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What's with the lack of anime on Blu-Ray?

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Terrell

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Perhaps this is just a personal issue, but... with over 90% of anime produced in the past 10 years being digitally animated, what excuse is there to not release a series in Blu-Ray when the material is prime and ready to be released in 1080p?

I'm a big fan of xxxHOLiC, for instance, and both TV series were released after the advent of the PlayStation 3 and were digitally produced. Yet we have moe shit getting Blu-Ray releases and nothing for some great series such as (to name only a few) xxxHOLiC or Natsume Yujincho (which is released in Japan by SONY, no less) in either North America OR Japan?!

This doesn't make sense to me, GAF. Please explain this travesty to me.
 
Poor sales vs. Expensive licensing fees ? Not sure but that is my guess. Or maybe it has something to do with Japanese BD pricing. JP studios are afraid that people will go on import spree if they start publishing too much stuff over seas.

Releasing anime on BD in japan might just be bad business. When you ask 200 euros from 5 episodes you can't make that many sales.
 
There's nothing that odd about it. If a series is digitally animated it can easily end up as a lower resolution then another series made years ago so it's not like they're 1080p already.

Also, they have no market and will make no money. Therefore if they are released they'll be ridiculously expensive so that the 50 people who buy it will be enough to recoup the cost of making it.
 
Some titles that are out are expensive as hell like Wings of Hominase.I own Paprika, Tekkonkinkreet and they look amazing in high def
 
Well, from what I've seen, the price disparity in Blu-Ray and DVD releases isn't that huge. At most, it's a 1000-yen price difference for something that is easily better to look at.

@Jexhius, you think that a series like SQUID GIRL has more marketability in Blu Ray than something like xxxHOLiC?! Pass the crack pipe you're huffing on.
 
Yeah, it's been slim pickings in terms of bluray. Tho in terms of recent pickups. I did get the Eden set domestically. Great price too! But I'd love to see Kons previous works on Bluray amongst other things.
 
Terrell said:
@Jexhius, you think that a series like SQUID GIRL has more marketability in Blu Ray than something like xxxHOLiC?!
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Probably, yes. It's certainly more current.

The number of shows getting the BD treatment at the moment certainly seems higher then it was when HOLiC was getting it's DVD release as well. There'd be little point going back to it.
 
In my opinion the older anime I like doesn't have a major improvement when viewed on blu ray.

In fact it makes it look a little off since most of my favorites aren't native to widescreen, or high def....I mean drawings can only look so good if they're being upscaled.

Redrawn new stuff looks really good though.
 
Jexhius said:
Probably, yes. It's certainly more current.

The number of shows getting the BD treatment at the moment certainly seems higher then it was when HOLiC was getting it's DVD release as well. There'd be little point going back to it.
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Considering HOLiC Kei is getting a DVD boxset release in Japan in January 2011, and the fact that it was broadcast in HD in Japan when it was first on TV anyways, the concept that the series doesn't sell well enough to justify a BD release or is somehow not ready to go for an HD release doesn't sound remotely plausible.
 
Terrell said:
Perhaps this is just a personal issue, but... with over 90% of anime produced in the past 10 years being digitally animated, what excuse is there to not release a series in Blu-Ray when the material is prime and ready to be released in 1080p?

I'm a big fan of xxxHOLiC, for instance, and both TV series were released after the advent of the PlayStation 3 and were digitally produced. Yet we have moe shit getting Blu-Ray releases and nothing for some great series such as (to name only a few) xxxHOLiC or Natsume Yujincho (which is released in Japan by SONY, no less) in either North America OR Japan?!

This doesn't make sense to me, GAF. Please explain this travesty to me.
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Blu-Rays of anime in Japan cost like 80 dollars for partial sets. For example, FMA: Brotherhood is ~7000 yen (70~ bucks) for 4 episodes. In contract, the Blu Ray set for the first 15 episodes(!) is $29.99 on Amazon.

Logically, this means they can't be sent to America because it would be more cost effective for Japanese buyers to import the American version since disc based anime series always have the original audio track.
 
Terrell said:
Perhaps this is just a personal issue, but... with over 90% of anime produced in the past 10 years being digitally animated, what excuse is there to not release a series in Blu-Ray when the material is prime and ready to be released in 1080p?

I'm a big fan of xxxHOLiC, for instance, and both TV series were released after the advent of the PlayStation 3 and were digitally produced. Yet we have moe shit getting Blu-Ray releases and nothing for some great series such as (to name only a few) xxxHOLiC or Natsume Yujincho (which is released in Japan by SONY, no less) in either North America OR Japan?!

This doesn't make sense to me, GAF. Please explain this travesty to me.
Click to expand...

Of the last 10 years, only anime made in the last 4 years would actually benefit from Blu-ray. If it wasn't made digitally in HD then the best a blu-ray will do is an upconversion.

Funimation needs to stop it with their fixation on releasing upconverted blu-rays.
 
Angry Grimace said:
Blu-Rays of anime in Japan cost like 80 dollars for partial sets. For example, FMA: Brotherhood is like 7000 yen (70~ bucks) for 4 episodes. The BR set for the first 15 is 30 bucks on Amazon.

Logically, this means they can't be sent to America because it would be more cost effective for Japanese buyers to import the American version since disc based anime series always have the original audio track.
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But plenty of newer shows aren't released on Blu-ray even in Japan. Gurren Lagann and Toradora! come to mind.

I'm with you, OP!

/is getting the Toradora! DVD sets from NIS for Christmas after giving up hope of ever seeing a Blu-ray release
 
Terrell said:
Considering HOLiC Kei is getting a DVD boxset release in Japan in January 2011, and the fact that it was broadcast in HD in Japan when it was first on TV anyways, the concept that the series doesn't sell well enough to justify a BD release or is somehow not ready to go for an HD release doesn't sound remotely plausible.
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Holic and Kei are different shows. Kei may well have been broadcast in HD but I don't know if the original was. And if it wasn't, then it's not simply "ready to go" it would been to be unscaled.
tehfryguy said:
In my opinion the older anime I like doesn't have a major improvement when viewed on blu ray.

In fact it makes it look a little off since most of my favorites aren't native to widescreen, or high def....I mean drawings can only look so good if they're being upscaled.

Redrawn new stuff looks really good though.
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So much here that's making my brain hurt.

WingsHD1.jpg

WingsHD2.jpg

WingsHD3.jpg


naus_01.jpg

naus_04.jpg


But yeah, I guess it's basically just a stretched DVD.
 
For R1, most of the American licensors have said it is cost - mostly of printing BD discs. Funimation seems to be the only company that has the economies of scale to do BD releases at reasonable prices.

I think in Japan it's mostly a non-issue with all newer stuff - BD sales pretty much have taken over from DVD sales since it's the hardcore nerds who buy and collect this stuff anyway and they want the best.
 
tehfryguy said:
In my opinion the older anime I like doesn't have a major improvement when viewed on blu ray.

In fact it makes it look a little off since most of my favorites aren't native to widescreen, or high def....I mean drawings can only look so good if they're being upscaled.

Redrawn new stuff looks really good though.
Click to expand...

The anime made before digital came about, cell animation to be specific, benefits a lot from being on Blu-ray. The cells themselves aren't forced to a specific resolution like digital animation and blu-ray can bring out more details on the actual cells themselves.
 
firehawk12 said:
For R1, most of the American licensors have said it is cost - mostly of printing BD discs. Funimation seems to be the only company that has the economies of scale to do BD releases at reasonable prices.

I think in Japan it's mostly a non-issue with all newer stuff - BD sales pretty much have taken over from DVD sales since it's the hardcore nerds who buy and collect this stuff anyway and they want the best.
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I'm sure Bandai could handle it as well, but Namco/Bandai sucks these days.
 
makingmusic476 said:
I'm sure Bandai could handle it as well, but Namco/Bandai sucks these days.
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Not really, it seems. I think the only BDs they have planned is The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and K-On! and even then, with K-On! they're going to try to replicate the old model of selling 3 episodes per disc for 30-40 dollars. Heck, they didn't even do Haruhi S2 on BD.
 
firehawk12 said:
Not really, it seems. I think the only BDs they have planned is The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and K-On! and even then, with K-On! they're going to try to replicate the old model of selling 3 episodes per disc for 30-40 dollars. Heck, they didn't even do Haruhi S2 on BD.
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Well I assumed them not doing it was just because they suck, but I suppose a company like them could legitimately not be able to afford it. It would shock me, however. I always likened more to not bringing Tales over.

All I know is I want Code Geass on Blu so I can see LeDouche in all his glory. >=(
 
It looks like they're really banking on the K-On fad to save them, since they don't seem to have much else licensed over here. Certainly it explains their gouging on the BDs anyway. :lol
 
Jexhius said:
Holic and Kei are different shows. Kei may well have been broadcast in HD but I don't know if the original was. And if it wasn't, then it's not simply "ready to go" it would been to be unscaled.
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The original series was also broadcast in "Hi-Vision" on TBS' satellite affiliate. So yeah, it was at LEAST 720p.
But let's look at a newer series, since everyone seems bent on that angle.
Kobato, fairly popular anime series from what I've heard, broadcast in 1080p... no BD release whatsoever. Just DVDs with 2 episodes a piece per release.
My only HOPE is that they were waiting to do a boxset in Blu-Ray that wasn't so ridiculous in how the episodes were divided per disc. But judging by the state of anime releases on the format, my hopes are dashed.
 
I nabbed the Ghost in the Shell blurays recently. Both versions of the 1st movie, as well as Innocence. They blow me away.
 
Dammit, this thread reminds me that I'm still too lazy to get a Blu-Ray player and that even if I did I'll never be able to see the Bakemonogatari BDs with the in-character commentary.
 
speedpop said:
I nabbed the Ghost in the Shell blurays recently. Both versions of the 1st movie, as well as Innocence. They blow me away.
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I fucking want the SAC compilation movies to come here domesticallly.. The boxset price for that over there is OUCH.
 
Articalys said:
Dammit, this thread reminds me that I'm still too lazy to get a Blu-Ray player and that even if I did I'll never be able to see the Bakemonogatari BDs with the in-character commentary.
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This thread is depressing me. It keeps reminding me of all the anime I want on Blu-ray that I'll likely never get. =(
 
One good thing about anime Blu-ray is the way Manga UK have handled it; they've released a lot of the good stuff (Eva, EotE, FMA, Basara) mostly within a reasonable delay from the US releases without bothering with crappy upscales. We also got Layton and Nausicaa on BD :D
 
Blu-ray is now the main primary platform for anime in Japan. Anime on blu-ray sell far better than the releases on DVD, and every single new show is released on blu-ray. Many old shows already have box sets released in blu-ray as well. If you're talking about the more limited selection of blu-ray anime in the US, it's because no one buys anime and aside from FUNimation, the other anime distributors in the US basically operate out of a basement. :P
 
makingmusic476 said:
This thread is depressing me. It keeps reminding me of all the anime I want on Blu-ray that I'll likely never get. =(
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Actually, all I want for now is for Bandai to quit fucking around and release their version of the 5 Centimeters per Second DVD. I was supposed to get one at a screening in San Francisco a few months ago but since they obviously weren't ready yet...
 
duckroll said:
the other anime distributors in the US basically operate out of a basement. :P
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I tracked down some info about MVM UK when I brought from them and they work out of some second story room somewhere :lol
 
I grab what I can but I would like to see more. I wish new direct to BR titles would do as well as DC titles do. Anime market needs to think outside of the box and fans also need to support it and stop with the downloading.
 
Terrell said:
Perhaps this is just a personal issue, but... with over 90% of anime produced in the past 10 years being digitally animated, what excuse is there to not release a series in Blu-Ray when the material is prime and ready to be released in 1080p?

I'm a big fan of xxxHOLiC, for instance, and both TV series were released after the advent of the PlayStation 3 and were digitally produced. Yet we have moe shit getting Blu-Ray releases and nothing for some great series such as (to name only a few) xxxHOLiC or Natsume Yujincho (which is released in Japan by SONY, no less) in either North America OR Japan?!

This doesn't make sense to me, GAF. Please explain this travesty to me.
Click to expand...

While I'm not familiar with xxxHOLiC, it was apparently animated around 2006. That'd be a bit early for mainstream HD animation, but it is possible it was animated for HD.

Regarding cel animation and older series, they benefit in two ways:
1) Assuming a high-def scan is done of source material, you may or may not get added details. At the very least, it makes a very smooth and natural progression to 1080p, since you don't have to guess what lies in between point A and point B.
2) Generally, it's about time for these shows to have a "remastered" release. Utena got a remastered DVD release in japan recently, and it looks absolutely fabulous. CCS got one as well, and I remember it getting a good bump from the process.

Digital animation is produced for one set resolution usually. Because of this, unless you go back and re-do part of the animation process, it's not feasible to create a detailed 1080p version (Unless you still have possession of all source materials, and the release warrants a revisit). You can upscale the video, but that can lead to some nastiness (see many of Funi's BD releases). In the case of upscaled video where the source was <1080p, it can still benefit from the huge bitrates of Bluray. You get zero macroblocking, better colors, and usually better audio and subtitles. That is, if it's done right.

Regarding the WHY of why more anime isn't being distributed in the US on bluray. It's simply because blu-ray is a niche product. Anime is niche itself. You're talking about a subsection of a small market, and in many cases, companies can't afford to have an underperforming BD release. Hell, tons of DVD's are being sold at below wholesale price, and companies are either re-org'ing or dying left and right.

tl;dr: Anime has not been PRODUCED in HD for the past 10 years. It's only been commonplace for maybe the past 4. Even in recent "hd" series, it isn't animated in 1080p (see FMA:B). US companies can't risk a poor BD release, since the process is fairly pricey, while there have been quite a few japanese anime BD releases.
 
duckroll said:
Blu-ray is now the main primary platform for anime in Japan. Anime on blu-ray sell far better than the releases on DVD, and every single new show is released on blu-ray. Many old shows already have box sets released in blu-ray as well. If you're talking about the more limited selection of blu-ray anime in the US, it's because no one buys anime and aside from FUNimation, the other anime distributors in the US basically operate out of a basement. :P
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I gave 3 examples of series that aren't in Blu-Ray even in Japan, all 3 of which were broadcast in HD on their respective networks and one of which was broadcast in 2009-2010.
So while I want to believe this to be true, hard facts show that it's not exactly as guaranteed as you have suggested.
 
Terrell said:
I gave 3 examples of series that aren't in Blu-Ray even in Japan, all 3 of which were broadcast in HD on their respective networks and one of which was broadcast in 2009-2010.
So while I want to believe this to be true, hard facts show that it's not exactly as guaranteed as you have suggested.
Click to expand...

You made a thread asking what's with the lack of anime on blu-ray. I'm telling you there is no lack of anime on blu-ray in Japan. So there's a small percentage of DVD only shows where they're probably holding back blu-ray releases on purpose to get double dipping. Boo hoo, cry me a river.
 
hirokazu said:
Telling anime watchers to stop downloading fansubs and actually paying for the anime might help.
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Thing is, I imagine Japanese nerds do the same thing, especially since half this stuff airs at 2 am so they have to tape this stuff anyway. That doesn't stop them from wanting to buy this stuff anyway. It probably helps that in Japan the cost is mitigated by the weird pack-ins they get (like the K-On wall scrolls. :lol).
 
firehawk12 said:
Thing is, I imagine Japanese nerds do the same thing, especially since half this stuff airs at 2 am so they have to tape this stuff anyway. That doesn't stop them from wanting to buy this stuff anyway. It probably helps that in Japan the cost is mitigated by the weird pack-ins they get (like the K-On wall scrolls. :lol).
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Wrong. Most anime titles sell jack shit in Japan too. How does it make any money at all? They charge 80 bucks for 50 minutes. That's how. What a retarded industry. :lol

Edit: Look at this totally classy release for example.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-2601

Panty&Stocking with Garterbelt Vol.1 [Blu-ray+DVD] [Special Edition]

Price: 8800yen (9240yen Tax incl.) / US$ 103.81
Format: Blu-ray (Region-free)
Release Date: 2010/12/24
Running Time: 50 minutes


FUCK YEAH! :lol
 
Not to downplay HD animation, but it seems to me that 480p anime looks really good compared to 480p in other mediums. I'm not sure why.
 
duckroll said:
Wrong. Most anime titles sell jack shit in Japan too. How does it make any money at all? They charge 80 bucks for 50 minutes. That's how. What a retarded industry. :lol

Edit: Look at this totally classy release for example.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-2601

Panty&Stocking with Garterbelt Vol.1 [Blu-ray+DVD] [Special Edition]

Price: 8800yen (9240yen Tax incl.) / US$ 103.81
Format: Blu-ray (Region-free)
Release Date: 2010/12/24
Running Time: 50 minutes


FUCK YEAH! :lol
Click to expand...

kinda offtopic but japanese movies in general are way overpriced compared to foreign dvds
 
Ratrat said:
kinda offtopic but japanese movies in general seem to way overpriced compared to foreign dvds
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I wouldn't say way overpriced, especially not in comparison with anime. The Avatar Extended Edition on blu-ray is 6,990yen in Japan and 54.99 USD in the US. The crappy US dollar makes it a lot worse right now, but otherwise it's only generally a little bit more expensive.

Some titles are indeed significantly more expensive. for example: Band of Brothers on blu-ray is 20,790yen. The US blu-ray box set is 99.98 USD. So it's about twice the price in Japan. But even then, you're getting 10 hours of a complete big budget mini-series for 20,790yen.

In the example I posted, to get the complete set of Panty and Stocking on blu-ray, it would cost 9,240yen x6. That's over 600 dollars for what amounts to less than 6 hours of PPG-style animation. You can buy 3 box-sets of Band of Brothers (already overpriced) with that money. Simply retarded.
 
Replicant said:
Because they are expensive as Hell. This one, for example, cost me almost $500:
Click to expand...

You'll also probably be able to buy the exact same thing in the US in a few years at most, for 50 bucks. :lol
 
duckroll said:
You'll also probably be able to buy the exact same thing in the US in a few years at most, for 50 bucks. :lol
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I know, right? But oh well, I really wanted this and I know that Kadokawa usually puts quality encoding plus this one at least has English subs.

With Haruhi, it's probably surefire. But how about things like Mushishi etc? Do you think it's worth it to just get it from Japan? Do you think Funimation will do Blu-ray?
 
Do blu rays ever have pack ins in the US? I remember I used to buy DVDs and they'd come with postcards or pencilboards, or some other neat extra. Did that pretty much end?
 
duckroll said:
You made a thread asking what's with the lack of anime on blu-ray. I'm telling you there is no lack of anime on blu-ray in Japan. So there's a small percentage of DVD only shows where they're probably holding back blu-ray releases on purpose to get double dipping. Boo hoo, cry me a river.
Click to expand...

xxxHOLiC (2 seasons, 2 OVAs)
Natsume Yujincho (2 seasons)
Kobato
Valkyria Chronicles
Tsubasa Chronicle (lord knows how many seasons/OVAs)
Tegami Bachi (2 seasons)
Slayers (2 seasons)
Vampire Knight
Persona Trinity Soul
World Destruction
Junjo Romantica

And this is just what I'm able to remember off the top of my head at 5:45am from the past 2 years of anime, and I only remember them because I remember watching them.

I could go through every single release over the past 2 years, though, if you'd like.
 
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