There’s a documentary floating around titled “Anime Fansub Documentary,” created by some “professional” translator. The documentary focuses primarily on the unprofessionalism of fansubbers and how it’s ruining anime. With quotes from translation professors and experts and professionals, Paul “OtaKing” Johnson assaults modern fansubbers for their efforts.
Here are the points he brings up:
- Fansubbers from the 1980s and 1990s aimed to be professional, but fansubbers are now unprofessional.
- “Over 90% of fansubs now leave in as many honorifics and Japanese words as they can.”
- Translation and explanation notes are distracting and irritating.
- Since some old fansubs included explanation notes as text, all fansubs should do it now.
- Fansubbers are inconsistent with their translations.
- There is far too much focus on fonts, color, and effects.
- Fansubbers disrespect studios by including their own logos and credits in the opening and ending sequences.
- Translations of text in the actual animation are distracting and annoying.
- Since translators of Indian, Korean, and Chinese movies and TV shows do not leave in words of the original language, anime translators are wrong for being the “only ones” that do this.
- Fansubbers often leave literal translations instead of changing it to grammatically make sense.
- No one will get into anime by watching these fansubs.
While this guy has plenty of examples to support his thesis, he seems to forget that fansubbers are doing this for free. They do not profit, and providing subtitles is a hobby for them. They are not professional because they need not be; who the fuck is paying them to be professional? What will they gain out of being professional? The cheers and praise of people they will likely never meet in real life? No, sir, they will not actually gain anything out of it, so why would they worry about their professionalism? These aren’t professional translators. They’re regular people that have to deal with real life and have other pressing matters. They don’t head into the office during set times to translate for a paycheck.
OtaKing constantly brings up older fansubs as examples, as if they are the greatest anime shows and the greatest translations ever. Unfortunately, times have changed, and we are not stuck in the 1980s anymore. We have the ability to get prettier fansubs, so we get prettier fansubs. I detest the font of DVD subtitles, so there’s no reason for me to settle for them. I would gladly take a.f.k.’s Lucky Star font over some generic font my DVD player would display.
What’s with this general resentment toward ALL anime fansubs? He never talks about exceptions, he never discusses solutions to the problem, and he never considers the counter-argument. He runs out of points by part 4, and he beings to repeat himself.
My responses to his main 11 points:
- They never said they wanted to be professional; they’re giving to fans for free. These people also have fucking lives; most of them don’t have the damn time to make sure everything reads like normal, conversational English.
- Where is this bullshit statistic from? Anyway, I’m sure if most people cared, there would be a general outcry for translators to cease the usage of “onee-chan,” “onii-chan,” and other honorifics. Fansubbers also aren’t aiming to recruit new people into anime. They just want to have fun and leave in what they think is valuable or necessary. If you disagree, go create your own subgroup that will uphold your beliefs.
- True… to a point. I’d like to know what stuff says. It’s equally distracting for me to look at a separate document while watching, and it’s just damn annoying to look at it after. Sometimes fansub groups indeed overdo the translator’s notes, but I find most helpful. I’m sorry, but I don’t live in fucking Japan and probably never will. I don’t speak Japanese, I can’t read Japanese besides hiragana, so give me a damn break. I like knowing that the door in Lucky Star leads to the nurse’s office.
- Look at #3.
- True. I will completely give you this. Why translate “chief” and not “minister?”
- Depends on the fansub group. I’ve never watched a fansub with those ridiculous subs with pop-in effects.
- They’re doing us a favor; they’re saving me the trouble of learning Japanese (for now). I don’t care about their name plastered in the opening and ending sequences. If that bothered me, I would watch raws with subtitle files. I don’t think the studios care too much about it either; they’re more worried about the loss of revenue.
- Look at #3.
- I don’t think anyone cares about these pointless comparisons. Just because most translators do something doesn’t mean the minority needs to follow their example.
- Somewhat true. I (and persumably most people) generally don’t care unless the group fucks up on editing.
- Uh, I got into anime by watching these fansubs and I’m sure many more have. Make a better point, Paul.
Anime is associated with a unique and overwhelming culture. Because anime is so entrenched with the Internet (anime blogs; message boards; heck, even fansubs), most fansub watchers don’t mind the Japanese words in fansubs, because nearly everyone already knows what they mean. Most fans immerse themselves in anime or otaku culture. They listen to J-pop even though many of them can’t understand, they cosplay and try to look as Asian as possible, and they buy a crapload of figures and posters. Hell, even some of them probably say such words like “imouto” and “sugoi” (damn weeaboos). The problems with fansubs aren’t related to attracting new viewers to anime, and they definitely aren’t the lack of professionalism that you’re so hellbent on fixing.
EDIT: Didn’t realize that this theme doesn’t show the numbers in lists. Might fix later, but I’m feeling especially lazy right now.
EDIT2: Great, I had no idea I was missing the “about” in the post title.
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That’s all I needed to read.
I think the Rurouni Kenshin professionally translated and subtitled DVDs often had things like “Kaoru-dono” floating around in them. Would this be the time to use “don’t throw stones at glass houses” to him? For the most part, I was unmoved by his criticism.
As you already know, I’m somewhat indifferent towards his arguments, though I must give him credit for spending half a year to actually come up with the entire thing lawl.
#4 I think is his most ridiculous point, besides well, “No one will get into anime by watching these fansubs.” That was just funny.
We [they] are translating through cultures, not of cultures.
Yea, that guy picked the worse examples. There are many good fansubs out there but he doesn’t care about it as long as he can complain about the bad ones (which are not THAT bad).
otardking, no respect for free subbers!
Recognition, fame, or a general warm fuzzy feeling is the reward that fansubbers get. Instead of getting paid, they get this. Until you can replace it, this behavior is not going away. Simple as that.
I sorta agree that these damn font effects are getting out of hand though. I don’t watch anime to see “pretty” fonts and karaoke effects…I’m here to see the actual anime itself. The last thing I want is blindingly colorful fonts and blinking effects streaming all over the place to distract me from the actual scene. It seems most fansub groups these days have more of a “look at me” attitude and are more interested in stroking their own ego than promoting the actual anime. That’s all fine and dandy since it’s a free service, but it doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to bitch and moan (however ungrateful that sounds).
Thankfully, there are still plenty of groups that respect anime as art, and treat it as such.
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I don’t understand how anyone can complain that fansubbers are ruining anime with their crappy translations and subtitles. Wouldn’t that actually help anime, by making people want to buy the DVDs and such?
The truth is that anime bloggers are ruining anime with their bad summaries and their horrible fonts. You heard it here first.
You got something to say about the Lucky Star DVD subtitle font? ;p
@Baka-Raptor & Lelangir: Yep.
@Caitlin & Avatar: I actually have NEVER seen an actual DVD sub besides FLCL.
@Shin: All for something worthless though =P
@Setsukyie: I’m sure if he reinforced his points with better examples without exaggerating them, his argument would have been much better.
@The P-Meister: Yeah, I’m just happy that I get something.
@Corban: The thing is, I’m happy that there are even fansubs at all. Without fansubs, I sure as hell would never have got into anime.
@Sagacious1: If a fansub ever does have rather annoying font style, I either get used to it or resort to turning off the font style or something to “normalize” it.
@Kabitzin: Anime bloggers? Fonts? Heh.
Raws are the way to go! XD
His strawmen, they are over 9000. I’m with Kabitzin on this one, though.
There be war I say. Kekekeke
kabitzin: Times new Roman is a good font and you know it.
Fansubbers like to say they don’t put their own spin or interpretation on things, hence the honorifics, which is great. I hate hearing “Mister Sagara” and whatnot in dubs.
I don’t sit and bitch about their grammar on my blog, I just take it on faith that Japanese and English are very different and sometimes things come out awkwardly. And I appreciate the job they do. So it can be frustrating to see TL notes like the “just deserts” one, or every time a TL note tells me to “google it.” Gives me the impression that some subbers think they’re better than us English-only viewers. I’ll stress the some, because this is a small percentage of the many many shows I’ve seen.
I didn’t watch the vid, but I can tell you that one of the main reasons why professionalism has gone away is that it no longer requires a pile of crazy equipment to make them — anyone can do it, and that can only be good for us fans.
I actually agree with most of his video– too bad he’s nutjob whose attitude is just as bad as the arrogant fansubbers that he’s mocking.
But seriously, most fansubber BS is ego-driven. They try to have better karaoke and better effects than other groups just to strengthen their e-penises. The best fansub is one with softsubs and attached notes. That’s the way to do it. No ego there at all, just no-nonsense translation work.
What!? Complains against fansubbing professionalism?
This is what they get for serving the community? Sigh.
@Nagato: If I understood Japanese, then yeah.
@Owen S: OH FUCK YOU’RE ALIVE
@The Sojourner: Zergling rush FTW?
@DrmChsr0: Times New Roman can go to hell. Georgia FTW.
@otou-san: Regardless of how exactly they put it, I’m going to understand it 99.5% of the time, so it’s really no problem for me. And I”m glad it doesn’t take a great deal of expensive equipment; then we wouldn’t have all these fansubs.
@wildarmsheero: I suppose, but I myself don’t freaking care because I’m glad they provide the fansubs. I don’t know enough Japanese to understand 95% of any episode. I’m thankful that fansubbers are doing anything.
@edo: Seems a bit more complicated than that, but I agree. Unless you were being sarcastic.