Anime & Manga News

FUNimation Acquires Fullmetal Alchemist: Milos no Seinaru Hoshi and Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?

by Naruleach
May 22, 2011 1:30 AM | 61 Comments
According to their official website, FUNimation has acquired the U.S. theatrical, home entertainment, digital, and broadcast rights to Fullmetal Alchemist: Milos no Seinaru Hoshi. FUNimation will release the English dub version of the movie as "Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos" in theaters in early 2012 and on DVD and Blu-ray later in the Spring.

Also announced was FUNimation's acquisition of Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?. They have acquired the home entertainment, broadcast, digital, online, and merchandise rights for the 12 episode TV anime series and will release it as "Is This A Zombie?" on DVD in 2012.

Sources: Funi's official site, Funi's official site

Story by [profile=JohnTimbre]JohnTimbre[/profile]

20 of 61 Comments Recent Comments

i really thought Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? would never get licensed...i cant say i am not happy about it though :)

Jun 23, 2011 8:16 PM by Josephl64

YukiPwns00 said:
For me the good news is that if they have it in movie theatres I can go see it. The bad news is I'll have to watch Brotherhood. Nothing against FMA Brotherhood, but that doesn't give me a lot of time to watch it. But maybe I'll be able to read the manga quickly enough.


No, I don't think this movie has anything to do with Brotherhood.

But yeah, might they actually do any theatrical releasing for the movie?

Jun 23, 2011 8:12 PM by IceAndCream

totally getting Zombie, It's my second favorite Anime!

Jun 18, 2011 1:15 PM by melancholylover

Onibokusu said:
HatenaZubon said:
cheap thinpacks marked up in price because of mediocre dub acting :/


Ah ha, ah ha, haaaa. Oh boy, that was fairly funny. It's almost like you have no idea how much the average thinpak set costs... Oh, you probably don't. Right.

Imports ftw.


If you don't have the money to spend on R1 sets with a 'marked up' price, why would imports be 'ftw'? R2 imports are quite expensive. We're talking about US$350 for 26 episodes on Blu-Ray.



I think you misunderstood my post discussing the company's cost structure as me "not having the money" to spend. I have a fair number of Japanese R2 titles on DVD, as WELL as american thinpack licenced box sets.

Times like this that really go to show the American anime market is dying. Of course I know how much they cost: ~$30 for Funi's "SAVE" bundles with packaging so cheap, your DVDs are lucky to make it out of the packaging alive (or in some cases, even stay on the spindles). ~50 for most complete 26 ep shows, give or take 10 in either direction with slightly less horrid plastic casing, but color-printed sheet inserts, no extras.

And dubs. People can enjoy dubs if they want, that's a stupid argument for another day, but considering how much costs are cut to make these box sets, pretty much you can think of most of that small price label going towards recuperating licensing costs, paying for the dub, and a very very small portion of it actually attempting to bring the company back into the green zone. People hate when I say this, but maybe cutting dubs companies can actually break even or profit on their licenses.

Shame ADV is no longer around but they were one of the few companies that actually had PRINTED boxes. Nozomi / Right Stuf's titles all have full-color printed boxes, with some extras (not nearly close to what Japanese collectors get, but like postcards/posters).

And yeah I'm well aware what Japanese titles cost. However a single volume special ed blu-ray that would go for about $70 would include the blu-ray, a music CD/character single, artbook or poster/postcards, fully color-printed packaging with some extras (for example, every Amagami SS volume came with a full-size dakimakura-"style" bedsheet of the character that I'd easily pay $40+ for at a con) Idk about you, but I'd rather have the option of getting either the special edition or the "fast food" edition...and to do that the company should really cut costs somewhere...

I'm not asking for much, just would like to see more "goods" bundled with titles rather than this "fast food anime" we're seeing. Hell...at least improving the packaging a little bit. There was one title I got that had all the DVDs on a single spindle in a case...and it was a chore removing them from the spindle, they seemed like they would break every time. I just store them in a DVD binder for now because I don't want to risk damaging the discs. Sad news indeed.

May 24, 2011 1:14 AM by HadenaZubon

I'm surprised that they are doing a dub of Kore wa?, I knew it was popular but didn't think that it would get picked up this fast if ever. I'm a big fan of it so I'm excited but the name change is just stupid.

May 23, 2011 10:36 PM by itsthatguy

HatenaZubon said:
cheap thinpacks marked up in price because of mediocre dub acting :/


Ah ha, ah ha, haaaa. Oh boy, that was fairly funny. It's almost like you have no idea how much the average thinpak set costs... Oh, you probably don't. Right.

Imports ftw.


If you don't have the money to spend on R1 sets with a 'marked up' price, why would imports be 'ftw'? R2 imports are quite expensive. We're talking about US$350 for 26 episodes on Blu-Ray.

May 23, 2011 10:34 PM by no-thanks

Ugh Funi.

Would rather pay for special edition box sets with extras than waste that money on cheap thinpacks marked up in price because of mediocre dub acting :/

Imports ftw.

I heard (though only a rumor) that Shaft asked close to Bleach money to license for Bakem. Nobody would pay that for Bakem or Madoka.


Rightfully so, both achieved more, artistically, in story and content in 12-15 episodes than Bleach has in 200+.

May 23, 2011 9:36 PM by HadenaZubon

For me the good news is that if they have it in movie theatres I can go see it. The bad news is I'll have to watch Brotherhood. Nothing against FMA Brotherhood, but that doesn't give me a lot of time to watch it. But maybe I'll be able to read the manga quickly enough.

May 23, 2011 5:57 PM by YukiPwns00

Any aknowledgement of FMA is a great thing.

imperlast said:
Drizzy_Drake said:
Onibokusu said:
Too bad Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? is pretty meh. Come on FUNi, we need some better licenses here. I want to see some Michiko to Hatchin here.


You speak the truth, bro ^_-


damn straight


I wasn't too keen on 'Zombie desu ka? yet it seemed popular.
I though I was just getting old and picky when I dropped it, yet it seems I'm not alone. :D

May 23, 2011 4:38 PM by Gleam_Queen

Smochi said:
oh, I'm glad they licensed the FMA:B movie, I only like watching FMA dubbed :3

I'm happy about Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? too, I didn't know people hated it, I assumed everyone loved it, since it's full of fanservice and violence xD;

I didn't know people hated it either! The middle part was meh, but the rest was effen' hilarious!

May 23, 2011 2:11 PM by Zfish9

I'll be getting Zombie. I liked it and will gladly support it

May 23, 2011 2:11 PM by chinoman

NicoleXNorway said:
Funimation dubs usually are not that great. So I'm worried for Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka. It was good in Japanese. I'm sure subs are better than dubs in this case.


You do know they did the Baccano dub, right?

May 23, 2011 1:28 PM by Doodlittle

FUNimation grabbing Korezom is boyh good and bad.

Good: I can now see it on a 52inch screen, being my favorite from the Winter Season and a Personal Favorite overral for my own reasons

Bad: FUNimation is totally going to Slaughter all of Yuu's parts by having bad voice actresses, especially in EP 11and the singing parts in EP 12, Ayumu's Dialogue in EP 11 ect.

I think the only FUNimation dub I liked was Sekirei, if that was FUNimation

May 23, 2011 10:18 AM by P_D_S

mitamaking said:
I am surprised Funi grabbed Zombie, it was a Crunchyroll show. FMA:B movie is no surprise at all, except the fact it is a pre-license.


Without Navarre, they can't really take shots in the dark so they are going with shows that have already gained some level of popularity in legal streaming numbers. Legal streaming numbers are everything, if its popular, it will get licensed. Since things like Bakemono and Madoka did not get streamed legally worldwide, Funi may not be willing to chance on them which is perfectly reasonable from a business standpoint.

Case-in-point;
Kuragehime.
Shiki.
Fractale.
Numbers were solid from legal streaming at their sites. Fan survey showed people wanted it. Funimation got it.
Fairy Tail.
Panty and Stocking.
Is This A Zombie?
Numbers were good for CR legal streaming. They went after and got them.

May 23, 2011 1:42 AM by Whims

TeNoriTaiga- said:
i wonder how funimations is gunna cruise over the more slutty parts of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?


Funimation hasn't censored stuff in forever. They left the topless lolis in Strike Witches

May 22, 2011 11:36 PM by RyanSaotome

Great, can't wait to see the new FMA movie

May 22, 2011 10:42 PM by thegooseman

...did they change the name of this thread? I swear it had the English names before, like the title of the press release does.

If so, LOL

May 22, 2011 10:07 PM by Nyron

NicoleXNorway said:
Funimation dubs usually are not that great.


Really? I'm not so sure about that bub.

May 22, 2011 9:49 PM by no-thanks

NicoleXNorway said:
Funimation dubs usually are not that great. So I'm worried for Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka. It was good in Japanese. I'm sure subs are better than dubs in this case.


I personally liked the Summer Wars and Origins: Spirits of the Past dubs, both were from Funimation.

I think a dub for Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? can work out if they bring Johnny Yong Bosch and Cristina Vee in (or other L.A. based voice actors, not counting the Funimation voice actors who moved to L.A. like Vic Mignogna, Laura Bailey, and Travis Willingham).

May 22, 2011 9:23 PM by removed-user

Funimation dubs usually are not that great. So I'm worried for Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka. It was good in Japanese. I'm sure subs are better than dubs in this case.

May 22, 2011 9:16 PM by Nikoru-san

It’s time to ditch the text file.
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