A Quote from Kentarou Miura

There certainly is enough of economic hardship to go around right now. I keep reading articles about things like 'why small business is not hiring' in the recovery vs. past recoveries, and no one seems to even be making the argument that maybe there isn't actually a recovery at all, and maybe small businesses aren't hiring simply because, on the aggregate, they are still shrinking.

For us, the Anime industry in particular seems to have an awful lot working against it over and above just normal bad economic factors like weak consumer spending. There certainly have been a lot of 'where do we go from here' type conversations going on in the biz lately, and the answers (so far) are not very forthcoming.

So I got to thinking about things this past week and remembered something Kentarou Miura, the manga-ka who writes Berserk, once said and wanted to share it with you:

"With no relation to class or social background, whether it suits them or not, people yearn for a dream. Sustained by a dream, hurt by a dream, revived by a dream, killed by a dream. And even after being abandoned by a dream, it continues to smolder from the bottom of one's heart... probably until the verge of death.

A man should envision such a lifetime once. A life spent as a martyr to his "dream."

Of this, I think many of us who try to make some sort of living in the 'Anime industry' are, ultimately, destined to be martyrs to our dream.

And you know what? That's OK.

Funimation Delays Yet More Titles - Again

Funimation hit us hard again today with another grocery list of release delays, some of which were in the last change list as well, but this time instead of a week some have been pushed back another 2-4 weeks, which won't please anyone I'm sure.

Here's the changes:

Dragon Ball Z Dragonbox DVD Set #4 (Eps #127-168) - Sep 14 to Sep 21
Slayers Revolution (TV Season 4) DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (BLURAY) - Sep 21 to Oct 19
Slayers Evolution-R (TV Season 5) DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (BLURAY) - Sep 21 to Oct 19
Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU DVD Boxed Set (Remastered) - Oct 5 to Oct 19
Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU DVD Boxed Set (BLURAY) (Remastered) - Oct 5 to Oct 19
Hetalia (Axis Powers) Season 2 DVD Set - Oct 12 to Oct 19
Arimitage III Movie Collection DVD (Both Movies + OVA) - Nov 23 to Jan 25

Funi did not cite a reason for the changes this time. We've already made the date changes on the store site. As always, if anyone has an order holding for one or more of the above items and wants to make a change, just drop us an e-mail.

And don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. Have a nice weekend everyone!

Funimation Reduces the Price of Full Metal Panic TSR

Funimation has reduced the MSRP today on both the regular and Bluray version of Full Metal Panic 2nd Raid:

Full Metal Panic the Second Raid DVD Box (Remastered) - from $59.98 to $39.98
Full Metal Panic the Second Raid DVD Box (Remastered) [BluRay] - from $69.98 to $44.98

Both sets are in stock and shipping at the new prices today!

Bandai Announces October 2010 Releases / Delays Gundam 00 #3

Bandai Entertainment just sent us their October 2010 release schedule, and we now have it available on the store site for pre-order:

Hayate the Combat Butler DVD #7 (Eps #39-44)
Kurokami The Animation Part #3 DVD (Eps #12.5-18) (Bilingual)
Kurokami The Animation Part #3 DVD (BLURAY) (Eps #9-12) (English Dubbed)

In addition to these, Bandai has also moved the released date for both the regular and the limited edition of Gundam 00 Season 2, Vol #3 DVD back a month to October 19th:

Gundam 00 Season 2, Vol #3 DVD (Eps #14-19) - Now Oct 19th
Gundam 00 Season 2, Vol #3 DVD Special Edition (Eps #14-19) - Now Oct 19th

Anime Word of the Week - Neko (猫) / Nekomimi (猫耳) / Nekomusume (猫娘)

Neko (猫) / Nekomimi (猫耳) / Nekomusume (猫娘)

... a catgirl with cat ears, a cat tail, or other feline characteristics on an otherwise human body. Catgirls in character typically exhibit a more cat-like attitude, and may sometimes include cat gestures or sounds in written or verbal communications. A frequent running gag among catgirls is that, when talking, they habitually end their speech lines with the catchphrase nya, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat's meow.

In my experience for common usage, 'Neko' (being the Japanese word for Cat) is usually just used to describe someone as 'cat like'. 'Nekomimi' means 'cat ears', and can refer specifically to Cat Girl cos-play (called Nekomimi Mode) but can also be used to describe any 'cat girl'. Nekomusume literally means 'cat daughter' and can also used to describe any 'cat girl'.


In certain anime and manga series, a boy may be compared to a cat in a similar way that cat girls are. These characters are referred to as catboys. Bishōnen catboys are typically associated with shōjo manga and yaoi; for example, Ritsuka, from the anime and Manga Loveless. In shōnen series, a (usually villainous) catgirl may be portrayed as the leader of a band of anthropomorphic animals. The list of real Nekomimi characters in Anime is nearly endless, but some prime examples include Hiroko from Princess Resurrection, Natsuki Sasahara and Mao from Hyper Police, Sanada, Aiko, Keiko, Yuuko and Eiko from UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie, Blair from Soul Eater, Alia and Lotte Liese from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's, Aisha Clan-Clan from Outlaw Star, and Merle from The Vision of Escaflowne. Examples of cosplay Nekomimi in Anime includes Hazuki from Moon Phase (Tsukuyomi), Azusa Nakano from K-On!, Chiyo Mihama from Azumanga Daioh, and Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura.

UPDATE: Since everyone is asking, the song playing during the Cat Witch Blair video is Alfie by Lily Allen.

Funimation November 2010 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Funimation has sent out their November 2010 release schedule and we've got it posted to the store site. Here's what's coming:

Arimitage III Movie Collection DVD (Both Movies + OVA)
Birdy the Mighty: Decode Part 2 DVD Box
Blassreiter Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-24)
Comic Party Revolution Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (S.A.V.E Edition)
Desert Punk Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Viridian Collection II)
Girls Bravo Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-24)
Gunslinger Girl Season 2: Il Teatrino DVD Boxed Set (Viridian Collection)
Initial D First Stage Season 1 Part 2 DVD Boxed Set (Eps #14-26)
Kaleido Star Season 1 Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26)
Oh! Edo Rocket Season 1 Collection #1 (Eps #1-13)
Oh! Edo Rocket Season 1 Collection #2 (Eps #14-26)
Sekirei Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-12)


Oh! Edo Rocket

In Edo during the mid-1800's, fireworks maker Seikichi Tamaya and his friends struggle to live under the harsh frugality laws imposed by the strict city magistrate, which ban all luxuries, including fireworks. One day, a strange girl stops by Seikichi's shop with an equally strange request: she wants Seikichi to build a firework that can reach the moon.

Sekirei

Minato Sahashi is extremely intelligent, yet due to his inability to cope under pressure has failed the college entrance exam twice. As a result he has been branded an idiot and loser by many. One day after talking to his yet again disappointed mother he comes into contact with a girl named Musubi who was under attack. The girl runs but takes him with her and soon finds that Minato, while unknown to him, is an Ashikabi, one of the mysterious set of masters that have the genetic trait that can become partners with some of the 108 cute girls, buxom women, and bishōnen called "Sekirei". The reason for the partnership allows the Sekirei to use all their power to win in the competition held by the mysterious MBI corporation.

E-Mail Server Down - Working on It....

FYI to everyone, our e-mail server has been down now for about a half hour, so incoming e-mails are probably bouncing while they reboot the PDS. Software patch gone awry.

Should be back up in maybe 20 minutes or so.

Meanwhile we will sit back and enjoy a few rare minutes of digital quiet... -_^

UPDATE: Back up as of 3:27 PM EST. Back to work....

Zombies...

...want the same thing we do.



Indeed they do! :-)

Section 23 Nov 2010 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Section 23 has sent over their November 2010 release schedule and we've got it posted to the store site.

Here's what's coming:

Ghost Sweeper Mikami TV Series Collection #1 (Eps #1-11)
Hell Girl Three Vessels (Season 3) Collection #2 (Eps #13-24)
Taisho Baseball Girls Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-12)
UtaKata DVD Collection #1 (Eps #1-12)
Xam'd DVD Collection #2 (Eps #13-24)
Xam'd DVD Collection #2 (Eps #13-24) (BLURAY)

UtaKata

On the last day of the school year, 14 year-old Ichika Tachibana comes across an old, busted mirror in an unused campus building. When Manatsu, a mysterious girl from inside the mirror, steps out and offers her friendship for the summer, she also offers Ichika magical powers. Now, Manatsu must help Ichika unlock the powers of the 12 Djinn in order to complete her magic training... but perhaps this is something that will prove too difficult a task. Some offers may appear too be good to be true and this one just may turn out to do more harm than good.

Taisho Baseball Girls

In 1925 (year 14 of the Taisho period), after being told by a baseball player that women should become housewives instead of going to school, two 14-year-old Japanese high school girls named Koume and Akiko decide to start a baseball team in order to prove him wrong. During this time, when even running was considered too vulgar for women, baseball is known as "what the boys do" and they face many difficulties when searching members, getting permission from their parents and when learning about the sport itself.

Ghost Sweeper Mikami TV Series

Reiko Mikami is a very beautiful, greedy and skillful ghost hunter, and her dream is to have more and more money. Her assistant is Tadao Yokoshima, who is very perverted, but very loyal, just because he desires Mikami, although she treats him like garbage, and always manipulates him to do the dangerous tasks.

RACS BACK TO SCHOOL SALE - LAST DAY TO SAVE UP TO 10%!!

Just a reminder that our big August 'back to school' sale ends tonight at midnight (EST) , so you only have a few hours left to save up to an additional 10% off any combination of IN STOCK items listed on the store!

To save 5% off any IN STOCK order (no minimum) just use the following coupon during checkout:

BACKTOSCHOOL-SAVE5

To save 10% off any IN STOCK order over $200 just use the following coupon during checkout:

BACKTOSCHOOL-SAVE10

The more you purchase the more you save so be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity to load up on some of the Anime stuff you've been wanting! US customers can combine this offer with our super saver shipping option to save even more scratch on your favorite in stock Anime series, Manga, Figure, or Character Items!

Note: Valid for new orders of IN STOCK items only. Coupon code expires at midnight EST on August 19th so get your orders in ASAP!

Anime Word of the Week - Hikikomori (ひきこもり or 引き籠もり)

Hikikomori (ひきこもり or 引き籠もり)

...literally "pulling away, being confined", i.e., "acute social withdrawal") is a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive people who have chosen to withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement because of various personal and social factors in their lives. The term hikikomori refers to both the sociological phenomenon in general as well as to people belonging to this societal group. In Western terminology this group may include individuals suffering from social phobia or social anxiety problems. This could also be due to agoraphobia, avoidant personality disorder or painful or extreme shyness. There are also Hikikomoris who may choose this lifestyle for purely cultural reasons.


Hikikomori can be viewed as a social phobia similar to agoraphobia. In the Anime series Welcome to the N.H.K. and Wallflower, the main characters, Tatsuhiro Satō and Nakahara Sunako, are hikikomori.

What It's Like Inside My Head Sometimes...

...frequently after doing customer service.

Yes, that's very much what it's like to be in the Anime business. Thanks for asking...

Funimation Delays More Titles

In what is becoming a pretty regular event from ALL the R1 studios this summer, we heard from Funimation today who gave us another grocery list of release delays, but most of these are only 1 week pushes so it's not too bad. Here's the changes:

Slayers Revolution DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (BLURAY) - 9/14 to 9/21
Slayers Evolution-R DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (BLURAY) - 9/14 to 9/21
Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU Complete DVD Set (Remastered) - 9/28 to 10/5
Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU Complete DVD Set (BLURAY) (Remastered) - 9/28 to 10/5
Eden of the East Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-11) - 9/28 to 10/19
Eden of the East Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-11) (BLURAY) - 9/28 to 10/19

Funi cited inventory delays for the changes. We've already made the date changes on the store site this afternoon. As always, if anyone has an order holding for one or more of the above items and wants to make a change, just drop us an e-mail.

Anime Word of the Week - Yandere (ヤンデレ)

Yandere (ヤンデレ)

...a person who is initially very loving and gentle to someone before their devotion becomes destructive in nature, often through violence. The term is derived from the words yan (ヤン) meaning a mental or emotional illness and dere (デレ) meaning to show affection. Yandere characters are mentally unstable, often using extreme violence as an outlet for their emotions.


Character examples include Ryuuguu Rena from the Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (When they Cry) series, Akira Kogami from Lucky Star, and Sekai Saionji from School Days (you'll understand why at the end...). A variant of the term, Yangire (ヤンギレ), originated in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS and is used to describe a character who is mentally ill and snaps instantly without showing affection for the victim of their outburst.

RACS BACK TO SCHOOL SALE - SAVE UP TO 10%!! (BUMP)

It's August, and that means it's time for some 'back to school' savings from RACS! From now until midnight (EST) on Thursday, August 12th you can save up to an additional 10% off any combination of IN STOCK items listed on the store!

To save 5% off any IN STOCK order (no minimum) just use the following coupon during checkout:

BACKTOSCHOOL-SAVE5

To save 10% off any IN STOCK order over $200 just use the following coupon during checkout:

BACKTOSCHOOL-SAVE10

The more you purchase the more you save so be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity to load up on some of the Anime stuff you've been wanting! US customers can combine this offer with our super saver shipping option to save even more scratch on your favorite in stock Anime series, Manga, Figure, or Character Items!

Note: Valid for new orders of IN STOCK items only. Coupon code expires at midnight EST on August 12th so get your orders in ASAP!

I'm An Outta Box Kinda Guy...

Every once in awhile I'll get a grumpy e-mail from someone who has a tiny problem with the BOX their new Anime figure came in. So let me get something off my chest...

My feeling, to be perfectly frank, is that the window box exists for no other purpose in life than to take the dings that would other wise visit the figure inside, and once that box serves it's sole purpose in life - to deliver the figure in perfect display condition to you - it has no other function except to give gracious employment to your local refuse services.

A small part of my personal collection - see, not a window box in sight...

Look folks, get over the occasional dinged corner or slightly scratched up plastic cover on the window box of a figure. It's trash anyway. You know, I had a guy want to return a figure once because the tissue paper wrapping around the box was slightly torn. Dude, WTF! I know there are a lot of 'collectors' out there, I'm one too and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you folks, but for crying out loud - take your figures out of the boxes! I have over Anime 800 figures in my personal collection and I don't have one single window box they came in. I really don't understand how anyone can fully enjoy their investment in a $100 or $200 Anime figure with it still in the original box.

So who cares about the box! Forget it! Your gal has ridden 10,000 miles in that box and wants to get out! Get rid of those stupid boxes and let your figures breath real fresh air! Play with them! Admire them! Show them off! Life is far too short to do otherwise.

And for the record, we won't stop picking and packing your figures so that the damn BOXES arrive in mint condition as well as the much more important figure inside - if it's important to you, it's important to us - I just had to vent a little. Flame me to your hearts content - I can take it! :-)

Media Blasters Delays More Titles

It's only been three weeks since their last big delay announcement, and today Media Blasters let us know they they will be delaying the release dates of another batch of Anime titles, a few for the second time.

Here are the date pushes that will directly impact us:

Queen's Blade: Wandering Warrior, Vol #2, The Beaten Path DVD (Eps #5-8) - From Sep 7 to Oct 26

Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Wolf, Vol #2, Wolf in No Clothing DVD (Eps #5-8) - From Aug 31 to TBA
Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Wolf, Vol #3 DVD (Eps #9-12) - From Oct 26 to TBA

Queen's Blade: The Exiled Virgin, Vol #3, Journey's End DVD (Eps #9-12) - From Oct 26 to TBA
Queen's Blade Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-12) - From Oct 26 to TBA
Queen's Blade Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-12) (BLURAY) - From Oct 26 to TBA

Voltron: Fleet of Doom Movie (BLURAY) - From Sep 28 to TBA

Most of the pushed releases have been shoved off the release schedule and thus are now dated TBA until they can be rescheduled. At this point I don't want to speculate but most of these will probably not get back on the schedule before November or December of this year. MB's 'official' statement on the TBA's is 'removed from the schedule until further notice'.

They have also delayed a few Adult titles from their Kitty line including Fleshdance (9/7 to 10/5), Twin Dolls (9/28 to 10/26), Oh My Sex Goddess: Megachu (11/2 to 11/30), and Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend DVD and BD (10/15 to 11/16). None of these releases are currently up for pre-order on the RACS store site - and won't be until their schedule firms up a bit.

And yes, I know, it sucks. But anyone who is not expecting things like this in this market has clearly not been reading my weekly newsletter.

Funimation Reduces the Price of Moonlight Mile & Samurai 7 (BD)

Funimation has reduced the MSRP today on both the Moonlight Mile Collection and the Samurai 7 BluRay boxed set:

Moonlight Mile Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Thin-Pak) - $49.98 to $19.98
Samurai 7 Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (BLURAY) - $69.98 to $49.98

Both sets are in stock and shipping at the new prices today!

Anime Word of the Week - Tsundere (ツンデレ)

Tsundere (ツンデレ)

..is a Japanese character development process which describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms Tsun Tsun (ツンツン) , meaning to turn away in disgust, and Dere Dere (デレデレ) meaning to become 'lovey dovey'. It is considered a moe-inspiring character trait.



Ichikawa Koichi has described Lum Invader of Urusei Yatsura as being both the source of moe and the first tsundere. Other anime & manga featuring tsundere include The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Love Hina, Naruto, Genshiken, Toradora!, Kagami Hiiragi of Lucky Star, Hitagi Senjōgahara of Bakemonogatari, Saber of Fate/Stay night and of course Kyou Fujibayashi from Clannad...

Funimation Gets Eva 2.0, Hetalia & Summer Wars Films

Funi keeps it going, announcing at their Otakon panel Friday afternoon that they have licensed three films - the Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance movie, Ginmaku Hetalia - Axis Powers Paint it White, and Summer Wars!

Hell yes! :-)

Funimation also confirmed that they have licensed the 2.22 version of the Evangelion film. Funimation is planning DVD, Blu-ray, and theatrical releases (though no time frame was specified). They are also planning a theatrical release for Summer Wars in 2010. All three films will see DVD and BD releases in 2011.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Ha)

Under constant attack by Angels, NERV introduces two new pilots: the mysterious Makinami Mari Illustrous and the intense Asuka Langley Shikinami. Parallel to the incursion, Gendo Ikari and SEELE proceed the secret project that involves both Rei and Shinji.



Ginmaku Hetalia - Axis Powers Paint it White

The movie involves a mysterious force causing unusual incidents to happen all over the world, and the nations having to try to ward off the threat of human extinction from the alien race known as Pict, who seek to transform mankind and drain the color from the world (with America deciding that the world will be saved under his command).



Summer Wars

When timid eleventh-grader and math genius Kenji Koiso is asked by older student and secret crush Natsuki to come with her to her family’s Nagano home for a summer job, he agrees without hesitation. Natsuki’s family, the Jinnouchi clan, dates back to the Muromachi era, and they’ve all come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spunky matriarch of the family, Sakae. That’s when Kenji discovers his “summer job” is to pretend to be Natsuki’s fiancé and dance with her at the birthday celebration. As Kenji attempts to keep up with Natsuki’s act around her family, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone which, being a math genius, he can’t resist solving. As it turns out, the solution to the mysterious equation causes a hijacking of the social networking site through which most of the world's social and business traffic flows.