fandom

Pete Zaitcev over at アニ・ノート in this particular post criticizes Chris Beveridge outrageous, despicable and elitist remark. He compares what Chris Beveridge refers to as “my family”, the anime industry at large to the likes of a mafia in these two statements:

Firstlly, the level of the buy-in and mental association with the industry is seriously unhealthy. Chris is equating a bunch of soulless corporations run by avowed fan-haters like Kadokawa (in Japan) and Ledford (in America) to his family. Unreal.

Secondly, you know who else conflates business and family and then promises to hurt those who cross “the family”? The mafia, of course. They are very cool on the silver screen, but in real life I know whom I choose between to sympathise between gangsters and their victims.

Let’s take away from the Anime Industry and take a close look at companies in general. In a business, the purpose for the firm is to make money, not to bend down to the fans and give what they want. If the fans don’t like it, they can vote with their dollars and don’t buy anything from them and thus cause them to go out of business. Chris Beveridge seems to be flirting with the Anime Companies and don’t give a damn about the fans nor the fansubbers he hate so much… He wants a closed garden approach where companies like Crunchyroll and company stream with subs lacking in quality and no other options for the viewers to use. The problem with pure streaming approach is that it takes the viewers control away completely. With fansubs, viewers are free to convert to any portable device or view it later. If they like the series and becomes licensed, they will buy it or even buy related merchandise. Chris Beveridge obviously wants a closed garden approach since it will protect the interest of the Anime companies and give little freedom to the customers.

Let’s compare this approach to the iPhone, AT&T’s Android Phones and Windows Phone 7 platforms. They only allow you to install any apps they approve in the app store and does not give any freedom for the user to install unsigned applications that are not in the appstore, modify the hidden settings or other stuff on the phone. Sure, there is stuff like Jailbreaking and stuff, but companies who provide these devices don’t like users to take full control of these device…

Another example… Supposed that Microsoft decides to close the Windows operating system with Windows 8 and where you can only obtain desktops and laptops that have the OS preinstalled without the ability to install other operating systems like Linux and control what approved applications you can install from their App Store. Do you think this is right? Sure it will reduce the chance of malware being installed to the system, but at the same time, it takes the user’s freedom away and introduce Digital Rights Management which is viewed as a technology that takes fair use rights away and giving in to the interest of companies.

Why did I compare unsigned applications to Fansubs? Fansubs are like unsigned applications, giving viewers more freedom and quality to what they can do with the content. With unsigned applications, they give more capabilities like customization, tethering and other sort of things that the device or the service provider fears the most.

From the examples I shown, these are the well known examples where a closed garden takes away the user’s freedom. I didn’t mention Sony’s taking away of OtherOS in their firmware update or Nintendo’s hostile approach against Wii Homebrew, but they also examples where they take a user’s freedom, but not as well known as the closed garden approach on mobile devices.

We have to know that the Anime Industry will sue anyone… not just fansubbers. Take a look at BayTSP and sending DMCA letters for select anime titles? They know that they don’t like that because they are resisting change. The main reason people are downloading fansubs because they provide better quality subs and the freedom to use on any device, which streaming cannot do. Unless they up the quality of the subs, provide karaoke for OP/ED and translation and provide downloadable episodes (DRM-free) for people to use on their devices to subscribers, I think streaming will never be a viable alternative to fansubs until licensed DVDs are released. Also, region locks are another problem with some countries as well, which can alienate viewers on countries where the stream isn’t allowed.

Pete Zaitcev is right in his criticism of Chris Beveridge’s remarks. I only care about the content, not the company it comes from. I don’t see why people should protect the companies with a passion when you damn well know that they are after your money. They don’t care what you think about them or their policies, even at the expense of the fan’s freedom. I think Chris Beveridge is wrong in his asinine comments he made on Twitter and he should rethink what he thinks about the Anime Industry before he gains a large number of enemies of disgruntled anime fans at large who clearly don’t agree with him and his despicable remarks approving a Anime Industry “walled garden.”

Notes: Even though I’m against streaming entirely because of the issues I mentioned, I urge people still to support their favorite Anime by buying the DVDs and/or related merchandise. It is only fair…