Ongoing Investigations: Case #165

My roommate bought the hideously expensive Fate/Zero Season 1 box set. For this I am very grateful as there is no way I could afford that. So we sat down to watch the special features the first of which is the Please! Einzbern Consultation Room. I was super excited because these were written by Kinoko Nasu himself just for the box set.

We were in for a rude awakening when we discovered that the $369.98 box set did not bother to sub the Consultation Room episodes. That was certainly aggravating. But eventually we were able to find some subs of the skits but those REALLY should have been included for the price the set went for.

That bit of anger aside the Please! Einzbern Consultation Room is a pleasant little distraction along the lines of the science lessons from Gunbuster. Irisviel and her amnesiac student Zeccchan (who clever people just might recognize as a younger version of someone they know) go over little details about the Holy Grail War that fill in details that might not have been clear in the TV series proper as well as expand on some ideas only hinted at in the show. The Consultation Room proper only starts in the third episode were they talk to Assassin and get a bit of back story on him while they “help” him with his psychological issues.

The part where the two consultants circle around Assassin like in the infamous scene where Risei and Tokiomi stroll in a circle around Kirei was priceless.

The end of the third episode clearly indicated that the next box set would have more consultation sessions with the Servants to die in the next half as well.

Overall it was a fun trio of omake episodes. It was really only for the hardcore fan who wants all the little details but that is why you put episodes like this on the collectors edition box sets. Still Irisviel is filled with a warm charming grace so the more we see of her the better. I cannot wait to step into the consultation room again. It is just a shame that I had to go to less than legitimate means to experience that fun.

The eagerly awaited second season of Game of Thrones has finally started.

The first episode starts with a seemingly huge recap of the previous events proving just how much happened in ten episodes. Our story restarts closely to the end of the last, everyone reeling from upsets in power and the arrivals of a handful of self-proclaimed kings. The introductions of Stannis, Davos, and Melisandre The Red Witch are welcome. But I find the actress of Melisandre is not what I pictured at all and she doesn’t exude the intensity of the character.

With new characters also came new pieces of the opening map which is brilliant every single time you watch.

The first episode is brief in showing some of the most interesting pieces of the story, sadly, like Jon on the Wall, Arya traveling the road, and Daenerys seeking out for land. There is plenty of Tyrion though which is nothing to be sad about.

The story starts to change in episode two, I can really see a lot of decisions being made to make the epic more linear for ease being brought in. The second episode was full of surprises thanks to it. Sansa hasn’t appeared much which is a blessing since she spends most of this book being beaten down. They also seemed to have reined in Arya a bit on her violent tendencies, not sure how I feel about that.

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S.W.A.T. Reviews: Spring 2012 Pt. 4

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. Here are 6 more from the new season:

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Listen – Episode 1 of Saint Seiya Omega from Toei Animation with the opening “Pegasus Fantasy ver.Ω” by MAKE-UP w/ Shoko Nakagawa and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine from Po10tial and TMS Entertainment with the opening “New Wuthering Heights” by Naruyoshi Kikuchi and is streaming on Nico Nico.

Listen – Episode 1 of Polar Bear Cafe from Pierrot with the opening “Boku no Invitation” by JP and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Gakkatsu from Fanworks and the NHK.

Listen – Episode 1 of Kuroko’s Basketball from Production I.G with the opening “Can Do” by GRANRODEO and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Accel World from Sunrise with the opening “Chase the world” by May’n and is streaming on Hulu.

Discotek: Soon to Be Everyone’s Favorite Company

Anyone who keeps up to date with anime and manga news knows that the last few years have been rough. The anime and manga bubble both burst and we have seen several major companies as well as dozens of minor companies go under in the U.S. Even the companies that survived have become a good deal more selective in their offerings.

While they still take chances they are mostly sticking to what they know sells. In the manga world Vertical, Inc. operates a bit outside the norm with licensing decisions. It tends to pick up older prestige titles and newer off beat titles than the other manga licensing companies. But with a careful selection process and effective niche marketing they turn titles that would be utter failures into money makers. They do not sell like Naruto but they often make a tidy little profit. It might not seem that impressive but to most people it is like turning straw into gold.

We here at the Reverse Thieves often wondered in the past could an anime company take the same strategy and use it in the anime market. There are some older series that still have a small but dedicated fandom that would happily buy an English release of vintage titles. You would just have to be smart in which titles you pick up and how you release them. It turns out that Discotek is that company in the anime market.

While licensing the unexpected aligns Discotek and Vertical, Inc., their strategies when it comes to the market are different. Unlike Vertical whose eclectic library is not (generally) aimed specifically at manga fans, Discotek seems to have their sights set on old school anime fans in particular. Sure old school anime fans are a niche in a niche, but they also seem to be the ones willing to put their money where their mouth is. Everyone’s practically pledged allegiance to the empire that is Discotek already; people only half-joking there should be a subscription service because they’d buy everything Discotek are releasing.

It seems that Discotek is the most exciting company currently releasing anime!

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