ADV Films discussion thread

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Nemuru

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...bsite-update-2

"This morning's unprecedented solar eclipse is no cause for alarm."

Yeah, right. Now you can start worrying.

[NoSanninWa]

Oh dear.
Oh my.

Originally Posted by ANN

An ADV Films spokesperson has provided ANN with the following statement in regards to the anime titles removed from the North American distributor's website:

We know there are a lot of rumors swirling about, and that fans are looking for assurances that ADV will continue to distribute the anime series they know and love.

While we can't go into any detail at this time, please know that ADV is working through a few short-term challenges and fully intends to continue our releases.

Geneon USA said something very much like that before they died. Suddenly I fear that ADV is a gonner. This press release has drained all my optimism.

[SeijiSensei]

I'm not encouraged by this press release either. All this makes me think that Geneon looked at ADV's operations when they were considering making a deal last year and decided that anime distribution on DVD in the States is not a good business model. Certainly one might have thought that consolidating their production and marketing operations, which seems to me where any such deal had to be going, would ultimately have helped both Geneon and ADV remain healthy. In the end Geneon went home, and now ADV appears to be "bobbing and weaving." I may be too pessimistic, but I think ADV's actions speak louder than its words.

And, I'm sorry, Toua, but I don't think any anime series I've seen is worth that 7 x $40 figure you gave for true tears and Shigofumi. The most I've spent on one series is about $100, buying Noein one at a time. I've bought the occasional more expensive one-off item like the single-disc three-episode Bakaneko arc, but when it comes to series I'll wait for boxsets and boxset pricing. I bought Planetes for $50 at Rightstuf. The $100 I spent on Junni Kokki there is about my limit.

[Forbin]

Short Term Challenges = Need Money Badly.

Fully Intend to continue our releases = Of course We want to release them...but can we?

[xris]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

This press release has drained all my optimism.

One could say you are in despair!

There are a couple of earlier news items on AoD that are ADV related.

Thursday, January 24th 2008

Germany Backs off Anime DVDs (08:32 AM EST): A pair of news items have cropped up in the last day about how Germany is apparently the next domino to fall with anime DVDs. While the sourcing isn't clear, it appears that several ADV Films releases for Germany have been put on hiatus pending changes which includes Guyver - The Bioboosted Armor, Utawarerumono - Heldenlied, Perfect Girl, Venus Versus Virus and Moonlight Mile.

Tuesday, January 22nd 2008

ADV UK Reorganizing? (09:52 AM EST): According to some information that's making the rounds, ADV Films UK is closing up shop and looking to take a similar route as what FUNimation does by partnering with Revelation Films. ADV Films UK is placing several series on hiatus while they finalize negotiations with whoever is going to handle their releases over there and refocus on digital distribution. There is also quite a sale going on with their site in which lots of releases are dirt cheap as they try to clear out inventory.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Forbin

Short Term Challenges = Need Money Badly.

Fully Intend to continue our releases = Of course We want to release them...but can we?

You forgot:

We can't go into any detail at this time = We have no clue either, and if we had, we might be even less inclined to tell you.

To see how the crowd at ANN swallowed this clearly vacuous statement like a happy pill makes me facepalm.

[guest]

Great, now they have more reasons to blame fansub. Then there comes the crackdown of fansub. Then more anime companies go bankrupt. Then the cycle continues. When is this going to end!!??

[Kamui4356]

Well, I just bought a few adv dvds I was putting off getting, just to make sure I could. I'd pick up a few more, but that's all I can afford at the moment. Hopefully they'll be able to survive, and get Kanon out.

[Nemuru]

It’s interesting reading response from ANN and Animesuki , either too optimistic or pessimistic.
Anyway, just hoping ADV makes it through. Hate to see some of my favourites show cancel.

[SeijiSensei]

Despite all the comments above about firesale pricing, I don't see any evidence of that at www.advfilms.com. There's nothing there about any sort of special sale.

Over at Rightstuf they are having an ADV sale, but it looks to be on old inventory, and the savings are in the $2-4 per disc range. No boxsets in the list as far as I could see, either, just discounts on individual discs.

What this "25 for $100" thing mentioned at the top of this thread? I don't see any mention of that.

[Potatochobit]

that was last year. you missed it.

[Wirbelwind8]

I don't feel too comfortable about this.. They first send out news that they are stopping Newtype USA, then what, a week later they announce some sort of vague, but clearly stated bit of info that involves the shutdown of some of their distribution? Not good.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Despite all the comments above about firesale pricing, I don't see any evidence of that at www.advfilms.com. There's nothing there about any sort of special sale.

Over at Rightstuf they are having an ADV sale, but it looks to be on old inventory, and the savings are in the $2-4 per disc range. No boxsets in the list as far as I could see, either, just discounts on individual discs.

What this "25 for $100" thing mentioned at the top of this thread? I don't see any mention of that.

The current sale for select adv titles at Righstuf


10DVD/$50 or 25DVD/$100 + Free domestic shipping.

Geneon had these type of sales 2 years in a row before they croak.

This is ADV 2nd year having this type of sale.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Nemuru

Here a Link from Anime news network

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...bsite-update-2

while it's not much but at least there a ray of hope ^ ^.

um... yeah... you need to translate that from business-speak. As SoL says, NOW you can start worrying.

[Slice of Life]

So .. could some expert fill me in on what kind of licensing problems ADV might have? Could it be that licenses have been withdrawn and under what conditions is that even possible?

[strategos]

Well, dunno if someone mentioned this before; but there are also the thing with the stocks and market. This past week and this week the market been going real badly. All company goes and run thru troble from time to time. In my personal opinion: I really dont want that company to go. Specially now with Moonlight Mile (1st season) been so close to get release on DVDS on the States.

Its important to show support to the animes once it get liscense. I always use the example of Big O. When it got to the States, it got more popular than in Japan and cartoon network paid for a second season.

[Forbin]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Despite all the comments above about firesale pricing, I don't see any evidence of that at www.advfilms.com. There's nothing there about any sort of special sale.

Over at Rightstuf they are having an ADV sale, but it looks to be on old inventory, and the savings are in the $2-4 per disc range. No boxsets in the list as far as I could see, either, just discounts on individual discs.

What this "25 for $100" thing mentioned at the top of this thread? I don't see any mention of that.

He didn't miss it. go to Rightstuf.com and click the ADV25 button. Pick 25, put in the code and Poof!

[SeijiSensei]

I am chagrined at missing the giant image on the right side of the Rightstuf page. I think I ignored it because it wasn't obviously connected to the ADV sale part on the left.

Time to look at that list again.

Edit: I looked, but I'm not sure I could find 25, or even 10, discs I'd want in the available selection. Also, as you might expect in a clearance sale, most series have gaps along the way, at least for series like Angelic Layer or RahXephon that I mght consider purchasing. ADV doesn't generally license the kinds of series I watch, though, so YMMV.

[bayoab]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

So .. could some expert fill me in on what kind of licensing problems ADV might have? Could it be that licenses have been withdrawn and under what conditions is that even possible?

For the problems, it seems that either
i) ADV does not actually fully own the titles
or ii) there is a clause in the contract that allows the licenses to be revoked if something isn't done and that one of their Japanese partners (Sojitz, ARM) is unhappy with something.

Basically, Sojitz came in when ADV was struggling and set them up with funding and an army in Japan to acquire licenses for them. If this funding or army was stopped, ADV would be back to where they were 2 years ago.

As for how they can lose the licenses, specifics are impossible because it all depends on what the contracts say and whatever else there is. Possible ways they could be withdrawn:
1) One of the companies might be claiming breach of contract on something and therefore the contract is now void.
2) ADV might not actually own the licenses and they are just sublicensed and have been revoked under some clause.
3) Someone is claiming that ARM never actually had the rights properly and thus ADV could not get the licenses to begin with.
(All of these have happened to other companies in the past.)

It is possible too that they haven't lost the licenses, but someone is preventing them from releasing them somehow.

[Forbin]

Originally Posted by bayoab

For the problems, it seems that either
i) ADV does not actually fully own the titles
or ii) there is a clause in the contract that allows the licenses to be revoked if something isn't done and that one of their Japanese partners (Sojitz, ARM) is unhappy with something.

Basically, Sojitz came in when ADV was struggling and set them up with funding and an army in Japan to acquire licenses for them. If this funding or army was stopped, ADV would be back to where they were 2 years ago.

As for how they can lose the licenses, specifics are impossible because it all depends on what the contracts say and whatever else there is. Possible ways they could be withdrawn:
1) One of the companies might be claiming breach of contract on something and therefore the contract is now void.
2) ADV might not actually own the licenses and they are just sublicensed and have been revoked under some clause.
3) Someone is claiming that ARM never actually had the rights properly and thus ADV could not get the licenses to begin with.
(All of these have happened to other companies in the past.)

It is possible too that they haven't lost the licenses, but someone is preventing them from releasing them somehow.

Phew!!!!!

Or to sum it up

While we can't go into any detail at this time,

Makes about as much sense.