Are Anime DVDs Worth It

If i have money, i may get those that i really like, eg Lucky Star.

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.

Lucky star is always WORTH IT!

"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!).

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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.

Our school's anime club only plays offical DVDs. But honestly I'm too poor to afford any.

I don't get R2 DVDs, I think they're too expensive in comparison to R1 DVDs.

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.

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.

I think the best anime DVD to buy is Kanokon. You get A LOT MORE than the TV version, LOL.

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!

If you have the $ and you like the anime AND it is licensed, buy it because it is the right thing to do.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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;

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. ^^;

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.

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)

Always save up for boxsets if you're into purchasing and owning legit copies of DVDs or BluRays, otherwise subs are fine.

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.

@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.

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.

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.

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. ^^;

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.

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.

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.

At Otakon 2008 they had a panel with some fansubbers and R1 licensors, I think 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.

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.

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...

I personally don't really buy Anime DVDs except on a few occasions, they just add up to a bit too much.

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.

if i like a series enough to buy it then i wait till the box set comes out

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

US dvds, definitely. R2 japanese releases, not so much $50 for 2 episodes is way too much or $30 for a ova.

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.

In Singapore, i believe most singaporeans will agree with me and that is that the problem about owning dvd is not totally about the cost. i mean fans and otakus will gladly fork out the money to buy them but 2 big words come in this picture.. 'CENSORSHIP' and 'POOR SUBBING' nuf said..

5800 yen for two episodes? Wow that's pricey. I thought paying $30cdn was high. I use to always wait for the whole series to be available on DVD and then bought it all in one go but now with the prices of box sets being so much cheaper than it was years ago, I wait for those to come onto the market. With shows that I have watched online, I will buy it later on when the box sets come out. Unfortunately if you're watching something that's relatively current in Japan, it'll take forever before it'll all take place here. Fate/Stay Night is the most recent example. Saw it on Veoh probably a year and a half ago. Loved the show, I've already pre ordered it on Amazon for the box set release next month.

So yeah, I have no anime on my drives or any burnt DVDs. My friends think I'm dumb for not burning any movies. What can I say, I like seeing my collection on the shelves.

I think it's worth the buy when you favorize a certain title. I own some Anime DVD's, especially to titles i never get tired of watching. Otherwise i resale them or get a refund if still possible.

The U.S. lacks proper licensing of a lot of anime that i'm sure would do better in sales. I would definitely buy licensed Anime DVD's to titles such as Moetan, Kodomo No Jikan, School Days, and so forth. But until that day i will follow releases in Japan by downloading torrents.

used to buy R1 disks but stopped as i feel ripped off for every piece i get. (packaging and presentation)
i would buy it if the R2 disk has english subs on it even if the prices are sky high. the only thing stopping me is that it has no subs. i dont really care for dubs. so far the only japanaese R2 disk i have is the FMA movie which had eng subs and the box that came with it is so well built as well ^_^

R1 disk and european disks somehow dont appeal to me as i generally feel that they are of lower quality and dont put enough effort in the final product.

Well since the prices are extremely high here, I guess buy them for collectors sake, downloads are the go here :))

I have a few JP Anime DVDs. Its usually because they come with something special though, or have subs with them. For instance, I have Saikano on the JP R2 DVD as it had subs, and vol 1 came with a Chise figure + Box. I also have a variety of Studio Ghibli ones, also because they came in nicer cases/special bits and also have English subs.

I did however buy Moonphase, Dokoro-chan and the Green Green OVAs just because they had limited items with them. I do rely on subs, but can get by on certain anime without them, I understand enough. This does not apply to GiTS though. :P

I always buy the DVDs to an anime I like. I usually buy box sets since they usually cost between 50 dollars and 100 dollars. Sometimes I'll buy each DVD individually if I don't want to wait for the box set. That is usually around 23 dollars for a DVD that normally has 3-4 episodes on it. In my personal opinion, DVDs in the US are cheap to get, especially if its a new release, I can get that for under 15 dollars at almost any store on the first day.

Yeah same here, I rarely buy dvd's. I do if I really like the anime, or I can't watch it online >_<

If I really like the series then I always consider getting the DVDs (preferably in a season box set). But I usually wait until they release region 2 DVDs and an buy those.

It's really hard to get original anime DVD's here and if you do find one, it costs a bomb. So I end up resorting to downloading.

I absolutely love box sets. I more often than not wait for a box set. But I will really only buy a DVD if it's the english version with the English dub track AND Japanese dub track with English subs.
Gotta support the industry, but it's more the compulsions of a collector. ^^;

It costs way too much for just one or two episodes...the only things I ever buy are mangas and that's only when I think they're good enough to keep a hard copy...

SG customs are pretty strict abt DVD imports... Will one pay through the nose for a DVD that eventually gets destroyed by the close-minded folks?

I definitely buy less dvd's than any other form of merchandise. The reason, it's simply far too expensive and it does not include much either.
I may support a few series that I like, limited edition, movies or OVA... but, that's about it.

Anime DVDs in US are pretty good to buy since they have 3-4 episodes per DVD for about $2-30 per DVD. But sometimes I just wait until boxset or thinpak which includes all episodes with cheaper price to buy stand alone DVDs. I would never buy region-1 DVDs though, they are way too expensive, 5-6000yen per 2 episodes DVD!?

I do buy random DVDs if director/seiyuu/character designer of certain series comes to US for events like Anime Expo so I can get their autographs on them.

Buying anime in Japan is just plain ridiculous.
Saying that, I plan to purchase Utawerumono on Bluray for the cheap prices of about 550$ USD sometime soon
if they dont plan to release it in the US
Most JP DVDs do not have SUBTITLES (lawl) in JP yet alone English (discrimination against the hearing impaired!) (Utawarerumono does have dual subs, it also has ENGLISH DUB! and same Bluray region as NA)
box sets are the biggest sellers in NA but Japan seems to be allergic to them under a 300$ price tag.
I think some JP import the NA versions LOL

I have to call BS on the comment that anime doesn't profit without selling DVDs.
first of all, I have ran commercials during Adult Swim on cartoon network. cost a couple hundred dollars and they had packages into the thousands. And this is for just my local city, mind you. someone is getting paid in the television industry, that's for sure.

Now gonzo did not release anything noteable in the past few years up until recently. I read somewhere about how they took a loss. If Ouran host club did so bad then why work on Special A? Money is coming in for sure but they might already be in the red from not producing anything noteable since 2004 (FMP or Kaleido star) (Howls moving castle might have sold well in the US?)

I think what they are not telling you is that overall, Anime is not profitable right now, and thats because...
they keep flooding the market with garbage!
people only have so much money
so for most people its Gurren Lagann or Speical A, but not both

like someone pointed out earlier, original releases of anime DVDs rarely come in my country, and R2 DVDs have no english subtitles... so I'm currently sticking to the "open source" versions...

Anime DVD are cheap here, 4 eps (DVD) of Full Metal Alchemist or any other anime is 12.95€ ~ 2000yen
and some series are even more cheaper. I think they are worth it because anime DVDs here include 3 - 5 different subtitle languages and Japanese audio.
Buut there is always something bad, only few series are available...

Nope, just streaming only for me..

Or have someone burn the animes in DVD, and then pay them ^^;;

In Australia, even with our poor exchange rate, we only pay about an equivalent of 3500 yen (and often much less)for a anime DVD with 3-4 episodes. That's a version that has includes the English dub as well as Japanese with English sub.

Depending on the series, once (or if) it gets licensed I either get the R1 US release or the R2 European release. Both always include a subtitle track and a Japanese original audio track, I have no love or need for dubs.
If a series does not get licensed I pretty much don't get a hold of it on DVD, once my Japanese gets better I might, but they are rather expensive... so sometimes I miss out on owning a serie son DVD like "Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~". I always feared I'd never get "Aria" but the first season is due out soon in R1 format from the RightStuff, a season set with subtitles only, I'll get it, regardless of other people's criticism about some releases, I think it's already great if a series becomes available instead of never being available at all.

R1 US releases tend to be a bit more expensive than R2 European releases and at 20-25 Euro per single DVD (which usually includes 4 or 5 episodes) it's not as expensive as in Japan but still quite expensive compared to live action television show full season DVD-sets.
However lately there has been a positive trend to create full season sets from the start which only contain a subtitle track (which reduces the production cost and hence sale price.

Well if no-one buys anime, then no-one is going to make anime. And like kinda like anime. I'm not saying that anyone should buy those laughable priced Japanese DVDs (that's just crazy), but from European point of view importing anime DVDs from USA is pretty cheap and worth every penny.

Companies need to find new ways to make money, consumers are looking for new and practicals ways, in this case, to watch anime.

I download all the animes I watch. It's because I can't find the anime I like in stores here. It's either that or because I'm not looking hard enough. Also I'm short on cash so I have no choice but to download it.

If I would happen to find an anime DVD that I like and I have the money I might buy it x_x

I would just download them as long as there is a source, plus the hard drives are cheap now. >.>; However, if there is an anime that I really like i'll go and buy the while set as a collection for myself. ie: Evangelion :D

one can hardly find decent subtitled anime DVDs in singapore. as some of u might already know, dominant local anime distributor ODEX is taking action cracking down people who download animes illegally. they release DVDs as will but their selections are dated, poor quality and terribly subtitled. as far as i know they are not going to releasing DVDs anymore.

i buy dvds because i like the anime. and for the merchandise thing. if everybody just dl the series, the anime dont will stand. Aniplex dvds have a great quality in visual and design, like the D Gray Man dvds,i like to buy the boxsets, and recently i buy some blu ray discs, its really a amazing quality! of course i dl anime too, and if really it is worth, i buy the dvd too

Yeah I pretty much download everything, so they don't make money from me...only trough licensing of figures maybe. Also, I find it very annoying that JP dvds only have like 1-2 eps per disc, because then indeed it is not worth your money and hence I end up downloading it.
Only if they'd release 4-ep dvds faster, with lots of extras/artstuffs and in good quality (because sometimes the fansubs are just way better, even in terms of video quality), then it becomes worth it imo

DVDs in Japan no, unless they never release in America. In america HECK ya cause you can get them for nothing and the same quality. I learned early on the price gouging that goes on in Japan. Patience for domestic release is a virtue.

for the time being while i learn japanese, it pains me to say that i dont buy very many japanese dvds however every series i dl i promise myself that when it does get an english release that i will buy it, its an obligation i feel otherwise it feels like im just stealing. i also buy merchandise. but as soon as i know a bit more japanese i will be ordering the japanese dvds. the cost is irrelevant, because if i dont have enough money ill cut into my food money

I get the anime dvd when they get on shore here which usually takes a very long time... And when they do arrive, they cost a bomb...
Anyway, I get the DVDs so that Icould share and watch with my friends LOL

I haven't got a anime DVD in a good while. Only been buying manga and once in a while a full box set come out and I'll get it. I wanna support but right now I can't spend the money on it. I know that's weird for me buying games and sometimes figures, but I can't have it all.... Even though I want it all.
PS I also don't have the room anymore.

I've been reading all the comments, ok anime DVDs seem to be less expensive in Europe / US but when an anime gets released in those regions it does it 2-3 yearss after being released in Japan (in most cases). So it costs 15€-20€ ($22-30$) instead of 39€ ($50), including 3 episodes more often than 4, it depends on the distributing company. Also the quality of video can never be the same if you stuff 4 episodes in a single layer dvd instead of 2 episodes in a dual layer one (not for all the cases but more often than not it is like this).

One thing I must agree is the high price for dvd boxes in Japan, how come buying the whole series has to be at the same price as buying the separate dvds? If they did that where I live (Spain) no one would buy the dvd-box...

Another thing that seems of no utility for me is dubbing... why do they have to dub anime in a language different from the original? At least in Spain, the spanish dub is of a low quality, I don't know about English dub. For me it would be enough to have English subs (even though I'm Spanish) so there's only one translation going on and not several of them.

Returning to the question of buying anime dvds or not: well, I must say that I buy some anime-dvds (now I'm buying JP R2 DVDs for Kanokon and Allison to Lillia and had already shipped the first volume of Ikki Tousen Great Guardians and Kanokon vol. 4). As I've been studying Japanese I prefer to have the original version of the dvds, just in case.

In Spain anime gets released with a delay of 3-4 years from the japanese release date and 1-2 years from the US release date so if I didn't buy JP DVDs I would have to wait for a long time.

Until a year ago I downloaded loads of fansubbed anime but then I realised that I only watched a few episodes so I stopped DLing anime (waste of time for me: burning, naming...). That was also when I returned from my 21day trip to Japan and when I started to study Japanese seriously.

As a conclusion to all this DVD stuff: if you like an anime then buy the DVD/Blu-Ray to support the companies. If they never get released in your country and shipping them is to expensive (or risky) then you know waht to do.

With the excessive delay and high cost of Anime DVD's buying them becomes a pretty tough thing to reason out. With the mega popularity of anime in Japan i find it hard to believe that the sale of DVD's is the only thing making money for the anime studios.

Anime DVD's really doesn't sell from where I'm from. They're also quite expensive from what I remember. They're like 25-35 dollars CAD (Canadian) and they only have like 3-4 episodes. Besides most people I know download it anyways. I would like to buy it, but even the quality of the subs are not as good as the fansubs (which is pretty sad actually coming from a company)

I buy all of my DVDs retail, or through online stores. The prices can range from $13 for subtitle-only, with 4 or 5 episodes, to $35 for a limited edition box set. The companies have also been releasing the slim-pack complete sets for anywhere from $30 - $80.

I refuse to watch animé online, knowing that most of their profit comes through DVD sales. I like to physically have it, and be able to watch it and re-watch it, in English or subtitled in Japanese, whenever I want.

E^D

Well talking about buying DVDs in the US, I'd say I do. I support the anime industry and doing so I buy. If the cash flow doesn't keep coming in for these production studios and US distributors then the availablity of the product disappears. Since I don't have millions of dollars laying around to make trips to Japan I'd say buy DVDs here in the states.

If anime studios do make money through merchandising and licensing then I would not buy DVDs.
DVDs are kinda expansive and I'd rather spend my money on something more pleasing to the eyes like figures ^^.

For animes, it would be open source for me due to the better subs and HD.

While I don't claim to understand any Japanese other than the words frequently used in anime (baka, etc.) I rarely watch, let alone suffer, a series that's doesn't give me the option of subtitles and original Japanese dialogue. Cowboy Bebop is one of the few exceptions. (Side note: It's still odd to hear Jet pimping burgers and cars.)

This isn't the idiotic "I'd rather experience anime in it's native language" argument put forth by many; I just can't bear the dubbing work done in the U.S.. After 20 years of having my fav series raped by horrid voice acting I find it difficult not to believe that these companies haven't nestled their craniums safely in their posteriors.

Granted, it's ENTIRELY feasible that the Japanese voice acting in series <XXX> sucks like a ShopVac, but I'll literally never know let alone endure the pain of it because I-don't-understand-Japanese.

Sometimes ignorance IS bliss. ^_^;;

Resolution of d/l's may be higher, but color depth and reproduction is poor. Was watching Macross F from Menclave, then a friend advised me to check out Lunar's subs. Were definantly higher quality (subtle difference though); but placing FLCL dvd into my drive, that's better quality than anything I've d/l'd (except Byousoku 5cm).

I actually have quite a large collection of DVD box-sets, if only 'cause I was buying those before I started downloading. These days I treat downloads as a form of "try before you buy". So I'll watch the subbed series then, if I like what I see, buy the DVDs when they're released as a box set.

Two (well three) reasons I buy the DVDs:
1) I like to support stuff I like... but I also buy a lot of merch.
2) It's easier to take DVDs 'round to a friends' house for a movie night (and dubs are easier to understand drunk).
3) There's just something kinda nice about knowing you've got a physical copy of something.

I'm with you Danny. I purchase the licensed merchandise. DVD's are expensive and take up much room that a figure could be occupying. I rely on fansubbers like most but if I encounter and awesome series I truly love like Samurai Champloo, despite having seen the whole series and it being unlikely that I'll watch the DVDs, I will still buy the DVDs if I can find at a good price.

I buy Anime DVDS for sure. Of Course it's the licensed ones that I buy (aka: Dubbed english versions which come a year after the original run of the anime series) I usually download and keep the Fansub version on my computer and when the DVDS come out in my region (I live in CANADA!! region 1 dvds) then I delete them on my computer.
I say they are worht it if you really like the anime and want to hold onto sum merchandise. SUmtimes if u order limited editions or Box sets/starter sets they usually give u sumthing extra...Like when I ordered the SHUFFLE dvd 6 with the BOX it came with PANTSU!!! yeah well I gave that to my girlfriend hahahah

I used to buy a lot of Anime DVD's a year ago, but not right now. Thanks economy~

I think anime will eventually have go the way of digital distribution (think iTunes Store) in order to survive in the current times/future. Local DVDs generally can't compare in terms of quality (R2 / BluRay) and subtitling (fanubs) to what you can get online, and even if customers wanted to it is inaccessible to them (unless they're loaded with cash). Plus you get you pay per episode, or get a season pass for a full series. (Potential?) customers nowadays either want it 1) fast/immediately, 2) in HD/good quality 3) cheaper or 4) all the above.

Personally, I don't like to watch my animes/movies on DVDs or BluRay or any other disc medias, they're just so yesterday, and consume space in my house. And they're not really portable, backing up is a pain (takes time) or impossible (copy-protect/DRM), transferring to another computer that doesn't have a DVD drive (MacBook Air?) or a spoilt DVD drive to watch, and DVD unstyled subs, I cannot stomach... Sure the boxes might be nice to look at, and some offer additional goodies with the box, but to me the anime and quality of it comes first, as those are, in the end, just side quests.

Only if they are in English subttles. But I know that a two episode can cost wellover $30

I buy DVDs, certain places have them at quite cheap prices here. Since the slimpacks are being introduced you can buy complete collections rather than just Vols of a series. I don't usually have to buy a Vol. of a DVD set because most of the series I like are in a single set for cheaper. Except for Haruhi which has never been available in a single set *grr*.

Good dubs do exist, and in my opinion they should encourage voice acting as a wholesome career; if Japan can make idols of their seiyuus so can we (although it would take years of patience and perseverance). I enjoy listening to Japanese as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just leave the anime playing in the background and is nice to know what's going on.

I don't understand why these companies release BluRay versions of their animes and only put in two freaking episodes per copy. Put in at least 5 and I won't have a problem buying any. And I've always wanted to buy one. Its just the lack of episodes that put me off. Also, it'd be nice if it came with english subs. :D

If ever I'll wait for it to go on sale or something.

I can't seem to find any anime DVDs here anyway...so I'll just support the merchandise.

I prefer fan-subs though

I feel sorry for whoever buys the original DVDs. I usually download my stuff but as soon as it hits shelves here in NA the prices are reasonable. We can get half season boxsets for $50 CAD and there is always the option for subtitles *actually a lot of companies are starting to consider subtitling most of their work which could put NA voice actors out of work.*

man this is hard if we don't buy anime dvd anime won't be famous and it will colapse that is why our only way is to buy them to keep most of them alive

Mostly keep those collectors edition DVDs. Those are more worth to keep :D

Well the thing smart thing to do is to buy the whole series as a set. I dont really buy each DVD seperately because its better to just watch straight through ^_^. Although I have to admist the cost of DVDs are quite pricey, but if it's to support the Anime companies so they can make even more anime, I'm all for it ^^

DVD or HD DVD anime stuff is always handy, just really watch out for counterfeit / bootleg copies if you buy them online. My copy of Onegai! Sensei bought online from a rather well known retailer wasn't an official copy. It plays fine and it was cheap, but would prefer having the real thing...

Theya re for me. Watching anime is my only luxury

I generally don't buy DVDs of any sort here, in fact I used to and just got done selling almost all of them to people on ebay. The fact is, here in the US at least, ad dollars are what keep shows/studios afloat. A show I like was recently announced as canceled this week despite stellar DVD sales, the reason the studio (in this case Warner Brothers) cited? Weak viewership, which equates to less eyes seeing ads, which equates to getting edged out of next quarter's budget. Of course, DVD sales contribute, but don't have nearly the leverage that ad dollars makes.

I've noticed that a lot of anime TV series have a crazy amount of sponsors at the beginning and after the eyecatch. And usually they're very large companies like McDonald's, Tomy, Shopro, Kadokawa and more. Also, NHK seems to air more anime lately, and everyone pays for NHK in Japan. =) Surely these studios make money off of this, especially since most studios that are open now, have been in business for well over 10 years. And just considering the obvious sponsors and Japan's penchant for merchandising everything and being voracious consumers, these alone must make lots of dollars for the studios to keep running. In addition to the fact that like 85% of anime comes from manga, and Japan is unique in the multimedia aspect of a lot of entertainment (Go look at the well-thought-out About page over at Sankaku Complex if you doubt this, he explains it better than anyone I've ever seen), that has to generate profit as well. While R2 DVDs are certainly a piece of the puzzle, it seems that if we continue buying figures or other merchandise, manga, etc, our favorites should continue to churn out original stuff. ^__^

I torrent mine though...if i can't find any online things..of course i buy the DVDs ^___^

I work full-time... so yeah a fraction of my pay is aimed towards anime DVDs. I also recently got into buying complete series/Anime Legends/2-disc sets (mostly Funimation and Bandai) which saved me a lot and DVD space.

I do borrow and burn fansubs on DVD-R if they're not licensed.