License Rumours and News

[Aya Reiko]

http://www.animeondvd.com/news/news.php?news_view=11802

As it will be announced at Anime Central tonight, ADV has licensed Magikano, Red Garden, Welcome to the NHK, and Pumpkin Scissors.

[Quarkboy]

I just saw an interesting tidbit on animenewsservice:


5-6-07 (5:49AM EDT)---- North American Toei Animation Plans For Pretty Cure And Nanoha
The official North American site for Toei Animation has updated with a new page for their Futari Wa Pretty Cure animation. At TIFFCOM, 2006 a Toei representative told ANS that seperate spaced releases were being planned for their latest magical girl anime franchises Pretty Cure and Maho Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the link.

That 2006 representative is probably outdated, but the combining of Nanoha and Pretty Cure in the same breath is interesting. Technically, they are both fighting magical girl shows, I suppose.

[Princess_of_Hell]

There is a press release on AnimeOnDVD.com which mentions Nana, Honey and Clover, and Kirarin Revolution (Kirari).

http://www.animeondvd.com
http://www.animeondvd.com/news/pr.php?pr_view=1072

[MrProphet]

Honey and Clover was long know as a Viz title, they just refused to "announce it" for some reason.

[gnuffiehot]

No (TM) behind Kirarin yet though. Also, I haven't heard specifically that Kirarin got licenced.

[nanafan]

i had a feeling that nana might be licensed by viz, since they also released the manga under viz.

[Princess_of_Hell]

Originally Posted by gnuffiehot

No (TM) behind Kirarin yet though. Also, I haven't heard specifically that Kirarin got licenced.

The Kirari that was mentioned in the release is same as Kirarin Revolution, story and all.

[gnuffiehot]

Originally Posted by Princess_of_Hell

The Kirari that was mentioned in the release is same as Kirarin Revolution, story and all.

I know. I wish to know because I sub that series, and licencing might compromise things.

[Princess_of_Hell]

Originally Posted by gnuffiehot

I know. I wish to know because I sub that series, and licencing might compromise things.

There is no official licensing yet, only what it says in the release. It's not even on the Grand High Licensing list yet so it can still be subbed.

[gnuffiehot]

Originally Posted by Princess_of_Hell

There is no official licensing yet, only what it says in the release. It's not even on the Grand High Licensing list yet so it can still be subbed.

Thank you, that is what I wanted to know

*huggles*

[GHDpro]

Quote from the press release: "VIZ Media is a key master licensor". That's what this is mostly about. However, the term "key master licensor" means very little, other than they're shopping it around to other anime studios. ONLY when such other studio decides to be come a licensee, can we consider the title licensed.

So er... this press release really contains not much useful information...

Title updated to take out those awful caps & question mark added for accuracy...

[LoveOfAnime]

I just saw it announced on Animenetworknews...VIZ Lisensed it...


http://www.animeondvd.com/licenselist/N.php

Kinda sad now......

[Kensuke]

To be licensed soon?
- Lucky Star
- Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! (as Venus to Mamoru)
- The Girl Who Leapt through Time

Maybe old news, but there has been some discussion about these series, as Kadokawa USA lists them on their website.

http://www.kadokawapicturesusa.com/animation/index.php

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by Kensuke

To be licensed soon?
- Lucky Star
- Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! (as Venus to Mamoru)
- The Girl Who Leapt through Time

Maybe old news, but there has been some discussion about these series, as Kadokawa USA lists them on their website.

http://www.kadokawapicturesusa.com/animation/index.php

Okay, I totally understand changing the english title of "Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo!" to something else, the original is pretty horribly long. But what kind of strange cross lingual mishegash is "Venus to Mamoru"?! It's half english, half Japanese.... I mean, "Megami to Mamoru", or "Venus and Mamoru", but don't go half and half. Unless you really think that american otaku know enough japanese to understand the "to" particle.

[Conri]

I'm pretty sure they're actually using the English "to"... Venus to Mamoru.

[mdauben]

Originally Posted by Conri

I'm pretty sure they're actually using the English "to"... Venus to Mamoru.

I think you are probably right, but even that way the title does not make much sense.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by mdauben

I think you are probably right, but even that way the title does not make much sense.

I think I see what they were trying to do here, though. They just simplified the Japanese title so much that the meaning isn't clear anymore. The idea is supposed to be that a goddess came to bless Mamoru, but they just simplified the goddess/angel's blessing concept to "Venus" (goddess of love, to represent Ayako), and obviously got rid of the "-kun" from Mamoru's name, resulting in "Venus [sent] to Mamoru" or just "Venus to Mamoru". The problem is that, unlike the Japanese title (which they probably considered too verbose when translated directly), it doesn't really explain anything about the story unless it's explained to you.

All that being said, though, it's just a title they're using as they solicit the show for licensing/partnership opportunities. There are no plans for release yet. We'll see what happens if someone bites and takes on the show.

[Major1138]

Originally Posted by Kensuke

To be licensed soon?
- Lucky Star
- Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! (as Venus to Mamoru)
- The Girl Who Leapt through Time

Maybe old news, but there has been some discussion about these series, as Kadokawa USA lists them on their website.

http://www.kadokawapicturesusa.com/animation/index.php

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a good one. It's a great story and would be relatively straightforward to produce a dubbed version that wouldn't suck.

Lucky Star is an interesting one - it's a funny series, but it's awfully referential to other shows and elements of Japanese pop culture that aren't always quickly explained. It'd be interesting to see how they handle it.

[Zeroryoko1974]

From ANN:
The North American anime distributor Bandai Entertainment revealed at New York Anime Festival 2008 on Friday that it has cancelled the English-language release of the sola and true tears anime series due to licensing issues. Bandai Visual USA, another Namco Bandai Group company that was folded into Bandai Entertainment's Honneamise label, had announced in January and February that it would release those two series and Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed this year. Bandai Visual USA then announced in March that it postponed all three series. There is no new word on the status of Shigofumi.
From their live blog on their website

09:47] @Richard: Is this thing on???
[09:48] @Richard: Why is this live... hey web people don't make this live
[09:59] @Richard: ... I'm not in New York, isn't this misleading?
[10:15] @Richard: 15 minutes until industry panel starts at NYAF.
[10:20] @Richard: Loy will be speaking first.
[10:20] @Richard: As many of you know the business climate is tough lately
[10:20] @Richard: and we've had to make a few difficult decisions.
[10:20] @Richard: Loy will be explaining what's happened first,
[10:20] @Richard: Honneamise has cancelled the release of the following anime:
[10:35] PANEL: Honneamise has cancelled the release of the following anime:
[10:37] PANEL: Sola and True Tears
[10:37] PANEL: We apologize greatly for this and ask for your understanding.
[11:05] @Richard: Gurren Lagann manga to be released by Bandai Entertainment
[11:10] @Richard: Note to everyone emailing customer service:
[11:10] @Richard: Loy worked really hard on Sola and True Tears
[11:15] @Richard: Since we're all friends, Bob is suggesting something
[11:17] @Richard: that might cheer up Loy...
[11:17] PANEL: Bob has added 2 more "new title" slots...
[11:18] @Richard: As a direct license from Japan...
[11:20] @Richard: Bandai Entertainment acquires SOLA and TRUE TEARS for N.A.

[Vexx]

And that.. .is why you don't delete your fansubs until you have the disks in your hot little hands

Despite the fact I enjoyed both series .... I can see why they made the decisions. Niche/special_taste items are going to take some hits here while the remaining R1 groups figure out what it is they should actually be doing.

I'd like to see more of them follow the subtitle-only low-budget distribution paths because frankly I'd like to support the titles I enjoy -- I just know that most of them are off the beaten path.