Fansubbs & You!

Hello Everybody!

This is somthing I wrote for my website - and I thought I would also post it on my myspace as well. It might be intresting to hear the reactions I get to it. Please- feel free to comment, or check out my new forum page on my website :

www.freewebs.com/jveach400

^ so not a promo....lol ^_^

~ Jess

Fansub's & YOU!

Oh the fansubs ^_^ Don't we all just love them? But ~ why do we love them?

Lets face it, they are free, mass produced, some of decent quality, and did I mention free? Until recently, I was with the majority of you who believed that funsubbing was not a horrible act of treachery against the anime industry in both Japan and in America. They were free and mass produced through many sites such as Veoh and YouTube. Eh, it's free advertising right? What's the big deal? Well, with the help of the most wonderful Greg Ayres [ voice actor commonly heard in ADV anime productions ] I have now learned that this is most DEFINATLY not the case.

Fansubs are one of the largest of problems amongst the anime industry today. Companies are not only losing money - but in some cases going completely out of business; such as our recent loss of Geneon.

According to Anime News Network, "Other companies, both Japanese and North American, have much less tolerance for fansubs. Some Japanese companies have asked fansubbers to not translate their properties, while representatives of some American companies have publicly stated that they do not appreciate the efforts of fansubbers."

I personally have attended panel's during the Paducah Kentucky OMG! Con where Greg Ayres made a most amazing argument against fansubbers; stating that fansubbers are practically ruining the industry by making anime free so that people don't typically buy the anime anymore. They simply get on their computers, and watch the whole series online. If you are not already aware, most popular anime, and even some of the more un-commonly known anime can be found, in its full form - online, translated by armature anime translators.

Some may argue that fansubs are not that awful. They simply provide the shows we love to people who either cannot afford to buy the DVD's, or simply want a preview of an anime before investing in it. This is, in my opinion - absurd. Anime is at its cheapest right now in America. If somebody really wants to see an anime that bad, they can check out the anime's legal producers site for previews, and look up discount stores online to buy there anime from. It is more expensive to buy anime in Japan then it is here in the States. Believe it or not, anime isn't near as available in Japan as it is in America.

The bottom line you ask? Fansubs are pulling the anime industry to an increasing halt. More and more companies are falling closer and closer to bankruptcy due to the recent demand for fansubs - as to the DVDs. Some may also argue the point of Sub vs. Dub. But, to be quite frank, all I have to say on that subject is - who are you going to trust more? A professional who has been translating for years, or a fansubber who is using a program 10 million years old, who doesn't have a very broad look at the Japanese language itself?

I propose that more anime consumers support there favorite anime by buying them in there legal form if they plan on having more anime in the future. If this pattern stays constant : we may not have much longer to enjoy the anime we have today. Companies will fall, and anime writers will loose their jobs due to the decreasing demand for DVD's. The same applies for manga. Scanlations are also becoming more and more popular in the sates, and will soon follow the pattern on anime if they aren't already doing so.

But – the choice to stop this pattern is up to the viewers – such as yourself. We must stop illegal fansubs – in all of their various forms. I do hope that my little rant has turned a couple heads towards the right direction. Please feel free to drop me a line – whether against or for my cause – I look forward to hearing your comments.