Those whiny Canadians

[Kyolux]

Cool someone that lives near me!! I think you are refering to comic book shoppe? Not sure, never been either, but my friend suggested it. Are you living in Ottawa? I'm in Gatineau.

[DrWho2002]

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

Having one store where I can find anime doesn't fix the distribution issues.

No, it doesn't, but you're looking for the magic solution to your questions, which ain't gonna happen anytime soon. So until then, I think you can quit saying things like "people west of Manitoba are screwed", because there is something west of Manitoba.

[Pepperidge]

I'm willing to cope with only one or two stores in my area that can help tide over my anime fix (although Geneon and Bandai titles are still a rip-off). However, I refuse to accept this as the best possible scenario. Canadian distribution is nowhere near as good as it should be, and I'm not going to be satisfied until it is.

[Galaxy]

While visiting a website for Ottawa anime (they have a shopping list there of stores that sell anime goods in Ottawa) there seems to be a new (its their first year) fan-based and seems like its runing on the 6th of november '04. dont know if I would attend with the new year of school and all, but their website is http://ac-cubed.ca/ for anyone that lives near this area thats interested

[Kyolux]

Galaxy I went downtown today in Ottawa, went to check out Comic book shoppe, it's a really nice place. They got more DVDs and mangas then I ever saw anywhere else. Though they don't have everything, and there prices are expensives. 45$ for one volume of Fruit Basket. They got merchandise as well like posters and such. I got a Love Hina and a Fruit Basket one, each 2,99$, kinda average sizes and in plastic, so I think they were a good deal.

[Galaxy]

Guess I will need to go there soon. About the DVD's yea it is expensive for FB when you can get it for 32~35$ at amazon.ca

[Pepperidge]

I wonder if the Best Buy opening three blocks from my house later this year will carry more anime than Canadian stores do.

[Mr_Paper]

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

I wonder if the Best Buy opening three blocks from my house later this year will carry more anime than Canadian stores do.

Who knows, the Best Buy that opened around here last month has yet to stock 1 anime DVD on their shelves other than the standard DBZ, Pokemon, Digimon, etc.

[Pepperidge]

Really? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeyit.

In other news, despite being distributed by Anchor Bay and Manga Entertainment (who have better distribution networks in Canada than any other anime company), I didn't find a single copy of GitS: Stand Alone Complex in any of the stores I checked.

[Galaxy]

hmm, I could go and check my local Best Buy, well, Future shop has gotten more animeit seems, like umm, whats the name of the girl with the robotic angel wings (something like that, cant remember the name) . There's still stuff like NGE. At their website there's Azumanga Daioh for 30$ Full Metal Panic! for 30$ on the website....now if only I could see if its stores....I think I saw it in the store the other day. Future shop (still online tho) does seem to have GITS: SAC, but it comes out the in Aug. Like I said above, they seem to have a bigger selection at the store I went to and I find 30$ a good price (depending on how much episodes are on the disc) Monday I will go to Future Shop and look at their selection to see if they have anything interesting

[DrWho2002]

Also, I wouldn't expect b&m stores to get things in on time either. I keep on saying this, but best thing to do is just abandon the idea of buying things in stores and just get it on the internet.

[Imazul]

Theres a bunch of good anime shop in Montreal on St-Catherine street if you ever go there. Try to stop and Captain Quebec or 1000 Comix (something like that), they have an ok selection but it may cost a hell lot(manga in english are super hard to find and often cost 10+$ then frenchs ones in Quebec).

Ill go check it out when I start CEGEP in a couple of weeks.



What did you say? I didnt thought there was anything in Canada after our cereal fields. Except that strange asian country.... hmmm.... what is it again..... oyh yeah! British-Columbia!

(the above joke was not meant to hurt your feelings, I like everyone from Canada

[Pepperidge]

Originally Posted by DrWho2002

Also, I wouldn't expect b&m stores to get things in on time either.

They didn't seem to have trouble stocking all 400 million copies of End of Evangelion and Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversary Edition on their street date, so I don't see why Stand Alone Complex should be any different.

Originally Posted by DrWho2002

I keep on saying this, but best thing to do is just abandon the idea of buying things in stores and just get it on the internet.

And I keep saying that the B&M Market is vital to expanding the anime market in Canada because the percentage of people who actually buy their stuff online is incredibly puny. I hate to break it to you, but your little fantasy world where everyone does their shopping over the internet, never having to walk into a retail store for the rest of their days, is a long way off.

The VAST majority of people buy their DVDs in stores. If people can't buy their anime in stores, most of them aren't going to bother buying anime at all. I seriously doubt the fact that just about every Best Buy in the United States has over half an aisle of shelves fully-stocked with anime, with new titles pouring in every week, is an insignificant reflection of the market.

Also, and I pre-ordered my Eva Platinum vol. 1 w/box online weeks ago. It's still on order.

[DrWho2002]

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

They didn't seem to have trouble stocking all 400 million copies of End of Evangelion and Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversary Edition on their street date, so I don't see why Stand Alone Complex should be any different.

End of Eva and Ninja Scroll are like top top sellers. That's probably the difference. GitS-SAC although having some association with the GitS movie is something new, so they're probably not putting much stock in it for now.

The VAST majority of people buy their DVDs in stores. If people can't buy their anime in stores, most of them aren't going to bother buying anime at all. I seriously doubt the fact that just about every Best Buy in the United States has over half an aisle of shelves fully-stocked with anime, with new titles pouring in every week, is an insignificant reflection of the market.

Best Buys here in Edmonton have an ok anime dvd section, although since I rarely visit real stores I don't know what selection they have off hand. Future Shop here in Edmonton also have a somewhat ok anime dvd section as well. But your little fantasy world of anime dvd's breaking out into the mainstream DVD market to be found everywhere is also a pipe dream as well.

Also, and I pre-ordered my Eva Platinum vol. 1 w/box online weeks ago. It's still on order.

Well that's what happens when you preorder things, you wait for it to come out. =p

[Pepperidge]

Originally Posted by DrWho2002

But your little fantasy world of anime dvd's breaking out into the mainstream DVD market to be found everywhere is also a pipe dream as well.

Anime DVDs ARE a part of the mainstream DVD market in the US (and many places in the UK), and they would be in Canada if anime companies had proper distribution channels set up. However, unlike the other 90% of video distributors out there who don't seem to have ANY problem getting their titles onto store shelves on their proper release dates with acceptable prices, anime companies can't seem to be bothered to untangle the Canadian distribution issues that other companies overcome as standard practice.

DVD distribution becoming even half-way acceptable in Canada is not a pipe dream. It would take only a few months for each company to iron out their distribution methods (as Bandai is allegedly doing, but I'm starting to lose faith in them), but they seem to be too busy oversaturating US shelves and airwaves to even give a shit about the Canadian market, so whatever.

Originally Posted by DrWho2002

Well that's what happens when you preorder things, you wait for it to come out. =p

But it IS out.

[Mr_Paper]

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

Also, and I pre-ordered my Eva Platinum vol. 1 w/box online weeks ago. It's still on order.

I pre-ordered mine about 2 months ago...

I'm not expecting to get it until early/mid August.

[xelloss99]

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

Anime DVDs ARE a part of the mainstream DVD market in the US (and many places in the UK), and they would be in Canada if anime companies had proper distribution channels set up. However, unlike the other 90% of video distributors out there who don't seem to have ANY problem getting their titles onto store shelves on their proper release dates with acceptable prices, anime companies can't seem to be bothered to untangle the Canadian distribution issues that other companies overcome as standard practice.

The only main studios without a good distribution now are Funimation (overall), Geneon (which was widely available but at a poor price point), and Bandai (which is scarcer after cutting loose from Pioneer's US channels).

I don't see this as a distribution issue - it's more of a stocking issue - what do the stores want to stock? If they don't see the demand for anime, why bother stocking it? You would be better off spending your time on your one-man crusade pleading to the major chains, to convince them to stock anime (and consistently and regularly) as opposed to the blaming the studios, who have little control over who buys their stuff.

Or better yet, convince Suncoast to come here. Then you'll get EXACTLY what you want, MSRP-priced anime for the masses.

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

And I keep saying that the B&M Market is vital to expanding the anime market in Canada because the percentage of people who actually buy their stuff online is incredibly puny. I hate to break it to you, but your little fantasy world where everyone does their shopping over the internet, never having to walk into a retail store for the rest of their days, is a long way off.

I see your fantasy world where every corner store has a full selection of anime is even moreso than his.

As it is, every Future Shop, Best Buy, and HMV has a selection of anime, albeit not as fully stocked as Suncoast. Certainly not a bleak wasteland, but admittedly, not enough to keep casual fans interested (but if they actually were interested, then you'd see the stores more interested in keeping stock). Again, instead of ranting and raving here where there's nobody who cares, you'd best be trying to convince stores like FS, HMV, London Drugs and, A&B Sound to get the latest stuff on street date and keep their shelves stocked. They can get the stuff, they just have to consistently order it, and see that there's a demand for it.

Originally Posted by Pepperidge

The VAST majority of people buy their DVDs in stores. If people can't buy their anime in stores, most of them aren't going to bother buying anime at all. I seriously doubt the fact that just about every Best Buy in the United States has over half an aisle of shelves fully-stocked with anime, with new titles pouring in every week, is an insignificant reflection of the market.

As to the majority of people buying anime in stores, and the importance of B&M stores, sure I'd agree with you by saying that impulse buys by casual buyers are mostly done in stores. And at the moment at least over here, there's enough out there in mass-market stores to get those people interested, if they so desire (but I admit, not consistently enough to keep them interested if they do pick up a volume of a TV series something and want to continue it).

However the stores won't stock what won't sell, so it's a chicken and egg syndrome. If what they have doesn't sell, why would they ever tie up vastly more of their resources in getting more of the same stuff that won't sell?

As to BB being a mecca of anime in the US, I believe you're wrong. Every Best Buy I've been in the States, from the West coast to the East coast has pretty much the same type of selection that I've seen from the Future Shops and Best Buys out here in Edmonton - some of the more popular newer stuff, then a random selection of miscellaneous volumes from 1+ years ago. Certainly not every new title out there, and certainly not "pouring in" by any means. The main difference between BB there and here is that they get things on a semi-regular basis , while out here they get new(er) titles only every 2-3 months sporadicaly. Circuit City over there, if anything, has less of a selection than Future Shop here.

The ONLY place you'll consistently see in the US with a fully-stocked selection is Suncoast, and possibly Virgin if you can find one, but you always pay retail with no discount (I.E. through the nose) except for the rare sale items.

[DarkCntry]

Suncoast is pretty much the only B&M store that has a variety of anime...the problem is, they have markup for it as well. I can easily walk into my Suncoast and find one volume of EVA for $34, that's not cheap. Best Buy, which I used to work at, has upped their collection thanks in part to employees like me who made a demand to the central office...most Best Buys typically will have a dedicated Animation section now and contain at least 40 titles. Of course this isn't anywhere close to a wide variety, but at costs of around $19-$27, it beats Suncoast's prices.

Best Buy used to group Anime with Sci-Fi because it had nowhere else to put it, used to only carry about 10 titles at max and they mainly were DB and Pokemon. I went there yesterday found many other titles that wouldn't have been there a year ago.

The good thing...more B&M markets are finding viable sales in Anime, the bad thing...it's happening way too slow to keep the market growing at a steady pace. B&M is vital to anime sales, for the demographics for anime are still teenagers which have serious difficulties in purchasing things online lacking the form of credit cards required. Sure, they can ask their parents, but they run the risk of having those parents who believe the Internet isn't safe for their credit cards, this only leaves the B&M market. This is why I think that pushing for more B&M choices would be a very important thing to do.

[Yogo_Pogo]

Does certain of you are scared of real store? Does anime companies or store like HMV, Archambault and Future shop will stop existing if they made anime more avialable?

Why can we, like others, be please to see what we want(anime) on tv? They have channel for cultural minority (not much but at least one), for perverts and for gays? Why not for anime fans?

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Yogo_Pogo

Why can we, like others, be please to see what we want(anime) on tv? They have channel for cultural minority (not much but at least one), for perverts and for gays? Why not for anime fans?

Well Showcase and life(I think) has some of those type of shows. I sometime wonder if showcase could show anime since they seem to be airing a vararity of shows, but there might be a problem with the targeted audiance tho since some shows are not for kids.