The FUNimation Panel started by Adam Sheehan taking the stage and presenting some facts and figures about consumer’s preferences and market statistics.

• Subs Vs. Dubs:  53% watch mainly dubs and 29% do so about half the time.  Thus, they will not do sub only releases.
• Blu-ray:  50% of anime viewers have HD televisions and 33% of them have a Blu-ray player or PS3.  Compared to the overall Blu-ray market which is 16%, anime viewers are ahead of the curve and FUNimation wants to reward that by releasing more on Blu-ray, either by up-converting or getting HD copies from Japan. (Depending on availability)

Blu-rays to look forward to include:  Basilisk (12/15)  Fullmetal Alchemist Movie (11/17)  Samurai Champloo (12/15)  Witchblade (11/3)  Burst angel (9/29)  Ichi (12/22) & Tsubasa Season 1.

FUNimation will continue to use internet to stream free anime episodes on Hulu, Gaia, Youtube and ANN.  Also, download to own on XBL, amazon.com, iTunes, PSN.  These efforts have done very well for the company.  FUNimation has the most series on XBL and PSN.  On iTunes, they are between NBC and HBO.  Ikki Tousen is an XBL exclusive and was the number one seller in overall TV downloads!

As for shodojo.com, the anime social networking application the company has been working on, they just weren’t happy with it and want the site to be right when it launches soon.  They want to have “watch & chat” where you have your friends watch episodes together and chat, or people from around the world.

One Piece simulcast is back Every Saturday at 9pm CST only 1 hour after the Japan airing at onepieceofficial.com.

FUNimation also stressed that they want fan feedback and involvement.  They mentioned their various avenues to interaction: blog.funimation.com, twitter:@FUNimation and facebook.com/FUNimation.

The company was also proud of Afro Samurai for being the first anime to win an Emmy with 100% of the vote.

This was followed by the usual current products being released.  Those can be found in the replay of our live blog event at the link below.  Of particular interest would be the Dragon Ball Z: The Dragon Box being release in the US.  42 remastered episodes in original 4:3 format.  Also, the Evangelion 1.01 You are (not) Alone which will available Nov 17th which incloudes a Collectors Booklet.  1.01 features cleaned up animation.   1.11 Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray will be released in the spring of 2010.  1.11 will have new scenes, removed scenes and cleaned up art.

New Announcements:

• FMA Brotherhood cast:  Maxey Whitehead will be doing Alphonse Elric (she’s a new comer from the theater),  J Michael Tatum will do Scar and Bryan Massey will be Isaac McDougal  (Aaron Dismuke will be in a later role)  Early 2010  (rest of the cast remains the same)
• X TV and OVA will be out in 2010 (Same Geneon Dub)
• Initial D Stages 1 – 4 & Extra Stage.  New English dub and uncut with the Original Music

Click Below to replay our live blogging.