Quote by gelatinousPersonally, I don't like to buy licensed anime for
several of these
reasons, but mostly i think that they don't do a good job on the
subbing. I would like nice fonts & colors, as well as a romanji,
kanji, and english lyrics on the songs like actual FANsubbers do. and
especially lyrics that -do not- impose on the picture itself (or an
option for no subtitles) would be nice.
A lot of the "flaws" you point out aren't necessarily the fault of the producing company, but rather with
the format DVD subtitles take. It's hard to control where the subtitles appear, since different DVD players have
different definitions for top, bottom, left, and right. Also, TVs with different aspect ratios will display subtitles in
different places. There just isn't as much freedom as with hard subs.
As for my reasons? I have none. I typically buy lisenced anime. However, I only buy if it meets a certain criteria. When
watching the series the first time (as a fansub), I will usually know if I will buy it when it is lisenced domestically.
If I liked it enough, I will make the commitment to purchasing. I think of it as "voting with my money," or
something like that. There are, of course, a few economic factors that roll into the decision. For example, I really
liked Fullmetal Alchemist. However, at 50 episodes, it would span more volumes than the norm. I didn't like it
that much.
There's also the degree to which I purchase a product. If I really liked all aspects of a series, I usually end up
buying other merchandise associated with it. Take Tsukihime. I bought the first volume with box, the subsequent two
volumes, and both soundtracks (all domestic versions). I also own all of Noir and have (so far) resisted the temptation
to buy the slim pack box set.
As an even higher degree, I have often considered importing various items (usually soundtracks). I have bought the
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou OSTs and I've contemplated getting the Petit Cossette OST. However, with the announcement
of a domestic lisence for Cossette, I'll be picking that up in the fall (along with the DVD of the OVA).
Other reasons I buy domestic? I like the things that come on the disks that usually don't come with fansubs. For
me, the difference is mainly in the audio track. DVD releases usually come with higher quality audio, and many quality
series will come with a 5.1 or DTS audio track (usually only with OVAs). I'm a big fan of good sound.
Before I pick something up, however, I usually check the reviews of the disk first. Anime on DVD is one of my favorite review sites, as they often get disks before
release. Reading the review will most likely help me make a better buying decision (i.e. if the disk has all the
features I really want). For example, the Cossette DVD will be coming with a 5.1 Japanese audio track, a 5.1 English
audio track, and a 5.1 DTS Japanese audio track. The last one is enough to make me drool. :)
Quote by saikusaI can spend
just as much on a bootleg and get the whole series with 8-9
episodes per disc.
I have something against bootlegs. First of all, none of the money is going back to the creator(s) or company that made
the series. Instead, it's going to some sketchy guy that might have stolen translations from a fansubber and then
made his/her own disks to sell for a profit. It's a big scam, really. Why pay for something when you can easily do
the same thing yourself?
Granted, there are some really nice bootlegs out there, but they remain bootlegs nonetheless. Most suffer from poor sub
quality and I feel are hardly worth my time.