It’s hard to acquire original goods here in the country since there aren’t enough shops that sell them. Manga sold in bookstores are almost always ignored because they’re not popular manga and are mostly manwha really.

But it wouldn’t hurt to occasionally buy the original goods to support the artists. An otaku (for lack of a better term since we’re not just speaking of anime fans here) can save up and support the creators when he can. When he has the drive. But I guess that’s where many are lacking. Because piracy abounds, and because the goods can be gotten for free or at a cheaper price, why bother buying something so expensive? That surely is the mindset of many. If they are truly fans, they will somehow find a way to be good fans.

I never said they should ignore their financial situations in my reply. I said “when they can”. That actually implies to consider their situation. But fine, I have no qualms about making a specific statement anyway.

>> Dear local otakus who have a steady source of income (whether via work or via allowance) that is sufficient for your basic needs, please buy legal stuff.

>> Dear local otakus who don’t have a steady source of income that is sufficient for your basic needs, please prioritize your basic needs first. The hobby can wait.

I hope there is no more vagueness in that.

Booksale also has a sizable amount of popular titles, just that there is some defect on the actual book. Like say a pentel pen mark on the side. Also, you can’t buy actual copies of unlicensed titles, so the phrase “buy stuff legally when you can” doesn’t really apply.

I don’t quite follow how you concluded that there is a need for a pirated DVD market based from your statement that imitation DVD players are cheaper, and how you added that that it’s not that evil. Mind expounding on that a bit? Also, I don’t think there is a “need” for it, but just a “demand” for it. You’re making it look like it’s necessary to make life go on.

I meant borrow softcopies from those who already have. It’s an alternative to buying softcopies. One doesn’t really need to spend.

True, no one will really take this seriously. Probably at most 1%. And yes, I was really trying the guilt-trip approach. It’s a style I was trying for this post. I find it more apt for the topic.

Which last few paragraphs are you referring to? The one addressing those who are selling bootleg stuff? Also, I beg to differ that there is no market for original stuff. GreatToys and WasabiToys are surviving. It’s not a big market, but there is still a market. It’s just that the market for bootleg is more profitable.

I think we have too many cons by the way. If we take the bootleg booths away, I’m sure we’ll lose momentum, but we’ll still manage.

Sorry, never was into history. I know who Magsaysay is, but I don’t know the fine details of what he did. In any case, I can’t imitate Magsaysay in this scenario since I have neither the charisma nor the machinery he possessed. I guess I’m more of the “necessary evil” type in this scenario.

But let me get back to you once I have thought of winning strategy to help address this issue and secured the machinery for it. That’s still a work in progress.

Also, you mentioned the socioeconomic condition of the Philippines, and about people who don’t have food on their plates. Well, when a person is in the scenario where the question is whether he’s eating or not, and yet he still buys pirated dvd’s, I think that’s an even bigger problem. He should probably stop with his hobbies and focus on more important things in life.

Yeah, I completely agree. This is really an expensive hobby. I wouldn’t even dare indulge in this back when I was still a student.

Sadly, bootlegs are way too rampant for us. The booths we have selling bootleg stuff vastly outnumber the booths that sell authentic stuff

I’m sorry, but this is just wishful thinking. Again, read American licensing news. The situation overseas is getting worse, and Funimation just dropped a bomb on its competitors. It’s so precarious that the US market could very well crumble this year, in which Japan would just shrug and stop bothering.

>>I merely said to stop “just” leeching, ergo buy stuff legally when you can.

But this is still impossible for many fans. Most Filipinos are poor no matter what you make it. They can’t, don’t pay for a hobby because they’re just living by with what little they earn. Suggesting that they could ignores their financial situation. That’s being rather arrogant, isn’t it? Maybe you could specifically aim your statements to those who have enough money.

>>By the way, check Booksale. They have back issues of old titles.

Booksale’s selection is mostly reject Tokyopop/Del-Rey titles. I’ve bought stuff from them, but they simply don’t have what I want. What few manga I read are unlicensed.

>>But I would infer that people who buy pirated DVD’s have the hardware to play it, suggesting that they are not that unprivileged.

Imitation DVD players are much, much more cheaper than smallest of netbooks AND broadband at home. The pirated DVD market exists because there’s a need for it. It’s not as evil as you think it is.

>>I have suggested an alternative means as well: borrow from those who already have.

This still doesn’t address the availability of legal copies! But I do this with manga.

>>I never told people to stop watching/reading what they like. I even told people to watch One Piece.

The tone of your post says otherwise. You’re trying to drum up guilt, riding your moral high horse to shame readers into doing what you want. Instead of being overtly disapproving, why not be encouraging instead? (Not that most local anime/manga fans here are empowered to follow your advice, anyway.)

>>Okay, American cons have bootleg booths too. I don’t see why that changes anything. Just because someone else does it doesn’t really give anyone else free passes to follow suit.

I brought this up because you’re just guilt-tripping in your last few paragraphs. Which isn’t helpful in any way. The reason why there’s a lot of bootleg booths is because they can’t sell original stuff. That’s just a symptom of a problem. No original market, no money. If you take them away, then we wouldn’t have any cons!

Also note the pirating lifestyle IS directly tied to your country’s socioeconomic condition. Unlike in Singapore where the reason is no one who’s important wants to park their ass and actually set up shop. And the Philippines has a fucking Toei animation studio. As Mr. Fake Teuton Hime has said, when you’re forced to consider the question of whether you’re eating or not, hobbies tend to take a backseat.

Before you can even talk about stopping online “piracy”, you have to raise the wage standard of your fellow Filipino BEFORE you talk about this stuff. How can you offer them a better alternative when they can’t afford it in the first place?

It’s not like in Singapore where everyone grabs anime online simply because it’s been that way and will continue to be that way (and having Odex as a Singapore company does not help a lot).

In Singapore, we fucking flaunt the otaku lifestyle like nobody’s business. The irony of AFA’s success being on the back of online “piracy” has not escaped me. And it’s organizers’ tacit acceptance and approval of this dichotomy, while galling, is the status quo I have to live with. Most of these fuckers are PROUD of it, and some of them think they have the right to do so.

An associate of mine once said anime is an expensive hobby for broke people. I’m beginning to realize that he was right.

And as for the bootlegs, that’s a criminal problem that needs to be dealt with.

I have a bit of a problem with your illustration for the local toy otaku. I do not think that they become local toy otaku first before actually buying bootleg ones. They buy bootleg stuff first before they actually become toy otaku. They don’t resort to that because they have no choice, they conditioned themselves on it from the very beginning.

2.) Okay, I’ll agree that we’re not really pure leeches. Creating buzz does help a bit.

3.) I never said that we should stop leeching altogether and just buy stuff legally. I merely said to stop “just” leeching, ergo buy stuff legally when you can. How you define “when you can” is up to you. By the way, check Booksale. They have back issues of old titles.

4.) Okay, got it. They’re overpriced, hence they’re not really giving us any incentive to acquire them legally. But I still don’t think piracy is just a symptom. It’s among the many problems. I don’t think we can just pass the bucket and blame it on the licensers.

5.) Yes, I’m working, so I’m earning a bit and hence I can shell out a bit in this hobby. But I would infer that people who buy pirated DVD’s have the hardware to play it, suggesting that they are not that unprivileged.

6.) I have suggested an alternative means as well: borrow from those who already have.

7.) I never told people to stop watching/reading what they like. I even told people to watch One Piece.

8.) Okay, American cons have bootleg booths too. I don’t see why that changes anything. Just because someone else does it doesn’t really give anyone else free passes to follow suit.

And no, I don’t really want to deal with the socio-econimic condition of the Philippines. I just want us not to flaunt our pirating lifestyle, and hopefully bit by bit start veering away from it.

On the DVD case, let’s say One Piece anime, there are those who are particularly interested on trying to catch up on the latest episodes but just don’t have the time to DL or stream an episode per week maybe due to their busy schedules/they don’t have PC (people like that exist, trust me) and buying a DVD compilation of the latest episodes would be the easiest way to catch up. You can’t expect people like those to turn away from pirated copies of the latest episodes (or past episodes for that matter), it would be depriving them of their fandom.

How about the average local toy otaku? Except for those who have the cash or good at finding cheap legit stuff, the average toy otaku would be content with having bootleg collections. Most of these toy collectors are youths who even don’t have any jobs yet and will be content with having a simple collection, bootleg or not and bootleg merchandise are much cheaper and easier to obtain thus they resort to bootleg ones.

People like those who I mentioned earlier are surprisingly many in the local anime fandom and it is those type of people that are their market. Its lucrative business and they keep many fans up to date on their favorite anime the hassle free way, its a cycle.

As a friend of mine well puts it, “I just don’t buy the message of “STOP PIRATING THINGS” because no one’s ever gonna listen”