What are fansubs?
(Update posted here.)
I’d like to talk to you about fansubs. Otaku and anime fan club members will be familiar with them. Anyone else may not. Fansubs are great. They let you get a look at some anime that you may never see otherwise. The companies benefit because they get free advertising and attract more fans. Fansubs may even help decide what anime does get licensed. Naruto and Bleach were both popular fansubs, now they’re on Cartoon Network. Did a fansub help to get them licensed? I don’t know, the only people who know are the people who make the decisions. An established fan base never hurts though.
What are fansubs? How does it work?
Anime fansubs are videos of an anime that have been translated and subtitled by the fans. Usually a group of fans work together to subtitle a show. Some fan groups will work on several shows at a time. The fansub is then normally shared with other fans. Since this is work done by fans who want to share the show with others, it’s free. If someone wants you to buy a fansub or pay to download, don’t do it. Most people agree that crosses the line. That’s not a fansub, that’s a bootleg. Anyone making money off a fansub, usually a fansub made by someone else, is a criminal. Once a show has been licensed, fansub distribution usually stops. This encourages people to rent or buy the show. That helps everyone. The fans get better quality, the distribution companies make money so they can bring us more anime and the people that made the show get paid for their hard work. If you do see a fansub for download after it’s available through official channels, please consider renting it instead. You’ll enjoy the show and help make more anime available.
Is it really ok to watch fansubs?
By the letter of the law, they are illegal. It’s distribution of copyrighted work without compensation to the rights holder, and more than likely without their permission.
Will I get in trouble if I download fansubs?
It is possible. It is illegal.
As of the time this was written, not likely. The fansub community takes the ethics involved very seriously. When a title is licensed, do not distribute it. If you use a file sharing program, stop any further upload. I’ve said it before and I will repeat myself. Do not pay for fansubs. Save your money and buy officially licensed anime. I’ll even go one step further. If you watched a fansub you enjoyed and it becomes licensed, buy the official version. Support the anime industry. Only by purchasing legal copies will you be making it possible for more anime to be licensed, or even made. If you buy bootleg anything, you are contributing to the destruction of that industry.
Where can I find fansubs?
Fansub TV is a great place to find something to watch. They have a lot of great shows, no matter what anime you like. Just take a look at the different types of shows you can find there.
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By Genre
- Action
- Adventure
- Comedy
- Drama
- Ecchi
- Fantasy
- Game
- Horror
- Love-Romance
- Magic
- Martial Arts
- Mecha
- Music
- Mystery
- Novel
- Parody
- School Life
- Science-Fiction
- Shounen Ai
- Sports
They’re a great community of fans. They also have forums too, so if you decide to bookmark it stop in and say hi.
I like fansub TV because they take the ethics of fansubs very seriously. If a title becomes licensed, they will no longer carry it. They’re fans, they want more anime made. They support anime.
Do you?
June 4th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Wow Great artical man it really specifies where us fansub lovers really stand out in this world and it tought me some new things :D. I think that this should be in wikipedia if it’s not already their, again great job “high five”
*-as a member of FTV i support this artical in prep of fansub community-*
June 4th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Thank you. That’s very nice of you to say.
I’m trying to do some articles to help newer anime fans learn the ropes. On top of that I think FTV is a great community that I’d like to support.