[girigiri]

With provisos, MMM is correct, in my opinion.

Where I differ:
Sampling is legitimate up to 3 episodes, rather than just 1. Any more than 3 episodes, I'll at least buy as much as I have watched.

BUT

The claim that anime producers are gouging their audience is quite valid. Fairly prices would not exceed 6000 yen per episode. 24000 per episode is a good reason for shows to be left unwatched, BUT it is no reason to be thieving copies thereof.

As a sop to conscience though, it might be possible to allow that buying only so many episodes as yields a fair return could be excusable - say, watch 4 episodes, buy 1 episode at 24000 yen when a purchase of Japanese releases is forced. Would that I could accede to that idea - my bank balance would be somewhat healthier.

Thankfully, buying Japanese releases usually isn't necessary and Western releases do come at reasonable prices, $120 to $150 for a box set of 24 episodes. (and I'll spend more than that for a legitimate Hong Kong release, simply because of the language options available.)

Wail all they want, the producers of anime simply don't seem to get the concept that people will not readily submit to being gouged.

On a shelf, 1 anime disc with a run time of 40 mins (+ filler, 47 minutes)
Nearby, a live action disc (albeit possibly imported) 80 mins + filler.
Entertainment values are equivalent:
Disc 1: 8000 yen
Disc 2: 4000 yen
Which disc will sell?