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Interview: Crunchyroll's Vu Nguyen


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narutoismybrother



Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 198
PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:51 pm Reply with quote
The way that Vu Nguyen commented in this article makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it's the fact that he didn't answer many questions and the ones he did answer he either side stepped or just walked around completely.
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Oronae



Joined: 05 Oct 2006
Posts: 165
PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:53 pm Reply with quote
Well, that had to be the most vicious interview I've read in a while. Did you really have to start attacking him from the very begining?
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PurpleM



Joined: 03 Jul 2007
Posts: 21
PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:54 pm Reply with quote
That was an interesting read, but it didn't provide very much new information at all. "I can't comment on that." It almost reminded me of that horrible interview by ICv2 with Yen Press' Rich Johnson. "I don't know." "I can't comment on that." Heh. Laughing I also thought that many of the questions being asked seemed slanted against Crunchyroll. At certain points, it almost seemed like the interviewer was trying to aggressively force Nguyen into saying something potentially damaging. If ANN chooses to interview Crunchyroll staff members again, I would like to see more questions about their current and potential team-ups with other production companies than what was already asked, and also about other types of Asian media that Crunchyroll currently offers or are considering offering in the future. Overall, it was an okay, but definitely not your best, interview. Thank you for posting it.
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Weazul-chan



Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 625
Location: Michigan
PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:58 pm Reply with quote
narutoismybrother wrote:
The way that Vu Nguyen commented in this article makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it's the fact that he didn't answer many questions and the ones he did answer he either side stepped or just walked around completely.
I completely agree with you. the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth and it felt like they were just trying to sugar it up so I wouldn't notice.

PurpleM wrote:
I also thought that many of the questions being asked seemed slanted against Crunchyroll. At certain points, it almost seemed like the interviewer was trying to aggressively force Nguyen into saying something potentially damaging.

the thing is, some people really do wonder about how ethical the people behind CR are. those are questions that those people would really like to see answered to clear things up, for good or ill. the fans who are really considered with the fate of the industry would really like to see some of that stuff answered, hopefully in a way that calms our fears. their "no comments" and sidestepping just made those fears worse in some ways.


Last edited by Weazul-chan on Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:02 am; edited 1 time in total
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Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 4463
Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:00 am Reply with quote
Ugh, I think I need to go take a shower after that.
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whoisfriend



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 369
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:00 am Reply with quote
This was not a good interview at all. Zac was FAR too vicious in his questions, and Nguyen was far too sidesteppy.

At the very least, they're more copyright-friendly than youtube, with their "once it's down, it's down" policy.
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Pityless/Envy



Joined: 08 Aug 2007
Posts: 101
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:01 am Reply with quote
It sounded... awkward, to say the least.

He completely avoided a lot of questions.
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PantsGoblin
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Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 27 Jun 2005
Posts: 2969
Location: L.A.
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:05 am Reply with quote
Interview wasn't that surprising. Frankly, I don't have much sympathy for CR so I don't care if Zac was asking such harsh questions. They deserved it.

PurpleM wrote:
That was an interesting read, but it didn't provide very much new information at all. "I can't comment on that."


It just further proves that they're completely aware of what they're doing is wrong, but don't want to admit it.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:08 am Reply with quote
I want to point out that the ethics and legality of what Crunchyroll has done in the past have been not only unprecedented, but also at the forefront of discussion among both the fan and professional community at large after their venture capital announcement and I felt it was my responsibility to aggressively pursue those questions and concerns upfront rather than offering them up in easily-ignored, gently-phrased soundbites that didn't get to the core of the issues at play here.

On that note I will mention that I'd have loved to talk a lot more about what the future of Crunchyroll is. The timing of this interview did not allow for extended discussion of their plans, but that will hopefully change down the road.
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Oronae



Joined: 05 Oct 2006
Posts: 165
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:11 am Reply with quote
My main problem with the interview is that it just sorta... stops after he finally gets them to admit they get a paycheck for their work and that their site isn't the focus of GONZO's palns just a part of them. It's almost like he felt the need to publicly demonstrate those two points and just aranged the interview for that purpose. There were plenty of things that would have been interesting to hear about from them but somehow I doubt they'll give you another chance to interview them after this.
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Splitter



Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 1276
Location: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:15 am Reply with quote
Rare is the time I agree with Zac. Though I felt uncomfortable about how some of these questions were pursued, they are the same questions circulating around this whole situation. I'm glad Zac had the courage and integrity to pursue these questions. Seeing how Mr. Nguyen "answered" them leaves me to believe there are quite a few things they don't want to disclose. Even if Zac's questioning was annoying, it was Mr. Nguyen's sidestepping of almost every question that made me sick over anything else.
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Unholy_Nny



Joined: 22 Jun 2005
Posts: 622
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:18 am Reply with quote
Zac wrote:


On that note I will mention that I'd have loved to talk a lot more about what the future of Crunchyroll is. The timing of this interview did not allow for extended discussion of their plans, but that will hopefully change down the road.


Is that why it felt like it should have had a fourth page?


Anyways, awesome interview! IMO, you weren't harsh enough.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:20 am Reply with quote
Unholy_Nny wrote:


Is that why it felt like it should have had a fourth page?



Probably. It ends very abruptly, I admit.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4410
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:30 am Reply with quote
I really enjoyed this interview, and I give major points to Zac for pushing the question of where the money was going. It was pretty hard to believe that several people could quit school and there jobs and work on the site for nothing, so I'm glad that it was admitted that Crunchyroll pays it's employees. Whether that's always been the case will clearly not be commented on, but now we know for sure that they're making money from illegal content.

Also, the whole "I can't comment on that" answer to so many questions leads me to question their practices overall. I understand that certain business deals, like with Gonzo, can't be discussed openly until they're finalized, but too many questions were dodged for my taste.

And I also don't see how them requiring donations was anything like VHS fansubbing since the fansubbers do the work and Crunchyroll just hosts it. Plus it was nice that the previous interview with a fansubber article came up as a means of pointing out that Crunchyroll isn't that popular amongst older fansubbers.


Last edited by Greed1914 on Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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Clodus



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 497
Location: Kansas
PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:34 am Reply with quote
While I am biased against CrunchyRoll because of their ethics, I immensely enjoyed the aggressive questions; deep down to the bone. There were some conflicting responses like "there are plenty of sites out there that don't respect takedown notices like we do.". I also find it a bit strange that 'cost to maintain the site' and donations match up evenly.

I've actually talked to some fansubs groups on irc and they absolutely hate CR because their work is being shown with bad quality.
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