Kanon 2006 boxset - Funimation or ADV?

[Full Metal Sempai]

First of all,if the topic doesn't belong to the correct listing,then I'd like the moderators to remove it.Thank you!

I'm a hardcore fan of Kanon 2006 and I'd like to get the whole series on dvd.However,I'm not into buying separate volumes,I prefer boxsets,mostly because of the lower price.My bank account isn't that great,plus I'm living in Greece where titles like Kanon never reach the local anime shops.And if they do come,their price is extravagant.So,online shopping is the only way to get some of the anime I want but I've never tried it up until a month ago (mostly because my wallet couldn't afford such purchases without a job ).

Anyway,back to Kanon.ADV started releasing the series and made 5 volumes until it gave the rights to Funimation,which produced the 6th volume.As a result,there are limited versions of the original volumes,especially of No. 5.Each ADV volume came with clean op and endings,a special called:"A Close Look At an Anime Production" and volume 2 came also with artbox.
Now that all volumes are released,Funimation released the whole series in a thin-pack boxset,consisting of 4 disks,which totally ruined my day as I wanted the full boxset,not a thin-pack vesion.

Moreover,from some reviews I read,the thin-pack boxset practically has no extras (artbox,special),not even clean op & endings.Also,I'm really wondering how they made a 6-volume series into 4 disks.That also means they reduced the covers...

To sum up,I'm torn between buying the Funimation thin-pack boxset (coming at about 40-60 $ + shipping to Greece) and buying each of the original ADV volumes (coming at about 120 - 180 $ based on the ebay-seller who sells all of them as a collection).ADV Volume 5 is extremely rare and wherever found,the price is so I doubt I could buy each volume respectively from classic online shops.

Has anyone bought any of the original Kanon 2006 volumes or the thinpack?
If yes,I'd like your comments on them and if it's really worth spending much more on the separate volumes.I'd like to avoid spending so much money unless the difference is really big.
Thank you in advance.

ps: I should have bought vol.2 with the artbox when I was in New York last year.But I preferred Gundam Seed and FMA boxsets.Silly me...

[wehrwulf]

I just bought season one part one of FMA. I think its better to buy box sets because it saves you a lot of money in the long run.

[Willen]

If you can find v5 for a reasonable price, Right Stuf has a very small amount of v1 left, and not many of v2, v2+box, v3, or v4. But they are all US$7 except for v2+box which is US$10.

ADV version:
+Pros: you get more cover art (6 covers: the 5 main girls plus Kaori), extras (including clean OP and ED), the box is sturdy and has a lot more artwork, and bragging rights.
-Cons: might be impossible to get v5 for a decent price, v1 is getting rare too, takes more space on your shelves.

The Funimation version:
+Pros: cheaper, box front art is very nice, reversible covers for the thinpak cases (4 covers: Nayuki's with Makoto's on the reverse and Shiori's with Sayuri's on the reverse), thinpak series set saves space on the shelf.
-Cons: Ayu's DVD cover becomes the back art of the box, flimsy box, possibly fragile thinpak cases (I've read of some people getting sets with broken case hubs), possibly lower video quality (the reviews are fairly positive), no extras.

I got lucky when I bought the ADV Kanon DVDs.

I got v1, then v2 (w/box) and v3 together (v2 got delayed so it shipped pretty close to v3), then v4 & v5 together. I usually wait for DVDs to go on sale before I buy them and it worked out for the first 3 volumes. I'm pretty much an optimist so I was content to wait for v4 and v5 to go on sale before I purchased them. They were coming out within a month of each other so I might be able to snag them both at a good price. I had many opportunities to purchase v4 at regular price, but I waited for a sale. When v5 came out, v4 got harder to get (and not on sale), and v5 was at regular price so I waited for a sale. In July, when ADV announced the indefinite delay of v6, I held my ground on v4 and v5 and waited for a sale. Then, a day later Funimation announced that they acquired the rights to Kanon. In August, Funimation announces that Kanon v6 will be released on Oct.14. On Aug. 24, Right Stuf has a Funimation sale and I preorder v6. Not panicking, I checking on stock of v4 and v5. I still wait for a sale.

Then in September, a few weeks until v6's release, I panicked.* I checked out the stores nearest my home and where I work for v4 and v5. No luck. I knew the Best Buy 7 miles away had v5 in stock, I had a discount certificate (close enough to a sale to assuage my fevered, penny-pinching mind), hopefully they'd have v4 also and save me another trip. I got v5, but no luck on v4. I got desperate. My last hope without relying on unreliable online retailers was a Sam Goody's about 20 miles away. Luckily, that store (and the mall they are in) isn't that busy so they had v4 and v5 in stock. Painfully, I paid regular price for volume 4, but it felt good knowing that I had all the DVDs so far and wouldn't have to go through another online hunt for a DVD volume or two to complete a series. Now all I had to do is hope Funimation wouldn't change the packaging and break up the harmony.

October: Funimation releases Kanon volume 6. I receive my copy on 10/6. It uses the same design. I am happy.


*I could have tried online, but well, I panicked. And I'm fairly sure at the time Right Stuf was out of v5.

[Full Metal Sempai]

Thanks for the detailed description Willen,it was just what I needed.

If it weren't for v5 I'd buy everything from Rightstuf.The prices are fucking amazing,didn't know of this website until yesterday where I found it by chance.

So,the real cons of ADV are basically more money and space in my shelves.About the second,this isn't a problem.I could always clear my bookcase out of needless books...^^
About the first though,that's really something as I found v5 for over 120$.And that's too much...

Still,one question.How can ADV's release be 6 volumes (6 disks,right?) and Funimation's boxset has 4 disks as the description says?

Yeah,I also read about people getting broken case hubs in the Funimation boxset.Someone even got black lines in the cover of vol.3 that were possibly due to misprint.Unlucky him

Looks like I'll bet everything on buying the whole ADV collection by ebay.The problem with v5's price cannot be easily overcome...
Else,I'll resort to the cheaper solution of Funimation boxset.We can't really have everything in life...

ps:Lucky you for getting all the ADV Kanon dvds.