Two of the more enjoyable series that we got to check out back in 2012 through NIS America are now getting ready to exit from the North American market as it’s been revealed that the licenses for them expired this week. The two shows have been completely sold out on the wholesaler level for awhile now, so the only copies out there are those that are actually in retailer hands or the secondary market. I definitely recommend both of them, whether limited edition or regular edition, as they’re both different kinds of fun.
You can read our reviews of the Occult Academy series and the Anohana series as well.
Occult Academy: In the year 2012, the world is a wasteland invaded by aliens. Time travelers like Fumiaki are sent back to the year 1999 in order to destroy the “Nostradamus Key” to prevent the apocalypse. In 1999, Maya, the daughter of the former principal of Waldstein Academy (a.k.a. Occult Academy), returns to the academy to replace her father. Despising her father’s obsession with the occult, Maya is hell-bent on running the school into the ground out of spite. Her plan is interrupted when she meets Fumiaki and learns of the forthcoming destruction of the world. They form a pact to look for the key.
Anohana: Jinta Yadomi and his group of childhood friends have become estranged after a tragic accident split them apart. Now in their high school years, a sudden surprise forces each of them to confront their guilt over what happened that day and come to terms with the ghosts of their past. With their childhood friend Menma back in their lives, the “Super Peace Busters” put their personal issues aside and work together to grant her one true wish. But to do it right, they’ll have to overcome years of shame, hard feelings, and heartache.
[NIS America] Anohana and Occult Academy licenses have expired; both are sold out at wholesale & OOP (via RACS). pic.twitter.com/aSrb0ZeBCL
— WTK (@WTK) October 2, 2015
Can’t say I’m too surprised to see Occult Academy going out-of-print (as it was never that popular to begin with), but AnoHana’s license expiring is what really caught me off-guard. I thought with the recently-aired (and streamed) TV special that it would stay in print for at least another six-to-twelve months. Something tells me it won’t be too long before someone picks up the license and runs with it. (Much as I’d like it to be anyone but Aniplex, my guess is Aniplex will license-rescue the series… and jack up the price to twice the amount of the NISA limited-edition version… ugh.
It’s a possibility but AnoHana is a noitaminA show and that usually means that the deciding licensor is Fuji TV. A lot of Aniplex shows that aired on noitaminA have wound up in FUNimation’s hands due to Fuji TV having ultimate control over the license.
So there is a possibility that FUNi may get their hands on AnoHana and finally give it a dub.
Well, that’s a bummer. I always planned on buying AnoHana at some point…I just never did. And after doing some Amazon searching — yikes! — it’s expensive! Hopefully another distributor gets a hold of them. It’s just a shame because NISA does such stellar work on their premium editions. **Take note FUNimation.**