Buying DVDs from other regions hurt US market?

[Kyusaku]

*shrugs* I've seen a few topics on anime sites (particularly ANN) referring to it. Maybe not ALL, and possibly not the majority, but a decent # of people who used to do fansubs, apparently went on to do it professionally. Of course, since this is second (or maybe third) hand info, I could be wrong, I guess.

Few fansubbers really pursue working in the industry, but any who actually do join the industry have low level positions that have really no control over the functions of the company. I personally know someone who works as a sub script translator for FUNimation. He never did any fansubbing, but did make some preliminary scripts, which were later used by a VHS fansubber without his consent. My friend at FUNi most of time has no control over what projects he is given, even is forced to use certain translations depending on certain situations. So, even if they work for the company a lot of the time they don't have much control over their job or the company's choices. I've often run into a few fansubbers that have done internships, but nothing careerwise.

 

[Mikazuki]

....But...most of the time anime is professionally subbed by people that used to do fansubs, so that makes no sense.

And the professionals get it wrong too you know (especially when it comes to translating manga). Besides, what do you know of professional subbing? I can't say you're wrong but you're also not right since you don't know that for sure.

 

[Sage Shinigami]

And the professionals get it wrong too you know (especially when it comes to translating manga). Besides, what do you know of professional subbing? I can't say you're wrong but you're also not right since you don't know that for sure.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18222&postdays=0&postorder=asc&topic_view=&start=105<-- This is where I got the bit about professionals being anime fans/former fansubbers. Of course, it may require an acct to get in, but I don't think so. Particularly, pay attention to the one right above the the last post. (The last post being mine--ignore that one. )

Of course the professionals get it wrong--anyone can; we're human. You just made it sound like fansubbers are never wrong. Concerning manga...sometimes its not "wrong", they just censor it. Do I agree with that? I don't support censoring of any kind--ever. But hey, what can you do? In cases like those I simply try to find people who will continue to scanlate it. (Still trying to find someone who still does Tenjou Tenge. )

But anyways, this is just my 2 cents, which is about all its worth since I don't know squat concerning translating. If I did, at least one pre-Zyu Sentai series would be completely done by now.

 

[sandman54301]

BJ all the way.

:confused2

But seriously, I think that the whole HK thing is the ONLY case where its illegal. As for hurting the market, i dont see how. As has been said, youre going through legitimate and legal means. You're going through the extra cost and trouble to get the region-free player and import the discs.

As for HKs, that's a grey area. I can see why people would object. However, it seems that for many shows this is the only way to get ahold of it subbed. Most R2 toku dvds dont have subtitles, and since its not meant for the American market anyways, I buy them. Im not saying its A Ok for everyone to buy HKs, thats their decision. I have no advice about that...

As for the toys, I prefer Bandai Japan, because it seems that the quality is higher. This is simply because of the markets that they cater to. In Japan, there are more collectors who cherish and take care of their stuff, and want high-end collectibles. In America, it's mostly kids who get the toys, and quality simply isnt as high of a priority as playabilty. It would be cost-prohibitive to make a PR mech that was as high quality as Bandais Sentai mechs. This is also why you see TONS and TONS of designs, vehicles, and costumes that never appear on the show. Because kids dont care. It looks cool, thats the important part.

 

[Mikazuki]

You just made it sound like fansubbers are never wrong.

I never said that nor implied it.

Concerning manga...sometimes its not "wrong", they just censor it. Do I agree with that? I don't support censoring of any kind--ever. But hey, what can you do? In cases like those I simply try to find people who will continue to scanlate it. (Still trying to find someone who still does Tenjou Tenge. )

Heh - let me give you an example off the top of my head. Mixx magazine released the American version of the Sailormoon manga. One of the characters in the Japanese version is called Ptilol but in the Amercian version she's renamed, Petite Roll. The American manga was so full of mistakes and blantant lazy translations that it wasn't worth buying it. I haven't bought an English translated manga in... about five years.

 

[Sage Shinigami]

I never said that nor implied it.

Technically no. You said you didn't buy dubbed anime though. Implying one of two things:

A.) You're watching it RAW.
B.) You're watching it fansubbed.

It could be said that you just buy it RAW because both fansubbers and professional subbers screw up. Or it could be said that you just watch fansubs 'cause pros are more likely to screw it up. Whichever.

Heh - let me give you an example off the top of my head. Mixx magazine released the American version of the Sailormoon manga. One of the characters in the Japanese version is called Ptilol but in the Amercian version she's renamed, Petite Roll. The American manga was so full of mistakes and blantant lazy translations that it wasn't worth buying it. I haven't bought an English translated manga in... about five years.

Didn't they also do that thing where they did the page flip? Oh well. Near as I can tell, Viz translated my favorite manga, Flame of Recca (least till I read YYH), correctly. I've yet to compare to the raw version I have that my friend bought me while she was in Japan though, so the scanlation itself could be wrong. (Though in general I trust SnoopyCool.) My point is, not all of it is done poorly.

 

[Black Ranger RX]

I live in the UK, and I buy R2 DVDs from Japan, and the UK and Japan are both the same Region type.. that doesn't mean I'm hurting the UK market, right?


(not that I care or anything.. :laugh: )

 

[Kyusaku]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18222&postdays=0&postorder=asc&topic_view=&start=105<-- This is where I got the bit about professionals being anime fans/former fansubbers. Of course, it may require an acct to get in, but I don't think so. Particularly, pay attention to the one right above the the last post. (The last post being mine--ignore that one. )

VHS fansubbers and Digisubbers are of different breeds. The 2 persons that person mentioned are former VHS subbers. People who were in the VHS subbing world faced different challenges than the Digisubbing world. It was a bit more diffuclt to fansub on VHSes than what digisubbers have to go through. I understand that person's point because my friend Steve is still translating a series he loves, Dragonball Z.(He's currently working on the backlog of episodes that were missed) As well as others he's found to enjoy. However, the biggest problem in the industry right now is lack of editing. There are some decent translators, but there's no one editing the script to fix any grammatical mistakes that were made in the script.

 

[Mikazuki]

Technically no. You said you didn't buy dubbed anime though. Implying one of two things:

A.) You're watching it RAW.
B.) You're watching it fansubbed.

It could be said that you just buy it RAW because both fansubbers and professional subbers screw up. Or it could be said that you just watch fansubs 'cause pros are more likely to screw it up. Whichever.

Did it ever occur to you that I BUY Japanese dvds? I do indeed watch it raw and if I like it then I buy it (even pre-order). I don't mind dropping money for movies, tv series or music I like. I buy the dvds because I like the quality which regardless of how good the fansub groupis in encoding the quality will degrade.

Yes, I watch subs as well but know full well that they make mistakes as well and from time to time even I catch blantant errors BUT subs from fansubbers are free and I don't (always) feel as if I'm wasting my time or money on it.

(Yes, money since I use my bandwidth to download when I could use it on something else and I pay for my bandwidth.)

But I will NOT buy an American subbed/dubbed DVD *EVER* because of bad experiences with the lack of quality in the subs or even the horrible voices of the dubs. And I know for a fact that some American released animes had quality issues and there were news releases from those companies about it.

But that's me, I will support and buy DVDs or music from Japan but I will not buy American released animes because it's not worth it in my book.

 

[kyo28]

On the pro subbing topic: I don't know how things are in the US, but where I come from (Belgium), you need to have a professional degree (Master of Arts in Translation or Litterature) for companies to even consider hiring you ... it doesn't matter how many decent fansubs you've made, if you don't have the degree to go with it, you can forget it!