One Piece relaunches simulcast

Fans of the anime series One Piece expressed a great deal of disappointment over the cancellation of the simulcast of the series, after an episode was leaked before it was broadcast. Months after the cancellation, Funimation has announced that it will relaunch the simulcast, starting with episode 415. 

The simulcast will begin at 9 pm Central time Saturday, Aug. 29, one hour after it airs in Japan.

The simulcast was first slated to begin May 30, but the leaking of the episode Funimation pulled the plug on that and two other simulcasts. The other two shows restarted in a week, but One Piece sat in limbo until now.

Live action Mushi-shi coming to U.S.

A live action adaptation of the anime series Mushi-shi, made in 2006, has been acquired and will be released in the U.S. by Funimation.

Mushi-shi, loosely translated as bug master, follows the story of one such individual as he wanders the countryside, assisting folks who have run-ins with these mushi. The mushi refered to here (mushi means insect in Japanese) are a cross between supernatural beings and bugs, and mushi-shi are sort of naturalists, taking a scientific approach to what appears to others to be ghosts or supernatural phenomena. 

To see a trailer for the upcoming release, click: Here!

Full Metal Alchemist to restart streaming; No word yet on One Piece

Following the news of the latest episode of One Piece being leaked on the internet prior to its first-ever simulcast launch, and the subsequent news of Funimation stopping streaming of two of three episodes currently being streamed, the company has announced it will being streaming Full Metal Alchemist once again. 

Funimation had stopped streaming on One Piece and Full Metal Alchemist after a hacker broke into Funimation’s servers and leaked episode 403 on the internet a week before it was to come out. Phantom – Requiem for a Phantom remained streaming. The announcement came in light of new security measures designed to keep hackers out.

No announcement has been made regarding continuing streaming of One Piece, though undoubtedly fans are hoping the series will start again.

Hacker ruins simulcast One Piece for everyone

Episode 403 of the anime series One Piece was to be the first-ever simulcast anime episode, streaming on Funimation’s website only an hour after its premier on Japanese television, but Funimation has announced the cancellation of the simulcast in light of the episode being hacked.

Apparently, someone hacked into Funimation’s servers and posted the episode on the internet a week early. As a result, Funimation has cancelled the simulcast for the immediate future. Funimation is currently investigating the incident, with full intention of prosecuting the perpetrator. 

Meanwhile, what could have been a move in a new direction of anime distribution has now been compromised, all because someone couldn’t wait a week. Had the simulcast been a success, it could have paved the way for a new accessibility for American anime fans.

J Geeks view: Way to ruin it for everybody, idiot.

One Piece to simulcast with Ep. 403

U.S. fans of the anime series One Piece have reason to rejoice: Funimation recently announced that the series will be broadcasting simultaneously in Japan and America starting with episode 403. 

Each episode will be available on the website www.onepieceofficial.com, and will be available within an hour of its broadcast in Japan. The video will then trickle down to Funimation’s partner sites. 

If continued, the trend of simulcasting could make anime more accessible to fans overseas, decreasing waiting time for those craving the latest episode. It also allows the company to control the online video dissemination, enabling them to make online video a viable economic model with the sale of advertising.