Vandread
- Thread starter CDAdair
- Start date
HdE
Comic Book Guy
CDAdair said:
My experience of these guys was that I looked at their website while looking for somewhere I could get the original Patlabor series. I saw their prices, wealth of region free titles and abruptly clicked away from the site, never to return.
I seriously doubt there's any legit anime over there.
There seems to be alot of worry about region free (deceptive name). Nice to see such concern. Amazon, HMV, Fobidden Planet just to name a few have region 0 dvds on their shelfs, and I'm willing to bet that no one even considers to check the region their getting when they buy from them on the highstreet. Whether to create the disk with all region codes (region free) or just one is at the discretion of the manufacturer and is perfectly legal. Bootleg is something else. Can't really tell from a website, up1 and Logicalmart appear very similar. Oh well, just have to wait and see what type of quality the product is. Good thing i'm practised at complaining to companies about poor quality material. 
Obviously a bootleg. There is no legal English-subbed version I can find which looks like their versions. Also there are only a couple of regions which English dub at all, so a foreign import with a dub is an obvious red flag. Note the lack of information about the distributor/manufacturer as well.
Real USA version: http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalo ... 6803/4/0/0
(Note that it's super-cheap too even with shipping factored in, but legal!)
R
Real USA version: http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalo ... 6803/4/0/0
(Note that it's super-cheap too even with shipping factored in, but legal!)
R
Shiroi Hane
Dragon Knight
I don't recall ever seeing a disc labelled as Region 0 in HMV or Forbidden Planet, certainly not any anime in UK or America. Right Stuf's Boogiepop Phantom is all region for whatever reason (IIRC not all volumes but the first one at least). Since my first DVD player was a PS2 and I had to use an action replay cart and swap discs to watch any American DVDs, and I later had to get a region free DVD player to use alongside my PS3, this is painfully obvious.
Global license holders tend to insist on region blocking from their regional distributors so they can control who watches stuff, where and when and for how much.
A lot of stuff on localmart's "import anime" page hasn't even been licensed in English in any territory so if they are "importing" them from anywhere, it is a seedy place in Hong Kong.
I have the full boxed set of 8 Geneon DVDs which are region 1. FUNimation's recent set, which is the only version still in print, also contains the OVAs and sure as heck is going to be region 1.
They are also selling the OVAs, which have never been available separately in English, with Chinese and English subtitles. There is a legitimate Taiwanese release of Vandread, but they only seem to have the first OVA but it only has Chinese subs anyway and it will be region 3.
Both CCS movies on a single disc? The entire last 50 episodes of Kodocha (which have not been released in English) on 10 region free discs with english and chinese subs? Wouldn't touch that place with a bargepole.
Their "Domestic Anime" is, through some odd twist, all listed as Region 1.
Global license holders tend to insist on region blocking from their regional distributors so they can control who watches stuff, where and when and for how much.
A lot of stuff on localmart's "import anime" page hasn't even been licensed in English in any territory so if they are "importing" them from anywhere, it is a seedy place in Hong Kong.
I have the full boxed set of 8 Geneon DVDs which are region 1. FUNimation's recent set, which is the only version still in print, also contains the OVAs and sure as heck is going to be region 1.
They are also selling the OVAs, which have never been available separately in English, with Chinese and English subtitles. There is a legitimate Taiwanese release of Vandread, but they only seem to have the first OVA but it only has Chinese subs anyway and it will be region 3.
Both CCS movies on a single disc? The entire last 50 episodes of Kodocha (which have not been released in English) on 10 region free discs with english and chinese subs? Wouldn't touch that place with a bargepole.
Their "Domestic Anime" is, through some odd twist, all listed as Region 1.
There aren't many, but Sky Blue is an example of a region free dvd in HMV, picked it up about half a year or so ago from there.
Hmm. This is getting a bit too complicated. I need more info.
OK! Starting a new subject. "Rate online anime retailers".
A body of information about other peoples experiences with any web-retailers they use would be very helpful to me (Until now I've always used the highstreet (walking is good for you)).
Hmm. This is getting a bit too complicated. I need more info.
OK! Starting a new subject. "Rate online anime retailers".
A body of information about other peoples experiences with any web-retailers they use would be very helpful to me (Until now I've always used the highstreet (walking is good for you)).
Project-2501
Straw Hat Pirate
CDAdair said:
BUT you'll see that Sky Blue has a BBFC rating and is in PAL.
Region free, chinese or other random subs as well as English, movie 'box sets' (such as the Ghibli box set), cheap rare or out of print titles and too many eps to a disc (ie 13ep series on 1 disc or more than 1 movie per disc) = bootleg. No question about it.
The site you mentioned has Azumanga Daioh for £43 in R1 6 disc set or £20 for an R0 3 disc set. They also have Aria first series on one disc. Bent as a six bob note.
You're sat infront of the most powerful and easily accessible information resource known to man. You can very easily find out who licenses which anime in what countries.