|
Post by Deko on Oct 6, 2010 11:39:31 GMT -5
Fansub - A fansub (short for fan-subtitled) is a version of a foreign film or foreign television program which has been translated by fans and subtitled into a language other than that of the original. Source: WikipediaThe big problem with fansubs comes from the distribution of the material. You can easily find fansubs on the internet for just about any title, but in most cases these have been made available without the consent of its creators. There is also the question about the quality of fansubs: is the translation true to the original dialogue? Or can misinterpreted translations ruin a good series? On the other side of the argument, fansubs open anime to a wider audience. They are intended for people who would otherwise not be able to understand the anime in its original language, but they are also available to people who may not be able to afford the dvds. So what do you think? Do fansubs hurt or help the anime industry? Does the good outweigh the bad? Or has the practice of fansubbing just become another form of piracy? And can inferior quality ruin the author's original vision?
|
|
|
Post by Solitaire on Apr 20, 2011 23:51:29 GMT -5
It hurts the industry. Fansubbing allows people to illegally view an anime series without having to pay for it. Most people who watch fansubs won't actually buy the DVDs once they are released in their country. Of course, there are some who do buy everything they watched subbed but the numbers are few in comparison to those who just download it and delete it once they are done.
Misinterpretations can ruin a series, of course. It just depends to what extent the translation is misleading. I don't know Japanese but I do believe some of the words have more than one meaning. I think some words even have contrasting meanings too. The best advice I can give is to compare fansubs or go with the reputable ones.
The argument saying that fansubs open anime to a wider audience is pretty weak. Sure, it may make more fans, but if these fans don't buy anime merchandise, it amounts to nothing. In a perfect world, anime would air all over the world subbed to various languages at the same time. In such a perfect world, we could all support anime by simply watching it as it aired and increasing the ratings. This, in turn, would increase revenue earned from commercials and such.
In point, fansubs hurt the anime industry unless the people who watch these buy merchandise.
Just for the record, I watch subs all the time. I don't buy anime because I can't afford it... but I would be happy to buy digital copies. I wonder if digital copies will become a reality in the future?
|
|