Monday, November 26, 2007

Thanksgiving & the 8th

All hope abandon, ye who enter here!
- Dante Alighieri

Greetings All! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was wonderful. Wet and rainy, but still wonderful. It was relaxing, I got to spend time with my family (including my dogs who I didn't expect to get to see), I got to eat great food, I got to see some amazing movies, and I got to see some friends that I haven't seen in a long while. It was a magnificent week overall and I feel sorry that it had to come to an end. I type this blog after getting back to my dorm from a long drive, so I apologize if my writing seems a little less than thought out, it's fatigue. ^_^ Really, there's not much else about the break to say. I tried to get out and take advantage of the Black Friday sales to purchase some movies that I'd been hoping to be able to buy eventually, but by the time I made it to the stores (11:30AM) they were all out. I have to say that anybody who goes out at 4AM to shop is certifiably insane in my book, but I understand your reasons for it. I bet the movies that I was after were gone by 8. Heh heh! Such is consumerism, eh? And I was hoping to get King Kong for $2.50. ^_^ Such a bummer.

AR + Anime = ^_^
I hope that little equation wasn't too difficult, because it's as true as the quadratic. Heh heh! This past weekend, we had the first ever Arkansas Anime Festival in Fayetteville, AK. It was small, of that I assure you, but it was a blast nevertheless. It lasted from 10AM to 12AM on Saturday and they squeezed in as much stuff as they could.

I, as you all should know by now, go to conventions for the panels, and this convention had two of the most unique and insightful panels I've seen yet as a conventioner. The first was a panel on Geishas. Being such a unique part of Japanese culture, I am surprised I hadn't seen a panel dedicated to them yet. It was a reward to be able to listen to a woman who is doing her graduate thesis on the history of Geishas give half-our talk about them. In a time span such as that it's hard to get in very much information and there was no time for questions, but I learned a great deal anyway. For one, I didn't know it was so hard to become a geisha in the first place. I thought it was something a girl was forced into. Apparently not. It is as much of a choice as anything. Also, I didn't know that they still existed. I thought the tradition died out after WWII and the western culture invasion. That is not so. There are still geisha practicing to this day and I find that to be really quite cool. I'd love to meet one in person. I'm sure it's not an easy thing to do, though. heh heh!

Unfortunately, other than the panels the convention was a bit boring. The dealers room consisted of four booths and the artists alley was a bit too small for my tastes. If you weren't going to panels there wasn't really much else to do. At least I couldn't find anything. But, even though it took an hour and a half to work our way though the registration line, even though it only lasted for a day, even though there wasn't that much to do or buy, it was still an amazing convention and I applaud Realms Anime for their successful attempt at bringing an anime convention to this pitiful little state where anime is to pop culture as LIndsay Lohan is to Mother Theresa. A magnificent achievement and I look forward to next year!

The 8th Circle
Some of you might be wondering "he said there were two panels that really stood out to him, but he only mentioned one." For those of you thinking that, you need to work on your patience. ^_^ The other panel that really made the Arkansas Anime Festival worth all the effort was a panel given by the voice actress guest, Samantha Inoue-Harte. In this panel she discussed the history of anime as a form of media, what the industry is like today, and the possible future of anime. Now, this particular panel isn't anything too unique or special. I've been to a panel very similar to this twice before and both times they were given by voice actor Greg Ayres. Mostly Greg's talks just speak out against anime fansubbing and how bad it is for the industry and such. This I understood, and as a downloader of anime, it really struck me where it hurts. Since the first time I heard his talk I made a conscious effort to put as much of my money as I could into the industry. This basically meant that if I liked an anime enough, I'd buy it. That's about as far as it went. I didn't necessarily stop downloading anime. I guess I didn't see the real threat since I was still buying anime and helping out monetarily. Samantha's panel changed everything.

Samatha had two things on her side that really made what she said cut me to the core. First, in the weeks before the convention Geneon Entertainment went under and is no longer. I had heard of this about a day or so before the convention and I was already pretty down because of it. Let that sink in a bit. Geneon Entertainment is the company that brought over some of the best animes that I've ever seen including titles like Samurai Champloo, Sailor Moon, Serial Experiments Lain, Black Lagoon, Hellsing, and Ergo Proxy. That company is no more. They are gone. Dead. They were no small company, either. They were highly productive and brought great things to the American anime industry. They are gone. It's more than just a depressing thought, it's a scary one.

The second thing that Samantha had on her side of the table was the ability to cite American industry trends and actually put a life span on the future of the industry. According to Samantha, if the American anime industry trends continue in the way they are now, the entire industry will be dead in two years. Two years. TWO YEARS!!! Now, can somebody explain to me how this is possible? Lets think about this for just a second, shall we? The popularity of anime has been growing by leaps and bounds in the past decade. There are manga on the New York Times bestseller lists, there are conventions in almost every US state, and the most popular shows on Cartoon Network are not American cartoons, but Japanese anime. So, why is it that anime DVD's are not selling? How is it that anime distributors are dying while the fandom increases in popularity? It's because of fansubs. To look at this hypothetically, If you are an American teenager obsessed with anime and given the choice to go out and pay $24 for a volume of anime on DVD or to just go onto a website like animesuki.com and download the entire anime for free, what are you going to do? Most, if not all, teenagers will choose to just download the anime. I did. I am ashamed of it. I feel horrible for it. I don't know why it took me so long to see that it was wrong. I just wish I had figured this out before my viewing habits were directly linked to the death of an entire corporation. No matter how I look at it I can't get past the idea that fansubbers are KILLING THE ANIME INDUSTRY! People aren't buying the DVD's, not putting money into the industry, and therefore the industry is falling apart while the fandom continues to grow. It's not just a sad day, it's a day straight from hell.

I've heard (and used) all the arguments, "fansubbing is easy, fansubbing is quick, I only download stuff that isn't licensed in the US, anime DVDs are too expensive." But, if you really think about it, none of those arguments are truly legitimate. If it's not going to put money into the industry, then it only causes the industry harm. Convenience and frugality are not sufficient reasons to sacrifice an entire form of media. So, as an anime fan that is truly concerned about the future of my fandom, and one who is truly ashamed for what he has done, I have taken measures to resolve my sins.

I spent a good portion of my time this week in my car and around town thinking about how I, as a good anime fan, would be able to help out the industry. I could think of very little. I was thinking about the big picture and about what a small person like me could do to combat the disease that is fansubbing. If a person looks at it like that, it can become daunting. It's a task that no single person could accomplish on their own, especially not a poor college student like me. But, on Saturday night it came to me almost divinely. As Jesus, the greatest moral philosopher of our time, said in his Sermon on the Mount, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." to put His comment into perspective, he is saying that change can't happen on so grand a scale from the beginning, it has to start at the source and grow outwards. The source, in this situation, is fans. One such fan is me. So, the first step to saving the anime industry was to delete all the fansubbed anime from my own computer first (removing the log from my own eye). So, at about 8:00PM central time on Sunday I did just that. I wiped it all clean. That is, of course, only the first step.

The second step is to actually put money into the industry. There are many ways to do this. Rather than downloading a new anime onto your computer, go to your local Hastings, Blockbuster, or any movie rental store and rent the first volume of an anime. It costs next to nothing, less than a fast food meal, and it's a full two hours of anime fun. If you don't like the anime, then at least you still put money into the industry. If you like it, then go out and actually buy the anime. Watch it. Enjoy it. Anime is much nicer on the television than it is on your computer, I promise. If you don't have a place that you can go rent it close to you, there is always Netflix or AnimeonDVD.com. Both of those places rent out anime. Sometimes the American anime distributors themselves will put the first episodes of some anime for free viewing on there websites, too. There are so many alternatives to downloading fansubs. All you have to do is have the will to go out and look for them.

There is one catch, you can't watch anything that hasn't already been licensed and distributed in the United States or abroad. It's a toughie, but it's the truth. For that, you just have to resist the temptation to download. Here's the logic. What would you rather have your situation be? Would you rather be patient and wait for animes to get licensed and brought over to the US (a process which takes less than 4 months) and have to work a little harder to find new titles, or would you rather not get to watch any anime at all because they aren't making any more of it? Because that really is the deal. The foreign anime market and the Japanese anime industry have become linked. If one fails, so shall the other. Therefore, if foreign anime fans don't buy anime on DVD then the money doesn't go into the industry and doesn't make it back to Japan where they are making the anime. Without money, the Japanese studios can't make anime and go out of business. So, be a good fan and buy. Buy anime, rent anime, but by all that is good and wonderful in this world DO NOT download anime. It's the sacrifice we must make if we want the industry to survive, and I for one care much more about my anime than my convenience.

The third step I have decided to take in my small effort to save the anime industry is to consult higher powers. I've solved the problem on the home front, now it's time to go abroad. I'm not going to sit idly by while the industry I love so much falls apart around me. Greg Ayres is a person I chose to contact about taking this fight to the streets. He is an outspoken opponent of fansubbers and is someone who will take your concerns and put them to use. I have sent him an email asking him what I can do to help the cause and am awaiting his response. I really don't know what steps I can follow to help get rid of anime fansubbers, but if there is a step I can take, I will take it and I encourage you all to join me. When I receive a response from him, I'll let you all know.

With that I'll consider my post complete. I have nothing more to say on any of the issues I have spoken about and am quite tired. I'm off to bed. Have a great day everybody! Ciao!

Caesar1280's Anime Ticker

.hack//Legend of the Twilight, Air, Air: The Movie, Akira, The Animatrix, Appleseed, Aquatic Language, Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror, Beck, Black Lagoon, Blame!, Blood the Last Vampire, Bokurano, Burst Angel, Castle in the Sky, Cowboy Bebop, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Digimon Tamers: The Runaway Digimon Express, Egao, FLCL, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala, Gankutsuou, Gatekeepers, Genshiken, Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society, Gin-iro no Kami no Agito, Grave of the Fireflies, Grenadier, Haibane Renmei, Hellsing, Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, Hikaru no Go, Howl?s Moving Castle, Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Jyu Oh Sei, Karas: The Prophecy, Last Exile, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Midori?s Days, Milennium Actress, Mushi-shi, My Neighbor Totoro, Naruto, Naruto: The Movie, Nausicaa, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death And Rebirth, Ninja Scroll: The Movie, Other Worlds, Paprika, Perfect Blue, Pet Shop of Horrors, The Place Promised In Our Early Days, Prétear, Princess Mononoke, Read Or Die, Read Or Die: The TV, Samurai Champloo, Samurai Seven, Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal, She and Her Cat, Spirited Away, Steamboy, Tide-Line Blue, Tokyo Babylon, Tokyo Godfathers, Trigun, Voices of a Distant Star, Witch Hunter Robin, Wonderful Days, Wrath of the Ninja, X

Anime I've Seen - .hack//Legend of the Twilight - .hack//Sign - 5 Centimeters per Second - Air - Air: The Movie - Akira - The Animatrix - Appleseed - Aquatic Language - Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror - Baby Blue - Beck - Black Lagoon - Blame! - Blood the Last Vampire - Bokurano - Burst Angel - Castle in the Sky - Cowboy Bebop - Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - Digimon Tamers: The Runaway Digimon Express - Doorbell - Egao - FLCL - Fullmetal Alchemist - Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala - Gankutsuou - Gatekeepers - Genius Party - Genshiken - Genshiken OAV - Ghost in the Shell - Ghost in the Shell: Innocence - Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society - Gin-iro no Kami no Agito - The Gokusen - Grave of the Fireflies - Grenadier - Haibane Renmei - Happy Machine - Hellsing - Highlander: The Search for Vengeance - Hikaru no Go - Howl's Moving Castle - Innocent Venus - Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade - Jyu Oh Sei - Karas: The Prophecy - Karas: The Revelation - Last Exile - Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi - Midori?s Days - Milennium Actress - Mushi-shi - My Neighbor Totoro - Naruto - Naruto: The Movie - Nausicaa - Neon Genesis Evangelion - Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death And Rebirth - Ninja Scroll: The Movie - Other Worlds - Ouran High School Host Club - Paprika - Perfect Blue - Pet Shop of Horrors - The Place Promised In Our Early Days - Prétear - Princess Mononoke - Read Or Die - Read Or Die: The TV - Samurai Champloo - Samurai Seven - Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal - Serial Experiments Lain - Shanghai Dragon - She and Her Cat - Spirited Away - Steamboy - Tekkonkinkreet - Tide-Line Blue - Tokyo Babylon - Tokyo Godfathers - Trigun - Trinity Blood - Vampire Hunter D - Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust - Voices of a Distant Star - Witch Hunter Robin - Wolf's Rain - Wonderful Days - Wrath of the Ninja - X Total: 93

Anime I Haven't Completed - .hack//Roots - Ah! My Goddess - Angelic Layer - Avenger - Baccano! - Bamboo Blade - Basilisk - Binchou-tan - Black Cat - Bleach - Blood+ - Boogiepop Phantom - Case Closed - Le Chevalier d'Eon - Chobits - Chrono Crusade - Code Geass - Coyote Ragtime Show - D.Gray-Man - D.N.Angel - DearS - Death Note - Dennou Coil - Desert Punk - Digimon - Dragon Ball Z - Ergo Proxy - Eureka Seven - Excel Saga - Fighting Beauty Wulong - Final Fantasy Unlimited - Flag - Freedom - Full Moon - Gantz - Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Gintama - Glass Fleet - Great Teacher Onizuka - Gundam Seed - Gundam Wing - Hayate the Combat Butler - Hellsing OVA - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - Ikki Tousen - InuYasha - Jigoku Shojo - Kage Kara Mamoru - Karin - Kino's Journey - Love Hina - Loveless - Lovely Complex - Lucky Star - Makai Senki Disgaea - Marchen Awakens Romance - Meine Liebe - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Mononoke - Monster - Moon Phase - Mr Stain on Junk Alley - Naruto Shippuuden - Negima?! - Negima! - Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion - Nerima Daikon Brothers - NHK ni Youkoso - Night Walker - Ninja Nonsense - Noir - Peacemaker Kurogane - Pokemon - Prince of Tennis - R.G. Veda - Ragnarok - Rec - Red Garden - Robotech - Romeo x Juliet - Rosen Maiden - Rurouni Kenshin - Saikano - Sailor Moon - Samurai Deeper Kyo - Sci-fi Harry - School Rumble - Scrapped Princess - Shin-chan - Shingu - Shion no Oh - Shuffle! - Shrine of the Morning Mist - So Long, Mr. Despair - Solty Rei - Sousei no Aquarion - Speed Grapher - Spice and Wolf - Super Milk Chan - Tales of Phantasia - Tenchi Muyo - Tenjhou Tenge - Texnolyze - The Third - Tsubasa Chronicles - Urusei Yatsura - Venus Versus Virus - Welcome to the N.H.K. - Winter Cicada - X-1999 - Xenosaga - XxxHolic - Yu Yu Hakushou - Yume Tsukai - Zero no Tsukaima - Zipang Total: 116

Manga I've Completed - Cowboy Bebop - FLCL - Manga Messiah - Manga Metamorphosis - Q*Ko-chan - Saiyuki - Shirahime-Syo Total: 7 Manga I Haven't Completed - .hack//Legend of the Twilight - Black Cat - Blame! - Chobits - D.Gray-man - Darkside Blues - Death Note - The Demon Ororon - Desert Coral - Disgaea - Eureka Seven: Gravity Boys and Lifting Girl - Fruits Basket - Getbackers - Hayate the Combat Butler - Kamunagara - Legal Drug - Love Hina - Loveless - Megatokyo - Naruto - Negima - Read Or Die - Rurouni Kenshin - Tactics - Trigun Maximum - XXXHolic Total: 26

Anime I'm Currently Watching
Samurai 7, InuYasha, Samurai Deeper Kyo,
Boogiepop Phantom, and Shrine of the Morning Mist

Manga I'm Currently Reading
Read Or Die, Hayate the Combat Butler, and Megatokyo.hack//Roots, .hack//Sign, 5 cm per Second, Ah! My Goddess, Angelic Layer, Avenger, Basilisk, Binchou-tan, Black Cat, Bleach, Blood+, Boogiepop Phantom, Case Closed, Le Chevalier d'Eon, Chobits, Chrono Crusade, Coyote Ragtime Show, D.Gray-Man, D.N.Angel, DearS, Death Note, Dennou Coil, Desert Punk, Digimon, Dragon Ball Z, Ergo Proxy, Eureka 7, Excel Saga, Fighting Beauty Wulong, Final Fantasy Unlimited, Flag, Full Moon, Gantz, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gintama, Great Teacher Onizuka, Gundam Seed, Gundam Wing, Hayate the Combat Butler, Hellsing Ultimate, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Innocent Venus, InuYasha, Jigoku Shojo, Kage Kara Mamoru, Karin, Kino?s Journey, Love Hina, Loveless, Lovely Complex, Lucky Star, Makai Senki Disgaea, Marchen Awakens Romance, Meine Liebe, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Mononoke, Monster, Naruto Shippuuden, Negima?!, Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion, Nerima Daikon Brothers, NHK ni Youkoso, Night Walker, Ninja Nonsense, Noir, Ouran High School Host Club, Peacemaker Kurogane, Pokemon, Prince of Tennis, R.G. Veda, Ragnarok, Rec, Red Garden, Robotech, Romeo x Juliet, Rosen Maiden, Rurouni Kenshin, Saikano, Sailor Moon, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Sci-fi Harry, School Rumble, Scrapped Princess, Serial Experiments Lain, Shingu, Shuffle!, Shrine of the Morning Mist, So Long Mr. Despair, Solty Rei, Sousei no Aquarion, Speed Grapher, Super Milk Chan, Tales of Phantasia, Tenchi Muyo, Tenjhou Tenge, Texnolyze, The Third. Trinity Blood, Tsubasa Chronicles, Urusei Yatsura, Welcome to the N.H.K., Winter Cicada, X-1999, Xenosaga, XxxHolic, Yu Yu Hakushou, Yume Tsukai, Zero no Tsukaima, Zipang

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