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NIS America To Publish Katanagatari And Arakawa Under the Bridge Anime

By Ishaan . April 16, 2011 . 11:55am

NIS America To Publish Katanagatari And Arakawa Under the Bridge Anime NIS America To Publish Katanagatari And Arakawa Under the Bridge Anime

This week, NIS America announced two additional anime licenses: Katanagatari and Arakawa Under the Bridge, both of which will be published on DVD as well as Blu-ray in a single combination pack with both discs.

 

As with NISA’s past releases, both will include English subtitles and are scheduled for release in July. Both releases will include two DVD and Blu-ray discs each, and a 30+ page full-colour hardcover art book. Additionally, Arakawa Under the Bridge will include audio commentary from the show’s Japanese voice-actors.

 

NIS America haven’t announced a price for either release yet. We’ll keep you posted as they reveal more information.


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  • Lord Highawesomeparty

    Katanagatari is one of the best anime I’ve ever watched and Im glad its finally coming over here on Blu-Ray. Maybe they’ll release Bakemonogatari next…

    • mirumu

      They should. Bakemonogatari was a good watch, and sold very well in Japan too. I’ve got the Japanese Blu-rays myself and they’re stunning.

    • http://strictlyapathy.comoj.com/ SoulArbiter

      If they do release Bakemonogatari next, I will be extremely happy!

  • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

    Darn the lack of English dubbing inhibits me from checking their anime out. Blu ray option is nice.

    • Saraneth

      Do you not like subbed anime?

      • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

        I would only buy stuff that is dubbed…I watch official subs but I vastly prefer dubs.

        • Zero_Destiny

          You really should get Katanagatari because it didn’t have an official sub release and was probably the best anime of 2010. A great show that I think you would really like. I highly recommend it even if it doesn’t have a dub. The JPN are all great too.

        • http://twitter.com/Saculogir Saculogir

          Yoru really limiting yourself with all these biases of yours. Your missing out on probably the best action anime of 2010 :/

          • http://www.youtube.com/user/EnvyMizuhashi Garyuu

            I see nothing wrong with it. He watches anime legally, so he can at least be able to look at “some” good anime that were licensed. All the more reason for him to get Katanagatari despite that it’s undubbed. Even more so in 2011 with the amount of anime Funimation got. Hell, even “Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt” is f**king licensed. -_-

          • KyoyaHibari

            Yea, I flipped sh*t when I heard about that, they need to dub Rainbow already, as well as Tatami Galaxy, Rainbow was one of the best shows I’ve seen in years, it was one of the closest animes that ALMOST made me cry, but no anime has succeeded yet, R.O.D was closer even. But they need to make a Rainbow 2, the ending is literally at almost half the manga, the anime ends at volume 12/22, but I can’t believe Seikon no Qwaser gets a sequel just like that, it was so convoluted, vile and worthless, but Rainbow, which is infinitely more worthy of a sequel doesn’t have one, which I hope it does in the near future.

          • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

            @Mizuru_Souten Seikon was epic and you know it and guess what Seikon no Qwaser II Director’s Cut! I wish there was some way that some one would pick this series up out of Japan! I would be first in line to buy it, Blu-Ray please!

            Rainbow was interesting (I guess the one that Funimation was simulcasting or something on their site?), I saw it even though it was brutal (the old man was really with the boys like that?!…)

          • KyoyaHibari

            @Tsuna Seikon was epic!? No…it was really stupid and vulgar, I’m pretty sure that anyone who hears the premise of the story would either A) Laugh constantly at how lame it is or B) Find it utterly disgusting and putrid. I don’t think a show about a boy trying to find a girl with the most powerful breast milk is a good idea for a plot, it’s just perverted and gimmicky, that crap definitely DOES NOT deserve a sequel over Rainbow, it is an intense, suspenseful show with alot of heart, drama and passion, it makes you really sympathetic for these young boys, the grotesque, surreal tortures they experienced and how they have overcome it and become responsible adults after all these travesties and pursuing their dreams to the end.

        • http://www.facebook.com/kismet137 Fanchon Chance

          And people like you are a part of the reason the industry isn’t doing very well. Good job.

          • Chippel

            That’s unnecessarily condescending. Many fans don’t see it because they are so far up Japan’s ass, but people like watching things in their own language more than not. It’s perfectly understandable that the companies are not in the perfect situation to easily be able to release dubs, but that limits the releases and how easy they are to watch for many.
            It’s a bit unreasonable to think someone’s a jerk for not using their own hard earned money on something they can’t enjoy the way they wish to.

          • http://www.facebook.com/Robborboy Paul ‘Chinny’ Chinn

            Au contraire. People like him are the reason any industry does well. Not settling for something one deems second rate. Not throwing their money away for the sole sake of supporting something. And only allowing products one sees to meet their level of expected quality to be graced by their money.

            Conversely spending money on any and everything in an industry is a large cause of decay and stagnation.

          • KyoyaHibari

            Case in point, Call of Duty which is solely profitable from sheer peer approval, people only buy that game because they think it’s the “cool” thing to do, which just makes them tools, and because of this, an unjust shooter game is getting all the attention which it doesn’t deserve and destroying the gaming industry, it’s like helping to feed a virus.

    • http://www.facebook.com/Robborboy Paul ‘Chinny’ Chinn

      I know how you feel. I don’t mind watch anime in Japanese, but my money WILL NOT be spend on anime unless it includes both an English and Japanese dub track, as well as two sets of subtitles, signs/songs, and then full on voice subtitling.

      A shame too. I was looking forward to throwing money at Katanagatari.
      Same goes for Arakawa as well. That show was damn hilarious.

    • mirumu

      Unfortunately funding a dub would probably make these releases economically unviable for NISA. While I don’t watch dubs myself, I appreciate having them so we have more choice, and they’re the only option for young kids who are still learning to read like my niece and nephew.

      I’m not optimistic about the future of dubs on niche titles long term though. A lot of us are just used to dubs after all those years of ADV, Funimation, Genon, etc churning them out, but unless it’s something with mainstream appeal like Naruto or Bleach, they just aren’t selling like they used to. Seems to me NISA is trying a different angle treating anime more like foreign films. I mean how rare are dubs for live action foreign films? I couldn’t even tell you when I last saw one.

      Personally I’d rather have sub-only releases than nothing, and unfortunately it’s looking more and more like that’s going to be the option in future short of another big anime popularity spike in the west like happened in the 90s.

      • Ereek

        I mean how rare are dubs for live action foreign films?

        Quite common, actually. Especially on more popular ones. I’ve at least two that have dubs. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and another.

        • mirumu

          Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is over ten years old now, and that was an extremely popular movie when it came out. Not really representative of the general dubbing situation I’d suggest. I watch a lot of non-english movies and dubs don’t seem anywhere near as common now as they were a decade ago. The popular titles get dubs as you say, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

          • http://geekouts.blogspot.com/ miruki

            Even Onmyoji I + II got US dubs, we’ve only got the first one dubbed and not even a subbed version of the second, they just didn’t even release it at all. D:

          • KyoyaHibari

            Isn’t Funi releasing alot of live-actions? And they like never leave anything unsubbed unless they haven’t licensed it yet, like Rainbow and Tatami Galaxy ~.~ they should dub them soon.

    • thebanditking

      I hear you but I will take what I can get, especially considering the R1 Anime market being in the shape it is (Stupid pirates!)

    • KyoyaHibari

      Sad to say Tsuna, I agree entirely, I could care less for all the bonus crap Nis offers, I mean, if I wanted subs, they are much easier (although regrettably, sometimes illegal which I don’t approve of) to find than dubs, the emotional impact just doesn’t reach me as much with the lines if I have to read the subs to understand them and THEN I feel not as much impact once I do grasp it from reading the text, I could always get the bonus stuff later if I wanted it, but what I need is a dub in my native language so I feel that impact from every line by hearing it and understanding it thoroughly making for a more enjoyable experience, what we need is a Toradora & Katanagatari dub from Nisa, Gintama dub from Sentai and Kara no Kyoukai dub from Aniplex

      • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

        Wow Gintama wasnt dubbed? It seemed to be a popular series from what I gathered (greater than 200 episodes), thats shocking. Fortunately Sentai is dubbing Angel Beats (I hope they release bonus materials and such). But I agree, I would really prefer paying for a dub than an edition with only subs and bonus materials.

        I can deal with subs for the sake of simulcasts and seeing the episodes as soon as possibly, but if Im buying, Im paying for a dub, plus its a fresh experience hearing it in English.

        • KyoyaHibari

          Exactly, plus atm they only have up to episode 51 on DVD I believe, I’m glad Angel Beats is getting a dub on Blu-Ray though quality is gorgeous. But I hope that if Sentai drops GinTama, that Funi picks it up, they’ll make it more domestic, but they’ll keep the references and it will still be funny, plus if Funi’s puns don’t work, there’s always the subs.

      • KyoyaHibari

        They also need to make an Aria and Maria dub from Right Stuf to fill my need for sophisticated, relaxing anime which I’ve recently been lacking. Although I should pick up Clannad and Kanon to go with Air, and we need ef, the 1st episode captivated me, and I want to see more >.<

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rudy-Soto/100001518601121 Rudy Soto

    NISA always gets the best animes

  • Istillduno

    Heres hoping someone picks up the license for publishing in Europe too.

  • nyoron

    Cool, I’ve been meaning to watch Katanagatari but I’ve been too lazy. Once it’s is out, as long as there are no reports of glitchy discs or previously unmentioned Japan licensing shenanigans (i.e. gimped audio or something like that) I will definitely be buying.

    Also it’s nice of them to throw in some free coasters along with the BDs :)

  • http://twitter.com/Saculogir Saculogir

    God dang NISA, you’re on a roll with picking up good anime, and you’ve only been doing it for so little time! Katanagatari was definately one of the best action anime of 2010! Who knew an anime with 50 minute long episodes could fly by so fast~

    Bravo I say, bravo.

    • KyoyaHibari

      Lol but then again, three words: Persona trinity soul ;P

  • Zero_Destiny

    Oh yes two great series. I’m definitely going to buy Katanagatari. Day-1 for the Blu-Ray. Animation that great deserves Blu-Ray. Probably the best anime of 2010 right there for you. I hope we get some awesome artbooks or something. I’m just ecstatic about this. XD Anyways I may get Arakawa but I might wait. Hopefully we can get the sequel since I haven’t seen it yet and would love to have both seasons. ^_^

  • pridesin

    Do you guys know when it will be available to pre-order ?
    The release date is July 5, but could not find website that currently holding the item.

    • http://www.siliconera.com/ Ishaan

      They haven’t put it up for pre-order yet I believe. We’ll report it when they do, since they’ll announce price at the same time. :)

  • http://thrust-the-sky.deviantart.com/ WildArms

    First tora dora, and NOW ARAKAWA UNDER THE BRIDGE GOODIES I WONT BE ABLE TO GET T____T WHY NISA CANT BE SUPER GLOBALY POWERFUL AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME TO GET IT T_T

  • http://www.facebook.com/Robborboy Paul ‘Chinny’ Chinn

    Well damn, I had been hoping Katanagatari would get licensed for some time now. But by NIS America? That dashes any hopes for an English dub of this show.

    Guess that is one anime I won’t be buying, sadly.

    • KyoyaHibari

      Who knows, NISA hasn’t been releasing anime for long, less than a year I think, so who knows what may come in the future, hoping for a Toradora dub too.

  • mirumu

    Nice to see NISA going Blu-ray. That was the main thing stopping me from picking up their earlier releases. Japan looks to be getting a Toradora! Blu-ray box soon too so I wonder if NISA have any intention of doing an upgraded release themselves?

  • PrinceHeir

    will get the double pack blu ray :)

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/EnvyMizuhashi Garyuu

    I am such a happy panda! xD Though I’m sad this is undubbed, but given the show’s premise, it should be fine.

  • Detsuahxe

    Sweet. I’ll probably be buying both.

  • raymk

    Yes I will buy that Katanagatari its one of the greats :). I’m mad that’s its not a dubbed version i’m not going to lie about that.

  • http://ggftw.com/forum/ Monkey_T

    Sucks that NISA doesn’t dub anime.

  • http://twitter.com/gespenstmkII Akai Ringo

    go NISamerica! i’ll certainly buy their BD of Arakawa Under The Bridge. i’m happy they forgo the costs of producing an english dub; it further reinforces the “love Japanese culture” part of watching something foreign, as well as forces people to work on their english literacy (not like reading english subtitles is really that hard anyway).

  • AzureNova

    Hell Yeah! Plain and simple lol

  • thebanditking

    Yes finally NISA anime releases on Blu-ray, definetly going to check these out.

  • Kitestwinblades

    Katanagatari in Blu-ray!? Yes! Day one!

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