Forum - View topicANNCast - Big Funi Hustlas
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4438 |
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I'm disappointed to hear Index and Railgun listed among shows that didn't perform as well as expected, but I do thing Zac hit on a key point: delay. Funimation notes how much it relies on streaming numbers, but those numbers can grow stale quickly. A good chunk of the streaming numbers are going to come from people that watch the latest thing but aren't necessarily going to stick around down the road.
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lazydude500
Posts: 72 |
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IIRC in a past Answerman Justin Sevakis talked about how even if you dislike a particular voice actor you should still buy the DVD or Blu-ray because every sale counts, the VA has already been paid so boycotting doesn't really affect anything positive. Company reps will interpret low sales as fans not liking the show itself or the genre.
It's a shame companies don't consider the influence of the talent they cast more seriously. Other mediums (major motion pictures, prime-time TV and even the anime industry in Japan) rely heavily on popular and skilled talent. Just because anime dubs are niche means they shouldn't be treated the same? I liked Future Diary subbed but I hated the dub. The only reason I buy DVDs and Blu-rays is for a worthwhile dub. Legal streaming for the sub is always available for a rewatch. I also hated the female leads for Index and Railgun as well... I would guess majority of fans hold out for a blu-ray release which explains the below expectations, but there could be more fans than reps are aware of that buy or don't buy a title depending on the English VAs involved. For example I usually buy any anime that has Jamie Marchi in a lead role even if the show isn't that great but the dub makes it more enjoyable, plus she's one of the few dub VAs who doesn't suck and my purchase means I want to hear more of her in the future. Sites like 4chan and myanimelist aren't exactly pro-dub arenas but when you actually read praise for VAs like her and then read criticism of other VAs who get more work you can't really ignore these types of opinions for much longer. I think Lance once said the reviews Funimation actually cares about are amazon.com and blu-ray.com but I have no idea if fan opinion on the dubs in those reviews matter as much as the technical stuff about the actual release... |
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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I've started to listen, and will continue in my car later. But I was wondering about the simul-dubs: did they talk about how the process of rechecking the show and doing any necessary re-timing or maybe even retakes for home video?
About streaming, well I hope they don't rely on their own numbers too much since I'm one of those who prefer to buy the BDs. I absolutely won't sit through a show that is broadcast censored, or one with a significant production issues during broadcast that will later be corrected on BD. |
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EmperorBrandon
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 2209 Location: Springfield, MO |
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Other than Index II and the movie, they have all came out initially DVD-only, and Railgun S still doesn't have a Blu-ray solicited (their comments make me a bit worried if it even will). I didn't buy Railgun S because they weren't offering an LE and then it was looking like a Blu-ray might come later (getting weary of double dipping lately) since the first season got one for its complete collection. Last edited by EmperorBrandon on Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Barbobot
 Posts: 460 |
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I don't know if you're using new tech for the player on the website, but the audio will occasionally just stop and go back to 0:00 and then refuse to play. I have to reload the page for it to start working again.
Using Chrome in Windows 7.
This was my thinking. I was initially gonna buy Railgun S on release, but when I found out they weren't having the LE version like with the first season, and then later found out they would be releasing every other part of RailDex on blu-ray I decided to hold off. Never really had intentions to buy the Index seasons though as I just prefer Railgun. Last edited by Barbobot on Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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strawberry-kun
Posts: 301 |
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I would have bought Index and Railgun if they didn't use the mindboggingly awful sissy translation in the subs. I can excuse it for the dub, but there's no reason to use that in the subs. Translation choices usually don't bother me too much, but that one struck a nerve by being particularly bad.
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Greed1914
Posts: 4438 |
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As I recall, they mentioned on a previous ANNcast that the reason for no boxes on Index II or Railgun S was because the boxes for the first seasons didn't sell very well. I'm not so sure that holding off on a purchase for that reason is entirely fair. Now, holding off for a blu-ray is a different matter. Ultimately, I ended up pre-ordering everything that has come out so far, including the LE boxes, but that is just what I felt like doing.
Those other mediums do tend to have more flexibility in making casting decisions, however. The R1 companies usually end up having to stay within a close approximation of the voices already done for the Japanese version, so if somebody who might be divisive among viewers is the only person that fits, there isn't a whole lot to be done about it. It's not uncommon to have to get permission in order to make more drastic casting changes. And prime-time TV and movies obviously can cast just about whoever they want, so popularity and/or general opinion plays a larger factor. |
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DerekTheRed
 Posts: 3544 Location: ::Points to hand:: |
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They switched to I think the HTML5 tags(?) for the audio player last week and it has been doing that starting then. They said oops last week and are correcting it. |
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EmperorBrandon
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 2209 Location: Springfield, MO |
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Same thing for me. I've watched through the Index dub streamed, and that's enough for me. Don't really have any interest in owning that side of the franchise.
Well, with an LE, there is at least some desire to get it sooner, before it sells out. With an RE-only release, I'm more compelled to just wait around until it can be had at a discount. And in this case, a Blu-ray release may come up later too. So feels like it's much more beneficial for me in the long run either way. Still was a bit conflicted since it was one of my highest priority titles that I want to support. |
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8461 Location: Penguinopolis |
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As far as I'm concerned, the most important Funimation release of 2014 was the Cowboy Bebop license rescue, the Blu-Rays. But their biggest "original" was probably Space Dandy, partially because I have ZERO interest in Attack on Titan (it's horrible), but of course Space Dandy was also exactly what anime needed, and the simulcast was brilliant. So Shinichiro Watanabe still dominated my anime fandom in 2014 (what will he do next?).
I don't own a copy of Battle of Gods yet. I saw it in the theater, enjoyed the job Funimation did with the English version, but other things had priority for home video. I'll get it eventually. Looking forward to how Funimation handles the next DBZ movie when that eventually gets here (please keep Chris Ayres as Freeza). I just want to tell the folks at Funimation that I deeply appreciate their striving to keep the DB-related material's dub more accurate now, with faithful scripts, stronger voice acting, and better direction. And normally I wouldn't pat them on the back for doing things the way they should have been all along, but there's so much push back from the fans that still prefer the old approach, and I'm glad they're mostly staying true to the source. It's too bad from the Toei side of things, DBZ Kai is getting screwed over, so it'll be hard for me to justify getting any of the Buu arc of it when Funi gets it. For Escaflowne's Blu-Ray release, forget the tarot cards or pendant, make a music box that plays "Yasusoku Wa Iranai" (well, "Deja Blue" version), like the one Marlene had. I didn't even know SF: Asassin's Fist came out yet. I'm not the hugest SF fan, but I might check that out just for the hell of it. Funimation has picked up a few really interesting shows this Winter season, especially Yurikuma, which is a can't-miss title. Assassination Classroom, Rolling Girls and Death Parade also seem worth watching, too. It hardly matters how you dub it or sub Rebuild of Evangelion 3.33, it's still not going to make this non-film into a worthwhile work. It has almost no plot, only two characters have more than a handful of lines, not a single question is answered, and even the action and soundtrack are pretty flaccid. It's even thematically anemic. Hideaki Anno completely derailed these movies because he obviously wanted to wait for the final movie to do the things originally planned for the third. It's a complete and utter disaster. It's not a "complex story" in 3.33. There is no story. It's just a bunch of loosely tied together points. You could have written the script on a Post-It note. It's a utter disgrace, a complete betrayal of the franchise. But it's not Funimation's fault. It's Khara's. I forgot that Funimation even had Yamato: Resurrection. Honestly, I could hardly care, since Yamato should have ended with Final. On the other hand, it'd be interesting to see an actual competent licensor and dub studio like Funimation handle Yamato properties. Those Voyager Entertainment clowns have been screwing up Yamato-related stuff for a while now, and 2199 is basically an invisible release that I don't think is even being completed. If Funimation actually gets on it, it might be worth getting just to have something Yamato from a different licensor. Hm, the answer to my question about the Bebop credits is kind of a non-answer. I guess they just wanted to keep things as close to the original release as possible. And as for the extras, I watched the whole English dub documentary (it was two hours long!) recently, and I enjoyed it a lot. I love the insights the dub actors had into the characters. It would have been great to have Japanese staff, too, but I was really happy to see the dub cast together again, both for the more formal documentary and the get-together dinner thing. And damn, Steven Blum really still has that unmistakable voice, as his regular voice. That is the greatest voice. I was really glad they also mentioned the late, great Kevin Seymour in the documentary. I'm disappointed The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was an underperformer, and I thought it would have been a great place for North American audiences to get into the characters because it's a lot harder edged. And finally, one of the best things about Funimation is that, unlike some other anime licensors I can name, they don't try to bleed the consumer with outrageous prices. You get plenty bang for your buck without choosing not to buy groceries for a month or two. Great podcast this week, Zac. |
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chriswen
Posts: 7 |
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Not sure about Cowboy Bebop but I can't get english subtitles for the english dub of Attack on Titan.
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13564 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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Dude, it's been many podcasts ANNCast eps. since Heat Gut J was mentioned.
I would've thought Titan would've been their biggest seller last year. More than 1.5 years have passed since they announced at AX 2013 that they licensed the recent Cyborg 009 movie and they still haven't released it yet. This is actually the one title I anticipated more to see them release than Titan. |
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FenixFiesta
Posts: 2581 |
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This oh so very much is the reason I couldn't find a reason to throw money for the regional release. I understand they don't want to use an honorific nick name, but just as well "sissy" was a bad choice. |
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penguintruth
Posts: 8461 Location: Penguinopolis |
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They licensed RE: Cyborg 009? Ooooohhhh... that movie... yikes. |
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One-Eye
 Posts: 2261 |
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Is anyone else having the audio only coming out of 1 speaker when playing the podcast from the website? This happened last week too and its never happened before that.
Its a shame about Index and Railgun not performing well. For me the lack of BDs dampened my enthusiasm as well as the delay. Its similar to me not having moved on buying the last set of Hellsing Ultimate, which I had been starving for...until Funimation couldn't be bothered to release it the right way. Again my enthusiasm gets blunted and then I question if I really need to buy it. I'll end up getting Hellsing because I have the other two sets (w/ the LE box that can't fit the 3rd set  ), but I'm not sure if I'll bother picking up Index or Railgun. They released the BD of Deadman Wonderland after the DVD, but I think it didn't come in a LE box like the DVD. Guess what? Appeal went down for me and then time went by and now, why bother? Will the BD release of Future Diary go the same way as Deadman?
I also think the whole Eva 3.3 is weird. First it was they were delaying the release because they wanted to add more theatrical showings. Then we didn't hear anything for quite some time and now they're working with Anno to get his vision right. Japan didn't seem to have a problem with the previous releases. Why now? I'm not trying to slam Funi, because I do think they do a lot of things right but I've been a little disappointed with them of late. |
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