OK, the other day, I was hanging out with my friend X (I will call him X in this post to keep his real identity secret). Before I go on, let me just explain that X is one of those guys who downloads anime, and lots of it. Liscensed or not, he DL's it. He rationalizes his illegalities due to the fact that he's spent so much on anime int he past, and still spends a lot on anime now, that he can't afford to get all he wants. (I think it's kind of a dumb way of rationalizing things, but oh well. Whatever works for ya...)
In any case, I don't remember what series he was talking about, but the phrase "Oh man, that's gonna be liscensed soon.. That sucks cuz the fansubbers won't even have a chance to finish subbing it!"
I didn't think much of what he had said at the time, but I was just pondering the phrase now, and you know, it's SAD!!
Why is it sad, you ask... Isn't it obvious?
Since when has it EVER sucked that something is getting liscensed? That means it's gonna be out in the USA! In English! You'll be able to get your very own copy! Legit!
Lemme go back a step. Fansubs. You know, back in "the day", we weren't spoiled by high speed internet, high compression digital video and audio, and we sure as hell didn't have computers that could do that kind of shit in the first place. we had fansub tapes. We'd buy them from guys that had lists of them on their websites. On local BBS's. In local anime clubs. Why? We wanted to see some anime, that much hasn't changed!
But why would the fansubbers go through the trouble of subbing the work in the first place? Back then, it was usually one of two reasons.
1) There was no chance in hell it was gonna get liscensed from what we could figure.
2) We wanted anime companies to see that it could be popular here and that they could make some money off it, thus they would liscense it.
What does liscensing do for us? It gets us more anime in the USA. It gets us legit copies. It gets us a little popularity boost to the art form we love.
That's how it was anyway. Fastforward to today. Why do fansubbers go through the trouble of subbing?
1) To be the first guys who sub it, and thus get "rights".
2) To be cool and stuff.
3) To share new anime with fans.
4) To pirate the anime so people don't have to pay for it when it does come out.
5) TO get it translated the way THEY WANT because obviously nobody can lick their trans.
ther list goes on an on... But where in there do you see any sort of promotion for the shows themselves?
In this day and age where we can mass-produce fansubs and pass them around to millions of people in a matter of hours, who is this helping? What purpose does it server other than just another form of movie piracy once the title gets liscensed? Distro doesn't stop. That fansubbers often wipe their hands of it. Some of them wil finish liscensed shows in secret and get them out on the "underground" and shit. Lots of subbers will not even abide by the rules that were set up so long ago.. THat anime fan code of honor. It's dying. I think it's largely due to the fact that younger and younger peopel are getting into fansubs and downloading anime. No offense to those youngsters out there who do abide by the code... but I really think that a lot of immaturity is going on, and it's one of the root problems.
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OK back to my friend X. He's 22 yesrs old. Obviously not really a "youngster"... but certainly not abiding by any sort of code of honor. SO maybe age has nothing to do with it either. Maybe I'm just rambling at this point. I don't care. The fact remains... being sad that something is getting liscensed because now a fansubber won't be finishing it is STUPID AND SAD!
Aren't you happy that anime is getting as popular as it is? Aren't you grateful for the drones of fans who've made it come this far? Aren't you the least bit thankful tot he companies who bring this stuff over and push it and push it and push it to the point where now anime on video is a half a million dollar a year industry? Aren't you the least bit appreciative of the people in Japan who make this stuff? Show a little respect, you slackers!
I don't care if your pockets are empty, with holes, and moths in them! That's no excuse to pirate someone else's work! It's not an excuse to steal something that someone else paid to give to you! It's no excuse to whine about how much you want something and you just can't get it so you download it instead! That's BS! If it's available here in the USA, *FUCKING BUY IT OR QUIT BITCHING!* Can't afford it? Get a job! Too young to get a job? Beg mommy! Mommy won't get it for you? Cry into your pillow! THen after you're done with that, you'll probably download it anyway. ANd then of course, the next step is to take a video camera into a movie theater and video tape the film, digitize it, and pass it to all your buddies. Then of course, you'll wanna party, so go to the store and shoplift a bunch of snacks and shit in your pants! Then go take the money out of the cash register!
ANARCHY! ANARCHY! ANARCHY!
A little extreme?
Theft is theft.
Fansubs are a happy gray area. Leave them at that. When it stops being happy and gray is when you need to stop walking around in that area.
And now, my little sheep, I just wanna remind you that this rant has been all my own opinion and shouldn't have anything to do with your own, as if I could effect the way you think anyway.
FEEL MY ANGSTY ANGER!!
8) 
