Legit Asian VCD, DVD and UMD Guide

Contents

Legit VCD List

Legit Region 3 DVD List

Legit Region 2 (Japan) DVD List

Legit Region 2 (UK) DVD List

Legit Japanese UMD List

Below is a list of Video Compact Discs (VCDs) that have been produced by legitimate companies in Asia and the US since 1998 that include English dubbing or English subtitles. It doesn't include any discs that weren't manufactured before 1998. Note that some of these discs may have been deleted by their manufacturers and are no longer available. Hundreds more anime VCDs have been produced with Chinese subtitles, or Asian language dubs, but it would be virtually impossible to list them all.

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Below is a list of DVDs that have been produced by legitimate companies in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia that include English dubbing or English subtitles. Note that some have English "Dubtitles". Basically instead of having a translation of the Japanese dialogue, these subtitles are directly taken from the English dub and are usually timed to the English dub (like Closed Captions or Supertext for deaf people). Dubtitles usually make watching the anime in Japanese impossible (depending on how inaccurate the English dub was). Note that some of these discs may have been deleted by their manufacturers and are no longer available. Hundreds more anime DVDs have been produced that only include Asian language dubs and subtitles, but it would be virtually impossible to list them all.

*Korean company DVD Ani did properly licensed all anime titles they released, but the English dubs and subtitles included on their releases were apparently not included in their original contracts. The titles they released were not bootlegs, but supposedly they did break their contracts with the Japanese companies. DVD Ani did later reissue some of these titles without English subtitles and dubs, so some later versions of these discs do not contain English subs or dubs. DVD Ani stopped producing DVDs in November 2003, but continued to re-package their old titles for a short while after. A new company called Nova Media seems to be re-releasing some of their titles.

**Korean company Cinexus have been branded bootleggers by some fansites, despite the fact Korean dubs exist on their DVDs, and they distribute a number of high profile US and other foreign movies in their catalogue (they distribute about 300 titles in total), and that every Korean retailer stocks their DVDs. The evidence for the bootleg argument is pretty thin, but the menus and special features on the Trigun DVDs are very similar to the US Pioneer ones. They may have taken these illegally from the US release (just as DVD Ani has been accused of), or obtained them from the Japanese licensor. There's not enough evidence to say either way.

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Below is a list of Japanese released anime titles on DVD that include English dubbing or English subtitles. Note that some have English "Dubtitles". Basically instead of having a translation of the Japanese dialogue, these subtitles are directly taken from the English dub and are usually timed to the English dub (like Closed Captions or Supertext for deaf people). Dubtitles usually make watching the anime in Japanese impossible (depending on how inaccurate the English dub was). Note that some of these discs may have been deleted by their manufacturers and are no longer available. Almost a thousand more anime DVDs have been produced that only include Japanese language audio only, but it would be virtually impossible to list them all.