SteveH wrote:
I might posit that their last major anime project flopped not because of the subject, but because they were working under "It's still 1998" thinking.
Yeah, that's kind of what I meant...I worry that they might be so out of touch with not just the market, but the fans, that they might not know how to present things in a way that doesn't seem outdated & uninteresting. (Not to mention they haven't changed their style of graphic design since...ever??

I mean, I admit, I find it charming that they basically use the same website that they did when they first STARTED having a website, but compared to other anime companies...it does seem awfully lacking. Some potential buyers might not take them seriously.)
SteveH wrote:Frankly, I don't have a clue who they were even pitching 'Yawara!' to. I mean, I realize they are limited by whatever deals they can make but if they really wanted a 'shojo sports anime' I think Aim for the Ace would have been an easier show to sell. It was shorter, and the drama was amped up to 12 (on a 10 scale dial).
I think that, like you said, they were still in a 1998 sort of mentality. I think they wanted to release Yawara! simply because they liked it and wanted to try, not really considering how long it was, and that if it wasn't promoted properly that no one would care about it. Back in the day, word of mouth was the best advertising for anime (well, sometimes it still is), so I assumed they'd just hope that the brief PR they spent at San Diego Comicon promoting it would be enough. As for Aim for the Ace, I wonder if it was too hard to get, or possibly they didn't like it? Like I said, it seems like they only pick up titles they actually like themselves...
SteveH wrote:But, what is, is. I kind of think doing a kickstarter for BGC on BD is somewhat an abuse of the system. BGC would sell on BD. They might even get Best Buy to carry it before they get out of physical media completely. It's really fairly low-risk, it seems to me. But, not my company.
I agree that it's pretty low-risk. It does strike me as being a bit overly-cautious, but then again I get depressed when the editor of Vertical talks about how even though Gundam The Origin is selling well, it's STILL selling less than they projected. Things that seem to be a no-brainer for selling well are just barely making it, so I guess their caution is somewhat validated? I do think that BGC is still enough of a popular title/cult classic that they PROBABLY didn't need the Kickstarter, but in this market right now, who knows.

Either way, I do hope they do it and that I can at least get the basic set.