True Tears Licensed by Bandai Visual USA (now Bandai Ent.)

[Itadakimasu!]

Just a question.... why do so many people want a dub version? is it because the sub versions released are so poor?

To be honest i've never been impressed by english dubs because the anime somehow feels less authentic.. I guess the english voice actors seem to try much too hard or I can't take them seriously somehow.

More specifically... its a pity this has been licensed so early on. I live in Australia so I have no idea what I'm going to do. I'm also a uni student (and uni students are 'uni'versally poor :P). This series started out OK for me but got better and better, its a pity that they licenced it so early on XD

[GHDpro]

Some people prefer to view anime in English and aren't used to hearing Japanese voices and/or reading subtitles. The fact is, anime with a English (dubbed) track sells better than anime with just subtitles. Yet as a dub is expensive and time-consuming to make, not all companies dub all their series. That's the short explanation, but please let's not get in a Sub VS Dub discussion.

Anyway, about this news... I'm sorry but I still feel that either BV USA are completely out of their mind with their pricing strategy, or they only target the rich otaku's. It seems like they just don't give a damn about anime fans with less deep pockets.

While True Tears is now removed from AnimeSuki, BV USA's pricing policy essentially leaves people who can't afford to buy the DVDs or who simply don't feel it's worth spending $270 (minus discounts) on with no choice but to "rent" it. Either legally (through Netflix for example) or "some other way".

(original post edited as I got a little carried away, new text still reflects my feelings without making radical statements)

.

[Dop]

As I mentioned on the Shigofumi thread I can't help thinking this pricing is going to bite them with poor sales or lots of people waiting for price cuts.
When you think Media Blasters can put out six episodes of Simoun on the one DVD, fit in a couple of extras from the original Japanese release, and sell the lot for a fraction of the price just one episode of True Tears will cost you, it just seems like profiteering.

Ah well, at least barring massive changes in the US or UK economies the exchange rate will be in my favour. (A multi-region DVD player is the anime fan's friend!)

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by GHDpro

Some people prefer to view anime in English and aren't used to hearing Japanese voices and/or reading subtitles. The fact is, anime with a English (dubbed) track sells better than anime with just subtitles. Yet as a dub is expensive and time-consuming to make, not all companies dub all their series....

I absolutely loathe dubs, but what GHDPro says is absolutely right: more people find dubs accessible, especially in the USA, where subbed TV shows are next to unknown. Without a dub track, US sales will be severely hampered, I would think.

Moreover, I really don't think true tears is the kind of show that will sell that well. However, by pricing it high, maybe they are experimenting with creating a similar kind of market here (on a smaller scale) as in Japan: small sales at high prices makes it worthwhile to release. I kind of doubt it will work, but let's see.

I can't blame companies for wanting to make a profit. Any company that says it's in the business for the sake of the fans is lying. A company that really was would be out of business so fast it would make your head spin. Profits are what make it possible for a company to survive.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Itadakimasu!

Just a question.... why do so many people want a dub version? is it because the sub versions released are so poor?

I want a dub included with the JP/sub because I simply get more with what I pay.

[Muyasuki]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

I want a dub included with the JP/sub because I simply get more with what I pay.

^^Ditto. I'm a University student and definitely do not have spare income to by these DVDs at the cost(even though I love the series). You might as well have a (good) dub as well if you're going to price it that high.

[Hypertaost]

liscenced already?!? holy...that was fast. This is the first time I've ever heard of an anime being liscenced before it finished it's airing, nevermind that fact that not even half of the episodes were aired yet. Has this ever happened before?

[nuaythebest]

Originally Posted by Hypertaost

liscenced already?!? holy...that was fast. This is the first time I've ever heard of an anime being liscenced before it finished it's airing, nevermind that fact that not even half of the episodes were aired yet. Has this ever happened before?

Yes , many times before, some of them is licensed before it air on Japan but most of them aren't released this fast before.

[mr_winkie]

I'm really torn at the moment - I'm happy that it'll be brought over to the US, but that means I have to wait that much longer to see the series in full...

[Tasteless_Magic]

I'm sooo angry that i could almost summon a pink elephant
Seriously, its not like i'm not made of money and also i really like
the series, plus the fansubbers did an excellent job
at subbin it and its so bogus that its $30per episode, i mean seriously.


I really wanna know what happens next and now i'm goin
to have to wait for it plus also i'll have to accumilate funds, it's not
likei dont have a life to spend money on.

And now i'm confused about what to do

[Nenkitsune]

*smashes head into keyboard*
holy freaking crap! holy freaking crap!!!

man...i dunno if i have the money to shell out for shigofumi AND true tears with they pricing/episode count BV is putting on them...

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by Nenkitsune

*smashes head into keyboard*
holy freaking crap! holy freaking crap!!!

man...i dunno if i have the money to shell out for shigofumi AND true tears with they pricing/episode count BV is putting on them...

Ehh, neither Shigofumi nor True Tears seems like it will be a great series to me. So far, True Tears has been decent at best, and while Shigofumi has been good, we can leave it to Ichiro Okuchi to mess it up.

More on-topic, I think we can leave it to Bandai to make a decent dub at the least, as long as they don't cast Stephanie Sheh. I don't really understand why Bandai would license it, though. Not only has it not even aired out half of its episodes, it hasn't had a very large impact, even considering the overall medicority of 2008's Winter Season.

[golthin]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

More on-topic, I think we can leave it to Bandai to make a decent dub at the least, as long as they don't cast Stephanie Sheh. I don't really understand why Bandai would license it, though. Not only has it not even aired out half of its episodes, it hasn't had a very large impact, even considering the overall medicority of 2008's Winter Season.

one more time, it is not an actual license. Bandaivisual is just the USA branch of Bandai Japan.
It is not to be confuse with Bandai Entertainment, which is the company that actually license their anime. BandaiVisual=Bandai Japan. So they are basically distributing the same titles that Bandai Japan releases in Japan here in the USA with subs.

[NoSanninWa]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

More on-topic, I think we can leave it to Bandai to make a decent dub at the least, as long as they don't cast Stephanie Sheh. I don't really understand why Bandai would license it, though. Not only has it not even aired out half of its episodes, it hasn't had a very large impact, even considering the overall medicority of 2008's Winter Season.

Considering the intention to release R1 concurrently with R2 (or only very shortly after) it is likely that despite the price, it will not be dubbed. Unless they eventually say otherwise, I expect that this will be a sub-only release.

As golthin says, this is just a R1 release by an R2 company, not a license in the usual meaning of the word.

[Drowning Instructor]

It's tough to tell whether a series is worth purchasing unless it is watched it from start to finish...especially with the price tag. You want to know what you are buying or at least I do.

Maybe Bandai has plans to stream anime online with subs in the US like ADV?

[nuaythebest]

Maybe Bandai has plans to stream anime online with subs in the US like ADV?

No , they don't. In fact , these people don't like the way R1 company did with the market ie.cheap dvd, cheap boxset, free streaming online.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

Unless they eventually say otherwise, I expect that this will be a sub-only release.

Yeah, the DVD 1 specs on Bandai Visual's Online Store indicate that it will only have Japanese audio (Dolby Digital Stereo), exactly like the Japanese DVD. So yes, "a R1 release by an R2 company" is precisely it.

[nuaythebest]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Yeah, the DVD 1 specs on Bandai Visual's Online Store indicate that it will only have Japanese audio (Dolby Digital Stereo), exactly like the Japanese DVD. So yes, "a R1 release by an R2 company" is precisely it.

IIRC , BV said that they author the DVD and have a production at Japan. So basically they take an R2 releases(which maybe a back stock since it will release 2 month late from Japan) and put sub in it, then sell it to USA consumer.

[mako1138]

These prices are astounding. I'd prefer non-dub R1 releases, but price parity with R2 releases is something I hadn't considered before. Ouch. Definitely don't see myself buying these as they're released.

[golthin]

Originally Posted by nuaythebest

IIRC , BV said that they author the DVD and have a production at Japan. So basically they take an R2 releases(which maybe a back stock since it will release 2 month late from Japan) and put sub in it, then sell it to USA consumer.

well, that might be one of the reasons for the price. If they are authoring, pressing and packaging everything in japan and then shipping to the USA , then the cost is reasonable.