Aniplex Schedules US BD Release for Fate/Zero
Aniplex of America has announced plans for a simultaneous Japanese & American Blu-ray release of the current Fate/Zero television series. The first 13 episode boxed set will be released on March 7. Japanese retail price is 39,900 yen ($512 USD). American list price is $498.98. The 7 disc set will contain 5 Blu-ray discs with optional English subtitles, the first series soundtrack CD, an original drama CD, and a booklet. The American release will include a second booklet of English translations of the Japanese booklet.
This really isn’t an “American release” as much as just an officially sanctioned opportunity for Americans to purchase the Japanese release at Japanese price.
Related Posts
About The Author
john
6 Comments
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Before all the baying and neighing over the “Japanese” pricing begins, we should be thankful that the opportunity even exists– the opportunity to own the show with English subtitles at the same time as Japanese fans. This is probably not in lieu of an inexpensive yet somehow still simultaneous release. This is just an option that exists until, maybe, the show gets released in the US at a non-Japanese price a year later.
But for those who love to blab about “supporting” the industry… well, buying a current anime at $500/season is how you actually go about doing that.
As I’ve always said, all Japanese releases should have English subs on them. Not everything gets licensed and released here, much less in a timely fashion. There’s still no way to watch the smash-hit franchise-spawning Bakemonogatari in English in any official way, for example.
Well said, seanny.
And I’d totally buy a $499 Blu-ray box set of Bakemonogatari with English subs.
Provided you’re totally okay with being fleeced then yes, you are supporting the anime industry by spending $500 for a 13-episode box set.
I appreciate the English subtitles, but I should be thankful for the opportunity? No. Not when said opportunity is taking clear advantage of the consumer.
Anime of the sort talked about on this news blog wouldn’t exist if people didn’t buy those sets… shows Fate Zero are actually quite niche. It’s bizarre to think that the industry is supported by a small, hardcore crowd of otaku willing to shell out so much, but that’s kind-of how it is for many shows. Anime on home video in the US is a year-later or DVD-only secondary market because that otaku-centric business model doesn’t fly here. People like to imagine they’re “supporting the industry” by rummaging through the bargain bins of domestic anime releases, but not really.
Also the currently miserable exchange rate is a huge factor in the $500 pricing.
Every once in a while I import an anime when it has English subtitles, particularly feature as they are vastly more affordable. There seems to be a trend of including English subtitles on (now often region-free) Japanese releases, so I’m actually quite glad about that, even if much of it is unaffordable (e.g. Clannad + Clannad After Story = $1500)
boy I’m tired…
*shows _like_ Fate Zero are actually quite niche.
*particularly feature _films_ as they are vastly more affordable.
I think a larger question about Aniplex is whether the U.S. home video market can support high-priced releases such as these. Japan has supported price points like this for years. The United States? Not so much.