AX2008 Article - FANSUBS: The Death of Anime
Writen by Kishiro
Posted on July 10, 2008 at 02:36:55 pm
How much do you like Anime? Enough to watch it I�m sure, but
enough to steal it? Do you like it enough to actually pay for it? Do you
appreciate it enough to give credit and payment where it is due to the people
and actors who put so much time in to creating it?
The following is a summary and review of said panel. Quotes
have been paraphrased and condensed, but all the information is still that
originally given by the industry representatives.
FANSUBS: THE DEATH OF
ANIME.
That was the name of the industry panel at Anime Expo I had
the opportunity to sit in on and I have to say, at first I was sketchy on going
in there. I thought it would be a biased meeting of people from the anime industry
trying to spread propaganda on why people should only buy licensed Anime�
I was wrong.
Recent statistics mentioned by the industry representatives
from such companies as Bandai and FUNimation, have indicated that the amount of
hours that TV stations are showing Anime are increasing rapidly, along with the
fan base of Anime in general.However,
even with those rising numbers the production of Anime DVDs is on the decline
by 20%.How can this be? With more
fans, the sales of Anime DVDs should be on the rise according to the
numbers.The problem lies in the fact
that fewer people are paying for their Anime. They are downloading it
illegally, much like people have done with music, movies, and other TV shows.They are watching consumer subtitled (FanSubs)
versions of their favorite and new Anime, and helping to share them on the
Internet and through burned DVDs.
FanSubs are illegal, plain and simple.They are stolen rips of Anime that have been
subtitled for free distribution.Downloading them is the same as downloading and yes, stealing music�an
act that has been cracked down by authorities over the past few years. One
problem is that FanSubs are still a main way that the consumer discovers and
watches new Anime, and to stay current on the stories.It is after all very useful for getting the
newest movies and series not yet available in America. But to the Industry,
they [FanSubs] have always been a problem. They undermine the work of the
artists, producers, voice actors, and all the crew involved in creating the
Anime. Basically, there is no money going back in to the Industry after putting
so much in to it to create these shows and movies, and that in turn is �killing
the industry� by way of taking a toll on the profits needed to keep it running.
One of the representatives suggested a system similar to
iTunes (or perhaps a new feature to iTunes itself) that would allow people to
download Anime for one or two dollars per episode.The question is that will people really pay for episodes of
Anime? I�d say yes, since many people do pay for CDs and music from iTunes. The
problem is that many more people still download music illegally, and so will
people still do with Anime.
Fans want to see their shows right away. They read the
mangas and wait for the TV and movie adaptations but unfortunately it is
impossible to have them ready in America by the time they are ready to be
released in Japan as they are made their first and have to be translated, lip
matched, and dubbed.It takes months
upon months to do that, longer depending on the length of the series.People have chosen FanSubs as an easy way to
�get the right translations� for their Anime, and just happen to not pay for it
as well.
FanSubs have resulted in the Industry�s loss of control on
how their media, art, hard work, and content is used, distributed, and shared.
It is being pirated, and sometimes, people make profits off them.By paying for unlimited access to a FanSub
website, you are not paying anyone but the owner of that website. None of the
money goes to the people who actually put work in to producing those Anime.
Stealing is stealing, regardless of how it is done or what
is stolen.When you watch and download
FanSubs that is exactly what you are doing.If you want to watch Anime legally, you can either watch them on TV,
through the official websites from the Industry, or buy the DVDs, until more
methods are available.TV stations have
to pay for the rights to Anime to play them for you to watch, and you have to
pay your cable or satellite company to get that TV station, so in the end
someone is ultimately paying for that too. It is all a part of keeping the
industry alive and putting money back in to what it costs to make Anime in the
first place. If illegal acquisition of Anime continues snowballing at the pace
it is at now, it will mean companies like SunRise, ShonenJump, FUNimation, and
Bandai as well as others will produce less Anime because they are not making
enough profits to keep up with the rising costs of production.
For the overall sake of the industry and to keep new Anime
coming to us, please go through the proper channels to watch and enjoy your
series and movies. There are many ideas in the works to get Anime out to people
in America and around the world faster and closer to the times that they are
released in Japan. Until then, please be patient and be mindful of copyright
and licensing laws. Keep in mind that the industry doesn�t just do this for
money, but for the fans also, and that they are working on getting the product
to you as fast as they can.
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