Forum - View topicREVIEW: Kara no Kyoukai - the Garden of sinners
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AilisKnil
Posts: 87 |
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I don't get where this sense of entitlement from American fans comes from. I don't think anyone realizes that western fans are very much spoiled when it comes to anime prices. A $400 price tag isn't such a foreign idea when you consider the fact that this set is essentially an import, and a MARKED DOWN one at that. It basically boils down to what you would rather have: a western release, with a western price tag; or a release exactly like the Japanese one, with a Japanese price tag.
Honestly, I'll take the latter any day. I'd sooner pay out the ass for something I know is going to be good quality than left guessing if the American release will actually be up to par with the Japanese one. I'm glad this release "succeeded" somewhat, because that might influence others to release marked-down imports in limited quantities as well. |
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PingSoni
 Subscriber Posts: 195 Location: Lansing MI |
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I bought this set 'blind' in the sense that I don't watch stolen material on the Internet. I justify the cost because about once a year I import a series from Japan that I don't believe has a chance to show up in NA, and this is cheaper than doing that.
As I go through it the first time, I am watching each movie twice; first without subtitles (I just let it play after I insert the disc) and then with subtitles. The art and directing deserves this. I find it hard to believe anyone could be bored, but perhaps I live live more slowly than some. 75 seconds from opening the freezer door to the end of the strawberry ice cream scene. There's an important point being made here; it's not fan service. I've already ordered the OST CDs. I do not mind paying people who create the things I love. |
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tuxedocat
 Posts: 2183 |
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ok. Somehow I guess they think that logic is supposed to make me understand how it works in Japan and by me understanding that will make me buy the show? In reality, all it does is make me choosier about what I buy. A show like R.O.D. I may have a mild interest in, but not enough interest to pay that price. I have only one show that I would pay Japanese prices for at this time. If such prices became the standard, I would probably find another hobby. |
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tuxedocat
Posts: 2183 |
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Sorry. Entitlement doesn't have anything to do with it. Japan prices are just too high for their animation. Yes, I import. From France! The French produce some great stuff. Even with the weak dollar to Euro, it is still much more affordable to go for France over Japan. That stuff hardly ever makes it over here. |
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taster of pork
 Posts: 594 Location: My House |
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I really wanna see this series. Unfortunately, I just can't afford to spend $400.00 dollars on it
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asimpson2006
 Posts: 3151 Location: USA |
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There is no entitlement, it's just such an expensive price for something that probably could be sold for at least half the price if not more. I would take the western release, at least I know that when I buy that I can purchase food or pay a bill that week. |
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Monster in a box
Posts: 671 |
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Go on... |
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kamanashi
 Posts: 65 |
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To all the people complaining about the price: if you didn't buy it, you have no reason to complain. You made the decision to not buy it, so you lost no money. I bought, but I just saved up over a couple months back when it was first announced. I really really wanted it.
So calm down. One day, it might come out for a cheaper price, until then, deal with it. I like how this thread about a REVIEW turned into complaints about the price and people calling other stupid for buying (the people calling others stupid are just mad they didn't get it). Shouldn't this thread have been about discussing what you agree with in the review and your own opinions of the films? |
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Shenl742
Posts: 1524 |
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Think I should change the thread around by talking about something OTHER than the damn price.
OK, question about something that confused me! In the first film while everyone's talking at the office, Mikiya is silent for awhile, and then just suddenly falls over on the couch. This seems to motivate Shiki to go "kill" the ghosts...When she does he wakes back up... So what the hell happened there? Was it the ghosts doing? Were they starting the process of making Mikiya commit suicide? I sort of assumed that was the case...but if it was they could've been a lot clearer because that whole thing made no sense to me. |
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Veers
 Posts: 1197 Location: Texas |
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Edit: Now with less pronouns. |
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Fronzel
Posts: 1906 |
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No. |
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agila61
 Posts: 3213 Location: NE Ohio |
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Bear in mind the economics covered earlier ~ cutting price in 1/2 can easily cut the margin per disk by 2/3 or 3/4, depending on the terms that have to be accepted at the two difference price points, and given the fact that the margin comes from the revenue after both production and distribution costs. If the elasticity of demand is a constant 2, then cutting the price in half will double sales volume ... if the change in terms cuts the margin by 2/3, then income is (1/3)*2 = 2/3 the amount at the higher price. If it cuts the margin by 3/4, its even worse ... income would be 1/2 the amount at the higher price. If the elasticity of demand is a constant 5, on the other hand, you'd keep chasing more volume down to much lower price points. And the elasticity is going to be different for different titles. Some will have a strong hard core audience, and then quantity demanded at lower prices points increases at a fairly sedate pace ... some will have a smaller hard core audience, but a much larger number of people who'd kinda like to have it. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Okay, that's fair enough then.
Not specifically, although you do seem to be the loudest of that bunch. |
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Kalessin
 Posts: 931 |
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The thing is though that it sold out in Japan just as fast. This must have been a really limited release. I wasn't paying enough attention to know for sure, but I'm willing to bet that it sold out in both Japan and the US before it was even released. So, they can't have made all that many. And given how collector-centric this is (it has a really nice case - definitely collectors material), it's not like they were aiming for a normal release anyway. The DVDs can still be bought in Japan, but those have been coming out over time. This release was definitely aimed at collectors, and unfortunately, it's only that collector-centric release which made it to the US. Honestly, I don't think that it's all that big a deal if Aniplex chooses to release ridiculously overpriced but insanely nice versions of their stuff in the US at the same time that it's released in Japan (much as I don't want to pay that much money for anime). Such releases are aimed at collectors, and if they're willing to pay that much, then it's worth it to them. The problem is if such releases are the only releases. The Garden of Sinners needs to be properly licensed and dubbed by someone like Funimation. Then it can have a general release with more normal packaging at a more normal price. If Aniplex never licenses it to anyone else, then this truly sucks. However, if they do license it to a US company for a more normal release, and this sort of thing becomes normal, then maybe it's a chance for the collectors to get really nice stuff and the anime companies in Japan to make a bit more money, while still making it available at reaonable prices to your average anime fans at a later date. However, in such cases, I'd definitely prefer to know that that was the plan, since I might be willing to shell out too much money for what is expected to be the only release but wouldn't be willing to if I knew that a bit of patience would get me the show at a more reasonable price later. What really worries me is when Aniplex does the release themselves in a manner that clearly is never intended for the show to be licensed by anyone else and Aniplex then charges more than anyone else would. Durarara would be a good example of that, though it could be a lot worse. That worries me more than The Garden of Sinners does. And truth be told, I expect that The Garden of Sinners was a fluke. It's Type Moon. It's supposed to be one of the best anime move series there is. People have been raving about it for ages. There were bound to be people willing to shell out $400 for it. But would this work with your average anime. No way. Not a snowball's chance in hell. The Garden of Sinners is the cream of the crop with plenty of avid fans being extremely interested in it. Most anime don't have that kind of following - particularly not a following that's willing to pay that much money. So, if Aniplex tries this sort of thing again, unless they can find a series of similar quality which is also highly sought after, odds are that it will crash and burn. So, in the long run, I don't expect that this release of The Garden of Sinners has set much of a precedence at all - except perhaps that collectors are willing to be a lot of money for high quality releases of extremely good - if not outright masterpiece-level - anime. As anime that good is generally lacking, that's not going to work as a general business model in the US. |
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 7580 Location: Wales |
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As a comparison, Kaze released the first DVD in France (which is R2 like Japan) on the 7/7/10 - two years after Japan. And for the record, they're selling for €30 ($40) each, although that includes the OST CDs, which means the full set of 7 will cost $280 - so like I've said before, an "affordable" BD release in the US at this stage isn't going to happen. That $120 premium gets you it on BD rather than DVD and gets you the whole thing now - they've only just released the fourth movie there. |
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