Plan of Attack

Hey everyone,

So I'm not much of a forum person, so you'll have to excuse me if this is the only post I make, but I wrote a follow-up article on my "Why 'Case Closed' CAN succeed in America' article, where I pretty much have a plan of attack on how we can help save the show:

examiner.com/article/how-fans-can-help-save-case-closed?cid=db_articles

Obviously you can read all the details there, but the long and short of it is that a plan of attack could be more effective then people just randomly buying DVD sets (though as stated in the article, that certainly won't hurt either). So here's the article. Hopefully you guys can share it on other forums, in podcasts, Twitter, Pinterest...whatever. I just feel that the "Case Closed" community as a whole needs to actually do things as a group to change things. Who knows, maybe Save Case Closed could even be retooled into a (much better) version of the SOS (Save Our Sailors) site rather than just a podcast? I don't, but feel free to sound off with your thoughts.

Well the reason for the Podcast is to give people the info on the status of the show and what FUNimation is planning on doing or not doing. The Podcast and the website and forums give people info on the show before they know what they are buying. I agree with most of the points you have mentioned except for the manga one because its Viz Media as you stated and it has nothing with putting money into FUNimation's pockets which is one of the main reasons why FUNimation won't dub more episodes. I really wish FUNimation would stream episodes on there site instead of Hulu because then they will really see how much people like the show. Right now the Case Closed community is split between people like Save Case Closed and the others who believe its a lost cause. I said this before and told "Professor C" that this thing will go on for a couple more years until FUNimation even considers dubbing more seasons it won't be an overnight thing and that's where the misunderstanding happens between the two parties. The people who disagree with us believe that we think FUNimation will dub more seasons overnight but we don't think that at all, we just want to do are part in just giving FUNimation the idea and then maybe dub more seasons. I really don't blame FUNimation at all on how they marketed the series because they know how the majority of american casual anime fans are, they like action and mindless violence anime's that don't make them think. I digress... overall i truly do believe FUNimation will dub more seasons of Case Closed, my time frame will probably be 6-12 yrs from now and if that times passes I still won't give up on this.

renzo210 wrote:

Well the reason for the Podcast is to give people the info on the status of the show and what FUNimation is planning on doing or not doing. The Podcast and the website and forums give people info on the show before they know what they are buying. I agree with most of the points you have mentioned except for the manga one because its Viz Media as you stated and it has nothing with putting money into FUNimation's pockets which is one of the main reasons why FUNimation won't dub more episodes. I really wish FUNimation would stream episodes on there site instead of Hulu because then they will really see how much people like the show. Right now the Case Closed community is split between people like Save Case Closed and the others who believe its a lost cause. I said this before and told "Professor C" that this thing will go on for a couple more years until FUNimation even considers dubbing more seasons it won't be an overnight thing and that's where the misunderstanding happens between the two parties. The people who disagree with us believe that we think FUNimation will dub more seasons overnight but we don't think that at all, we just want to do are part in just giving FUNimation the idea and then maybe dub more seasons. I really don't blame FUNimation at all on how they marketed the series because they know how the majority of american casual anime fans are, they like action and mindless violence anime's that don't make them think. I digress... overall i truly do believe FUNimation will dub more seasons of Case Closed, my time frame will probably be 6-12 yrs from now and if that times passes I still won't give up on this.

I just want to clarify that I don't dislike the podcast nor am I saying it's useless. It has lots of value. I guess I would just like to see a more unified effort, and a site that at least has strategies for fans to join in would be very helpful. You're right, this won't be an overnight success. It may take awhile. But I would like to see fans join together in efforts that would actually catch Funimations eye rather than just spreading around a random sell every few days. Again though, a sale is a sale, so I don't want to discourage anyone. But imagine how that would look if several of the CC DVD's appeared on the best selling list on Amazon or (dare I say it) if the sets sold out on two or three sites on one day. Can you imagine the attention that would get? Things like that wouldn't be extremely difficult to pull off, so why aren't we planning for it?

Yea i would like to see the fans join in together, but it won't happen, we will continue to be divided and i have come to terms on that when i started helping Save Case Closed. It's hard to get people to do something in this time of age, you have to hit them across the face with a hammer to get a point across. FUNimation has stated before that they are aware of people like us wanting more seasons of case closed dubbed, they even have also stated that they are done answering questions about case closed at conventions. To sell out Case Closed DVDs are two or three different sites is asking a little too much from fans, especially when most of them are under the age of 21 and don't have a job or money for that matter. Hell Case Closed season one is in the top 70 of top selling anime and that's a big improvement, for it to be the Top 10 well that will take a couple years and case closed would have to be on toonami or an anime network for people to gain interest in the show for them to buy the DVDs. We have sites and a forum for people to join in and share their strategies and we have told them many times they can join in on the effort. All the information is at their disposal here and in the podcast. I don't want to sound like a downer or anything, just that some of your strategies are a little extreme and your setting the bar a little too high too soon. I know you really want to have Case Closed dubbed again but if we can hit on short term goals it will better help the effort.

renzo210 wrote:

Yea i would like to see the fans join in together, but it won't happen, we will continue to be divided and i have come to terms on that when i started helping Save Case Closed. It's hard to get people to do something in this time of age, you have to hit them across the face with a hammer to get a point across. FUNimation has stated before that they are aware of people like us wanting more seasons of case closed dubbed, they even have also stated that they are done answering questions about case closed at conventions. To sell out Case Closed DVDs are two or three different sites is asking a little too much from fans, especially when most of them are under the age of 21 and don't have a job or money for that matter. Hell Case Closed season one is in the top 70 of top selling anime and that's a big improvement, for it to be the Top 10 well that will take a couple years and case closed would have to be on toonami or an anime network for people to gain interest in the show for them to buy the DVDs. We have sites and a forum for people to join in and share their strategies and we have told them many times they can join in on the effort. All the information is at their disposal here and in the podcast. I don't want to sound like a downer or anything, just that some of your strategies are a little extreme and your setting the bar a little too high too soon. I know you really want to have Case Closed dubbed again but if we can hit on short term goals it will better help the effort.

Actually, getting it in the Top Ten wouldn't be difficult at all. That list is updated on an HOURLY basis, not all time (I'm not sure if you're aware of that, but that's how they work it)! Secondly, these are the number of DVD's Amazon currently has in stock (if their site is to be believed):

Season One: 9
Season Two: Unknown (the 9 to 11 shipping time suggests it's backordered though...a good thing, really)
Season Three: 2 (it was 3 this morning, but I guess they sold a set)
Season Four: 10
Season Five: Unknown

Movie 1 & 2 Combo: Unknown
Movie 3: 6
Movie 4: 17
Movie 5: 4
Movie 6: Unknown

Alright, so let's add up the DVD's we know they have in stock. That's 48 disks altogether. I hate to say it, but that REALLY isn't a whole lot! You could wipe that out if 24 people bought two disks each one day alone. If my calculations are correct, that amount equals $709.78.

Which, to me, doesn't really seem like enough to make a huge difference.

So maybe I'm wrong, but to me this WOULD be a small step! But it would be a step none-the-less. If Funimation is aware of the demand but simply won't answer any more questions because the answer is always "we didn't sell enough" then you need to take the plan to the next level. You admitted in one of your podcasts that if 2013 passes without a new release then it's unlikely we would get one. But when you look at those numbers you realize just how short your ambitions really are. Well, okay, not you PERSONALLY, but saving a show isn't about small steps its about big steps! Again, I want to mention the "Everwood" situation. When fans found out that there wouldn't be anymore DVD releases due to poor sales (and the fact that the show was canceled, so it wouldn't be promoting anything anymore) the fans got serious about buying the sets. It took a year, but they finally got them.

And they planned "Buy Everwood on [insert day]" campaigns and everything. The sad truth is, we need to plan bigger. I love your podcast. I love what you've been trying to do. But having goals like getting a mere 250 signatures on a petition or 300 likes on a Facebook page isn't setting the bar anywhere near where things are going to make a difference. That said, it is a start. Maybe the next step would be to expand the Save Case Closed website into something that has actual content. Have an introduction to the series, characters, and manga on there. Have articles explaining the history of the show in Japan, how it came to America, and how it underperformed. Then you have a section telling fans how they can help bring the show back, which will include "event days" where people pick a day to buy disks, request it on Hulu (btw, doing that would REALLY not be difficult), or even just go to Funimation panels at conventions wearing "Bring us season 6 of Case Closed" shirts or something.

Obviously the podcast would stay up and be a main part of the site, but maybe even that could expand by putting it on iTunes. If all the FB fans subscribed to that in day one then it has a good chance of becoming one of the top podcasts that people subscribe to that week (which would alone be newsworthy for a news site like Anime News Network). And yes, I want to knowledge that this is a lot of work and WAAYYY more than one man can do! That's why it might be good to get staffers onboard to help with the content. People who are passionate about bringing the show back and want to truly make a difference. Band some of these people together and you could at the very least have the top rated Case Closed website if done correctly. Heck, I'd obviously be willing to help with some of the editorials and features.

Now, I guess I should ask, but out of curiousity what is YOUR plan of attack and what goals are you aiming for! I don't say that arrogantly, I just want to know so that I know what page we're both on.

Mind you im not the main guy who runs Save Case Closed Podcast, im just doing my part in the whole movement. I made the website and forums for the movement and "Professor C" head of Save CC is the one who saw these and wanted to make them the official website, i've also gotten amazon.com to be an affiliate for the movement. If all what you said is what you want out of us then you should be the one who makes this website and puts all this info for the series, it is your idea after all and is a good one. I'm only one guy and can only do so much, i've done a lot in just a short amount of time and have put money into these forums already and plan on giving the website and the forums their own domain within these next months. The petition thing wasn't my idea, im not a big fan of petitions myself that was what a member did to help out which is good because they are putting in effort. As for what is my plan of attack, i've done what i wanted to do and will do my best to maintain these forums as long as i can. Like i said this isn't my idea or movement, im just another member a part of it doing my part to help out the effort. These questions are best left for Save Case Closed head guy. But like i said if this is what you want people to do what you explained above then you should be the one that gets it going and acting on your plans to get the ball moving

All I can say is, I am doing everything I know how to do for the movement. I have a life outside of all this, that's very important too me. I always enjoy peoples ideas, but they must be the ones to put them into action. As for me, I'm a Pod-caster, and the developer behind the entire movement. I'd say I've done my part, and now it's time for the community to grow a pair and do something bold of their own.