Information About Escaflowne Movie Bootlegs
A large number of copies of the Escaflowne movie have been produced for the black market. This page is designed to help you identify these bootlegs, as well as illegal copies of the Escaflowne movie soundtrack and Newtype 100% artbook. If you would like further information on identifying bootleg anime material, I recommend the article Is This Anime Pirated? Want to see some amusing Escaflowne bootleg subtitles? Visit the Escaflowne Engrish gallery.
| Bootleg Topics |
| 1. | |
Why shouldn't I buy bootlegs? Anime is so expensive, and I'm poor! |
The decision to buy a bootleg is not a private one that affects only yourself. The money spent on them supports an illegal business that is undermining the profits of the anime industry as a whole. Fewer profits in the animation industry means fewer companies are willing to invest in making new shows, and the less they spend when they do make them. That means less anime for everyone. Even if you don't care about the rest of us, surely you don't want to put nails in the coffin of your own hobby.
Yes, bootlegs are cheaper than the legitimate material, especially in regards to Japanese imports. This is because the material is stolen — and thus there are no hardworking employees to pay. It is also due to the fact that the illegal copies are generally made on inferior equipment, which does not cost as much to purchase and maintain.
Poverty is not an excuse for buying illegal copies. Anime companies aren't charities, and people need to stop treating them as though they are. The creators deserve to be paid for their work. You wouldn't tolerate people stealing your hard work — why should you expect the producers, directors, writers, and animators in Japan to do so? So you can't afford a licensed DVD. No offense, but cry me a river. I'll bet you can't afford a sports car, either, but you probably don't believe that you have a right to buy a stolen vehicle. If you do, then you have serious problems. Cops aren't impressed by pleas of poverty, and neither are 90% of anime fans. If you can't afford to buy a licensed DVD, then don't buy anything at all. Join an anime club and watch it for free. Borrow from a friend. Rent from a store. Or — here's a shocking idea that few bootleg fans ever seem to consider — save a dollar a week until you have enough money to buy what you want. There are plenty of alternatives available to you if you're on a limited budget. Buying illegal wares shouldn't be one of them.
A final note for those of you who believe that buying bootlegs is a way to protest government taxes — the high cost of imported goods from Japan does not come from tariffs and import fees. DVDs and CDs just cost more there. End of story. On the whole, North American anime buyers don't pay much more for the goods they import than the Japanese buyers do. In fact, due to the fluctuating exchange rate and the ability of many importers to offer discounts because they bought in bulk, many times we can buy the imports for less than the Japanese can. So if you want to protest government taxes, by all means do so — just be aware that buying bootlegs is not a valid form of protest.
| 2. | |
Bootlegs are bad, but fansubs are OK, right? |
Fansubs, for the record, are not legal, despite what you may have heard online. However, it is true that most anime companies tolerate their existence as long as they are not distributed for profit, and as long as distribution ceases after the show has been licensed and slated for release in North America. I myself have a number of fansubs in my collection — all of which will be destroyed as soon as the anime featured on them is licensed domestically.
However, in the specific case of the Escaflowne movie, fansubs are absolutely, positively, not OK. This is because the Escaflowne movie has been licensed and released domestically. Any fansubber still distributing the Escaflowne movie at this time is doing so in violation of the fansub code of honor and deserves to be hanged by his own loose morals. Distributing a show after it has been licensed is not fansubbing — it's bootlegging.
| 3. | |
What do the legitimate Escaflowne movie releases look like? How do I know I'm buying the right thing? |
The only legitimate Escaflowne movie release with English subtitles and/or an English language audio track is the DVD produced in North America by Bandai Entertainment. There is no licensed English subtitle/dub VHS. There is no licensed English subtitle/dub VCD. Not in Canada, not in the US, not in Japan, and not in Europe. If you want the movie with English subtitles or in the English language, you must buy the North American Bandai DVD. Period.
The first step in identifying a legitimate Escaflowne movie DVD is to make sure that the Bandai logo is visible somewhere on the cover. This will eliminate many bootlegs right away.
That being said, the presence of the logo is not a surefire sign that the DVD is licensed. Some bootlegs use original Bandai material for their covers, logo and all. If there is any doubt, compare the cover of the disc in question to the covers of known licensed versions. The scans on this page can be used as references. All bootlegs have at least one subtle variation from the official version, such as a different title font, different credits or images on the reverse cover, or incorrect coloration.
The best way to ensure that you are purchasing a licensed version of the movie, of course, is just to use your head. Purchase DVDs only from reliable retailers such as Amazon.com (not Amazon Marketplace sellers; Amazon.com direct) and CD Japan. Don't purchase from sellers in Hong Kong, China, or Singapore. Lax copyright laws have resulted in a proliferation on bootlegs in those countries. The same is true of eBay, which rarely chooses to enforce its bootleg policy. Research the going rates for the DVDs, and remember that if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Also, know what material is available on the legitimate discs. If the DVD you're looking at advertises something that isn't on the official discs — such as Chinese subtitles — then stay away!
| 4. | |
What do the bootleg Escaflowne movie releases look like? |
Since any idiot with a decent printer can produce a bootleg, it's impossible for me to compile a complete listing of available illegal material. The bootleg VCDs, DVDs, and videos featured below are some of the most common, however. Please read the entry above for further tips on differentiating the licensed releases from the fakes.
A bootleg movie VCD set. As of yet, there is no such thing as a licensed Escaflowne movie VCD, so the format itself marks this as illegal.
This is the most common Escaflowne movie bootleg DVD. The disc calls itself the DTS Limited Edition, but it looks nothing like the real DTS Limited Edition. The only licensed version of the movie that has this particular cover design in keepcase form is the Japanese regular edition DVD, which does not have English subtitles or an English dub. There are also key differences in the imagery and titling of this cover that distinguish it from the Japanese regular edition. Compare.
This DVD is is a direct rip of the legitimate North American Standard Edition. Fortunately, the cover is as far from the North American Standard Edition as it can possibly get. This particular Nobuteru Yuki illustration has only been used for one DVD cover, and that is the Japanese DTS Edition. Note, however, the differences in cover text between the latter disc and this bootleg.
You can easily tell that this VHS is a fake because the text on the cover looks childish and it lacks any form of movie credits or company logos. Moreover, the video has English subtitles, and there is no such thing as a licensed VHS with subtitles.
As in the case of the video above, this VHS is easily identifiable as a bootleg because of the low-quality cover and presence of English subtitles.
This VHS is making the rounds at anime conventions. The cover is designed to look as professional as possible, and includes the Bandai and Emotion logos. However, once again, the presence of subtitles brands this video a fake.
| 5. | |
What do bootleg Escaflowne movie soundtracks and drama CDs look like? |
Bootleg CDs can be difficult to identify. This is because the covers and discs are typically reproduced in such a way that they look almost exactly like the real thing. However, with just a little knowledge, you can weed out 99% of Escaflowne movie soundtrack and drama bootlegs.
The secret nugget of knowledge is this. If the disc cover or disc itself is marked with a logo that reads SM or Ever Anime, it is fake. Period. There are companies other than Son May (SM) and Ever Anime that make bootleg anime CDs. However, no Escaflowne movie soundtracks or drama CDs have yet been produced by them in any notable quantity.
Due to the necessity of checking the CDs for pirate company logos, it is difficult to be sure that you are buying the real thing when ordering online. Please purchase CDs only from reputable dealers like Amazon.com (not Amazon Marketplace sellers; Amazon.com direct) and CD Japan. Steer clear of eBay!
| 6. | |
What does the illegal version of the Newtype 100% artbook look like? |
It is unusual for anime artbooks to be illegally copied, but sad to say there is a bootleg edition of the 100% Newtype Escaflowne artbook. This bootleg would be extremely difficult to identify if it weren't for one major error — page 42 has been duplicated twice, and there is no page 43. Oops. Less obvious, but still discernible, is a difference in the print material used for the character design pages in the book. In the legal version, these pages are made of a coarse, newsprint-style paper. In the bootleg version, they are made of the same slick, glossy material as the rest of the book.
As in the case of the soundtrack and drama CDs, it is difficult to be sure that you are buying the real thing when ordering online. Please purchase the artbook in person if you can. Remember to remove any plastic wrapping so that you can check its legitimacy. Even bootlegs can be shrink-wrapped. If you cannot examine the book in person, ask the seller to check for the page duplication error. If the seller does not reply, do not give them your business. If they do reply, and they lie to you, you will have legal grounds for returning the book.
My apologies, but I do not know of any reliable online stores that currently have the artbook in stock.