Two orders from RightStuf arrived today. Over the three weeks it took them to make their trans-Atlantic journey, I’ve been brooding about the relative success of US-based anime distributors’ strategies vis-a-vis my wallet and how we, fansub-downloading anime fans, can better market ourselves.
The first shipment was a pre-order, made during the previous RightStuf Bandai sale, for the Haruhi Limited Edition boxsets 2-4 and joins the first Haruhi LE boxset in my anime DVD collection now. The second batch was a panicked order, a few weeks later as GENEON USA announced that they were closing down, for the first season of Black Lagoon, the Kannazuki no Miko and Kamichu! boxsets (with ADV’s 801 TTS Airbats and Bandai’s Onegai Twins also in this shipment).
Continue reading ‘Can the Church of Moyism bring salvation to animebloggers?’
For the longest time, I’ve resisted buying Taiwanese R3 parallel imports in the glorious democratic people’s island paradise republic of Singapore. But with GENEON USA giving up the ghost, I’ve given up hope of an R1 release of Maria-sama ga Miteru. And my resistance has cracked after two longstanding concerns were addressed. And so, I asked my good bro Stripey to procure the first season and Haru DVD sets, which he has for a total of SGD 150 (approx USD 100).
Continue reading ‘MariMite toppa Zaku R3 Exclusion Zone’
When I first started buying anime DVDs in the UK, the Shaftesbury Avenue mothership of Forbidden Planet was my outlet of choice. And I enjoyed my purchases of Azumanga and Noir very much. Nonetheless I felt the pinch of skipping lunches to save up for one DVD a week and was enlightened about how it was often better value-for-money to buy thinpak boxsets from The Right Stuf. Popular titles (e.g. Ghost in the Shell) were also deeply discounted at Amazon.co.uk; the UK arm of the Bezos empire also offered free delivery for a minimum spend that the price of one DVD easily covered.
But I’ve been impressed by FP’s fightback for my wallet. After browsing comics yesterday, I saw that it was selling Paprika (which I enjoyed tremendously) for GBP 14.99 which matched Amazon UK’s price while it had marginally undercut Amazon UK price of GBP 15.48 on the GITS: Solid State Society DVD with its offer of GBP 14.99 and won hands down on the Vision of Escaflowne box sets - Amazon UK at GBP 34.98 each; Forbidden Planet GBP 24.99 each.
Of course TSRI could beat FP (marginally after factoring in Got Anime! 10% discount and international S&H, or hands down if there was a 40% Bandai sale) but the desire for instant gratification, especially with the current postal strike, and the fear of GENEON contagion led me to make the above purchases. Forbidden Planet, good job!
These babies have been waiting for me in London since mid-summer. Now I’m back in the UK, it’s time to inspect the goods! I was led to TSRI by moyism’s praises and felt really satisfied with my first ever purchase - the Cardcaptor Sakura boxsets.
Value for money. The GITS:Innocence OST was USD 9.99; Angelic Layer DVD thinpak boxset was a great bargain bin find at USD 25.99; thanks to the Bandai 40% off sale, the Haruhi DVD 1 Limited Edition special box was a much more affordable USD 38.99.
Continue reading ‘The Right Stuff: What’s in a Bargain?’
Aaah, sweet loot. Pride of place is the Lunamaria Hawke pencil board which Stripey mailed to me just in time for the Big Three-Oh. Thanks again, bro!
The rest, accumulated over a period of seven weeks, is the complete Noir DVD set. Am really enjoying the write-ups that accompany it and the sheer dedication of the production process helps to explain why this is one of my favourite classics. The only fly in the ointment was the cutting of that the scene where the little children were shown to be carrying arms in the Soldats village. While understandable, it really neutered the horror and absurdity of the whole idea of Soldats and their proto-Hobbesian conception of human nature. Watching this series a second time, Kirika’s Letter was just dripping with raw desire and longing which Mireille obviously understood… :)