The Anime Almanac

Not surprisingly, my advocacy against illegally downloading anime fansubs is met with a lot of criticism. Instead of having to repeat myself in my comments section and on Twitter, I’m compiling all my answers into this one page.

Why are you are so full of sh-t when it comes to talking about fansubs?

My stance on fansubbing is not the most popular one, especially given my audience of anime bloggers. Telling people that what they are doing is wrong will immediately trigger off all kinds of self-defense tactics and petty justifications for continuing to download illegally.

Simply put, if you are taking something from someone without their permission, you are stealing it. Look it up in a dictionary. Hopefully you learned at some point in your childhood that stealing is bad.

Anime is not some God-given right. It is a luxury. It is a product that many people have to make a living off of just to entertain you. And if you have a shred of respect for the artists and the industry that create anime and manga, then you owe it to them to compensate them for their work.

Why do you keep on saying that downloading unlicensed fansubs is illegal?

Because it is illegal. It doesn’t matter if the show is licensed in the US or not, you cannot download pirated anime under either Japanese and American law. Please refer to this 2003 report from George Phillips on the Anime News Network to read all of the legal specifics in this argument.

But I’m going to buy the DVD, so isn’t it okay to download the fansub?

That’s a good idea in theory, but think about all the anime you have downloaded illegally and compare it to amount of DVD’s you have actually bought during that time. Seems pretty one sided, doesn’t it?

If everyone who downloaded a fansub actually buys the DVD, then there wouldn’t be any problem with it and DVD sales would be just as strong was they were 5 years ago. But sadly, that is not the case in today’s world.

If you do buy the DVD, then I don’t see a problem with it. But you’re probably not going to, so you’re better off just not taking it in the first place.

How do I know if I’m going to like the series without ever sampling it?

Netflix, Netflix, Netflix!

I <3 Netflix.

For only $9 every month, you can rent almost any anime DVD, have it mailed to you, watch it, mail it back, and repeat for as long as you can.

The selection is incredible. I have been using it for years and have yet to encounter any anime DVD not in their inventory. You might have to wait to get some of the more obscure titles mailed to you from across the country, but most of the anime titles will arrive to your house within one day.

But what if I don’t have any money?

You really don’t have $9? Really?

Get a job… or mooch off of your parents. ;-)

It’s really not a lot of money when you compare it to other expenses in your life. As a collector, I may buy a DVD and a couple of volumes manga in any given month. Even then, my otaku expenses are still less than the cost of a new video game!

But isn’t renting from Netflix not nearly as profitable to the industry as buying a DVD?

It is sure as hell a lot better than not paying anything at all.

Netflix does pay the anime companies for all the discs that they send out, and they stock several copies of each disc at their many warehouses across the country. If there is more of a demand for anime titles from their users, then they will order more anime DVDs for their inventory.

But what if it’s not licensed in the US? How can I watch it?

Be patient. There’s no such thing as a series that will never get licensed in the US. If a series is really that good, then there will be someone in the industry fighting to get it released over here.

And if a series is not licensed in the US, then c’est la vie. This might be a bit of a shocker, but you don’t have to watch every anime ever created. There are plenty of shows out on region 1 DVDs that you haven’t watched yet. Great shows, much much better than all the crap that Japan puts out every season. Why don’t you give them a try?

But I run an anime blog. How can I keep up with everyone else when it comes reviewing the newest shows?

If fansub screen caps and reviews are really the only thing that your blog is good for, you might want to consider doing something a little more original with your site. Everyone else already has that territory well covered. The world is not going to miss another person talking about the week’s episode of [insert series name here]. I did my last fansub review three years ago, and my site’s been doing pretty well since then.

By the way, be sure to check out the comments in that fansub review I did. Someone completely called me out on my b.s. and totally pointed out my hypocrisy at the time.

But why should I be supporting the American anime industry when I don’t care about dubs?

Because the American anime market funds the Japanese companies. Anime is just as niche in Japan as it is in America, but America has a larger otaku audiance because it is three times the population of Japan. The Japanese companies need that income from the foreign market in order to fund all the shows they put out each season. Without it, they’re screwed.

Then how did the anime industry survived the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and most of the 90’s without Americans buying DVDs?

Anyone ever hear of Speed Racer? How about Astro Boy? Gigantor? Star Blazers? Robotech? Sailor Moon? Pokémon?

The Japanese did just fine with sending their shows to the US to be heavily Americanized, which allowed them to be in the TV mainstream and part of the American pop-culture. Most of the shows I watched as a child in the 80’s were anime and I never realized it.

You can’t do that with anime anymore. The audience has changed. They realize the cultural significance of anime, and they demand all anime to be 100% authentic whenever it comes to the US. Take a look at anything 4Kids has put out in the past 10 years and how much hassle they get for doing it. So much for that old strategy.

But what about . . .?

If there is something that you think I missed in the Q&A, please email me at scott ~at~ animealmanac ~dot~ com. As long as you are polite in your email, I will answer you back and add your question to this page.

But you’re not saying what I want to hear!

Then we’re going to have to agree to disagree. (^_^)

Look, I know that I’m not going to change people’s viewing habits by advocating against fansubs. As long as there is no punishment for it, people will continue to download anime for free and not buy DVDs.

The solution is going to come when the industry collapses in America, which is already being seen in today’s market. Once the American money stops coming in, the Japanese will be forced to stop fansubbing right at the source of the problem, which may mean holding off the release of any new shows. When the fansubbers have nothing new to steal and redistribute, then everyone may start reconsidering their reasons for downloading.

My advocacy is a matter of respect for the medium, the artists, and the industry I love so dearly.  While I would be very happy if you decide to also go fully legit from my essays, I do not expect you to.

But when it all comes crumbling down, don’t say I didn’t tell you so. ;-)