Why are DVDs in Japan SO SUPER EXPENSIVE?

[Mahoujin Tsukai]

I checked the price of anime DVDs in Japan and discovered that they are SO EXPENSIVE. (Not just anime DVDs but all DVDs in general). An anime DVD boxset can cost 38,000 yen! (some go even higher).

And even the anime DVDs at second hand stores aren't cheap.

[Mikawa Ossan]

That's just the way it is, I'm afraid. Why, I don't know, but new CD's are about 3000 yen, so it's not just DVDs where this is an issue.

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Mahoujin-san!

It is a very simple reason. In Japan, the cost of 30 minutes Anime is about fifteen million yen. Of course there are some big sponsors for a famous TV Anime, Naruto, Pokemon, Dragon ball and etc. But most of minor TV Anime and Original Video Anime(OVA) have not big sponsor. And minor TV Anime and OVA is selled very expensive price to collect debts. But you need not worry, because Japanese Otaku pay out big money for Anime.


日本のアニメは、30分の番組一本の作成に1500万円ほど の費用がかかります。有名作品は大手スポンサーがつくので、制作費はスポンサーから出ます。しかし深夜枠のアニメやオリジナルビデオアニメは、スポンサーなしで製作会社だけで作ります。当然そのコストを回収 するため、DVDは高い値段で販売されます。もちろん日� {のオタクが高い値段でもDVDを購入してくれることを知 っているからこそ、製作会社もスポンサーなしでアニメを作ることができるのですが。

ある意味、日本において数多くのアニメ作品が作られて いるのは、オタクがDVDや関連グッズを高い値段でも購� �してくれるからです。:relief:

南木

[Mahoujin Tsukai]

OK, thank you for the replies.

[Illusional]

it's the same reason why the US charged about 6 bucks for a pack of cigs verses japan's 300 yen. they have different taxes.

raverboy

[Hezam]

OMG OMG !!
I cant belive it !
The Anime here is very cheap,I buy 1 DVD contains 7 episodes of Anime for $3 ( 3 US Dollars ) ^^
I bought many many anime as a crzy anime ^^

[Incognito69]

WOW! What kind of anime did you buy, Hezam? Mine are all around $US30. About 10 fold of yours...geez....

[Hezam]

I have about 30 anime or more.
some of them contains 100 episodes or so,Like Rurouni Kenshin and One Piece 387 eposides !!

I have many many anime...love them ^^

[Incognito69]

WOW! 30 animes? And they all cost $3? Where can I get them? I can't find any cheap animes T_T

[tho_den3010]

How expensive! I guess because they're original DVDs. My Chinese friends tell me, in their country they buy RIPPINGS just a bout 1 USD/DVD.

[Hezam]

I buy the anime from this website :
http://www.animedown.tv/index.php#
it's Arabic and it's the biggest Arabic website for anime..
All anime there is Arabic subbed.

[Derfel]

1, is it official?
2, what region are the dvds?

If it is unofficial and/or the region is: 0, the answer is easy, they are bootlegs.
Even if the region code is not 0, I suspect something fishy, as it is just too cheap. Way too cheap.

[Hezam]

Yes,it's official.
I dont know the region but the DVDs are original...
They are famous is Saudi Arabia and all Arabic countries.
When you buy any DVD they transfare it to you wherever you are.

By the way,everything is cheap in saudi arabia and people are rich.

[Derfel]

The problem is that in order to be allowed to release another's intellectual property, they need to pay for that right. The studios I am sure are willing to negotiate, but that price difference is just simply astonishing.

[Hezam]

That's strange !
I saw many english websites selling Subbed anime !
Maybe they should pay alot of money to get the license ?

[Derfel]

Subbed anime is a disgrace of the dvd market. 11 out of 10 times, subbed anime without a translated audio track will be profit made using the time and effort the fansubs put into subtitling the anime. In other words, people burning it to dvd and selling it on as official, when it is not.

[danarch]

Subbed anime is a disgrace of the dvd market. 11 out of 10 times, subbed anime without a translated audio track will be profit made using the time and effort the fansubs put into subtitling the anime. In other words, people burning it to dvd and selling it on as official, when it is not.

Well, I hope you mean the bootleg stuff (which I absolutely despise) and not the official releases by companies like Funimation and the like. I would actually prefer if they would sell versions of the DVDs without the English audio tracks just so I wouldn't have to worry about disabling them everytime I watched a DVD; also because I wouldn't have to wait for some anime (e.g. Eva 1.0) to be released because they have to record the audio tracks which take a lot more time than the subtitling. But, I simply prefer subtitled anything (movies, anime, etc.).

[Hezam]

I prefer the subbed anime - Movies because it's better with the original audio.
I watched some english and arabic records and they were very bad and stuped,Anime should subbed only,No records to any languages.....

[8werner8]

I checked the price of anime DVDs in Japan and discovered that they are SO EXPENSIVE. (Not just anime DVDs but all DVDs in general). An anime DVD boxset can cost 38,000 yen! (some go even higher).
And even the anime DVDs at second hand stores aren't cheap.
Everything is super-expensive in Japan - or at least it feels so. I guess that's more of an exchange rate issue.