Ask John: Should Fans Wait for HD Releases?

Question:
With shows like Code Geass and Gundam 00 airing in HD in Japan, US DVD releases feel like a downgrade from the HD fansubs that are now posted on the ‘net. With Code Geass, I am torn between going ahead and purchasing the DVDs and holding out for the Blu-ray discs. Is there any hope that HD versions of popular shows like Code Geass will see light of day in America? Or am I simply hurting the already limping anime industry with my desire to have the best possible legitimate copy of an anime that I can get?

Answer:
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m prone to encourage anime fans to purchase anime because I work for an anime retailer, so my livlihood depends upon consumers purchasing anime goods. But furthermore, as a private anime collector, I’ve got plenty of personal experience that leads me to recommend that anime fans purchase the shows that they’re interested in.

I’m well aware that anime fans typically reside on the vanguard of new technology adoption. Many anime fans are also cinemaphiles, interested in acquiring and watching the most complete and most pristine copies of the films available. (Thus it’s ironic that while anime fans are eager high definition video consumers, countless thousands of them are also just as eager to watch low resolution, grainy, multi-generation streaming Flash videos on sites like YouTube and Crunchyroll.) But consumer interest means nothing if consumers don’t put their money where their mouth is. Products which don’t sell well don’t get upgraded high definition releases. I do sympathize with the practical desire to avoid purchasing the same product multiple times, and the desire to purchase the ideal product. But anime fans should beware of allowing principle to obscure practical reality.

Numerous current Japanese anime series are broadcast in “High Vision,” Japan’s term for broadcast high definition, including Wagaya no Oinari-sama, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, BLASSREITER, and Sekirei. However, these high definition TV broadcasts vary by region and regional network. Scarecrowman, for example, may be broadcast in high definition in some parts of Japan, and in standard definition in other regions of Japan. Furthermore, while shows like Wagaya no Oinari-sama and BLASSREITER do have high definition Japanese broadcasts, their Japanese home video releases are presently standard definition only. American fans should be cautious of waiting for HD releases becuase, as ADV Films representatives stated at the recent Otakon convention, Japanese distributors don’t want to allow American HD releases before the Japanese HD home video release.

Every home video format evolution in America has left behind some anime titles. Specifically in the digital era, titles including Twilight of the Cockroaches, Blue Sonnet, and Genesis Survivor Gaiarth received American laserdisc releases, but no DVD releases. And early American DVD releases including Haunted Junction, the Vampire Miyu TV series, Eatman, Fatal Fury, the original Spirit of Wonder OVA, and Night on the Galactic Railroad are no longer available. While a major title like Code Geass is virtually certain to eventually receive an American high definition release, history proves that nothing is absolutely certain in the anime industry. I highly recommend that fans interested in particular series buy those series while they’re available. Purchasing a current DVD release increases the odds that the title will eventually receive a high definition re-release. And in the chance that the title doesn’t ever get a high definition release, owning a standard DVD version is preferable to not owning it at all.

Article revised October 22, 2008