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NEWS: Kadokawa USA Orders Halt on Fansub Links for 11 Anime

A person arguing for the 'purity' of anime, while simultaneously arguing that learning Japanese is a ridiculous, unrealistic request, comes across as a rather low-rent pouser who wants accolades for being some sort of 'advanced fan' without putting any effort into the hobby at all.

I really don't understand what all the argument is about.

You clearly don't.

No one (well, almost no one) is saying that Kadokawa isn't in their rights to send these C&Ds. They're arguing three points:

1. It's pointless, since this is only a listing site, and they won't stop the files from being easily found or distributed.
2. It's doubly pointless, since most of these shows have already been completely fansubbed, so apart from one single website no longer linking to torrents, it has no effect whatsoever, and almost everyone who wanted to download the show fansubbed already did.
3. Since the shows aren't for sale in english, they aren't going to be making any money off of the people who would have watched the fansubs anyway.

Point #3 could be countered if these shows get licensed for release, but it doesn't seem like that's the case.

So, people aren't trying to say "They can't do that!" they're simply arguing "What's the point?"

If you want me to be more specific about this current thread, then I'll say this: Yes, bringing down this torrent link site will not solve the problem, but this site is still a form of distribution of copyrighted materials and creates the means of access to said copyrighted materials. If you're going to argue that stopping one website is pointless because these materials can easily be found elsewhere, then why don't we also stop arresting people for dealing drugs? No matter how many we catch, there are always more, so I guess we should just give up and let be eh?

Just so you know, but this type of rhetoric tends to only harden the hearts of those who you may have won over to your side through better argument. You basically are accusing anyone who watched or watches fansubs of being a criminal drug user who should be arrested. That's the vast majority of people who visit this site. It's like going around San Fransisco and driving around in a truck with loudspeakers blaring "Homosexuality is a SIN! You are going to hell unless you repent your ways!" it'll have the opposite effect to that which you want.

To be honest, if the drug dealers didn't make any profit off the drugs they sold and weren't violent criminals that pray on their own customers, then no, I don't think there'd be any point in arresting them.
AS and sites like it are a lot less like drug-dealers, and are much closer to enablers. They're as criminal as the neglectful parent who ignores the clear signs of their child's drug use.

And if any of you try to tell me that it's okay under the circumstances to use someone else's property without their permission then you had bad parents, and are in urgent need of moral re-evaluation.

I don't have to learn to be a carpenter to enjoy a piece of wooden furnature, or a boat builder to enjoy a boat, so why do I have to learn Japanese to enjoy Japanese anime, and manga that they want me to enjoy?

As long as someone finishes Junjou I don't care if I find the torrent through anime suki or another site. I'm just worried that the fansub group will stop because of this (since I believe only 1 group is doing Junjou).

You know better than to go around ranting about translation issues as if you're an expert on the subject, though, right? Your point is well taken. I do agree that it's irrational to expect the average anime fan to learn Japanese.

Ai no Kareshi wrote:

You know better than to go around ranting about translation issues as if you're an expert on the subject, though, right? Your point is well taken. I do agree that it's irrational to expect the average anime fan to learn Japanese.

That's not what anyone was saying at all, though. Of course nobody "expects" anime fans to learn Japanese, nor was anyone making the case that they "have to" learn the language.

My original argument was that the shocked, angry recoil to even the suggestion that they should consider learning the language is disheartening. Learning new things is fun and enriching; learning Japanese is not only fun and enriching, but you also meet a lot of great people along the way.

I guess I just think a better reaction would be "I'd love to, I'm curious about it, but I simply don't have the time" rather than "RARRRGGGGHHH HOW DARE YOU ASK ME TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL BLLLEARRGHGJEOIHWOUH FAN RAGE".

People have their own ways of being fans, and when you start to imply that because their way doesn't match with your expectations of the "norm", some people take offense to it.

I really don't understand what all the argument is about. At the end of the day whether fansubs are moral/ethical, legal or illegal, doesn't matter. The anime is the property of someone else, and that someone else is telling us to stop watching it without their permission. That's it.

Imagine if you will you wrote a book that you wanted to show only to your friends, and then someone came into your house, picked up your book, and started copying it and distributing it without your consent. If you were to ask the person to desist, the general reaction and attitude of most fansubbers would be to turn around and say "F*** you, this is a free country, I can do whatever I god dam please and you can't do anything to stop me." It really is pitiful. I think a lot of people would contact the authorities, and some would even reach for weapons.

And if any of you try to tell me that it's okay under the circumstances to use someone else's property without their permission then you had bad parents, and are in urgent need of moral re-evaluation.