Dilemma regarding source acquisition

[Force-Attuned_Krogoth]

I have an idea I would love to pursue. But the usual channels for finding the source footage are not helping, and I'm wondering what y'all think an appropriate solution would be.

Specifically, I want to get my hands on Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Those in the know realize it has never been and probably will never be released in America. In fact, it was only once ever licensed outside Japan, and that has since expired. The marketing strategy of the company is to treat it as a collectible, released in small batches at high price; they're currently in the middle of one such batch right now, with MSRP of $2500. This is, of course, a set that includes the whole LOGH franchise including a daughter series and several movies, but the main series is spread across all four boxes.

So my options now are limited:

• Drop most of a year's savings in a lump sum on a series without an official translation.
  Abandon my morals and buy bootleg.
  Edit with fansub made from VHS releases.
  Walk away from the concept.

For the moment I'm still finishing up an existing video, but it's never too early to plan for the next one. I'm interested to see what people would do in this situation, as I mull it over myself.

[mirkosp]

If you can afford importing the blu-ray boxes, do. As you said, they are really insane prices though (555$ per box so it'll end up 2,220$ for the whole thing...), so I can understand if it's something you can't do. I will tell you NOT to buy the DVDs, as they are bitches to deal with: quality itself aside, the whole thing is continuously hybrid, with the sequences inside of the space battleships with characters talking etc being 23.976 and the battle sequences being 29.97. I'm not sure what they decided to do for the blu-ray release... hope is narrow, but at least it should look less bad. Chances for it to still be interlaced and hybrid are high though, making it an insane source to deal with, unless you decide to either take in frame blending or get jerky motion... or edit vfr which I'm not sure how feasible would be within an NLE.
So all in all, if you feel like going through some hell dealing with the source, spend 2k+ bucks and import it. If you don't want to spend nearly as much, and wish to just have fun editing, try to see if another source will fit the concept without going through hell of sorts. Sources that might fit your needs could be "Tytania" and "Terra e..." AFAIK, which are far more recent, cheap, and easier to deal with.

[Bauzi]

2k and more? HELL NO!

I know that this site encourages buying the original sources, but come on. Even loyal customers have their limits.

My idea: Get it from an alternate source (you know what I mean). Don't buy the bootlegs. Please don't support these sassy pirates. However buy something different of the anime publisher. Some franchise, a different series,... Spend as much as you want to spend to fix your personal dilema. 2k for a series is really not worth it. Pay them with buying a different product.

[mirkosp]

Well, that'd be for the blu-rays, but the DVD release doesn't cost much less, albeit under 2k bucks. The issue with the DVDs is that they don't look too good and have an interlacing rather hard to work with.

[Force-Attuned_Krogoth]

Hmm, I'm not sure what other show would work. I was planning to focus on the Church of Terra with a song about pedagoguery and violence. The mob scenes, brainwashing, and needless martyrdom would've fit perfectly, and possibly avoided some of the framerate issues. But I guess it'll stay in the queue until I find a similar setup in another show, or LOGH becomes more accessible.

In the meantime I can make something with Flag, which is available from fine retailers near you!

[Kevmaster]

However buy something different of the anime publisher. Some franchise, a different series,... Spend as much as you want to spend to fix your personal dilema. 2k for a series is really not worth it. Pay them with buying a different product.

To support the people with such disgusting, commercial marketing strategies? Hell No.


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I'd laught at you if you decided to pay these insane prices.

I'm not gonna tell you where and how to get it (as that'd be against the rules), but fucking download it....I am already laughing because you even considered doing something different.

[Emotive]

2k sounds reasonable enough, buy it.

[mirkosp]

Well, DVDs and BDs do cost insane prices in Japan, it's not just about this series...


...actually I just did the math. It costs half than the other BDs in Japan. BDs generally cost about 80$ each, and a BD contains 2 episodes, on average. This one is a 110 episodes series for 2,200$, so doing the math it's 20$ per episode. And that's just the basic TV series, from what I gather, the BDs have some other extra eps too.
Still, since we're used to european and american prices, it does sound insane, but for a Japanese, it probably looks like a cheap occasion, since it costs 50% than what is usual... Damn the wapanese and their insane prices.

I'm not gonna tell you where and how to get it (as that'd be against the rules), but fucking download it....I am already laughing because you even considered doing something different.

Trust me, the BDs of LOGH are literally nowhere to be found. Buying them is the only option, if you really want them. DVDs otoh are actually out there tho... but pretty much encoding hell.

[Castor Troy]

It's probably not worth it to spend $2k on an amv. You can buy a new computer or even multiple series (to make other videos) with that.

But if you really, really, REALLY, have to make this video, then it's your call.

I can feel your pain because I really wanted the japanese Dragon Ball Z Dragon Boxes for the longest time and those cost $500-$1000 per box. Luckily FUNimation decided to finally release them for $50 per box and I don't have an impulsive need to make more DBZ videos as of right now.

[Kionon]

I'd pay $2K for KOR on Blu Ray. Utena is currently being discussed for a Blu Ray conversion, because here in Japan the remastered (and slightly reanimated) DVD boxed sets sold so well. $2K for Utena would be pushing it, but KOR... I have already spent $5K, why stop now?