Madman Entertainment picks up Sailor Moon for AUS and NZ

[SailorWelshy]

nless Viz is directly partnering with Madman, they actually won't get a cent. Toei technically owns everything Viz does

Well they must have some sort of agreement, and Madman must have paid Viz in some way. Because you don't freely give another company your dubs and subs.

And I know Toei owns the whole of Sailor Moon, which probably means that they get a cut of what profits Viz make.

 

[ThereAre3Lights]

You can always choose to cut out the middleman altogether and just source the show directly from Toei Animation. I recently discovered a site called taod.jp, that offers online streams of Toei Animation's properties on a paid rental and subscription basis. Sailor Moon is on that site, in Japanese audio but without subtitles. The site is intended for domestic use in Japan, but to my knowledge it does work outside of Japan as well, at least for now. So if you can somehow send money to that site from overseas, you can officially support the show to your heart's content.

 

[PurpleWarrior13]

nless Viz is directly partnering with Madman, they actually won't get a cent. Toei technically owns everything Viz does

Well they must have some sort of agreement, and Madman must have paid Viz in some way. Because you don't freely give another company your dubs and subs.

And I know Toei owns the whole of Sailor Moon, which probably means that they get a cut of what profits Viz make.

Except Viz is acting as the middleman for Toei. Toei technically owns the dub, not Viz. At best, there might be a sort of time agreement that says only Viz themselves could distribute it for a certain amount of time, but after that, Toei could do whatever they want with it. It's the same reason FUNi, Sentai, Viz, and other dubs get exported around the world. Viz's Sailor Moon dub is no different.

 

[SailorWelshy]

But don't Viz have to pay for shipping fees of their DVD's to international distributors?

And foreign sales help pay that money back?

 

[PurpleWarrior13]

What are you talking about? Madman produces their own discs. Sometimes they recycle the US disc menus, art, etc, but they still alter the content slightly for their logo, and the region coding. For Blu-ray, North America (and Japan) is Region A, Australia and the UK is Region B. For DVD, the US/Canada is Region 1, the UK (and Japan) is Region 2, and Australia is Region 4.

 

[Sera-V]

Yes, Madman produces their own discs and packaging based on materials they receive from the source. In this case, Viz.

 

[otakumom]

You can always choose to cut out the middleman altogether and just source the show directly from Toei Animation. I recently discovered a site called taod.jp, that offers online streams of Toei Animation's properties on a paid rental and subscription basis. Sailor Moon is on that site, in Japanese audio but without subtitles. The site is intended for domestic use in Japan, but to my knowledge it does work outside of Japan as well, at least for now. So if you can somehow send money to that site from overseas, you can officially support the show to your heart's content.

OMFSM, that's an awesome site!!!!! I felt like a little kid in a candy store!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can understand some Japanese (enough to establish small talk and to survive if I end up there), so I'm ok with no subs.

 

[Sera-V]

Update:

Set 1 (DVD) scheduled for April 2015 release:

http://madboards.madman.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=29457

Interestingly, the Limited Edition version contains eps 1-24 whereas the standard version is 1-23.

No news on the blu ray yet.

 

[Sera-V]

Tentative Artwork:

https://d2din5dslvmwbv.cloudfront.net/media/Releases/31872/31872-973584.jpg

Source: https://b2b.madman.com.au/actions/catalogue.do?method=view&releaseId=31872

Not an amazing, eye catching cover, but still leagues ahead the Viz release. Hopefully the box art will be up soon.

 

[SnowWolf]

Tentative Artwork:

https://d2din5dslvmwbv.cloudfront.net/media/Releases/31872/31872-973584.jpg

Source: https://b2b.madman.com.au/actions/catalogue.do?method=view&releaseId=31872

Not an amazing, eye catching cover, but still leagues ahead the Viz release. Hopefully the box art will be up soon.

It's 4 discs as well instead of 3.

 

[NJ_]

^That fourth disc is most likely for the listed extras since those were Blu-ray exclusives over here and not on the DVDs.

DVD Special Features

Clean Opening & Closing
Galleries
English Dub Behind the Scenes

 

[Mercurius]

Statement from Madman Ent.:

Greetings! Many of you have been asking about our release plans for Sailor Moon, when it will be available to buy, what masters we are using, etc… well, on the first point, we can now confirm that the first collection – consisting of 24 episodes – is currently planned for a DVD and paid digital platforms release on April 15, 2015. The first print run of the DVD will also include bonus materials, to be confirmed at a later date.

In an effort to deliver the best possible product we can – and in consideration of your feedback on the quality of other versions of the series available internationally – we have created our own release from scratch using high quality, remastered standard definition materials.

At this stage there are no true HD (high definition) materials available for Sailor Moon and we cannot confidently create a Blu-ray release that we feel would measure up to the high standards that fans of the show deserve. Hopefully this will be addressed in the not too distant future.

We are looking forward to finally bringing fans in Australia and New Zealand a remastered Sailor Moon release!

SOURCE: http://www.madman.com.au/news/an-update ... n-release/

 

[Clow]

At this stage there are no true HD (high definition) materials available for Sailor Moon and we cannot confidently create a Blu-ray release that we feel would measure up to the high standards that fans of the show deserve. Hopefully this will be addressed in the not too distant future.

Ouch, VIZ.

 

[Mercurius]

At this stage there are no true HD (high definition) materials available for Sailor Moon and we cannot confidently create a Blu-ray release that we feel would measure up to the high standards that fans of the show deserve. Hopefully this will be addressed in the not too distant future.

Ouch, VIZ.

In an effort to deliver the best possible product we can – and in consideration of your feedback on the quality of other versions of the series available internationally – we have created our own release from scratch using high quality, remastered standard definition materials.

Double ouch, VIZ!

 

[Sera-V]

Really interested to see how the quality stacks up. I'm not a videophile so I'm sure it'll look spectacular in my eyes, but nonetheless it does show that Madman are putting thought and care into this release.

I already prefer the cover art over VIZ's and the fact they are including the first 24 episodes in the first set (and not 23, leaving it at an awkward cliffhanger).

 

[Clow]

Things are going to look so ugly for VIZ if the Madman's release turns out to be better than theirs.

Especially with Madman's statement about not having the resources to do a blu-Ray.

Oh boy.

 

[NJ_]

I'll believe it when they update their streams.

 

[EienFugue]

Madman are awesome. Australia really needs this, especially given how popular the show was here back in the day.

 

[Iantuition]

Statement from Madman Ent.:

Greetings! Many of you have been asking about our release plans for Sailor Moon, when it will be available to buy, what masters we are using, etc… well, on the first point, we can now confirm that the first collection – consisting of 24 episodes – is currently planned for a DVD and paid digital platforms release on April 15, 2015. The first print run of the DVD will also include bonus materials, to be confirmed at a later date.

In an effort to deliver the best possible product we can – and in consideration of your feedback on the quality of other versions of the series available internationally – we have created our own release from scratch using high quality, remastered standard definition materials.

At this stage there are no true HD (high definition) materials available for Sailor Moon and we cannot confidently create a Blu-ray release that we feel would measure up to the high standards that fans of the show deserve. Hopefully this will be addressed in the not too distant future.

We are looking forward to finally bringing fans in Australia and New Zealand a remastered Sailor Moon release!

SOURCE: http://www.madman.com.au/news/an-update ... n-release/

That is the shadiest thing to come out of this whole mess and I'm counting fan reactions.

If they make the DVDs region-free, it's over for it.

 

[NJ_]

^All of their DVDs are Region 4 so this will be the same.

As for Madman themselves, it's funny that they're doing this because they have had no problems releasing FUNimation's screwed up DBZ masters not once but twice (even the recent Blu-ray sets) plus even with Viz screwing up, Madman could have done their own upscale and at least fixed the main problems that are present on Viz's discs (DNR's debatable but the ghosting is inexcusable) but instead it looks like they're dropping Blu-ray altogether.

Again, I'll believe it when they fix their streams and also when there's DVD comparisons up.