Funimation comments on the Blu-Rays, hints at more DBoxes

[Super Sayian Prime]

This week's ANNCast features Funimation Marketing Manager Adam Sheehan and Director of Corporate Strategy Lance Heiskell. At the 23:20 mark Zac brings up the indefinite hiatus that the Dragon Ball Z Blu-Rays are on. Funimation's comments can be summed up as:

- The sets were produced in tandem with Toei
- Funimation does want to complete them, but feels now is not the right time
- They don't feel Kai cannibalized sales, but rather the Orange Bricks have taken the casual fan market
- Their market research told them that a large portion of anime fans owned Blu-Ray players*

*But evidently forgot that they were satisfied with the Dragon Boxes they finished releasing weeks before the BDs

Earlier on in the podcast they said the Orange Bricks are still selling (shocking), and that the Dragon Boxes did well too.

Oh and Lance hinted/borderline confirmed there will be more Dragon Boxes but said that it's a bit difficult to do them because retail isn't that interested in those.

[dprez]

Interesting. Well if the orange bricks are still selling and the Dragon Boxes did well, and since they don't plan on releasing the blu-rays any time soon, I'd say the chances of us getting more Dragon Boxes are looking better.

[DemonRin]

One thing I liked about this. Fans of the Season Sets sometimes complain that "Orange Bricks" is derogatory, but they flat out state here that FUNimation calls them "Orange Bricks" internally.

[Gyt Kaliba]

One thing I liked about this. Fans of the Season Sets sometimes complain that "Orange Bricks" is derogatory, but they flat out state here that FUNimation calls them "Orange Bricks" internally.

Personally I think it was more the meaning behind the phrase that offends some fans, and how they're treated if that's what they own - but I have seen a few that overreacted just to the term itself too, yeah.

I downloaded this podcast too, just haven't had a chance to listen to it yet though. Probably will tonight.

[csl002]

So does this mean if they continue with DBZ on BD, they'll still be using their whatever-generation prints for the release?

[dbboxkaifan]

- Funimation does want to complete them, but feels now is not the right time

Haha, that's funny, they started out something marvellous and now they're just delaying it without an ETA.

Starting and not finishing... Hoshi logic!

[Super Sayian Prime]

Oh my, Lance hinted/borderline confirmed there will be more Dragon Boxes but said that it's a bit difficult to do them because retail isn't that interested in those.

[DemonRin]

I missed that bit about More DBoxes, at about what time do they say this?

[Super Sayian Prime]

I missed that bit about More DBoxes, at about what time do they say this?

67 minutes in.

[dbboxkaifan]

About the Dragon Box comment, weren't they specific which would come up first?

[son veku]

Oh my, Lance hinted/borderline confirmed there will be more Dragon Boxes but said that it's a bit difficult to do them because retail isn't that interested in those.

what exactly does that mean


I'm tired of waiting on Dragon Ball dragon box's

[Super Sayian Prime]

About the Dragon Box comment, weren't they specific which would come up first?

He said "Dragon Ball" a few times, but that could be a bit ambiguous and mean the franchise as a whole. For all we know he could've been talking about a reprint.

[VegettoEX]

Personally I think it was more the meaning behind the phrase that offends some fans, and how they're treated if that's what they own - but I have seen a few that overreacted just to the term itself too, yeah.

The problem, every single last time I saw it and was told it to my face, was that people were offended we called the sets "bricks". They interpreted the word "brick" to mean something derogatory...

... despite the fact that said type of packaging is legitimately called "bricks" in the industry.

But they didn't know that, and just wanted a reason to latch onto to be angry at us for pointing out the flaws of the sets... all of which were accurate, so they had to find something else.

(Amusingly, no-one ever seemed to have a problem with "blue bricks" and "green bricks".)

[DemonRin]

I just transcribed the DBox part, taking out all of Lance's Ums, ahs, and correcting what he's saying mid word.

Yugi's Black Magician: What's the plan for more Dragon Boxes? How about getting another Proper 4:3 release of Dragon Ball Z out!

Lance: I am actually trying to work on that. I've got some skunk work planned. Because the problem with those boxes is that you can't really get them on retail. It's hard to get them on retail and in order to do something like that there's a lot of cost of goods. Like, you want to do the hard box, but in order to do the hard box you need to have so many units to have your printing cost go down. Getting all those extras, getting all those DVDs. Y'know, because you want to release it nice because it's Dragon Box!

Adam: It's gotta be quality.

Lance: So we wana release those. I'm working on a way to do it. Me, personally, because I really want them out too. So... "Are they gonna be out eventually?" Yeah, I really want them to be out. It's just doing it right, because you either do it right or you don't do it at all. You can't just do half-assed on this type of stuff.

Adam: Go hard or go home!

[csl002]

I had a suspicion that it was related to costs of production and such rather than a limited run forced by Toei. The boxes are pretty heavy and well-made, I imagine they aren't cheap at all to produce and ship. Plus they take up a lot of shelf estate in stores too.

Why don't they release a less exquisite version of the Dragon Boxes, with, like, thinpak DVD cases, softcover Dragon Book, and such? That way it's still the Dragon Box at heart, just less collectible I guess.

[Gyt Kaliba]

The problem, every single last time I saw it and was told it to my face, was that people were offended we called the sets "bricks". They interpreted the word "brick" to mean something derogatory...

... despite the fact that said type of packaging is legitimately called "bricks" in the industry.

But they didn't know that, and just wanted a reason to latch onto to be angry at us for pointing out the flaws of the sets... all of which were accurate, so they had to find something else.

(Amusingly, no-one ever seemed to have a problem with "blue bricks" and "green bricks".)

I know there were (and probably still are) some fans that took it to that insane level, but they were more the few than the norm, in my experience at the time. Then again, at that time I wasn't really active on these specific forums per say, and was more-so on the FUNi Forums specifically, so it was probably an entirely different mindset there.

Actually...duh me, it's FUNi's own forums, of course it was a different experience. *facepalms*

The people that actually do get actually offended at them being called bricks, I can't even begin to defend, because like you said, that's what they are. I mean...look at them. You don't even really have to know it's a legit name for them, you just look at the sets and the word 'brick' will probably come to mind.

Anyway, on the topic of the BluRays, I hope they do continue someday as I probably would double-dip somewhere far, far, far down the line for that, even if merely for the extras they seemed to finally be doing for those sets.

[sangofe]

Cool, so FUNi and Toei were doing the BluRay releases together, huh? Well, that sounds promising for the future, and like that project really is not cancelled

[dbboxkaifan]

Cool, so FUNi and Toei were doing the BluRay releases together, huh? Well, that sounds promising for the future, and like that project really is not cancelled

If FUNi and TOEI were working together, they would've featured the NEPs, there's no reason to exclude the NEPs.

[Ashura]

Toei has to approve every single thing that Funimation does with their property, so every single Dragonball release requires Toei's input. Yes, that means Funimation and Toei were even working together on the orange bricks. Take that how you will.

[son veku]

UGGGHH did they say anything about dragon ball boxes?
I want FUCKIN DRAGON BALL