Total production controversy anime Aku no Hana’s evil continues even after its mercifully unwatched ending, with the disc’s release cancelled two days before release for reasons detractors suspect have everything to do with abysmally low double digit sales rather than the official explanation of unspecified “defects.”
The anime’s official site was updated 2 days before the first volume was due to be released with the news that the release would be “postponed until an undecided date” due to “defects with some of the products.”
Generously assuming there were actually any surviving pre-orders (NicoNico recorded only 50, not accounting for those later withdrawn), they will have to wait until a release date is re-announced, a fairly unusual demand which seems likely to squeeze out any remaining pre-orders.
Whether low sales were caused by or the cause of the exceptionally meagre extras offered – those who buy all 6 volumes garner only the chance to win one of 30 signed posters and 9 alarm clocks – only the prospect of the entire series having been secretly reanimated in the original manga’s ero-moe style or else Mariya Ise offering to spend the night with every buyer seem to have been able to save it, and both look equally fantastic prospects.
The looming prospect of three-figure sales (and many even doubt it will go this high) has long since prompted speculation about what would become of the disc release.
With the decision to cancel the release only 2 days before it was due to go on sale and with some stores reportedly already having received inventory, opinions are divided as to whether they somehow managed the unlikely feat of botching the disc’s tiny run and only realising after they were shipped, or else the cancellation amounts to a face-saving or loss-cutting exercise to cover up disastrous double-digit sales.
At least one “lucky” fan seems to have received his copy in spite of the supposedly non-existent release, adding to the mystery:
Surprised they weren’t flooded by international fans ranting and raving about how amazingly unique and original the decades old concept of rotoscoping is.
If you want to makw popular manga into anime, DO NOT CHANGE character designs too much. Definitely not TO clearly UGLIER!
“makw” should be “make”.
Strange thing is the guys translated well into rotoscoping, but the girls… wow, could you pick someone more hideous?
The most important thing here is to ensure that the director and studio staff are blacklisted and never given the opportunity to ruin a title again.
You saw what s♥♥t the director and writer of Gundam Seed produced, and they’ve never been let near a popular title since.
Speaking as an animator, rotoscoping is the work of the devil. There is a reason no one uses it.
speaking as an animator…. you are absolutely right!!!!