ADVision asked to have titles that they have licenses for to be taken off the site, s

[Japschin]

Originally posted by Seijuro Hiko
Hey I still see a couple of ADV titles like ad police an genrator gawl, so if you are keeping those what not just put all the items you had to remove in stock again, I SAY FUCK ADV, I'm not rich I WANT HK, BRING ON SLAYERS, FMP, NAJICA BLITZ, KING OF BANDIT JING, this is a protest join in and make a coment :mad: DAMN ADV DAMN THEM TO HELL, FIGHT THE POWER!!!!

Why don't you just pm JJ and ask him for the sets instead of asking him to put them in the store section again?

Asking JJ to put them back when he just received the notice from ADV less than a week ago, does that mean that you are going to pay the fine for him if ADV decides to pursue the matter?

By the way, in case you don't realise it, ADV has the right to ask them to be taken off. ADV has licences to all those anime mentioned above.
Fight the power? What right do you have to say that when we all know that HKs are bootlegs?

I hate saying this but R1s aren't for the rich. Many R1s, eg. Slayers OVAs + Movies ($10-$13), are only a few bucks more expensive than HKs. MSRP for Tsukikage Ran is only $9.98.

[Ryoku Slayer]

I agree with Japschin and Vicious about this. ADV has the rights to all of the titles that JJ had to take off. I know you people are wuite dissappointed about the removal of the popular titles, but you have to regard the feelings of ADV (that sounded kinda corny, but oh well.....). I mean if their weren't any R1s of FMP, Excel Saga, Neon Genesis, and etc there weren't be any "Perfect Collections". You would have to stick with "tv ripped" sets. I mean, the stuff that I own are mostly Hks, but none of them are licensed by ADV. Besides, I think ADV is one of the companies that has the best prices. For example, I saw the Steel Angel Kurumi Boxed Set (7 disk) for 38.00 at best buy. That isn't bad for 7 disks. These are R1 btw. If you bought them each by one. It would cost at least 100 or more dollars. So I think we all should appreciate what ADV has done for us for the past few years. I mean it isn't right to buy boots of adv because they worked very hard to: dub it, manufacture it, and get licenses/rights. You see it is very hard work to make a single dvd, so if it is not too much to ask: Leave JJ alone, don't tell him to bring back ADV stuff, you could get him in trouble ya know. That is all I have to say.

[Hidalgo]

R1 prices are at best a mixed bag.
On the whole they are explotative.
ADV's recent shift to 7 disc sets is a clear sign of this.
Full Metal Panic had no buisness being on 7 doscs
6 would have been a perfect fit, but they had to just squeeze a little bit more out of fans.
Now ADV has also done a good thing in releasing their anime esseintals line, which is way over due and has good titles. It along with the geneon signature line are good starters.
However the overall price is a bit out of hand. 24-30 per title is simply too much. Why should i pay 30 bucks for one volume of a show when that is the same i pay for the lord of the rings extended edition in many stores?
Now many of these overpriced titles can be purchased a bit under msrp via the net, and other means, but that is a bit of work and unless you can get free shipping that alone will defeat a few dollars off.
ADV needs to do more before i would think of not buying rips of their sets.
Their not the worst(Funimation, and no fruit baskets does not atone for your sins, dont even bother bringing that up)
In the end adv has the right to ask people not to sell bootlegs of their sets, but they are by no means perfect.
They deserve credit and critisism.

[Elcoholic]

Originally posted by Hidalgo
R1 prices are at best a mixed bag.
On the whole they are explotative.
ADV's recent shift to 7 disc sets is a clear sign of this.
Full Metal Panic had no buisness being on 7 doscs
6 would have been a perfect fit, but they had to just squeeze a little bit more out of fans.
Now ADV has also done a good thing in releasing their anime esseintals line, which is way over due and has good titles. It along with the geneon signature line are good starters.
However the overall price is a bit out of hand. 24-30 per title is simply too much. Why should i pay 30 bucks for one volume of a show when that is the same i pay for the lord of the rings extended edition in many stores?
Now many of these overpriced titles can be purchased a bit under msrp via the net, and other means, but that is a bit of work and unless you can get free shipping that alone will defeat a few dollars off.
ADV needs to do more before i would think of not buying rips of their sets.
Their not the worst(Funimation, and no fruit baskets does not atone for your sins, dont even bother bringing that up)
In the end adv has the right to ask people not to sell bootlegs of their sets, but they are by no means perfect.
They deserve credit and critisism.

Very good post and it will probably explain how the majority here feels. I'm in europe and here its a whole other story but i won't go into that.

Vicious, you always have some good deals up your sleeve to throw into these conversations to prove your point that there is cheap anime. Unfortunatly you won't convince anyone as long as the new stuff still comes out at (IMO) insane prices and disc counts, not to mention having to wait months inbetween volumes. But you are pretty up to date with R1 anime so maybe you remember: whats the "cheapest" you can get a volume of a new show when first released? My guess is not under $20,- for 3 or 4 eps. for any show which I think is to much. The comparison used by Hidalgo with LotR in the next shelf for the same price is how I view it to. I have $25, I can spend it on 60 min. of anime or an 3 hour movie. I don't have to think long to see whats more value for my money.

My problem with R1 is that I don't trust them with these prices. Anime is known for its low production costs (compared to US animation studios) and I think most of these costs are earned back in Asia with tv rights and disc/merchandising sales. So either the Japanese production companies ask insane licensing costs or the R1 companies make very large profit margins (which could explain the huge pricedrops on some shows). Either way, I keep feeling someone is ripping someone of till I get proof that justifies low ep.counts and high prices. Look at the prices of US animation shows like simpsons/southpark, those prices are ALOT lower and have higher production costs. Its hard to find financial numbers regarding anime but I would very much like to know more about licensing fees, costs of making a dub and costs of producing the anime. Maybe if I knew for a fact that the profit margins on R1 anime are low I would have more respect for the R1 companies.

[Japschin]

Originally posted by elcoholic
whats the "cheapest" you can get a volume of a new show when first released? My guess is not under $20,- for 3 or 4 eps. for any show which I think is to much.

So either the Japanese production companies ask insane licensing costs or the R1 companies make very large profit margins (which could explain the huge pricedrops on some shows). Either way, I keep feeling someone is ripping someone of till I get proof that justifies low ep.counts and high prices. Look at the prices of US animation shows like simpsons/southpark, those prices are ALOT lower and have higher production costs. Its hard to find financial numbers regarding anime but I would very much like to know more about licensing fees, costs of making a dub and costs of producing the anime. Maybe if I knew for a fact that the profit margins on R1 anime are low I would have more respect for the R1 companies.

New releases online, if you know where to look, offers 40%-50% discount off MSRP. You can easily get a new release under $20/volume. It also depends on whether you want a collector's box or a limited edition box or just the regular dvd.

I read somewhere before that licensing an anime cost $300k and above, depending on the popularity. Cost of producing, no idea. Dubbing artistes get paid between $3k-$5k per artiste. Sometimes more depending on their popularity/experiences.

Don't blame it all on the studios for the high prices. Blame it on the distributors and retailers. I have a friend who used to work in ADV sales department. He said that they sold each dvd to distributors ranging from $10-$13. The distributors may add $2-$4 when they sell them to the retailers. After that, it's up to the retailers to set their prices.

[Elcoholic]

Originally posted by Japschin
New releases online, if you know where to look, offers 40%-50% discount off MSRP. You can easily get a new release under $20/volume. It also depends on whether you want a collector's box or a limited edition box or just the regular dvd.

I read somewhere before that licensing an anime cost $300k and above, depending on the popularity. Cost of producing, no idea. Dubbing artistes get paid between $3k-$5k per artiste. Sometimes more depending on their popularity/experiences.

Don't blame it all on the studios for the high prices. Blame it on the distributors and retailers. I have a friend who used to work in ADV sales department. He said that they sold each dvd to distributors ranging from $10-$13. The distributors may add $2-$4 when they sell them to the retailers. After that, it's up to the retailers to set their prices.

Thanks, thats some info I can work with. One thing, where can I find the new titles for under $20? I haven't found a series that's not completely released yet with individual volumes for under $20 , I don't know where to look though .

Those VA's get paid pretty good. It shouldn't be more than a month or two of work, and probably part time. Wonder what the whole process costs with writing the english version and paying all the VA's.

I found this interesting article http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/4207.html
It talks about the how anime popularity is growing in the US. Its estimated to be an $600 million market. If licensing costs about 300k (which i think is a little high, probably enough to cover the whole production=japanese greed) they can license ALOT of shows each year. I can't do to much research (I'm at work) but if I'd search arround and do some calculations I'm sure the result would be that someone is making lots of money of us. You mentioning what retailers do doesn't help me feel better about the asking prices either although it does once again show that ADV isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.

Anime popularity is growing rapidly due to all the tv exposion, video games featuring anime charrecters and the large availability in stores. It would be only fare to lower the prices or put more eps. on a dvd instead of taking all the profit into their own pockets. I know thats how companies work but then don't look surprised if some fans choose to buy boots.

[ozone]

The posts are too long to quote in here, but what people have to stop being is greedy. Anime is NEW, it's HOT, and everyone wants it. People have not yet realized that they DON'T have to own each and every show. Buy a show if you will actually watch it multiple times. Don't buy a show to put it on your shelf. If you have the buy-to-put-on-shelf mentality then you're currently pissed off with the prices for legitimate Anime DVDs.

I believe once anime matures more in the USA, fewer people will try to "buy it all" and both R1 but especially HK-DVD sales will drop. Anyway, this post is just directed towards the folks complaining that anime costs too much. Sure it does, if you want to own it all. Why not try buying your "favorite" shows, not shit like Ai Yori Aoshi, Onegai Twins, well hell I could go on foreever. Just try buying your favorite shows, and you'll soon realize anime aint all that expensive.

EDIT: and before someone says it, this post is directed at the anime fan who watches fansubs, which is basically everyone in here. Why? Well, you can't really determine what's good/bad before you have seen it. And reviews don't mean squat as Hikaru no Go sounds boring as hell, but it's not -- and Ai Yori Aoshi sounds good but it's not. :p

[Elcoholic]

If I would follow your advice I would not see anything. I only buy HK series and most I only watch once. I don't buy them to put on my shelf (although they do look good there), I buy them to watch. If HK wouldn't excist I would have not seen anything except whats on tv, which isn't much over here. I also am not in the position to DL anything. For me this is the way I get my anime and I'm definetly not paying european prices for the shitty selection available here.

What should I do if I want to watch a show once? I don't see any other options without declaring bankrupty.

EDIT: just read your edit. Disregard that last question.

[Pristine]

Originally posted by ozone
Anime is NEW, it's HOT, and everyone wants it. People have not yet realized that they DON'T have to own each and every show. Buy a show if you will actually watch it multiple times. Don't buy a show to put it on your shelf. If you have the buy-to-put-on-shelf mentality then you're currently pissed off with the prices for legitimate Anime DVDs.

lol I have bought far too many shows that I haven't watched since forever ago and when I try to watch them...I just can't do it. I'd save a hell of a lot of money if I could just buy certain things. I think the only thing I have going for myself right now is that I don't have to have a special edition set or a box...cept for Gravi cuz the box is the shizzy ^-^

Oh, I can say that I'm not upset with the prices because I can get around them. If you can wait and search around, it's easy to get a good deal on Ebay, trading sites, and even DeepDiscountDVD every now and then. That's a major reason I stopped collecting HK for region 1 stuff. For instance, I had the Noir HK and I think I paid like 30 bucks. Then I sold it and got my $30 back and bought the whole Region 1 set totally new and shrinkwrapped for $50. I know everyone doesn't have an extra $20 all of the time but if you're going to buy something anyways and invest in it, why not just get the best quality you can for a little bit more money? Btw, I'm in college, pay my own way, and I'm not indebt and have food to eat. So I don't think it's entirely impossible for every person.


**
And back to the HK...what I kinda don't get is...well I do understand that people are upset just because of the fact that stuff was removed but you can always buy from somewhere else. There are so many sites that have about the same prices and stock as here and also ship internationally.

[Vicious]

Originally posted by elcoholic
But you are pretty up to date with R1 anime so maybe you remember: whats the "cheapest" you can get a volume of a new show when first released?

I usually pay around $18.50 for a title that MSRP's for $29.99 if I preorder it. I do most of my ordering with Rightstuf. But they are hard to use at first, because you have to learn how to combine discounts and memberships and free shipping. If I wait for a Studio sale at Rightstuf, I can usually get a $29.99 DVD for about $16. The only exception is Geneon, since they don't give us as much of a pricebreak on those.

If you don't want to deal with figuring out Rightstuf or having to place a preorder to get low prices, try using http://www.pricegrabber.com or http://www.dvdpricesearch.com to help you find the cheapest site for a certain title. Most likely, it'll direct you to digitaleyes.net or deepdiscountdvd.com.

Back to TRSI though. They also have some awesome bargains sometimes like:
6/3/2004: Angelic Layer DVD 1 for only $8.99! (100 uses) coupon code: bargainmadness61
6/4/2004: Noir DVD 1 for only $5.99! (100 uses) coupon code: bargainmadness62
6/7/2004: Legend of the Mystical Ninja DVD 1 for only $6.99! (100 uses) coupon code: bargainmadness63

[Japschin]

Originally posted by elcoholic
Thanks, thats some info I can work with. One thing, where can I find the new titles for under $20? I haven't found a series that's not completely released yet with individual volumes for under $20 , I don't know where to look though .

Those VA's get paid pretty good. It shouldn't be more than a month or two of work, and probably part time. Wonder what the whole process costs with writing the english version and paying all the VA's.

You mentioning what retailers do doesn't help me feel better about the asking prices either although it does once again show that ADV isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.

It would be only fare to lower the prices or put more eps. on a dvd instead of taking all the profit into their own pockets. I know thats how companies work but then don't look surprised if some fans choose to buy boots.

I generally get my stuffs at DDD, around $18 for new releases and rightstuf around $16 when they have a studio sale. DDD offers free shipping all the time, rightstuf, you have to have at least a $100 order to qualify for free shipping. Anyway, it's ez to have a $100 order.

Actually, I don't think any of the studios, distributors or retailers are bad. Everyone needs to make some money. Only when studios initial sale price is really high, then the consumers would have to buy the high end price. *shrug*

Dunno, but it doesn't really matter to me about paying the prices if I really like those anime series. The only thing I don't like is 3 episodes per dvd. Dohz....that means I'll have to get out of bed sooner to change the dvds or wait couple of months before I could get the next volume. What a drag.....:p

[SilverMuraki]

Well I just wanted to add in my 2 cents to this forum. I know people won't like what I have to say, but you can't please everyone. ^^

I don't see how this is all a big deal. So what , like pristine said you can get around it by buying from ebay or deepdiscountdvd.com. You can also use http://www.dvdpricesearch.com to get estimates on how much a dvd is going for online. You can also buy from http://www.digtaleyes.net, they have decent used R1's for sale.

The way I look at it is when you buy R1, your paying for anime to come to the US. When companies pull in revenue, it allows them to pay there VA's, make merchandise, get rights to the manga, and it allows they to set aside funds to buy rights to new anime. I think it's somewhat selfish to want to "reap" the benifits of hearing the dubb and getting the R1 rip, when you never intend to support the companies and VA's who work there ass off to get you that anime. I'm not saying you have to buy every anime R1, but you should occasionaly pitch into buying R1's to support your fave animes.

And I don't think that VA's do that well off. I talk to Chris Patton alot, and he's forever saying how broke he is. ;_; And he is a well known ADV VA.

But hey, it's just my opinion.

[SirChico]

Originally posted by SilverMuraki
The way I look at it is when you buy R1, your paying for anime to come to the US. When companies pull in revenue, it allows them to pay there VA's, make merchandise, get rights to the manga, and it allows they to set aside funds to buy rights to new anime. I think it's somewhat selfish to want to "reap" the benifits of hearing the dubb and getting the R1 rip, when you never intend to support the companies and VA's who work there ass off to get you that anime. I'm not saying you have to buy every anime R1, but you should occasionaly pitch into buying R1's to support your fave animes.

I totally aggree. This is why exactly why I've started replacing my HK's with R1's. So I can defiently say that I am glad ADV did what they did because it is their right.

Actually, since I took up an interest in getting R1's, my favorite place to browse through anime has been http://www.advfilms.com... I could watch those trailers all day (but, I obviously don't)... I love the Azumanga Daioh trailers, I want to get the volume 1 + box set and start collecting the R1's as their released.

For those HK-er's who are disappointed... I feel sorry for you, but it was bound to happen eventually.

[Vicious]

Originally posted by SirChico

Actually, since I took up an interest in getting R1's, my favorite place to browse through anime has been http://www.advfilms.com... I could watch those trailers all day (but, I obviously don't)... I love the Azumanga Daioh trailers, I want to get the volume 1 + box set and start collecting the R1's as their released.

You watch that 'Super Duper Sumos' trailer over and over again, don't you? :p

And I got Azumanga Daioh volume 1 with the box for free. And it was signed by Tiffany grant, made out to me, Vicious.

[rugrats1]

And I got Azumanga Daioh volume 1 with the box for free. And it was signed by Tiffany grant, made out to me, Vicious.

Maybe I ought to start buying my ADV DVDs "factory direct" -- at Best Buy, V1. of Daioh with box costs $6 more than without box (which is $19.95) -- and it isn't even signed.

Does your free box come with the pins?