[Jiggly]

I can really see both points here. I definitely think it's worth having a dialogue with Funimation about how they can improve their product (not twitter rants, but contacting their representatives with suggestions and feedback). I can't really judge people for pirating anime, since it is a massive source of exposure for shows that otherwise might not get any exposure at all. At the same time, I agree with all of Oni's points. Funimation is an entity that is bringing more anime to the US/Western world.

Wherever I can, I would like to support the anime industry. There is a lot of talk about anime producers/creators making more deals with the western world for distribution of their shows. However, that seems to be met with a lot of challenges.

Animators are working in a very difficult, and not overly well-paid industry. This article talks about it in some detail.

My understanding is that studios make very little from licensed anime in the US. The bulk of profits come from merchandise. I try to support them that way. Its why I have far more figures and plushies than I do actual Blu-rays. There's also companies like NIS, who are notorious for selling anime in limited runs. It's why I do not own a physical copy of Toradora. The copies Ive seen for sale are upwards of $300.

That's actually really interesting. I wish you could buy/rent anime either digitally or buying DVDs etc, like you can with shows on amazon prime. I would love a service like that, but that would be easier said than done.