Videos, fansubs, state of the industry
How Fansubs Are Destroying Anime
I just saw this so called documentary on fansubs. I was expecting this to be something on the history of fansubs but instead it’s just an excuse to complain about how horrible modern fansubs are as opposed to fansubs back then. The host “Otaking”, apparently a professional translator, takes us through why he thinks modern fansubs are horrible by trying to point out how the translations are horrible and far from anything of professional quality. He does this by taking clips from various fansubs and trys to point out mistakes and things that fansubbers do that distract your eyes, such as drop down translation notes. Some of the points he makes about translation are also highly debatable but is right on with some of the things he says about them.
He makes some good points overall, but I don’t think we need a 30 min. video trying to tell us what most of us already know.
What do you think about subtitles in fansubs compared to professional ones?
[Via Japanator]
29 May 2008 Benu
JUST AS KEIKAKU
I dunnoes, I like fansubs lols
Unfortunatly in the second part when he is talking about the selectiveness of words left in japanese or english. Too much of it is personal preferance on his part as well. Words left in japanese most commonly are;
names ( person, thing, location, attack etc )
honorifics
specific phrases that dont exist in english
I will agree that tl notes added as walls of text during the show are distracting and are probably better off left at the end of the show.
Also he leaves out the difference in quality between various fansub groups. Hello speedsub vs non etc.
there are too many points that he brings up and exaggerates and i only agreed with like one point but then he just drags it on and on and on… He could have made his point much shorter but his dragging it out just pissed me off…
Yes, fansubs are rife with problems usually connected with the subbers’ ego, but even the professional translators can get lazy too. For example, in “Chobits”, they didn’t bother to translate Yumi’s pet name for Hideki (”sempai”) in both the subs AND the dubs. Perhaps it is pretty difficult to translate, but they couldn’t write around it or something?
I think professional subs are for general people, but gansubs are for Otakus and obviously those have not translated jokes and the like. Professional subs will never explain something that’s hard to translate because most of the people maybe don’t care, but Otaku does.. I think.
I have always wondered why there’s no prosubs like fansubs, they rock, at least for me, and I think for many otaku, and that’s the target of those subs.
Alot of the time, Otaking is being elitest, in an prolonged and unfunny way. Needing to split it into 5 you-tube videos should’ve indicated to him how long-winded this is!
Sometimes he comes up with some good points like respect for the origonal creators but he loses the plot midway through the 3rd video when it comes to Kareoke openings and embedded subtitles.
It’s swings and roundabouts. If translators are asked to reinterperate in-jokes as in le olde subs, then they could also be charged with distorting the origional meaning without the director’s permission.
Funny how he uses Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei as a primary example of too much onscreen text - I’d like to see him translating that piece of weeaboo mumbo-jumbo himself.
…Preferably without resorting to a “commentary” 10000+ words in size. Comparing it to Tekkaman Blade with its kindergarden level japanese is kinda unfair.
Translation is not as easy at all. Japanese and English are completely 2 different languages. Its impossible to get a complete translation or perfect translation. Anyway as long as they try their best that is all we want right? Instead of arguing over who is right.
After watching this video on Fan subs, I do agree with one thing mentioned about sub titles, and that is Anime movie’s with no sub titles should include a full script in text file for that movie.
When I buy Anime DVD’s, I always make sure that sub titles can be turned on or off at any time before and during a show so I’m not distracted by having to pause the video every 10 seconds to read long winded voice scenes.
One thing I can not stand is people that Sub title using video formats that does not give the viewer the option to turn off sub titles, meaning AVI, MOV, and so on.
If the people out there are going to go through the trouble translating and sub titling Anime for the masses, then they need to use file formats like OGM (O.G.M) video formats that support multi-track video, audio, and text scripts.
This way the viewer at home watching a downloaded Anime movie now has the option to turn off sub titles.
If OGM file formats is not an option, then letter box the video if it’s in wide screen and place the sub titles in the lower or upper black bars, leaving the video untouched. (^_^)!
Another way to do Sub Titles without messing up a video is to include the Sub title script tuned and adjusted for that AVI file. This way when someone is using a video player that allows the option to load a SCR, (sub title script) with that video, it will follow along with the movie and display titles without really adding them to the video.
It’s not that difficult at all. ( *_*)/
He’s asking for professionalism.
You know, I really never noticed all of the flash fansubs until now. But now that I realized- I bet they’re going to annoy me now. Why not translate those really long ridiculous names that are probably easier to read in English. I certainly don’t read those translator notes. After the first two, I ignore them.