About Anime in South Africa
Up until recently Anime has been very scarce here in South Africa. Nonetheless interest in Anime and Manga has grown tremendously over the past few years with more and more people becoming avid Anime enthusiasts and many Anime clubs popping up all over South Africa.
Anime: Anime is the correct term for Japanese animation (including some other Asian countries). The term Anime these days is more emphasized as a genre and style rather than the animations country of origin. If we look at Anime today you will see some great titles coming from Japan, Korea, and China. In the broader picture though Japan and Korea are the big players in Anime.
Manga: Manga is the correct term for printed comics in the same genre as Anime. The norm is a writer/artist/studio writes a Manga title and then the title gets picked up by an Anime studio and they create an Anime series / movie based on the Manga. There are also many original works in the Anime field. Basically Manga is the forerunner for Anime, but its popularity is immense worldwide.
Why is Anime so different: The first thing that strikes a new viewer to Anime / Manga is the artwork, often very intense, detailed and very stylish. This is animation that the west has never though of, they pull out all the stops and often strive for perfection when creating Anime. The next thing that the viewer is drawn to is the story, always very unique, and the themes vary from mature to just plain fun. In essence Anime has something for everyone from young to old, serious to light hearted. The fact is once you watch Anime you are generally hooked for life. Many people don't understand why we would be so interested in cartoons, until they watch Anime for themselves!
What we strive for at Anime Direct South Africa: Anime Direct South Africa was set up because I personally got sick of not being able to get any Anime here in SA. Our goal is to deliver the best Anime and Manga titles at the best prices making it easier for you, the local Anime fan, to acquire Anime without having to go through the effort of importing it yourself.
What is a bootleg: A bootleg is a pirated version of a movie where those producing it have not paid for rights of licensing to do so. This is very common here in South Africa and with all the Hollywood movies being sold at flea markets and on the road, Anime has been hit by bootlegging as well. The thing with a bootleg is that 99% of the time the Video and Audio quality is terrible (often un-watchable) and to top it off the subtitles are done by someone who cant speak English so they come out just as bad! In more recent times bootleggers have been copying original titles with English tracks as well. The fact is that the production houses who create Anime don't get 1 cent from the sale of a bootleg and this leads to the financial fall of many of them. Here in South Africa there are stores in Cape Town, Randburg and various other places selling bootleg Anime. They say its 100% original and charge a fortune but beware, you will be wasting your money!
How to spot a bootleg: Check for these confirmed pirate company names: MAC Cartoon, Anime International, Manga International and FX. These are confirmed pirated versions and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Again, it is up to you the consumer to stop the sale of these products by not supporting them, but in the end will benefit from purchasing originals with the superior quality.
