Nakama Britannica

As the year draws to a close, I’ve been scanning the lists of anime to be released in the UK on DVD at Christmas with a slightly jaundiced eye. Don’t get me wrong – I’m more than grateful for what we have available now on R2, especially when I think back to the turn of the century(!) when all I could find in our local HMV was, well, next to nothing, and certainly nothing that I wanted to buy…)

You see, I’m one of those anime fans who likes to own the DVD of a favourite series so that I can watch it in its full glory as the makers intended, and watch it again…and again… But I’m fed up with our lowly status in the UK as the poor relations in anime consumption. I’ve read about the problems faced by the companies – and I truly understand that it’s difficult and expensive to get a BBFC license (and, as Sy’s recent review of ‘Megaman’ shows only too well, something weird is going on there when they give a kid’s anime already shown on TV a 12.) But I’ve only to open an American or French anime magazine to start drooling over the releases that they’re being treated to abroad, even in these straitened times, not to mention the series available on cable or satellite. No wonder so many fans are tempted to watch online, legally or illegally.

But it’s not just with the R1 releases that we’re lagging behind in the UK. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the temptation of series (as yet unlicensed for the US) that are brought so enticingly to our attention. Who hasn’t recently had a conversation with a fellow fan that left you feeling distinctly behind the times because they had watched the latest episodes of ‘Soul Eater’, ‘Vampire Knight – Guilty’ or ‘Shippuden’ - and you hadn’t?

It’s probably an insoluble problem, given the worldwide credit crunch and the proliferation of fansubs on the net. But – if only there were some way of speeding up the licensing process – I dare to think that there’s still an eager market out there.

So, dearly beloved Anime Distributors, please license these series so that we can go out and buy them. Subbed or dubbed or both, I don’t mind. Yup, I’d save up my hard-earned cash to have a copy of the following titles. Just as I recently bought ‘xxxHOLIC’ (thank you, Manga Entertainment, from bringing that series to these shores!)

So, here’s my Christmas Wishlist for 2009:

Slice of Life/Drama – Antique Bakery
Magical Girl – Shugo Chara and Shugo Chara Doki
Action – Nabari No Ou
Yet More Action – Soul Eater
BL/Comedy/Slice of Life – Junjou Romantica
Gothic Romance – Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty
Mecha/Drama – Code Geass, Seasons 1 & 2

Best New Hope for 2009 – ’07-Ghost’. Can’t wait for this one, just announced for April, based on the manga by Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara (first volume due to be released by Go! Comi any moment now.)

These are my suggestions – but what are yours?