Discotek to Release All of City Hunter (Anime Franchise)

[jignat]

Other than the SF2 animated movie in 2016, I wasnt really familiar with Discotek. When CH TV Blu was announced, I bought all the individual sets as I could afford (launch date to 1 month out at the latest) because I was scared that they would quit halfway due to low sales or COVID difficulties.

This is one of the most niche releases in US. I am tickled pink that in the next 6 months I will have all of CH on bluray. Too bad Disco cant work their magic for many US animated series I love that will most likely never come out on BD.

While it seems annoying to some that they did a whole season 1 set relatively soon, I cant fault them for trying to "have it both ways" since they are a business when all is said and done.

Thanks Justin and Discotek for the great work you guys/gals have done on CH!

[SteamfloggerBoss]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

Discotek are over here doing the lord’s work by releasing stuff none of the other licensing companies would touch in a million years… and yet, some of you are hung up on whether a niche title should come in parts or a whole.

I might be completely wrong in this but it seems to me like they try to make things as compact as they can. Some licenses are more expensive than others which I assume is the reason something like Kenichi is split where Kekkaishi was not.

Things like Galaxy Express being released here at all felt like a miracle and I had no issue with it being split in 3. It's not like we are going back to the singles days here, crap companies like Ponycan aside.

[Bobo1313]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

Discotek are over here doing the lord’s work by releasing stuff none of the other licensing companies would touch in a million years… and yet, some of you are hung up on whether a niche title should come in parts or a whole.

We were having a tame conversation on release preferences. I'm sorry this offended you.

[darkness2918]

Splits parts or complete sets, doesn’t matter to me. I’m just glad Discotek released City Hunter at all. I bought season 1 in two parts because I wanted to support it when it first came out. I don’t mind having seasons in parts, it’s better than not having them at all.

[gloomranger]

Originally Posted by Bobo1313

We were having a tame conversation on release preferences. I'm sorry this offended you.

No, I’m not the least bit offended. I just found the folks who were getting upset about it to be particularly silly.

[Nori]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

Discotek are over here doing the lord’s work by releasing stuff none of the other licensing companies would touch in a million years… and yet, some of you are hung up on whether a niche title should come in parts or a whole.

I fully agree. I would buy it either way. It's just we weigh our options, since options started existing that is. Now we have a better picture thanks to Justin's post on the previous page.

Discotek are my favorites. Justin is incredible. The whole team probably.

City Hunter is among my all time favorites.

[Bobo1313]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

No, I’m not the least bit offended. I just found the folks who were getting upset about it to be particularly silly.

Its all relative. While them releasing a complete set so soon didn't bother me, I was actually happy, I could see why it bothered others. Our friends in Canada for example, they're required to import which adds a good chunk of money to any order. The City Hunter Complete S1 Set would've been a much cheaper option for them.

That said I understand Discotek as a company will never be able to make everyone happy. Its the unfortunate reality of owning a business.

Originally Posted by Nori

I fully agree. I would buy it either way. It's just we weigh our options, since options started existing that is. Now we have a better picture thanks to Justin's post on the previous page.

Discotek are my favorites. Justin is incredible. The whole team probably.

City Hunter is among my all time favorites.

The best in the business that's for sure. We got Urusei Yatsura, Galaxy Express 999, and City Hunter from them. How could you not love em? Discotek and Anime Limited are the main reason I even still buy anime.

[gloomranger]

Originally Posted by Nori

I fully agree. I would buy it either way. It's just we weigh our options, since options started existing that is. Now we have a better picture thanks to Justin's post on the previous page.

Originally Posted by Bobo1313

Its all relative. While them releasing a complete set so soon didn't bother me, I was actually happy, I could see why it bothered others. Our friends in Canada for example, they're required to import which adds a good chunk of money to any order. The City Hunter Complete S1 Set would've been a much cheaper option for them.

I think options are great, but there’s no guarantee what we have today will be there tomorrow. Any J9 Series fan can attest to that. My point is we rarely get choices for older shows. It’s generally a one and done affair. I get the distinct feeling that people forget Discotek are not Crunchyroll/Funimation. They’re not going to hold onto licenses forever. Discotek are the last line of defense. Once a title goes out of print, we’re probably not going to see it return in some time and that’s if it’s lucky enough to get picked up for streaming.

[wes2bes]

I think the last piece of city hunter would be the 2004 series angel heart and then everything is complete

[BigOnAnime]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

I think options are great, but there’s no guarantee what we have today will be there tomorrow. Any J9 Series fan can attest to that. My point is we rarely get choices for older shows. It’s generally a one and done affair. I get the distinct feeling that people forget Discotek are not Crunchyroll/Funimation. They’re not going to hold onto licenses forever. Discotek are the last line of defense. Once a title goes out of print, we’re probably not going to see it return in some time and that’s if it’s lucky enough to get picked up for streaming.

In some time? More like never. When Discotek Media loses something, that's pretty much it for that title. We've seen only a few Discotek titles rescued, Panda! Go Panda!, Locke the Superman, and Venus Wars, the latter two were due to Sentai Filmworks getting a Shochiku package deal.

Should be noted, before someone brings up 5 Centimeters Per Second, that was a title where the license was held by Crunchyroll, not Discotek. Discotek simply was the distributor for Crunchyroll on that title like Bandai Entertainment before them.

[Bobo1313]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

I think options are great, but there’s no guarantee what we have today will be there tomorrow. Any J9 Series fan can attest to that. My point is we rarely get choices for older shows. It’s generally a one and done affair. I get the distinct feeling that people forget Discotek are not Crunchyroll/Funimation. They’re not going to hold onto licenses forever. Discotek are the last line of defense. Once a title goes out of print, we’re probably not going to see it return in some time and that’s if it’s lucky enough to get picked up for streaming.

That's for sure. Its why I still have the parts release of season 2. Some people sold them off expecting a complete set, but I've been buying anime too long, until its released and in your hand there are no guarantees.

For the buyers who prefer complete releases, the City Hunter parts are rare release for Discotek. We usually get complete releases or split into seasons. We even got all of Ronin Warriors in one release, which is insane, we're lucky to have a company like them

[v_i]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

In some time? More like never. When Discotek Media loses something, that's pretty much it for that title. We've seen only a few Discotek titles rescued, Panda! Go Panda!, Locke the Superman, and Venus Wars, the latter two were due to Sentai Filmworks getting a Shochiku package deal.

Should be noted, before someone brings up 5 Centimeters Per Second, that was a title where the license was held by Crunchyroll, not Discotek. Discotek simply was the distributor for Crunchyroll on that title like Bandai Entertainment before them.

If my count is correct, Discotek has lost around about 35-40 titles since 2009 (when their first licenses started to expire). Only 5 (or 3, depending on how you count) of them have been re-released:
5 Centimeters Per Second (Crunchyroll sub-license, Rescued by GKIDS)
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club [Season 1] (Crunchyroll sub-license, also sub-licensed to Funimation)
Panda! Go, Panda! (Rescued by GKIDS)
The Venus Wars (Rescued by Sentai)
Locke the Superman (Rescued by Sentai)

Discotek is the dead-end for anime. Once they've lost it, it's because not even they could make it work, sales-wise. And if it's too niche for even Discotek, who's it going to work out for? Media Blasters? I would say Nozomi, maybe, but who even knows what they're going to look like, post-buyout? (Thanks, Sony). When Discotek loses an anime, that is the end. Short of a miracle or some odd package deal, it will almost certainly never be re-licensed. Plus, as Discotek is so fantastic at stock management, they never seem to have overstock of anything. Go try and find a Discotek set on Ebay. It's weirdly hard. I've been trying to track down a copy of Mad Bull 34, and a grand total of 6 copies have passed through Ebay in the 3 years I've been watching.

So as awful and FOMO-y as this sounds, when Right Stuf puts a Discotek title in the "last chance" bin, and WTK sends out that tweet, know that it may actually be your last chance to ever pick up the title for a reasonable amount.

[SteamfloggerBoss]

Originally Posted by v_i

Go try and find a Discotek set on Ebay. It's weirdly hard. I've been trying to track down a copy of Mad Bull 34, and a grand total of 6 copies have passed through Ebay in the 3 years I've been watching.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that people buying from them tend to be collectors that are buying to keep. Plus in general sales are low for a lot of their titles. So they probably aren't getting too many buy, watch and dump sales like you get with popular things which is how you have any kind of used market.

[PissedOffPeoN]

I still have my mad bull dvd mint lol how much it goes for?

[v_i]

Originally Posted by PissedOffPeoN

I still have my mad bull dvd mint lol how much it goes for?

Open, round about $100. Sealed, $150ish

[PissedOffPeoN]

!

[Bobo1313]

Originally Posted by v_i

If my count is correct, Discotek has lost around about 35-40 titles since 2009 (when their first licenses started to expire). Only 5 (or 3, depending on how you count) of them have been re-released:
5 Centimeters Per Second (Crunchyroll sub-license, Rescued by GKIDS)
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club [Season 1] (Crunchyroll sub-license, also sub-licensed to Funimation)
Panda! Go, Panda! (Rescued by GKIDS)
The Venus Wars (Rescued by Sentai)
Locke the Superman (Rescued by Sentai)

Discotek is the dead-end for anime. Once they've lost it, it's because not even they could make it work, sales-wise. And if it's too niche for even Discotek, who's it going to work out for? Media Blasters? I would say Nozomi, maybe, but who even knows what they're going to look like, post-buyout? (Thanks, Sony). When Discotek loses an anime, that is the end. Short of a miracle or some odd package deal, it will almost certainly never be re-licensed. Plus, as Discotek is so fantastic at stock management, they never seem to have overstock of anything. Go try and find a Discotek set on Ebay. It's weirdly hard. I've been trying to track down a copy of Mad Bull 34, and a grand total of 6 copies have passed through Ebay in the 3 years I've been watching.

So as awful and FOMO-y as this sounds, when Right Stuf puts a Discotek title in the "last chance" bin, and WTK sends out that tweet, know that it may actually be your last chance to ever pick up the title for a reasonable amount.

For the region free folks, we have Anime Limited as well. But even they tend to go with the non-niche Discotek titles.

Like you said if its a niche title, especially subbed only and you want it. You better prioritize that title first.

[v_i]

Originally Posted by Bobo1313

For the region free folks, we have Anime Limited as well. But even they tend to go with the non-niche Discotek titles.

Like you said if its a niche title, especially subbed only and you want it. You better prioritize that title first.

Issue with Anime Ltd is they need to justify BBFC classification fees, and they’ve publicly said this has stopped them from some old anime, especially longer series. It isn’t cheap at £8 a minute. Plus, with a potential market just a fifth of the size (going by population here) of the US, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d start running into MOQ issues on the really niche stuff.

Let’s do some likely incredibly inaccurate napkin math. According to an old Answerman column on ANN (which I will include a link to, if I can find it), the MOQ on most pressed discs is about 400-500 copies. If we assume that buyers scale linearly with population (which isn’t exactly true), then in order for a show to make sense for Anime Ltd at all, even ignoring classification fees, it needs to have sold about 2500 copies in the US, minimum.

[Bobo1313]

Originally Posted by v_i

Issue with Anime Ltd is they need to justify BBFC classification fees, and they’ve publicly said this has stopped them from some old anime, especially longer series. It isn’t cheap at £8 a minute. Plus, with a potential market just a fifth of the size (going by population here) of the US, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d start running into MOQ issues on the really niche stuff.

Let’s do some likely incredibly inaccurate napkin math. According to an old Answerman column on ANN (which I will include a link to, if I can find it), the MOQ on most pressed discs is about 400-500 copies. If we assume that buyers scale linearly with population (which isn’t exactly true), then in order for a show to make sense for Anime Ltd at all, even ignoring classification fees, it needs to have sold about 2500 copies in the US, minimum.

Excellent info, that pretty much explains why they wouldn't, or at least very unlikely, go for the really niche stuff. Didn't realize the BBFC fees were so expensive.

[v_i]

In theory, they may be able to re-use a classification if they rescue a title that’s already received a UK release, but don’t quote me on this. I don’t know what qualifies as a change large enough that it requires re-classification.