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I don't think of it much differently than renting it or watching it on TV, especially since you can watch some of them on the company websites, like I did with Sacred Blacksmith, which I enjoyed, but not enough to buy the DVD. Shit costs too much for me to buy it on a whim.

While you have a point, I still think the code is the most ethical way to do it. I try to support the industry wherever possible. I definately can't afford all the anime/games/merchandise I buy, so I make cuts in other areas, such as only eating one meal a day.

If it's good, I'll buy it, if it isn't I won't.

If I think it'll be localized I'll keep it around as a reminder to buy it when it does.

It's alright, Apollon, I don't download fansubs either. The only things I've ever downloaded -- in my over a decade of anime watching -- were:

Ouran Host Club (unlicensed at the time, and I later purchased the DVD boxsets when they were released)

Mirage of Blaze OVA (bought the DVD the day it was released)

Hetalia webisodes (I thought they'd never get released on DVD in Japan, let alone licensed. I downloaded maybe 12 of them, and haven't seen the rest since I plan to purchase the licensed boxsets. I did buy the manga as soon as it was released to make-up for the fact I couldn't afford the DVDs at the time)

And that's it. Oh, wait, maybe like... 2 yaoi OVAs that I downloaded, never watched, and subsequently deleted.

I rarely buy anime, and when I do it's generally something I know I want. Sometimes I'm wrong, and then I usually sell or trade the DVD if possible to recoup my loses. Watching anime is not a right, you don't have to do it to survive, and my personal opinion is that downloading it is wrong. I don't want to debate or hear your excuses - whatever you use to justify it to yourself, that's fine.

I, too, want to support the industry.

On the matter of artbox vs. slimpak -- doesn't really bother me so long as the DVDs are packaged nicely, not stacked like that Princess Tutu example. The only time I ever got irked was when they never released a stand-alone or with-volume artbox -- such as with Mirage of Blaze. I bought each of the 4 DVDs, (4 x 25 each)and then a year or two later they released a boxset with a gorgeous artbox for $40 -- so of course I bought that, too, and then sold my individual DVDs for maybe $25 for the set. I love the fuck out of that series, so I didn't mind too much, but it was still a "are you kidding me?" moment.

I was also buying the Kyo Kara Maoh DVDs as they were released, so by the time I bought all 9 DVDs of the first season they still hadn't released a boxset/artbox. Later they released it as a slimpak for $60. (9 DVDs @ $20 each...) I had been buying the season II DVDs as well, so I had 2 of those when I bought my season II slimpak for $45 (on sale) -- so now I hate that it's unbalanced, even though the first two DVDs of season I came with cute holocard extras.

Oh! And I bought all 6 DVDs of Excel Saga (6 x $20) and they later released the artbox only as a boxset, so I bought that too ($40) -- but at least the individual DVDs came with fun extras like posters, stickers, boardgames, pin-ups, etc that the boxset DVDs did not have. I later got rid of everything since I didn't love that series -- I kind of regret that now since it wasn't a bad series, I just purged massive amounts of my collection.

What's something else... oh, VHS vs. DVD. I owned Sorcerer Hunters and Escaflowne on VHS and later re-purchased it on DVD. I've actually bought 3 copies of the Escaflowne movie (first copy didn't work, and I'd thrown out the receipt, so I couldn't return it. when I bought the Escaflowne perfect collection it came with the movie, rendering my 2nd copy obsolete). I owned the 4th OMG! OVA in VHS and later bought it on DVD...

*sigh* I'd be absolutely, positively horrified to find out how much I've spent on anime/manga in the last decade+ ... probably enough to buy a new car, or pay for a trip to Japan. But! I have no regrets :3

edit: Oh, yeah, and I bought all the Gundam Wing DVDs (10 x $13 each) and then they later released it as a 2-volume slimpak, which I'd actually want instead just to save money. Ditto for Azumanga Daioh; I owned the first volume with artbox and then later just got the slimpak since I'd never filled the artbox and the slimpak was the same price as 2 DVDs anyway.

And the Saiyuki artbox w/volume one I bought and later sold 'cause i stopped loving that series. It came with a T-shirt, which was a Large, so I gave it to my husband and now he wears it.

I still can't rid of my Sailor Moon S and SuperS movies on VHS.

I've practically broken them I've watched them so much. I own the movie boxset on DVD now, but those VHS....

forever dear to my heart. My parents gave me S and my aunt SuperS for Christmas one year, when I was like 14, and it was the best christmas ever in my opinion.

Half the fun is the trailers built in before the movie, and the whole VHS experience. <3