In my continuing series of approving and disapproving of the job North American companies are doing, I am looking at two companies in this one. Both are relatively small when it comes to the shows in their respective catalogs. Today I am giving a strong vote of confidence to both Nozomi Entertainment and Aniplex of America. One company I have admired for many years and the other has left a great first and second impression on me.
The first company is Nozomi Entertainment, who has released amazing shows like the MariMite, Aria franchises and released other shows like Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Dirty Pair, Emma, and Gravitation. Upcoming titles include Revolutionary Girl Utena and Sora no Woto. The company is number one when it comes to quality, service and public relations. They earned the position through hard work and guts.
I have always been a rampant fanboy of Nozomi Entertainment. They have a great taste in titles that I do not mind blind buying from them. They have not failed me once and I do not see that ever changing. I may not be interested in Sora no Woto but I am buying Utena. I look forward to what Nozomi has on the docket in 2012. It should be pretty amazing and I simply cannot wait!
The second company is Aniplex of America, who has with quality and almost exact replicas of the Japanese releases even in terms of audio and video quality, has accelerated to a vote of confidence with ease. They have released shows like Durarara!! and the Gurren Lagann films on DVD, The Garden of Sinners, R.O.D. TV and Baccano! on blu-ray. While i have not always bought from them, what I do own is exceptional in quality and worth continuing to support when possible and when they release something I truly desire.
The only releases I own are the two regular edition Gurren Lagann movies and the Baccano! blu-ray box set from Aniplex of America. Both are superb quality through and through. I do not regret the purchases a single bit. I only wish I could have bought the Garden of Sinners blu-ray but the lack of OSTs made it a deal breaker. It could have been easily justifiable there. I shall hold out hope that a DVD release is forthcoming and they will include the OSTs. As for not purchasing R.O.D. TV and Durarara!!, well, I like my Geneon DVDs just fine and I did not care for the last third of Durarara.
There you have it, two companies I put a lot of faith in and give them a vote of confidence. Keep doing a great job and you will keep my vote and my wallet without fail. I certainly do not mind being broke to pay for quality in virtually every area and imported/authentic Japanese releases. Give yourselves a pat on the back because you got my vote of confidence! Thanks for reading and keep checking back for my next post in the series. It will be coming in the next two weeks.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
A Vote of No Confidence: Bandai Entertainment
In my continuing series of how much confidence I have in the North American series, let us look at the past few years of the Gundam-centric Bandai Entertainment USA. I will say right off the bat that I have no confidence anymore in them as a company. They have, in the past several years, let down both loyal and new fans. I was a diehard Bandai Entertainment supporter since their founding, but I cannot say that right now in the year 2011. I had faith that they would get their act together in 2010 but it seems I misplaced my faith in them.
In 2010, they had nothing but delays but I accepted these delays in exchange for working discs and work they did. However, as time went on, I began to tire of the constant delays. I knew better, saying and reminding myself that everything will be okay. They were fairly quiet for much of 2010 until the summer conventions of San Diego Comic-Con, AnimeExpo and Otakon followed by New York Comic-Con/Anime Fest later that year. I was sure 2011 was going to be a great year!
How could I have been so foolish and so naive? They have gotten worse, their output is much less than it used to be, they do not communicate well with the fandom and let's face it their online store is one big disaster. They failed to communicate that K-ON! would have lossy, non-HD audio. I am convinced they don't know what they are doing. Haruhi Second Series and the Haruhi-chan/Churuya-san discs were Japanese mono. That's inexcusable. Thankfully, they have apparently fixed the issue but it took them months to respond.
I fear for Bandai Entertainment's future, with Star Driver, Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Turn-A Gundam and the bilingual original Gundam coming down the pipe, I can only cower in fear as to how badly crapped up these releases will be. They manage to screw up television series when it comes blu-rays, but not movies so maybe the biggest release of the year, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, will have a top tier presentation.
They could be doing much worse, but they are getting down to the bottom of the barrel. At this time, I give Bandai Entertainment a vote of no confidence. I don't see that changing anytime soon either, I may add. I am very disappointed in the company who got me more involved into anime than anyone else. I take that back, I am not disappointed - I am saddened and stricken with grief.
In 2010, they had nothing but delays but I accepted these delays in exchange for working discs and work they did. However, as time went on, I began to tire of the constant delays. I knew better, saying and reminding myself that everything will be okay. They were fairly quiet for much of 2010 until the summer conventions of San Diego Comic-Con, AnimeExpo and Otakon followed by New York Comic-Con/Anime Fest later that year. I was sure 2011 was going to be a great year!
How could I have been so foolish and so naive? They have gotten worse, their output is much less than it used to be, they do not communicate well with the fandom and let's face it their online store is one big disaster. They failed to communicate that K-ON! would have lossy, non-HD audio. I am convinced they don't know what they are doing. Haruhi Second Series and the Haruhi-chan/Churuya-san discs were Japanese mono. That's inexcusable. Thankfully, they have apparently fixed the issue but it took them months to respond.
I fear for Bandai Entertainment's future, with Star Driver, Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Turn-A Gundam and the bilingual original Gundam coming down the pipe, I can only cower in fear as to how badly crapped up these releases will be. They manage to screw up television series when it comes blu-rays, but not movies so maybe the biggest release of the year, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, will have a top tier presentation.
They could be doing much worse, but they are getting down to the bottom of the barrel. At this time, I give Bandai Entertainment a vote of no confidence. I don't see that changing anytime soon either, I may add. I am very disappointed in the company who got me more involved into anime than anyone else. I take that back, I am not disappointed - I am saddened and stricken with grief.
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