Where'd Pink Pineapple go?

[ShanceChance]

I looked at a list of anime they produced over the past two years, and none of those titles have seen a North American release.

I heard a rumor that they don't license any of their titles outside of Japan anymore.

Does anyone know if this is true and, if so, why?

[DocWatson]

I looked at a list of anime they produced over the past two years, and none of those titles have seen a North American release.

I heard a rumor that they don't license any of their titles outside of Japan anymore.

Does anyone know if this is true and, if so, why?What I know is:

From the Anime on DVD Region 1 (North America) DVD News & Views Forum ("R1 Forum") thread: "Kitty Media Legend of the Pervert (Chikan Monogatari) Censored/Edited (Confirmed)":

10-04-07 09:49:33 - Post#1011361

Pink Pineapple is on hold...as per their own statements.I asked for clarification (what statements?), but did not receive from Mr. Sirabella (who is the head of Media Blasters, and therefore Kitty Media).

In the AoD R1 Forum thread "JapanAnime New Title Solicitations":

22-06-07 09:37:31 - Post#1066424

From what I've gathered, PP is uninterested in licensing at the time and is focusing just on the Japanese market. I suspect that they're feeling burned after the last few years with how things have gone in their licensing side. Complications with reverse importing are also cited in the few "whispers" I've seen by industry folks.

Mr. Beveridge is the owner of Anime on DVD.

This is particularly unfortunate as PinPai seems to be hellbent on reissuing their entire back catalog on DVD, including those works which have not seen the light of day since they were released on laserdisc and VHS (e.g., Tenkousei).

[Jatz]

Do you think this could mean the end of legitimate hentai in the US? I now hear of Japanese hentai companies complaining of reverse importing and refusing to license their catalog.

So US companies are forced to either produce dub only releases or leave censors in place, neither of these is a viable solution. Kitty released Bible Black: New Testament dubbed only and still reverse importing was a problem. Either that or it generated so many complaints that (Milky?) allowed them to release the second volume with a Japanese track. Six of one half dozen of the other. Night Shift Nurses was released with some scenes cut. Numerous people complained and they released the cut scenes on volume two and the rest are untouched. This isn't censorship, but I still equate a large number of people complaining about scenes excised, to a large number of people complaining to the retention of censors (in some future time).

[loplop]

I don't think so. Pink Pineapple is the only one right now. But the titles that do well in Japan are not being licensed as quickly due to reverse importation worries.

Does it mean the end of quality H-anime titles? Possibly. If you notice what has had recent title announcements, the quality has gone down. We will have to wait and see . . . .

[Jatz]

Who ever is responsible for Bible Black had Kitty release New Testament dub only because of reverse importing, that's two. You also say that quality titles are being held up because of reverse importing, so apparently several companies are rethinking their export policy. It's shame too, I'd like to see Pixy Soft's stuff uncensored.

What does it matter if the Japanese buy it form us or them, the companies still get money from the sell. Right?

[grgspunk]

Goddammit, I REALLY wish these comapanies would team up and try to lobby their government to overturn this censorship law... Don't they have the money to do so?

[ZeroRyoko1974]

that would mean going against the status quo

[DocWatson]

Night Shift Nurses was released with some scenes cut. Numerous people complained and they released the cut scenes on volume two and the rest are untouched. This isn't censorship, but I still equate a large number of people complaining about scenes excised, to a large number of people complaining to the retention of censors (in some future time).The initial volume of Night Shift Nurses was cut due to American legal concerns, not pressure from the Japanese licensor—see Anime Prime's Night Shift Nurses Editing Report (http://animeprime.com/reports/nsn.shtml).

[Jatz]

Still if hentai is released censored people will complain.

[cris]

What does it matter if the Japanese buy it form us or them, the companies still get money from the sell. Right?

Yes and No. It's obvious that they are going to make more money directly selling than through getting a different party involved. Also it's roughly 6800yen (JP ver) vs. 2400yen (US ver) for the most part. Things like contract would come in play too.

Also it might be because licensing on quality titles are costing more than it use too (just a guess). It's obvious that hentai isn't doing well over in Japan compared to before, which usually means hike in price for licensing.

[Delariean]

Hmmm I see this as a start of a trend of putting Hentai out themselves instead of relying on american distributors. More profit in getting the product out themselves instead of reverse importation....

[DocWatson]

Hmmm I see this as a start of a trend of putting Hentai out themselves instead of relying on american distributors. More profit in getting the product out themselves instead of reverse importation....The problem with that is that Japanese companies may know how to produce great animation, but they (generally) do not know how to market it to the American audience—see the "Ask John" column "Which Japanese Anime Companies Have Failed in America? (http://www.animenation.net/news/askjohn.php?id=1547)" Note that Viz was co-founded by an expatriate Japanese (who had been in America for a while), and Geneon's (originally Pioneer LDCA (LaserDisc Corporation of America)) anime business was founded on its already-extant hardware business, which also had experience selling to Americans. Bandai Entertainment was originally the on-line, direct sales–only AnimeVillage.Com, which eventually converted to a more conventionally business model (as AnimeVillage.Com was apparently not working as well as it had been hoped, IIRC).

[HSaabedra]

Goddammit, I REALLY wish these comapanies would team up and try to lobby their government to overturn this censorship law... Don't they have the money to do so?

The law has been redacted since 2006, but prefectures are free to set their own regulations on censorship levels.

[DocWatson]

The law has been redacted since 2006, but prefectures are free to set their own regulations on censorship levels.Citation, please? When was Article 175 of the Criminal/Penal Code repealed? The article linked from this "Ask John" column (http://www.animenation.net/news/askjohn.php?id=799) was written on 24 October 2006, so it would almost certainly have to have been after that, and I have no recollection of it making the news, anime (ANN, ANS, AN, or AoD) if not international.

[cris]

Does that suppose to mean there's no more censorship? If that's what you're trying to say then all porns still have censorship over there.

[DocWatson]

OTOH, PinPai's older back catalog seems to be fair game...

Media Blasters acquires New Adult Titles (http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/04/28/media-blasters-acquires-new-adult-titles/)

A bit more information on the series:

Dosokai Yesterday Once More at the ANN Encyclopedia (http://fast.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3358)

While I have not seen it, from its reputation this should be a good title for those who like "normal" and romantic hentai.

Edit: MB/Kitty is also re-releasing (http://www.animeondvd.com/news/news.php?news_view=13938) Black Mail (as "Blackmail") and a collection of the two Maiden series (apparently minus the episode that they did not release in the first place).

[Jatz]

1997, so I wonder if that means that we have to wait ten years to see the stuff out now.

[loplop]

OTOH, PinPai's older back catalog seems to be fair game...

Media Blasters acquires New Adult Titles (http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/04/28/media-blasters-acquires-new-adult-titles/)

A bit more information on the series:

Dosokai Yesterday Once More at the ANN Encyclopedia (http://fast.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3358)

While I have not seen it, from its reputation this should be a good title for those who like "normal" and romantic hentai.

Edit: MB/Kitty is also re-releasing (http://www.animeondvd.com/news/news.php?news_view=13938) Black Mail (as "Blackmail") and a collection of the two Maiden series (apparently minus the episode that they did not release in the first place).

It is actually a rather good series, I rather liked it myself. I tend to go for the titles of it's type more than the crap like Project Boobs and many of the more recent releases that we have seen R1. The sequel, licensed by ASM a few years back, is very good also . . . .

[DocWatson]

According to yesterday's post on Heisei Democracy, Pink Pineapple will be animating Kisaragi Gunma's Love Selection, with episode 1 scheduled for 29 August. (Thanks to geotrio for first passing on the news.)

Banzai!! Banzai!! Banzai!! :w00t: :cheers: Now if only PinPai would license it...

[loplop]

According to yesterday's post on Heisei Democracy, Pink Pineapple will be animating Kisaragi Gunma's Love Selection, with episode 1 scheduled for 29 August. (Thanks to geotrio for first passing on the news.)

Banzai!! Banzai!! Banzai!! :w00t: :cheers: Now if only PinPai would license it...

I feel the same way about Hatsu Inu & Kateikyoushi no Onee-san - The Animation

[DocWatson]

A bit more on the topic, from Anime on DVD's Region 1 (North America) DVD News & Views forum, "Media Blasters Current Events and Discussion" thread. I'm quoting in full because there are some other interesting tidbits about hentai. However, I will note that while John Sirabella (owner of Media Blasters and its Kitty Media label) is an industry insider, and a friendly one, his memory seems to be a bit hazy at times, so the reliability of his information may be less than absolutely perfect.


11-23-2007, 05:07 PM - Post 1160459

I know my questions might not interest many and might have been lost early in the thread. So I thought I would re-ask them one time here.


1. Seeing how you do a lot of Umetsu's works (Kite, Mezzo Forte, and Kite Librator), I was wondering if you have any idea what happened to Kiss And Cry movie? I remember hearing about it a few years ago after Mezzo Forte and then it just disappeared off the radar.

2. How bad has it gotten with Japanese companies licensing hentai to R1 companies?

3. Is it true Pink Pineapple plain isn't taking any offers? Which sucks for shows like Accelerando, Stringendo, Magical Witch Academy, Hatsu Inu The Animation, Hininden: Gauss, and/or a classic like The Rapeman all of which I want for my collection.

4. Have you looked at the Right Stuf - Critical Mass sub-forum Title Requests thread? It has a lot of wanted shows like Discode : Abnormal Sexuality & Cleavage by D3, Ikusa Otome Valkyrie & Princess Knight Jeanne by Himajin (now called Amour), Himekishi Lilia & Ane Haramix by Pixy (which have a ton of other shows I'm dying to get), or what I think would be a perfect title for Kitty or even MB release is Shadow by A.P.P.P..

5. Why no Pigeon Blood by Discovery? It would seen to fit some of the other stuff you guys have put out.

6. Since I brought up A.P.P.P. with Shadow, I thought I would ask about another non hentai related question. Have you guys ever looked into getting some of A.P.P.P. shows like Sci-fi Harry & a potential homerun in Robot Carnival? I asks of course due to STA apperent closure and these titles having some serious potential.

-ape2020


11-23-2007, 05:52 PM - Post #1160494

1. Kiss and Cry movie?? Sorry I do not know anything about it.

2. It is really not that bad, not great though either. We recently signed a large package of re-issue Nu Tech/Anime 18 and some new titles.

3. They are not taking any offers on new shows currently. This is due to the downloading of the US uncensored version from pirate sites that they feel are killing their Japanese sales. They are not even creating anymore non-mosaic versions.

4. I know I have Clevage and I believe the Valkierie title as I remember it I think. It is part of that big new package signed a month or so ago. Do not remember the rest of them though.

5. Diecovery went through alot of changes and had issues with licensing titles. I thought that one was released under a new name?

6. We were suppose to get Shadow than licensing issues came up as the US company wanted to release it, JoJo company??. There were suppose to be two versions and the issue just died out.

-Js