When FUNimation picked up the streaming rights to Toriko, it was taken as a sign by many that if it did decently, we’d end up seeing the series hitting the home video format at some point. The show has now been airing for a year and it’s been doing very good numbers in Japan, ranking weekly just behind One Piece, and there’s even been a crossover or two as the audiences are similarly aligned at times. With it having been this long, we started to wonder why FUNimation hasn’t made the leap to the next level and talked about picking up home video rights and getting some of its dub on with it. The more we dug though, the more we found out that there’s something pretty strange going on here and you understand quickly why it’s taking such a long time to bring a popular show out. And unsurprisingly, a lot of it comes down to unusual licensing conditions that are being placed upon it since it’s viewed as a marquee property.
The Food Problem
Before the show can be properly licensed, the company that is licensing must go through a rigorous food testing series of events to make sure that nothing that is shown in the show is truly harmful. Considering the usual wide variety of delicacies that the show focuses on, it’s taking a lot of time to get all the recipes together and get it actually made. On the plus side, there is consideration for making an actual cookbook based on the series to supplement what the show can earn.
The Disc Problem
Because it is a series that’s all based in the world of food, the licensor has requested that each episode be treated like an individual piece of food. As we’ve seen the characters in the series engaging in a lot of really refined moments of enjoying the rare and tasty foods that have been acquired through their hard work, they’ve spent some good time savoring it. So the license request comes down to them wanting fans to savor each episode in the way the characters savor the food, so each episode would be released in single form to a DVD. Suffice to say, that’s a hard one to market at this point since there’s over fifty episodes as of this writing. It’s like Yu Yu Hakusho all over again almost.
The Packaging Problem
Because of this, there is also the problem of making a really good limited edition. While these kinds of sets have fallen off over the years, there’s a lot invested in the show and the request is that the same love and care is given to it with any non-Japanese release. Right now, it looks as though they’re working between the idea of some kind of massive orange breadbox to hold it, which has weight problems of its own, or coming up with some kind of flaming orange cornucopia to tie it all together. But there are fears of lawsuits coming from the Hunger Games folks because of that.
The Broadcast Problem
Again, because marquee value placed on it by the owner in Japan, they want it to get a wide broadcast. Considering how much success they had in years past with Dragon Ball Z being broadcast and some amount with One Piece as well, it’s a stipulation of no home video until it gets a proper airing that’s not online. Because of the cost to broadcast the show, the big boys like Cartoon Network have bowed out, after recently citing how slimmed down the Toonami budget is, and the only one that has come forward as a prospective partner is The Food Network. That actually would work well, but the problem comes in that they want to have all the food names localized and partnered up with their existing shows, so copious amounts of mentions of Paula Deen and just how much better all the food would be with a lot more butter.
It’s A Package Deal
Yes, we hear all the time that package deals don’t exist, so on and so forth, and that every show stands on its own. But with Toei being behind this series, they’re making the biggest and hardest demand of them all when it comes to allowing a home video release. In order for that to go through, FUNimation also has to license Sailor Moon. And frankly, there’s just no market for that. Who would buy Sailor Moon DVDs in this day and age? Toei has been begging for years for Sailor Moon to be put out again in a proper form, but nobody has taken the pennies on the dollar license that’s being offered. So their hope is to tie it to a fresh, new and far more popular series in order to get it out there. But like the other restrictions, it’s proving to be a real stumbling block
(And yes, this is all a joke if you couldn’t tell. So put down those pitchforks, Sailor Moon and Toriko fans! And no, FUNimation did not sponsor this post either as part of the conspiracy. The power of the moon compels you!)
