14:00 on 19th August 2017 in the Theatre at Warwick Arts Centre.
Hosting:
Jeremy Graves (Marketing Executive, Anime Limited)
Keith Copping (Product Manager, Anime Limited)
The panel kicked off with a brief introduction of Jeremy and Keith and what they do at the company. Jeremy does a lot of different things, while Keith’s work was described as “turning license acquisitions into physical products, including the organisational and logistical work”.
A short music video was shown, showcasing a lot of the shows Anime Limited has brought or is bringing to the UK. Cinema releases then got some screen time, culminating in the “Your Name.” IMAX release that is happening on Wednesday.
Someone made a comment comparing IMAX to 4K video and off the back of that it was stated that there’s currently not a big enough market for 4K anime and that there are no titles actually produced in that resolution at this time.
Continuing the cinema release schedule it was mentioned that the new Eureka Seven movies will be coming to cinemas.
Following some technical difficulties the topic then switched to home releases, with the upcoming (or not-so-upcoming, for those of us who managed to buy a copy in the dealers’ room) Martian Successor Nadesico collectors’ edition Blu-ray box set being first up. This includes a number of extras physical and digital including the Gekigangar 3 OVA and also a sticker sheet with some of the stickers used in Gekigangar.
Regarding a home release of Your Name. there was nothing to report right now but it is expected that there will be new information within the next 2 weeks.
Later this year there will be DVD and Blu-ray box sets of Gangsta and Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions (previously known as Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash), with a limited edition Blu-ray set being available in both cases.
A couple of surprise license rescues were outed which will be (re)released on DVD: Peacemaker Kurogane and Chrono Crusade.
The original Eureka Seven anime series is also getting an Ultimate Edition Blu-ray release (estimated to be around 6 discs at this time). For those who prefer to wait for cheaper editions there will also be two half-season sets as well.
I asked a question about why anime cinema releases always seem to be on a Wednesday. Cinema space at weekends is apparently very difficult to get, so by scheduling it on Wednesday they give the anime films a chance to demonstrate they have “legs” and consequently persuade cinemas to add further screenings on subsequent days.
A few more upcoming cinema releases were mentioned at this point: The Night Is Short (Walk On Girl) (early October), Lu Over The Wall (December), and an anniversary rerelease of Perfect Blue on Halloween night (31st October).
A question was asked about what was the biggest barrier to getting older, less popular shows released here; unsurprisingly this came down to financials, and the BBFC certification costs were described as the most significant factor in that. Cinema and home video BBFC certifications are separate, however a film or show does not have to be certified twice for both English and Japanese with English subtitles unless there is a significant difference between the two versions.
Inevitably someone mentioned Scrapped Princess and having prepared for this question Jeremy read out a text he’d received from Andrew Partridge on the subject: “Still don’t have it, still love the show”.
I asked a question about who fans need to speak to about getting anime films into specific cinema locations (in my case for example The Light in Cambridge which now has an IMAX screen) , whether it was a case of needing to talk to Anime Limited or to the cinemas themselves. The response was that fans need to band together and speak to the cinemas in question, as if those cinemas are made aware there is demand there then they will be much more receptive to the idea of screening an anime film.
A question was asked about Kickstarter and whether it could be used as a means to gauge interest in shows, but the response was that it’s more for the sort of situation where a title is already licensed and the company is already part-way towards a product. To run a Kickstarter would typically require permission from the rights holder which is unlikely to be forthcoming without having licensed said rights.
The ongoing Gundam franchise releases got a mention; the Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy box set and the two part Zeta Gundam sets were both available in the dealers’ room. ZZ Gundam part 1 has been delayed due to something flagged up by the authoring house.