Are Anime Fans Spoiled?

Yes, I do think anime fans are spoiled. When I did my review for the first Code Geass movie back in July, many people were asking me how i saw it online or how they can see it online when I made it clear for the past 3 years that I live in Japan and can watch anime legitimately in Japan in theaters.

And yes, VHS tapes back in the 1990s were really expensive as ****. Some could go as high as $75 for the oav titles by ADV like Devil Hunter Yohko. And I am the same age as this author (late 20s) and I have been an anime fan since I was 10. The cheapest anime I ever got in those days was an edited version to Street Fighter II The Animated Movie for $15. I remember on my 16th birthday, I got a DVD player and my first anime DVD, Gundam Wing vol 1 for $20 with 5 episodes, dual languages, unedited, and sweet trailers. Then when I get a job after high school, season 1 of Sailor Moon on DVD was $35 and I was happy to get it. People who complain that anime is expensive don't now ****. But at the same time, Japanese corporations are pricks. Especially with the issue of licensing Macross 7.

I can't even fathom downloading an Anime series these days - although I do it with Sentai and Kamen Rider. I think it's cause those series aren't licensed yet. There are tons of Anime streaming on Hulu, Crunchyroll, even YouTube via FUNimation's channel. So why would I need to turn to shitty fansubs?

I don't even have memories of buying Anime tapes at the high prices you guys are talking about. I only bought a few DBZ tapes in my day - and they were used copies from my local video store. If I do decide to buy a DVD or Blu-Ray series, it'll be from Amazon. Buying from a store is almost as bad as when they were $50 for one VHS tape! :sly:

SamuraiEchidna said:

You're basically saying you support illegal activities over helping out a company that wants to legally hook you up with your favorite material. Now, in some cases, like Tokusatsu, maybe it can't be helped. But that's no excuse to go to the extreme and support fansubbers only.

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Read this and you'll see differently:

http://questioncopyright.org/promise

Pikawil said:

Read this and you'll see differently:

http://questioncopyright.org/promise

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Issue with this is that authors need a distribution chain and prevent the plagiarism of material.

I'm not equating piracy with plagiarism as its basically copying the file and not distributing it via selling it as a bootleg.

The people whom do sell or distribute the copied content without the consent of either the author or distributor should be tried, but the government should not be the dog of the corporations in the same context.

Issue with current legislation is that it does not make much of any rational distinctions between copying a file versus bootlegging it and selling it as if you owned it.

Ziginz Zegell said:

Decent fan subers (should) take there time and make sure they get their **** straight. I think TV Nihon is actually a good example of this. Sure it takes them an extra three or four days, but the subs seem pretty good. I will admit I use Over-Time quite alot, but if I plan to keep a series then I get the Nihon subs.

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lol TVN = decent.

Cirno said:

What about if say for example, I support the Crunchyroll TL for PSwG over the Funimation TL? Where would that leave me?

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I dunno, I guess that depends on which one is more accurate...?

Pikawil said:

Read this and you'll see differently:

http://questioncopyright.org/promise

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Well, I don't see how that would justify people choosing to bootleg something when they can already get it for free...

Also, from that Kotaku article in the first post:

Most shows that we now think of as anime, Robotech, Transformers, etc., were thought of as purely American made shows.

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Transformers was not an anime. Sure, the character designs were based on Japanese toylines, but the actual characterization, plots, etc. were not written in Japan.

Shynilyte said:

Transformers was not an anime. Sure, the character designs were based on Japanese toylines, but the actual characterization, plots, etc. were not written in Japan.

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What about shows like Megaforce, Car Robots or Victory that were made in Japan?

Shynilyte said:

I dunno, I guess that depends on which one is more accurate...?

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CR then, the Funi TL for P&SwG is atrocious.

Yes, but it isn't such a bad thing you know.

Having so much anime available to me is frickin' awesome. Way better than the VHS-era.

Cirno said:

What about shows like Megaforce, Car Robots or Victory that were made in Japan?

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1. Masterforce, not Megaforce (lol, Power Rangers). 2. Yeah, those were made in Japan, but the article said "Robotech, Transformers etc.", so they probably meant the original, as that's from the same "era" as Robotech, and the Japanese shows were not broadcast in the U.S. until Saban's dub of Car Robots.

Cirno said:

CR then, the Funi TL for P&SwG is atrocious.

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Oh, okay.

Shynilyte said:

1. Masterforce, not Megaforce (lol, Power Rangers).

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Wow, derp. I was thinking "Masterforce" too. :sweat:

2. Yeah, those were made in Japan, but the article said "Robotech, Transformers etc.", so they probably meant the original, as that's from the same "era" as Robotech, and the Japanese shows were not broadcast in the U.S. until Saban's dub of Car Robots.

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Ah, I see.

Shynilyte said:

1. Masterforce, not Megaforce (lol, Power Rangers). 2. Yeah, those were made in Japan, but the article said "Robotech, Transformers etc.", so they probably meant the original, as that's from the same "era" as Robotech, and the Japanese shows were not broadcast in the U.S. until Saban's dub of Car Robots.

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Then again , the Unicron Trilogy is American designed and written functioning as a Japanese-American co-production. In fact, Armada was rushed here to the chagrin of many, with some unfinished animation.