Of course, I’m sure everyone knows that by now. I started writing this post a while ago, but I never got a chance to finish it. And I’m sure it’s equally obvious that I can’t wait until Bandai releases it. That doesn’t mean that I won’t get the series DVD boxset .

I always find it nice when anime shows that I like get licensed. I feel as though having licensed anime helps spread anime to a larger populace. I’m sure a great majority of anime fans (more casual than anybody who would bother to read this blog) don’t watch fansubs, since it’s illegal and all.

I always get mixed feelings about licensing, though. Disregarding the feeling that I can no longer leech to watch the anime/manga shows that I like to watch (and that I’m basically honour-bound to rent/buy the anime/manga that I leeched,) I feel somewhat afraid of what the American companies will do to the shows. Putting companies like 4Kids on the side for the moment, you have to wonder how Bandai will adjust to all of the cultural references Pani Poni Dash! makes, a lot of which goes right past me until the notes appear. They could choose to address them and provide some sort notes (either in some type of booklet or on the screen like fansubbers do) or if they will just ignore and replace all of the verbal references to some kind of American ones. I’m sure many of you agree with me when I say that I’d rather see the former happening rather than the latter.

On a not so related note: I did finally finish watching the Meloncholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. I can say that I finally understand why they decided to do the episode skipping. The last episode of the series (The Meloncholy of Suzumiya Haruhi VI) would have really sucked as the sixth episode. Even worse, Someday in the Rain wouldn’t have been a very good last episode.