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NEWS: New Survey: Reactions to Geneon

An open letter to ANN from a fan who is sick and tired of being treated like I am somehow responsible for this mess…

This debate is getting tired, old, and absolutely STUPID. Fansubs were around before the Great Anime Rush of the 1990's, and they DID NOT keep shows like DBZ, Kenshin, etc...from selling well. In fact, you could argue that the fansubs of those shows helped boost the industry. I saw a fansub of Kenshin and fell in love on the spot. I now own just about all the DVDs. Basically I bought what I wanted, and felt free to omit the parts of the series I didn’t need to revisit.

Look guys, if a show STINKS I have no intention of buying it, nor am I just going to go out and buy a 50 disc set, just because somebody licensed the show. I like what I like, and I buy what I want to invest my time, energy, and money on – period. To be perfectly candid here, I keep getting the sense that the industry is punishing fans for watching fansubs. We have become the bad guys in a war that shouldn’t really exist to begin with. Do I support bootleg rings, not at all, and I draw a distinction between bootleggers and fansubers.

The average Fansuber is just a regular fan, he or she might even be an above average language student looking to gain an edge by working on translation. I doubt the folks at any of the more well known sub groups wants to put Greg Ayers out of a job, or take food off Gen Fukunaga’s table. So to suggest there is anything nefarious behind fansubs is just plain silly.

It’s time for everyone involved to step up and be accountable.

Do I take responsibility for being a part of the fansub problem? Yep, and I do so proudly. I get my fix of Naruto and Bleach every week, I’m even hooked on Gundam 00 (I can’t wait for DVD’s to drop!) In fact, Fansubs saved me, and my wallet, on numerous occasions. They kept me from buying shows like Basilisk, Black Cat, Air Gear, E's Otherwise, Getbackers, etc…(Please do not start with me. if you liked any of the above mentioned shows that’s ok, I’m happy for you, but I didn’t.)

Let’s get real here for a minuet-the Anime industry in the US has become so bloated, and so full of itself that an implosion was bound to happen. Did we really need two dedicated Anime networks from two separate competitors? We have Cartoon Network, and the folks there have always given Anime a shot – why not pool the resources, and put together a solid block of programming that would showcase the best series from all the major US distro companies…Instead, millions of dollars were pumped into separate linear networks that turned into a waste. Then there is the case of dubs gone wild- folks I love watching a good dub, and I am glad that Anime has allowed some very talented actors to get the recognition they deserve. However, the money being spent on English voice talent for a series that is NEVER going to see a US broadcast could be spent elsewhere. Meaning –don’t spend the money to dub it, if it ain’t gonna be on TV. I’m good with the original language track – it is called Japanese Anime. Lastly, not every series that gets put on TV in Japan is worth the money it takes to bring it across the Pacific, but that’s just common business sense. I mean honestly, most of the series picked up for distro here in the states over the past two years were just BAD.
There is no rule stating that Ninjas, and Samurai will equal good writing, or quality production. Also there is no rule stating that shows built around big robots, and girls with equally big mouths and chests, are entertaining, or funny for that matter.

The bottom line is, I will open my wallet when I choose to do so, and I will watch fansubs when I choose to do so. If something sparks my interest enough, I will invest in it once it gets picked up. I use my iMac for other things too, and have no need for a dedicated Anime server, when I’ve got a TV and DVD player. Let’s stop playing this ridiculous blame game, and start looking for solutions. The average hardcore Anime fan has been around for years-we are not in our teens-and we know what we want. It’s time for the industry to take five seconds to get over itself, and then listen.

Am I the only one who found this interesting?

An open letter to ANN from a fan who is sick and tired of being treated like I am somehow responsible for this mess…

But you didn't pay for the entire series. I agree that companies shouldn't just drop off but it happens and you're still stealing if you download it. It sucks, the only thing you cand do is pressure licensing companiesm, that is from the legal standpoint.

Past wrote:

But I am not mad at Geneon or Dentsu persay, I'm more mad at the fans and certain elements of the industry as a whole for the shallow excuses to not buy DVDs and overlooking what now I see fansubs as a detriment to the industry and fandom. This is why now I am anti-fansub and dedicated to expressing my views about piracy and how fansubs are associated with it that so many people seem to ignore.

I'm sorry, but I need to interject here and clear something up. You actually find fault with the consumer base for the poor management and distribution methods of a company? You are actually willing to say that it is the consumers duty to sit there and (to borrow a prison term) "take it" from these companies with their overly priced, little substance DVD's and archaic methods of delivery (plus presumably complete aversion to digital means of distribution that don't give the consumer the you-know-what end of the stick)? Let me fill you in on a simple business idea:

If a company fails, it is its own fault.

Most people value music, movies and anime so much that they won't pay for it. They obviously attribute very little value to whatever it is they've downloaded because they couldn't wait for the release or couldn't shell out the relatively small amount of cash to buy the product they are now enjoying for free.

In the early days of Pioneer a typical LD with 2 episodes cost between $30-40. Yeah, and VHS tapes had 2 price structures depending on whether you wanted dubbed or subbed. Of course the dubbed ones were cheaper even though they cost more to produce. Profit margins of dubbed tapes were acceptable because these were marketed to the casual anime fans who made up a larger proportion of the consumer base than the ones who bought laserdiscs (the dedicated fan). And all this worked fine and dandy when you actually had to spend a little money and take some time and effort to even get a fansub.

So when people complain about paying $20 or more for a DVD, all the while taking for granted how GOOD they have it with 4 or more episodes per SKU, with features that vastly outdo the truly archaic media formats, I have to say those people have NO RIGHT to call themselves fans.

Viewing fansubs is of questionable legality

So, basically, oppose fansubs if you like, but at least get your terminology right.

But fansubs aren't of "questionable" legality. Whether or not you agree with using them, they are incontrovertibly illegal.

What was that you were saying about getting the terminology right?