The second half of Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's OVA begins with a full-length rendition of the show's opening theme (complete with suitably insane visuals) - Quite the treat in and of itself, but this only paves the way the usual blend of the bizarre and razor-sharp wit that this franchise offers.First up, we're introduced to the dysfunctional defibrillator, which can extend the lives of things
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 W.T.F. Word just came out from ANN that Media Blasters, localizers of a wide variety of anime and manga, from the upcoming Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei to the classic GaoGaiGar to its wide array of adult materials under its Kitty Media Label, has laid off or furloughed 13 of its staff, which was fewer than 50 people prior to the layoff-- meaning at least 25% of its work force for the time being. Berserk Now, Media Blasters hasn't had any significant layoffs in recent memory, so I might have suggested that this was a trimming donw-- albeit a major one. But the inclusion of "furloughs" in the conversation says to me that Media Blasters is having trouble, or thinks it's GOING to have trouble, paying some of the employees it needs, which is not a good sign for the company. In the interest of fairness, I should mention that one of those laid off was a friend of mine, though that isn't really coloring my concern for the company itself, which has operated relatively under the radar for a long time, but put out some really great series, such as Genshiken, Berserk, Iria: Zeiram the Animation, Fujoshi Rumi, and others, and for as long as I've been a fan. I really hope they continue to be able to do so-- though the fact that they're laying off and not shutting down will hopefully help make that a reality. In the interest of fairness I should note that one of those laid off was a friend of mine, and no, I don't think I can ask for the gritty details! I do have an e-mail out to Media Blasters for further comment if they have any.      In any case, let's hold hands, sing Kumbaya, and pray that Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei comes out without a problem.
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Introduction: BAKA and TEST - Summon the Beast was just freshly licensed by FUNimation in the middle of the show's run in Japan (actually more towards the end-- I believe there are 13 episodes expected for the show, and they're up to episode 9 in Japan currently). They posted the first two episodes of the series (subtitled) on the FUNi video site, so I thought I should stop by and take a look.   <object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8g52A0qaq2A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0&amp;hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8g52A0qaq2A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0&amp;hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505" wmode="transparent"></embed></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param></object>   BAKA and TEST Episodes 1-2 Release Date: 03/05/10 Studio: FUNimation MSRP: Free      Plot: From the publisher:"Fumizuki Academy’s students can summon Avatars, pint-sized versions of themselves that battle using special powers. The students are grouped by skill level, and those in Class A are the brightest. Then there’s Akihisa Yoshii’s group – lowly Class F. They’re the worst on campus, and they’re about to take on the school’s best." Akihisa is a moron among morons, and somehow he got the bright idea to go to a school where the quality of your daily life is determined by your test scores. Joining him in class F are a childhood-friend type female, an upskirt photographer, a nice effeminate guy, a "cool" guy, and one of those sweet, buxom, kinda dim but booksmart gals, who would probably be in class A were it not for her poor health, which forced her to leave the testing room and get a zero. This last bit seems quite odd since we later learn that the tests are infinitely long and students can take them for as long (or as little time) as they want in order to boost their scores well above 100, so as long as she answered ANY questions she should have scored above a 0...but oh well, it's all in the name of art! Right? Why would they do it? Well, in this unique school's setup, students can summon an "avatar" (they're not blue), whose power and health is equal to their score in the subject which they choose to battle in. The battle has nothing to do with the subject itself, usually. Another interesting facet of the school: any class can challenge another class to a battle, and whichever class wins can choose to swap equipment with the defeated class. So, class F can trade in their shoddy tables and drafty classroom for the swank of class A, if they can win in an avatar-battle.   Tone: All of the above adds up into a tale that is sort of like a wacky parody of an MMO. Actually, throughout episode one's descriptions of how all this stuff works, I was thinking that I'd be amused to play a game like that. As for the anime, its over-the-top parody is mostly derivative of other titles, right down to the shot of the upskirt photographer finally getting a good peep and turning his face all grown-up and dramatic, which was ripped almost directly in style from Kyou no Go no Ni and Minamike (assuming that these series didn't already take it from somewhere I'm not familiar with, of course). Which isn't to say it didn't have some amusing moments, but at the end of the first episode I was pretty nonplussed: the show had moved so fast that I almost felt like I had just watched an amusing one-shot special, and didn't feel particularly interested in watching more.   But watch more I did, and while I also found the second episode amusing, I still didn't feel like I needed to see more of it. So, while I wouldn't say the show is "bad," I can't say I'm likely to become a regular devotee, either, although I could certainly imagine myself watching it idly in the background while bored or working on something else.   The director here is Shin Oonuma, who has assisted Akiyuki Shinbo on several productions before, and some of that influence is visible in Baka and Test, particularly in terms of pacing and dialogue. But it never feels as sharp or as clever. Those of you who like a very light-hearted comedy with some fanservice jokes and nothing very much to think hard-- or who just want something to watch as a timewaster --will probably enjoy Baka and Test's online streaming, and even I may watch more of it in this context. But as for buying a DVD collection? Based on this sampling, I just didn't find anything in it really all that funny-- you've seen these characters before, and you've seen these kinds of jokes before, and odds are good you've seen them done better, too.Screenshots: Pros and Cons:Pros:Cute character designsInteresting setupGood animation Negatives:Stereotypical charactersStereotypical jokesPayoff on interesting setup not as good as I'd hoped so far If, Then, But: If you like these then you might like Baka and Test. But... Yakitate Japan!! (but not as funny)School Rumble (but not as funny)Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (but not as funny)     Well, I've said my piece. Share yours in the comments!
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Here is a provisional tabulation of sales of the first DVD/BD releases of 2009 anime.Heading the list -- no surprise -- are Bakemonogatari and K-On. Next comes the new Suzumiya Haruhi, showing that Kadokawa's marketing sense reigns supreme. Then comes a big surprise, at least for me: the next title is Hetalia Axis Powers 1. Fujoshi power?Posted on 2channel 26 February 2010. Provisional listing of sales of first releases of anime which began broadcast in 2009 -- 32 titles in all:- rank/sales/broadcast season/title/media/release date - 1. 79,789　summer　 Bakemonogatari BD/DVD released 2009/9/30 2. 51,192　spring　 K-On! BD/DVD 2009/07/29 3. 31,851　summer　 Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu 2 DVD 2009/08/28 4. 28,027　winter　Hetalia Axis Powers 1 DVD 2009/04/24 5. 24,653　autumn　To Aru Kagaku no Railgun BD/DVD 2010/01/29 6. 23,434　spr　Fullmetal Alchemist 2 BD/DVD 2009/08/26 7. 20,945　sum　Hetalia Axis Powers 2 DVD 2009/10/23 8. 15,643　spr　Gintama 4 DVD 2009/10/28 9. 15,541　spr　Suzumiya Haruhi-chan no Yuuutsu DVD 2009/05/29 10. 13,983　spr　Queen's Blade 1 BD/DVD 2009/06/25 11. 13,904　aut　Darker than Black 2 BD/DVD 2009/12/23 12. 12,340　win　Natsume Yuujinchou 2 DVD 2009/04/22 13. 12,014　spr　Sengoku Basara DVD 2009/07/01 14. 10,497　aut　Kimi ni Todoke DVD 2009/12/23 15. 9,760　spr　Higashi no Eden BD/DVD 2009/07/29 16. 8,671　aut　Sora no Otoshimono DVD 2009/12/25 17. 7,917　spr　Hayate no Gotoku 2 BD/DVD 2009/08/21 18. 7,632　aut Seitokai no Ichizon DVD 2009/12/11 19. 7,593　spr Pandora Hearts DVD 2009/07/24 20. 7,250　aut Queen's Blade 2 BD/DVD 2009/12/22 21. 6,996　spr　Saki DVD 2009/07/15 22. 5,482　win　Chrome-Shelled Regios DVD 2009/03/27 23. 5,287　sum　Spice & Wolf 2 BD/DVD 2009/10/7 24. 5,281　sum　GA Geijutsu-ka Art Design Class DVD 2009/11/6 25. 4,799　sum　CANAAN BD/DVD 2009/10/21 26. 4,591　aut　Kaempfer BD/DVD 2009/12/23 27. 4,548　win　Maria†Holic DVD 2009/03/25 28. 4,523　sum　Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 3 DVD 2009/9/30 29. 4,459　aut　Nogizaka Haruka 2 BD/DVD 2009/12/23 30. 4,387　win　Minami-ke 3 DVD 2009/04/08 31. 4,283　sum　Princess Lover DVD 2009/10/23 32. 4,028　aut　Tegami Bachi DVD 2010/01/27For those who can read Japanese, here is the original list, which gives full titles and a bit more detail about the disc editions:2009年テレビアニメDVD/BD 1巻累計売り上げ(暫定版) *1. 79,789　夏　化物語 第一巻 ひたぎクラブ (完全生産限定版) [BD+DVD]: 2009/9/30 *2. 51,192　春　けいおん! 1 (初回限定生産) [BD+DVD]: 2009/07/29 *3. 31,851　春　涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱4 笹の葉ラプソディ(第1巻)限定版 [DVD]: 2009/08/28 *4. 28,027　冬　ヘタリア Axis Powers vol.1【初回限定版】 [DVD]: 2009/04/24 *5. 24,653　秋　とある科学の超電磁砲 第1巻 <初回限定版> [BD+DVD]: 2010/01/29 *6. 23,434　春　鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST 1 [BD+DVD]: 2009/08/26 *7. 20,945　夏　ヘタリア Axis Powers 第5巻(第2期)【初回限定版】���DVD���10/23 *8. 15,643　春　銀魂 シーズン其ノ四 1 (完全生産限定版) [DVD]: 2009/10/28 *9. 15,541　春　涼宮ハルヒちゃんの憂鬱とにょろ���ん☆ちゅるやさん 最初(第1巻) (DVD) 2009/05/29 10. 13,983　春　クイーンズブレイド 流浪の戦士 第1巻 [BD+DVD]: 2009/06/25 11. 13,904　秋　DARKER THAN BLACK-流星の双子- (1) [BD+DVD]: 2009/12/23 12. 12,340　冬　続・夏目友人帳 1 【完全生産限定版】 [DVD]: 2009/04/22 13. 12,014　春　戦国BASARA 其の壱 [DVD]: 2009/07/01 14. 10,497　秋　君に届け Vol.1 [DVD]: 2009/12/23 15. *9,760　春　東のエデン 第1巻 (初回限定生産版) [BD+DVD]: 2009/07/29 16. *8,671　秋　そらのおとしもの 限定版 第1巻 [DVD]: 2009/12/25 17. *7,917　春　ハヤテのごとく!! 2nd season 01 (初回限定生産) [BD+DVD]: 2009/08/21 18. *7,632　秋　生徒会の一存 第1巻 限定版 [DVD]: 2009/12/11 19. *7,593　春　PANDORAHEARTS DVD RETRACE:1 [DVD]: 2009/07/24 20. *7,250　秋　クイーンズブレイド 玉座を継ぐ者 第1巻 [BD+DVD]: 2009/12/22 21. *6,996　春　咲-Saki- 1 [DVD]: 2009/07/15 22. *5,482　冬　鋼殻のレギオス第1巻 (限定版) [DVD]: 2009/03/27 23. *5,287　夏　狼と香辛料II【1】 [BD+DVD]: 2009/10/7 24. *5,281　夏　GA 芸術科アートデザインクラス vol.1(初回限定版) [DVD]: 2009/11/6 25. *4,799　夏　CANAAN【1】 [BD+DVD]: 2009/10/21 26. *4,591　秋　けんぷファーVOL1(初回限定生産) [BD+DVD]: 2009/12/23 27. *4,548　冬　まりあ†ほりっく 第1巻 [DVD]: 2009/03/25 28. *4,523　夏　懺・さよなら絶望先生 第一集【特装版】 [DVD]: 2009/9/30 29. *4,459　秋　乃木坂春香の秘密 ぴゅあれっつぁ♪ 第1巻 <初回限定版> [BD+DVD]: 2009/12/23 30. *4,387　冬　みなみけ おかえり 1〔初回限定版〕 [DVD]: 2009/04/08 31. *4,283　夏　プリンセスラバー! Vol.1 [DVD ������������������������������������]: 2009/10/23 32. *4,028　秋　テガミバチ 1 [DVD]: 2010/01/27
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Or: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei licensed. Fans: Bwuh? ANN reports that Media Blasters has acquired SZS and will release the dvds in American starting in May. I love SZS, don’t get me wrong. But this is the nichest of niche anime. This show is the dream come true for otaku with a fetish for Japanese pop culture history. This [...]
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  It’s entirely too late at night for me to be creative. *Shrug* Better late than never. Although it didn’t even show up on the normal streams until yesterday anyway. Impressions: I think my patience with this series has just about run dry. Yes, Shaft, we know you can make very interesting and strangely directed opening sequences. [...]
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 Apparently not!... at least for now. Yesterday I reported that Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei would be given an English dub, only to find that reports varied on the matter. There were also some discrepancies on the price. So I got in touch with a Media Blasters rep and was told that at least as far as he knew, it would be a sub-only release, and the price would be $19.99. Sorry if we unintentionally got anyone's hopes up on the dub, though from the comments it sounded like most of you were excited for the release without it (as are we!). Thanks to omo for pointing out the discrepancy so that I checked it out, and again, our apologies for the error!
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So, there I was enjoying my nice slow morning with nothing to do but laze about. Then I left to clean up a little and when I come back I find that Media Blasters has finally confirmed their license of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. Because it’s obviously a little too much to ask for announcements to [...]
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Good news for those of us who live in the US of A~ Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei has officially been licensed for the US market. Specifically by Media Blasters. Not too sure about the Media Blasters…have they even produced some decent dubs…I don’t even think Dokuro-chan was dubbed, which I’m guessing they’ll do the same thing [...]
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To many, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei wasthought of as "undubbable." With fast-and-furious dialogue filled with TONS of references, many more obscure cultural references than even a hardcore western otaku might pick up on, most people figured that Zetsubou would see one of the increasingly popular subtitle-only releases, especially once rumor hit that Media Blasters would be licensing it.But AICN Anime reports on the copy text in the solicitations (which I have not yet seen myself), and says that an English dub is listed for the show, which is a bigger surprise to me than the license itself. This may also explain the staggered release instead of a box set.Now, you guys know that I'm generally a subaholic, but that I like to think I'm not a sub-elitist (I totally dug the Big Windup! dub, for example), but I'm a little skeptical of a dub of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. If it can be done really well it'll be awesome, but I'm just not confident that it can. On the other hand, there are LOTS of shots within Zetsubou Sensei where the character's mouth isn't shown on screen, so maybe it'll prove more doable than I expect.What do you think? Will the English dub make you more likely to buy the release, or  will you avoid it and stick with the subtitles?
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