From my understanding, Japan ordered that these files be removed from youtube because the Japanese were watching it on youtube instead of watching it on TV or buying DVDs and I don't think it really had much to do with Americans watching it and from what I've heard most of what was taken down were live-action Japanese shows and things like music videos and concert footage but I believe most of the anime stuff is still up. At least this is just what I heard, but that's what they posted over at ANN and they're usually pretty reliable when it comes to reporting news info. While I can understand Japan wanting to stop piracy, I think they're also a bit hypocritical at times, too. I mean, they expect nobody to ever download any of their programs, but they over-price anime DVDs through the roof. A single R2 anime DVD can cost up to $50 for only one or two episodes and very little if any extras. Japan pitches a little hissy fit whenever Americans import manga from Japan instead of buying the American releases (that's the whole reason why Kodansha cancelled their bilingual CCS manga) and then they turn around and pitch another hissy fit when the Japanese import anime DVDs from the U.S. instead of buying them in Japan just because anime DVDs are actually affordable in America.
While anime DVDs in the U.S. can still be pricy compared to American TV show DVDs, compare having to pay $50 for two episodes to having to pay $30 for four episodes and there's a world of difference already. I think if Japan expects people to stop pirating their programs, they shouldn't charge a ridicilous amount for an anime DVD, especially since anime is much more popular in Japan than America so their DVD sales wouldn't hurt as much if they charged a little less compared to America. I mean, selling an anime DVD at $30 for four episodes is a perfectly reasonable price especially in the U.S. where anime is still a niche market and it's worked just fine and dandy for America. But charging as much as Japan does for their R2 DVDs is ridicilous and unacceptable and there should be no reason for this nonsense considering how popular anime is in Japan. I mean, how many people in their right mind would pay $70 for a 90 minute cartoon movie? Because that's how much Japan charges for anime movies on DVD.
