UlasanAnime.com – The ANNCast podcast from January 22, 2011, featured discussions on anime industry trends, guest interviews, and retail insights, providing a comprehensive look at the anime landscape at the time.
The author expresses a mixed feeling towards ANNCast, acknowledging their good guests but also noting the hosts’ tendency to spin facts with an “ANN spin.” The post aims to summarize the podcast’s key points, making it accessible without requiring listeners to hear the entire episode.
The pre-interview segment is largely skipped, with one notable point of reflection concerning “Bill 156” and pushing boundaries. This is further linked to the anime series Star Driver, where a discussion about the nature of “kisses” in school-themed anime is highlighted.
ENOKIDO
Yeah, school stories mean love. An interesting love-pattern is a necessity for a school. And so, with this show, “kisses” will feature throughout. (lol)IGARASHI
There are all sorts of kisses. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, through the glass, and so on.You might also be interested in : Ouroboros Wave in Organizational Management
ENOKIDO
All the director and I could think about was coming up with variations on kisses that were more stimulating than anything that had been depicted in anime before, including ones that would make people go, “You’re calling that a kiss!?” (lol).
Star Driver is identified as a Sunday morning cartoon.
The podcast then delves into insights from a retailer, referred to as “Darth Anime Drug Pusher,” offering several key observations:
- Re-releases are seen as detrimental to the industry as they slow down habitual buyers and reduce excitement. New licenses are crucial for driving interest.
- Sub-only releases are profitable for the retailer.
- Wide releases of casual-friendly titles contribute to organic growth, though not necessarily immediate profit.
- The purchasing power of the anime fandom impacts different retailers in varied ways.
- There’s a mention of Aniplex’s expensive box sets, specifically ROD and Rakkyo, though the ROD box set discussion is noted as absent.
- The pre-order sales for Garden of Sinners are exceeding expectations, with a prediction of them selling out.
- Added value is a significant factor in motivating consumers to purchase physical goods.
- Thin boxes are criticized, with an implication that cheapness, exemplified by FUNimation’s SAVE line and certain S23 releases, has a market but is finite.
- Blu-Ray uptake is significant, and the price difference between Blu-Ray and DVD SKUs is manageable, leading to considerable Blu-Ray adoption.
- A tangent discusses serving cash-only buyers, suggesting a generational shift rather than a lack of access. As younger fans mature, the challenge is to identify what appeals to them.
- The retailer is uncertain if streaming helps or hinders sales but acknowledges that streaming helps bridge consumer information gaps and encourages purchasing decisions.
- The future of merchandise is questioned, with agreement that its availability is limited and more merchandise is needed in the market.
- Stockouts for manga are a major issue, preventing the purchase of complete series and deterring potential buyers. This is identified as a problem for publishers to resolve.
- A critical point is made about industry professionals blaming consumers for their own ineptitude, a sentiment expressed around the 59-minute mark of the podcast.
- The impact of Borders bookstore’s situation is mentioned, affecting the retailer’s spending habits, though countered by Amazon Prime and Right Stuf.
- There will be three Utena sets released, targeted at collectors, with no release dates yet provided.
- The emergence of new products is noted, suggesting a return to the importance of new releases, reinforcing the earlier point about their impact.
- Copyright clearance is described as frustrating, mirroring issues faced in Japan.
- Sora no Woto is praised for its great story, with a critique of those who dismiss it as merely “moe” as being detrimental to the industry.
Following the main discussion, a “BONUS ROUND” examines the top charts on Right Stuf after the podcast. This analysis is prompted by a FUNimation sale and the release of new SKUs, including Ga-Rei Zero and Eden of the East Movie 1.
The Ga-Rei Zero sets, differing by a small price margin, highlight the consumer preference for the Limited Edition due to its added bonus item and artbox. The critical aspect is that these are combo DVD/Blu-ray SKUs, offering a benchmark for Blu-ray sales against DVDs.
Despite Summer Wars BD topping the DVD list, the top 11 entries on the DVD chart are presented. Notably, both Summer Wars BD and DVD appear on the same list, with combo SKUs emphasized.
- Summer Wars Blu-ray (Hyb)
- Eden of the East Movie 1: King of Eden DVD/Blu-ray (Hyb)
- Sacred Blacksmith DVD Complete Series (Hyb) Limited Edition
- Black Butler Season 1 DVD Part 1 (Hyb) Limited Edition
- Durarara!! Part 1 DVD (Hyb)
- Ga-Rei Zero DVD/Blu-ray Complete Series (Hyb) Limited Edition
- Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom DVD Part 1 (Hyb) Limited Edition
- Chrome Shelled Regios DVD Part 1 (Hyb) Limited Edition
- Black Butler Season 1 DVD Part 2 (Hyb)
- Summer Wars DVD (Hyb)
- Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom DVD Part 2 (Hyb)
The top 10 Blu-ray list is also provided:
- Evangelion, Neon Genesis: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance Blu-ray (Hyb)
- Eden of the East Movie 1: King of Eden DVD/Blu-ray (Hyb)
- FLCL Blu-ray Complete Series (Hyb) – Classic Line
- Ga-Rei Zero DVD/Blu-ray Complete Series (Hyb) Limited Edition
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Blu-ray Part 4 (Hyb)
- Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE OVAs Blu-ray Collection (Hyb)
- Chobits Blu-ray Complete Series (Hyb) – Classic Line
- Dragon Ball Z Kai Season 1 Blu-ray Part 4 (Hyb)
- Soul Eater Blu-ray Part 1 + Part 2 (Hyb)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Blu-ray Part 3 (Hyb)
The author notes that Amazon’s pricing for Summer Wars BD is slightly lower than Right Stuf’s sale price, but Right Stuf offers a bonus item. Eden of the East combo’s top position on both charts is attributed to its popularity as a 2009-2010 property and its full movie treatment, combining DVD and Blu-ray sales.
The prevalence of FUNimation titles on the charts is attributed to the ongoing sale and the effectiveness of the Durarara!! hype. The dominance of FUNimation on the Blu-ray side is also due to their extensive Blu-ray releases. The highest non-FUNimation Blu-ray title is Garden of Sinners.
This suggests that for Right Stuf, the Blu-ray and DVD customer bases are largely the same: core anime fans who purchase frequently. The relatively small number of consumers choosing DVDs when a Blu-ray option exists is highlighted. However, Summer Wars BD topping one of the charts indicates an increase in Blu-ray adoption over the year.
Confirmation of the theory regarding Blu-ray adoption based on the DVD-Blu-ray price gap is observed. The $5 price difference between Summer Wars BD and DVD at MSRP, and the $3 difference with a 40% discount, appears to be a significant factor. This trend is echoed on Amazon, where the Summer Wars BD ranks considerably higher than its DVD counterpart. Similarly, Evangelion 2.22 BD is significantly more expensive than its DVD version and ranks higher. While the gap between Blu-ray and DVD prices might be narrowing, it’s difficult to definitively say, especially for titles like Evangelion that reach beyond the core fan base.
