It Begins Again: Con Coverage

First things first, I've once again neglected this blog. I know, it's a bad habit! Unfortunately, law school actually takes some effort! Who knew?

Anyway, let's get this party started!



So New York Comic Con has begun and already Funimation has scored a rather stunning hit. (And be advised, I've been told that there was a lot to come so this may not be the end!) I don't think it would be unfair to say that many fans were expecting Aniplex of America to be the major newsmaker at this con. Prior coverage of the con certainly didn't indicate huge news from Funimation. Let's start with a look at the one's we expected more from first!

Aniplex's news was limited but fun. For this blog, news on Blue Exorcist and Oriemo is bitter due to the sub-only releases but I can honestly say that I hope the fans who can enjoy these releases will enjoy them. I continue to believe both could support an English dub.

Better news on Madoka Magica was had though! First, we've got not just clear news of the goodies for the LE but also a bit of the English dub casting and pre-order linkies! Madoka's official site lists release details but here's a breakdown of the goodies with my personal biases applied!

Let's cut to the bottom line! This release will be single style, which means about four episodes a disc, even for the Blu-Ray. The first volume comes out Valentines Day next year (talk about irony) and will have an SRP of $94.98. You can apparently get it at $74.98 though. Still, that's HIGH for only 1 volume. Apparently, there will be 3 total volumes, all expensive for the LE. (And really, why would you buy the regular editions? Seriously, if you're buying singles, might as well go all out!)

The first volumes goodies are nice though: First, an English dub! Thank you! This is my favorite feature whether on DVD or Blu-Ray. Cast in some of the major roles are Sarah Williams for Sayaka Miki, Cassandra Lee for Kyubey and taking on another lead role in addition to Squid Girl's. . . well Squid Girl is Christine Marie Cabanos as Madoka herself.

These are fairly new voices and you'll largely know what you think of this casting if you've watched K-On!'s English dub. We can hope for success but we can't be sure if will come.

Extras for the regular and LE version of Madoka's volume 1 are soundtrack CD #1 with Yuki Kajiura awesomeness, ending theme song "Magia" music video by Kalafina, a trailer collection (why do they even calls these extras?) and the ubiquitous textless opening and ending vids.

I'm surprised a CD will be available for both release types. CDs are a great item and I've missed them since Geneon's downfall.

The LE exclusives for Volume 1 include: An exclusive collector's box (Daddy like), 2 cases with double-sided covers (we talking thin packs or full size?), a deluxe 24 page booklet that includes character designs and a special short manga plus the nebulous more companies always use when they want you to think something has lots more when it really doesn't. The short manga is what I want to see most. Character designs are fine and all but. . . what's the point when I can see the characters in action in the show?

Also included are: a double-sided poster (I actually hate these because I can never decide which side to show!) a Kyubey sticker (he's watching you contract!) and collectible postcards! (To mail or not the mail, that isn't even a question!)

All in all, it's a pretty swanky haul but I still feel that Madoka's chances are very limited over here. At least one industry insider has expressed agreement with some of my posted comments on Madoka. We'll have to see though.

Moving on, let's talk about Funimation's surprising announcement that might just change the anime industry forever. Hey, when you're the so-called 900 pound gorilla, every step you take can shake things up a little.

First, lets start with a basic synopsis: Funimation isn't in the streaming business. However, streaming is very useful to them. They're even going to have a subscription service. Now they've joined forces with a company that wants to stream anime worldwide, the company Niconico. Some take this to mean that Funimation will now begin to phase out streaming in favor of letting Niconico handle things. I disagree personally with that assessment as I think there are still things Funimation wants to stream for pay. Let's set that all aside though because this deal is pretty awesome.

Alright, the meat of the matter is now Funimation's got it's hand in joint licensing with Niconico. What does that mean for you and me? It means more anime getting licensed and it means riskier anime getting licensed. It also means that now there's new considerations for home video releases; a new company with different ideas of what they think will be a success working with a cost-effective distribution system! Basically, we're going to see some shows that we wouldn't have seen absent this deal. And if Funimation's own policy of producing an English dub for home video releases is extended to this new venture, which would be wise in my opinion as fans will associate this new venture with Funimation proper, then we'll be getting more English dubs than we might have as well. (However, there is not yet evidence to support this. I merely speculate.)

The first shows involved are: Shakugan no Shana III, Future Diary aka Mirai Nikki, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (what a mouthful!), C³ and Maken-Ki!, most of which are well anticipated or already loved shows. I won't fault any of them but I must salivate over Shana III and Future Diary! Both are must haves if they come to home video (assuming Shana gets her original English cast back, I don't think I'd accept another voice for Shana besides Tabitha St. Germain!) I'm surprised that only recently I was thinking "wow, I hope Funimation will license Future Diary" and now this. I can think of several VAs I'd like to hear voice Yuno.

Hey, universe, if you're going to grant my wishes, how about making Yuno Gasai love me?



. . . .

I'm still very attracted to her. She does everything out of love!

Funimation also announced some new licenses proper with Fafner and Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror. Considering the complete set of Fafner at my local movie stop is like $100+, I think I'm intrigued by that pick up.

Also in manga news, Yen Press announced a "game changer" of their own with plans to get manga in the US up to date with manga in Japan. I doubt this will immediately end scanlations but it will make it increasingly obvious that they are not necessary any more and it'll give fans a legal option. They announced some new licenses and a license rescue too.

Yen Press added the Puella Magi Madoka Magica manga, Soul Eater Not!, The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (which I think I'll have to buy) and Until Death Do Us Part as new licenses. Licensed rescue from Stu Levy's limbo zone was Alice in the Country of Hearts. A manga based on a dating-sim based on Alice in Wonderland? Interesting.

So for now, that's my full commentary. I'll post again tomorrow unless I feel absolutely compelled to post sooner.

Until then, remember that every fan can and does make a difference!



And also, Yuno Gasai is someone you should probably listen to. Really.

Bye-ni!

Madoka Magica to be Dubbed!

Aniplex of America, perhaps best known at this time for charging a small fortune for the Garden of Sinners movies, has just made a lot of magical girl anime fans happy with the announcement of an English dub for the absurdly popular Puella Magi Madoka Magica making this only the second dub the company has done by their own will. (They'd re-released some dubbed series but only Durarara! had a dub they were paying to produce.)

Personally, this is a big shock to me because despite the insane popularity of this series right now, it's a magical girl anime and so far in the US such anime have apparently died sales wise if they weren't called Sailor Moon. Some suggest that mainstream male fans are afraid of their macho points dropping if they watch magical girl anime while female anime fans often prefer more shonen or yaoi-esque titles. Others claim that merely using the words "magical" or "princess" in the title of an anime dooms it to being considered a series for pre-pubescent girls. Regardless, this turn of events leads me to think there are 3 possible explanations for this English dub being announced:

First, that Aniplex is convinced the massive online fan popularity of Madoka Magica will translate to big sales and/or they've gotten so much pro-dub feedback on this one that they decided to dub it despite all of the previous failures of magical girl series.

Second, Aniplex isn't aware of the previous failures and/or does not understand that they'd probably get better sales dubbing Blue Exorcist and Oreimo. They simply believe that western the fans will flock to it like the Japanese fans.

Or third, someone made a contract.



Frankly, I think the third choice is the most likely.

As I see it, Madoka Magica will not actually sell well despite the huge fan popularity. The reality is that many of the fans online who practically worship this series probably won't bother buying it. They've already got it subbed and downloaded onto their hardrives and for far too many anime fans in general, that's more than enough. The reality Aniplex of America will likely soon discover is the same harsh one that the other anime companies have learned before: magical girl series don't sell well in the US.

Or I could be wrong. Madoka Magica is a harsh deconstruction of many of the tropes and plot elements of a typical magical girl series. It does not bode well though that even a beloved classic power house of a magical girl series like Card Captor Sakura can't even get a dubbed full release here.

Then again, I was wrong about this series getting a dub at all so what the hell do I know? I can't lose my head over these things. I should just be happy about this news!

Anyway, we know Blue Exorcist and Oreimo fans who wanted a dub are screwed and sub fans will pay a hefty price for these releases despite that. Compare Aniplex of America sub-only sets with releases from other companies and you have to ask yourself why the cost is higher for sub-only from them when they are the US arm of the Japanese company that OWNS the series to begin with. A licensor incurs costs licensing but a US branch incurs more to license? That seems unlikely.

Oh well, some fans like paying higher prices for less content. And don't forget those pretty boxes! Ignore that fans just a few years ago said "screw the box I want my anime to be cheaper!" Ignore it like the NASA data on CO2. I guess the feelies consisting of sixteen ending card postcards, a double sided poster and a 24 page booklet of character designs will have to try and make fans feel like it was worth it. (Wow, remember when we used to get LE sets that came with swag plus bilingual releases?)

Then again, there are fans who will jump for joy to pay more because the releases are more like the Japanese releases. (Ah, anime fans are just weird. Complaining about costs when it's a license by Americans but praising expensive releases when the Japanese come over and do it.)

Well, this bit of con news is certainly welcome to me one way or the other. I love magical girl series and this one will get into my collection! Maybe I'll even help some of you, my readers, to add it to your collections on the cheap? Hmm, maybe I will. You'll have to talk to my partner in this plan. . . .



He can be very persuasive. Don't miss out, plan ahead to save for the release of Madoka Magica!

Bye-ni!

Squidgasm

I've been a little hesitant to post my feelings on the depressing news of no more Higurashi: When They Cry or Familar of Zero licenses for Funimation but a recent bit of news has me a bit happier.

Now, I don't want to alarm anyone but a cephalopod invasion force, said to be headed by a powerful squid, is soon to be upon us! Militaries worldwide are preparing for the terrible war that is to come while some are already turning into quislings to welcome our new squid overlords. Truly it is a dark day when any man chooses to abandon his fellow humans in favor of joining forces with the creatures of the deep blue sea.



John Sirabella has informed us of the coming war and confirmed that the enemy has learned several languages, including Japanese and English! They will arrive with plenty of extra support as well, so we must be on our guard and ready to prevent this dangerous force from taking over the land!

We do have photo intelligence on the enemy's leader and there are some sketchy reports of an ability to vomit ink. One agent reports that the enemy has tentacle hair!



We lost contact with that agent shortly thereafter but we do not fear the worst as the agent was male. We've never lost a man to a tentacle yet!

Unfortunately, gender equality laws forced us to place women on the front lines of the last skirmish with the tentacles, resulting in unspeakable casualties. Fortunately, our early intelligence does not suggest that the squid's tentacles are naughty.

The first battle will begin on September 27 according to our intelligence. The Squid Girl, as she is known, will personally lead the attack on we dry-landers! All hope is not lost however as we've heard rumors that she may have a weakness!

We must all join together and take part in this battle against the Squid Girl! You can pre-order intelligence reports regarding the effort to battle the cephalopod armies here. Or you could attempt to gain favor with your new squid overlord by buying an idol to worship.

Together, we must stop the Squid Girl!

Although, her arrival will be another victory for English dub fans.



Look for despair next time as I discuss why there's not much to nipa about. Future blog entries shall be reviews and perhaps a video.

Bye-ni!

Hetalia English Cast News + Con Leftovers

Anime Expo has ended. Yet it shall live on in our hearts forever!

Welcome to Blog of a Heretical Dub Lover, I'm your semi-sane host Richard J., here to talk about what I didn't talk about before. First though, lets chat about Hetalia: Axis Powers!

While many were sleeping, Funimation's Char, cosplayer and brandmanager for Hetalia, put up a post the company blog giving us a whole lot of English dub cast information! Here's a list for those who despise videos with the passion of a hot blooded mecha pilot!

Lithuania: Josh Grelle
Estonia: Mike McFarland
Latvia: Ryan Reynolds
Romano: Ian Sinclair
Spain: Dave Trosko
Greece: Vic Mignogna
Liechtenstein: Cherami Leigh
Switzerland: John Burgmeier
Poland: Ryan Bijan
Ukraine: Lydia Mackay
Belarus: Monica Rial
Holy Roman Empire: Chris Cason
Chibitalia: Brina Palencia
Rome: Christopher R. Sabat
Austria: Chuck Huber
Hungary: Luci Christian
Sealand: Maxey Whitehead

They're also planning to announce Russia, China, Japan, England, France, America, Germany, and Italy's VAs one nation a day with special video clips of the English dub for each. Plus, some nations will get extra behind-the-scenes material, where the English dub's creative brains are picked. Perhaps they'll answer the question burning now in the heart of so many Hetalia fans: "is pasta really the key to world peace?"

ANN's article makes mention of the unusual path to us that Hetalia has taken as controversy drove it from a TV showing and onto the Internet, where it's popularity got it additional seasons. I have to wonder how much money the creators saved by not showing it on TV. It's well known that many anime that air on TV in Japan do so because the air time was bought by the production committee for the anime or other producers. Generally speaking, the networks in Japan don't actually pay for anime to air so it costs money to put the show on TV. One wonders if direct to Internet showings would actually save money and allow for higher production values or more episodes.

Anyway, make sure the check out Funimation's sneak peeks at the Hetalia English dub!

Now, let's talk Anime Expo con leftovers! I didn't comment on every piece of news that came out of AX (though I mentioned the stuff I thought was epic enough) so here's a bit of extra on some of the items I didn't discuss.

First, let me once again thank Cliff a.k.a. ExcelGenerations on Mania.com's AoD forum, who attended the con and helped provide some first hand news! (And no, I didn't bribe him to do it, he's just that cool.)

Okay, on to the con leftovers! Om nom readers, om nom.

One of the few new licenses to come out from AX without any word or rumor of an English dub came from, I'm sure you could have guessed it without thinking, Nozomi/Right Stuf. That series was So Ra No Wo To.

It's okay that there's no English dub though, Nozomi knows what anime fans want! And that's to save money! Thanks Nozomi for helping me to save my money by putting out a product I won't buy. I can use that money to buy more anime with an English dub or pay my ever increasing taxes.

Or I could just turn around and after skipping So Ra No Wo To buy a likely far better series, the beloved masterpiece of social commentary, surrealism and sheer crazy awesome that is Revolutionary Girl Utena! (Which has an old but uniquely capable English dub.) Remastered and to be re-released by Nozomi, Utena is a series that many were waiting for a license rescue on. It's about time this one was gotten. (Ten dollars says it outsells any of their new licenses.)

You know, I think a problem of the anime industry in R1 isn't that people don't want to buy anime, it's that fans sometimes take a long time to find out what anime they want to buy. By the time enough people have bought something, the company has already declared it a failure.

It's sad that Nozomi continues to do only sub-only or license rescues for their new releases. Apparently that's just the way they're going to be forever. (Well this fan doesn't want sub-only so screw you guys.)

Now for some Cliff's Notes, paraphrasing and my opinion mixed in for spice.

A Media Blasters rep spoke about the sales ratio for hybrid anime releases (those with English and Japanese dubs) vs. sub-only ones. According to him, hybrid releases bring in more money but they cost more upfront to do. The company wants to approach niche shows carefully by subbing first. While this makes sense to me, I feel it also hinders the sales potential of the shows. Especially as they've admitted to underestimated several series' potential but they may go back and dub more, depending on how things go. This is in line with other things they've said, which I mentioned in a previous blog.

Also, hentai sells real good and buyers have expressed a desire for an English dub, leading to many adult releases getting English language tracks while regular releases suffered. Perhaps this explains some of Media Blasters recent and very ecchi licenses?

The representative was also a bit dismissive of purist type sub-elite, describing some in a most unflattering fashion according to Cliff. Specifically, he referred to some such posters on the Anime on DVD forum. (Gee, wonder who he could have been referring to.)

It's not surprising to me that they don't have a very good opinion of these elitists. This is the same group that says they don't buy R1 releases, they don't think anime should cost money and that fansub groups are superior to the R1 companies.

Here's a direct quote from Cliff about the Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan special edition release that features an English dub:

BTW Bludgeoning Angle Dokuro Chan is FULL OF WIN! 10/10 must buy! My brother friends and I were up all night laughing our asses off. It' selling like crazy at the Media Blasters booth. I thanked them so damn much.

I think those first two sentences would have looked nice on a DVD case. It also sold a lot of units, remaining in stock only because they brought many copies with them.

Clannad is selling strong too, with one worker saying that they are regularly selling out of the complete collection (you know, the one with the new English dub) and that it did eventually sell out at the con, as did Black Lagoon and Baccano. Cliff's not so sure about some of the other series being sold there though, specifically he thinks Eyeshield's sales were soft. (The curse of sports anime.)

That curse didn't hit Bamboo Blade though as from what was said at the con, it sold very well. A cheap license that sold well, if only we could see a future complete collection release with new extras. (Please Funimation? Please?)

Cliff also informed me that the Hetalia English dub's accents sound pretty damn cool. Sales were very strong for the "con exclusive" My Bride is a Mermaid release, which sold out very quickly. Order your copy today from Robert's Anime Corner Store, Amazon.com or Right "You No Get English Dub" Stuf and sleep with the fishes.

Mmm, Masa.

ARGH! I MEAN SUN! SUN!

Cliff had an update on a long awaited title:

Oh Edo Rocket! Will be released on Nov 20th. Funi said it had alot of production delays which caused it's long overdue release. BTW it looks really funny!

So things are looking up on many fronts and down on a few. Anime Expo was great this year for English dub fans and for attendees.

Well that's it for me. I'll post again later this week, probably a review next.

Bye-ni!

Aniplex of America Licensed Durarara!! Dub Planned!

I wake up late and yet another shocking twist in the roller-coaster of happies that is AX this year.



I think I'm running out of happy to go around. After this article came out, that English dubs for the Aniplex of America licenses were highly-unlikely. Hideki "Henry" Goto said "Making an English dub takes a long time and costs a lot, so we may miss the release timing for future releases. If a title has a chance for TV broadcasting, it is possible to create an English dub, however, we don't plan to make a dub version and release it later." Personally, I figured that meant, unless the anime is going to be on TV, there won't be an English dub.

Well, perhaps not as Durarara!! has been licensed. This was expected after sources in the UK stated it was getting a US release but that same source informed us the release would be sub-only. This information seemed to be partially confirmed by ANN in this article. Now, new sources are saying Durarara!! is a "special case."



Perhaps the fan reaction changed someone's mind? Perhaps Durarara!! will be on TV?

Who knows and who cares, we have yet another English dub happy moment here! Durarara!! will get an English dub! (One hopes they could cast those Baccano cameos with Funi's help but that might be asking too much.)

Details on the release come from Japanator.com:

The show will release in three parts, each one containing 8 to 9 episodes, which seems to indicate the inclusion of the yet-to-be-released bonus episodes (12.5 and 25).

Well now, that's an interesting release format. It harkens back a bit to the old singles style, only with more episodes. Perhaps this release method will help the show be more profitable? I hope they have two discs per part, so we don't have to listen to videophile's complaining. (It would be ironic that we English dub fans won't have a reason to complain but they might.)



I'll be honest, I'd given up on this one. After reading the UK news, I figured this was yet another case of a new company saying "English dubs are the opiate of the masses" and ditching them in favor of sub-only releases. Not that all companies can even get that right.

I'm very pleased that Aniplex of America has at the very least realized the potential of this series and that an English dub matters. Very pleased. And very happy I and so many others were wrong about the UK news. (Well, at least we have the excuse of believing something that was believable.)

I hope to report more joy as the madness continues! Like the confirmation that Funimation will NOT be censoring Dance in the Vampire Bund when it comes out on DVD! As this info comes from Bal-anime, a great follower and a great fan! You can trust it.

No censored Mina. Thank God.

Bye-ni!

A Certain Scientific Railgun, Hellsing and Black Lagoon are Fun. (Update 3!)

From the Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan industry panel (think they've made the company name long enough?) comes several surprisingly under-reported announcements. Additional information makes these seem like full licenses too!



Apparently, A Certain Scientific Railgun/Toaru Kagaku no Railgun has been apparently licensed and marked for distribution via Funimation! Here's the quote from the remarkably vague report:

Black Lagoon, Hellsing, and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun will all be released by FUNimation in the United States, the latter of which is the only new announcement. High School of the Dead will be announced "sometime at this event," but when exactly is a "secret."

Follow ups came fairly soon though and now we have confirmation! A Certain Scientific Railgun is great all by itself, but the new Black Lagoon OVAs AND the rest of the Hellsing OVAs?!? Damn awesome news!



So that's a whole pack of new anime that will be coming to the US, via Funi, which hopefully means an English dub will happen for it. (Seems much more likely now that these appear to be proper licenses!) At the same time, I'm sure we don't have to wonder "wait, do they mean the new Black Lagoon OVAs and the rest of the Hellsing OVAs or just the old stuff they're already doing?" They've got them, don't worry!



I figured they wouldn't bother to act like it's news if it were the old stuff and I was right. Funimation's made some recent comments about big news and getting some shows fans were clamouring for, and they weren't kidding. I believe we can be certain now that these fan-favorite (and profit-making) anime are about to be in our hands. The only questions really are "will we get steelbook cases again?" and "will we get awesome English dubs with the same casts" again. This remains a crucial quesiton, though hopefully one that will answered during a certain upcoming panel.

Also, the Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works movie may be announced as licensed before the con is over! Not to mention High School of the Dead. Heck, that's going to be a first-run Hybrid release via Sentai! Plus a simulcast!



Ooh, things are heating up and I'll keep on bringing you my silly commentary on it! I'll also hopefully be able to report many more English dubs! Already, things are getting better for we English dub preferring fans!

Bye-ni!

*Update 1: An ominous line from a live-blog of the events:

10:48:56 For the dubs, we will discuss those with funimation but we don't want to

I'd like to think that is a miscommunication but if it isn't, then it would appear that the Japanese don't think English dubs are a good idea. (Fortunately, they'll be talking to the one R1 company that most strongly disagrees!)

*Update 2: Funimation confirming via Twitter that Hellsing Ultimate 5-7, Black Lagoon and A Certain Scientific Railgun are theirs! Sentai grabs High School of the Dead, plans English dub. Added more pics.

Holy Hannah, talk about a good day! Major fan favorites are coming back and we've some awesome new titles! I'm very excited and pleased by this turn of events, though I hope this doesn't completely ruin Funimation's upcoming panel! (Will they have anything left to announce?!?)

*Update 3: Should have checked my PMs (why aren't I getting E-mail notification of them?) because I have word from Cliff/ExcelGenerations:

A couple of the QA was wrong as well. Geneon said they WANT do dub all those shows they have to discuss. And also the dvd/blu ray question was they have the blu ray quality but it's up to the distributor if they will release.

So, Update 1's info is fooey. English dubs are desired!

Bandai At AX: All Your K-On! Are Belong To Us!

In a move that is both a surprise and totally expected (a surprise because we didn't think they had the money and expected because the show is rather popular) Bandai Entertainment kicked off the Anime Expo convention by announcing the license of K-On!, a show that swept Japan and many non-Japanese anime fans up in it's depiction of a group of girl's activities as they form a light music club. (Panel Report here.)



Various sources and rumors make the likelihood of an English dub highly probable. Zac Bertschy of ANN posted this on ANN:

There's a dub, they introduced the voice actresses at the panel. Full report up in a mo.

Edit: whoops, no they didn't. Fixed.

Still fairly sure this is getting a dub.

From that confusion though, we get Zac's very reliable assurance of a dub. Beyond him we have the comments from Bang Zoom! CEO Eric Sherman regarding Bandai Entertainment's decision to bet the company's future on two big projects. One of these was the continuation of the Haruhi franchise (the second season and the movie) but the other remained a mystery, likely until now. Assuming this is the second title, we can feel safe in the knowledge that Bang Zoom! will be dubbing K-On!

Additionally, Bandai Entertainment is planning to use a similar marketing strategy to the Haruhi franchise, involving live-action videos with popular VA Cristina Vee as Mio, Karri Shirou as Yui, "Kix" as Tsumugi, and "Briana" as Ritsu. This marketing decision increases the probability of an English dub as it shows a higher level of dedication to the series.

Allow to me personally voice my desire to see them make a great English dub with dubbed singing. I know some hate English dubbed songs but actresses like Wendee Lee and Cristina Vee have shown that they can sing very well, so why not use them? Done right, as Bang Zoom! has done in the past, K-On!'s English dub could be amazing. Dare I even say, profitable?



Unfortunately, right now, we don't have true confirmation yet of exactly what is going to happen with this release. The second season is unlicensed (though we may be wise in believing that Bandai Entertainment has a right of first refusal with it) and no details were given of the release format.

DVD? Blu-Ray? Singles? Sets? Limited editions? Plushies? No one knows but the men in the suits who stare at anime. Here's what they shared with ANN:

Bandai Entertainment Marketing Director Robert Napton clarified with ANN that the release format of K-ON! — whether it will be Blu-ray Disc, DVD, or both — has not been decided yet. The panel announced a cast for Bandai Entertainment's K-ON! marketing videos, but Napton emphasized that no announcement has been made about an English dubbing cast, or whether there will be a dubbing.

We don't know all the details yet but hopefully, in time, we will have details that rock. I honestly believe this is the second series Eric Sherman mentioned and that we will get an English dub for it. It just doesn't make sense otherwise to pay what is likely a very high licensing fee for a show that you then intend to market to the "niche fans."

What I do know is that this license will likely prove to be either a great success or a total flop. Potentially, the mainstream fans may find themselves interested (who doesn't love cute girls and music?) but the problem lies mainly with the countless anime fans who illegally downloaded K-On!. Will they step up now? Will they prove their fan love?

At the very least, we know this series is extremely popular with many fans. People are paying to translate the hentai doujinshi of it at least!

Uh, or so I heard.



I'll be watching the Anime Expo coverage as more develops out of there to comment and provide another point of view on things. Perhaps I'll even entertain you?

By the way, if you haven't entered my Strike Witches contest, you've got only a few days until the winners are chosen by lot! Go here, enter and maybe win!

Bye-ni!

Big Fun Update!

Hiya dubbies! Richard J. here once again, proving that evil never truly dies. I was planning a silly post but I'll delay it another day or two (haven't finished it anyway due to teh lazy) to bring up an update.

A BIG FUN UPDATE!

First, a few quick Tweets from VAs info: Stephanie Sheh has finished the Endless Eight dubbing (hmm, not really endless was it?) and Kelly Sheridan has begun work once more as the awesome badass Sango the demon slayer! I adore Sheridan in that part so I'm super psyched that I'll absolutely get to hear her in Inuyasha: The Final Act. (The way VIZ is going lately, I was starting to worry!) Even ANN cares about this one.

Now if they'll just ensure a certain VA gets to come back for Naraku, then I'll stop worrying.

Oh and Funimation did some license announcements. I for one am thrilled! The forums are already filling with "why harems?" and "this is why I don't buy anime" types of posts but, hell, when do anime site forums NOT fill with that kind of negativity? Plus, perhaps the "I don't buy" crowd should consider that the reason the anime they like doesn't get licensed is that they don't buy anime.

The consumer decides what series will be licensed and as it turns out, anime with fanservice, harems or other forms of wish-fulfillment like violence and super-powers are what sells best. Why? Simple, reality sucks. Instead of spewing fan hate, maybe folks should spread some fan love for their preferred genre? (Nah, that'd require them to respect opinions they disagree with!)

Anyway, the license pick ups are: about fraking time that Rosario + Vampire and Rosario + Vampire Capu2 got picked up. I have no opinion on Chaos;HEAd, Chrome Shelled Regios, Rideback and Heaven's Lost Property aka Sora no Otoshimono yet but an excellent license rescue for GUNxSWORD. (Seriously, this show is pretty damn good.)

Also, Funimation announced English dub casts for Eden of the East, Casshern Sins and Shikabane Hime (WHAT TOOK THEM SO LONG?!?)



Quoting from ANN article:

The English dubbing cast for Eden of The East (with ADR director Mike McFarland) is as follows:

Akira Takizawa: Jason Liebrecht
Saki Morimi: Leah Clark
Juiz: Stephanie Young
Kuroha Diana Shiratori: Christine Auten
Daiju Mononobe: John Gremillion
Micchon: Stephanie Sheh
Haruo Kasuga: John Burgmeier
Sis: Lydia Mackay
Kazuomi Hirasawa: J. Michael Tatum
Satoshi Osugi: Michael Sinterniklaas
Panties: Newton Pittman

The English dubbing cast for Casshern Sins (with ADR director Jason Grundy) is as follows:

Braiking Boss: Paul Slavens
Casshern: Eric Vale
Luna: Trina Nishimura
Lyuze: Brina Palencia
Leda: Shelly Calene-Black
Ohji: Jerry Russell
Ringo: Monica Rial
Dio: Jerry Jewell
Dune: Jason Douglas

The English dubbing cast for Shikabane Hime (with ADR directors R. Bruce Elliot, Terri Doty and J. Michael Tatum) is as follows:

Keisei Tagami: J. Michael Tatum
Makina Hoshimura: Luci Christian
Ouri Kagami: Aaron Dismuke
Rika Aragami: Cynthia Cranz
Saki Amase: Monica Rial
Takamasa Sōgi: Joel McDonald
Itsuki Yamagami: Cherami Leigh

I haven't watched Eden of the East or much of Casshern Sins so I'm not sure what the think of those dub casts yet. Shikabane Hime's however, I am liking that cast. Aaron Dismuke for Ouri is an especially nice surprise. Can't wait to hear him in it.

Great big con announcements to be had here though. And so far, all of Funimation's licenses have gotten dubs! As long as that continues, every one of their licenses must be treated with special care by English dub preferring anime fans. Whether you think their dubs are great, mediocre or completely blah, the point is there's always a dub for you to try and find out if you like it or not with them. You get the chance to decide for yourself if they've made a good dub or a bad one.

We don't get to make that judgement as often as we'd like. So let's enjoy it every time and support everyone who is happy these shows were licensed and will be dubbed! Even if you hate these anime, remember to be happy for those who love them!

Well, that's all the time I have for today. Soon I'll post a silly thing, a couple of reviews and info on my Strike Witches contest.

See you next time, same blog channel, variable blog time.

Bye-ni!

23 + 13 = Dub Sniper.

After a long week of cleaning, hauling garbage, moving furniture and suffering a few pulled muscles, another exciting and fat-free addition of Blog of a Heretical Dub Lover is here! (We apologize for the wait on a previously mentioned planned segment. Please join me Sunday, April 25th for Fan Love vs. Fan Hate.) I'm Richard J., navigator for the blog and sole writing talent. (Any use of plurals such as "we" is solely for a cheap effect.)

Anyway, after returning home today from a long clean-up and having a lovely dinner with my family, I found out that Section 23 had licensed the Golgo 13 TV series! In the past, their licenses meant little to me but this one adds another planned dub to their short (but growing!) list of bilingual releases!



Golgo 13 is a 50 episode series from 2008-2009 and the first set will appear at fine online retailers (and perhaps by divine grace at Best Buy and other brick and mortar stores) in July, meaning that this deal has likely been in the works for a while and production may very well be under way already. Plus as a bonus there's no mention of outside partners from the info I've read, suggesting this is Section23's baby all the way.

The series has clear appeal beyond the average anime fan as well, giving this license and release a distinct chance of actually kicking butt in sales. The series is about an assassin for the love of cookies! People LOVE stories about assassins! I mean just look at how many movies, video games and books there are about them. I expect Duke "Golgo 13" Togo, the assassin lead, to do well over here. (Heck the manga's been in circulation since 1968 with 156 volumes so far in Japan and VIZ has started putting it out over here with 13 volumes out.)

All that's really left to do is settle on the marketing methodology. (I'd highly recommend trying for a TV deal with this one.) Oh and give us a really sweet cast!



Crap. He'll wipe out the Texas VA pool by tomorrow. ;)

One way or another, I think this is a good move by Section23 and while my money issues are slowly (very slowly) working themselves out, I've been hearing about Golgo 13 for years and am interested in the anime. My family's legal/financial issues are continuing to threaten everything but I'm increasingly confident that this nightmare will end happily and the problems caused by one jackass con artist will end well. (Too bad I can't hire this guy to take care of the problem for me!)

Bye-ni!

Bandai Denies Death! Cites Movie Deal!

Welcome fellow anime fiends to another slightly more exciting than professional paint watching episode of Blog of a Heretical Dub Lover! It's been a bit since last we met hasn't it? Off-line life has seen me put to work at sundry necessary tasks while falling into slight depression. We apologize for the lack of blogging.



With that apology out of the way, let us talk about the latest from the anime grapevine that concerns dubbing or that I care about. Bandai Entertainment USA, which isn't exactly king of the hill lately, answers the concerns of its fans by licensing a film of minor importance. (And by minor, I mean FREAKING AWESOME!)



Yes, they've gone and licensed The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya! (Guess we're not using Vanishment huh? Despite the fact it's a real word? Despite it likely being YET ANOTHER math reference, which are legion in Haruhi land? Oh well.)

Anyway, this movie is one of those "knew it was coming but still excited" deals for me. Honestly, I never doubted they'd pick it up once they got the second season. (Now that, I worried about.) And it appears that there will be a dub for it too. At least, that's how I interpret the whole Bang Zoom! Entertainment will co-produce an English language version thing. Given the apparent level of success this series has achieved and Bandai's OBVIOUS belief in it, since they are dubbing the second season with the original English cast, I'd be shocked if the movie didn't get a dub.

Seriously, a lack of English dubbing for this movie would be like saying "fans, we know you want this movie more than anything else, so we decided to screw over a bunch of you for giggles."

The movie gets a dub. Deal with it sub-elite. (Regular sub fans rejoice along with dub fans, for we shall all reap this bounty of delicious Haruhi fun!)

Bandai also announced the start of an online store. This says two things to me: 1) they're considering even more direct-to-consumer marketing and 2) they're trying real hard not to die. The store is heavy on the new and popular (makes sense) as well as some Japanese imports. We'll see if it grows or fails.

I personally hope they put any old stock that's Out-Of-Print on there. Some of their shows are insanely hard to find discs of at sane prices.

Moving on, Funimation announced that they've got a deal with Fuji Television in Japan to simulcast shows now. They talk about it on their blog a bit too.

The first episode of one of the new licenses, House of Five Leaves, is already streaming on Funimation's website, YouTube, and Hulu. Ooh, linkies.



Despite looking like horror samurai fun, this series sounds a bit more slice-of-life-ish in the synopsis on ANN. A timid ronin named Akitsu Masanosuke joins a charismatic guy as a bodyguard and hangs with his quirky group of bandits. If nothing else, it sounds very different and very not-moe. Personally, I hope its mere existence will convince some anime fans to chill out and stop constantly blubbering about how "all anime is moe and sucks now!" and "this season is the worst season ever!"

Really, does all of that doom-saying and bad-mouthing accomplish anything except making fans who LIKE the shows being slammed feel unwelcome in the fanbase? (And if those fans are new fans or fans who buy a lot, could not the negativity adversely affect the financial future of anime? More on my views of that early next week!)

Also up for simulcast is The Tatami Galaxy, another unusual show with a funky art style.



Seriously, these are some different looking shows coming out lately. I'm intrigued by the style alone with these two series. Synopsis of the anime is laking but according to the article, it's based on a novel about a nameless protagonist in his third year of college who is looking back at his early years and his adventures with a circle (that's a club/organization/thing) which involve. . . something that will hopefully interest anime fans!

Setting aside my warped sense of humor, this deal seems quite interesting. It goes beyond these two series. I don't know the nitty-gritty details but Fuji TV isn't exactly a small time Japanese company and this deal comes after they just increased the length of their Noitamina block. With at least five series planned to air this year alone, that's a lot of simulcasting for Funimation. Here's an important comment from the press release:

“This is a fantastic opportunity to work again with the formidable Fuji TV,” said Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO at FUNimation Entertainment, “particularly on the debut of a new Noitamina lineup. This highly-rated block has already launched hits like ‘Eden of The East’ and 'Tokyo Magnitude 8.0' and we hope to extend that success for these new series in the U.S.”

That comment says something. It says "expect us to license some or all of these shows." So, if Funimation keeps with current business models, that means DVDs (maybe Blu-Rays) and English dubs will be had. However, this increase in simulcasting also suggests that it will be used as a means to cherry pick. They can't dub and DVD/Blu-Ray everything they simulcast right?

I sense a disturbance in the dub force approaching. Then again, all of these series are SHORT too and that could actually benefit hybrid releases and make them more affordable. (The basic pattern is, first set sells best and all the rest decline in sales.) It's even possible that fans will shift to watching these legal simulcasts, thus increasing the number of fans orientated toward lawful consumerism. Hopefully these simulcasts will benefit all anime fans and not just sub-fans.

Now before I go, let me ask a question that's really started to bug me.

Why hasn't anyone licensed A Certain Magical Index or A Certain Scientific Railgun?

Take a look at this girl:



Seen her before? I have. Her name is Mikoto Misaka, a character in both series, and I've seen avatars of her, fan art and official art all over. Even on non-anime sites. I've seen fans talking about the two shows a fair bit and both series are pretty successful in Japan with bonus episodes popping up on their DVDs. They've got manga, light novels and the hentai artists are drawing Mikoto and her friends when they get tired of drawing K-On! girls. (Um, not that I look at a lot of hentai.)

My point, the two series seem to have legs. Along with the aforementioned K-On! and it's sequel, A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun seem to be pretty darn popular and both sound like they'd be successful over here. While I'm more than willing to embrace some of the recent licenses that have popped up from all R1 parties, I'm ever more puzzled by the lack of these licenses.

I know the anime industry here is hurting due to the economy going bad and the increased corporate taxes (not to mention property, utility and other taxes that we all suffer through) but are these series really that hard to get at the right price? I mean, am I crazy or shouldn't these have been licensed by now?

Anyway, that's it for this edition of Blog of a Heretical Dub Lover! I've gotten more followers and I owe all of you more posts, so look forward to more content soon. Perhaps even a crappy web-comic since everyone seems to have one nowadays.

Bye-ni!



Oh dear. Kyon, you'd better make sure she gets a part in the dubbing!

Personal: Okay, I'm Hopeful About Non-Anime Troubles. . .

First, let me inform everyone that I have a much more positive opinion of the situation my family is in. The situation hasn't actually changed. I wish it would but right now, the potential for total screwage is high.

I'm feeling hopeful because A) I'm a masochist when it comes to hope and B) I just can't accept that my family could be screwed for literally doing nothing illegal, immoral or even unusual. I won't go into details but this situation is quite literally due to abject and wanton mistake-making. My family could lose a lot over a misunderstanding. (I mean, crap, even the con-artist liar who put us in the situation says we're not a party to his dirty deeds. Trust me, that's like a biblical miracle.)

So, basically, I choose to think happy thoughts.

I just wish Funimation were providing me more of them.

That segue, poor as it was, brings me to point numero two: While I plan to continue to buy from Funimation, their recent choice to license Baka and Test as well as Dance in the Vampire Bund has been severely tainted by their further choice to censor the later.

Now, I'm not going to go through some long rant about censorship and why it's wrong or how I blame the abuse of the police powers of government by all sides for this paranoia-induced madness or that I think naked loli Mina is fine. Frankly, I'm sure anyone here who has read anything I've ever posted on the subject of lolicon knows where I come down on censorship issues. (For those that missed the epically long posts that probably made me sound "creepy," I am a strong supporter of freedom of speech.)

Instead, let me bring up a financial point, since people love to hit me with them when I talk about English dubs (ignoring that I rarely if ever question the financial wisdom of not doing them as a short-term issue.) A poll on Mania.com's Anime on DVD section seems to shows that a LOT of people are saying "no thanks" to censored DVDs.

That includes me. I might actually buy sub-only Hell Girl because I LOVED in Japanese before I got to love it even more in English. Very rare for me.

My question to all is this: how many censored anime, especially ones that are CLEARLY aimed at audiences that will not appreciate the censoring, actually do well in terms of sales? Isn't this rather like shooting yourself in the foot before starting a race? While I can appreciate that we live in an atmosphere of paranoia, I fail to see why this particular series' content is suddenly too much. I mean, the manga comes out unedited and no one's freaked out yet.

Frankly, I feel rather like the judge in a recent case involving religious banners in school. A hypothetical student isn't enough to make a case for taking down things that have been hanging for over a decade and are quotes from founding documents. No one has actually objected here. Funimation is preemptively acting.

You know, proving the fansubbers RIGHT isn't a good way to beat them. The claim that official releases censor anime is classic and ubiquitous. Now it will receive a true example. Since Funimation always does an English dub, (though can sub-only be far behind now that they're breaking the biggest rule of all?) they're vastly increasing the chances of losing money on this series.

Will some buy it despite the censorship? Sure, some people will always buy. The question isn't will they buy, the question is, how many will think twice before buying again? How many will hesitate to buy other releases because they don't want to support a company that censors?

I can tell you right now, in light of what happened with Hell Girl, I've decided not to buy any future releases until I know that any additional seasons are licensed and dubbed as well. I was already upset to lose out on more Big Windup. I'll finish what I've already started and I'll give whole series releases a chance but no more of this buying in hopes of getting more licensed stuff. I've been burned a lot on that.

Plus, from here on out, I effectively have no budget for buying anime anyway. Yup, I'm officially in Penny-Hoarding Mode Mark II! My family may lose all income so my anime budget has officially been re-classified as my food budget pending future events. That is the one benefit of being potentially totally screwed: you can protest an anime company's decision by not buying their products without any remorse because you can't afford them anymore anyway!

You know, I think I want to cry about that but I'm too frustrated and tired. The amazing thing about having so many bad things happen over the years to my family is this just feels NORMAL to me. It literally felt strange to me earlier in the year when I felt happy about how my life was going.

It's possible my family's situation could be resolved happily around the end of the month so perhaps I'll be able to feel that odd sensation of being content again. If any of you are religious folks like me (yes, it is possible to be religious AND an anime fan who thinks lolicon is protected by the 1st Amendment, I just apply my principles uniformly rather than being a hypocrite like some false prophet types out there) and you feel okay with praying for a stranger, please pray for my family, especially my father. If justice isn't dead and buried, this mess should be resolved in our favor.

If not, we can largely kiss our normal lives goodbye.

Bye-ni. I'm not giving in yet!

Personal: I May Be Out

Well, after I rallied my faith for that last post, things just went straight down the toliet for me today. First the disappointing Hell Girl license by Section23 and then, literally minutes after I finished venting a bit about it, I found out that my family is in serious trouble.

I have a warning for everyone out there: do not ever do any kind of work for, associate with or in any way that involves money connect yourself with dishonest people. Thanks to a con artist, my family may now end up in complete financial and social ruin.

Normally I wouldn't share something this personal with anyone even in such a vague way but, hey, if everything is FUBAR anyway, why not? Since the situation is ongoing, maybe it will get resolved in a way that doesn't destroy my family completely but for right now, the government is threatening us and likely our business is just history.

So, while I still intend to try and stay a part of fandom, I may be forced to leave it due to not having any extra money for it. I may have to give up on law school but I've decided to fight for that as much as I can.

Just don't trust people that don't deserve to be trusted my friends. It's not worth trusting anyway.

Bye-ni. I hope this won't be the last time.

More Mana From Funimation Gods (Strike Witches and other licenses!)

Hello to all 1 of my current followers! I'm your navigator once again, leading you down the road of life, taking the fork of dub to the city of Fun!

Or something.

I'd have been here to throw out my woohoo sooner for Funimation's latest license announcements but, alas, my grandfather died and I had to attend the funeral and help my family out. He was a good man who touched many lives and made a real difference in my hometown. He is missed.

Fortunately, I am quick to deal with sadness, especially when it means my grandfather is no longer suffering as he was toward the end.

Enough of my problems. I'm here to talk to you about Funimation continuing it's insanely huge licensing coups!

If you haven't already heard: Funimation recently announced licenses of Strike Witches and Linebarrels of Iron, Gonzo titles both, as a follow-up to the news earlier that they had essentially entered into an alliance with Gonzo.

Oh they say it is not an evil one. Proof of all this here at Funimation's blog of goodness. (Stop in and praise Rojas for his good work there!)

For a second there, ya'll were thinking this was all a dream right? Nope. The Gonzo/Funimation alliance is just getting more awesome!

Bask in the glory of this image and rejoice for the girls of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing and please support their efforts to kick alien Neuroi butt. (Wait, do the aliens have butts?)

Here's Funimation's own description:

It's 1939 and the world is under attack by the mysterious Neuroi. To combat this overpowering force, an elite aviation task force has been assembled called the 501st Joint Fighter Wing also known as "Strike Witches." These magically-powered girls pilot their Striker Unit weapons to protect and save humanity from destruction.

Already we are hearing the "oh, noes!" from some on the Internet because of the lack of fully clothes girls in this anime. (Long ankle length dresses would apparently be preferred.)

However, I offer this out of context Funimation image as a response:



Oh yeah, auto-win.

Also licensed and getting far less dues angst loli is Linebarrels of Iron. This one seems more in the veing of classic mecha badassery and thus should be fun. Support it!

What Funimation has to say about this one:

Fourteen-year-old Kouichi Hayase's life has always been a mediocre one, if not dismal. However, those days of being bullied by classmates and escaping to a fantasy of being a hero are put to an end when a certain "accident" bestows on him a girl and a gigantic humanoid robot called "LINEBARREL". The extraordinary power that Kouichi obtains puts him and everything around him on a sudden rollercoaster ride of battles, intrigues and friendship! During the course of his adventure, the boy starts to learn what life has to offer; he meets new friends, bids farewell to the old ones, but most of all he now has considerable responsibilities and is forced to confront the world around him.

So, of course, I can hear people muttering under their breath out there: why is he talking about shows without dubs?

Ah, but this is Funimation who cites actual statistics to prove their customers like English dubs and want them! They've found that 62% of their customers who sent back surveys watched anime with English dub the majority of the time. Only 25% watched in Japanese with subs the majority of the time. (Yes, by God, we have real numbers for a change! Source was a post on Funi's own blog bless their licensing hearts!)

Other awesome licenses on the way: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Rin ~ Daughters of Mnemosyne, My Bride Is A Mermaid, El Cazador De La Bruja, EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE, Dragonaut, Tower of Druaga, Blassreiter and Bamboo Blade. And unless there is one heck of a nasty disturbance in the force, I for one fully expect ALL OF THEM TO BE DUBBED IN ENGLISH!

Please check out Funimation's Video Portal for all of their delicious English dubbed and, yeah, if you must their tasty subbed too.

Also, I hope you've all bought a copy of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya light novel from Yen Press and Little Brown. It's quite good and even someone who hasn't seen the anime should be able to love it.

Also Jr., if you happen to know of a more reliable free photo linker that isn't too difficult for a tech-challenged guy like moi, let me know. (Also if any more pics get deleted by Photobucket, please let me know.)

For now, once again, I'm your navigator Richard J. signing off!

Pantsu!