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[meltingparappa]

Not an endorsement on the lack of ethics or anything, but Netflix US's handling of this is such an incredibly powerful incentive for the show's primary audience to turn to piracy.

CERTAIN UNNAMED SITES should double up on their malware-infested ads to make the most of the new traffic.

 

[DrForester]

TIL fansubs are still a thing.

 

[duckroll]

I think the argument is that anime fans have been conditioned by Crunchyroll and other simulcasting operations to expect anime episodes to arrive simultaneously with their Japanese launch, and to instead withhold episodes for a batch release at the end unnecessarily alienates those customers, diminishing the value of Netflix's product and pushing people towards piracy. Netflix Japan does release anime episodes simultaneously with their TV broadcast, so the people running that territory's operations do understand what anime fans want. I don't think Netflix outside Japan cares what anime fans think though; Little Witch Academia is just another Netflix original to throw on the pile eventually and hope some kids will check it out sometime.

Heh, kind of did say that stuff shouldn't be treated that way actually. It does stick out though when your major competition for that specifically handles that better.

I think their approach is meant to be that rather than make you wait week-by-week why not just dump it out all at once? Which works alright for when that's when something actually comes out for the first time, but it's having the opposite effect when they're co-producing something that IS airing that way in another country, and instead we're forced to wait until they're done there. I imagine that perhaps they could've done just that with something they're making for Netflix debut in that some of it is done, but knowing it's out there for the public to consume just makes it torturous anyway.

EDIT: Post before mine got it, actually. And I kind of feel like this isn't entirely different from when, say, a big company that normally doesn't deal with a niche genre such as JRPGs has one thrown at it, like Nintendo at times or even some like Sega and Bandai Namco before (one way or another) that basically became their bread and butter anyway.

I mean, sure I can see the "anime fans are conditioned to get shit RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW" angle. But... I also think... so fucking what? Do you know part of why Crunchyroll is so popular? It's because before it went legit, it was a pirate site. So anime fans were already conditioned to this before Crunchyroll.

In the larger scheme of things, why is it so important to watch it as it airs in Japan? The only real argument I can see for it is "because everyone else is going to pirate it and talk about it week by week and I want to join in". That sure sounds like a great reason to me! Amirite?

Games and movies come out all the time in one region before others. People don't flood discussions with how they are going to turn to "unnamed sources" instead because "fuck <insert publisher or distributor here>" etc. Okay, maybe a handful of people do, but you know what I generally mean. I'm not even saying that realistically people don't in fact pirate stuff to "check them out" while waiting. Obviously people do. I'm just wondering why there is culture of having a brazen entitled attitude towards being owed simulcast anime in the first place. It's going to be at most a 3 month wait. Netflix will not only sub it but also dub it. It'll be available in HD. What exactly is outrageous about this?

 

[TimmiT]

I dunno. They treat Better Call Saul, Black Mirror, and anything else they acquire which airs on other networks in other parts of the world, the same way. Why should anime be any different?

They didn't treat Better Call Saul like that in Europe. Here we got each new episode on Netflix right after it aired in the US.

 

[Ryuukan]

Netflix will not only sub it but also dub it. It'll be available in HD. What exactly is outrageous about this?

Only HD? No UHD HDR?

fuck netflix

 

[Jex]

Just to throw my own worthless hat into the ring:

Netflix has a very specific release model for its core US audience. They've trained their users to expect that content will be delivered to them in a very specific manner - in large chunks. They clearly have no interest in pushing out episodes on a weekly basis.

I can see why anime fans aren't thrilled with this strategy. They've come to expect - first via fansubs and later on via legal streams - simulcasts. They want to be able to talk about the shows as they come out with the rest of the community and that's a big part of the fandom. Crunchroll caters to this audience because hardcore anime fans are their fanbase.

Netflix, on the other hand, doesn't need to cater to anime fans and, on reflection, I think this is largely a good thing. I think the Little Witch Academia TV series will have a better chance reaching the widest possible audience if its released in large chunks. This is because someone stumbles across it they will actually have it all available to watch at once - they don't need to internalise any knowledge about the release schedule of Japanese TV timings or anything like that. They just see it on the bar and they chose to watch it and its all there. It's very simple, and there's very little chance that people 'drop off' a show part way through because there aren't enough episodes out yet to watch.

If Netflix put up an episode a week I imagine most regular users of the service would have no idea what was going on, and they certainly wouldn't understand or remember to 'tune in' next week for the next episode because that's not how 'Netflix' works for them. We have to remember that LWA TV is a very small show that only people 'inside' of the anime scene have even heard of. The only way most people will discover is if Netflix chooses to promote it - which I imagine they will do when its released because they co-funded it. I would have to guess this promotion will be a one time deal when they're ready to give their audience the entire series at once. But they aren't going to push it to the front of people's queues or into people bars every single week because they have plenty of other content they need to promote.

 

[-Deimos]

Just to throw my own worthless hat into the ring:

Netflix has a very specific release model for its core US audience. They've trained their users to expect that content will be delivered to them in a very specific manner - in large chunks. They clearly have no interest in pushing out episodes on a weekly basis.

I can see why anime fans aren't thrilled with this strategy. They've come to expect - first via fansubs and later on via legal streams - simulcasts. They want to be able to talk about the shows as they come out with the rest of the community and that's a big part of the fandom. Crunchroll caters to this audience because hardcore anime fans are their fanbase.

Netflix, on the other hand, doesn't need to cater to anime fans and, on reflection, I think this is largely a good thing. I think the Little Witch Academia TV series will have a better chance reaching the widest possible audience if its released in large chunks. This is because someone stumbles across it they will actually have it all available to watch at once - they don't need to internalise any knowledge about the release schedule of Japanese TV timings or anything like that. They just see it on the bar and they chose to watch it and its all there. It's very simple, and there's very little chance that people 'drop off' a show part way through because there aren't enough episodes out yet to watch.

If Netflix put up an episode a week I imagine most regular users of the service would have no idea what was going on, and they certainly wouldn't understand or remember to 'tune in' next week for the next episode because that's not how 'Netflix' works for them. We have to remember that LWA TV is a very small show that only people 'inside' of the anime scene have even heard of. The only way most people will discover is if Netflix chooses to promote it - which I imagine they will do when its released because they co-funded it. I would have to guess this promotion will be a one time deal when they're ready to give their audience the entire series at once. But they aren't going to push it to the front of people's queues or into people bars every single week because they have plenty of other content they need to promote.

There's been plenty of big shows that air weekly in Canada alongside USA broadcasts, I don't see why they would make a special exception for this just for the sake of exposure, especially for a japanese cartoon about young girls doing magic. I can't see a regular user who's never seen anime before actually giving this a shot just because the entire season is available.

You might be right, I just think it would be a stupid decision by Netflix.

 

[Moaradin]

First episode was great. Did a real good job of setting up the foundation for the series. Sucy is even more of a jackass than the OVAs, and I love it. The animation was really strong. Lots of great exaggerated movement on the characters. I can already tell this show is gonna be a goldmine for reaction faces.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Just watched the episode. It felt pretty slow, but perhaps that's due to having already watched the OVAs that started well after Akko started school and everyone met. Plus, no Diana yet. Still, once it got going, it was a lot of fun.

 

[Frimaire]

Just watched the episode. It felt pretty slow, but perhaps that's due to having already watched the OVAs that started well after Akko started school and everyone met. Plus, no Diana yet. Still, once it got going, it was a lot of fun.

I mean, technically...

Spoiler

 

[Jarmel]

Little Witch Academia TV-2

and I thought kanji was hard

I was somewhat mixed on this episode as I felt the pacing and character animation were all over the place. The character animation in particular felt somewhat janky in a few scenes. That said, the effects animation is holding up extremely well such as the scene with Diana

Spoiler

hitting Akko

. It's inconsistent which is surprising for me as I know the show has had a fairly healthy production schedule for at least most of the first cour. The character models themselves didn't look as crisp as the first episode and there weren't as many showcases either.

dat da good stuff

One thing that threw me for a loop was how soft Diana was. Yes she's still prissy but she's not as cold as before. She's less Malfoy-lite which I'm not sure is a positive or not. She actually feels more like another protagonist rather than the rival. They upped Sucy's bitch factor and toned Diana's down. On that note, Sucy not actually being interested in attending the school was an intriguing teaser into her backstory.

It's really interesting how they're readjusting the character personalities from the OVA. Ursula being a klutz wasn't really hinted at or suggested but it's not a contradiction either. Ursula taking a personal interest in Akko should be good and I hope the director/Yoshinari spend time fleshing out the relationship between the two. One of the great things about Harry Potter was Harry's relationships with his teachers. The ED sorta hints at that but I really want that relationship to be explored. The ED by the way is fantastic, Masanobu Hiraoka did a great job especially at the beginning.

 

[Puruzi]

2

Akko is precious

 

[mugwhump]

Another great episode, I love the whole cast. Diana feels like a really believable character. Also the

Spoiler

statue

scene was great

Wonder how much dosh Shiny Chariot made off her merch

 

[Frimaire]

God, the facial expressions in this show crack me up.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Little Witch Academia TV 02

Man that scene with the statue moving looked utterly fantastic.

I actually really like that Diana is less bitchy and conceited in this. Yeah she's still super elite princess tier, but her advice isn't wrong, bad or mean-spirited and she isn't smug and pretentious about anything she does. Witches would see those parlor tricks as being lesser or undermining what Witches actually do, and she has no actual disdain for Akko. Its her groupies that seem to have absorbed her bad tendencies from the OVAs

 

[CDiggity]

LWA TV 02

There is going to be lots of Akko bullying this season isn't there?

I like that Diana views Akko as simply misguided rather than being full on antagonistic. And I think the current situation allows her to develop far more and better vs her OVA counterpart.

The episode itself was nice and the ED was great. Obviously things are moving slower than the OVA, but it allows for world building and setup like this. Probably going to expect more of the same next episode, but replace Diana with Amanda, Constanze and Jasminka.

I just really enjoy light and fluffy stuff like this, especially in contrast to other things that I may be watching around it (for better or worse).

 

[Maximo]

I really liked it so far! I loved the OVA's and this was a slower pace but it allows the show to breath and create some much needed world and character building.

 

[Frimaire]

Ha, I completely forgot that (OVA Spoilers)

Spoiler

Ursula was Shiny chariot.
I was piecing it together like some conspiracy theory only to remember that they just outright revealed it in the OVAs...

 

[spiritfox]

Amanda is back. All is right.

 

[dan2026]

Very surprised there isn't a simulcast of this. Oh well.

Episode 3 was top stuff again. Its just good to have a show that is fun, funny and without bullshit.

I feel sorry for anyone dealing with Akko though. One of those hyperactive kids who won't slow down.

 

[Mendrox]

I mean, sure I can see the "anime fans are conditioned to get shit RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW" angle. But... I also think... so fucking what? Do you know part of why Crunchyroll is so popular? It's because before it went legit, it was a pirate site. So anime fans were already conditioned to this before Crunchyroll.

In the larger scheme of things, why is it so important to watch it as it airs in Japan? The only real argument I can see for it is "because everyone else is going to pirate it and talk about it week by week and I want to join in". That sure sounds like a great reason to me! Amirite?

Games and movies come out all the time in one region before others. People don't flood discussions with how they are going to turn to "unnamed sources" instead because "fuck <insert publisher or distributor here>" etc. Okay, maybe a handful of people do, but you know what I generally mean. I'm not even saying that realistically people don't in fact pirate stuff to "check them out" while waiting. Obviously people do. I'm just wondering why there is culture of having a brazen entitled attitude towards being owed simulcast anime in the first place. It's going to be at most a 3 month wait. Netflix will not only sub it but also dub it. It'll be available in HD. What exactly is outrageous about this?

Eh, c'mon duckroll. You said it yourself - people want to watch it together weekly and discuss it together which they are conditioned to, because of weekly episodes on other services. I am paying for Netflix, but to be honest I still watch the fansub currently, because I want to watch it now so that in 3 months I can watch other new stuff and talk about that then. Netflix Japan does it too so it could work.

People are just disappointed that they have to use piracy ways to watch it now.

 

[Theonik]

Very surprised there isn't a simulcast of this. Oh well.

Episode 3 was top stuff again. Its just good to have a show that is fun, funny and without bullshit.

I feel sorry for anyone dealing with Akko though. One of those hyperactive kids who won't slow down.

Netflix helped fund it so they also got the rights to stream it. They are holding it to go 'House of Cards' with it.

 

[Meffer]

Netflix helped fund it so they also got the rights to stream it. They are holding it to go 'House of Cards' with it.

Anime doesn't do well with that kind of release. Very much so when it's actually airing.

 

[Jarmel]

LWA TV-3

This was an episode storyboarded by Masayuki of Gainax/Khara fame. It shows from the very beginning with the focus on the broom which serves as a quick way of emphasizing what this episode is going to be about. Even the quick conversation betweek Akko and Ursula is well directed with the quick pans, focus on eye detail, and body language. The episode is not only about Akko though and gives a glimpse into the larger wizarding/witching community with a visit to Hogsmeade a repair store in town.

Something I'm liking about the show is the occasional juxtaposition between the medieval art used to depict more traditional things in the witch community and the regular cute art for the more modern elements and characters. This wasn't present in the OVA series and so it serves to give the series a bit of a visual kick every now and then. On the comedic side the strong storyboarding shines through in a number of jokes through the use of repetition and longer setup for later in the episode such as the cannon joke being used in the finale.

The race itself was great with blatant cheating attempts by a number of the contestants. The best races are when everybody plays dirty. The scene with Akko riding the devil broom are hilarious due to how over the top everything is. On the animation front you can tell the Geekfleet crew worked on this with the heavy Kanada style effects and animation sequences. The visual influence from Imaishi is pretty obvious and I think Sushio worked on this episode as well. We need more episodes like this.

Great animu.

 

[antibolo]

Is there any ongoing petition or social network hashtag or whatever to tell Netflix that they are fucking assholes about how they handle the anime they have rights on?

Netflix really needs to be made aware that they are only alienating their anime audience by pulling this shit. As it is right now they are only encouraging piracy.

 

[Theonik]

Anime doesn't do well with that kind of release. Very much so when it's actually airing.

I agree. Regular anime consumers aren't conditioned to this release cycle and alternative availability makes holding legal content arbitrarily madness. But I think Netflix hopes normal people will watch it too! Oh well.

 

[LayLa]

to be fair this is one of the very few anime shows that could potentially cross over to a general audience.
does anyone know if Netflix are going to give it a dub? have they dubbed anything before?

 

[Giolon]

Episode 3 was great. The animation throughout the broom race was outstanding. This show is so full of charm, it seems impossible not to like. I'm not quite sure I dig the rejiggered relationships between the characters as much as other people seem to be, but I think I just let go of my eternal desire for continuity and push those previous iterations out of my head. It was nice to see the LWA2 characters get some significant, if still minor, screen time.

Given that the show is supposed to be 25 episodes long, Netflix isn't expected to have this up until at least June. That's fucking absurd. If you want to come into and serve a market, you should first understand the market and its consumers. Don't try to impose your bullshit business model from a different segment onto it.

 

[CDiggity]

LWA TV 03

Boy that episode flew by fast. Fun things are fun. Go figure.

Probably the best episode of the three so far, but I have this feeling that this particular episode might have made for a better plot to the 2nd OVA vs. what we got. I'm not complaining though.

But why Netflix must you force me to view this through less savory means.

 

[Andrew J.]

Little Witch Academia 03

The feeling I got when Akko shot herself back towards the Shooting Star, declaring that any number of injuries won't stop her, is the reason I watch anime :bow :bow

 

[Meffer]

LWA TV 03

Boy that episode flew by fast. Fun things are fun. Go figure.

Probably the best episode of the three so far, but I have this feeling that this particular episode might have made for a better plot to the 2nd OVA vs. what we got. I'm not complaining though.

But why Netflix must you force me to view this through less savory means.

Their fault, I'm not going to wait months to watch when I can watch now week by week.

 

[Gravidee]

I never expected to see an anime version of Chumlee, especially not in LWA, lol.

 

[Puruzi]

The moment where Akko tied herself the the broom was so sick

 

[Giolon]

I never expected to see an anime version of Chumlee, especially not in LWA, lol.

I was like "that looks an awful lot like Chumlee..." but then thought "nah it can't be. Japan doesn't know about Chumlee" it must be coincidence. Well, maybe not. Retweeted by @trigger_tattun: https://twitter.com/chumlee_/status/823608883834802176

 

[Moaradin]

Man, this show is just FUN. Thought they did a good job introducing Amanda and her crew. Akko still sucks with magic, which I'm fine with. Lot of room for growth there.

 

[neorej]

Would this be suitable for a 5yr old? My daughter is looking for something new to watch now she's done with Transformers Rescue Bots.

 

[Moaradin]

Would this be suitable for a 5yr old? My daughter is looking for something new to watch now she's done with Transformers Rescue Bots.

For sure. The show is very family friendly just like the OVAs were.

 

[Gravidee]

Would this be suitable for a 5yr old? My daughter is looking for something new to watch now she's done with Transformers Rescue Bots.

There doesn't seem to be anything offending in the show thus far so I don't see why not. But this doesn't have a dub yet. Would she be able to follow what the characters are saying through subs?

 

[neorej]

For sure. The show is very family friendly just like the OVAs were.

OVA?

There doesn't seem to be anything offending in the show thus far so I don't see why not. But this doesn't have a dub yet. Would she be able to follow what the characters are saying through subs?

Netflix lists it as having Dutch audio.

Edit: not anymore or maybe I misread.

 

[Puruzi]

Would this be suitable for a 5yr old? My daughter is looking for something new to watch now she's done with Transformers Rescue Bots.

It's not on netflix yet. The specials are, but the TV series won't be there until it reaches the halfway point in Japan I think

 

[TUSR]

Tattun from TRIGGER did an interview regarding LWA earlier today yesterday.

Verification

Questions and answers

 

[Meffer]

Episode 4 was good. More chill than the last one but the story was nice and pretty funny. This show's style and design really benefits with episodes with not a lot of action and slower pace.

 

[Puruzi]

Lotte is book akko

 

[Gravidee]

Thought it was very funny how nightfall was basically their version of twilight. And how each tidbit of information presented by Lotte or others about the book got more outrageous the more they talked about it.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Little Witch TV 04

Was this episode seriously about a Twilight reference? And whats a MyStage? What year is it???

 

[Andrew J.]

Episode 04

Yes. This is exactly the kind of episode I was hoping for from this series, one that fleshes out a side character and does some nice worldbuilding. I liked the running gag about all the ridiculous stuff in Night Fall, too.

 

[poipoipoi9]

I do hope a future episode addresses why

Spoiler

Shiny Chariot ended up as an under-appreciated teacher at her old school and how her media empire crumbled. She could've just spent the rest of her days with fat wads of cash but somehow ended up with a shitty job.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

I do hope a future episode addresses why

Spoiler

Shiny Chariot ended up as an under-appreciated teacher at her old school and how her media empire crumbled. She could've just spent the rest of her days with fat wads of cash but somehow ended up with a shitty job.

I bet we'll get an arc explaining everything about that in detail starting around episode 20-22. The story behind that could be the perfect way to end the batch of episodes we're getting this year.

Great episode, by the way! I love Akko's ridiculous gestures, it's pretty fun to check Reddit after watching the episode to get the screenshots of her faces to use as reaction pics.

 

[Raxus]

I bet we'll get an arc explaining everything about that in detail starting around episode 20-22. The story behind that could be the perfect way to end the batch of episodes we're getting this year.

Great episode, by the way! I love Akko's ridiculous gestures, it's pretty fun to check Reddit after watching the episode to get the screenshots of her faces to use as reaction pics.

I thought this was just 13 episodes?

 

[Puruzi]

I thought this was just 13 episodes?

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