Ask John: Why Do Anime DVDs Have Misleading Descriptions?

Question:
I am a big anime fan, but I rarely get to buy or see any anime since it’s so expensive. When I do have enough money to buy anime, the length is very important to me. When I bought Street Fighter Alpha and Blood: The Last Vampire the info on the back cover said they were 120 minutes and 85 minutes respectively, but when the movies end and the credits rolls, my DVD timer says only 90 minutes (Street Fighter) or 45 minutes (Blood) have passed. Even with the special features the time doesn’t add up. The movie doesn’t even go where the plot on the back states. What’s up with this because I feel ripped off?

Answer:
The only explanation I can provide is marketing strategy. If a distribution company believes that it can sell a few more copies of a DVD by padding the approximate running time a bit, they usually do so. It’s not at all uncommon for domestic anime releases to include the running time of the trailers, studio identification, Dolby Digital logo, and other supplemental video footage as part of the overall DVD running time. Likewise, box descriptions may sometimes be a bit hyperbolic because their purpose isn’t exactly to explain the plot but to convince consumers to buy the video.

If you’re concerned about running times, you may want to check out the DVD reviews at Anime on DVD, which sometimes provide a more accurate assessment of running time than what the DVD packaging states. Or familiarize yourself with the titles you’re interested in buying before you buy. Normal anime TV episodes run about 23 minutes per episode. OAVs can vary in running time but often maintain running times of 25-30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes. Theatrical anime movies vary widely from as little as 5 minutes long to over 3 hours. Your best bet is to research the titles you’re interested in before you buy.

Finally, remember that running time isn’t always the most important factor in the value of an anime DVD. 60 minutes of exceptional quality and emotionally thrilling anime at $29.95 is a much better value than 120 minutes of poor quality, uninspired, disappointing anime that retails at the same price. Think quality, not quantity.