Surprising sales at Yodobashi Camera...

[Quarkboy]

Not sure if this fits in retail or here, but since it's Japan only I think here is better...

So I was browsing the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku today and there was something very very odd going on with some anime DVDs...

CLEARANCE SALES! On, like, big-title stuff!

The FREEDOM blu-ray box set from bandai visual was 9,900 yen! The MSRP is 21,000!
The special edition of Eva Rebuild 1.01 was 2,980! Retail is 5985...
The first blu-rays for Code Geass and Code Geass R2 were 2,000 yen each, retail 4,200...
Clannad after story special edition volume one was only 3600 yen, retail 7980


I.e. a whole bunch of big titles were more than 50% off, all valid until March 3rd.

Now this might not be so crazy in the US but in Japan I've NEVER seen new anime DVDs or Blu-rays for sale at more than 15% off retail in stores.... The best place to buy them is almost always Amazon.co.jp which has a pretty consistent 24% discount on everything. Most of the other stores use a point system where you get like 10% back in points towards other purchases.
Yodobashi has always had a bargain bin for really old random singles of crappy shows, sure, but we're talking about top-line, high profile series getting crazy discounts.

I was actually curious so I asked someone why they were priced so low, and they said that they had way too many in stock and had to get rid of them, especially with Freedom (which I broke down and bought, I might add).

Anyway so I'm wondering if Yodobashi, which is Japan's version of Best Buy, is having similar problems as Best Buy in the US and is trying to get rid of stock. Remember, stores in Japan can't return unsold merchandise to distributors like they can in the US.

[The Great Bear]

So I was browsing the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku today and there was something very very odd going on with some anime DVDs...

CLEARANCE SALES! On, like, big-title stuff!
…
Now this might not be so crazy in the US but in Japan I've NEVER seen new anime DVDs or Blu-rays for sale at more than 15% off retail in stores....

Anyway so I'm wondering if Yodobashi, which is Japan's version of Best Buy, is having similar problems as Best Buy in the US and is trying to get rid of stock. Remember, stores in Japan can't return unsold merchandise to distributors like they can in the US.

The Japanese economy is headed into the toilet, just like ours, but maybe even faster. There was an article in the NY Times today about Japanese consumer buying staying quite low, having never really recovered from the 10 year recession. So, they may be desperate to move these goods, even at near wholesale prices (I think one reason you probably don't see many 50% sales in Japan is that, as you probably already know, there are often more middlemen involved between producer and retailer, so the "wholesale" price is probably a touch higher in Japanese relative to final retail price than it is here in the US).

So, this may be surprising, but may not be so unusual in the weeks and months to come.

Lucky you. There might be a nice deal here and there to get.

[Quarkboy]

Lucky you. There might be a nice deal here and there to get.

Well Freedom for 9900 yen = $108, but you can get the "R1 version" (which is completely identical) it at 41% off $140 on amazon.com for only $82 right now, but figuring in international shipping it comes out about the same for me.

$100 for 200 minutes isn't exactly R1 prices but it's cheap enough for me to buy it :).

I came very close to buying the eva movie for 2980, but I'm going to wait for the blu-ray and be strong.

[The Great Bear]

I was thinking more the Geass Blurays. 2000¥ is a great price (even if I can't understand the audio :P). But, I'm not there, and I'm looking to cut down on my purchases.

[Quarkboy]

I was thinking more the Geass Blurays. 2000¥ is a great price (even if I can't understand the audio :P). But, I'm not there, and I'm looking to cut down on my purchases.

Keep in mind that's for _1_ episode.

[The Great Bear]

I was thinking more the Geass Blurays. 2000¥ is a great price (even if I can't understand the audio :P). But, I'm not there, and I'm looking to cut down on my purchases.

Keep in mind that's for _1_ episode.

Oh, I know. But I also keep in mind we're still talking about Japanese pricing. In those terms, 2000 yen is a virtual steal, or at least far more reasonable than the sometimes 3-4000 yen per episode pricing.

[Quarkboy]

I was thinking more the Geass Blurays. 2000¥ is a great price (even if I can't understand the audio :P). But, I'm not there, and I'm looking to cut down on my purchases.

Keep in mind that's for _1_ episode.

Oh, I know. But I also keep in mind we're still talking about Japanese pricing. In those terms, 2000 yen is a virtual steal, or at least far more reasonable than the sometimes 3-4000 yen per episode pricing.

Well I'd be more tempted if any of the other volumes were at a similar sale price, but they aren't.

I actually already own the first blu-ray for Code Geass season 1 (I think I paid 3500 or so), but I haven't bought any more... I can only really afford to collect one series at a time and Macross F won :).

[The Great Bear]

Well I'd be more tempted if any of the other volumes were at a similar sale price, but they aren't.


The other volumes (2 eps per volume, yes?) would be a steal.

[Quarkboy]

Well I'd be more tempted if any of the other volumes were at a similar sale price, but they aren't.


The other volumes (2 eps per volume, yes?) would be a steal.

Actually I think they are 3 eps per volume, like Macross and Gundam 00. Retail is 7350 yen each.

[The Great Bear]

Well I'd be more tempted if any of the other volumes were at a similar sale price, but they aren't. The other volumes (2 eps per volume, yes?) would be a steal.Actually I think they are 3 eps per volume, like Macross and Gundam 00. Retail is 7350 yen each.

3 eps for 2000? That would be the bargain to end all bargains. I don't think I've ever seen an R2 DVD on clearance sale that had that kind of price/episode ratio, let alone a BD.

But, this is all just fantasizing, and I don't live in Japan :P

[Quarkboy]

Well I'd be more tempted if any of the other volumes were at a similar sale price, but they aren't. The other volumes (2 eps per volume, yes?) would be a steal.Actually I think they are 3 eps per volume, like Macross and Gundam 00. Retail is 7350 yen each.

3 eps for 2000? That would be the bargain to end all bargains. I don't think I've ever seen an R2 DVD on clearance sale that had that kind of price/episode ratio, let alone a BD.

But, this is all just fantasizing, and I don't live in Japan :P

No nono, the first volume is 1 ep, the rest are 3. Only the first volume is on sale.

[The Great Bear]

3 eps for 2000? That would be the bargain to end all bargains. I don't think I've ever seen an R2 DVD on clearance sale that had that kind of price/episode ratio, let alone a BD.

But, this is all just fantasizing, and I don't live in Japan :P

No nono, the first volume is 1 ep, the rest are 3. Only the first volume is on sale.

I know. I've bolded part of what I wrote above for emphasis ;)

3 eps for 2000 would be a fantasy bargain. Fantasy, because it has never happened to my knowledge.

[Quarkboy]

3 eps for 2000? That would be the bargain to end all bargains. I don't think I've ever seen an R2 DVD on clearance sale that had that kind of price/episode ratio, let alone a BD.

But, this is all just fantasizing, and I don't live in Japan :P

No nono, the first volume is 1 ep, the rest are 3. Only the first volume is on sale.

I know. I've bolded part of what I wrote above for emphasis ;)

3 eps for 2000 would be a fantasy bargain. Fantasy, because it has never happened to my knowledge.
The cheapest mainstream singles R2 DVD I know of is the DVDs for the most recent gegege no kitaro show, which retailed for 2940 for 3 episodes each. On amazon it's 2330 new.

[DiGiKerot]

3 eps for 2000 would be a fantasy bargain. Fantasy, because it has never happened to my knowledge.

Sony did a series of limited pressing re-releases of older titles for 2000 a disk way, way back (2001-ish, maybe). It was mostly OAVs from what I remember, but the release bargain was that they put out all of Kodomo no Omocha, bundled together in two boxes. Admittedly, the fact that you had to buy at least half the series in one go (and even half was twelve disks) kind of stung, but with 50-ish episodes per set it worked out pretty well.

I can't remember anything new ever hitting those kind of prices, though.

[The Great Bear]

I can't remember anything new has ever hit those kind of prices, though.

I was mainly thinking new, not re-releases of already released material.

Still, the idea of getting 3 episodes of content for anything near 2000¥ is very rare.

[DiGiKerot]

I was thinking more the Geass Blurays. 2000¥ is a great price (even if I can't understand the audio :P). But, I'm not there, and I'm looking to cut down on my purchases.

Keep in mind that's for _1_ episode.

It does have an hour worth of footage from the event surrounding the premier screening of the first episode to pad things out value-wise, though admittedly twenty minutes of that is the incomplete version of the first episode.

[jlazar]

The special edition of Eva Rebuild 1.01 was 2,980! Retail is 5985...


Well, they've just announced a remastered Eva 1.11 on DVD/Bluray along with the Eva 2.0 theatrical showing announcement. That makes the 1.01 version obsolete and they need to clear it out.

Bet Funimation doesn't get this new version. :(

[Quarkboy]

The special edition of Eva Rebuild 1.01 was 2,980! Retail is 5985...


Well, they've just announced a remastered Eva 1.11 on DVD/Bluray along with the Eva 2.0 theatrical showing announcement. That makes the 1.01 version obsolete and they need to clear it out.

Bet Funimation doesn't get this new version. :(

I'm pretty sure this sale has been going on since the beginning of february, actually, so unless Yodobashi had inside info about the Blu ray release the sale is probably unrelated.

[Buster Darkwings]

Already got the Freedom Blu-rays from the US and sold them on Yahoo for a profit after watching them (not too fond of 3D cel shaded anime), and waiting on rentals or US releases for Geass. But pretty good deals for Japan.

I've seen sales on Amazon.co.jp as well, there were a bunch of R2 anime discs on sale last year for a while, for 40-60% off, I think. I don't think many anime Blu-rays have been on sale though, other than the Perfect Blue LE.

[Quarkboy]

Already got the Freedom Blu-rays from the US and sold them on Yahoo for a profit after watching them (not too fond of 3D cel shaded anime), and waiting on rentals or US releases for Geass. But pretty good deals for Japan.

I've seen sales on Amazon.co.jp as well, there were a bunch of R2 anime discs on sale last year for a while, for 40-60% off, I think. I don't think many anime Blu-rays have been on sale though, other than the Perfect Blue LE.

Amazon.co.jp has a sort of bundle bargain bin for singles of long running series, but it's always old releases... Like you could get Zatch Bell singles for about 80% off retail and one or two other long shounen series. But those were always for singles that were years old and shows that were lower target.

[Sensuifu]

The FREEDOM blu-ray box set from bandai visual was 9,900 yen! The MSRP is 21,000!


I didn't realize the MSRP was that high. Is this the same 4-disc boxset that comes in the plastic sleeve cover? 9900 yen should be more like the MSRP, considering I was able to snag this set for half that.

[Quarkboy]

The FREEDOM blu-ray box set from bandai visual was 9,900 yen! The MSRP is 21,000!


I didn't realize the MSRP was that high. Is this the same 4-disc boxset that comes in the plastic sleeve cover? 9900 yen should be more like the MSRP, considering I was able to snag this set for half that.

Actually it's 20,000 + tax = 21,000 yen. (but since Japan's sales tax is the same everywhere they just list it as 21,000).
http://www.amazon.co.jp/FREEDOM-Blu-ray-Disc-BOX-初回限定生産/dp/B001CA9HO2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1235416106&sr=8-1

the MSRP for the identicle set in the US is $149.95, which would have been somewhat fairer when it was probably decided when the dollar was 115 yen (17250 equivalent), but with the dollar at 90 yen (13500 equiv.) it's really shafting the Japanese consumer. And don't think they don't know it, either.

[Thanatos]

Hm. Those are tempting prices. I will have to think about Freedom. And getting a BR player.

[Quarkboy]

Hm. Those are tempting prices. I will have to think about Freedom. And getting a BR player.

Just FYI, this does not seem to be everywhere the same. I was curious so I checked out the Yodobashi at Kichijouji (the second biggest in Tokyo, next to the Akiba one), and they had a somewhat different selection of sales, none of which were really at the level of the one in shinjuku. Although they did also have the Eva movie for 2980. But Freedom was only 25% off there, and Clannad and Geass weren't marked down at all. On the other hand they were selling the Kinnikuman collectors box (more like a chest, frankly), for 40% off at 63,000 yen, which matches Amazon's price on it.

So anyway it seems like some of these deals, like the Freedom one, are only at certain Yodobashi cameras.

[Thanatos]

Wow, the Kinnikuman complete box for 63,000? I've noticed that at the rental stores but I'd be far too scared to buy it. It feels like an uncomfortable middle ground between Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball (10% fighting, 90% fart jokes.) Though doesn't the box contain something like 200 episodes of Kinnikuman 1, the sequel series, the ovas, and the movies? Saw Toei's ad for the 30-some episode spinoff Raamenman box too.

[Quarkboy]

Wow, the Kinnikuman complete box for 63,000? I've noticed that at the rental stores but I'd be far too scared to buy it. It feels like an uncomfortable middle ground between Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball (10% fighting, 90% fart jokes.) Though doesn't the box contain something like 200 episodes of Kinnikuman 1, the sequel series, the ovas, and the movies? Saw Toei's ad for the 30-some episode spinoff Raamenman box too.

The box has pretty much everything that was ever kinnikuman in it...

http://www.amazon.co.jp/キン肉マン-コンプリートBOX-完全予約限定生産-DVD-神谷明/dp/B0010SGTCO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1235552242&sr=1-1

Amazon has it slightly cheaper...
4912 minutes listed including 184 episodes and all 7 movies. That's a mere 275 yen per 25 minute episode.

When it comes to runtime that's the cheapest deal in R2 frankly, but like you said Kinnikuman isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea.

[Buster Darkwings]

Indeed, I wish the Slam Dunk boxset was as good a deal when it first came out. I think I paid around 70,000 yen for it, and it only included the 101 TV episodes and the pilot + TV special. The movies didn't come to DVD for another year and a half.

[Thanatos]

[QUOTE=Thanatos;1538839]
4912 minutes listed including 184 episodes and all 7 movies. That's a mere 275 yen per 25 minute episode.

When it comes to runtime that's the cheapest deal in R2 frankly...

That's quite insane. I wish Toei would have been so kind as to have priced Dr. Slump like that. Though I now suspect with prices that low, Kinnikuman has no remastering?

[Quarkboy]

4912 minutes listed including 184 episodes and all 7 movies. That's a mere 275 yen per 25 minute episode.

When it comes to runtime that's the cheapest deal in R2 frankly...

That's quite insane. I wish Toei would have been so kind as to have priced Dr. Slump like that. Though I now suspect with prices that low, Kinnikuman has no remastering?

Toei sets prices based off how they think they can sell it. Kinnikuman doesn't have an otaku following, its fanbase is more mixed into the general population that wouldn't spend the money. Plus, it's really an anime for kids, unlike their other classics like fist of the north star or slam dunk, so from a shear artistic perspective it is nothing special.
Also keep in mind that these are 40% off the MSRP, which is 110,000 yen or so. Had it been priced similar to other series we would have seen 2-3 sets that were EACH 110,000 :).

[sangofe]

The FREEDOM blu-ray box set from bandai visual was 9,900 yen! The MSRP is 21,000!
English subs, yes?

[Quarkboy]

The FREEDOM blu-ray box set from bandai visual was 9,900 yen! The MSRP is 21,000!
English subs, yes?

The product sold in Japan and the product sold in the US are completely identical with the exception of the Obi, i.e. the little paper sleeve around the outside with technical specs.

Even the included manga short was in English lettering with Japanese and french translations off to the side.