From the RACS blog:
Ledford’s (ADV) keynote address at AX was a prepared speech, and the mood was quite somber. He said this has been a very tough year for ADV, but that they are working on a deal with another Japanese partner for new licenses and additional financial backing. They are going to wait until Otakon to make any announcements about that to “wait for the blood to dry”. ADV’s characteristic ‘tower booth’ at AX this year has been replaced by a simple DVD sales table being run by an ADV employee who also owns a local DVD shop. Ledford said their partnership with Sojitz has been very difficult from the beginning because they tended to concentrate “on the spreadsheets”, which means they were worried about unit sales and ROI on their titles. It’s clear ADV was not producing for them in a satisfactory manner, causing them to pull the plug.
So the “renegade in the zaibatsu” theory does appear to be a bust. I could argue that’s what they want folks to think, since it would hurt (if not kill) their chances of getting a new partner if they badmouthed their old one, but we’ll just leave it at that.
In disappointing news, Robert’s just trasmitted my order to the USPS this evening; no indication that it’s been picked up yet. The holiday obviously has him behind. That means I won’t get it before the weekend.
In even more aggravating news, my creation, my artwork, my pride and joy…. has failed. I have to rebuild the damn switch again. Sigh.
And I’m busy as the proverbial one-legged man at work, and you don’t want to know about how it’s going here at home. I’ve been fortunate, but…
Just crap, man.
Edit: and in other news, the third Zero no Tsukaima series is as bad as the last one. At least it’s mildly amusing to see a hero that’s trying to get laid, although I think he’s trying with the wrong girl. Seriously, Saito is a masochist. He should have tossed that psycho tsundere for the hot maid a long time ago.
Well I’ll tell ya’, so far Bandai’s work on Gurren Lagann has been quality. Sure there are little quibbles here and there (“Team Gurren, ugh), but everything looks crisp and tight. Of course, most of this could have been ADV’s work in the first place.
I haven’t watched any of ZNT but I thought he was magically bonded to Louise and didn’t really have any choice about it. He can’t toss her.
Steven, correct. But in the first episode of the third series, the runes fade, and the familar contract ends, for some unknown reason. So he’s free. He’s also not the Gandalfyr any more either, so he is no longer expert with any weapon he touches. He’s got just a bit of skill from lessons in the 2nd series, and the sword shouts commands to him; he seems to have some “muscle memory” left over, but the combination makes him barely adequate, not the holy terror he once was.
I think it’s because he kissed Louise (for real this time, not as a part of the familiar-bonding ceremony) but then when he tried to go a step further and unlace her blouse, she went tsun-tsun and rejected him. Can’t imagine what her problem was….
Later, he tries again, and she blasts him, then makes him run behind the carriage the next day. While it’s refreshing to see a male lead who actually wants to score with one of the haremettes, Louise’s alternation of tearful insecurity with berserk smackdowns is tiresome. Yeah, she’s cute, yeah she’s a powerful mage when she can cast her spells, but she’s not growing up; she’s growing *down*. One minute she’s begging and pleading with Saito to never leave her, the next, she’s abusing him.
Needless to say, I won’t be watching episode 2. Figured I wouldn’t, but I thought I’d see if they’d gotten any better.