Damn, I wasted 30 minutes of my life watching that fansub bashing video on Youtube, and only one point got through. It was regarding fansub groups plastering their huge names in the OPs and EDs. That is a dishonorable act.
However, I don’t see what else is wrong. The video quoted a few professional translators, and those quotes are logical and true, only for professionals. I have a question. Are fansub groups able to release official licensed copies of their subs on DVD to be sold in store?
There’s the huge “FAN” in the word Fansubs. Unless you fail even the basics of comprehending English, it’s clearly stated that it’s done by fans. Not some professionals who get paid to translate, but some random otakus somewhere in the world with proficiency in the Japanese Language (although some subbers aren’t exactly proficient). With money not in the scene, who gives a damn about how good of the subs are.
Seriously, complaining about free stuff isn’t exactly what any logical being should do. If you really wanted top-notch subs, go run to the store and get a official DVD copy instead of wasting 6 months of your hikikomori life working on some video to bash what some people derive enjoyment in doing. After all, you get what you pay for.
Take blogging as an example. Ordinary bloggers, anime or not, are absolutely never as professional in their writings as compared to writers of an online e-magazine. Still, I don’t see anyone releasing a video on Youtube flaming all bloggers, saying that they suck and should learn how to write like a professional.
The same goes for fansubs. Like blogging, fansubbing is a hobby. Why would you want to bash some random guy who is never going to make it into the professional translation industry, but still enjoys translating and subbing his favourite anime series? It’s not like his forcing his subs straight into your face. Freedom of choice, anyone?
If you still want to condemn modern day English fansubbers, I suggest that you go watch raws or pick up the Japanese language. The last thing I want to hear is some weaboo who condemns fansubs whining over how he is unable to understand raws.
P.S. To the guy who did the Youtube video, whine less and sub more anime. KTHXBAI
it’s like you pulled out of my head exactly what i was thinking and just wrote it down! It’s FREE and it’s not done by professionals so why complain in the first place. If they did that on the DVDs then i’d be pissed but since the fans do it and it’s free i have no complaints whatsoever
I actually think the problem is less about whether it’s done by unpaid amateurs–though that should surely lessen Johnson’s vitriol if he were being completely fair–than the fact that he and the fansubbers today seem to have a totally different translation philosophy. Today’s fansubbers are content to leave things more literal and add explanatory notes, while Johnson believes true professionals will try to find smooth equivalents in English–that’s why he complains so much about attack moves and honorifics. I think a balance of the two is really best, and an amateur with a good grasp of Japanese can do that as well as a “pro.” I doubt that even if a fansubber were a ‘pro’ he or she’d translate it like Johnson overnight. They seem to reflect different approaches altogether.
Good post–bashing something that’s done for free never made a lot of sense to me. If you don’t like a group’s work, no one’s forcing you to watch it after all…
People are complaining about stuff that is free. Geez! I’m a bit tired of hearing about this. Even though I did make a few comments about it.
Well I understand the whole fact that fansubs are free - but my reasoning is that hey, if you bothered to put in the effort to make flashy fansubs, why not do them well?
It’s like blogging - I’m going to randomly name a few people - bloggers like Hinano, Tsubaki, tj han and etc don’t blog for money (do they? i have no idea lulz) but the quality of their blog posts are faaaaar better than your average anime fan. It’s like, taking pride in their products?
Complaining about fansubs is like … complaining about free food …
Dancing Queen > Didn’t you know? I can read minds.
Mike > Translating isn’t easy business. It never was.
suguru > Agreed.
scottfrye > Hence the title of this post.
Soshi > Actually, taking pride in their products is one thing is quite perspective. One might think that he’s giving his very best in something, only to be bashed by another who expects totally different standards.
blissmo > Yea, think about the starving kids in Africa.
“Still, I don’t see anyone releasing a video on Youtube flaming all bloggers, saying that they suck and should learn how to write like a professional.”
You just gave Otaking a new idea. щ(ﾟДﾟщ)
That line was to tempt someone else to waste another 6 months of his life.
Bravo double! 素敵な！
>Complaining about fansubs is like … complaining about free food …
Oh yeah? What if the free burger I get at my neighbor’s barbecue gives me explosive diarrhea for a week? Can I complain then? HMMM?
Bitching about bad fansubs seems reasonable enough to me. Making a five part video and acting like a prick throughout is a little over the top though.
>>Still, I don’t see anyone releasing a video on Youtube flaming all bloggers, saying that they suck and should learn how to write like a professional.
workin’ on dis
I’ll be looking forward to that in 6 months.
My mom has this saying. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” In other words, if someone gives you a free horse, don’t go checking its teeth so you can say, “HEY, YOU! THIS HORSE HAS ROTTING TEETH! GET ME A BETTER HORSE!” DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE FREE SHIT YOU GET BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING US A FAVOR. THAT IS TO SAY, US WEEABOOS WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND THIS SHIT WITHOUT FANSUBS OR REFERENCE EXPLANATIONS SO THIS OTAKING LOSER NEEDS TO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GO BACK TO DRINKING HIS TEA. FUCKING REDCOATS.
If someone gives you a free horse with rotting teeth, they’re basically saying “I don’t want this crap horse anymore and I certainly don’t want to pay the veterinary bills, so I’ll shove it off on this asshole for free and expect him to be grateful.”
People who release poorly made fansubs aren’t “doing us a favor.”
THEN STOP BITCHING AND MAKE YOUR OWN FANSUBS YOU FUCKING FAG
I can’t because I don’t speak Japanese. Even if I did, I wouldn’t speak it well enough to make an accurate translation, a fact that doesn’t seem to stop a lot of subbers from doing what they do despite their incapability to do a good job. I’m not saying I want professional quality, but I don’t understand why some people release terrible subs. You think they’d be ashamed of how bad they were and not release them in the first place.