Now this is the question – isn’t it? Where to buy Anime? Where to buy Manga? There are many places online where one can try to find someplace to buy the desired story. However, that can be challenging because the sources, variety of titles, and of course, prices, can vary wildly. Regardless, I think it can be agreed that as long as the expected quality is achieved, the source may not be entirely important. As long as the desire title can be located and the price fair to both the creator and the customer, the problem is not insurmountable.

Domestic Sources

As I live in the United States, when I speak of “Domestic Sources”, I am referring to any provider that offers products within US jurisdiction. So where to buy Anime domestically? In my experience, a lot of anime providers have relationships with overseas contacts who provide them with a good variety of products at a fairly reasonable price.

Of course, this takes into account the rarity of the title, transport time and sales potential. As a result, most Domestic sources are going to provide titles that are easy to find, transport and sell. There is no need in ordering 20 copies of Episode 1 of “3×3 Eyes” if no one knows what it is, much less has an interest in buying it. This may put the owner at risk of spending money on a title he can’t sell.

On the other hand, if a particular title proves popular and is unexpectedly difficult to source than the domestic provider could lose valuable customers as well as credibility. Fewer fans are likely to frequent a particular provider if they are known to not have the most popular titles available within a reasonable time.

International Sources

When I refer to “International Sources”, I’m primarily talking about Japanese providers. Yes, there are other markets that sell Anime and Manga. However, they likely got their products from Japan in the first place so it is better to go directly to the source instead of purchasing the desired title through a middle man, which will likely increase the price.

That being said, Japanese purchases can be very expensive depending on which part of the world you live. Personally, I found that it was cheaper for my provider, who was in California, to order the “Space Cruiser Yamato” LD (LaserDisc) set from Japan and have it delivered via UPS once they received it vs. having it delivered directly to my home. It also happened to be faster as well.

The positive side of this is that most Japanese providers are more than likely to have a wider variety of titles and formats simply because they are closer to the source. In fact, from what I understand, many more titles are available for sale than are actually advertised. Once again, as with the Domestic Sources, this is most likely due to the perceived popularity of a particular title.

If the Manga author can make a compelling argument about their title, they just may get the chance to prove its popularity. But this will only happen if the provider is willing to take the chance or may be more likely inclined due to support for the author’s previous titles. No one wants to be stuck with a product that doesn’t sell.

Title Accessibility

I think this to be one of the most important, yet difficult task for Anime and Manga providers. There are literally thousands of titles in the Manga universe ranging across an incredible variety of subjects and time frames. It may be easy to find a title such as “Attack on Titan” because of its relative recent release and popularity. However, try to find an original copy of “Astro Boy” from the 1950s and you may find it a tad bit more challenging.

As mentioned above, there are many more titles available than are generally advertised. The challenge is getting the story in front of a potential audience to gauge its marketability. The bad news is that most of these titles are filtered by the Japanese audience long before other cultures are even aware of them. However, the good news is that those titles that pass the bar are more likely to be the best quality stories and provide the highest level of entertainment.

Therefore, the general conclusion is that by the time Western audiences are aware of any Anime or Manga series, it has proven its popularity and most likely can be located with a little work and research. However, sometimes the popularity of a series can work against Western audiences as it can be nearly impossible to get a preferred title before its snapped up by the local fans.

Format(s)

The desired format, of course, depends on where the primary interest lies. Animated series always get their inspiration from the original Manga. However, the vast majority of Manga never make it into an Animated format much less the silver screen or television.

As a result, Manga is usually much easier to find than Anime and, while maybe not as flashy with special effects and surround sound options, can still provide an extremely engrossing story which is usually closer to the author’s original vision in comparison.

Anime, on the other hand, can be a little difficult to obtain because of its general popularity. In addition, unlike Manga, which is always presented in written form, Anime can be available in differing formats such as DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray and in some very rare cases, VHS. Often times the format option(s) are directly related to the popularity of the series. For example, it is fairly easy to find an older copy of “Vampire Hunter D” on DVD because of the Manga’s relative popularity. However, it may be harder, if not impossible, to find “Mellowlink” in ANY format because of the obscurity of this mini-series of the “Votoms” universe.

Conclusion

So here is the problem faced by all lovers of Japanimation, no matter the story line or format. Where do we find the desired title(s), regardless of genre, time frame or format? I don’t think there is a single good answer to this question. Often times, this will take a lot of patience and research. Even for most providers, whether domestic or foreign, the issue is mostly not what they can find. Most, if not all, Anime and Manga providers are anxious to have their products adorn the shelves of as many stores as possible, especially online sources.

The ultimate question for providers becomes, “What is going to sell?”. One of the goals of “Ani-Manga World” is to bring together as many readers and suppliers of both Anime and Manga. Hopefully, this will encourage not only the creation and adaptation of the Anime and Manga genres but also bring together a large audience of enthusiasts who may otherwise never have known that someone has created a story that will resonate strongly with them.

In the end, this is what storytelling is all about: finding a universal medium that can bring people together through the conveying of shared human experiences in a mutual environment of curiosity, fascination and increased understanding.