The General Anime Thread...

[DK]

It takes a long time but it's totally worth the effort.

I'd ask for a manual, but you've got Soryu. You can just keep her on the straight and narrow with a plush doll.

 

[TheCorvette]

We've gone over this, and most of the sales decline is from the economy, since most every other industry has been suffering.

We don't know that for a fact however. Nobody knows truly the main cause. While I blame piracy, who knows if it truly is.

But you claimed it was from fansubs, not a reduction in price. Which a drop in price likely came about from the reduced tooling costs to produce DVD and BD versus the older VHS format, or the fact most people aren't going to pay $30 for an episode of something when they can get a whole movie for half that.

People were still paying those prices, and there was more money earned from that than what anime is going for today. Box sets of a 12 episode show make less money than singles do. Though as I've said, when it comes to something like Bleach which VIZ stupidly released in 32 singles before cancelling those (As most people won't buy singles for a show that is 100+ episodes. Right now it's at 353 episodes with no end in sight.), box sets will make more money.

So when in 2010, singles pretty much disappeared completely in favor of just these 12/13 episode parts/box sets, the companies were making much less money on those shows. They would make like $90 per 12/13 episode show in 2009, in 2010, around $40. While you had more people buying, they were still in the end making less money than when singles were around.

Or I can address the faults in the argument "I won't buy from resellers because the money won't go into the industry. I'll buy from resellers if it cheaper than MSRP. I support the NA anime industry"

I'll only buy used when the item I want is out of print, and under the MSRP. You wouldn't see me buying Bleach box sets used for example unless they were out of print, and going for less than the MSRP.

I so far haven't done that as there are so many things that are in print I can get. It'll be quite a while before I go looking for shows I want that are out of print here, and have to go with used if I want to own it.

Yet, clearly, it is just about you wanting to not spend too much money. You aren't going to be hurting the anime industry by downloading something that isn't even licensed for sale over here, because, as you've pointed out, buying from resellers won't help it either.

Uh, considering I'm planning on importing the $355 The Big O BD from Amazon Japan, the $370 Fate/Zero import box set from Rightstuf (With a second box set costing around the same going to be coming out in the Fall.), that argument about not wanting to spend too much money really isn't all that valid. That is $1,095 for just 3 anime box sets.

Then again, we could go over how 90% of the profits in the industry are from merchandise and not media sales. So it is really quite trivial regardless.

One thing you seem to fail to realize there, most of the merchandise is from the toyetic stuff. In that link I posted, they said 60% of all merchandise alone was from Pokemon, a show that is very mainstream, and of course is going to earn way more money than a Neon Genesis Evangelion body pillow as we have tons of kids buying the cards, the toys, the plushies, and more.

Much of that stuff is also from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Duel Masters, Bakugan, Beyblade, etc. Yu-Gi-Oh! is still a major money maker here, and if I recall, Bakugan is still as well, despite bad TV ratings.

If we looked at merchandise from just the anime that isn't mainstream, it would be a much smaller percentage and profit.

 

[Terronium-12]

And that Gundam clip felt like an endless explosion fest. And lots of flashing things. Could see how someone could have a seizure from watching it.

Michael Bay co-directed.

Nah, it was the end of the movie and 🤬 got real.

 

[AOS-]

Was that one scene with the flashing transformers in the Simpsons also co-directed by him?


When Cody mentioned "Flashing lights", that's the first thing I thought about.

 

[Azuremen]

We don't know that for a fact however. Nobody knows truly the main cause. While I blame piracy, who knows if it truly is.

I think it is pretty obvious when you look at how the economy is doing and most other industries. It is more or less a direct relation when, again, you considering how few of the sales relate to the media and are instead from the merchandise.

People were still paying those prices, and there was more money earned from that than what anime is going for today. Box sets of a 12 episode show make less money than singles do. Though as I've said, when it comes to something like Bleach which VIZ stupidly released in 32 singles before cancelling those (As most people won't buy singles for a show that is 100+ episodes. Right now it's at 353 episodes with no end in sight.), box sets will make more money.

So when in 2010, singles pretty much disappeared completely in favor of just these 12/13 episode parts/box sets, the companies were making much less money on those shows. They would make like $90 per 12/13 episode show in 2009, in 2010, around $40. While you had more people buying, they were still in the end making less money than when singles were around.
I'll only buy used when the item I want is out of print, and under the MSRP. You wouldn't see me buying Bleach box sets used for example unless they were out of print, and going for less than the MSRP.

You know why the probably dropped singles? Because they were selling more with box sets and thus getting more money in return. I know you'll cite your numbers from before, but again, the economy.

I so far haven't done that as there are so many things that are in print I can get. It'll be quite a while before I go looking for shows I want that are out of print here, and have to go with used if I want to own it.
Uh, considering I'm planning on importing the $355 The Big O BD from Amazon Japan, the $370 Fate/Zero import box set from Rightstuf (With a second box set costing around the same going to be coming out in the Fall.), that argument about not wanting to spend too much money really isn't all that valid. That is $1,095 for just 3 anime box sets.

So then just import GTO and the rest of it, since you clearly don't have to worry about money here. At all. Really curious how you can drop $1100 on anime at the age of 17...

If we looked at merchandise from just the anime that isn't mainstream, it would be a much smaller percentage and profit.

So what you are saying is, when you are arguing, I should ignore the mainstream part of the industry because, really, licenses for North America anime is all about being underground.

Are you 🤬 serious?

Michael Bay co-directed.

Nah, it was the end of the movie and 🤬 got real.

I didn't see any flying tires, so I'm questioning the Micheal Bay bit.

 

[AOS-]

Really curious how you can drop $1100 on anime at the age of 17...

I'd drop $300 for 2 or 3 figurines of my choice, brand new, unopened, box undamaged, right now.

Better yet, a ventilation system, an airbrush kit, paint and putty...

 

[Azuremen]

I'd drop $300 for 2 or 3 figurines of my choice, brand new, unopened, box undamaged, right now.

Better yet, a ventilation system, an airbrush kit, paint and putty...

You're also 20, and thus likely have a job (or student loans) and less of a need to justify things to your parents. I myself have a very solid sum into my 40k figures and all the paint supplies. Or the $200 dollar keyboard imported from Taiwan. Or the 4 grand into my camera equipment. But again, context is relevant there as well.

 

[AOS-]

I have complained enough time about my job.

But you're right on the student loans part Most of the money I have right now is going to go back to the government when I'm done so my interest fees are significantly lower should I choose not paid any of the loan.

And what's this 40k figures? Pics man, or you know... it didn't happen.

 

[jeffgoddin]

It's called a job and no bills. I made $400/mo during the school year and $1200/mo in the summer for my last two years of HS in the early '90's. And most of that went to just fun stuff. $1100 in today's money is not hard to imagine. I mean, McD's starts at like $9/hr now, so pretty much double what I was making.

Just let the guy have his convictions, and keep yours, and agree to disagree.

 

[Azuremen]

I have complained enough time about my job.

But you're right on the student loans part Most of the money I have right now is going to go back to the government when I'm done so my interest fees are significantly lower should I choose not paid any of the loan.

And what's this 40k figures? Pics man, or you know... it didn't happen.

Warhammer 40k. It has been ages since I've done any pictures, so let me dig up the very old ones from my old camera...

It is all for a table top war game, so I have hundreds of models and figures. Most aren't as elaborate as that guy, who I custom built out of spare bits I had laying around, but I like to make them look decent. I'll dig them out and get some new photos in the near future, since I have a big kid camera now.

It's called a job and no bills. I made $400/mo during the school year and $1200/mo in the summer for my last two years of HS in the early '90's. And most of that went to just fun stuff. $1100 in today's money is not hard to imagine. I mean, McD's starts at like $9/hr now, so pretty much double what I was making.

Just let the guy have his convictions, and keep yours, and agree to disagree.

McDonald's starts at minimum wage, which is still pretty low. Regardless, I guess I spent my money on other things, like gas and my car.

As for the convictions, I honestly wouldn't be talking this with him again if he would stop whining about License rescues, resellers, and the industry dying. It is like he expects us to really understand his self induced problems about watching classics.

 

[TheCorvette]

I think it is pretty obvious when you look at how the economy is doing and most other industries. It is more or less a direct relation when, again, you considering how few of the sales relate to the media and are instead from the merchandise.

But also what about piracy becoming easier, and more popular? It's so easy to pirate these days compared to a long time ago. As you said in our previous discussion, you said you had to have certain knowledge, and search for a bit back then.

Today, it takes less than a minute to find what you want, and start downloading. I even sometimes when I Google just the name of an anime can find in the top search results links to sites to torrent it. Anyone can do it now.

Years ago, I didn't really see it as much. It wasn't as common to download anime a few years ago compared to now.

You know why they probably dropped singles? Because they were selling more with box sets and thus getting more money in return. I know you'll cite your numbers from before, but again, the economy.

How about, because sales were still falling (They were remaining pretty steady after 2005 up until 2010.), and they wanted to try something like this to see what would happen in hopes sales would increase?

However they can't go back now, people are now too used to what anime is going for now. You have people complaining about Madoka's prices when really, it's going for the same price people used to pay during the singles era.

So then just import GTO and the rest of it, since you clearly don't have to worry about money here. At all. Really curious how you can drop $1100 on anime at the age of 17...

I can't (Well I can, I just have to deal with inflated prices from the sellers.) because it's out of print there (Though one thing to note, the Japanese releases don't last all that long. The North American releases last much longer than the Japanese ones, so you can see many titles here, but many of those same titles would no longer be up for sale in Japan.), and plus, to my knowledge, the Japanese release never had English subtitles. I'm not going to import something that doesn't have English subtitles, or won't work on my DVD player as the DVD is region 2.

The Fate/Zero BD, and The Big O BD do have English subtitles however, and the BD's are region-free as the Japanese seem to have no problem with people importing the Japanese releases.
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/search3.ht...her+Onizuka&order=score&media=dvdonly&step=20
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/search3.ht...at+Teacher+Onizuka&order=score&media=&step=20
The manga still is in print, but that's all I can get.

Also wondering how, I'll finally be starting driver's ed this Spring, and I'll soon later get a job. I worked a deal with my dad for Fate/Zero as just like Garden of Sinners, it will sell out before it's release date from the pre-orders. Within days of being solicited, the Fate/Zero BD box was listed under Rightstuf's top-sellers for BD, despite being $370 for 13 episodes, and another box set coming in the Fall for the other 13 episodes at around the same price.

So basically, he'll pre-order it for me sometime in February, and I'll then owe him $370 that I'll hopefully pay back with a part-time job. I'll save up for the other box set when that comes out in the Fall.

As for The Big O, that'll be much later down the road with the part-time job, that is if it's not limited-edition only, it will still be around by then.

So what you are saying is, when you are arguing, I should ignore the mainstream part of the industry because, really, licenses for North American anime is all about being underground.

Are you 🤬 serious?

Not really, just don't look at the mainstream stuff as much. Get rid of the mainstream, and bam, the US anime market is under 1 billion dollars.

 

[AOS-]

You're right about that last bit, Cody, so instead of expecting him to stop for you, you should stop so that he'll stop.

and $9/hr is low... but is right for the US... we got $10.25/hr, but that's obviously because we went through some inflation some years back.

 

[TheCorvette]

It is like he expects us to really understand his self induced problems about watching classics.

I've watched Cowboy Bebop, I'm still watching Rurouni Kenshin, I intend to watch Outlaw Star, I intend to watch Great Teacher Onizuka if it returns to the market here, and there are more things.

I have no problem with watching classics at all. I'm just not going to watch GTO unless it returns to the NA market, just like I'm not going to watch Higurashi unless it returns here ($300 would be better used on titles that are in print than something out of print.). It's Sentai or bust for that series as no one else is going to pick it up (Reason why it's OOP, it sold bad for FUNimation.).

As for GTO, I suspect FUNimation, Discotek, or Rightstuf/Nozomi to rescue it. Though the days or many license-rescues are pretty much gone. 2010 was somewhat surprising when we saw FUNi rescue FLCL.

 

[Azuremen]

Nothing new to the table at all. Period. Minus having parents buy it.

It wasn't hard back then either. I'm talking 8 years ago, I was able to get things the day after release from Japan via IRC or torrents. Fansub lists existed, etc. It might have taken 3 minutes of google'ing instead of 1.

But your entire argument rests on rather large assumptions built on limited evidence. And your assumptions all work to favor your opinion, rather than the more probable cases. So I'm not going to bother anymore. I just ask that you please stop whining about license rescues on series you haven't seen, or the evils of resellers, etc. Because, honestly, you are the only person who cares or even agrees with your opinion.

You're right about that last bit, Cody, so instead of expecting him to stop for you, you should stop so that he'll stop.

and $9/hr is low... but is right for the US... we got $10.25/hr, but that's obviously because we went through some inflation some years back.

I'm gonna stop.

Well, minimum wage varies across the country due to State and Federal differences. Of course, living expenses and other costs vary quite a bit inside of states as well, like Seattle versus where I am at right now.

 

[TheCorvette]

It wasn't hard back then either. I'm talking 8 years ago, I was able to get things the day after release from Japan via IRC or torrents. Fansub lists existed, etc. It might have taken 3 minutes of google'ing instead of 1.

But your entire argument rests on rather large assumptions built on limited evidence. And your assumptions all work to favor your opinion, rather than the more probable cases. So I'm not going to bother anymore. I just ask that you please stop whining about license rescues on series you haven't seen, or the evils of resellers, etc. Because, honestly, you are the only person who cares or even agrees with your opinion.

I worked for the anime I bought this year however. Lawn mowing, snow blowing, yard work, my parents paid me for that. Didn't just go "Mommy and daddy, buy me this anime box set without me intending to pay you back.". I get little joy out of getting an anime I didn't work for the money to buy it.

When I finally get that job (I've argued so much with my parents on them not letting me get one.), I'll greatly enjoy working to buy the stuff I want. More so than when I was out there sweating while mowing the lawn for 1-2 hours, and getting paid by my dad.

Also, you'd be surprised at the number of people I've met who are waiting for legal ways to watch a show. Many I know are refusing to watch Sailor Moon for example until it comes back, which it will eventually because Toei Animation knows it's too big of a cash cow to not let anyone license it. The manga came back here, and it's already working wonders for Kodansha USA. It's been dominating the New York Times Manga-Bestseller List.

 

[jeffgoddin]

No, Sailor Moon!!! I'm blinded by the memory I have of an Origins convention in Columbus, OH, 1996, where some old skinny pale dude with LOTS of dark scraggly body and facial hair just had to sport the Sailor Moon outfit. Dammit, where's a vomit smilie when you need one???

 

[TheCorvette]

You mean this?
http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/ob/cosplay1.jpg

 

[jeffgoddin]

You mean this?
http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/ob/cosplay1.jpg

Damn you, yes! more or less. My guy was taller and skinnier, but basically yes, that's just as gross. Your guy is funnier though.

 

[Sephy]

Why do you want to watch Sailor Moon? lol

Also I have to agree even years ago it was stupid easy to download anime.


I was going to watch 5 Centimeters Per Second tonight but I accidentally started drinking so I'll watch it tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, YAY NEW ANIME DAY! Sad that it's Haganai's last episode though.

 

[ranhammerR34]

Tomorrow is also I think the next episode of Guilty Crown? --- Randy

 

[Sephy]

Tomorrow is also I think the next episode of Guilty Crown? --- Randy

Yup. That's part of YAY NEW ANIME DAY!.

 

[Dravonic]

Terramisu should make me a mod on his stream so I can stream stuff myself. Now it's just a matter of whether I know how to or not.

Or you can just make one... it's free too.

I went ahead and made one myself to figure it out but I'm afraid my 300kbps upload speed won't be enough to stream anything

 

[TheCorvette]

@Sephy, because I've watched a bit of it, and it appealed to me.

@Randy, yes. BTW, with simulcasts, many are getting delays, so many shows aren't airing in Japan next week because of the holidays.
http://www.funimation.com/rojas/blog/simulcasts-during-the-holidays/1654661

And now to watch some shows (I should have started nearly 4 hours ago.), mainly finish Honey and Clover II.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

So then just import GTO and the rest of it, since you clearly don't have to worry about money here. At all. Really curious how you can drop $1100 on anime at the age of 17...

He make $5 dollah a week

I just ask that you please stop whining about license rescues on series you haven't seen, or the evils of resellers, etc. Because, honestly, you are the only person who cares or even agrees with your opinion.

Why did you not come in my life sooner?!


YAY NEW ANIME DAY IS TOMORROW!

 

[jeffgoddin]

New anime day is today! Gintama and Bleach are ready for your viewing enjoyment. And although many of you will poo-poo Bleach, seriously, Gintama is freaking awesome, and everybody here should be watching it.

This last episode already has me in stitches!

Spoiler

Gin-san wakes up next to... no, not stalker girl, Otose-sama!!!!! (cue vomit sounds...)

 

[Sephy]

I do want to watch Gintama. I have the first 50 episodes but I want to finish a few things before I dive into it.

 

[Azuremen]

Where are they at in Bleach anyhow these days? Kind of lost track of everything but the Manga for it... got so tired of the fillers and the art was up and down often. Some fights seemed hella impressive when I'd look them up, and others were very lazy feeling.

Why did you not come in my life sooner?!


YAY NEW ANIME DAY IS TOMORROW!

Was busy with school and stuff. And my interest in anime sprung back up recently due to females and all that fun stuff. Though it is still fighting with StarCraft for my time and attention.

 

[jeffgoddin]

God, if I had to pick Bleach eps worth watching (assuming you already had the gist of the backstory) it probably wouldn't add up to 20% of the total. But at times it has been really good, and since I'm already caught up, just one episode a week is easy. Right now they're in the Fullbring arc, where I think Strawberry-boy will get his powers back, and then maybe we can move on to something serious again. Though honestly, they should have ended it with Aizen's defeat... but I suppose it's a shame to waste nice characters. Just that it's starting to feel like a soap opera, going on forever with no end in sight.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

Was busy with school and stuff. And my interest in anime sprung back up recently due to females and all that fun stuff. Though it is still fighting with StarCraft for my time and attention.

Well I'm glad you're here now

 

[Azuremen]

God, if I had to pick Bleach eps worth watching (assuming you already had the gist of the backstory) it probably wouldn't add up to 20% of the total. But at times it has been really good, and since I'm already caught up, just one episode a week is easy. Right now they're in the Fullbring arc, where I think Strawberry-boy will get his powers back, and then maybe we can move on to something serious again. Though honestly, they should have ended it with Aizen's defeat... but I suppose it's a shame to waste nice characters. Just that it's starting to feel like a soap opera, going on forever with no end in sight.

Sounds fairly current with the manga then, which I'm up to date with for the Japan releases.

Yeah, they could have easily ended with Aizen's defeat, and I was a bit surprised to see more manga after that. I guess they wanted to explain his father a bit more and a few other characters but now I feel they are grasping at straws to drag it on.