I was browsing for DVDs online, when I came to an auction site which has a member who sells DVDs for extremely cheap, worldwide shipping. As in, incredibly cheap, US$10 for box sets. I assumed these would have to be fake. But, the guy selling them has heaps of happy feedback, from all over the world. So not only this means that they are for real, but the DVDs aren't blocked by customs for being pirated. Here's a link:

http://www.ioffer.com/selling/animehome


It says the DVDs are from Malaysia, but those still seem ridiculously cheap. There are also other sellers on that website offering similar prices. Does anyone know what's the deal here? Are the anime companies getting their royalties for DVD sales? Is this 100% legal? It smells a bit fishy, to say the least. The DVD covers look suspect as well...

lagwagon555 Wrote:So not only this means that they are for real, but the DVDs aren't blocked by customs for being pirated.

No, it means customs agencies are underfunded for the amount of work they're asked or expected to do.

I assure you content providers are not getting a dime.

最近、インターネット上でのテレビ番組の不正利用が多発しております。番組を権利者の許可なくインターネットなどを通じて配信することは法律で禁じられておりますのでご注意ください。

TheTrueBlue Wrote:最近、インターネット上でのテレビ番組の不正利用が多発しております。番組を権利者の許可なくインターネットなどを通じて配信することは法律で禁じられておりますのでご注意ください。

Can't stop laughing! My stomach is killing me!

magamo Wrote:

TheTrueBlue Wrote:最近、インターネット上でのテレビ番組の不正利用が多発しております。番組を権利者の許可なくインターネットなどを通じて配信することは法律で禁じられておりますのでご注意ください。

Can't stop laughing! My stomach is killing me!

何がおかしい？ﾃﾗﾜﾛｽして。。。。

TheTrueBlue Wrote:何がおかしい？ﾃﾗﾜﾛｽして。。。。

I can't explain this well, but the tone of the Japanese sentences in your post and the way it was posted were just perfect. It's sad that not many people can understand this hilarity...

magamo Wrote:

TheTrueBlue Wrote:何がおかしい？ﾃﾗﾜﾛｽして。。。。

I can't explain this well, but the tone of the Japanese sentences in your post and the way it was posted were just perfect. It's sad that not many people can understand this hilarity...

I assure you, we are very sad that we don't understand it.

Anyhow, I decided to give it a try and put in an order. I'll report back about what I end up with, but I think these are legal DVDs. At least, as legal as anything else I've seen on the net and at anime conventions.

wccrawford Wrote:

magamo Wrote:

TheTrueBlue Wrote:何がおかしい？ﾃﾗﾜﾛｽして。。。。

I can't explain this well, but the tone of the Japanese sentences in your post and the way it was posted were just perfect. It's sad that not many people can understand this hilarity...

I assure you, we are very sad that we don't understand it.

Actually I'm not too sure myself, but magamoさん is known for providing answers with substantial substance for forum questions.

Is it that the sentences sound like public service announcment?

For example, if I was a newsman informing the public about this disturbing new trend of internet distributon and very formally telling my fellow citizens to beware this illegal phenomenon while in the same show it's obviously happening right under my nose?

Like if there were people on camera with the dead-serious news anchor under the table selling bootleg DVDs at the same time he was reporting and warning his viewers to beware of bootleg DVDs?

教えてくださいmagamoさん。

Well, I thought it was funny for the public service announcement feel. But as for anyone else...

wccrawford Wrote:I assure you, we are very sad that we don't understand it.

Ah, no, I didn't mean there were not many fluent learners in here. I mean, it's kind of difficult to find a person who can speak both English and Japanese, and know the situation about pirated DVDs sold overseas and the context the subtitle appears in in Japan.

wccrawford Wrote:Anyhow, I decided to give it a try and put in an order. I'll report back about what I end up with, but I think these are legal DVDs. At least, as legal as anything else I've seen on the net and at anime conventions.

Bootleg sure is legal!

@TheTrueBlue

Something like that. As QuackingShoe said, its public service announcement feel makes your post funny.

Quote:All sales are FINAL
1 st option: An unconditional 30 days money back guarantee policy is offered. If you are not satisfied with the item, please return the item within 30 days of date of purchase and we will issue you a *refund, no questions asked. (*deduct shipping & handling).
2 nd option: Item can also be returned to exchange within 30 days from the date of purchase . If an item is defective, the seller will replace the item with the same item free of charge if the item is currently in stock

Clearly one of us failed to understand the meaning of all sales final?

wccrawford Wrote:Anyhow, I decided to give it a try and put in an order. I'll report back about what I end up with, but I think these are legal DVDs. At least, as legal as anything else I've seen on the net and at anime conventions.

Which is to say as bootleg as it gets? I mean, co...

... oh that was sarcasm wasn't it? crap.

kazelee Wrote:

Quote:All sales are FINAL
1 st option: An unconditional 30 days money back guarantee policy is offered. If you are not satisfied with the item, please return the item within 30 days of date of purchase and we will issue you a *refund, no questions asked. (*deduct shipping & handling).
2 nd option: Item can also be returned to exchange within 30 days from the date of purchase . If an item is defective, the seller will replace the item with the same item free of charge if the item is currently in stock

Clearly one of us failed to understand the meaning of all sales final?

This reminds me of this E-J dic that translated "All sales are final" as すべての売り物はこれで最後です i.e., "Last items in stock." It's one of the most authoritative bilingual dictionaries sold in Japan...

mafried Wrote:

wccrawford Wrote:Anyhow, I decided to give it a try and put in an order. I'll report back about what I end up with, but I think these are legal DVDs. At least, as legal as anything else I've seen on the net and at anime conventions.

Which is to say as bootleg as it gets? I mean, co...

... oh that was sarcasm wasn't it? crap.

lol No, no sarcasm. I'm serious. I've bought many box-sets on the net that appear to be legal, and are pressed and not burned, etc etc... But I've no idea if they are just really super-good bootlegs, or if they are actual product that sees returns to the content owners. I expect these to be the same kind of items.

But I'll be honest: I don't care. The content that I'm 100% sure is legit is way, way, way too expensive for me to even consider buying. There's no way I'd ever own that. Seeing as how the content owner would never see a dime from me for those, I don't feel bad about buying something else instead. If these really are bootlegs, the content owners need to seriously reconsider their pricing. It's killing them.

If anyone thinks these are bootlegs, I ask this: How can you tell?

Edit: Oh, and I mean that I couldn't read the text (except a very small bit), and had no way to appreciate it.

I traveled in SE Asia for 5 months last year and bought DVD sets of Attention Please and Oniyome Diary 2 in Kuala Lumpur. I mailed them home no problem. They cost US$17 each for 3 DVD sets. Mine are of good quality of discs and packaging. They have English, Chinese and Malay subtitles but no Japanese subtitles. If the ones you order are similar, I would guess you will be satisfied.

wccrawford Wrote:If these really are bootlegs, the content owners need to seriously reconsider their pricing. It's killing them.

Are you serious? Do you really think the company that created a movie/TV show/whatever can compete on price with pirates who just copied and packed it nicely? Your post sounds like you don't understand creating contents + packaging costs way more than just packaging.

I understand their business model has a problem. It's understandable that customers ask for free trials before ponying up for legit DVDs, especially when they're expensive. So personally I don't think torrenting and buying bootlegs are always evil. But even if you decide not to buy the legit DVDs because of price, I think you should show respect to content owners if you enjoyed their products. Reading your post, I can't convince myself that you thank content owners for making them available on the market.

wccrawford Wrote:If anyone thinks these are bootlegs, I ask this: How can you tell?

Do you really need any more proof when they're region free, ludicrously cheap, and can't be found in reliable retailers?

wccrawford Wrote:If anyone thinks these are bootlegs, I ask this: How can you tell?

Usually that it sells for less than the cut you'd expect the content producer to take is a an indication. Being region-free is another big one (DVD's have to be region-locked, by the contracts that these companies signed).

EDIT: if you're going to bootleg it because you can't afford the price of official dvds, fine. i understand. but why give your money away to pirates anyway? get it free from a fansubber, that's all i'm saying.

Not all of them are region free. The big indicators are the price and the face that some of the stuff being sold isn't even on DVD yet. >_>

mafried Wrote:EDIT: if you're going to bootleg it because you can't afford the price of official dvds, fine. i understand. but why give your money away to pirates anyway? get it free from a fansubber, that's all i'm saying.

多分Cuz hardsubs R teh suXorz.

magamo Wrote:Are you serious? Do you really think the company that created a movie/TV show/whatever can compete on price with pirates who just copied and packed it nicely?

I'm not asking them to compete with pirates. I'm asking them to charge a reasonable amount for their goods. Buying these DVDs is not the only way I could get to see these anime.

mafried Wrote:EDIT: if you're going to bootleg it because you can't afford the price of official dvds, fine. i understand. but why give your money away to pirates anyway? get it free from a fansubber, that's all i'm saying.

If I'm willing to pay for it at all, I've probably already seen the fansubs of it. I work hard for my money and don't like spending it foolishly. Heck, these prices are at the upper end of what I'm willing to pay, anyhow. If they are bootlegs, and making this much, then the content owners are -really- doing it wrong.

So, you learned they're bootleg DVDs. And still you say,

wccrawford Wrote:I'm not asking them to compete with pirates. I'm asking them to charge a reasonable amount for their goods.

wccrawford Wrote:Heck, these prices are at the upper end of what I'm willing to pay, anyhow.

Is it just me or aren't you contradicting yourself? Or do you mean you wouldn't buy them even if they were at a "reasonable" price?

magamo Wrote:Is it just me or aren't you contradicting yourself? Or do you mean you wouldn't buy them even if they were at a "reasonable" price?

No. You -can't- 'compete' with pirates. It's not possible. They'll always undercut you. So I'm not asking them to do the impossible and give their work away for free. I'm asking them to charge reasonable prices for their goods, which just happens to be what the pirates are currently charging. Make no mistake, the pirates would start charging less if they did that... But at that point, I'd be buying the 'real thing'.

This is, of course, assuming these really are bootlegs and aren't old stock that's been sold at a loss to the highest bidder, or some such. There are plenty of stores in the US that get cheap stuff that way, and I wouldn't be surprised to find it happens in other countries, too.

Um, do you know if you buy, say, all the 14 eps of Haruhi season 1 at a reasonable shop in Japan, you have to pay $400? Do you know 24 eps of Welcome to the NHK cost you $770 in Japan if you get them from Amazon.co.jp? I don't think the current price tag is reasonable for most of the potential customers, but I'm under the impression that you're grossly underestimating the production costs. But then again, the US isn't the main income resource so they could sell a box set for $10 or something. I don't know.

It would be nice if there was a system to donate to anime/manga ppl in Japan directly. Instead, I'm supposed to pay for overpriced imports, pirated copies I could have gotten myself for free and quicker, or copies 'controlled' by North American companies looking to profit off of Japanese artists/companies' work after fan communities popularize them online with free subtitles and distribution.

North American anime DVDs are ludicrously cheap, especially if you wait and buy them after they are a year old or so, and find them on sale. Back in the day I remember paying 30 bucks for anime on vhs, when you might get 2 episodes per tape. A whole series was expensive, but even while I was just a kid, I could save up money I got from my birthday or from chores or whatever.

DVDs straight from Japan are even more expensive than that. Anime is more mainstream in Japan than it is in America, so I don't understand why on earth they would need to charge so much. Probably because they know obsessed fans will pay it.

If you want anime DVDs, I think buying the North American (or some other country) localized releases are the best bet. It's reasonably cheap but still supports the original creators.

I really don't get the appeal of bootlegs. If you're not going to buy from a legitimate licensor so that the creators get their cut, just fire up BitTorrent and pirate away.