February 16, 2008

Bandai's Evil Twin Skippy

Bandai is going to try an experiment. They're going to try releasing some anime in R1 at about the same time as it's released in Japan, and they're going to sell it for about the same price as it's sold for in Japan.

Which is 3-5 times what we're used to paying here.

But it's all very confusing. See, it isn't all of Bandai. There are actually two companies here, both Bandai, but not closely related otherwise. One of them is called "Bandai Visual". The other is called "Bandai Entertainment". And I can never remember which is which.

So from now on I will refer to them as "Good Bandai" (Bandai Entertainment), the one that sold me Banner of the Stars, and "Bad Bandai" (or "Evil Twin Skippy", Bandai Visual) the one that wants to sell me Shigofumi at a price of $30 per episode.

Because they're not the same, and treating them as if they are is unfair to Good Bandai.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 09:24 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 166 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Or "Bandai" and "BVUSA."  Though "Evil Twin Skippy" has a good ring to it. 

Never mind, just go with that. 

I might have to get the first DVD of Shigofumi when it comes out.  The first two episodes are quite amazing, and would make a helluva stand-alone OVA... kinda like the core six episodes of Haruhi. 

But if "ETS" keeps those prices at sky-high levels, that'd be ALL I get of the series.  I know their rationale behind it, but it's a lousy one and just won't work here.  Unless they pick up Kanon '06 from the death of ADV (if it happens, which I have bad feelings about), in which case I'm screwed.

Posted by: Wonderduck at February 16, 2008 11:32 AM (AW3EJ)

2 I'm not interested in TT, but after hearing good reviews about Shigofumi, I considered it -- until the license and price was announced.

If we start seeing copious amounts of anime at those prices, I will be dropping my policy on purchasing what I view as fansub.  No way in hell am I about to spend $540 to buy Kanon.   None.  At that point, I will just drop any pretense to morality and be an outlaw.

Posted by: ubu at February 16, 2008 11:41 AM (NRzwC)

3 Ohh ho ho ho, are they in for a rude surprise.

Or perhaps they are expecting what they will get from this, and they're doing it solely to show someone why "Americans don't buy anime" or some such nonsense.

This'll be interesting. 'Cause I don't see any American paying $1 per minute to own any DVD, no matter how freaking good it is.

Posted by: atomic_fungus at February 16, 2008 03:51 PM (yuW61)

4 Unfortunately after seeing the 1st three episodes of Shigofumi, I may have to bite the bullet and buy the series - even at that egregious price - it's that good. "Lain" levels of good. As mentioned earlier the first two episodes are a really impressive single story arc, but the third episode looks to be the first part of another such story arc, and is awfully impressive in its own right even without the ending. Odi et amo, mea Shigofumi.

Posted by: mparker762 at February 18, 2008 08:12 PM (nqP8K)

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