[DVD/BD] Anime Limited licenses Free! (Seasons 1 & 2)

[NormanicGrav]

Announced via All the Anime Blog

One of the biggest hits in the past few years is finally coming to UK as today we (Anime Limited) are delighted to announce that we are bringing the series Free! -Eternal Summer- to the UK on Blu-ray and DVD.

Synopsis:

The cherry blossoms are blooming, the sun is shining, and it’s the perfect time to hit the pool! Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei are anxious to get into the water and warm up their winter muscles ASAP, but things aren’t all flip-turns and finish lines. Haru’s passion for swimming is drying up, which dashes Rin’s hope for a true rivalry. With their futures after high school looming over them, Makoto and Haru are having a hard time focusing. And a gruff new Samezuka student, Sosuke, appears just in time to jeopardize Iwatobi’s chance at nationals.

From Kyoto Animation comes the internet phenomenon that’s making a splash! Free! -Eternal Summer- is full of lovable characters, beautiful animation, and of course, MUSCLES!

“So it’s finally happening. You have no idea how many people we’ve spoken to at events and how many messages we’ve received from fans asking if there’s any chance of a release of Free! in the UK” says Andrew Partridge, President of Anime Limited. “Well now the UK will have the chance to get in on the action when we release Free! -Eternal Summer- this coming summer. It’s early days so I can’t elaborate on what we have planned, but I can say at this stage we will be releasing a Collector’s Edition version of the series.”

Our release, set to arrive this summer, will include both the original Japanese language audio with subtitles along with the English language dub produced by Funimation. And yes it will include the bonus OVA episode along with the main series, episodes 1-13. You can expect to see listings for this appearing with retailers to pre-order soon so keep an eye out for it.

Stay tuned for more details on this as they become available.

Signing out~!

Jeremy

[skittles]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

So like Madman they are only getting the second season? I would love to know the story behind Discotek getting Season 1 that seems to have screwed up many things for this show.

[BlaizeV]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

So like Madman they are only getting the second season? I would love to know the story behind Discotek getting Season 1 that seems to have screwed up many things for this show.

Apparently Crunchyroll were forced into buying the home video rights for Season 1 as part of a package which included the streaming rights they needed. It's seemingly become more and more apparent that those rights were for all English speaking Territories.

Discotek are blameless and to some extent you could argue from what we know so are Crunchyroll. When the rights were sold someone on the Japan side of things messed up is how I (in layman terms) see it at least.

[skittles]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

I wasn't blaming anyone. Unless someone did set out to consciously screw the shows release up, which would be unlikely I should think. But yeah, obviously something went wrong.

However, something doesn't quite add up if it is as you say. CR has the rights to S1 which they sub-licensed to Discotek. If they do have the worldwide rights then it seems bizarre that Madman and Anime Limited wouldn't also get sub-rights from CR. So there does seem something more to the story.

Equally odd I find is that MM and AL are willing to release S2 of a show alone, even if it was popular.

[Shiroi Hane]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

I would love to know the story behind Discotek getting Season 1 that seems to have screwed up many things for this show.

This from Justin Sevakis, prior to the announcement of Discotek's involvement:

I was unaware that this was now public knowledge. Okay then. Yes, Crunchyroll has the home video rights to FREE! Some licensors do not like to break up individual pieces of rights to a show -- if you want to license it, you have to license EVERYTHING. No streaming without home video, and vice versa. It's a way for them to cut down on paperwork -- smaller outfits simply don't have time to deliver masters and negotiate contracts and go over approvals multiple times with different companies for the same territory.

And so, Crunchyroll is now stuck with home video rights to this, and a small handful of other shows. What they'll do with those rights is anyone's guess -- maybe they'll sell them off, maybe they'll try to do a release themselves. But releasing DVDs and Blu-rays are a lot of work, and their previous path to distribution (via Bandai Entertainment) no longer exists, so they'll have to start from scratch. I don't think they'll just sit on the home video rights to this show; they're too valuable. The only thing I don't see happening is them giving the rights to Funimation. Those two will likely not work well together.

We can only wait and see what will happen. I just hope that both seasons get (well) dubbed, and with the same cast.

You can see the whole thing unfold in the thread over in the R1 forum: http://www.fandompost.com/oldforums/...FREE!-Season-1

[AbZeroNow]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

In the latest Newswire, Anime Limited confirms they only have the rights to the 2nd season right now
http://blog.alltheanime.com/newswire56/

[NormanicGrav]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

Amazon Updated its Anime Ltd schedule:

Collector's Edition Blu-ray - 6th June 2016
Standard Edition DVD - 6th June 2016

[Shiroi Hane]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

Now 25th July on both Amazon and AoL.

[Shiroi Hane]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

http://www.uk-anime.net/articles/An_audience_with_Anime_Limited's_Andrew_Partridge/2

Then there's Free: Eternal Summer, where [Funimation] did a collector's Premium Edition and we're doing a Premium Edition as well but off a slightly different angle - we're just not shying away from the homoerotic overtones and going completely to the wall on it to play to the fun of it. Either that'll work or people will hate us forever, but we'll find out in due course!

[NormanicGrav]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

Anime Limited 'AUKN' Update:

Re Free - again I will confirm a date when we clear approvals more than anything . I hate wasting everyone's time otherwise and shuffling around again at this stage.

Best,

AP

[Shiroi Hane]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

Shifted again to 2016-08-29, but per the last update take that with a pinch of salt until Andrew confirms.

[Shiroi Hane]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

http://blog.alltheanime.com/newswire84/

26th September – Free! -Eternal Summer-

The delay to Free! -Eternal Summer- has come about due to a production delay.

--edit--

And there was a different date confirmed prior to that:

http://blog.alltheanime.com/newswire81_82/

Looking ahead, we know a lot of you have been excited about our upcoming release of Free! -Eternal Summer- and today we can finally give you a preview of what to expect! Set for release on 22nd August, we’ll be bringing this to Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and standard DVD.

Today we can show you for the first time what expect from our Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, and will elaborate on what’s included below.

[http://blog.alltheanime.com/wp-conte...D-850x681.jpg]
[http://blog.alltheanime.com/wp-conte...-850x1154.jpg]

So lets get into the details of this set. First of all, in a first for any of our release we have a die-cut slipcover that will fit around the rigid case! The cut in the slipcover will show part of the image of the rigid case when inside.

Then as we said there will be a rigid case under the slip cover that will house the contents inside. Included in this are a digipack to store the two Blu-ray discs, a 64-page art book featuring loads of great visuals of the series, two stickers and 7 art cards.

In terms of what’s on the discs themselves, you get the entire series (13 episodes) with both the English dub and the original Japanese with English subtitles. In addition to that you will also get the bonus OVA episode included.

And as if that wasn’t enough there’s also episode commentaries, web previews for each episode of the series, an extended card collection gallery, illustration collection, memorial promo video, promo videos and the textless opening and closing title sequences.

You can pre-order your copy of Free! -Eternal Summer- today from the likes of Amazon, Base and Anime-on-Line. It’ll be available to order from our web shop in the coming week.

**Frequently Asked Question**
Why are you releasing the second season of Free!, but not the first season?

The reason is actually pretty simple, because we only have the rights to the second series. We want to make it known we are exploring whether bringing the first season might be a possibility in the future, but we have no news on whether that might indeed be possible.

In case you aren’t aware, Free! is a unique case where the English language rights to the two seasons are are not owned by the same company. So it’s more complicated than other titles would be. But like we say we are looking into whether anything might be possible and if there’s any news we’ll be sure to say.

[Shiroi Hane]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! Eternal Summer

http://blog.alltheanime.com/newswire88/

Free! -Eternal Summer- has had to be shifted by back one week and is now set for release on 3rd October. Delay in delivery of stock being the cause for this.

[WTK]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! (Seasons 1 & 2)

http://www.uk-anime.net/newsitem/Anime_Limited_license_Free!_Iwatobi_Swim_Club.html

The acquisition in the spotlight today is great news for anyone who has picked up the company's release of Free! Eternal Summer, as it's now been confirmed that this second season of the show will get to sit alongside a UK release of the first series, as Free! Iwatobi Swim Club will be coming to our shores on both DVD and Blu-ray in 2017.

[NormanicGrav]

Re: Anime Limited licenses Free! (Seasons 1 & 2)

All the Anime Newswire #93.1 – 28th Oct 2016

Day 1 of MCM London Comic Con has come to a close and it’s time to roundup what we (Anime Limited) have revealed throughout the day!

First of all, yesterday (Thursday) evening we revealed on our social media channels that we will be bring the first season of Free! Iwatobi Swim Club to Blu-ray and DVD in 2017!

Synopsis: When you’re ten, they call you a prodigy. When you’re fifteen, they say you’re a genius. Once you’re twenty, however, you’re just ordinary. Haruka Nanase has just three more years to go until he’s normal, but until then, he’s got an unusual obsession with water. In the morning, he soaks in the tub. For breakfast, he eats fish. And of course, he’s always wearing his swimming trunks – no matter where he goes! That’s pretty strange, given that he doesn’t swim much any more. Despite meeting his friends – Nagisa, Makoto, and Rin – in a swimming club in elementary school, he’s never shown interest in joining a new swimming club.

The reason lies in the past, with a trophy buried underneath a condemned building, and in Rin, who left to train overseas. The past isn’t so far away, however, as the four friends reunite – with Rin throwing their trophy away, and challenging Haruka to a race! What’s become of their friend, and why is it that even when Rin wins, he loses?

There’s no more info that that at this time, but please know it is coming and as soon as we have more details we can share, we will.