sat on their buttocks and grabbed season 1 when they had the chance. now they’re gonna whine/bully their way to season 1.
Hope CR makes them pay and arm and a leg to sublicense it.
Well, maybe they weren’t sitting down when the Season 1 license was available. Could have been busy chasing another license, maybe that Titan thing, after all there is only so much that small companies like Funimation, Sentai, Crunchyroll, etc. can do.
I’d hope for them to negotiate a deal that puts some nice change in everyone’s pockets, gets the fans what they want in the way of dub releases and leaves smiles all around.
Free! Eternal Summer English Dub Casts J. Michael Tatum as Rei
posted on 2014-11-10 12:45 EST
Funimation is announcing one cast member a day
FUNimation Entertainment announced on Monday that J. Michael Tatum (Black Butler’s Sebastian Michaelis, Hetalia’s France) will play Rei in its upcoming English dub of Free! Eternal Summer. The company is announcing one cast member a day from November 10 through November 16.
Free! Eternal Summer is the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club anime. Crunchyroll currently holds the home video rights for the first season, and Funimation stated last month that it has approached Crunchyroll about a collaboration to make an English dub of the anime’s first season and distribute it on home video. At the time, Funimation said that Crunchyroll had yet to reply to their inquiry.
The second season premiered on July 2, and both Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan.
The season features the new character Sōsuke Yamazaki, one of Rin’s best friends from elementary school who understands him well. Yoshimasa Hosoya plays Sōsuke.
The official website for the Free! Eternal Summer anime announced in August that an unaired, special episode will be included on the seventh Blu-ray Disc and DVD volumes of the series, which is slated to ship in Japan on March 18, 2015.
Free! Eternal Summer English Dub Casts Greg Ayres as Nagisa
posted on 2014-11-11 11:45 EST
Funimation announces 3rd cast member on Wednesday
FUNimation Entertainment confirmed on Tuesday that Greg Ayres (Ouran High School Host Club’s Kaoru Hitachiin, Hetalia’s Denmark, No. 6’s Shion) will play Nagisa Hazuki in its upcoming English dub of Free! Eternal Summer. The company is announcing one cast member a day from November 10 through November 16, and it already announced J. Michael Tatum as Rei on Monday.
Free! Eternal Summer is the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club anime. Crunchyroll currently holds the home video rights for the first season, and Funimation stated last month that it has approached Crunchyroll about a collaboration to make an English dub of the anime’s first season and distribute it on home video. At the time, Funimation said that Crunchyroll had yet to reply to their inquiry. Crunchyroll representatives said at Pacific Media Expo this past weekend that they do not intend to sit on the rights, and asked fans to look forward to future developments.
The second season premiered on July 2, and both Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan.
The season features the new character Sōsuke Yamazaki, one of Rin’s best friends from elementary school who understands him well. Yoshimasa Hosoya plays Sōsuke.
The official website for the Free! Eternal Summer anime announced in August that an unaired, special episode will be included on the seventh Blu-ray Disc and DVD volumes of the series, which is slated to ship in Japan on March 18, 2015.
I’m almost afraid to look at the comments for that @ ANN as it has more than its fair share of fans who go into a “froth at the mouth” rage when Greg Ayres is mentioned. On the Tatum casting article, I noticed some benighted person complaining about Tatum being in this dub, which is like upbraiding Funi for using a screwdriver to turn a screw; the right tool for the job lol.
So far, the Karneval dream team is reassembling. I wonder if they’ll get Bevins to direct this one.
Speaking of irrational Greg Ayres hate, that link had more than a bit of it. Though Fandom Post is where the haters congregate (making ANN’s forumites look like pikers) so I’m not surprised. With all the “haterade” over there, I’m surprised that industry guys chime in over there.
I wonder who will be chosen to direct it. Perhaps Bevins will still appear in the dub.
FUNimation Entertainment announced on Friday that Vic Mignogna (Fullmetal Alchemist’s Edward Elric, Ouran High School Host Club’s Tamaki Suou) will play Rin Matsuoka in its upcoming English dub of Free! Eternal Summer. The company is announcing one cast member a day from November 10 through November 16, and it already announced J. Michael Tatum as Rei Ryugazaki, Greg Ayres as Nagisa Hazuki, Johnny Yong Bosch as Makoto Tachibana, and Todd Haberkorn as Haru.
A fan-made image of Mignogna as Rin spread before the actual announcement, but Funimation confirmed that the image was a “lucky guess” and not a leak.
Free! Eternal Summer is the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club anime. Crunchyroll currently holds the home video rights for the first season, and Funimation stated last month that it has approached Crunchyroll about a collaboration to make an English dub of the anime’s first season and distribute it on home video. At the time, Funimation said that Crunchyroll had yet to reply to their inquiry.
The second season premiered on July 2, and both Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan.
The season features the new character Sōsuke Yamazaki, one of Rin’s best friends from elementary school who understands him well. Yoshimasa Hosoya plays Sōsuke.
The official website for the Free! Eternal Summer anime announced in August that an unaired, special episode will be included on the seventh Blu-ray Disc and DVD volumes of the series, which is slated to ship in Japan on March 18, 2015.
FUNimation Entertainment announced on Saturday that Jerry Jewell (Hetalia’s Russia, Fruits Basket’s Kyo) will play Momotaro Mikoshiba and Josh Grelle (Attack on Titan’s Armin, Princess Jellyfish’s Kuranosuke) will play Aiichiro Nitori in its upcoming English dub of Free! Eternal Summer. The company is making new cast announcements every day from November 10 through November 16, and it already announced J. Michael Tatum as Rei Ryugazaki, Greg Ayres as Nagisa Hazuki, Johnny Yong Bosch as Makoto Tachibana, Todd Haberkorn as Haru, and Vic Mignogna as Rin.
Free! Eternal Summer is the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club anime. Crunchyroll currently holds the home video rights for the first season, and Funimation stated last month that it has approached Crunchyroll about a collaboration to make an English dub of the anime’s first season and distribute it on home video. At the time, Funimation said that Crunchyroll had yet to reply to their inquiry.
The second season premiered on July 2, and both Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan.
The season features the new character Sōsuke Yamazaki, one of Rin’s best friends from elementary school who understands him well. Yoshimasa Hosoya plays Sōsuke.
The official website for the Free! Eternal Summer anime announced in August that an unaired, special episode will be included on the seventh Blu-ray Disc and DVD volumes of the series, which is slated to ship in Japan on March 18, 2015.
