Industry News: Funimation July 2016 Release Slate

Good grief, this line-up was a massacre. But hey we got Lucky Star so that's something.

Here's the list of anime that Funimation have scheduled for the month of July 2016.

Guess what, no Limited Edition sets in sight for this month. Even worse we now have to put up with a new form of failure - subtitle only releases on DVD only. This makes you wish they were licensed by Sentai Filmworks instead since they do Blu-ray releases for virtually every single show if the master exists regardless of whether they were dubbed or not.

In addition we only have 5 new additions to the line-up; one license rescue and four never released before (one of which is the second half of the show).

5th July 2016

Aquarion EVOL - Complete Series (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: TFC

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $34.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, Promotional Videos, Japanese Commercials, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

The Devil is a Part-Timer! - Complete Series (Anime Classics)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: Showgate

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $44.98

Extras: Episode 01 Commentary, The Ente Isla Language: With Jamie Marchi, Episode 12 Commentary, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

Guilty Crown - Complete Series

Region: A and 1

Publisher: Aniplex

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $69.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, Guilty Crown 4-Panel Theater, Into the Void: The Creative Vision, reassortment (guilty crown trajectory), Episode Previews, Promotional Videos, TV Spots, Textless Songs, Trailers

Karneval - Complete Series (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: Bandai Visual

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $29.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

Sekirei - Complete Series [Seasons 1 & 2] (Anime Classics)

Region: A B and 1

Publisher: Aniplex

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $49.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, OVA - Kusano's First Shopping Trip, OVA - Two Gossip Topics, Textless Songs, Trailers

Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 49- - Season 2

Region: 1 2 4

Publisher: King Records Company Limited

Format: DVD

Languages: Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $44.98

Extras: Textless Opening Song

12th July 2016

A good librarian like a good shepherd - Complete Series

Region: A B and 1 4

Publisher: Showgate

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $49.98

Extras: TBC

Lucky Star - Complete Series

Region: A B and 1 2 4

Publisher: Kadokawa Pictures

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $69.98

Extras: OVA, On-Screen Text Reference Guide, Key Scenes Gallery, Promo Clips: The Adventures of Minour Shiraishi, Cast Interviews, Textless Opening, Textless Closing, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

Robotics;Notes - Complete Series (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A B and 1 2 4

Publisher: Fuji Creative Corporation

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $34.98

Extras: Science Adventure Series, Interview Part 2, Actor Commentaries, Textless Songs, US Trailer, Trailers

Samurai Warriors - Complete Series

Region: 1 2 4

Publisher: Koei Tecmo

Format: DVD

Languages: Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $44.98

Extras: Textless Opening, Textless Closings

Yatterman Night - Complete Series

Region: 1 2 4

Publisher: Tatsunoko Productions

Format: DVD

Languages: Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $44.98

Extras: Textless Opening, Textless Closings

19th July 2016

A Certain Magical Index II - Complete Series [Season 2]

Region: A and 1

Publisher: NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $49.98

Extras: Episode 2, 7, 14, 22 Commentaries, No Buts!, See visionS, Magic world, Memories Last, U.S. Trailer, Textless Songs, Trailers

C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control - Complete Series (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: Fuji Creative Corporation

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $29.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, C-conomics 101, Promotional Videos, Original Trailer, Original Commercials, U.S. Trailer, Textless Songs, Trailers

Fractale - Complete Series (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: Fuji Creative Corporation

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $29.98

Extras: Episode Commentaries, Original Preview, Promotional Videos, DVD & Blu-ray Commercials, Shobi Wind Orchestra, Tokyo, Fractale's Art Sanctuary, U.S. Trailer, Textless Songs, Trailers

Kamisama Kiss - Season 1 (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: TMS

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $29.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, Episode 6 Video Commentary, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

Yona of the Dawn - Part 2

Region: A B and 1 2 4

Publisher: Pierrot Co., Ltd.

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $64.98

Extras: Episode 16 & 24 Audio Commentary, Promotional Video & TV Spots, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

26th July 2016

Code:Breaker - Complete Series (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: ???

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $29.98

Extras: Actor Commentaries, Japanese Commercials, Promo Videos, TV Spots, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

Date A Live - Season 1 (S.A.V.E. Edition)

Region: A and 1

Publisher: Kadokawa Pictures

Format: Blu-ray and DVD (as a combo pack)

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $29.98

Extras: OVA, Actor Commentaries, Textless Songs, U.S. Trailer, Trailers

One Piece - Season 8 Voyage 2 [Episodes 469-480 aka Marineford Arc Part 2]

Region: 1

Publisher: Toei Animation

Format: DVD

Languages: English & Japanese (w/English subs)

Price (SRP): $39.98

Extras: Episode Commentaries, Music Lesson with Brook, Textless Opening, Trailers

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Okay, taken some time to give out my thoughts on the latest line-up.

Lucky Star is back and I'm very happy to see it's available with UK compatible access (I figured as such since Beez expired the rights and no one in the UK picked it up), it's also got the OVA for those worried so it's all there. Kadokawa had already provided English support on its Japanese Blu-ray Disc Box but that's now pretty high in price plus the OVA didn't have English support so I'm fine with getting the Funimation release. It's a shame there's no limited edition but then again the final volume from its Bandai release had the limited edition cancelled so perhaps that may have influenced Funimation's decision. At least it's coming to Blu-ray, though the show is an upscale but honestly I don't mind the treatment (it's a terrible Q-Tec upscale apparently but when I saw it years back I didn't mind the result).

A Certain Magical Index II gets a complete set treatment so I can finally pickup the Index/Railgun series without waiting. Yona of the Dawn Part 2 is also released so that was expected due to the trailer leak and another voyage for One Piece is great, sounds like they're trying to finish Part 1 of the storyline before the year ends. Guilty Crown gets the complete set treatment also, I'm surprised it's sooner than usual due to the recent Blu-ray Disc Box release (then again it probably would have ended up on S.A.V.E. since the original LE is still around, but due to the BD-Box it changed to a normal set instead, that's what I'm thinking of course). Sekirei got the Classics treatment alongside Devil is a Part Timer. It's worth noting that Sekirei is expected to expire in about a year time due to Aniplex, so get it while you can.

Now for these lot, Funimation are playing dirty with these shows. Rather than giving them the combo pack treatment they're DVD only which just shows how bad their legal streams were. Shonen Hollywood I can understand since it's not the type of show to do well in terms of streaming but Samurai Warriors and Yatterman Night? Christ I feel sorry for everyone who enjoyed watching these shows. Samurai Warriors getting the subtitle only treatment would make sense due to the games not dubbed (as far as I'm aware it's only the main Dynasty Warrior games that have been dubbed) but why DVD only? It's possible that Funimation was only paying attention to their own stream results as the series was available across Crunchyroll and Viewster, but still that's a bit harsh since there's a dedicated fanbase to the Warriors franchise. As for Yatterman Night, ouch. Honestly I would rather have them released under the S.A.V.E. label in a combo pack than normal packaging on DVD. No one is going to buy them now that you put them in death's door Funimation.

In fact these S.A.V.E. sets are ridiculous. Granted I expected most of them to receive the treatment because their original sets are still in stock. But Date A Live in S.A.V.E.? Bullshit, that one sold pretty well as far as I know and it's LE even sold out quicker than most titles given the treatment, surely it should have been placed in the Anime Classics line (the last time this made no sense was with Baka & Test and Cat Planet Cuties, both did well but ended up on S.A.V.E.)? Kamisama Kiss in S.A.V.E. makes some sense as the original set's Premium Edition is still in stock but that's pretty damn harsh.

For those wondering about Lucky Star, here's a quick recap. The show was picked up in a Kadokawa type package deal back in Otakon 2014 alongside a couple other titles: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Seasons 1 & 2), The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya + Nyoro-n Churuya-san, Steins;Gate the Movie, and Strike Witches the Movie. This is separate from the delays that the Sunrise titles are getting so we could see the rest of these titles show up later this year.

Well that's it for July. There's a couple more titles that still have yet to receive a release prior to January 2015. Barakamon, Psycho Pass: Extended Edition and Sengoku Basara: End of Judgment from the Summer 2014 season as well as In Search of the Lost Future and Laughing Under the Clouds from the Autumn 2014 season (with the latter receiving a Broadcast dub). Perhaps the lack of them appearing on the schedule means they could be getting dubs? Who knows.