Difference between revisions of "Non-H CDs, DVDs, Books"

Revision as of 18:43, 13 January 2016

See section G for info on 18+ media.

Places to buy

Amazon has the best CD and BD/DVD discounts and work out to be the cheapest generally when buying in bulk, although they don’t ship 18+ material internationally. When buying from others, just remember printed matter is generally very heavy. Also, different stores carry different kinds of products, and have different shipping rate tables. For example, buying artbooks through Amazon JP or HLJ with Fedex shipping may be the best option when express shipping is desired. For the absolute cheapest ship rates, honto offers sea shipping, but keep in mind that it is slow, not insured, and not trackable.

• Amazon JP - DHL only.
• HMV Online - EMS only.
• honto (bk1) - EMS, FedEx, SAL, Airmail, Sea. Registering and buying guide: 01 02 03.
• CDJapan - EMS, FedEx, SAL, Airmail. International version of Neowing.
• Kinokuniya - Markups obviously, but you can do special request orders and free shipping >$100.
• HLJ - Responds to requests. Slow to stock, however.
• YesAsia
• Book Depository - Manga & Light Novels (in English, German, etc.) with free shipping almost worldwide.
• Bookoff - Great deals if you can ever visit their brick and mortar stores.
• Rightstuf - Recommended for licensed media.
• Amazon - Often have good deals on DVD’s and manga.

Lots of info in the Anime on DVD forums. List of Japanese releases with English subs here.

Music CDs:

• j-core.biz - Sells J-Core CDs worldwide, you can e-mail mailorder@guhroovy.com if you want to buy something that’s not listed in the shop.
• Diverse Direct - Ships J-Core and other Japanese EDM overseas.

Distributors

There are a few different companies that distribute hard copies of anime to us filthy gaijin. Much like the rest of the guide, following list is subject to >opinion.

• Aniplex

One of the big two. The most expensive distributor, but you get more for your money. Their releases are usually limited edition and usually come with a box, a booklet with character designs, VA and staff interviews and notes, and possibly various other paraphernalia. Some series get standard edition re-release later on. Yellow subtitles, good video quality not great, translation choices are iffy but decent overall, dual audio and subtitle only releases depending on the series.

• Funimation

One of the big two. The biggest distributor in the US. Video quality on par with Sentai (not something to be proud of because total shit), though their releases are cheaper and tend to come with a fair bit more than a Sentai equivalent. They offer limited editions with a box, BD/DVD (for what it’s worth, might be cheaper without DVD honestly) and an extra item like an art booklet or mousepad. White subs, dual audio.

• Sentai Filmworks

Barebones. Releases are generally just the case and a few discs slapped inside. Yellow subtitles, bandy video, dual audio etc. They might add an extra every once in awhile if they can afford it (i.e. Infinite Stratos CD with character songs). Worst pricing out of all the manufacturers for what you get.

• Madman Entertainment

Ausfag distributors. Relatively comparable to Funimation, though generally better quality. Releases often come with dubs.