"for the record"

[davemerrill]

As someone who's wasted embarrassing amounts of money, time and energy in "anime fandom" over the past 25 years, I feel I can make all the blanket statements I want about the R1 anime industry, what there is of it. The same R1 anime industry that spent ten years filling Best Buy racks with junk. The same R1 anime industry that decided we needed "Melty Lancer" and "Magical Meow Meow Taruto", and has now been whittled down to a shadow of its former self. I figure I'm giving this "industry" pretty much the respect it deserves.

Money talks, BS walks. Right now my anime-manga cash, what there is of it, is going to Discotek and Vertical and The Right Stuf where my Dirty Pair DVD box is on pre-order.

Comments

[ferricide.livejournal.com]

haha. STOP HAVING OPINIONS

the "business" was about as horribly run as it could be. doesn't mean that the people making the decisions weren't good people trying to the best of their abilities to work with the resources they had -- but. terrible.

[kidfenris.livejournal.com]

It's kind of funny that Bandai's American anime branch, which put out both Meltylancer and Taruto, is still around. Compared to what ADV and Geneon were doing, Bandai's missteps were downright sensible.

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Ah, but as much as many shout at the top of their lungs "Bandai America is a separate company and is not controlled by Bandai Japan!!!!11!", I think we all know that's complete bullshit. Bandai has deep pockets, so no matter how MANY MANY MANY times they screw up, they endure.

I just laugh how often cold reality intrudes on their desires to mold the American anime market into a mirror of the Japanese model, with $80 single disc releases and so on.

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

Oh no no. People don't want to buy OLD anime. Nobody likes that old stuff. Nobody would ever buy Latitude Zero on DVD, even if Media Blasters DID put it out in a handsome 2-disc set with both cuts of the film. No siree bob. People only want what they're told to want! That's why there's an anime fandom, there were big ads on TV and in the newspapers telling us that that's what we wanted to do.

[kidfenris.livejournal.com]

"People don't want to buy OLD anime."

Well, yeah. To be specific, people don't want to buy old anime unless it's a)something they watched when they were younger or b)something related to a more popular property they already like.

I mean, what's Latitude Zero? A live-action film that was released in the U.S. in the 1970s? And it's aimed at tokusatsu/camp-cinema fans, who don't really buy anime as much?

[(Anonymous)]

Do we all agree that 85% of everything in every media is crap, and that it's the remaining 15% that keeps us interested? Do we also agree that the R1 anime industry got most of its content from the 85%? 'Cause every time I scanned the aisles at Best Buy, the ratio was about 98 crap to 2 gold. (Given that everyone's definition of crap and gold will vary)

That said, I still appreciate all the effort and pain and experimentation that went into keeping it viable for so many companies for so long. There was a time when it was the fastest growth sector in home video. That's not an accomplishment to be dismissed. The stars lined up at one time, and they probably will again.

Downsizing was inevitable. Just look at all the dead auto companies of the early 20th century, the dead airlines of the 80s, and the dead dotcoms of the 90s. The water found its own level with all of them. We just had to endure a lot of phony promises, delusion, and screeching to get there.

-Tim Eldred

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

The time when anime was the fastest growing segment in home video was the time the "R1 Anime Industry" needed to be putting its best face forward and releasing product of lasting worth, quality and significance. Instead, they flooded the market with garbage, squandering consumer interest and the goodwill of their legions of unpaid publicity shills (that's us).

A shakedown was inevitable, I mean, the economy went downhill and home video took a hit like everybody else. But the myopic short-sightedness of the "R1 Anime Industry" didn't help them to weather the storm.

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

And seriously? I'm bitchin' because the R1 industry is by and large not releasing things I am interested in, and I'm being told that my opinions "reflect poorly". That I should shut up and buy things I hate on the off chance that buying things I don't enjoy will somehow lead to them releasing things I DO enjoy. That I have some kind of obligation to throw money at an industry that doesn't care what I think.

That dog... won't hunt.

[kidfenris.livejournal.com]

I'm always amazed in how anime fans really invest themselves in the industry itself. Not in their favorite shows, not in their favorite directors or studios, but in the idea that the anime industry must subsist at any cost, even if it means everyone must buy twelve copies of Queen's Blade.

It's part of the strange self-identification of being an anime fan. You can be a fan of Cowboy Bebop or Gundam or what have you, but a lot of people take the idea of "anime fan" to mean that they have to support and defend anything drawn in Japan.

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

I bought the first two Lupin III (the second, insanely long series. Smooth move right there) discs from Geneon. I got an instantly dated dub, altered OP and ED credits, missing episodes, so-so quality and based on this big fat trio of CD box sets I have right here, I'm pretty damn sure they changed music cues.

Kinda soured me on buying any more, ya know?

ADV...sorry, Section23 wants me to buy 13 episodes of Golgo 13 for 60 bones. I can buy the entire first season (20-some hours) of Miami Vice for $15 at Walmart. Apples and oranges? maybe so, maybe not.

I still think what Mediablasters did with Tekkaman Blade was the perfect format for any long anime series. 3 discs, 15-18 episodes and $19.99. I snapped those babies up as fast as I could. Had everybody got on that bandwagon in 2004 who knows how different the biz would be today?

[brakusjs.livejournal.com]

I'm outing myself here.

I *NEVER* said that you should buy things you hate. I said, and I quote, "Buy and cherish the things you like the most, so that enough money can be made to actually bring something back correctly the next time."

I don't care if it's the greatest thing in the world, or if it's the worst thing in the world. At least your opinions are being backed up by your dollars. It doesn't matter who you give your money to, or where you get your goods from. Your dollars should go more to the companies and people that give you the most joy.

Free market. What a concept.

[sixstop.livejournal.com]

you're actually saying 2 things, maybe without realising it.

"Yeah, I understand that me asking for swaps might go against the mindset of the 21st century that we should only watch anime that is approved, translated, dubbed badly, bought and paid for from a North American licensor. "

the 'dubbed badly' can easily blend in with the immediately preceding 'translated,' making it out as it also being 'translated badly.' That probably isn't quite the thought you were trying to communicate.

But if it is, that basically then declares all American/Canadian production as crap, irrespective of it being a title that you like.

Thats probably the chain of thinking that led to calling it a 'blanket statement'... i think... :/

[childings.livejournal.com]

I hate those damn omnibuses because they're so hard to read and carry around. What's the point of saving money if I can't even get the book open far enough to read everything up to the margin? It's stupid. Also, if we can get an English language release of Cross Game, why can't we get Touch in English? Mitsuru Adachi is ridiculously underrated and unknown in North America

Viz has always been the best manga company IMO

from what I can gather, this is my take on the "industry"

[childings.livejournal.com]

I feel so bad about ADV and Animeigo going under because they had respect for classics, but sadly, old anime doesn't sell worth a damn.

ADV at least had the the strategy of releasing classics and giving them the proper treatment (the Matt Greenfield audio commentary on Megazone 23 was pretty interesting) while simultaneously licensing shit like Kanon that newer anime fans seem to like. The downfall of ADV came about because:

a) old anime doesn't sell too well (sad but true)

b) anime in general doesn't sell -- younger fans don't buy anime dvds, they just torrent (and even they don't want to shell out money for junk like Coyote Ragtime Show, WTF)

c) they overexpanded with stuff like an anime-only channel and Newtype USA (who would buy an anime-themed magazine when the internet exists?)

Also, as much as I appreciate [good] dubs (I'll watch both versions of my favorite series), a lot of North American anime fans don't want to watch dubs anymore and it costs money to hire voice actors, so sub-only was the "wave of the future" these companies never caught onto (ironically, Animeigo, one of the first R1 companies, and first to fail, got this all along). ADV never really learned that, either that or they learned it a little too late to stay afloat.

Animeigo was pretty much doomed as soon as dvd hit the scene, since they were basically just doing professional grade fansubs, and liner notes aren't going to cut it in the "extras" category. Also, they were overpriced as shit (though I give them my respect for the remastering of Macross, also it's thanks to them that I was even able to watch the series)

Anyway, I was always under the impression that those companies were run by old-school anime fans, so it hurt a little to see them go under, though essentially it's due to bad business decisions on their part. But c'mon, it's kind of hard for me to hate a company that licensed Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and released full boxsets of all the episodes with FULL KNOWLEDGE that they weren't going to make any money off of it. How is that not a labor of love?

Not that I was really old enough to have experienced anime fandom back when it was more of a small-time thing with fan groups trading tapes (I sort of caught the tail-end of that "culture" when I first got into anime) so maybe I don't have the same perspective as you. Maybe this is a sign that the fad is over and anime is gradually becoming more a niche thing again, who knows

Re: from what I can gather, this is my take on the "industry"

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

AnimEigo was "first to fail"? They're still around, mostly doing samurai movies these days, but they always were aware they were operating in a niche market to a niche audience.

Re: from what I can gather, this is my take on the "industry"

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

I should point out that AnimEigo is still alive. It's not doing much, and I don't think they've licensed anything past Yawara! which, IIRC, they actually stopped releasing (or only licensed part of or something) due to lack of (perceived) interest.

Again, old business model. hundred buck plus sets just aren't what people want.

AnimEigo is doing just fine with samurai films and other obscure Japanese movies.

CPM (US Manga Corps) committed retail suicide. ADV was gutted when they thought Sojitz would just give them money and not demand a voice-Sojitz listened to the voice of Al Kahn (JAPAN IS OVER!!) instead and took it's money away. Pioneer shifted from reasoned releases targeted at the fan crowd to really 'everything and the kitchen sink' releasing once Geneon engulfed them. Funimation has had a golden time thanks to being given a free hand and massive backing from Navarre. Navarre now wants to get rid of them. When Funi is sold off I'll be shocked if it lasts more than a year and a half after that. Bandai keeps wanting with all its heart for the American market to adopt $70 discs and accept changes and omissions to prevent reverse importing. Viz...are they releasing anything anymore?

Discotek is a very very tiny company who needs to step up their game with anime. Mediablasters keeps on slugging but the wolf is at their door from all indications. VEI still sells Star Blazers but man, they're just not getting that message out. Right Stuf is still riding the 'we're sub-licensing stuff from ADV shhh don't tell anyone' game.

Who am I missing? Synch-point died, Broccoli died.

The companies that remain just need to understand and accept that anime was NEVER mainstream, it was ALWAYS a niche, boutique market and that is just reality. Plan around selling maybe 1000 units. Work on adding value because that makes owning it desirable over downloading 'torrents.

Blah blah blah

[dave-iii.livejournal.com]

Meh... it was a bubble, and it should have burst a long while ago... though even I didn't want to admit it. I doubt it will go away entirely-- though it will probably look like it has-- and odds are will slowly roll back in a decade or so. Fans will just have to be patient and keep the faith, or move on.

[animejump.livejournal.com]

Man, I cannot WAIT for those Dirty Pair discs. I preordered that thing with extreme prejudice, and I am going to watch the HELL out of it when it arrives.

I am also excited for Turn A Gundam, the GE999 movies (depending on what Selby can scare up for extras), Iron Man, and Redline, to name a few. In the past few months, I've watched, legally, the likes of Giant Killing, XAM'D, Panty and Stocking, Ghost Hound, and Deltora Quest. I just went to a convention in New York that had three separate film premieres-- two of beloved franchises (Gundam and Haruhi) and one new joint. (I've also been watching 720p rips of Shin Mazinger Shougeki Z-Hen!!1 shhhh don't tell nobody)

I just got the Right Stuf catalog in the mail. There's a print ad from Section 23, first one I've seen from them since they went out of business as ADV Films.

I realize that the industry isn't flush with health, but it'll find a way. I'm not the least bit worried.

[sixstop.livejournal.com]

isnt it nice you can re-watch stuff now without wearing it out? ^_^

[kidfenris.livejournal.com]

Don't be excited about the Iron Man anime. Well, the spec trailer was great, but the TV series is bland on bland.

I want to see Redline, FUNimation's Summer Wars, more Gundam UC, more Mardock Scramble, and, if it ever gets off the ground, Despera. And the Tatami Galaxy, which I don't have much of an excuse for not watching, since it's free online.

I'm really not so enthusiastic about anime itself, and I haven't been in a long time. Part of my disillusionment is that there's no specific period of anime that really appeals to me. I watched piles of stuff from the '90s, '80s, and '70s during my magazine days, and most of it was disappointing regardless of the style or genre. I can't focus on any era, because as far as I'm concerned, anime was always largely twaddle. I was just too young, dumb, and undiscerning to notice.

[(Anonymous)]

It's astonishing to reflect what bargains even the much-maligned Bandai Visual or Aniplex releases are, compared to what people took for granted in the 1990s. Evangelion was $29.95 on VHS for two episodes. That's $390.00 for the entire series--you could add a third to that to reflect inflation. $520.00 ($20 per episode!) in 2010 dollars--for VHS resolution, no extras, no chaptering, no options! Are we perhaps a bit spoilt nowadays?

--Carl

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Carl, that's true but only if you look at the point source to the exclusion of the overall trend of the set 'home video'.

At that time 'mainstream' on VHS was two tiered, the rental version of a film would come out at $80- $120 and roughly a year later it would be repriced to $19.99. Some films deemed 'super hits' would street day-and-date rental and sell-thru in the $20-40 range.

But the rental window contracted faster and faster until it was only 2 months long. Then DVD came along and totally kicked the applecart over because rental shops could buy several DVDs for the price of one rental VHS tape. This, for a time, drove the MSRP of new release VHS way down as studios fought to maintain that business model.

(why? because VHS tapes wore out. High traffic renting meant tapes had to be replaced. It's the same thinking that drove LP sales back in the day.)

I don't think it's case of feeling spoiled or anything, I think it's the inherent expectation created by the medium itself. And I'm probably making a lousy case for that.

[sobieniak.livejournal.com]

Face it, we live in a world where our love of this stuff has turned into some ugly out-of-the-way cave of despair and the noobs are ruining everything!