[quote=“celestial_being”]
The potential problems with this are twofold. First I don’t find the idea of telling the industry that the barest of bare-bones releases is OK with the fans to be wise. Secondly, and more importantly, if money is going to discotek that would normally go to the other companies, then fans are definitely sending the wrong message to the industry.
If all the discotek supporters are spending more money, new money, on anime then the second problem practically disappears. If they are not then we’re torpedoing the NA industry. If that is indeed the case, then I ask you to explain how taking money from companies which provide dubs, blu-rays, extras, online streaming, televised anime, convention appearances/sponsorships, and have even produced anime and giving it instead to a company that does none of these things is a good idea.[/quote]
Hey there, Celestial! I work with the Production side of things over here in the anime business, and I gotta tell you, it’s not that easy!
Every company has to start somewhere. We’re not all faceless! A lot of us really are fans of what we work on, and because of that, know (usually) what fans would like to have. (don’t quote me on that~!) Extras and dubs have always been a big controversy in the North America anime DVD market. Sometimes it’s not as simple as “well they didn’t dub it or get extras, so i’ll show them by not buying it!” There’s a lot that goes into the decision of what goes where and what is bought. Sometimes, it’s not even a matter of getting extras, as the owning companies decide that they want them included only on the japanese release. Throwing money at them doesn’t always work!
Keep in mind that when you buy anime (from any company), that you’re not just supporting the North American Anime industry, but you’re also supporting the Japanese artists, actors, actresses and crew! They worked ridiculously hard on your favorite shows, and are rarely given credit.
It’s totally your choice what you do with your money, however, try not to feel “entitled” to certain things. We do everything we can to get you the most bang for your buck. (you should see blu-ray prices for 1-3 episodes in Japan. Yeesh!)
In any case, I adore Lovely Complex, and am very excited that it got licensed at all. I have many fond memories of the series. Shut up and take my money, Discotek!