The "Where do I buy..." Thread

[Pat123]

I've bought a number of anime from animepromo.com. Up till now, I've been quite satisfied. The products have been of high quality and the zero-region option is really useful.

However, my last experience was not so good. I purchased "Toradora! Complete Series - Region 0." What I got had great sound and video, though the English subs were a bit lame. The first disc was damaged, so several episodes would not play. I tried cleaning and several DVD players and then contacted Animepromo. They agreed to send a replacement disc.

The disc I got covered the same episodes, but was different in several ways. For one, it would not play on my laptop. Second, the subs were different. But the main thing was that the video quality was poor. Also, there was a TV Tokyo logo up in the corner and occasionally little things would move across the screen. Colors were mottled and the image was not as sharp.

I complained and the Animepromo service people told me that the previous edition was no longer available. I checked the site and the description is the same, but the image is like the second disc I got, not the first one.

So, I'm not sure if I want to order any more from this site. Up till now, the quality was pretty good, but now I'm not sure what the future brings. I can definitely recommend that you not buy Toradora! Complete Series - Region 0 from Animepromo at this time.

[demonix]

Originally Posted by Pat123

I've bought a number of anime from animepromo.com. Up till now, I've been quite satisfied. The products have been of high quality and the zero-region option is really useful.

However, my last experience was not so good. I purchased "Toradora! Complete Series - Region 0." What I got had great sound and video, though the English subs were a bit lame. The first disc was damaged, so several episodes would not play. I tried cleaning and several DVD players and then contacted Animepromo. They agreed to send a replacement disc.

The disc I got covered the same episodes, but was different in several ways. For one, it would not play on my laptop. Second, the subs were different. But the main thing was that the video quality was poor. Also, there was a TV Tokyo logo up in the corner and occasionally little things would move across the screen. Colors were mottled and the image was not as sharp.

I complained and the Animepromo service people told me that the previous edition was no longer available. I checked the site and the description is the same, but the image is like the second disc I got, not the first one.

So, I'm not sure if I want to order any more from this site. Up till now, the quality was pretty good, but now I'm not sure what the future brings. I can definitely recommend that you not buy Toradora! Complete Series - Region 0 from Animepromo at this time.

An anime release that is region zero is a 100% red flag that it is a boootleg release, so that place should be 100% avoided like the plague (also Toradora is out in the US anyway).

[Pat123]

There are editions out in the US, but the reviews I saw were iffy, especially with respect to video quality. I decided to try something closer to the source. The first issue I got had great video.

Region zero is becoming more and more popular, especially among people seeking low-volume titles. (Anime in the US fits in this category). Often, because they offer only low- or moderate-revenue possibilities, agreements for region-specific versions are put on the back burner in favor of the much higher-volume titles and as a result, both the fans and the creators of the works suffer. Many of the more popular Japanese titles, like Maison Ikokku (1700 USD for the complete series) are available only in very small quantities, driving the price up or as used copies, meaning there is no revenue stream at all back to the creators. (This happens to British and other products, too.)

Region zero provides an option to sell a product direct to people all over the world and receive a much larger share of the profits than the restrictive zone system. While some zone zero products are probably bootlegs, others are legitimate. For example, you can now get the original British release of Harry Potter in a region free format from Amazon.com. You can also get Despicable Me 3D (if you really want to). It simply doesn't pay to make different region-specific discs when you can just make, stock, and ship one product.

There is political pressure to modify the zone arrangement. Also, Amazon.com sells a variety of multi-zone DVD players, so zone coding is becoming irrelevant. I think that in a few years, we will see more and more of the low- to moderate-volume releases with international interest released in zone zero formats. There are just too many arguments against the current system.

Originally Posted by demonix

An anime release that is region zero is a 100% red flag that it is a boootleg release, so that place should be 100% avoided like the plague (also Toradora is out in the US anyway).

[hyl]

Originally Posted by Pat123

There are editions out in the US, but the reviews I saw were iffy, especially with respect to video quality. I decided to try something closer to the source. The first issue I got had great video.

Region zero is becoming more and more popular, especially among people seeking low-volume titles. (Anime in the US fits in this category). Often, because they offer only low- or moderate-revenue possibilities, agreements for region-specific versions are put on the back burner in favor of the much higher-volume titles and as a result, both the fans and the creators of the works suffer. Many of the more popular Japanese titles, like Maison Ikokku (1700 USD for the complete series) are available only in very small quantities, driving the price up or as used copies, meaning there is no revenue stream at all back to the creators. (This happens to British and other products, too.)

Region zero provides an option to sell a product direct to people all over the world and receive a much larger share of the profits than the restrictive zone system. While some zone zero products are probably bootlegs, others are legitimate. For example, you can now get the original British release of Harry Potter in a region free format from Amazon.com. You can also get Despicable Me 3D (if you really want to). It simply doesn't pay to make different region-specific discs when you can just make, stock, and ship one product.

There is political pressure to modify the zone arrangement. Also, Amazon.com sells a variety of multi-zone DVD players, so zone coding is becoming irrelevant. I think that in a few years, we will see more and more of the low- to moderate-volume releases with international interest released in zone zero formats. There are just too many arguments against the current system.

In all seriousness, why would you pay for a bootleg if you could have easily downloaded the same anime and burn it yourself?
You are not supporting the creators of that anime if you buy a bootleg disc, but rather the person who burned the disc.
And you are already aware of the questionable quality of most bootlegs

[demonix]

Originally Posted by Pat123

There are editions out in the US, but the reviews I saw were iffy, especially with respect to video quality. I decided to try something closer to the source. The first issue I got had great video.

That was on the original release which I believe was fixed (I never saw any video problems on my toradora part 1 standard edition), and we're talking about DVD here and not blu-ray (blu-ray releases are more likely to be region free, but DVD releases are still either going to be locked to one region or a few regions not all of them).

[Pat123]

I'm trying to find a means of returning revenue to the artists creating the Anime. Actually, I usually view fansubs of the Anime I buy, with a few exceptions, like FLCL, because I like the fansubs better. I just buy the anime to support the artists and producers.

I think you are assuming too much. There is nothing to indicate on the other anime series that I've bought from animepromo.com to indicate a bootleg. The video quality is top-notch. The packaging has the holograms and looks legit. The only suspect item is that replacement disk, which I agree looks like a bootleg.

Originally Posted by hyl

In all seriousness, why would you pay for a bootleg if you could have easily downloaded the same anime and burn it yourself?
You are not supporting the creators of that anime if you buy a bootleg disc, but rather the person who burned the disc.
And you are already aware of the questionable quality of most bootlegs

@Demonix: Thanks for the info. I'm glad to hear they got that fixed.

Amazon is already selling region-free DVDs. Here are some examples.

http://www.amazon.com/14-BLADES-Mart...ords=14+blades

http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-P...enix+steelbook

http://www.amazon.com/Cherry-2000-St...ds=cherry+2000
(My wife has been waiting for this to drop below $60 for over a year. I just ordered it)

Lately, prices for Region 1 anime have gone through the roof. On Amazon.com, the Anime Legions edition of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has gone from $35 to over $100 in the last few months. The Blu-ray edition of The Girl Who Lept Through time used to be $40, but is now $344. I'm pretty sure this is due to a shortage in the market and that none of this extra revenue is going back to Japan. This hurts the Japanese producers, who sell fewer items, and the US fans, who either pay ridiculously high prices for anime or go without. (Aside from viewing on line, that is :-)

I think producers outside the US have realized that they can reach a wider market by going region-free.

Originally Posted by demonix

That was on the original release which I believe was fixed (I never saw any video problems on my toradora part 1 standard edition), and we're talking about DVD here and not blu-ray (blu-ray releases are more likely to be region free, but DVD releases are still either going to be locked to one region or a few regions not all of them).

[Shyni]

I think with Haruhi the price went up because the anime went out of print after Bandai Entertainment closed down. You meant Anime Legends, right, not Anime Legions?

[hyl]

Actually many people claim on the internet (google it) that animepromo.com is selling bootlegs, eventhough it is possible that some of their merchandise can be legit

[Pat123]

@Shyni: Oops. I meant Legends. Thanks for the link.

Yeah, I guess that is the reason. It's a shame that none of that extra revenue isn't going to the Japanese anime industry, though.

Originally Posted by Shyni

I think with Haruhi the price went up because the anime went out of print after Bandai Entertainment closed down. You meant Anime Legends, right, not Anime Legions?

@Hyl: Well I did some Yahooing (I don't do Google :-) and found some stuff. For example:

"Everything at that link is marked Region 0. That means usable anywhere without the typical region locks that prevent a DVD bought in one hemisphere being used in a player in another. No legitimate release is Region 0. That means those are all illegal bootlegs."

The problem with that post is that 1) not everything at animepromo.com is region zero and, as I've pointed out earlier, 2) there are legit region zero products being sold on amazon.com.

However, I'd say that at least some of the products on animepromo.com are bootlegs and that it is not possible to tell for sure what you are getting from the description.

It is a sorry state of affairs. Whether we buy a legit Bandai product or a bootleg, zero money flows to the Japanese anime industry.

There is an opportunity for someone to step in, make the connection, and a little money, too. Amazon has some DVD products that are "on demand." (I just checked and there are 185 pages of this sort of DVD, mostly low-volume stuff.)

Amazon arranges royalty agreements with the content owners and then produces DVDs as they are ordered. That is how my son got his copy of The Maxx and how my wife is getting Cherry 2000.

They are also selling individual downloadable anime episodes for prices from $1 to $3 each and downloadable complete series. Maybe that's the way I'll go.

Originally Posted by hyl

Actually many people claim on the internet (google it) that animepromo.com is selling bootlegs, eventhough it is possible that some of their merchandise can be legit

[demonix]

Originally Posted by Pat123

"Everything at that link is marked Region 0. That means usable anywhere without the typical region locks that prevent a DVD bought in one hemisphere being used in a player in another. No legitimate release is Region 0. That means those are all illegal bootlegs."

The problem with that post is that 1) not everything at animepromo.com is region zero and, as I've pointed out earlier, 2) there are legit region zero products being sold on amazon.com.

Region 0 DVD releases are extremely rare nowadays (a few of CPM's releases were region 0, but there aren't any now that are unless you exclude the interstellar 5555 release which most likely would be in most territories), and if you look at those region 0 releases they probably only can be got from marketplace sellers which would be bootlegs.

[Ithekro]

I know that some Blu-Ray come Region Free, but don't know how common that is. The BDs for Space Battleship Yamato 2199 are Region Free direct from Bandai Visual. This had been confirmed from multiple sources in counties in Regions A and B, and probably Region C since I think I've heard about a Russian playing it on a local BD player.

[demonix]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

I know that some Blu-Ray come Region Free, but don't know how common that is. The BDs for Space Battleship Yamato 2199 are Region Free direct from Bandai Visual. This had been confirmed from multiple sources in counties in Regions A and B, and probably Region C since I think I've heard about a Russian playing it on a local BD player.

I was talking about DVD and not blu-ray as region free blu-ray's are more common except for those from kaze (more commonly known as that company that screws up every release it gets its hands on) and manga UK.

Any DVD that is advertised as region free is more likely to be a bootleg then a legitimate copy since legit releases are more likely to be locked to one region or a selected number of regions then being region free.

Edit: and just to confirm out of the three links pat123 posted, the first one I would say is authentic after doing a bit of research, the second I'd question if the format is correct as it states that it's the DVD version but the cover shot is for the BD version (and would there be a DVD steelbook release) and the third is a burn on demand product which would explain why it's not got any region locks.

[Pat123]

Yeah. One of things I've noticed is that amazon.com sometimes puts the wrong image with a product. In the case of the second link, some of the reviews are also for very different products in the Harry Potter line. This has been very irritation with manga products. Usually, the product info clears some things up, but in the case of the second link, it doesn't say.

However, these were just three examples of about 1000 region-free releases on amazon. My point was that although what you say about region zero used to be true, times are changing and it is no longer absolutely true. Generally, what I noticed was lower-volume products with an international appeal are more and more likely to be region-free. The question is, "Will amazon and anime film producers get together?" I'm hoping the answer is "yes" and soon.

Originally Posted by demonix

...

Edit: and just to confirm out of the three links pat123 posted, the first one I would say is authentic after doing a bit of research, the second I'd question if the format is correct as it states that it's the DVD version but the cover shot is for the BD version (and would there be a DVD steelbook release) and the third is a burn on demand product which would explain why it's not got any region locks.

[TheBear9696]

If you are looking for a store that will be mostly likely to sell them in your town or within a town that you could get to F.Y.E has always been a one stop shop for all my anime and other anime needs.

[VTHokiePride]

Originally Posted by TheBear9696

If you are looking for a store that will be mostly likely to sell them in your town or within a town that you could get to F.Y.E has always been a one stop shop for all my anime and other anime needs.

The problem with F.Y.E. is that they charge too much for anime. I can buy a season of Dragon Ball Z for $15 online at a site like amazon whereas F.Y.E. charges $35 for the same thing.

[DarkJak2050]

Okay, I'm interested on getting an Infinite Stratos Doujin from this website

It's a japanese website that accepts Oversea Buyers, but there's one thing I've overlooked; Customs. I live in the US, by the way.

Exactly what are the customs in the US when it comes to doujin? Mainly ordering it from Japan.

Has anyone encountered any problems with things like this?

In case if you guys are wondering, here's a picture of the IS Doujin's cover.

Spoiler for Infinite Stratos Doujin Cover:

Thinking about Customs has got me real spooked, guys. Can I get some help on this, please?

[Pat123]

We used to have a F.Y.E in El Paso. That is where my son got Samurai Jack and Big O. They had lots of titles that no other local (within 250 miles) store did. But, they closed up several years ago. I guess there wasn't enough demand for the hard-to-get titles.

Originally Posted by VTHokiePride

The problem with F.Y.E. is that they charge too much for anime. I can buy a season of Dragon Ball Z for $15 online at a site like amazon whereas F.Y.E. charges $35 for the same thing.

I don't think customs duties will be a problem. The site will probably just include the duty in the shipping charge. But, as the site warns, Customs may confiscate some titles they deem to be illegal to ship by U.S. mail.

Originally Posted by DarkJak2050

Okay, I'm interested on getting an Infinite Stratos Doujin from this website

It's a japanese website that accepts Oversea Buyers, but there's one thing I've overlooked; Customs. I live in the US, by the way.

Exactly what are the customs in the US when it comes to doujin? Mainly ordering it from Japan.

Has anyone encountered any problems with things like this?

In case if you guys are wondering, here's a picture of the IS Doujin's cover.

Spoiler for Infinite Stratos Doujin Cover:

Thinking about Customs has got me real spooked, guys. Can I get some help on this, please?

[DarkJak2050]

Can I get examples of titles that they may deem illegal?

[Pat123]

As I understand it, the main problem is underage characters in Hentai (Lolicon). Here is something I found on the web.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0085342AAUefzw

This seems to be a major difference between Japan and the US. For example, the Koharu Biyouri (Indian Summer) manga has some really strange scenes involving a little girl and the Kodomo no Jikan anime (Children's time) is considered lolicon by many even though it is ecchi, rather than hentai. If a character is in high school or earlier and things are hentai, it is probably lolli by US standards and potentially a lot of trouble.

Originally Posted by DarkJak2050

Can I get examples of titles that they may deem illegal?

[DarkJak2050]

That's just great...