Defective or Disappointing UK Anime Discs

[anime_andrew]

Andrew regarding future ultimate edition releases, you mentioned you'd like to keep the books The same Size, if that's the case would a regular size digipack for the discs be possible with filler card filling up the rest of the space in the box?

Would mean the disc tray issues seen here would be negated.

I'm looking into what is viable there, I don't want another repeat anyway of this as you can imagine anyway! It's definitely not the whole batch printed, but it's too high a number to be ignored as well. Will let folks know what I find out when I get there, should hear back from Sony soon .

AP

 

[anime_andrew]

So are they coming unstuck because the disc holders are more rigid and stiff then the digipack card so when the card bends slightly; the holders don't bend with it causing them to become unstuck?

Were the Cowboy Bebop disks fixed as I've been holding off on buying that until they were?

I think I remember AL saying the new Bebop disc 1 would still say episodes 1-6 in the new batch.

They fixed the video issue, but left the discs as is so it'd match still, otherwise they'd have to re-do the otherwise fine disc to deal with a typo. In the grand scheme number of episodes on disc is a tiny error, hopefully one that'll not crop up again.

--

2nd time I opened my GL ultimate the 3rd disc holder had gone for a walk, totally separating itself. I've reattached it and it seems to be holding, though I'm confused as to what glue they used, it's not normally possible to simply re-position something and for it to actually stick back down.

On Bebop side: Yep - capture errors fixed (which is the main thing that takes enjoyment away), labels remain the same though on the discs themselves.

As for the glue - it is very weird, I've been asking about that too here - maybe I'm just not clued in when it comes to glue, it's a sticky area I guess!

AP,
Couldn't resist adding a pun...

 

[jonno394]

As mentioned im happy with what I've got, just trying to help you come up with solutions to avoid issues in future that really are the fault of the company you use rather than your own.

 

[anime_andrew]

The standard 'Complete Series' Blu-ray set should be error free. I think Durarara!! got pushed to 2015 but it depends on what Anime Limited is doing these days. Andrew will probably answer that question in better detail.

Sadly yes - it's a case of only being able to do a certain amount at anytime so got to work on that one here too actually. First time authoring them here so there's a bunch of material requests to do among other things and track down the initial signs track in the US release.

Best,

AP

 

[ussjtrunks]

The standard 'Complete Series' Blu-ray set should be error free. I think Durarara!! got pushed to 2015 but it depends on what Anime Limited is doing these days. Andrew will probably answer that question in better detail.

Sadly yes - it's a case of only being able to do a certain amount at anytime so got to work on that one here too actually. First time authoring them here so there's a bunch of material requests to do among other things and track down the initial signs track in the US release.

Best,

AP

Heres the thing Andrew I personally think AL should fix these issues 1st before releasing new content I mean Durarara was released in March. People paid for the set and still have it sitting on shelves waiting on the promised fix.

Its all well and good to release all these awesome animes but maybe a slower approach wouldnt alienate the fanbase quite as much.

 

[anime_andrew]

The standard 'Complete Series' Blu-ray set should be error free. I think Durarara!! got pushed to 2015 but it depends on what Anime Limited is doing these days. Andrew will probably answer that question in better detail.

Sadly yes - it's a case of only being able to do a certain amount at anytime so got to work on that one here too actually. First time authoring them here so there's a bunch of material requests to do among other things and track down the initial signs track in the US release.

Best,

AP

Heres the thing Andrew I personally think AL should fix these issues 1st before releasing new content I mean Durarara was released in March. People paid for the set and still have it sitting on shelves waiting on the promised fix.

Its all well and good to release all these awesome animes but maybe a slower approach wouldnt alienate the fanbase quite as much.

I went out a pre-ordered Gurren Laggen on Amazon so its a bit dissapointing to hear of these issues especially since Durarara still hasnt been sorted which tbh is extremly annoying for us who preorder these releases, I know Andrew and Anime Ltd are trying there best atm but maybe it would be better getting a few releases out a year error free, tbh i doubt I'll preorder another Anime Ltd product in the near future which i hate to say as I like the shows they release.

Were the Cowboy Bebop disks fixed as I've been holding off on buying that until they were?

So - re Durarara!! of course we want to fix it and it's been top of my agenda for ages. HOWEVER, it is also a very expensive project to fix - you're talking approximately £11,000 - £15,000 of fixing as we’re creating new discs which means authoring as a new project on our end, sourcing materials, new AACS masters and actual cost of printing said discs + shipping to all those impacted.

This equates to a lot of actual sales to offset that cost and means taking a real loss for not a guarantee of sales to break even on that expense afterwards. So we're not taking it lightly but that kind of cash commitment also takes time when you have a lot of other shows coming through over a year and the fixes are part funded by that. It's on the list and I've slotted it in for 2015 but with Gurren Lagann taking a lot more of our time and money than it should have we’re a bit behind there and I can’t just throw money at things all the time as I like to be able to pay my staff (despite my own belief, my accountants tell me it’s obligatory - not optional).

I care about everyone who has bought it already and I'm extremely disappointed in our authoring partner in Australia for that result even now. That said - there's no point fixing the problem if we go out of business after. It will be done, we just need some patience there. I know I'm asking a lot on that front but I'm also giving a lot to fix someone else's mistakes there.

As an aside, I'm sorry to hear you feel you won't pre-order one of our releases again in a hurry too. I can completely understand where you're coming from though and if it does concern you, totally a legit choice to trade off cheaper price on pre-order vs perfection. Hopefully our next batch of releases (HAL, Kill la Kill, Space Dandy, Patema Inverted and Giovanni's Island) help ease that concern though . Until then too - I remain around if folks want to chat !

Andrew

 

[Lutga]

From a personal point of view, I can't think of anything worse than Anime Ltd potentially going out of business/having their finances screwed by correcting errors. Yes, can understand that errors are really annoying, but that shouldn't be of such a pressing concern that they threaten a whole business (and thus mean no releases in the future, and current releases going out of print)

I'm not sure of the company's financial set up, but having worked in very small business before, that kind of money can mean the difference between staying afloat and going under/or having to lay off a staff member.

 

[Rui]

To be fair to Anime Limited, they'll have different people working on each project - we know that the Gurren Lagann issues are being chased up by Andrew himself and they go back to Sony (and probably stop there), whereas the delays for DRRR!! probably rely on a completely different set of people and then putting the whole thing together in the manufacturing chain.

Distributing the work is the best way to do things, it's just when something goes wrong out of the blue it's hard for a small company to adapt with only so many hours in the day and books which need balancing. I'm really impressed by how hands-on Andrew is being in trying to personally take care of the Gurren Lagann issues now (especially contrasted with certain other companies who are so paralysed by their tangled corporate structure that they can't even produce fixes or explanations at all, no matter how long buyers wait).

If we've accepted Manga UK refusing to replace discs with catastrophic errors which make beloved titles completely unobtainable in watchable format throughout the entire region without chasing them out of the market with pitchforks, I don't think we're doing too badly having to wait a few months for Anime Limited to tie up loose ends. I also appreciate that the causes of the issues are clearly explained so we know what to be wary of in future.

R

 

[mangaman74]

Until then too - I remain around if folks want to chat ! Andrew

I have a query about the Cowboy Bebop disc replacement program.I have yet to watch my copy as I held off watching it when the issues first came to light. You asked that people watch first and decide whether they really need replacements.

Before I break the shrinkwrap and watch them I have a question to ask. You have mentioned the possibilty of an Ultimate Edition (of which I would be interested) and the option of upgrading for those who have already purchased a version of the show from you.

Assuming you do release this Ultimate Edition would the upgrade option mean sending you my current Cowboy Bebop sets? I only ask since if I would need to send my copies to you, then I would not bother with asking for replacement discs now. If the upgrade means keeping my current discs then I will look to watch them soon to see if I do need the replacements.

P.S. I did PM you this question towards the end of September but I have not received a reply so I did not know if you had read it yet.

 

[Lavigne]

Well, it's a disappointment to be sure.

I'm sure that Andrew, and AL are just as disappointed as anyone, and it sounds as though they're committed to doing what they can to resolve the situation, so that's great. Either way, it's a credit that there's an open dialogue between AL and the fans. A lot of the time, if there are defects with an anime release, we end up having to live with it. At least there's a desire there to fix these kind of issues with AL.

Whilst I appreciate all the hard work that obviously goes on at AL Towers, and the great anime that you guys are knocking out, I do feel that perhaps there's some mileage in the theory that perhaps you're stretching too far, too soon. My understanding is that you're a relatively new player to the market, small compared to other distributors who've been around for a while, and obviously out to make a good impression and create a positive reputation. To this end, you DO seem to have a LOT going on this year, and presumably into next. It's difficult, because the anime that you have, I'd love most of it yesterday, let alone over the course of the rest of the year and into next, but if slowing things down a little mean't fewer of these issues then I'd guess that many would be happy, including my wallet!

I think I've purchased the vast majority of what AL have released so far, have backed both Kickstarter projects, and have plenty of stuff on pre order too. I'm not inclined to cancel those pre orders as I want AL to succeed - the catalogue of anime, the fan engagement (Cons, forums, Facebook etc), the diversity in approach (Kickstarter), AL have been a breath of fresh air so far. Tbh, the defects aside, you guys are an absolute credit to UK anime. That's why I'd love you to succeed and stamp out these things from happening.

Also, a final thought before I close - thanks for realizing that Collector's Editions should be more than just a thin card box. Take note other UK distributors.

 

[Morbo]

Well, it's a disappointment to be sure.

I'm sure that Andrew, and AL are just as disappointed as anyone, and it sounds as though they're committed to doing what they can to resolve the situation, so that's great. Either way, it's a credit that there's an open dialogue between AL and the fans. A lot of the time, if there are defects with an anime release, we end up having to live with it. At least there's a desire there to fix these kind of issues with AL.

Whilst I appreciate all the hard work that obviously goes on at AL Towers, and the great anime that you guys are knocking out, I do feel that perhaps there's some mileage in the theory that perhaps you're stretching too far, too soon. My understanding is that you're a relatively new player to the market, small compared to other distributors who've been around for a while, and obviously out to make a good impression and create a positive reputation. To this end, you DO seem to have a LOT going on this year, and presumably into next. It's difficult, because the anime that you have, I'd love most of it yesterday, let alone over the course of the rest of the year and into next, but if slowing things down a little mean't fewer of these issues then I'd guess that many would be happy, including my wallet!

I think I've purchased the vast majority of what AL have released so far, have backed both Kickstarter projects, and have plenty of stuff on pre order too. I'm not inclined to cancel those pre orders as I want AL to succeed - the catalogue of anime, the fan engagement (Cons, forums, Facebook etc), the diversity in approach (Kickstarter), AL have been a breath of fresh air so far. Tbh, the defects aside, you guys are an absolute credit to UK anime. That's why I'd love you to succeed and stamp out these things from happening.

Also, a final thought before I close - thanks for realizing that Collector's Editions should be more than just a thin card box. Take note other UK distributors.

I agree with everything you have stated, although I have only backed 1 kick-starter to your 2. I'm glad that you have posted this, as I struggled to articulate these thoughts into text well as you have. Kudos

 

[jonno394]

I think if anything their pacing is slow tbh especially considering they've only released Durarara, Tiger and Bunny: The Beginning, Gurren Lagann and a standard Garden of Words this year on Blu-ray. The rush in November will improve their numbers, but in my opinion a company like AL should be looking at an average of 1 a month(so 12 BD releases a year - excluding re-releases ).

I have been pre-ordering everythign as soon as it is available and will proceed to do so for the forseable.

Things like unexpected packaging issues won't suddenly disappear if releases come slower. These issues will still be there if incompetent companies don't do their job properly.

 

[msgeek]

It seems like there are a number of people in this thread who have distinguished themselves as people who are able to spot issues with the authoring of some of these Blu-Ray releases. It also seems like there are a number of companies (At least one in this thread) who have demonstrated that they do miss authoring problems.

Just a thought, but couldn't some of said companies provide pre-release (probably pre BD-Burn) copies of intended shows to the few who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating their ability to spot issues?

Everyone seems to win in the above;
People who have spotted issues get copies early.
Anime distributors have improved confidence in their release, and less likely they will have to retrospectively correct issues (Expensive).
Fans get better quality releases.

Just a thought.

Side note still waiting on my GL order through zavvi to change from waiting stock pick. Starting to get worried...

 

[jonno394]

Just a thought, but couldn't some of said companies provide pre-release (probably pre BD-Burn) copies of intended shows to the few who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating their ability to spot issues?

This already happened with Gurren Lagann

 

[Lavigne]

I'll play Devil's Advocate.

Add Outlaw Star, DVD granted, but still a release that will have been worked on. As will the Cowboy Bebop complete series set.

And over the course of the rest of the year we have Space Dandy coming up, Kill la Kill coming up, 2 Kickstarters that are being worked on, there's 009 RE:CYBORG coming, along with HAL and Blood Lad. Letter to Momo is also due by the end of the year isn't it? All of these will have been worked on to some degree in previous months. That's a lot of headspace required. At the same time they'll have had the investigations into defects on previous releases going on, attending cons, engaging fans through Facebook and other social media, going to meet Licensors etc.

I guess it depends on the size of the team at AL - my impression is that it's quite small.

As I said before, it's hard to advocate any slow down, as I'm really looking forward to snapping up a lot of the stuff that they have scheduled. Andrew will know best whether they're biting off more than they can chew. One of the things that I really like about AL, and Andrew, is that they're clearly huge fans themselves, but sometimes I'd imagine that this could lead to hasty decisions as they'll want to get things out as quickly as we would want them to ideally. Not saying that AL are doing that, just that I could understand how it might happen if it did happen.

Either way, I agree ultimately, these things will not prevent me from further investing in AL's output. In terms of UK distributors, they're the ones I'm most excited by. The UK anime scene would be much the worse by their absence.

 

[jonno394]

And over the course of the rest of the year we have Space Dandy coming up, Kill la Kill coming up, 2 Kickstarters that are being worked on, there's 009 RE:CYBORG coming, along with HAL and Blood Lad. Letter to Momo is also due by the end of the year isn't it? All of these will have been worked on to some degree in previous months. That's a lot of headspace required. At the same time they'll have had the investigations into defects on previous releases going on, attending cons, engaging fans through Facebook and other social media, going to meet Licensors etc.

Just fyi momo and cyborg don't have a date and are next year and mai mai miracle ks wont be done until next year too

 

[Lutga]

Don't forget the other titles coming next year too - ie. Giovanni's Island, Escaflowne, and the remaining volumes of Kill La Kill.

 

[Lavigne]

And over the course of the rest of the year we have Space Dandy coming up, Kill la Kill coming up, 2 Kickstarters that are being worked on, there's 009 RE:CYBORG coming, along with HAL and Blood Lad. Letter to Momo is also due by the end of the year isn't it? All of these will have been worked on to some degree in previous months. That's a lot of headspace required. At the same time they'll have had the investigations into defects on previous releases going on, attending cons, engaging fans through Facebook and other social media, going to meet Licensors etc.

Just fyi momo and cyborg don't have a date and are next year and mai mai miracle ks wont be done until next year too

Just going off what's on their website re Cyborg and Momo (Q4 2014). See, they haven't even got time to update the site....

MMM - stand corrected, I should really keep up with my KS mails! That being said, whilst not releasing now until next year, probably a safe assumption to say that they'll be working on it between now and then.

I would imagine that next year will be just as busy, if not moreso, than this one. Of course rather than slowing things down, they could also take on a few more staff. Again though, this is all based on my assumption that they're a small team at the moment.

 

[elaniel]

Also there's Nerima Daikon Brothers, Full Metal Panic Ultimate Edition and Lodoss.

Yes, the last one is me having wishful thinking!

I don't think it's as easy as taking on more staff or reducing releases. Both cost money. Anime Limited had assurances from many outside companies that they put their faith and company's reputation on with the replication / packaging. They clearly let Anime Limited down and it is appreciated Andrew and his team are doing what they can to rectify this. I'm sure certain things will change in the future after these issues occurring.

I was shocked to see the cost for fixing Durarara, and I hope that it doesn't cause them any issues having to pay out as much as they are to fix.

 

[Lavigne]

Also there's Nerima Daikon Brothers, Full Metal Panic Ultimate Edition and Lodoss.

Yes, the last one is me having wishful thinking!

I'd completely forgotten FMP - thanks for mentioning that as I very nearly ordered the US version a few days ago!

Re Lodoss, that would be a spectacular licence if they could get it.