I can't stand the amount of bootleg stuff out 
there! "Cost of tape" fansubbers are one thing, 
but pirated CDs, unliscensed tees and merch . . . 
that's just plain illegal. It hurts the industry 
that we're trying to support by purchasing anime 
goods! I've seen fansubs in fancy clamshells with 
photocopied covers selling for $16 and upwards in 
supposedly "legit" comics stores. When I ASKED if 
they were fansubs, I was told they were liscensed.  
Commercial selling of this stuff is bad news for 
everyone, because it indirectly drives up prices 
on the legal stuff. 

There's so many people now trying to make money 
off of the new popularity of anime, and many of 
the folks I've seen who are new to it don't even 
know how to tell the difference between liscensed 
and bootleg goods. These sellers don't want to 
support anime, they want to make FAST CASH. And 
it's amazing how many people just go along with 
it. Maybe there ought to be a site to help fans 
find legal goods and not support the profiteers . 
. .! I'd do it myself if I knew diddly about web 
design. If we want anime to weather the storm of 
the "mainstream" trend, the fans have to be out 
there supporting the industry. 

Miss Ayaka 

BTW, Drac o' Sharp Smiles - VCDs aren't exactly 
bootleg, they're legal in Asia (they're EVERYWHERE 
in Hong Kong). You can buy them there and bring 
them back, but if you then proceed to sell them 
it's no longer legal. Or that's