Acquisitions Speculation - General

Mixed feelings hearing that SOL Press got Rakudai. I'm happy that it got licensed since it's a big title that has been begging to be localized. But at the same time, SP does not have a good LN track record. It's nice they are releasing V1-3 in just two weeks on the same day (no word yet on physicals I don't think), but their distribution of paperbacks is horrendous, and everything is always out of stock on amazon (not to mention no bookstore or rightstuf), and they take nearly a full year to release volume 2 for many of their series. They have 17 volumes to go (with more probably coming out in Japan), so we'll see I guess.
Also...
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Rahul Balaggan

The following is my personal opinion fully understanding that they are trying to release this series at a decent pace.

Today is the darkest day in overseas Light Novel history...

Timmaaah

I would have preferred any other publisher to get it, but I'm glad that at least someone picked it up.
It's always been one of the most requested series, and now I'm wondering why the other company's didn't pick it up is SP was able to.
Only thing I can think of is that the licence was too expensive for the others and SP wanted a big licence name to actually sell some books.

Korppi

@timmaaah said in Acquisitions Speculation - General [AnimeNYC Nov 15-17]:

Only thing I can think of is that the licence was too expensive for the others and SP wanted a big licence name to actually sell some books.

That will only matter if they come around to actually release the damn thing. Given their track record so far, 17 volumes and SP mix like oil and water...

Crimson Wise

Given my policy of buying official translations for series I've read the fan-translation of, I'll buy them. But yeah...

catstorm

This is a disaster, I always thought it was just an impossible license because no one picked it up despite the popularity.

But now sol press got it which has to be the english publisher with the absolute worst reputation and track record.

Terrence

I am really curious what happened with this license. Did it get priced out of profitability for other pubs, did Sol have some connection we don't know about, or did Sol sit on the license for a long while and just now announce it?

Or was it just a license publishers in the West didn't want to take a chance on for some reason?

We'll probably never know

Village Idiot

@terrence Looking at Sol Press' releases, and them suddenly dropping 3 volumes two weeks after announcement, they had likely already licensed this years ago and YP/JNC/SS couldn't tell everyone that it's already been picked up before Sol Press announced it or were just refused by the publisher on licensing it.

This actually makes me worried about other series with popular requests like Akashic Records/Date A Live :P

TheRedJet

@terrence they got it thanks to SentaiFilmWorks

Eternal Wanderer

@theredjet I know Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime but what do they have to do with the Sol Press?

TUSF

@eternal-wanderer Probably had a contact with them with a connection to the LN somehow. Their twitter announcement even publicly thanks Sentai: https://twitter.com/SolPressUSA/status/1190771869009502209

Special thanks to @SentaiFilmworks for helping arrange this announcement!

How they "helped arrange" the announcement is the question.

Village Idiot

@tusf Sentai may have referred the publisher to them/help them get in contact with the publisher.