@Dusty:
On the flip-side of that though, we're consumers but that doesn't give us the right to act like children who didn't get a new toy. There are certainly far more important things in life than One Piece, and although frustrating as it is. We cannot react with anything more than a "well gee, that sucks. Whats the deal funimation?" otherwise we are just over dramatizing about entertainment.
This overall sums up my feelings on the matter (only disagreeing on the concept of "it was a lie", more on that later)
I get that a few people here are pissed, I've had a lot going on in my life (Car Repair this month, ugh) so the delay actually HELPED me save a bit of cash, but I am very much anticipating Thriller Bark, so I DO get it. Delays for something you're waiting for suck. This is true. Nobody is saying it isn't. But going on and on and on about how pissed you are at FUNimation isn't helping anything. It's not moving the discussion in any kind of a meaningful direction nor is it going to make FUNimation release it any sooner.
If you want to do something, contact them and make your opinion known. You can express yourself freely and give your opinion on the matter, but be respectful. If you start going off in the email it'll probably go straight to trash as soon as the person reading it sees a swear word. But that's what you can do, and then move on and let it go.
Also, I completely disagree with the concept that this was a case of FUNimation "Lying". This being a "Lie" implies that from the beginning FUNimation had an intent of malice and I know for a fact they wouldn't do that. When they gave the date originally, I'm positive it was what they believed to be the truth at the time.
This isn't a matter of Malice, it's a matter of incompetence. The second they knew it was going to be delayed, they should have prepared a press release or a website post or something. Simply pulling it from the schedule with absolutely no other word is wrong and stupid and frustrating. They screwed up. Plain and simple. No two ways about it.
But they aren't INTENTIONALLY trying to screw us.
Also, for people still talking about the whole "FUNimation likes Fairy Tail better" conspiracy… stop... There are several more plausible reasons why that show got a full year schedule and One Piece didn't. My money is on Toei. Toei are bad to work with. This is a known fact. They screw up things left and right.
Also, no, before someone says it, Toei isn't completely hands off here. It's not as if Toei says "Ok, you can have this chunk of Episodes, have fun!" and then FUNimation torrents some DVD rips of One Piece to start working. Toei actually has to send FUNimation master audio and video files, scripts, etc. They have to provide FUNimation the materials to work on the show. They also draw all the DVD cover art for FUNimation.
When FUNimation was releasing Dragonball Z, Toei gave them very poor multi-generational masters with bad color and film damage. They also, quite arbitrarily and with no stated reason, refused to give FUNimation the Next Episode Previews. FUNi finally got them for the DragonBox release, but specified that the DragonBox masters were only to be used for the DragonBox release, so FUNimation hasn't been able to use them again. If you notice, not a single other American release of DBZ, Even the new Blu-rays, which came after the DBox, have the Japanese Next Episode Previews, and any found on the disc were made by FUNimation.
All we need is to find out that Fairy Tail's licensor, A-1, immediately overnight shipped ALL the masters to the entire episode order to FUNimation the day they got the license, whereas Toei likes to send them in 15 episode chunks for the same arbitrary reason they also refuse to give FUNimation DBZ NEP masters.
Also, getting the license to a batch of Episodes isn't one lump transaction. They have to secure Digital streaming rights as well as Home video rights, and then, there are smaller rights issues like Music and making sure all the actors agree. Yes, an actor can refuse to sign off. They then have to mute the Japanese actor's part on the Japanese track. See "Kodocha" for more information. We already know there are licensing issues with music, they were forced to stop dubbing the OP/ED songs and we've lost a few ending themes entirely as a result of it. We ALSO know that Toei likes to get approval for certain things. The Strawhats VAs all had to go through approval processes that apparently go so far as to them having to get approval from ODA HIMSELF! Also, we know Toei provided FUNimation with a master list of terminology they expect FUNi to use that originally said "Zolo", "Merry Go" et al. We know that when this list says stupid crap, FUNi has to appeal a term on the list with Toei and it's a lengthy red tape process where they have to find proof from the manga or a similar source to show why a particular term is more correct than another. The actual translator working on One Piece posted here and told us all of this including asking us for some help providing said piece of proof back when the Dub was first starting.
Name me ONE of any of the above problems I just mentioned that has occurred with ANY A-1 Produced anime, and I'll back off this point, but to my knowledge, Fair Tail has never had any of the above issues, and A-1 doesn't have a reputation for being asshats like Toei does.
With ALL THAT in mind, I DO NOT Blame FUNimation for not giving us a concrete, year-long plan for releases when they know full well that Toei are terrible to work with and just about any of the things I just mentioned could go wrong and delay a release calendar.