R1 or HK?

[Andromeda18_]

While looking at the pictures posted on "Pictures of your anime collection" I noticed those collections were made up mostly of R1's.
Because this is a site dedicated to HK sets and because I see many people here saying they really enjoy HK sets I was a bit surprised. I expected people's collections to be filled with HK sets but that didn't happen.

What I'd like to know is what everybody thinks about R1 and HK sets. Which do you prefer and why?

About 4 months ago I couldn't conceive of buying HK sets mainly because I didn't yet know of ripped sets and had had some bad experiences. But then I found this website and it completely changed my mind. I'm a student so I don't work and most of my money is spent on manga (about $120 a month) which leaves me with little money for anime. That's why HK sets that are R1 rips are perfect for me, they have good subtitles, good presentation and good quality at low prices whereas R1's are much more expensive. Instead of spending $30 on 4 episodes I spend the same amount on 26.

[Nina182B]

For me, I'll go for the HK sets if there is a perfect collection available. It doesn't really bother me if there's pixelation now and then, as long as it doesn't really interfere with the anime story. I'm okay with fansubs too as long as I can understand what's going on. When I was in college, I didn't have much cash for anime either so I'd definately buy HK. Hmmm, that's not really different from my situation now.. only difference is that I've graduated and am unemployed

Oh ya, I've recently gotten into mangas... have you found any great (cheap) places to get them? Best one I've seen is http://www.alldirect.com - like $6.15 per manga, and it says they're new. As long as you have an ISBN, they'll show up in the database search - their title search doesn't work that well. I haven't bought any from them yet but I'm planning to. Let me know if you have good webstores too.

~Ohhh, so close to my 50th post.. I just want an avatar

[Prophet Hero]

If I enjoy a series I'll usually replace the HK set with R1 originals. I've done this with GTO, Tenchi and Cowboy Bebop amongst others. It's not much of a gesture, but it's something to show my appreciation. For a series like YUA I went R1 all the way.

With movies I'll try buy the originals whether it's R1, R2 (UK or Jpn) or R3.

[Japschin]

I am a student and I work.

I buy HKs to check out the series first. Once I'm finished with them, I either sell or trade them away. If nobody wants to buy or trade, I'll give them to my friends.

I buy R1s to replace those HK sets. Sometimes the HKs just do not come out soon enough. I don't have much patience to wait for those series which I really want to watch. Hence, by the time the Hks are out, I've already gotten them all on R1s.

Another reason why I buy HK sets despite the fact that I already have them on R1s, is to lend them out to my friends and roommates. I don't like saying 'no'. These people never take care of my stuffs. I'd rather have them wreck the HKs than my R1s.

I prefer R1s to HKs.
Main reason: I've never gotten a glitch in any R1 dvd before. Even if I have to spend $150 for a complete series on R1 instead of spending only $30 for HK, I'd rather spend the extra money, especially if I like the series. Certain things, if within limits, I want the best. That's why I always get the limited editions of R1, if I can get my hands on them.

HKs: I do like HKs too. It's a cheap way for me to preview the titles I havn't watched before, especially the older series since most newer series, I have them on R1s. As long as the dvds can load on my dvds players or as long as they don't freeze like crazy, I'm generally quite satisfied with the HK sets.

[SirChico]

Originally posted by Andromeda18_
Which do you prefer and why?

R1's...

I was happy with HK's and I actually happy I got into them (even though now I am trying to get rid of them for R1's). I am happy because HK's showed me that even though R1's are expensive, they sure are worth it. I'll leave it at that (I could continue, but it wouldn't be appropriate in Anime Discussion, more like a topic for Rants).

[Steve_the_Talking_Pie]

Can I say one thing? Stop saying R1 DVDs are 4 episodes for $30. Look at http://www.dvdpacific.com dammit.

Saint Seiya goes $20 for 5 episodes (more like $12 online). Same with many other series including Wedding Peach.

Not to mention, Perfect Collections and Box Sets. Pre-order stuff at TRSI with a membership. No offense to some of you, but I've been buying anime for a lot longer than some of you (way back in the clamshell VHS days).

So make some claims against R1s, but back it up with actual information. :p

[Vicious]

I agree with you Steve. I've given examples on numerous times about how R1's are not as expensive as people exaggerate them to be. But frankly, I'm tired of dealing with it.

If they want to rationalize to thmeselves and it makes them feel better, then that's their problem. Or if they're just ignorant and go around paying MSRP for discs, then that's their problem too.

[Hidalgo]

Hks are a great way to save money on anime, and I for one like the gatefold packaging. I only have 2 R1 shows but several R1 movies. I tend to buy movies R1 but hk shows. I bought excel saga R1 because i was able to buy it for 19.99 a disc for the first 5 discs and recieved the last one as a gift. At the time the show had no good hk, and i prefered not to wait for the perfect collection. Had i i would have been pleased as the HK perfect collection is good, but does not have all the nice extras that the offical release does. I own sailor moon R R1 cause i got it for 39.95 at deepdiscountdvd.com on a special.
Its nice to have an R1 at a reasonable price but that doesnt come up as much as i would like.
Even at sites like deepdiscount and dvdpacific the prices are still higher than many people would like. The problem is that a show on 7 or 8 dvds is still too expensive at even a smaller rate.
Case in point
Full metal panic is 121.24 before shipping at dvdpacific.
Now compare that to 21 + 7 at this site. id love to have the set R1 with the cool box that it comes with, but im not paying that much for a 24 episode show.
R1's might not be as expensive as some people make them out to be but their not cheap by any strech of the imagination.
In the end get ill get what i can afford.
If i can afford the R1 comfertably then ill do it because the quality is better and the extras can be very worth it, but im not laying over a hundred down for any 26 ep show. Get the show you want at the quality level your comfertable with.

[Elcoholic]

I got a different excuse besides being to cheap to pay R1 prices for series. I'm from europe and anime is still very expensive here if its available in our region coding at all. My main reason for starting to buy HK was that they're region free. I bought my first HK set for this reason when I didn't even know they were boots (it was Bebop which wasn't available here back then). Then all the other plusses are less shelf space, nice artwork but it all boils down to the price now that I know what they are. As long as the quality is the way as it is now I won't complain. I hardly see any difference between HK and R1 anyways so thats no reason for me to switch to R1. I never bought anything with the thought that I might be supporting the creators. That's a reasoning I only find on HK boards and not in (my) real life. I got lots of other hobbies and things to spend my money on. If HK's didn't excist I wouldn't be into anime the way I am now and if they ever disappear than that's the end of me buying 26 ep. shows. It might mean that I'm not such a hardcore fan than some other people but like I said, there's more to my life than anime and if I would buy everything R1 then I'd be limited to one show per month. It would be enough to fill the time I have for watching anime but not enough to satisfy my collection habbits. Plus , it wouldn't feel right to me to pay over $100 for a show. Alot of you don't agree but I feel ripped of when I pay that money and think about all the other stuff I would be able to do with that money. Its not worth it in my opinion. I still try to buy all the anime movies available here if they have a normal playing time (not Blood for ? 25,-) but that's just my collecting habbits. As I said, I never bought anything for the reason of supporting the people who created it. Not anime, movies, music, clothing, anything. I'm selfish like that

[fahad17]

personally it dosnt bother me with ones i get, but becasein still at school and am too lazy to get a job, i tend tostick to hk's. Aparts from movies (like akira) which i get R2's. another thing i cant seen to get series's on R1'2, especially not in box sets..

[Vicious]

Originally posted by Hidalgo

Full metal panic is 121.24 before shipping at dvdpacific.
Now compare that to 21 + 7 at this site. id love to have the set R1 with the cool box that it comes with, but im not paying that much for a 24 episode show.

If you pay attention to the Rightstuf instabargains, Shawne has been putting some FMP discs on there recently for about $7 each. Granted, it's still gonna be more expensive than the HK's. Hk's are going to be cheaper 99.9% of the time.

My only point is that R1's are not $30 for 4 episodes. And if you're paying that much, then you deserved to get ripped off because you haven't done any research. Some series are more affordable than others, so you just have to look around.

[SirChico]

You can get good deals on R1's.. I finished my Love Hina set at $15.49 a disc (brand new).

Also, some R1 companies are now releasing complete collections at very good retail prices, so it's sometimes better then the price of HK's after you find a good deal. $42.99 for Complete Steel Angel Kurumi (technically $6.14 a disc) and that isn't even the best price for that set.

[bumperboy]

Originally posted by SirChico
You can get good deals on R1's.. I finished my Love Hina set at $15.49 a disc (brand new).

Also, some R1 companies are now releasing complete collections at very good retail prices, so it's sometimes better then the price of HK's after you find a good deal. $42.99 for Complete Steel Angel Kurumi (technically $6.14 a disc) and that isn't even the best price for that set.

Yeah I bought my Steel Angel Kurumi for 28.79$USD

STEEL ANGEL KURUM-KURUMI COMPLETE SHIPPED 1 $28.79 1 06/25/04 $28.79

[gubi-gubi]

Im kinda in between... Im starting to buy more R1 lately like Marmalade Boy and stuff and I'm going to finish my Cardcaptor Sakura collection after waiting ages for someone to rip it (not happening anytime soon). I also agree with elcoholic as the UK is a nightmare for anime as there arn't any good series around and shipping from the USA with tax is expensive as hell... One thing I will do though is replace all my anime VHS from the good old days with HKs cause I have already paid my money to the 'creators' so im not going to do it again... I've got loads and they ar'nt easy to get rid of! American VHS were damn expensive back in the day (before the exchange rate dropped ) ontop of shipping AND import tax!

[tsunami]

Personally the only reason I buy HK is because I don't have much cash and there isn't very much anime I can buy at retail stores in my area. Plus I have bought some R1s here and there but I don't have any full series not a single one in R1 form. Also I got the same reasons like the posters above me.