Yes, it is true. The Ah! My Goddess TV series, which just aired it's 7th episode Thursday night has already been licensed for distribution in America by Media Blasters.

Why so quick you may ask? Well, there are two possible reasons: one bad and one wonderful.

Possible bad reason first: It gives them a reason to crack down on fansubs. American companies typically don't release a series in America (anime that is, not manga) until it has completed it's run in Japan. This is becoming more and more common, and they did the same thing to Tenchi Muyo OVA 3 (fortunately, it looks like that will be released in the US late this year / early next year). Lord knows an American company has just been sitting on the license for Naruto for months.

The good reason is far more hopeful, but less likely. Media Blasters may begin selling Season one shortly after the 26th episode airs - which is still 5 months away). If not, it may be a few years until we get this over here :(

There is a third, HIGHLY unlike possibility too, but the chances are very remote. They may decide to release it in a few months, and try to keep pace with Japan, lagging only a few months behind. It has happened, but not very often. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

Larry

lets not count our chickens before they hatch, i heard that yes MediaBlasters have acquired the right to the TV series but i also heard that it is still to be confirmed. Forgive me for being so pessimistic but i just had a pretty rough day, arrrggh nothing is going as planned for me!

Nope... it was announced at Katsucon. The chicken has hatched.

sorry you're having a rough day... mine hasn't been that peachy either....

MediaBlasters, hmmm... what else have they licensed. And, well, this is good news for me, since my connection isn't fast enough for bit torrent anyway. ^_^;;

(Also, Naruto has not been released yet because they are busy butchering it for Fox Kids. :pissed: That's my theory, anyhow)

They've done a bunch of stuff, but nothing really big as far as I know... Magic User's Club, Mouse, Saber Marrionette R (Not J), Kite, etc. Hopefully, they'll be treating it right in an attempt to get a seat at the big boy's table, along side companies like Geneon and Bandei.

I'm looking for a mailing address for them so I can beg them to get Juliet Cessario and Scott Simpson as Belldandy and Keiichi... I'm not sure if they even do in house ADR... if not, I hope they subcontract that to Animeigo... they'd probably do it for next to nothing just because of how much they love the series.

Larry

wow only seven episodes in and there allready licenced, I mean wow that was fast...
ok gimmie a second...


..
.
ok
Does any one know how Japenes componies feal about their product being fan subbed?

In the mean time I will hope for the best on the possable situations.

There is an uneasy, unofficial truce between the Japanese and American companies and the fansubbers. For the most part, they (the companies) know that the fans are going to go buy them anyway, and write off fansubbing as free advertising (as long as the fansubbers don't try to make money off of it).

For their part, the fansubbers typically stop distributing their translations as soon as it is either a) licensed or b) released in the States.

These aren't hard rules... some companies do send "Cease and Desist" orders on occasion, and some fansubbers do make licensed and released anime available on the net... It is really a case by case kinda thing, but most follow the pattern above.

Larry

So basically the fan subbers are catering to the Anime Community by making it readily available and helping those companies by being advertisers.

But the worst part is that watching an Anime for free thru half of the series and having to pay for the rest.......:pissed:

I just found a torrent still running for episode 7 and I have a link. But I don't know if it's against the rules. Is it okay if I send a link?

Eh... getting anime for free is always questionable, but it is legal so long as it is not available for purchase in your country and language. The best way to help get more anime over to the US (or where ever you are) is to purchase it. Not only does this support the people who make this wonderful stuff (like Fujishima-sama), but it increases the market for it. When I first started buying anime, the store I shop at had maybe 20 or so titles. Now, they have hundreds, and the anime section is the single largest category of titles in the store (more than comedy or action movies).

It is how these people make a living, so I don't mind buying it. I'm not one of those people who will pirate movies and anime, because I prefer to help make things better. The more you buy, the easier it is to find, and the more likely they are to lower their prices. Rampant piracy is one of the excuses some of the less reputable companies use to justify charging an arm and a leg for anime...

Larry

Well I plan on buying it. I have £50 ($100) put aside just incase this happened. I just hope the DVDs come soon. I'm getting my brother to send them from America.

oh I will deffinitly perchess it when I get the money that is not a question at all... I'll just miss seeing it untill then. I'm hoping for the second option on that count.
Besides the company that bought the licence is a smaller one so it will be cool giving them a leg up (roots for underdog)

i would have thought that Pioneer would get the license for the TV series, since they released the last two Ah! My Goddess animes.

Im totally against piracy and bootlegging but on the issue of fansubs on the net. One can argue since the series is aired in Japan on TV then the material is already publically available. Therefore a fansub on the net is not different to someone videotaping the show in Japan and bringing back to their home country.

The difference here is distribution. Recording technology is typically considered "For private, non-commercial use." If you start sharing your copy with hundreds or thousands of people that you don't know, then you're on shakey ground. Recording a tv show in another country and bringing it home is fine. Making that TV show available to thousands of people may not be. I promise you, if I brought my collection of "West Wing" episodes over to the United Kingdom and started making hundreds of copies to give to people, Warner Brothers would take a definite interest in me (I use this as an example because I know the West Wing is available on DVD in the UK, and they have plans to sell the later seasons as well). Just because they play a song on the radio doesn't mean you can give away bootleg copies of the CD....

Larry

Just great. More things I need to pay for. If only it came on public tv.... ~_~