The Anime Review of the Year 2008 Part 1
Wednesday, 24th December 2008, 15:53

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Never has that statement been more appropriate than this year, as the anime industry decided to get a head start on everyone else when it came to the recession. At the end of 2007 in the US, Geneon shut up shop, and left a whole bunch of fans dangling, then early in 2008, ADV deflated like a flatulent balloon, when its Japanese investor Sojitz took the ball, the money and most of its series home with it. That had an immediate effect in the UK, as first ADV UK was wound up as an independent concern (thereafter ADV releases would come through Lace Distribution), then the Sojitz originated releases dried up mid series. Then late in summer, Revelation, who were at that point Funimation’s sole outlet in the UK ran out of fuel, and put all of their series on hiatus until 2009.

But then, Funimation happened, as they first became Geneon’s distributors in the US, meaning US fans could see titles like Hellsing Ultimate and Black Lagoon finally completed, and then they picked up most of the Sojitz titles that ADV had lost, making sure that those titles would be completed in the US at least (there’s still no news as to what will happen to those hiatused titles in the UK at the time of writing). Also, this autumn, Funimation ended their exclusive arrangement with Revelation, and licensed some titles to Manga Entertainment as well. We’ve already had the first half of xxxHolic’s first season, and there is plenty more to salivate over in 2009.

In the UK, we may have had the disintegration of ADV, who are currently ticking over with some boxset re-releases of old shows, and Revelation pausing for a breather in September, but Beez continued on their merry way, doing what they do best, MVM have been releasing some choice and eclectic titles over the year, while Manga Entertainment have quickly risen to the position of most desirable anime company in the UK. You can also add to that some unexpected releases from some of the boutique labels. Then of course there is the online revolution. This was the year that anime producers realised that if they couldn’t beat the fansubbers, then the only thing to do was to outmanoeuvre them. 12 months ago, if you wanted to watch anime for free online you would have had to bend a copyright law or two. Then Gonzo dipped their toe into the water, and surprisingly it turned out to be a success. Odd really, that people want to watch anime for the price of a broadband connection, and don’t mind the odd advert or logo. 2009 will bring Naruto online, free and legal, and that may just be the opening of the floodgates that anime needs to become ubiquitous, in a world where it will ever remain absent on our television screens.

So 2008 turns out to be utterly schizophrenic. We may have had utter upheaval in the business, but we’ve also had the best year ever for anime released on UK shores. I have been spoilt for choice this year, and I conservatively guess that I have only seen about a third of the new anime released in the UK this year. Totting up the series that started, ended or continued through 2008, as well as the boxsets, the OVAs, and the movies, I’ve seen around 50 new titles this year, and that doesn’t take the retro anime that I’ve indulged in this year into account. Is the world supposed to look 2-dimensional and cel-shaded?

I’ll get to my top ten anime of the year when my flu wears off, but first I need to let off some steam with some lesser awards.

Damp Squib of the Year

You’d think this would be obvious, as ADV’s ignominious decline has been well documented and pointed derisively at over the year, as well as lamented and mourned. But the truth is that I don’t watch too many ADV series, and it’s only of late that the Sojitz loss has affected my purchasing decisions. I do watch a lot of Revelation titles though, and I must admit that the full stop this autumn was infuriating. But, they did manage to complete one series this year, and get more than halfway through all the others they have been releasing.

The winner is…

Initial D. VDI Entertainment promised a new way of releasing anime earlier this year, when they decided to release this classic medium length anime series. Released on around 15 or so discs in the US, the VDI approach would be to licence the series without in anyway altering the discs, and just package them as three disc omnibus volumes at an amazingly knock-down price. Ever since I saw the movie and read the manga, I’ve been interested in Initial D, and volume 1 was a quick purchase. I then pre-ordered the next volume, which was delayed, then delayed some more, and then finally cancelled. A prime example of what happens when you don’t bother advertising your product.

Bargain of the Year

This is where I crow about all the stuff that I bought this year. Actually there is a point to this award beyond stroking my own ego. I always hear that anime is an expensive hobby, and because it’s a niche medium, companies have to fleece customers just to break even. And that’s used by some as a justification to download and burn onto disc, series that are readily available in local stores. But those days are long gone, especially when the year began with MVM cutting it’s RRP to £15.99, and Manga going straight for the boxset option, giving you for £25 pre-discount what previously would have cost £60. Just have a browse around Play’s anime section, if you can find it, and you’ll find hundreds of series discs discounted by 50-75%, and a similar rate for boxsets. I started the year snaffling Appleseed and Paprika for a fiver each, and also got Last Exile and Azumanga Daioh collections from them for under £25. In any other year that would have been a prize catch, but this was the year of the 2-dollar pound, which made importing from the US almost compulsory. I had over 5 new release series boxsets for under the customs limit, Cowboy Bebop for £14, and a similar price for Noein. And don’t think the recession has changed matters much, 2 weeks ago I bought the R1 Tenchi Muyo GXP 8-discs worth for £17.99. And that’s still not my bargain of the year…

The winner is…

The ADV UK closing down sale. Is it wrong to benefit from someone’s misfortune? When ADV UK folded this January, all of a sudden a warehouse needed emptying. Suddenly, thousands of discs were at £1 each, and suddenly the Interweb ground to a halt through the customer frenzy. But I managed to snag 6 series, 28 discs worth for £32. My joy was only slightly restrained at the thought that it had come from the demise of a much-loved company. But if no-one had bought the discs, the company would have folded anyway, and the happy coda to the story is that the ADV name still lives on, those series and discs that were hastily cleared out are still available in slightly more expensive boxset form, and I can now watch Madlax and Excel Saga without any sense of guilt. Now you’re probably thinking that the £1 a disc sale was a one off, a freak event and that you’ll have to shell out a major fraction of your wallet to get a similar bargain. Venture forth to the Anime On Line website, where right now you can purchase all of The Adventures of Mini Goddess, and all of the astounding Serial Experiments Lain for a pound a disc. You can have for £8, what originally would have set you back £160 at full retail prices. Don’t say anime is too expensive.





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Posted by Jitendar Canth