Whilst I agree, there’s (currently) nothing stopping you from buying the DVDs?
I have a ridiculous number of DVDs. (Blu-Ray on the other hand can fuck off and die.) A ton of content is just not practically available as DVDs.
Checking Amazon just now for some stuff that was absolutely impossible to find at all a few years ago when I was looking for it, there seem to be non-US releases now (e.g. region 2, region 4…) for some of them at not insane prices. Others want $300 for “only 1 in stock” from a nonsense bot account with a last purchase comment from ~2015… i.e. they probably aren’t real listings even if I was willing to pay that insane amount. A few others look like they might be commercial pirate offerings with only subsets of episodes and strange packaging. (I might just be OOTL on some marketing gimmick with those though.)
Honestly, I’ve largely given up on anime since COVID hit. I still like the art, but I don’t really watch new shows any more. The inability to get legit copies in a timely fashion is the main reason why. The shift to Blu-Ray really alienated me. Yes, I can work around its bullshit up a point. No, I am not going to pay ~$60 for half a show from years ago and then have to do quasi-illegal shit just to get it to maybe play on my computer – without menus. Fuck that.
Unboxious@ani.social 6 days ago
It can be expensive depending on the show. One of my favorite anime, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes, last printed DVDs in 2004. Enjoy dropping several hundred dollars for them. You can get the blu-rays but now you’re paying nearly a thousand.
chellewalker@lemmy.ca 6 days ago
I assume those would be 2nd-hand as well? Which kind of misses the point of wanting to support the creators since that money won’t be going to them.
Unboxious@ani.social 6 days ago
Yes. That said, the blu-ray was something like $800 even when it was new.
Brewchin@lemmy.world 6 days ago
I don’t disagree, but there person to whom I was replying said they were after legal copies. That means you’re going to pay for them, digital or physical. 🤷♂️
Imagine being a One Piece, Bleach or similar fan and wanting the full collection… 😬
Unboxious@ani.social 6 days ago
Sure. I don’t mind paying. My blu-ray for one show shouldn’t be worth more than my car though.