May 4, 2016 3:27 AM
Misconceptions English-Speaking Anime Fans Have About Anime
Blog Index
As I've learned more and more about how anime production, how the anime industry works, as well as other miscellaneous things, the more ignorance I see about it from the anime community, and the more annoyed I get. So let me breakdown some things people are believing that are false.
Anime Is Animated In 1080P
As of June 2016, this still is not the case for most shows. Even just six years ago, there were various shows animated below 720P, and many shows still received DVD-only releases even in Japan. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for example was animated in 540P, and then upscaled for broadcast. Today, most shows are animated in at least 720P, and are upscaled for broadcast. There are some shows that are animated in or close to 1080P, but they're still rare. Even Fate/Zero from 2011 was not animated in 1080P.
Additionally, digitally-animated anime is forever locked in the resolution it was made in, so Blu-ray releases of many shows will never be truly 1080P. Gurren Lagann for example will never be true 1080P even though it was recomposited rather than upscaled.
https://twitter.com/Thomasintokyo/status/798162611036569600
https://twitter.com/Thomasintokyo/status/798177376374956032
Anime Is Mainstream In Japan
Not really. While there are mainstream stuff such as Studio Ghibli movies, One Piece, Naruto, Case Closed, Crayon Shin-Chan, and Sazae-san, most anime is niche even in Japan. The vast majority of anime these days airs late at night around 10PM-3AM.
Anime Isn't Hand-Drawn Anymore
This is completely false. While the animation process has involved computers for quite some time now, quite a bit of the animation is still hand-drawn (whether it be on paper or on tablets). The computer is handling the coloring.
https://twitter.com/Thomasintokyo/status/802340871572058113
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2014-09-26/.79158 (Third question)
Bigger Budget=Better Animation
This is a huge fallacy. One Punch Man which has AMAZING animation had an average budget. What matters is time, and the talent/skill of the staff.
Attack on Titan was nicknamed "Attack on Stills" while it was airing due to its heavy usage of panning and still shots due to production problems, and even after getting more animators, it still had problems. It did have its moments of great animation throughout though.
Companies Are Censoring Shows
It's quite rare for this to happen these days. When it comes to simulcasts, the reason why you'll see say the Crunchyroll and FUNimation streams contain the usual censors (weird sunlight, black bars, steam, etc.) is because they're getting what the other broadcasters in Japan are showing. The fansubs meanwhile are using the AT-X rips. AT-X is a premium channel in Japan (think like HBO) that gets to show uncensored versions of shows, and can even get to show episodes much earlier than everyone else. This footage is not allowed to be used for simulcasts under any circumstances. On the home video release, you will see the uncut footage. Though there have been a few rare instances over the years where the company accidentally released the TV version of a show (Ex: Sankarea, Martian Successor Nadesico, His and Her Circumstances). Also, FUNimation does later on replace the TV version streams with the home video version for their subscribers. Crunchyroll unfortunately rarely ever has the Blu-ray version for shows they simulcasted.
Crappy-looking Animation Means the Show is Having Production Problems and Has QUALITY
Sometimes that stuff is intentional. See the following below:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2015-09-30/the-joy-of-sakuga/.93579
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-mike-toole-show/2014-01-26
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4186173#4186173
FUNimation Is Raising Prices Dramatically
Not really. FUNimation and most of the R1 companies have kept the same cour set/complete set prices since singles died in 2010. The only increase that was done was for a select few Limited Editions that had items in them, they received a $15 increase, the only Regular Edition release that saw an increase was the one for Brother's Conflict ($74.98 MSRP instead of $64.98 MSRP).
Standard FUNimation Pricing Key:
Cour DVD-only Sets: $59.98 (RE) $64.98 (LE's)
Cour Combo Packs: $64.98 (RE's) $69.98 (Pre-2016 LE's, now only for LE's without items) $84.98 (Current LE's with items)
If Aniplex is on the Production Committee They Have International Rights
Yes and no. Many shows Aniplex has been on the production committee for shows they didn't have international rights for. The Perfect Insider was Fuji Creative Corportation, Love Lab was Dentsu, Kiznaiver was Crunchyroll/ABC Asahi, D.Gray-man was Dentsu, Big Windup! was Kodansha, Love, Election & Chocolate was TBS, and the list goes on.
Lower Prices=Higher Sales in the R1 Anime Industry
Tons of fans are under this assumption, but it's false. Fans here have always had what's known as inelastic demand, as the price goes up or down, sales don't really increase that much. An example of this was when Geneon Entertainment tried different price points on singles (3-5 episodes a disc) when that was how all anime was first released here. They tried $29.98 (the standard across the board except with VX+artbox releases ($10 more)), $24.98, and $19.98, and as explained in a 2009 ANNCast (timestamps: 44:20-49:22, 66:00-67:50) by Chad Kime (the former Head of Marketing there), sales didn't really increase. Also the reason why their MSRP's for two-cour box sets stayed at $199.98 for so long is because they continued to sell at that price.
Also, singles were dropped in an effort to increase sales and to keep anime on store shelves when retailers stopped accepting later volumes of shows due to shelf space problems. The result of singles being dropped, the price dropping, and sales not picking up enough to offset that can be seen in the following via a 2013 JETRO report.
Text version of ANNCast Timestamps (has some typos)
More on the 2013 JETRO report
Neon Genesis Evangelion Episodes 25 and 26 Looked Like Crap Because They Ran Out of Money
Hideaki Anno, the director of the series changed how he wanted to do things, and time became an issue, that is the real reason why the show had issues. Shirobako plays out something like this where the director changes things, things are then getting redone, and it ends up greatly affecting the production and deadlines.
The Airing Date Determines When a Company Can Release a Show in North America
The airing dates have never mattered, what matters is the date of the final/most recent Japanese release. Companies typically have to wait six months to about a year after the Japanese release finishes before they can put out their own release due to reverse-importation fears (i.e. fear that JP fans won't buy the expensive Japanese discs (why they're so expensive) and will instead import cheaper ones from overseas). Exceptions can happen (Ex: Dragon Ball Z: Refurrection F (released in the same month), Kill la Kill (first volume was released before final JP volume), but they're very rare.
The Animation Studio Decides Whether More of a Show Is Made
Most times no, as animation studios are rarely present on the production committee (so they're typically just hired studios), so they almost always have no say whether or not a series will continue. When they are present, sometimes they're towards the very bottom, like with One Punch Man's for example, Madhouse is towards the bottom of the production committee.
The Animation Studio/Disc Distributor in Japan Handles International Rights
Many times the animation studio can be the one handling international rights, but not always. Typically it's mainly Sunrise, Gainax, and Production I.G that have handled international rights for their shows. As for the home video distributor, it's not always the case. Many times you'll see say Aniplex, Showgate (now known as Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures (who rarely distributes their own discs, only publishing them)), or NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan be the licensor, but you'll rarely see say Warner Bros. Japan and Pony Canyon (mainly on older titles before Ponycan USA was started up) handle international rights.
The Animation Studio Matters A LOT
This is something that I was once fixated on, but now, I no longer know who is animating the show's I'm watching, because ultimately it doesn't matter that much. The animation studio tends to not have very many actual employees, including say A-1 Pictures. Also you'll notice many directors and script writers have worked for various anime at various studios as they're freelancers. Many don't belong to one single studio. What matters is the staff, not the animation studio. There are times where you can have expectations for studios as they're not working for hire such as Kyoto Animation, Sunrise (to an extent), or Studio Ghibli, but most times the animation studio isn't the driving factor as to whether a show will be good or not. Also most studios outsource their animation, particularly when they fall behind.
The Anime Will Continue After the Manga/Light Novel Ends
Complete adaptations are extremely rare, so this is definitely not the case for most series. The main purpose for most late-night anime's existence is to promote the source material, and to increase the sales. When the source material ends, there's no longer anything new to promote, and the series drops in popularity. It is very rarely worth it for the publisher to push for another season. So the chances of a series continuing after the source material ends pretty much drops to nearly zero.
ufotable Ran Out of Budget For God Eater Because of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Budget Works
They ran out of time due to them falling behind on Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2. They also had to do a ton of outsourcing.
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/613656123581800448
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/613656207082061824
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/616182828364111872
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/620233816435748864
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/620233926049722368
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/625327305288773632
Universal Owns FUNimation
They're now owned by Sony Pictures TV, but this still applies.
No, they entered into a distribution deal, nothing more, nothing less. Also this is separate from their NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan licenses (Ex: Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Rage of Bahamut: Genesis, Tokyo Ravens), other companies such as Sentai Filmworks for instance are still getting some NBCUJ titles (Ex: The Fruit of Grisaia, When They Cry: Kai, Hatenkou Yugi).
(Note how with the covers I showed, it says "NBCUniversal Enertainment Japan (A Comcast Company)" on the Universal logo. It is not the same logo. Note why there seems to be two Universal logos on the Universal Pictures UK release for Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign).
What Is Shown On TV Is the Final Product
This is rarely the case. Many shows will have censors, either due to broadcasting standards, or to give people another reason to buy the discs. Additionally, lots of anime get scenes retouched for the home video release, and may even feature additional footage that gives the episodes a much longer run-time than the original TV broadcast. Shaft shows are the most notorious when it comes to changes. An example of that below from Nisekoi.
http://www.otakutale.com/2014/nisekoi-tv-blu-ray-comparisons/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now below, in an effort to further help people understand how things work... If you're very curious to know even more about how various things in the anime industry work, I highly, highly recommend you check out these links.
Some Relevant Links About Anime Production and/Or the Anime Industry (Some were used above)
All About Licensing: Part I
All About Licensing Part II: The Contract
All About Licensing: Part III
ANNCast - The Last Days of Bandai Entertainment USA
ANNCast - The Life and Kime of Geneon, USA
A "Shirobako" Guide To Anime Industry Salaries
Behind The Scenes! Kyoto Animation Making of Kanon
Dimension W Production Diary
Does Budget Affect Animation Quality? To What Extent?
Dragon Ball Super Production Issues Explained
Guest Post: Anime and Sales Analysis, by Yuyucow
Guest Post by Yuyucow: Anime Sales Analysis Part 2
Guest Post by Yuyucow: For an internet FREE of KyoAni myths
How Is Anime Changing Visually These Days?
Photography and resolution of anime
Producer: No Square-Enix Anime Lost Money in 8 Years
Sakuga: The Animation of Anime (2013 presentation)
Sales FAQ/Guide (This site is also a great source for anime sales numbers, maintained by something (that is his username))
Shirobako’s Glossary, with Pictures and Annotations
The Anime Economy - Part 1: Let's Make An Anime!
The Anime Economy - Part 2: Shiny Discs
The Anime Economy - Part 3: Digital Pennies
The Joy of Sakuga
The reasoning behind a lack of Haruhi S3 (Updated March 2015)
What's A Light Novel?
Who on Earth is A-1 Pictures? | Anime Studio Spotlight
Why Aniplex Sells $500 Box Sets
Why Doesn’t Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Look Great On Blu-ray?
Why Sailor Moon Crystal S3 has better animation than the prior seasons
Why The Anime Studio Doesn't Really Matter | Anime Studio Spotlight
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part I
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part II
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part III
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part IV
Great Columns That Are Regularly Updated
Answerman - Anime News Network
Sakuga Blog - Sakugabooru
As I've learned more and more about how anime production, how the anime industry works, as well as other miscellaneous things, the more ignorance I see about it from the anime community, and the more annoyed I get. So let me breakdown some things people are believing that are false.
Anime Is Animated In 1080P
As of June 2016, this still is not the case for most shows. Even just six years ago, there were various shows animated below 720P, and many shows still received DVD-only releases even in Japan. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for example was animated in 540P, and then upscaled for broadcast. Today, most shows are animated in at least 720P, and are upscaled for broadcast. There are some shows that are animated in or close to 1080P, but they're still rare. Even Fate/Zero from 2011 was not animated in 1080P.
Additionally, digitally-animated anime is forever locked in the resolution it was made in, so Blu-ray releases of many shows will never be truly 1080P. Gurren Lagann for example will never be true 1080P even though it was recomposited rather than upscaled.
https://twitter.com/Thomasintokyo/status/798162611036569600
https://twitter.com/Thomasintokyo/status/798177376374956032
Anime Is Mainstream In Japan
Not really. While there are mainstream stuff such as Studio Ghibli movies, One Piece, Naruto, Case Closed, Crayon Shin-Chan, and Sazae-san, most anime is niche even in Japan. The vast majority of anime these days airs late at night around 10PM-3AM.
Anime Isn't Hand-Drawn Anymore
This is completely false. While the animation process has involved computers for quite some time now, quite a bit of the animation is still hand-drawn (whether it be on paper or on tablets). The computer is handling the coloring.
https://twitter.com/Thomasintokyo/status/802340871572058113
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2014-09-26/.79158 (Third question)
Bigger Budget=Better Animation
This is a huge fallacy. One Punch Man which has AMAZING animation had an average budget. What matters is time, and the talent/skill of the staff.
Attack on Titan was nicknamed "Attack on Stills" while it was airing due to its heavy usage of panning and still shots due to production problems, and even after getting more animators, it still had problems. It did have its moments of great animation throughout though.
Companies Are Censoring Shows
It's quite rare for this to happen these days. When it comes to simulcasts, the reason why you'll see say the Crunchyroll and FUNimation streams contain the usual censors (weird sunlight, black bars, steam, etc.) is because they're getting what the other broadcasters in Japan are showing. The fansubs meanwhile are using the AT-X rips. AT-X is a premium channel in Japan (think like HBO) that gets to show uncensored versions of shows, and can even get to show episodes much earlier than everyone else. This footage is not allowed to be used for simulcasts under any circumstances. On the home video release, you will see the uncut footage. Though there have been a few rare instances over the years where the company accidentally released the TV version of a show (Ex: Sankarea, Martian Successor Nadesico, His and Her Circumstances). Also, FUNimation does later on replace the TV version streams with the home video version for their subscribers. Crunchyroll unfortunately rarely ever has the Blu-ray version for shows they simulcasted.
Crappy-looking Animation Means the Show is Having Production Problems and Has QUALITY
Sometimes that stuff is intentional. See the following below:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2015-09-30/the-joy-of-sakuga/.93579
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-mike-toole-show/2014-01-26
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4186173#4186173
FUNimation Is Raising Prices Dramatically
Not really. FUNimation and most of the R1 companies have kept the same cour set/complete set prices since singles died in 2010. The only increase that was done was for a select few Limited Editions that had items in them, they received a $15 increase, the only Regular Edition release that saw an increase was the one for Brother's Conflict ($74.98 MSRP instead of $64.98 MSRP).
Standard FUNimation Pricing Key:
Cour DVD-only Sets: $59.98 (RE) $64.98 (LE's)
Cour Combo Packs: $64.98 (RE's) $69.98 (Pre-2016 LE's, now only for LE's without items) $84.98 (Current LE's with items)
If Aniplex is on the Production Committee They Have International Rights
Yes and no. Many shows Aniplex has been on the production committee for shows they didn't have international rights for. The Perfect Insider was Fuji Creative Corportation, Love Lab was Dentsu, Kiznaiver was Crunchyroll/ABC Asahi, D.Gray-man was Dentsu, Big Windup! was Kodansha, Love, Election & Chocolate was TBS, and the list goes on.
Lower Prices=Higher Sales in the R1 Anime Industry
Tons of fans are under this assumption, but it's false. Fans here have always had what's known as inelastic demand, as the price goes up or down, sales don't really increase that much. An example of this was when Geneon Entertainment tried different price points on singles (3-5 episodes a disc) when that was how all anime was first released here. They tried $29.98 (the standard across the board except with VX+artbox releases ($10 more)), $24.98, and $19.98, and as explained in a 2009 ANNCast (timestamps: 44:20-49:22, 66:00-67:50) by Chad Kime (the former Head of Marketing there), sales didn't really increase. Also the reason why their MSRP's for two-cour box sets stayed at $199.98 for so long is because they continued to sell at that price.
Also, singles were dropped in an effort to increase sales and to keep anime on store shelves when retailers stopped accepting later volumes of shows due to shelf space problems. The result of singles being dropped, the price dropping, and sales not picking up enough to offset that can be seen in the following via a 2013 JETRO report.
Text version of ANNCast Timestamps (has some typos)
More on the 2013 JETRO report
Neon Genesis Evangelion Episodes 25 and 26 Looked Like Crap Because They Ran Out of Money
Hideaki Anno, the director of the series changed how he wanted to do things, and time became an issue, that is the real reason why the show had issues. Shirobako plays out something like this where the director changes things, things are then getting redone, and it ends up greatly affecting the production and deadlines.
The Airing Date Determines When a Company Can Release a Show in North America
The airing dates have never mattered, what matters is the date of the final/most recent Japanese release. Companies typically have to wait six months to about a year after the Japanese release finishes before they can put out their own release due to reverse-importation fears (i.e. fear that JP fans won't buy the expensive Japanese discs (why they're so expensive) and will instead import cheaper ones from overseas). Exceptions can happen (Ex: Dragon Ball Z: Refurrection F (released in the same month), Kill la Kill (first volume was released before final JP volume), but they're very rare.
The Animation Studio Decides Whether More of a Show Is Made
Most times no, as animation studios are rarely present on the production committee (so they're typically just hired studios), so they almost always have no say whether or not a series will continue. When they are present, sometimes they're towards the very bottom, like with One Punch Man's for example, Madhouse is towards the bottom of the production committee.
製作 - ヒーロー協会本部（バンダイビジュアル、テレビ東京、アサツー ディ・ケイ、ジェイアール東日本企画、集英社、ランティス、バンプレスト、マッドハウス、グッドスマイルカンパニー）
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AF%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3#.E3.82.B9.E3.82.BF.E3.83.83.E3.83.95The Animation Studio/Disc Distributor in Japan Handles International Rights
Many times the animation studio can be the one handling international rights, but not always. Typically it's mainly Sunrise, Gainax, and Production I.G that have handled international rights for their shows. As for the home video distributor, it's not always the case. Many times you'll see say Aniplex, Showgate (now known as Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures (who rarely distributes their own discs, only publishing them)), or NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan be the licensor, but you'll rarely see say Warner Bros. Japan and Pony Canyon (mainly on older titles before Ponycan USA was started up) handle international rights.
The Animation Studio Matters A LOT
This is something that I was once fixated on, but now, I no longer know who is animating the show's I'm watching, because ultimately it doesn't matter that much. The animation studio tends to not have very many actual employees, including say A-1 Pictures. Also you'll notice many directors and script writers have worked for various anime at various studios as they're freelancers. Many don't belong to one single studio. What matters is the staff, not the animation studio. There are times where you can have expectations for studios as they're not working for hire such as Kyoto Animation, Sunrise (to an extent), or Studio Ghibli, but most times the animation studio isn't the driving factor as to whether a show will be good or not. Also most studios outsource their animation, particularly when they fall behind.
The Anime Will Continue After the Manga/Light Novel Ends
Complete adaptations are extremely rare, so this is definitely not the case for most series. The main purpose for most late-night anime's existence is to promote the source material, and to increase the sales. When the source material ends, there's no longer anything new to promote, and the series drops in popularity. It is very rarely worth it for the publisher to push for another season. So the chances of a series continuing after the source material ends pretty much drops to nearly zero.
ufotable Ran Out of Budget For God Eater Because of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Budget Works
They ran out of time due to them falling behind on Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2. They also had to do a ton of outsourcing.
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/613656123581800448
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/613656207082061824
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/616182828364111872
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/620233816435748864
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/620233926049722368
https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/625327305288773632
Universal Owns FUNimation
They're now owned by Sony Pictures TV, but this still applies.
No, they entered into a distribution deal, nothing more, nothing less. Also this is separate from their NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan licenses (Ex: Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Rage of Bahamut: Genesis, Tokyo Ravens), other companies such as Sentai Filmworks for instance are still getting some NBCUJ titles (Ex: The Fruit of Grisaia, When They Cry: Kai, Hatenkou Yugi).
(Note how with the covers I showed, it says "NBCUniversal Enertainment Japan (A Comcast Company)" on the Universal logo. It is not the same logo. Note why there seems to be two Universal logos on the Universal Pictures UK release for Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign).
I know you answered the question of why the Universal Pictures logo is appearing before certain Funimation shows a few weeks ago (it's because Universal Studios Japan, formerly Geneon, is the licensor for that show). But now Funimation is announcing that Universal is distributing their discs too! Does this mean Funimation is becoming part of Universal? Will only Funimation be able to get Universal/Geneon anime, and will Funimation be able to get anything else?
Nope. In terms of licensing and publishing, the deal Funimation announced this week to distribute Funimation DVDs and Blu-rays will mean very little.
Funimation is, compared to a major movie studio, a "smaller" publisher. They're not SUPER small by any means, but they're small enough that they simply don't have the muscle to get their product into stores like Target and Wal-Mart on a regular basis. When they do, if those stores decide to withhold payment or return a bunch of discs, Funimation would have very little recourse but to take their lumps. A bigger studio gives them a lot more leverage. "Really? You're not gonna pay me on time? Guess you're not getting the new Jurassic World Blu-ray on release day! How sad, guys." Dealing with retailers and other credit-based businesses often comes down to stupid games like that. Being a bigger animal really helps. A lot. Having Universal Studios distribute for Funimation is exactly the same relationship Viz has with Warner Bros. Pictures. And lest you think this is a new thing, Warner Music Group used to distribute for Central Park Media, and Orion Pictures distributed for Streamline Pictures. (Those didn't work out so well, but that's a story for another day.)
As a result of this deal, Funimation will get more product into Target and Wal-Mart. Those stores are less likely to worry about cartoon boobs when it comes from a major studio. The discs will get put onto more prominent shelves, and might even find their way into circulars and other things that will really move units. (This isn't without risk, of course -- Wal-Mart is so huge that if they return a bunch of product, that can REALLY hurt.) It will be harder for anime specialty retailers, who probably won't get as good of a deal, but if they're smart about it, it could be really good for Funimation's disc sales. Or not. Time will tell.
But what of the combination between Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Japan, the anime licensor? Well, despite having roughly the same name, the same logo, and much of the same release slate, the two entities are actually separate companies. They do work together a lot, but one hand is absolutely not talking to the other. However, there is always the possibility that as a result of this deal, someone at Universal will notice that anime is the only segment of the home Video Market that's booming, and want to get in on that as a publisher. At that point, we might have a situation like we have with Warner Bros. and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where they're testing the waters in becoming an anime publisher themselves, likely grabbing something from their Japanese sister company. OR, and this is purely conjecture, they might inquire if Funimation might be for sale. Depending on how much they offer, upper management could get positively frothy at the possibility!
But none of that is what has come to pass, so we don't need to worry. But as anime gets more and more mainstream, I do expect some bigger American companies to want to get in on the action somehow.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2015-06-26/.89649 (Last question)Nope. In terms of licensing and publishing, the deal Funimation announced this week to distribute Funimation DVDs and Blu-rays will mean very little.
Funimation is, compared to a major movie studio, a "smaller" publisher. They're not SUPER small by any means, but they're small enough that they simply don't have the muscle to get their product into stores like Target and Wal-Mart on a regular basis. When they do, if those stores decide to withhold payment or return a bunch of discs, Funimation would have very little recourse but to take their lumps. A bigger studio gives them a lot more leverage. "Really? You're not gonna pay me on time? Guess you're not getting the new Jurassic World Blu-ray on release day! How sad, guys." Dealing with retailers and other credit-based businesses often comes down to stupid games like that. Being a bigger animal really helps. A lot. Having Universal Studios distribute for Funimation is exactly the same relationship Viz has with Warner Bros. Pictures. And lest you think this is a new thing, Warner Music Group used to distribute for Central Park Media, and Orion Pictures distributed for Streamline Pictures. (Those didn't work out so well, but that's a story for another day.)
As a result of this deal, Funimation will get more product into Target and Wal-Mart. Those stores are less likely to worry about cartoon boobs when it comes from a major studio. The discs will get put onto more prominent shelves, and might even find their way into circulars and other things that will really move units. (This isn't without risk, of course -- Wal-Mart is so huge that if they return a bunch of product, that can REALLY hurt.) It will be harder for anime specialty retailers, who probably won't get as good of a deal, but if they're smart about it, it could be really good for Funimation's disc sales. Or not. Time will tell.
But what of the combination between Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Japan, the anime licensor? Well, despite having roughly the same name, the same logo, and much of the same release slate, the two entities are actually separate companies. They do work together a lot, but one hand is absolutely not talking to the other. However, there is always the possibility that as a result of this deal, someone at Universal will notice that anime is the only segment of the home Video Market that's booming, and want to get in on that as a publisher. At that point, we might have a situation like we have with Warner Bros. and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where they're testing the waters in becoming an anime publisher themselves, likely grabbing something from their Japanese sister company. OR, and this is purely conjecture, they might inquire if Funimation might be for sale. Depending on how much they offer, upper management could get positively frothy at the possibility!
But none of that is what has come to pass, so we don't need to worry. But as anime gets more and more mainstream, I do expect some bigger American companies to want to get in on the action somehow.
What Is Shown On TV Is the Final Product
This is rarely the case. Many shows will have censors, either due to broadcasting standards, or to give people another reason to buy the discs. Additionally, lots of anime get scenes retouched for the home video release, and may even feature additional footage that gives the episodes a much longer run-time than the original TV broadcast. Shaft shows are the most notorious when it comes to changes. An example of that below from Nisekoi.
http://www.otakutale.com/2014/nisekoi-tv-blu-ray-comparisons/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now below, in an effort to further help people understand how things work... If you're very curious to know even more about how various things in the anime industry work, I highly, highly recommend you check out these links.
Some Relevant Links About Anime Production and/Or the Anime Industry (Some were used above)
All About Licensing: Part I
All About Licensing Part II: The Contract
All About Licensing: Part III
ANNCast - The Last Days of Bandai Entertainment USA
ANNCast - The Life and Kime of Geneon, USA
A "Shirobako" Guide To Anime Industry Salaries
Behind The Scenes! Kyoto Animation Making of Kanon
Dimension W Production Diary
Does Budget Affect Animation Quality? To What Extent?
Dragon Ball Super Production Issues Explained
Guest Post: Anime and Sales Analysis, by Yuyucow
Guest Post by Yuyucow: Anime Sales Analysis Part 2
Guest Post by Yuyucow: For an internet FREE of KyoAni myths
How Is Anime Changing Visually These Days?
Photography and resolution of anime
Producer: No Square-Enix Anime Lost Money in 8 Years
Sakuga: The Animation of Anime (2013 presentation)
Sales FAQ/Guide (This site is also a great source for anime sales numbers, maintained by something (that is his username))
Shirobako’s Glossary, with Pictures and Annotations
The Anime Economy - Part 1: Let's Make An Anime!
The Anime Economy - Part 2: Shiny Discs
The Anime Economy - Part 3: Digital Pennies
The Joy of Sakuga
The reasoning behind a lack of Haruhi S3 (Updated March 2015)
What's A Light Novel?
Who on Earth is A-1 Pictures? | Anime Studio Spotlight
Why Aniplex Sells $500 Box Sets
Why Doesn’t Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Look Great On Blu-ray?
Why Sailor Moon Crystal S3 has better animation than the prior seasons
Why The Anime Studio Doesn't Really Matter | Anime Studio Spotlight
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part I
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part II
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part III
Your Ultimate Guide to Anime Ending Credits: Part IV
Great Columns That Are Regularly Updated
Answerman - Anime News Network
Sakuga Blog - Sakugabooru
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BigOnAnime
| May 4, 2016 3:27 AM |
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