ADV Films Boycott...

Join my boycott of ADV Films. I mean of all of their products, every last one of them, as they seem to enjoy ripping anime fans off. Show them that we won't stand for it any longer. Do be sure to inform them of the fact that you are boycotting them. What follows is my letter of intent...

"To Whom It May Concern,

I am a very big anime fan; some might even call me an otaku. I’ve loved anime since I was first introduced to it, even though I didn’t know it was anime. This was back when I was a very young child in the 1980s and Japanese animated television shows, like Golion, Dairugger XV, Transformers, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross, Genesis Climber Mospeada, and Gatchaman were imported to the United States as Voltron, Transformers, Robotech, and Battle of the Planets which later became G-Force. Now unfortunately I didn’t watch every one of these shows, but I managed to found out about them, and watch them later in my life. For the most part I liked them.

When I was finally exposed to anime through the Sci-Fi Channels Saturday Anime programming block when I was in my early teenage years, I finally discovered anime, or japanimation as it was called back then, to later be japanime, and finally simply anime. Then I started actively searching out anime videos at my local video stores, and discovered a lot of anime, and in some cases shows I hadn’t seen growing up that were in fact anime.

Then came Toonami and that was great. I watched it, and at some point I started buying anime videos, not many granted, as I soon switched over to buy anime DVDs exclusively. In my years as an otaku I have picked up a good deal of series and films put out by ADV Films, such as: Bubble Gum Crisis: Tokyo 240 the Perfect Collection; Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum 01-04; The Robotech Legacy Collection 1-7; Saint Seiya volumes 1-9; and Spriggan.

I have also purchased other series and films not released by ADV Films, such as: .hack//Sign the complete series; Akira the Special Edition; the original Bubble Gum Crisis OAV in its entirety; Hellsing the complete series; Pilot Candidate the complete series; R.O.D. Read or Die OAV; R.O.D. the TV volumes 1-4 with the series book style box; Ronin Warriors/Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers the complete television series, and all OAVs; Speed Racer volume 1; The Original Transformers: Season I and Season 2 Part 1; and finally Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

As you can see, I own a fairly large collection of anime, and I assure you all of it is the officially licensed US release of each series or film. Now, being the otaku that you must now realize I am, this collection of mine will continue to grow over the years, as I buy more and more series that interest me. In fact there are a few series and films released by ADV that I am considering buying.

They are: Angelic Layer the complete series; Arc the Lad the complete series; Blue Seed the complete series; Blue Seed Beyond the complete series; Casshan: Robot Hunter the complete series; Chrono Crusade the complete series; Cosplay Complex the complete series; Cutey Honey the complete series; Dai-Guard the complete series; Dark Stalkers the complete series; Dirty Pair Flash the complete series; Excel Saga the complete series; Final Fantasy: Unlimited the complete series; New Fist of the North Star the complete series; Genesis Climber Mospeada the complete series; Getbackers the complete series; Getter Robo: Armageddon the complete series; Martian Successor Nadesico the complete series; Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum 05-07; Noir the complete series; Original Dirty Pair the complete series; Orphen the complete series; Orphen 2: Revenge the complete series; RahXephon the movie and the complete series; Robotech Remastered Extended Edition 1-7; Saint Seiya volume 10 to the end of the series, Saiyuki the complete series; Samurai X the complete series; Slayers all movies, complete series, and all OAVs; Zone of the Enders: Dolores; and Zone of the Enders: Idolo.

However, I am only considering buying these series, and at the moment, not very committed to buying them. I am far more committed to boycotting every series and film release by ADV Films, because I feel ADV Films is ripping me off. I understand that as a company ADV Films needs to make money, I have no problem with that. And being the otaku I am, I wish to support companies that release anime series and films in the US by buying their products. However, I will not support a company that attempts to take advantage of me for enjoying anime.

I consider the standard Episode layout for the DVD release of a twenty-six episode anime Series to consist of four volumes with four episodes, and two volumes with five episodes. I would much rather see it be four volumes with five episodes and one volume with six episodes, but I understand I can’t always get what I want, and that companies such as ADV do need to make money. However, I recently started buying the Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum release. I noticed that the first two volumes had five episodes on them, normally companies save the two five episode volumes of a series until the last two volumes of the series. So I thought that perhaps Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum was going to be released in the four volumes with five episodes and one volume with six episodes format. I then bought volumes 3 and 4 of Neon Genesis Evangelion, I noticed that volume 3 only had four episodes, and I said, “Oh, well, I guess they’re not doing the format I was hoping for.” Then I looked at volume 4 and noticed it only had three episodes on it. I was outraged.

With good reason I believe, as all four volumes of Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum are sold for the exact same price, even though as more volumes came out I got less and less episodes per volume. Let’s go with an average price of $30.00 per volume, that means I paid $6.00 per episode on volumes 1 and 2, $7.50 per episode on volume 3, and $10 per episode on volume 4, and will pay $10 per episode on volumes 5, 6, and 7. And this is without factoring in tax. That is outrageous. Considering that Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered one of the greatest anime series ever released, you shouldn’t have any concerns about selling it. If you went with the standard episode layout for an anime series, there would be a total of six volumes released, if you went with the format I would like to see, there would be a total of five volumes released. With the format you are using, there will be a total of seven volumes released for this series.

I then looked at the episode distribution per DVD for your other series, and noticed you follow the exact same strategy for every one of them. I find this disgusting. Essentially with the way you split up the episodes per DVD for a great majority of your series, you are attempting to steal an extra $30.00 to $60.00 from your customers, across the board. Now let’s face it, if I really want to get robbed, I can find some place to do so. I certainly do not expect to get continually ripped off by a company to whom I am giving a great amount of business, and willingly giving my hard earned money. If you want my money, and you want to continually get it, over many years, I expect you to treat me with respect. As it stands, you certainly are not doing that. You’re treating me in such a way that it appears you think I’m an idiot, and seem to think that I will quietly stand by as you steal money from me. Well, news flash, that is not the way things are going to happen.

It is for these reasons, that you do not respect your customers and attempt to steal money from us, that I will no longer support your company. I will finish buying Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Saint Seiya. But I will never buy those other series and films that you release unless I can get them used, or on sale at extreme discounts, and most likely not even then. Thereby depriving you of profits from my purchase of anime series and films. And let’s face it, I’m only twenty-one years old, and I don’t plan to stop buying anime until I’m dead. That’s at least forty years of accumulated profits, granted from a single individual. Then again I am an individual that would have purchased quite a lot of your products, and you will now be denied the profits from the sale of those many many products, for years to come. To be realistic about all this it’ll probably be around sixty or more years during which I will deny you profits, given the current trends of medical science and the ever increasing average life span.

Also, do not mistakenly think my purchases are limited to only the DVDs for anime series and films. Like any otaku I buy manga and merchandise related to series and films I truly enjoy. For example, I have a masterpiece edition of Roy Fokker’s VF-1S Skull One, released by Toynami, I have quite a lot of Gundam models, Hellsing Action figures, Voltron toys, and Transformers toys. My boycott will not only include your DVDs, but all your products, and any DVDs you put out, not just anime DVDs. This boycott will of course, also apply to your NewType USA magazine.

My boycott of your products will continue, until you change your business practice and stop trying to steal from your customers. You can either do this by changing how you map out the episodes per DVD for a series, or by pricing each volume based on the number of episodes on it, instead of a standard price for a series, regardless of how many episodes are on a volume.

Now if you truly wish to show me your colors have changed, as an apology, you can send me volumes five, six, and seven of Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum at no charge, including with the volumes a letter of apology. That letter of apology should also be posted on your website and released to the press, so that all of your customers are aware of your regrets for attempting to rip them off.

Cordially,
Frank S. Dinger III"

As I state in the letter, it seems to me that ADV Films does not view us as intelligent individuals, as they seem to think they can steal money from us in a rather glaring manner. I really feel we need to show them that such is not the case. Who's with me?

Their website is www.advfilms.com. They do not post their e-mail address anywhere on their site. However, you can send them an e-mail by clicking on the DVD link at the top of their page, and then the contact link on the page that pops up.

What can we achieve with boycott, you ask? It's our money that keeps a lot of these companies afloat. It is us Otaku, and our willingness to purchase what these companies release, with our money, that allows these companies to make a profit. We're their source of income, and we are their source of income by choice. As we choose to spend our money on anime, we can also choose not to spend it on anime. Or more specifically to not spend it on anime released by companies that try and rip us off in a most glaring manner.

Considering that, it's time we let these companies know that if they want us to spend our hard earned money on their products, they had better make it worth our while to spend our money on their products. Because in the end, if they don't, then we won't buy them. And they therefore, won't make any money. Now is the time to show these companies that we will no longer tolerate being kicked around and ripped off, that we support their use of unfair business practices.

It's time we let them know that we demand that we be given the respect that continued customers of any company deserve. That we will not support companies who do not treat us with that respect. That we will continue to not support such companies, until they make it known to us that they will treat us with the respect that we deserve, that we are owed.

We understand that these companies need to make money, that there are a lot of costs to importing and releasing an anime series in the US, especially due to dubbing. We understand that even though most true Otaku don't like dubbed anime and won't watch it, these companies still need to dub series. Because if they don't, it is almost garanteed that the series won't be aired on television. Even though these companies need to cover a lot of costs, that does not equate to them having the right to rob us blind.

There is a happy medium, where they can cover their costs and make a decent amount of profit, while providing their customers with a product that is worth spending money on. Perhaps only barely worth spending money on, but still worth spending money on. Granted we'd much prefer a system that reduced the cost for us greatly. However, we will be satisfied with the happy medium. In fact that is all we are asking for. We will be satisfied with the happy medium, because we want these companies to stay in business, so that more anime comes over to the states. However, if a company tries to rob us blind. Therefore straying from the happy medium, we will let them know our displeasure.

Our method? No longer supporting any of their products, until they return to the happy medium, in other words a boycott. We can do this, I can't.

My letter to ADV Films saying I'm boycotting their products, even though such a boycott from me, over forty or more years, will probably cost them thousands of dollars, possibly tens of thousands of dollars, won't make much of a difference to them. Because, let's face it, I'm one single anime fan. Though I might boycott ADV there are probably nine other anime fans that will buy just as much of ADVs products as I would, that aren't boycotting ADV. At least that's how ADV Films will look at it, unless of course they get lots and lots of simliar letters from many anime fans, and not just one.

Please, also remember, that simply no longer buying products released by ADV Films is not enough. It will help, but all they will truly see is a slump in sales. A slump they won't know the reason for. If you are going to join this boycott, you need to send ADV Films a letter of intent, ie a letter stating you are boycotting all of their products until such a time as they change their business practices. Because when they see a drastic slump in sales, and they know it is because of a boycott of their products, they'll change their business practices. If they just see a slump in sales, and have no known reason for it, they'll just go out of business, and no changes will be made to the American Anime Industry.

These companies have to know we are boycotting, why we are boycotting, and how they can end the boycott, if we are to effect change. It is for these reasons that everyone who joins this boycott, absolutely must send a letter of intent to ADV Films, stating that they are boycotting products released by ADV Films. One letter of intent isn't enough, they'll ignore it. Multiple letters of intent from differnt individuals? Suddenly they'll understand this is a real boycott. And then they'll see the slump in sales and know what caused such a slump in sales. Then they just might do what we ask in order to reverse that trend.

Wow...that is quite...moving 😖

I wish you had a reply letter to show us!

Wow!How long did that take to wright.
Most of the dvds I've rented are 3 or 4 volumes with 8,9,or 10 episodes on it.I'll tell you the name or names of the companies if you'd like.

sorry but you lost me by the first 4 paragraphs...can someone please summarize all this to me?

I think he is complaining that they are releasing 7 volumes of a animé on DVD when it could actually be out on 5 DVDs and this of course would be better for the customer as it would be cheaper.

thought so...take marketing sometime...youll realize that they do this stuff all the time. plus i hate to be the pessimist but more than likely theyll just throw your letter away.