Well, if you look at CD Japan, you'll find that a DVD volume of a new anime release is around $70-75 (bluray a bit more). Compare with new releases of many Japanese live action movies - around $50-60. Granted, the latter is more likely to get a cheap reissue later on.
This has always looked to me like a case of markets evolving different - there was a time when many movies cost $70 or $80 on VHS in the US too, that's why rental shops were so popular. I suspect Relentless is right in that everyone except collectors just watches on TV or rents, which honestly probably makes sense in light of the size of many Japanese apartments.
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Signature courtesy of Ganbaru.
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