Do you know how many batch of Maxfactory Haruhi figure did that make?

LOL

I think that before long people will realize that the internet has made most media-based business models obsolete, and everyone will benefit from it.

And I think anime is one of the best market for that. Fans are already watching the shows online. What other market could be more ripe for companies to take advantage of the future of online-based television?

Unfortunately, like you’ve said, many companies are still not looking into the future and continues to do it “the old way”.

The possibilities are endless, and yet many companies force themselves down the path of tradition and release their shows on television only. The internet allows companies to both collect revenue directly and release far more shows. Fans can provide much more feedback, and the company can better direct their money towards releasing higher quality dubs or subs. I think that before long people will realize that the internet has made most media-based business models obsolete, and everyone will benefit from it.

@Josh: Check my new post

@Chris: Naruto is still on-going, but the anime is now known as Naruto Shippuuden instead to reflect the 2nd part of the story. “Believe it!” is translated from “Dattebayo!”, which is some random string of words Naruto likes to use that doesn’t have any meaning. Goes to show how dubs can really change an anime

@narkee: What you said is correct, there’s no denying it. But the world is changing thanks to the Internet whether people like it or not. What I’ve suggested is actually in the interest of all related parties. I don’t encourage “free leeching” at all, but it is the current trend and as history has so often proved, it’s virtually impossible to completely stop. Nor is it in the best interest of the companies pushing for punishment or compensation. Just look at Odex.

Not that I completely agree with the content publishers and their business models, but really, I think there has to be some respect for the owners and creators of these works.

I’ve heard that they’ve finished Naruto in Japan already, and I would much rather watch a subbed episode than a dubbed, because the original voices for all animes are better than the ones casted in America.

I watched an episode that fans have subbed, and it was ten times better than trying to watch the American one. That whole “Believe it!” bit wasn’t even in the original version and the dialog was great. In fact, they completely ruined episodes when dubbing them in English, and not just Naruto.

I’ll stop ranting, but I’m just trying to say, if you want them to stop, the best thing to do would be to market it yourself. Otherwise, fans will do what they do regardless of whether it’s permissible. I wish that it wasn’t so, but that’s how some people are.

1) if they’re worried about shows already licensed in the US, then you would think that would be up to the companies that licensed the shows here in the US.

2) If it includes shows that aren’t licensed yet – while they certainly have the right to pursue copyright violators, one has to ask how cost effective that would be since, hypothetically if all fansubbing stopped – how many more units are they actually going to sell as a result? My guess is not that many.

The only argument I could come up with for going after those being cost effective is if they thought that fansubs reduce sales once the shows get licensed (I guess not an unreasonable argument), and that as a result they can’t get as much money for the licenses and/or they can’t get some shows licensed that they could have otherwise.

Of course, with things like torrents, many of those are hosted on servers outside either Japan or the US, so there isn’t a heck of a lot one can do about that.

I personally think the best solution would be to set up some website that streams episodes like the day after they air in Japan subbed in English and translated by professional translators, for some monthly fee.

Of course, there will be people who will never pay for it ever, but if you got it faster, and at a higher quality, or a monthly subscription cost, I think you could get a lot of people to sign up for that.