[quote=psychopuppet]
I am one of the few that did not mind paying the higher prices as long as it meant less crap and more quality was getting licensed. .[/quote]
I’m sorry but I could never afford to keep buying anime like it was only a few years ago. It was WAY to expensive for me. Anime prices really needed to come down, because I am not a millionaire. I cannot afford to buy 24 episode series for 200 dollars. I just cant do that for every single show. Perhaps you could, but I cannot. I’d watch like only a few shows a year that way. While I love great packaging as much as the next guy, I won’t pay that much more for it.
I’ve been an anime fan as far back as I can remember, and I’ve been buying anime on DVD since around 2000 or so. But it was so expensive, and that was my biggest problem with it. I’m glad for it being cheaper, but I will miss the cool extra stuff. I’ll miss the nice artwork and packaging. But at least I can finally afford to buy the series I want to. I wish pushing for anime to be cheaper, but I did not want a “rush to the bottom” as Dragoon calls it. Perhaps it has gotten too cheap now.
I’m the same as prede. I’m a college student with no income (damn job market) so I am always looking for the best deal. That being said, I’m not looking to pay $30 for a brand new dubbed series. But I will not pay $150-$200. Lucky for me, I’m still new to buying anime DVDs, so I’m still getting older series that I can find for $30-$40. But as for new stuff, I’m willing to pay, at most, $55-60 for a new 24-26 episode series. Honestly, while I like little extras that are included, the only ones I really care about are interviews with english VAs. Otherwise a series with nothing more that DVD previews is fine if I’m paying a low price for it.
Yeah I’m not the guy asking for a brand new show for 25 bucks. That’s too cheap. I can’t understand how companies can proffit from that, and I’m not asking them to go try. I understand anime is niche, and I’m willing to pay more for niche entertainment. But not insane amounts every time. FOr one or two shows? Sure, if I really love them and they happen to cost a lot. But I could never do it all the time. But $55-$75 is not bad in my opinion. I could have lived with that.
[quote=Prede]
But $55-$75 is not bad in my opinion. I could have lived with that.[/quote]
I agree with that. I think that price range isn’t bad, but unfortunately you have a lot of anime fans that want the show for EVEN LESS than you can buy a North American show. While you can get a season of an American show for $30-$40, it isn’t entirely possible to do that with an anime series, except for high profile titles.
Anime is an extremely niche market. Most titles only move a couple thousand copies at BEST, so “mainstream” pricing doesn’t really apply here. Smaller markets in the DVD arena, British TV, Sci-Fi TV, gay and indie films almost always have higher prices. Anime is no exception to that.
I also agree that I’m getting tired of the constant complaining from some about how not everything can be dubbed. Then if they are dubbed, they complain because it’s too expensive. People need to stop whining!
[quote=dragonrider_cody]
Smaller markets in the DVD arena, British TV, Sci-Fi TV, gay and indie films almost always have higher prices. Anime is no exception to that.
I also agree that I’m getting tired of the constant complaining from some about how not everything can be dubbed. Then if they are dubbed, they complain because it’s too expensive. People need to stop whining![/quote]
Sadly that’s what most anime fans don’t get. They don’t understand niche and international programming is more expensive. PBS watchers, get it, anime fans do not. That’s the inherent problem of the demographic of anime fans as well as the culture - certainly not helped at all by the internet, both illegal and legal devalued the market. Companies are scrambling for short and medium term solutions, but no one has any idea what’s towards the horizon. Once free becomes mass market, it’s hard to suddenly expect more people to buy the DVDs. The only solution is critical mass with online subscription or so much critical mass that ad-support can support it - I don’t see it happening quite yet.
As for the dub whiners, my stance on that is clear.
Regardless, that’s the market we are in and the one that the companies must adapt to. Anime consumers are a tough bunch. And the effects of that have affected production on both sides of the pacific, and some people are finally starting to see that.
Hmmm, kinda of a non-tangent, but I made a post once back that there should be global secondary language. Then, only one dub would be needed for any show.
[quote=redshirt1]
Hmmm, kinda of a non-tangent, but I made a post once back that there should be global secondary language. Then, only one dub would be needed for any show.[/quote]
And what would that be?
English? American of Queen’s english?
Spanish?
Japanese?
How bout some dead, ancient language like Sumerian, //Xegwi, Pig-Latin?
I can only see trouble brewing if something like this was given the go-ahead, political, ethnical, and otherwise.
Anyway I watched the first DVD (the first 5 episodes), and I really loved them. If the show keeps this up it could get a 9/10 from me ;). It’s really doing everything right so far.
Anyway I watched the first DVD (the first 5 episodes), and I really loved them. If the show keeps this up it could get a 9/10 from me ;). It’s really doing everythign right so far.[/quote]
Good to here. See, we weren’t all lying when we said it was a good show. I predicted by the end of it, you’ll be like:
“OMG, this is WAY better than that other anime…what was is called again…um, El Casa-something?”
It was pretty darn good, but not as good as Madlax. Unlike Madlax (contains Madlax spoiler):
[details=spoiler]there was no huge plot twist at the end. When we learn that Margaret and Madlax are the same person, my jaw fell off. I was stunned. I had figured they were maybe sisters but…the same person? There wasn’t any moment like that for me in Noir. I also didn’t connect with either Kirika or Mireille as I did with Madlax and Margaret or even Vanessa. I almost cried when Vanessa died and when I thought Madlax was going to die. When Kirika was shot, I cant say I really felt much. And I have to admit I was kind of glad Chloe died, she annoyed me.
That being said, the action was just as good as Madlax. I enjoyed all the fight scenes. And the music was quite good as well. Madlax tops it in characters though, and I liked the story better.[/details]
[quote=dragonrider_cody]
Excel Saga didn’t bother me too much, nor does 2040. But Noir is really a shame. Yet another reason why today sucks. :([/quote]
2040 bothers me most because ADV actually funded it. Though they probably long ago made their money back with all of the merchandise deals they had for the show back in the day.
Noir I figured it was only a matter of time and I’d wager Madlax will be next.
Dragoon must be ablaze right now. Even if he’s not heard the news.
I had no idea ADV funded 2040, but they did a lot of that back in the day. That does make the news quite a bit sadder. I was wondering if they might go after Noir, but it can be hard to predict. With El Cazador and Noir, I’m sure it will only be time before they go after Madlax.
But the Noir news does upset me quite a bit, even more than Chrono Crusade. Chrono was full expected, since it’s Gonzo. I wasn’t truly expecting Noir to be grabbed.
