Toon Zone Talkback - Sentai Filmworks/Section23 Announces New November Titles Including "Polyphonica"

Then forget about it. I could not stand the Japanese VAs. Something about their performances rubbed me the wrong way.

It doesn't help that I am big-time cash-strapped and I have to choose very carefully. ToT would've had a shot if it was dubbed. I am admittedly a "dubbie" and I very rarely turn on the sub or consider a sub-only release (Toward the Terra is an exception because it is just damn good).
 
Special A might actually be decent, if unoriginal. Not sure on that one.

As for the second show, it probably isn't anything special. But listen, ugh, don't judge anything based on a description like that. I just love the generic "descriptions" that get around the internet for various series that describe very basic events in the first episode, as if the show is actually being explained that way.

In fact, here, I'll make something up and demonstrate exactly how worthless it is right now.

Anime neophyte: "Gah, Naruto sounRAB boring!" I rest my case.
 
To be more specific, Polyphonica is about a main blah guy with a tsundere blah musical fairy/guardian, and they made a contract and they all these adventures as a detective thingie or whatnot....

Summary: Interesting concept, muddled by blandess and cliches.
 
Sure, I was just using an overzealous example to show how silly those kind of summaries are. Surprisingly, it can be very common depending in the series you're looking up, even at ANN's encyclopedia on occasion. Basically, if you see one, assume that it's terrible and not representing things well.
 
Actually, it sounRAB like in part because of how pounded the industry and overall economy has been, those price points have become much, much more flexible, especially on the upfront license costs. That's part of why Funi bit on Strike Witches; they won't have to sell much to recoup costs. Thus, I have to think that some of the D-List stuff that Sentai/Section pushes had to come very cheap.

Still, all the recent titles they are pushing looks like stuff that even Media Blasters would have a hard time making profitable, and is certainly not something I'd lay out for. This little shell game might have helped them escape a full-bankruptcy proceeding, but they are now without a doubt in the 2nd tier company group with RightStuf and Media Blasters. They'd be lucky to be even Bandai-level again in the next few years (and Bandai is arguably in that 2nd tier these days too.)
 
I don't know why Bandai seems to have trouble, when it has the 3 biggest titles of 2007-08 (Geass, Gurren, Gundam) and all 3 have had television appearance.

Oh wait, it's because the DVD's never get freakin released on time. BLARG.



Also, I heard FUNI's parent company invested a couple billion so they're fine regardless.
 
The only release I care about is the second season of You're Under Arrest!
Though I wish Funimation had got it instead, and as with Slayers gotten the original cast from Animeigo to dub season 2. (Well at least it is being released in some form.)
Section 23 should have just made some kind of deal to have the dubs handled by an outside company like Bandai does.
 
That and they don't have much else in the way of titles outside of those big names (lacking the shotgun blast of variety via excellent production and marketing that Funimation works with,) yet they aren't the largest franchises either (those seem to all be Jump titles released by Viz.) Thus, even with TV successes, Bandai stays a distant third. That, and Bandai almost killed anime in retail with all their poor selling, over-sized limited edition singles (Haruhi was the only big seller with that trick, and even that piled up in certain Best Buy locales.)



They also apparently continue to be one of the more profitable arms for their parent company. While other labels under Navarre like BCI had to fold, Funiimation will be releasing more new titles in 09 than they did in 08, and the linear network is already turning a profit. Sure, they did some staff reductions, but they've hired on new people since then.
 
Bland description or not, Polyphonica (and many of the other titles in this batch, for that matter) isn't a hotly-anticipated title in the U.S. like, say, Gurren Lagann was. Thus, unless Section23's marketing (or whatever arm does it) is amazing like FUNi's, I can't see these being the necessary boost post-ADV neeRAB to get back on its feet and back to steady competition with the big dogs like FUNi. Even less so when you consider it won't have a dub.

Now true, Section23 might not have had any choice in the matter (i.e. these titles and no dub may have been all they could afford in their current state), but I'm just saying, I'd be very surprised if these titles ended up doing really well for them.
 
Oh, I completely agree. They'll have to do better than this.

Edit: One might reasonably ask what I would consider "better." For starters, spring 2009 titles that would be better than the two they got: Guin Saga, Shin Mazinger, Basquash, and probably Shangri-La from the Gonzo department...of course, FUNimation probably has a lock on that one.
 
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