Fri 2008/09/26 09:08
Actar asks a good question below and brings up an interesting topic. A large percentage of income for the anime studios is through DVD's. The folks at Nitro Plus/Gonzo told me that if the DVD's don't sell then they really don't make any money. One of the ironic things is however that one can download much higher quality resolutions than DVD. I personally don't buy anime DVD's but if I like merchandise then I will go out and buy. The Anime studios also make money through licensing - will ask what percentage of income that is. Another thing is the cost of a DVD - about 5,000 yen or more for 2 episodes - and would one not feel like an utter fool buying a Gurren Lagann DVD with that horrible episode (ep4?) on it? Buying a DVD with two fillers also seems like a raw deal. You us be buying Japanese DVD's? How about DVD's released in your region? I'm guessing they are dubbed but include the raw track? Original text from Actar below.With the release of the Lucky Star OVA DVD today, I have to ask, are Anime DVDs worth it? I have been tempted to get the official Code Geass R2 DVDs. The Strike Witches DVD is also released today. Many Anime fans, including myself, understand only a little Japanese and depend on the wonderful fansubbers. These people put in their time and effort to share the joys of Anime with fans around the globe. That being said, the official Anime DVDs that are released in Japan, though they have many extras, a cool box design, awesome DVD extras and sometimes improved/uncensored animation, have no subtitles and are usually very costly to import. Do you get Anime DVDs? This does not include english DVD releases by Bandai or other companies that have dual audio tracks. However, those are also pretty expensive and we do have the fansubs. What's your stand? Will you be getting the Lucky Star OVA DVD?
Posted on Fri 2008/09/26 09:08 by
If i have money, i may get those that i really like, eg Lucky Star.
(ID #313460) Posted on 2008/09/26 01:52
Not applicable. I live in a country where original Anime DVD are non-existant~ When they do hit our coasts, their prices are expected to be sky high~ What's the use of buying a DVD without translations? Subs+Downloads are the only way for me right now.
(ID #313476) Posted on 2008/09/26 02:17
Lucky star is always WORTH IT!
(ID #313492) Posted on 2008/09/26 02:38
I can't agree more. Lucky Star, absolutely amazing. On another note, licensed anime aren't exactly that expensive when released on DVD. You have to choose where you buy basically. Quite a few stores charge retail price ($28+) while others have sale preices (under $20). BestBuy is usually where I go to pick up a new release for cheap. Compared to the cost of a 1/8 scale figure you can buy 2, 3, possibly even 4 DVDs. Wait 3-4 weeks for supply to normalize and you can buy for half the price from places like Amazon. I mainly buy DVDs and know where to get some good deals. The figure scene is relatively knew. I've spent more on 5 figures in 2mos than what I've spent in the past 3yrs on DVDs.
(ID #313716) Posted on 2008/09/26 07:10
"Do you get Anime DVDs? This does not include english DVD releases by Bandai or other companies that have dual audio tracks." Why would R1 DVD's not count? I've downloaded the R2 ISOs for fansubbing purposes, but like you pointed out, importing them cost too much. Other than the extras, I don't see much point to it. Now that I think about it, R1 DVD's can be just as great as their R2 equivalent. My friend pre-ordered Emma:A Victorian Romance DVD. She got the limited edition book that came with Japanese release(plus it had been updated!).
(ID #313501) Posted on 2008/09/26 02:52
BTW European DVDs (including United Kingdom) are R2 not R1...
(ID #314608) Posted on 2008/09/27 04:04
I love Lucky Star so I will DL it. I would prefer to buy it, but with recent experiences with many bad discs form Bandai, I will not buy any of the titles at this point. I had a hell of a time with Gurren Lagann discs.:p
(ID #313502) Posted on 2008/09/26 02:55
i dunno. it's weird for me. unless i know i really like the series and must buy it, then yes. like Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage for example. been picking the volumes up on day one... other than that, i only pick up other anime DVDs if they're cheaper in thinpak/cardboard fold boxsets.
(ID #313507) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:02
What really sucks about R2 DVD's are the fact that they typically come in only 1-2 episodes per volume and cost at least $20 more than a an R1 DVD. But I hear that the US publishers compress the episodes to fit more into a DVD, which also results in degraded quality. Anybody know if that's true?
(ID #313508) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:03
Well naturally. They had to balance between quality and quantity, but I doubt it would be that big of a difference unless both are compared side by side.
(ID #313525) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:25
Not really or not enough for it to be noticeable. I buy only R1 releases and the quality is quite good. The video quality for the Haruhi Suzumiya and Code Geass series is pretty exceptional.
(ID #313721) Posted on 2008/09/26 07:15
Ah, and forgot to mention Vandread and Full Metal Alchemist...
(ID #313723) Posted on 2008/09/26 07:16
Technically there should be no quality difference between r1, r2, r3 or r4 discs (r5 discs are different, usually poorer), but historically if there's any difference between r1 and r2 discs, it's always the r1 disc being worse in quality, never the r2. Not sure if this is due to compression issues or what, but generally if you wanted top quality you'd hope for a r2 version.
(ID #313809) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:41
The important thing is the video format not the region of the disc, US (R1) and Japan (R2) both use NTSC video so no conversion is necessary for the video stream, it would be a waste of time and a useless extra cost so the quality is probably exactly the same... On the other hand European R2 DVDs require NTSC to PAL conversion which decreases quality a little...
(ID #314620) Posted on 2008/09/27 04:09
I bought the complete boxset of Haruhi a while ago, what the hell is wrong with the subtitles? They're huge, they're jagged, they're ugly. I really regret buying this (Bandai Entertainment).
(ID #329775) Posted on 2008/10/10 19:40
I'd be tempted to get one or two that aren't available in the States as study aids if I had a region free or Japanese player. I could technically change the region on my computer, but you can only do that three times on an iMac before it gets permanently stuck on a single region. ^^; That's one of the main reasons I stick with fansubs and/or official translations. Seriously though, only get them if your DVD player is region-free or Japanese compatible. It would suck to pay that kind of money only to find out you can't play it.
(ID #313522) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:24
There are plenty of programs on the internet that will get rid of that limitation. For PC's anyway...
(ID #314310) Posted on 2008/09/26 23:00
I only have an R-1 player, so if the DVD isn't released by a U.S. company, the only way for me to watch the anime is via downloads. I'd rather buy the DVD, but unless I return and live in Japan, it's not worth it.
(ID #313533) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:39
I simply don't have the cash to buy 4 episodes for roughly £20. Though the bonus content you mentioned is a good incentive, there'll probably a copy on the internet somewhere.
(ID #313537) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:42
I do; currently I own the Nanoha StrikerS series and the Clannad series and my Lucky Star OVA is somewhere in the air plane now ^^ The extras that comes with the DVDs ain't bad, though I am having problems with storage for the clannad's extras; my botan key chain got damaged due to bad storage -_-||| The probs getting originals are well, they are expensive, the coding problems as mentioned above and that the postman has the tendency to go to the wrong house (mine did that three times, thank god no one was in at the other house).
(ID #313543) Posted on 2008/09/26 03:53
it's expensive, but i have to say that the japanese anime dvd is better image quality than our locale ones, but too too expensive
(ID #313553) Posted on 2008/09/26 04:01
Pseudo-Graphic Designer
I download. If I like it I'd buy the R1 DVDs, if they don't release it then I don't buy'em. Sometimes I do randomly buy a series I've never seen before just to watch something new. But I wouldn't buy R2 DVDs unless they have the subs. I know some Japanese, but not that much, it'd be worthless.
(ID #313581) Posted on 2008/09/26 04:40
Otaku/Student of University of Western Ontario
Our school's anime club only plays offical DVDs. But honestly I'm too poor to afford any.
(ID #313609) Posted on 2008/09/26 05:11
I don't get R2 DVDs, I think they're too expensive in comparison to R1 DVDs.
(ID #313611) Posted on 2008/09/26 05:11
Argg, another reminder that I need to get the Strike Witches Limited Edition for the extra goodies included. But, its 8100 yen for the Limited Edition, so probably close to $100 US to import. Urgg, will need to buy it later tonight ^_^ After years of study, my Japanese is good enough that I don't rely on subtitles, although Gundam/Macross-style techno jargon utterly loses me. Same with Ghost in the Shell movie-like philosophy talk. Nonetheless, lack of subtitles doesn't play much a factor. Being in the US, I can get subtitled DVDs with a much better episode/disc ratio than original Japanese ones, although I usually buy them in gigantic splurges during conventions rather than year-round, and those are of shows I've seen raw/fansubbed downloads of previously. Since they're so expensive (and have on average less episodes per disc), I only import Japanese releases either when I love the show so much I cannot wait for domestic, or for included goodies like on the Strike Witches one.
(ID #313629) Posted on 2008/09/26 05:36
I've always wondered in the past about how expensive in Japan DVDs were relative to say... I don't know... cups of coffee. Granted everything in Japan is expensive (relative to North America, let's say). A while back I had become totallye enamored with Kamen Rider fansubs. And when I heard there would be movie-spin-offs of successful series, I dutifully tried to get some region 2 discs... But YesAsia.com listed them for around $50 a pop! I was shocked - and these were for barebones releases, not special editions or anything... and still not counting shipping I would have to add on to the bill.
(ID #313688) Posted on 2008/09/26 06:34
Don't remember coffee prices, but do remember a single beer could be about $10-13 US (So I heard, I can't stand alcohol ^_^), and a ticket at the movies was just under $20 US. An average US movie ticket would be $9-11, for reference.
(ID #313805) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:37
オタク by moonlight, Graphic Designer by daylight
I think the best anime DVD to buy is Kanokon. You get A LOT MORE than the TV version, LOL.
(ID #313741) Posted on 2008/09/26 07:38
SUPER OTAKU, manga-ka, Illustrator, Domon Kasshu fanboy, Konata's male half, Megas XLR fanboy
Oh, YEAH!!
(ID #313750) Posted on 2008/09/26 07:46
Hehe, Kanokon DVD 4# came out just today too, the extra specials are great!
(ID #313799) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:23
Upstair ...addicted to anything related to chibi
I know what you meant ! lol
(ID #313945) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:47
Upstair ...addicted to anything related to chibi
I think that the DVD special is beyond fandservice.
(ID #313947) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:49
filmmaker, daydreamer
i really wish i had the $$$ space and time to buy them all my favourite ones! But when you have to face the choice of seeing a fansub or not seeing a series at all, well.. how can you miss something so amazing like anime!
(ID #313779) Posted on 2008/09/26 08:54
If you have the $ and you like the anime AND it is licensed, buy it because it is the right thing to do.
(ID #313784) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:10
I usually buy American Release DVDs from time to time, but usually only if I want to get them signed by a Japanese/American voice actor or director. If I really like a show, or if I can't find it online, I usually buy the DVDs and just watch the subtitled option.
(ID #313800) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:30
Otaku, High School Student
I only buy them once they're licensed in America. I needs my fansubs. Currently I own Genshiken Vol. 1-3 and Gurren Lagann Vol. 1-3. May pick up Haruhi Suzumiya Complete Collection at some point in the future as well.
(ID #313806) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:37
I've never bought any Anime DVDs...Haven't found something I've been overly obssessed with yet. Although I have an urge to buy the Lucky Star OVA...
(ID #313815) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:49
Pagination
All of my collection is licensed American releases. I'm obsessive about getting the legal versions. I don't like downloading shows. For one my computer doesn't playback too well, but also, even if I have to pay more for it, I want something I can hold in my hands. That being said... >;3 I'm a massive bargain finder.
(ID #313821) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:54
Dropping computers, starting all over again at Journalism
I usually buy just to show my appreciation to the author. Then again, licensed titles here in Brazil are scarce... but I have a good part of them. I even have some imported DVDs, which are helluva expensive. Not to mention figures, artbooks, etc etc What's Nitro Plus/Gonzo part in this? I mean, animes have lots of incomes... artbooks, licensing in other languages, licensing to display on TV/cable, licensing for products (like figures, posters and dakimakuras), and some others. I'll only believe them if they are responsible only for distributing DVDs and nothing else. Because if they do profit from all those things I already said, it's the same BS music labels and movie producers try to sell us... But I won't enter the whole piracy/copyright discussion.. too lengthy, and usually makes too many people feisty/angry;
(ID #313825) Posted on 2008/09/26 09:59
Well if its something I like I'll get it if it has japanese audio if not I'll look for it in the import section, tho not many animes are released on DVD here only those that usually get a good success on TV. But a couple of stores have some decent import DVDs that usually cost around the same as the locally released ones. Also theres a minimal amount of manga on sale but still its better than nothing, figures on the other hand are rare to be found, most of them seen on sale are of games or movies so the best thing is to import or buy through amazon or something similar. But lately I haven't bought any DVDs since I'm somewhat low of coppers. ^^;
(ID #313826) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:00
Student & Part time worker in a Day Care
In the states, dvds come with usually 4 eps and cost around 26-32 usd. I rarely buy dvds unless they are from anime series which i really love. The dvd prices in japan is way too high if i were living there.
(ID #313828) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:05
I used to be the type that would purchase a bootleg DVD of a movie and see it before the official DVD came out. And to be honest, while the quality would suck with the subtitles (i.e. Advent Children), there would be one that would have the right version of an extra (Cowboy Bebop the Movie). But I have not done that in a few years, and even refuse to buy them even if it was a complete series for $20. In all cases, I would not buy a R2 DVD due to the high price and limited amount of episodes. Mostly because I could go to a store like Best Buy and buy two volumes of the same series for the price of one... and still get four R2 DVDs worth of episodes. But also, I have to strongly disagree with Actar on the idea that R1 DVDs are expensive, fansubbers, and so on. Mostly because of the fact that U.S. anime companies are currently changing their practices... with the more successful ones only tweaking it a bit. And these days, the space/money conscious ota has the option of going for a complete set... opposed to the old box sets they used to put out. (I could give examples, but I don't have the time. XP)
(ID #313830) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:19
Always save up for boxsets if you're into purchasing and owning legit copies of DVDs or BluRays, otherwise subs are fine.
(ID #313831) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:20
(University)Student
I always thought £20(nearly 4000yen) for 3-4 episodes was bad. I always forget Japan has it even worse... 2 per DVD.... Least they get it on TV first though... I normally only buy anime dvd's(or any actually...) when they're on sale, or I really-really want them, like with the LE Haruhi's, the Death Note movie(s, 2nd ones coming out soon.), Cloverfield etc. I own more western movies than anime. Tis cheaper lol.
(ID #313832) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:20
@Danny: Higher resolution sizes might be larger across the board for digital anime downloads but nothing right now can top 1080p x264 Blu-ray ISO releases in terms of DVD quality. Though bitrate plays a pivotal role. More often than not, DVDs full of episodes suffer from low bitrate and decrease in quality. The same holds true for users who run high quality H.264 encodes or HiDef episodes without the specs to back them up. It really depends on the systems in play. But to the question: It's a matter of simple economics. People vote on what goods should be produced, in what manner, and whom they should be produced for. The anime industry is no different. If DVDs don't sell, no one turns a profit ergo DVDs cease to be produced. The result is of course the bankruptcy or deficit of studios that rely on the profit of these sales. This has been and continues to be a hot topic in the American anime industry along with the heavily related legality and ethicality of fansubs. For this reason, it should be the duty of everyone who enjoys anime to put money back into the system. Whether that means buying DVDs, figures from sponsors, merchandise, what have you. In the long term, its the only safe means to the continuance of the industry. Just recently have American distributors realized that they're loosing ground to the fansub industry and have started releasing more episodes per disc and are quicker to acquire a license for popular series that fans are demanding. I've read that license deals often don't support Japanese studios/distributors etc. enough for them to actually seek out license agreements from America or anywhere else. DVD and merchandise sales are what they really rely on. Buying from American companies will only put money in their pockets, pockets that are being severely drained because of fansubs. So there's no guarantee that buying R1 DVDs will help the production of R2s in the big picture. It's a very complicated topic no matter how you look at it.
(ID #313835) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:25
former Emperor of Britannia
in my opinion, if you love the show, if you have money to spare then why not but it. I mean its a way of showing your appreciation towards the show.
(ID #313836) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:26
I doesn´t have any Jap-R2 DVDs (wanted to buy Kodomo no Jikan Vol. 1 LE, but even after 3 Months, the DVDs wasn´t shipped) Personally for me, it must be a Anime, where I could be save, that it doesn´t come to the US or Germany. Otherwise, I think the price for Jap-R2 DVDs is to high for mostly only two or one episodes. But I buy often R1 DVDs, thanks to the strong Euro, the R1 DVDs are really cheap for me^^ Concerning the Lucky Star OVA, I think that Bandai Entertainemt would announce at Anime Festival in New York, that the OVA would be released in the US.
(ID #313838) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:32
I don't buy japanese DVD since I can't understand them. But I do buy the american release of show that I really liked, like the 3 DVD of Gurren-Lagann I bought and the Lucky Star DVD I'm currently buying. But with only 2 ep per DVD? O_o; I wouldn't buy them, that cost too much. Usually they come with 4 or 5 ep and with both english dub and japanese soundtrack. Really liked the TTGL edition I bought, they had about 9 ep on each DVD so only needed to buy 3 but they came only with the japanese soundtrack(ofcourse subbed in english). For me though, japanese soundtrack only is fine, as long as it subbed. ^^;
(ID #313840) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:37
Student
Normally, in the US, no. Anime DVDs aren't that worth it in my opinion. They run for about $25 and only include about 4 or 5 episodes. True, they're DVD quality, have dual-audio, and subtitles, but the fact that they're so darn expensive isn't appealing to me at all. I have been thinking about it, and just about the only anime DVDs I would ever buy would be box sets of series which I REALLY enjoyed (ex. Eureka Seven, waiting on that box set). I do own one box set at the moment, Neon Genesis Evangelion 10th Anniversary Collection, which I bought secondhand off of my friend. The retail is a little over $200, but since the series is so good, and my friend was so generous, I bought it for around $160.
(ID #313841) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:39
I think you will have to understand Japanese before buying a R2 Dvds since there isn't any subs. But it really depends on whether you like that show or not. For me, if i like that show i will buy the R2 dvds and its merchandise. btw if you don't know japanese, then wait for the R3 chinese dvds or r1 eng dvds they are much cheaper.
(ID #313849) Posted on 2008/09/26 10:53
I don't buy Japanese imports. Too expensive, plus I can't understand a lot of spoken Japanese. I buy local releases now and then though, because they are priced better than Japanese ones and include both language tracks plus subtitles (unless its a kiddy show like Pokemon or whatever). My latests purchase was the Victorian Romance Emma season 1 boxset, and I also got season 2 on preorder. Thinking of buying Maria-sama ga Miteru sometime down the road too, since I never finished watching that fansubbed. I also want the Gurren Lagann and Code Geass DVDs. The english release of Code Geass is packed with goodies. These days I just can't keep up with fansubs. Too busy. I don't care about high definition downloads either, seeing as I don't even have a monitor capable of displaying such high resolutions. And back in the day when I used to watch fansubs, I'd just throw them away when I was done because I didn't have enough hard drive space to keep them.
(ID #313855) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:03
At Otakon 2008 they had a panel with some fansubbers and R1 licensors, I think %%http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2008/fansubs-and-industry-panel,this%% is the link (hope I got that percent thing right), and it helped me understand more about the industry's percpective. I'll probably never purchase a R2 version of a series. Even with stuff released R1 I haven't seen subbed like Death Note or Eureka 7, I would be satisfied watching reruns whenever they air. I have bought R2 Haruhi and Lucky Star limited editions though. Quite happy with 'em, too.
(ID #313856) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:04
Buh. Remove the ",this%%" from the link or use http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2008/fansubs-and-industry-panel
(ID #313858) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:05
I only very rarely buy anime DVD's. Only after seeing the entire show and when I can buy the box set. If they were priced along with full season's of TV shows, I would buy a lot more. Far too many shows that people say are good, I can't stand. Like Haruhi. I love the strange way of telling the story, but can't stand those type of characters. Barely made it through one episode. Anime movies on the other hand, tend to be a bit more my style. They don't always have that one character that is just freaking annoying.
(ID #313864) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:08
suneo (登録日: 2007/12/17 20:30)
I only have one R2 dvd, and that is the last dvd of Hand Maid May which I impulsively bought online while it was on sale (I think still like $40 or something though lol...). I've also been tempted to get R2 dvds for some of my most coveted series (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Byousoku 5cm), because they either have the lovely packaging or the great extras (KimiNozo's 'Mayauru no Okurimono' and 'Hontou no Takaramono' sets T_T), or they just have something that we don't here in the US (Byousoku 5cm blu-ray). In the end though, the cost to satisfaction ratio for something like that is too much I think, when ultimately they are to be watched (and I am an impatient one to be watching and looking up words at the same time lol). Anyway, I have the R1 releases of those titles too which are a disappointment in terms of packaging. Haven't actually watched them again after purchasing them on dvd lol...only seen the fansubs versions still...
(ID #313865) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:08
suneo (登録日: 2007/12/17 20:30)
which brings me to another point...dvds in general I think are kind of a waste in the first place. The titles that I have...I haven't even touched either in years, or since I got them. One of the main reasons I have them is ...I dunno I guess just to do my love for a series justice lol. Thus I have my favorite series on dvd (KimiNozo, Byousoku5cm, Koi Kaze, Gungrave, Noein, Marmalade Boy in *cough* 'imported' dvds but surprisingly good quality lol) and then some. Now and Then, Here and There is a good series too that I have, but that's an exception for me I guess since I've actually watched that one twice, the first time was when I got the dvds.
(ID #313869) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:13
Student & Authorized Chicken Slapper
I personally don't really buy Anime DVDs except on a few occasions, they just add up to a bit too much.
(ID #313868) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:13
There are not that bad, since it's usually 4 episodes plus several extra features on the dvd for about $20-25, and box sets are around $40-50. Although for some popular series, these boxes are over priced, like Evangelion for example. Evangelion is not worth $100 in my book.
(ID #313871) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:16
I forgot to mention, I only buy dvds for series I really like such as Haruhi,Lucky Star, or the upcoming Nanoha release.
(ID #313873) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:17
if i like a series enough to buy it then i wait till the box set comes out
(ID #313875) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:20
Otaku/Computer tech/Student
Unfortunately, I can only afford to buy dvds when they are on sale, and I typically like to buy and *coughcoughDLcoughcough* box sets, or entire series.
(ID #313883) Posted on 2008/09/26 11:35
Honestly, I am able to watch shows like Macross Frontier a day after they air in Japan with flawless translation and in HD. There is nothing else that compares to the Fansub in quality or speed of distribution. I wish it wasn't that way but it is.
(ID #313894) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:02
Pretty much 100% of my anime viewing is from buying the DVDs (or BluRay if it's available). Anime DVDs are very reasonably priced in the US. You get at least 4 or more episodes per disk, and usually great packaging and extras. I never watch anime downloaded from the internet. For the hobbies that I'm passionate about, I would never ever steel from the studios and distributors. They're providing me with my favorite things in life, and it would be criminal to steel from the ones who work so hard to provide it.
(ID #313904) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:19
" the ones who work so hard to provide it " by this you mean the butt munches that borrow money to buy the distribution rights in the U.S. and then resale it to you at 4 times profit. Sounds just like the baaahhh of another sheeple to me. :P
(ID #315627) Posted on 2008/09/28 04:39
I buy R1 DVDs in the US, and I think they're worth it. Especially when there is a sale on rightstuf.com. I got each gurren lagann (sub only) DVD set for $17.95, around 9 episodes a pack. I also got all of Kino's Journey for around the mid 20's, plus other decent buys.
(ID #313926) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:33
Japanese DVDs are very expensive, so I don't buy imports. US dvds are more reasonable and depending on where and when you buy them, you can get a pretty good deal. I do wish the Lucky Star and Haruhi US DVDs came all in a single box with the extras, those individual boxes take a LOT of space for just two series.
(ID #313936) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:40
student, webmaster
Where I live, you usually get 2-3 episodes per DVD, and most of the time they are over 20 USD. I sometimes see entire series come as a boxset, and they are still expensive, such as 70-80 dollars. I remember seeing two Elfen Lied DVD's for over 50 USD, while a box set of the same series will just cost you about 40.
(ID #313950) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:50
In the States, most of the DVDs are 4 eps per disc. And more often than not, they are unedited. I don't go for fansubs because I want to support the industry. But at the rate things are going, I may have no choice. That being said, I need more money and a job soon, or I'm going to be massively broke with bad credit.
(ID #313951) Posted on 2008/09/26 12:50
US dvds, definitely. R2 japanese releases, not so much $50 for 2 episodes is way too much or $30 for a ova.
(ID #313976) Posted on 2008/09/26 13:19
Jr. Software Developer
The Philippines is a third world country not in the radar of Japan for those kinds of things. Even if fans want to buy things a Japanese company is selling, there is no way for us to get it. Well, Internet shopping is available but the concept has not really took off yet because people are still stuck in the Jurassic period and are scared of inputting their credit card numbers in a trusted site. Also our postal system is so inefficient and is breeding ground for corrupt practices. So piracy here is utterly rampant. However, on the manga end it has been improving but we only get a lot of shoujo titles as well as the uber popular shounen ones.
(ID #313977) Posted on 2008/09/26 13:19
serving nation Orz