12 days, extended over 16
The world changes
Well, it didn’t happen. I had all my posts scheduled but one. The final one. Rather than making excuses, here it is, a few days late and a couple dollars short, since now I’m sick from my holidays and doped up on cold medicine and possibly unable to form sentences.
This year, regardless of your knowledge or opinion on the matter of fansubbing and its legality, you doubtless noticed that a few companies, all in different areas of the distribution chain, created online solutions to something they saw as a problem. Funimation has added legit streaming of a freshly-licensed, currently-airing show, Shikabane Hime, and [duh, Bandai] is airing a simlutaneous series (Black God) on American cable TV. TV Tokyo partnered with Crunchyroll to bring the mega-series Bleach, Naruto, and Shugo Chara! to North America in realtime with an HD stream. And Sony broadcast Xam’d all over the world through the Playstation Network.
But it all started with Blassreiter and Tower of Druaga by Gonzo. That sometimes-maligned, currently in-the-red animation studio with a penchant for “adult”-oriented violence series and overuse of CG suddenly launched itself — and the rest of us — into a brave new world where borders break down, regions transform from “Japan” and “North America” into “the world,” and a licensing company isn’t even needed anymore.
Of course, once the idea was hit on, the licensing companies (namely Funi) jumped on the stream wagon, but the TV Tokyo/Crunchy deal proves that we may still be able to break down the barriers. Fundamental problems, such as DRM, resolution, and availability outside of North America have yet to be ironed out, but when I think of how amazing Gonzo’s springtime announcment was, I get some faith.
