An Open Letter to Odex
Odex is just about the only company in South-East Asia that licenses anime, but unfortunately their products are pretty low quality and few people buy them. They also maintain a low profile in the Singaporean anime community with virtually zero presence in anime-related events and online communities.
Recently, Odex hinted that they are teaming up with IPOS to catch anime downloaders in Singapore, sort of like RIAS (Singapore’s RIAA) except for anime. Feeling bored, I sent them an e-mail regarding this rumour exactly one week ago but apparently Odex does not have the habit of checking their inbox, or perhaps they have a filter that automagically redirects everything into the spam box.
Well, here it is…
Hi,
I am DarkMirage, the owner of darkmirage.com. I run one of the more well-known anime blogs in Singapore and I have been involved in the online anime community for quite some time. I write to you with regards to some recent rumours regarding your company and your company’s operations in general.
There have been reports recently that Odex is going to team up with IPOS to target anime downloaders in Singapore. This was first reported in the community by a source close to your company and subsequently confirmed after the recent focus group by kwok, the owner of the blog lolicontrol, who participated in it.
Although I can understand your concerns, I disagree with this decision. But I am sure you have already heard similar objections from many sources so I will move on as this is not what I want to talk about.
The issue I am trying to raise was actually brought up by another local blogger, albeit in a blunter manner.
If you overlook drmchsr0′s usual over-dramatization of the issue, there is an important point to note. Your company has never been engaging the community. Unlike American distributors with their anime conventions, you do not appear at local events. I have met employees of American companies, such as ADV, online and they participate in forum discussions and community events just like the rest.
A recent example would be Bandai’s asosbrigade.com viral marketing campaign for Haruhi Suzumiya. I created a parody site at code-geass.com and the person in-charge of the site at Bandai actually added me to his MySpace friends. The fans KNOW that Bandai cares. We know that Bandai has been reading forums and anime blogs for feedback. The little things count.
When American fans are unhappy with something, they know where to find the people to speak to. Your recent focus group is about the only thing similar in nature that I have ever heard of from your company. I know of local anime fans who do not even know your company’s name.
The issue with IPOS is yet another side-effect of this isolation. You have your reasons for making such a decision, but you have to tell us what they are and keep us informed. But you don’t. Instead, we have to rely on rumours and second-hand information to get a vague idea of what Odex is really up to. And when we do that, the conclusions we come to are most definitely NOT in your company’s favour.
The same goes for your DVD releases. No one knows anything about your products until someone notices them on a LaserFlair shelf. You can hardly blame poor sales on downloaders alone (or at all). The lack of publicity on your part is just inexcusable, it’s almost as if you don’t want to sell those DVDs. The least you can do is to keep your website updated.
Because of your company’s isolation from the rest of the anime community in Singapore, you are seen as an outsider. In America, there is genuine support coming from the fans for the companies there because they feel that the companies pay them the respect they deserve as the consumers. The credits at the end of promotional video on asosbrigade even thanked fansub watchers who support the DVD releases. That means a LOT to the fans who obviously downloaded the fansubs (illegally you might say) and are now eagerly awaiting the R1 Haruhi DVDs’ release.
On the other hand, Singaporean fans view Odex as a non-entity that is outside the community. I have not met a single person who is looking forward to your Haruhi release, which may or may not exist at all since all we know about your future releases come from anonymous rumours. Personally I am looking forward to the R1 release which I plan on getting and I already own the R2 set. But I can’t say the same for Odex’s release.
It all boils down to a PR problem. Your company’s behaviour rubs fans the wrong way and you do not make any (noticeable) attempts at engaging us and addressing our grievances. The impression we get from past experiences is that Odex hates us. You do not bother to correct this impression, so we assume it to be true. You cannot expect local fans to support your products in a situation like this.
I have a very simple suggestion for Odex: create an official blog. You can post all your new releases and acquisitions there and keep us updated what the hell is going on so that we do not have to rely on rumours. When the fans are unhappy with something, we can bring it up there and get a discussion going. Some problems may not be so easily resolved, but at least we will know what is Odex’s official stand instead of making assumptions that are usually negative.
It does not take a whole lot of effort to maintain a blog and the benefits to your PR are enormous. All you have to do is to let the fans know what you are doing. Look at how the Japanese companies do it. Hell, if you cannot find someone to do it, I can even volunteer darkmirage.com for it. Free of charge even, if money is your concern (which it often seems to be).
I dare say that if you do go ahead with the IPOS plan, you will not see the slightest increase in sales. On the other hand, if you engage the community through a blog, forum discussions, feedback sessions and by participating in anime-related events such as Cosfest, support for your products and brand will build up naturally.
For the sake of the local anime community, I sincerely urge that you reconsider your company’s business practices.
One more episode downloaded does not equate to one less Odex DVD sold. You cannot force the consumers to like your products.
Thank you for your time,
DarkMirage
Or to summarize: Odex needs a PR department. A new one if it already has one, but I bet it doesn’t.
Actually if IPOS is really going to go along with this, the easiest thing for them to do is to take down the name of everyone who walks into one of the anime goods import shops and then subpoena his/her ISP. You can probably get a >95% conviction rate.
It’s not a huge stretch to say that piracy created the entire anime community in Singapore, generating a ton of previously untapped export revenues for Japanese companies in the forms of figurines, goods and those R2 Haruhi DVDs that will be arriving at my doorsteps in about two weeks.
Please don’t kill anime.
P.S. Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora episode one ROCKED!!!… No officer, I didn’t download it. I just…uh…took a flight to Japan to catch it on TV last week.
August 21st, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Then again, since when does anime appear in anyone’s router out of the blue? =/
August 21st, 2007 at 9:28 pm
actually, if they downloaded from Da-Anime.org, they’d be safe. its a lot safer to direct download from Da-Anime.org because the transfers are like normal data transfers. they follow normal HTTP protocol n are harder to identify
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:40 am
Just a thought – what if the “offenders” bought the original DVD releases of whatever they’ve downloaded? They’ve every right to duplicate their legitimately purchased copy – it shouldn’t matter if they ripped it from the DVD or just so happen to downloaded a conveniently packaged high quality AVI/WMA version via torrent or flaccidshare.
I mean, I own legit music CDs and there’s nothing that says I can’t make a copy for my car stereo AND rip it as an MP3 for my iPod – as long as I don’t share or profit from it.
Fuck ODEX. Their subtitles on all their releases suck so bad, you’d think they hired some 6 year old to piece that shit altogether.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:23 am
Similar to the cases found in Germany, Britain, France, Italy , especially the France in the link below :
http://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-outfits-business-model-on-life-support
Seem likes happy-ending for those P2P users
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August 29th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Seriously, I don’t mind the whole lot (the ENTIRE anime community in Singapore) to go find Odex and talk it out. Who knows? Maybe the quantity might scare them off, or at least increase the chance of a successful off-court agreement.
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October 8th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
After reading this post, I feel that it is quite true that not much local anime fans know of Odex’s existence.
I may not be an anime fan, but I do watch anime. I have not heard of my anime-fan friends talk about Odex and stuff.
From what I have read, Odex doesn’t seem to be doing their job by communicating with the community. It seems as if they start a business just to make big money. However, if they do not cater to the needs of their consumers and respond to their feedbacks, they will not earn much. I agree that Odex should respond to the local anime community’s feedbacks.
Since there are problems with the company’s doings, they should improve. If not, why would Odex set up a forum (unfortunately, it is closed down) to allow anime fans to comment?
Since the administrator didn’t care much by not replying the comments and feedbacks of the local anime fans, then he should not have set up the forum at an earlier time. Consumers have their rights in getting the best quality of things. And by being a producer, Odex has to fulfil the needs of the consumers.
I am just stating my opinion. Hopefully I do not sound harsh.
October 14th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
regarding the baytsp finding 400k instances from singapore concluding the largest download population….
i have doubts……400k instances ok….they tracked for 6 months
average = around 60k instances per month. (including same ppl downloading diffrent other anime at the same time and ppl who turn off and on their pc while downloading half-way)
from what i have observed over bittorrent is that the peer list, and the result is always the same. Out of the whole, i find at most only 4 local peers. This is the same for many other torrents.
Majority being people from the states, europe and such….
you can see how many US flags in the list >.<
but hardly do i find locals.
Totally not convincing…..
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