New Licenses: Haruhi; 009-1; Ayakashi; FF-VII

Paul

Paul

Ghost of Animes
Administrator
  • After an exciting week of overwhelming hype spreading through out the anime community, fan phenomenon anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has finally been announced as licensed in North America by Kadokawa Pictures USA and Bandai Entertainment.

    Unfortunately due to the complications surrounding this license (Kadokawa basically out sources all of the production and dub work to Bandai), it's unknown if and when a UK release will be forthcoming. Kadokawa Pictures USA have also recently released Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid in North America with the status of it's potential UK release similarly unknown.
  • In other licensing news, ADV Films have picked up the retro-inflicted girls with guns actioner 009-1 and Geneon have acquired "Ayakashi ~Japanese Classic Horror~" - an 11 episode Japanese horror anthology.
  • Finally, Sony have announced that they intend to release a special edition of Final Fantasy: Advent Children next year and it will include the short "Last Order" OAV produced by Madhouse "Ninja Scroll" Studios. Again there is no news as to whether or not this will apply to any future UK release.
 
I don't think i will get the other edition of FFVII:AC just for the OAV, though the OAV is good. Though it is said that its unknown for TSR being licensed here in the UK, but my thoughts are that it will.
 
I'm impressed with the viral marketing used for Haruhi, it really has shaken up the online anime community. The promo-video is quite interesting too, in that it's knowingly cheap and fairly amateur looking but just totally runs with that theme. Also this is probably the first post-digisub anime release to really take advantage of the kind of positive excitement fansubs can stir up. A brilliant and excellent example of working with the online community rather than against it.
 
I still think it's only a matter of time before Haruhi gets a UK release soon - I'd put money on some UK distributor (be it our native ADV branch or whoever) securing the rights to it purely because of its fan following. Basically it's too much of a sure-fire success to let it slip by.

Similarly both the first FMP! series and the Second Raid have been popular stateside so surely someone is going to pick it up over here! I always thought the old MVM/Funi rift would slow things down but with a show like FMP! I don't think it would make that much difference.
 
Re: New Licenses: Haruhi; Cyborg 009-1; Ayakashi; FF-VII

Paul said:
In other licensing news, ADV Films have picked up the retro-inflicted girls with guns actioner Cyborg 009-1
Click to expand...

009-1 isn't anything to do with Cyborg 009, it is based on another Shotaro Ishinomori manga with an admittly very similar name but the story isn't linked

ANN made the same mistake when the show was first announced

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... -009-anime
 
Re: New Licenses: Haruhi; Cyborg 009-1; Ayakashi; FF-VII

Hybridchild said:
Paul said:
In other licensing news, ADV Films have picked up the retro-inflicted girls with guns actioner Cyborg 009-1
Click to expand...

009-1 isn't anything to do with Cyborg 009, it is based on another Shotaro Ishinomori manga with an admittly very similar name but the story isn't linked

ANN made the same mistake when the show was first announced

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... -009-anime
Click to expand...

It didn't say it was anything to do with Cyborg 009, simply that it's "retro inflicted" - which it is, because what I've seen of the art there is a clear 80s aesthetic running through out the style of the show. Not to mention many of the staff involved are veterans of the 80s anime industry.
 
Re: New Licenses: Haruhi; Cyborg 009-1; Ayakashi; FF-VII

Paul said:
In other licensing news, ADV Films have picked up the retro-inflicted girls with guns actioner Cyborg 009-1
Click to expand...

Whilst you don't say the shows are related, you stongly imply it by getting the name of the show wrong in your news post. The show's full title is 009-1. There is no anime called Cyborg 009-1
 
Martin said:
I still think it's only a matter of time before Haruhi gets a UK release soon - I'd put money on some UK distributor (be it our native ADV branch or whoever) securing the rights to it purely because of its fan following. Basically it's too much of a sure-fire success to let it slip by.

Similarly both the first FMP! series and the Second Raid have been popular stateside so surely someone is going to pick it up over here! I always thought the old MVM/Funi rift would slow things down but with a show like FMP! I don't think it would make that much difference.
Click to expand...
FUNimation has does not hold either the UK or US licence for FMP! TSR and likewise Bandai Entertainment do not hold the US or UK licence to Haruhi. Both companies are merely responsible for production of the dubs and distribution of these titles, the licences to which are owned by Kadokawa USA. That being the case it will not necessarily fall to FUNimation's/Bandai's UK distributors to handle UK distribution since no company has (announced) the UK licence to either title at this point.

It isn't a foregone conclusion that they get licenced quickly although it would be very strange if neither title could be negotiated since they both represent popular franchises. Remember that Revelation Films are responsible for distribution of titles to which FUNimation holds the UK licences of and BEEZ must negotiate the licences for all of their titles regardless of whether Bandai Entertainment hold the US licence.

The short answer to whether these will see a UK release is that they (most likely) will but there can be no absolute certainty with regards to any particular timeframe.
 
Haruhi is overrated. There, I said it :p

Saying that. agreed on the community buzz surrounding it. This is gonna potentially be big. Well, big for anime. I have doubts that it'll be the next azumanga daioh but I may well be proven wrong. I wasn't around when the early internet buzz was around for that, so I can't compare.
 
Haruhi is one if the names I've heard bandied around the most this year, but never got round to actually checking it out. This announcement (or rather, the way it was announced) has me positively intrigued.

Plus, more FMP is always good news. I wouldn't be too surprised if we had it by the end of 2007...
 
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