The anime and manga (and related) industries have always had an uneasy relationship with fansubbers — the people that take their works and release fan-made translations of them in non-Japanese languages.  While technically illegal, most companies have traditionally turned a blind eye toward these groups, realizing that their actions help spread the popularity of their product.  Some companies have even openly acknowledged (but not necessarily gave their support to) the efforts of fansubbers; for example, in the promotional video for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kadokawa and Bandai specifically thanked fansub watchers and asked them to purchase the official release.  Unfortunately, as of late, there are an increasing number of companies that have gone the opposite route, decrying and vilifying the fansub community, actively monitoring the activities of fansubbers and people who download fansubs and sending them takedown notices.  Some have even gone so far as to take legal action against fansubbers.  We talked at great length about this in a recent episode of the podcast.

Well, one company has taken a rather unique and (IMHO) refreshing approach to the matter — actually working with the pirates!!! (Shocking, I know.)  Minori, the Japanese visual novel company famous for such titles as Wind – A Breath of Heart and Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two (both of which have been adapted into rather successful anime franchises), discovered that the fansub group No Name Losers (NNL) was working on an unauthorized translation of Ef.  Like most tales, this one started with them sending out a cease and desist letter.  But unlike most C&D’s, Minori added an interesting little “extra” at the end of theirs:

If you wish to obtain an official license from us, handle the ratings issue, follow our requested procedures and sell and/or distribute [our software] within English-speaking circles, then there is the possibility of your visiting our office and discussing with us a license agreement. We would look forward to people following the proper procedure for getting things done.

Well, it must have worked, because on July 14, Minori posted the following on their website:

Starting on July 14, 2010, we at minori have started constructive negotiations with the people at NO NAME LOSERS. We don’t know what will result from this, but we would like to report our results to everyone in the not-too-distant future. For now, please wait for the time being. Thanks.

They apparently sent a proposal to NNL on July 17, with a response deadline of July 21; however, NNL sent their response ahead of the deadline.

Unfortunately, as one report points out, it’s highly unlikely that NNL could come up with the money to pay the (no doubt large) licensing fee; however, it’s still encouraging to see a company that is willing to sit down with “the little guy” instead of squashing him under their bootheels.  Really, both sides here deserve a lot of credit; Minori, for being willing to face their sworn enemies and work with them, instead of taking the usual knee-jerk legal action; and NNL, for being willing to sit down with “The Man(TM)” and work things out, instead of being idiots and mouthing off at them. (They also took their website down and have apparently ceased distributing their fan translation, in compliance with the C&D letter.)

Here’s hoping that other companies sit up and take notice!

Related posts:

1. ADV is dead, long live ADV!

I really, really hate the vuvuzela.  The noise that those cursed “instruments” make sounds to me like a cross between a pair of yaks mating, and a pair of yaks dying an excruciatingly painful death.  As I wrote previously, those abominations were all over the LA Convention Center during Anime Expo, and it seemed to me that practically every few seconds, the center was filled with that abominable noise.  Really distracting, and even worse, a potential medical liability for those especially close to the offensive noisemaker.

Now before you soccer (or football, as it’s known in places outside of the US) fans get your knickers in a bunch, fear not.  I have absolutely no problem with the vuvuzela, in its proper context — i.e. during the World Cup.  What I don’t agree with, however, is its use outside of said venue — more specifically, at Anime Expo (really, any anime convention).  Because the correlation factor between anime conventions and the World Cup is precisely 0.00.  (yes, even if you’re cosplaying as someone from Captain Tsubasa.  There ain’t no vuvuzelas in that work…)

Well, great news for all you Baltimoreans: in a shocking display of sanity and common sense, Otakon has banned the vuvuzela.  Their announcement on the matter is short and sweet:

Absolutely no vuvuzelas or similar loud noisemakers are permitted within Otakon. Vuvuzelas and other noisemakers within convention buildings are subject to confiscation. Blowing a vuvuzela or similar noisemaker may lead to ejection from the convention.

Finally, a voice of sanity!  Good on you, Otakon.

Related posts:

1. And thus ends another Anime Expo… (Updated)
2. Episode #0002 – Convention-al Wisdom
3. Episode #0005 – Anime Los Angeles 4

Once again, Japanator comes through with another one of their fantastic 30,000 foot overviews of the coming anime landscape.  Same routine as before – capsule description, studio and key staff involved, air date, and a shiny happy picture for you to look at.  You can read all about it in their four part overview – part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

Here’s what’s catching my eye this time around.

Amagami SS:  Animated by Studio AIC, who did, among others, Ah! My Goddess and Nyan Koi, and directed by Hiraike Yoshimasa, who also was involved with both Working! and Solty Rei, two series that I really ended up liking a lot.  This is starting to sound good.  Based on a PS2 visual novel, this looks to be your typical romantic comedy, which is fine by me — I’m all for a romantic comedy if done right.  What sets this show apart is its art style – it appears that the staff is attempting to pull off this subject matter while attempting to mimimize the to-be-expected moe factor.  Pretty daring of them to do that in the current climate of moe maximization, and that’ll make a certain critical panelist of ours (…To Aru Kuritikaru no Panerisuto… heh) happy.  (Me, I personally don’t mind the moe, so long as it isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of the show.)  You can check out a preview if you like.

Black Butler:  Otherwise known as Kuroshitsuji.  This series comes highly recommended by one of my fellow panelists, and I figure it’s high time for me to get off my duff and check it out. Unfortunately Season 2 (which started this past week on July 1) departs somewhat from Season 1, in that the main characters (butler and master) are different.  (I believe that the director, and possibly some other staff, has changed as well)  This worries me, as there have been plenty of instances (in both Japanese and Western media) where a cast change, or a “spunky new character inserted to liven things up” has spelled the doom (or at least the start of a downard spiral to eventual suckage) of a property.  Still, the theme is the same, and a cool one at that — a demonic butler who is bound to serve his young master.  Fun shoujo black comedy stuff.  Also I believe at least some of the characters from the first season will appear in the second.  So I’ll give it a shot.  FUNimation announced in March that they licensed Season 1, but there is as of yet no hint of a release date.  However, they will be simulcasting Season 2 on their streaming service.

Highschool of the Dead:  C’mon, admit it, we all love zombies.  I forget the exact quote, but I remember once hearing someone say something to the effect of “Zombies are the chicken of the horror universe.”  Or something like that.  In other words, they’re that tasty treat that we just love to eat.  (I meant that figuratively, not literally!)  According to Japanator, the manga that this is based on is chock full of American horror references; I really, really hope that the anime writers follow suit.  And there are quite a few big names involved in this, so it might actually turn out to be decent, perhaps even good.  And, okay, I’ll admit it, they had me at “busty high school students.”  (I’m a guy, gimme a break!)

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes:  Very little (if anything) original here.  We have your typical “boy is the last great hope to end a legendary war” type stuff.  Yawn.  Instead, what caught my eye (in a rather negative way — barring sudden miraculous plot development, I’m not planning on following this series) is its name.  What a redundantly redundant title!  I mean, c’mon, if you’re telling a story that’s a LEGEND, you kind of expect the heroes that are spoken of in it to be LEGENDARY (how many legends have you heard or read where the protagonists are boring clods?), so stating that is blindingly obvious.  (If this were not true, then the logical fabric of the universe would have completely broken down, and this universe will likely explode.)  But I suppose “The Legendary Heroes” or “The Legend of the Heroes” was too plain sounding for them.  Whatever.  Redundancy FTW!

Nurarihyon no Mago:  Sounds vaguely like an Inuyasha derivative (at least the part-human, part-demon bit), but this is another series with a pretty impressive cast and crew, so it might be something to keep an eye on.

Ookami-san and his Seven Friends:  A high school comedy/romance.  Yawn.  But wait!  Apparently the show will be parodying various classic fairy tales and lore, both Eastern and Western.  Might be interesting after all.  And with veteran voice talent like Horie Yui and Kugimiya Rie, it can’t be all that bad.

Seikimatsu Occult School:  This is the latest in the “Power of Anime” series.  You know, the same series that brought you So-Ra-No-Wo-To and Senkou no Night Raid.  It seems that I’m in the minority in that I actually sorta, kinda liked those shows.  They weren’t masterpieces, mind you, and they certainly could have been better, but still, they were a lot better than some of the other crap that’s out there.  The material admittedly doesn’t sound terribly original (schools of the occult, time travelers, etc.), but there is some fresh talent thrown in — Tomohiko Ito, a relative newcomer to directing, but who worked as assistant director on The Girl who Leapt through Time), so there is hope.  I’ll give it at least an episode or three.

Strike Witches:  As one Japanator commenter put it, this show is a guilty pleasure. and one that I fell for when the original OAV came out.  Now they’re back with a second TV season.  Magical girls — with guns — and WWII-ish planes.  Nuff said.  Yes, there’s moe, dammit, but in this case I just don’t care.  Unfortunately Gonzo is no longer handling the production, which makes me sad, since there won’t be any CG plane animation a la other Gonzo staples such as Last Exile.

Sekirei: Pure Engagement:  Another guilty pleasure.  Admittedly (again) not a terribly original storyline — a shadowy organization inciting scores of powerful (and scantily dressed, not to mention well-endowed) women to battle each other (and in the process rip most of their already scant clothing off of each other) towards eventual world domination.  (Did I mention they were well-endowed?)  I got sucked into Season 1 purely for the eye candy, and was thoroughly disgusted at its lame not-so-much-of-an-ending.  (I suppose I am a fool for expecting anything better than what I got.)  To me that not-ending just screamed “sequel!” and apparently I was right.  I’ll freely admit that I’ll be watching this purely for the nosebleed factor.

Shi Ki:  Wow.  When I read that this show is the latest member of the highly-pedigreed noitaminA time slot (the one that brought us such wonderful gems as Eden of the East, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, House of Five Leaves, and The Tatami Galaxy), I was instantly salivating.  Add to that a veteran director — Tetsuro Amino, who helmed Macross 7 and Zeta Gundam — and you’ve sold me.  The fact that Japanese rocker Gackt will be making his debut as a regular voice actor cast member is icing on the cake.  The story is even a relatively interesting one — a mysterious town plagued by a series of murders that turn out to be the work of some dark force.

Related posts:

1. The State of the Podcast: Summer 2010 Edition
2. Japanator presents its 2010 Spring Anime Preview
3. Tales of Symphonia anime coming in Spring 2010; promo video available now

Well, if you act quickly, you can pre-register now for a full 4-day pass, for the amazingly low price of $45!  Considering that this year’s regular pre-reg price for a 4-day pass was $75, and at-the-door pricing was a whopping $85, that’s quite a savings.  But you only have until this Friday, July 9 to get this special pricing.  So hurry up and reg, why don’tcha?!  (Operators are standing by…)

Next year’s AX is sure to be even more awesome than usual, because it’s their 20th anniversary!  Who knows what cool guests and other surprises they’ll pull out for this special occasion?  I for one am dying to find out.  The next 365 days are going to be unbearable…

Related posts:

1. It’s officially official, part deux: Looks like I’ll be at Anime Expo as well!
2. Anime Convention Alert: Anime Expo is THIS Weekend!
3. And thus ends another Anime Expo… (Updated)

Still, it would seem that even the mere notion of such a plot line is too hot to handle for some.  The anime’s production committee recently posted a report to B Gata H Kei’s official website stating that they have received multiple threatening letters, asking for changes in the anime’s content and presentation, lest unspecified harmful things happen to the studio and/or writers.  The production committee has chosen to brazenly ignore these threats and have notified local authorities.

What I want to know is why these warriors of virtue have chosen to single out B Gata, when there is much more salacious material out there.  I’m not even talking hentai, I’m talking another series in the Spring 2010 lineup: Kiss x sis.  There’s much more naughtiness going on here than B Gata.  (Choco Banana, anyone?) In fact I’m surprised that this isn’t even listed as downright hentai.  There have been episodes of KxS that have made me blush and feel uncomfortable — and believe me, I’m not exactly the prudish sort.  (Of course, I can’t help but keep watching either…)

Of course, for all we know, maybe these defenders of morality have also contacted the Kiss x sis staff, who have chosen to remain silent and ignore these whiners as they should.

Related posts:

1. Yet Another Spring 2010 Anime Lineup
2. Tales of Symphonia anime coming in Spring 2010; promo video available now

Well great news – the Crunchyroll app for the iPad is finally here!

This one kinda slipped in under my radar, mostly because I’ve been busy with other things, but also because, rather than updating the already-existing iPhone app to add iPad support (which I would have noticed – I’m pretty obsessive about checking my apps for updates), they chose to release a completely separate app for the iPad (it’s impossible to keep up to date with the latest and greatest app submissions).

And what an app it is.  Video looks beautiful, and scrolling through the large movie poster-style thumbnails of the various shows is fun.  Unfortunately the app is still plagued with smaller-than-ideal subtitle size, but they are working on it.

The app, like their iPhone app, is of course free.  Go grab your copy today!

Related posts:

1. Crunchyroll App for iPhone and iPod touch (and soon, iPad!)
2. What The iPad Will Mean For Otaku
3. Watch your downloaded anime on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with Air Video (Updated)

In brief, the iPad is Apple’s answer to the tablet and netbook. Based on the iPhone OS, it’s a tablet computer that Apple is positioning to fill a perceived gap in functionality between a smartphone and a laptop computer. Since it’s based on the iPhone OS, and uses similar (though scaled-up) hardware, it has many features similar to the iPhone and iPod touch; however many user interface elements have been designed to take advantage of the much larger screen (a 9.7-inch (25 cm) LED backlit multi-touch display at 1024×768). And at $499 for the base model, the price is really quite reasonable considering the power and capabilities of what you get (IMHO of course).

Of course, reaction on the Internet to the device is bitterly divided. (Kind of like American politics. Sigh.) The true fanboys are lauding it as the best thing since sliced bread, while the haters are calling it “just a giant iPod touch.” But I think that the detractors are missing the point here. Yes, it IS a giant iPod touch. And that giantness is what makes the device work. There are things that you just can’t do (or you can do, but very poorly) on the iPhone or iPod touch because of its limited screen size. The larger screen of the iPad makes these applications possible. (Yes, she was right when she said “size matters.”) Here is why you, the otaku, should get really fired up about this device.

The first, and most obvious, is video playback. Sure, you can play video on your iPhone and iPod touch (or even video iPod). But you’ll probably lose your eyesight trying to watch it on that tiny screen. There are, of course, dedicated video players with bigger screens such as the Archos. But even those pale in comparison to the iPad’s generous 9.7 incher.

Where do you get video content then? Well, the iTunes Store has a fairly decent selection of anime titles, and at $1.99 per episode or roughly $35 for a full season, the prices are pretty reasonable. (Insert standard disclaimer about how different regions have different content in their respective iTunes stores.) Of course, you could always convert your own DVD’s into H.264 video files and load them on yourself, using tools such as HandBrake, RipIt, and AnyDVD. (Insert standard disclaimer about how, technically speaking, this is against the law thanks to the DMCA, but unless you’re planning on selling them, you probably won’t get caught, but it’s still technically illegal, and how you should only do this with DVD’s that you honest-to-God own.)

Then there’s always streaming video. Two major streaming video providers have already tossed their hat in the ring. Netflix, the uber-popular DVD-rental-by-mail outfit, has been offering streaming video to go along with its rental service for several years now; and yes, they do have some decent anime content. Not a whole lot, but it’s growing day by day. They now have an iPad app (free even!) that will let you stream any of Netflix’s streaming titles to your device. The best part is, if you start watching something on your computer, and then have to leave the house or something, you can pick up on your iPad right from where you left off, and vice versa.

And everybody’s anime streaming site Crunchyroll has also committed to creating an iPad app. Currently they have an app for the iPhone and iPod touch (also free!) that will let you watch any of their streaming titles; this app should work on the iPad’s compatibility mode, so you can get your Crunchyroll on until they finish their iPad-native app.

Also, it is rumored that Hulu will be making an iPad app too.

Of course, there are plenty of other sites out there that stream anime, legally or otherwise, including the websites of most (all?) of the big anime licensors (FUNimation, Bandai, etc.). The problem with these, of course, is that they use Adobe’s Flash, which the iPad will not support. But this won’t always be the case. The web is moving in its own slow, ponderous way to adopt the HTML 5 standard, which includes built-in support for streaming video, obviating the need for Flash. And the iPad supports HTML 5 perfectly. I suspect that once the iPad hits the masses, there will be a flurry of websites converting over to HTML 5. In fact, some of the big players have already done just that.

Are you into manga? Well then you’ve got reason to sit up and take notice too. Manga is definitely something that does NOT work well on an iPhone or similarly sized device. The screen is just too darn small. Either you have to squint and try to read micro-print on a full-page display, or you can zoom in and be faced with the prospect of having to scroll around to read everything. This is probably why those very few manga/comics forays on the iPhone failed so miserably. Of course there are e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. Sure, they have bigger screens; but they are (so far anyway) only black and white, and the weird “flashing” effect when the e-ink screens refresh is off-putting to some.

Well, there are some exciting things afoot. Marvel Comics has released an iPad app (free!) based on the Comixology technology. And it looks really awesome. In portrait mode, you get the full page, though at about 80% of the size of a traditional comics page. Even so, text and graphics are crisp and easily readable thanks to the iPad’s excellent screen technology. But turn the unit on its side (in landscape mode), and a new viewing mode becomes available. You zoom into each panel of a strip, and tapping on the screen brings you to the next panel in logical order, all the while highlighting moments of dialogue or action. This is a fantastic way of viewing comics, and Andy Ihnatko, beloved tech pundit and well-known comics fan, really likes it. I’m sure that manga publishers will soon sit up and take notice.

If you’re an artist, you have cause to celebrate as well. Using the giant iPad screen and touch surface as an artist’s canvas is only natural, and with programs such as SketchBook Pro and Brushes, it’s really quite simple yet powerful. Several months back, an artist made a big splash in both the tech and art community, by creating a New Yorker cover using an iPhone. Imagine what you can do with an iPad! I wonder when we’ll start seeing people sitting at Artists’ Alley not with paintbrush or pen, but with an iPad instead.

And finally, with its large screen and native PDF support, the iPad makes an excellent PDF reader. When you consider that many anime conventions make their schedules, program guidebooks, etc. available in PDF format, this can be quite a handy thing to have. It’s admittedly a small thing, and wouldn’t make sense as the sole reason to buy an iPad; but if you bought one for any of the reasons above (or other reasons of your own, perhaps) it’s a nice extra.

Tablet computers are certainly nothing new – Microsoft has been trying to market them for years. But they have always failed miserably in the common consumer market. One possible reason why is because they were trying to extend the desktop computer metaphor onto the tablet, by using standard desktop operating systems (i.e. Windows). In taking their already-successful mobile iPhone OS and scaling it up to tablet size, Apple has done what Microsoft and countless other companies have failed to do — deliver a compelling tablet experience that just *works*.

Exciting times are upon us!

Related posts:

1. Crunchyroll for iPad: It’s Here!
2. Crunchyroll App for iPhone and iPod touch (and soon, iPad!)
3. Watch your downloaded anime on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with Air Video (Updated)

Related posts:

1. Japanator presents its 2010 Spring Anime Preview
2. Tales of Symphonia anime coming in Spring 2010; promo video available now
3. Episode #0013 – Anime Expo 2010

After reviewing things, here’s what I’ll be keeping my eye on in particular:

Angel Beats: written by Jun Maeda of Key – the same folks who put out one of my all-time favorites, Kanon. ‘Nuff said. I’m willing to give anything associated with Key a shot. Besides, the premise of “[a] group of students [...] leading a war against God for what he’s done to them [...]with guns” sounds interesting. And violent. Yeah! EDIT 2010-03-28: found this promo video on YouTube. I’m definitely interested now. Interestingly enough, it appears that some of the main characters(?) are part of a band… Gee, I wonder where they got that idea from… Still, I’ll give it a spin.

Arakawa Under the Bridge: Sounds rather nutty and interesting.

Black Rock Shooter OVA: There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding this show, most of which surrounding the fact that it’s based on a character designed by Huke, the same guy who designed the Vocaloid Hatsune Miku who is one of the illustrators associated with the Vocaloid music group “supercell“ (thanks polymetrica for the correction). If nothing else, the artwork definitely looks interesting. Dark and moody and stuff.

Heroman: An anime… created by veteran comic book Stan Lee. Innnnnnnteresting… Yes, I know there have been other cases of “East-meets-West” style collaboration between Japanese and Western comic styles, but c’mon, STAN FREAKIN’ LEE. Whether it’ll be good or not… well, we’ll see. The old “boy finds a robot and uses it to save the world” plot has been around the block more than a few times.

House of Five Leaves: The art style on this one is definitely intriguing. And it’s being animated by Manglobe, the studio who did Ergo Proxy, which definitely had its own unique art style. And I’m always up for a samurai period piece.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama: Sounds a lot vaguely like Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. Straight-laced student president type has a secret double life working at a maid cafe, and someone finds out about it. But still, I’m always a sucker for the old closet-otaku’s-secret-gets-exposed storyline. Not expecting anything terribly original tho. (again, Nogizaka…)

Kiss x Sis: Maybe I’m crazy, but after hearing the Anime TV panelists talking about it on their most recent show (it’s in the first “hima time” segment) I’m morbidly curious. (Their reaction wasn’t terribly favorable, btw). The Anime TV panelists were pretty spot on when they called it a “sexier version of ‘Please Twins’” (that’s me paraphrasing, I forget their exact words). That’s exactly what it sounds like to me. Still, there’ll be at least some nosebleed-worthy scenes to look at, I’m sure. So it ain’t all bad.

Senko no Night Raid: Set in the 1930s, in the Japanese-occupied city of Shanghai, China, it details the exploits of a supposed secret organization of Japanese spies, the “Sakurai Kikan,” that possess special abilities and were involved in various covert missions, so secret that they were buried in history. Anime history lessons FTW! (How much of this is actually history, exaggerated history, or outright made-up stuff, I have no idea. Neither Google nor Wikipedia comes up with anything useful other than links to stories about this anime.) But still, anime and spies… I’m game. This show is the second show to be introduced through The Power of Anime programming block – the first title to come out of it was So-Ra-No-Wo-To. This may send up warning bells to some of you. Let us hope that the people involved with Night Raid don’t fall into the same moe trap (no, not that kind of trap) that So-Ra-No-Wo-To fell into. (Not that the moe-ness killed it for me; unlike many of the angry reviewers out there, I still enjoyed So-Ra; I will however concede that, without the distractions of moe, it probably could have been an even better show.)

Working!!: At first blush, this seems like yet another moe fluff piece. But after checking out the preview episode, I’m not so sure I’d be willing to give it that summary judgment. There’s quite a bit of moe, for sure — Japanator called it “[like] K-ON!, but with food” — but unlike other series that people complain about, it doesn’t seem to me like they are using moe as a crutch. In other words, behind the moe, there appears to be a fairly decent, sometimes humorous slice-of-life piece, that I’m willing to devote at least several episodes’ worth of attention to. Besides, how can you go wrong when you’ve got a waitress that wields a katana? (Although in all honesty I would’ve picked a better name for their restaurant than “Wagnaria.” I wouldn’t want to eat somewhere with a name that sounds like an infectious disease, one that causes you to hallucinate that you are a German composer or something.)

Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei: Based on a novel about the “nonsense campus life of a self-conscious but dull university student,” this doesn’t sound terribly exciting. But when you consider that it’s being helmed by Masaaki Yuasa, who also brought us Mind Game (which, by the way, is oh so deserving of its title – it’s a real head trip), the excitement-o-meter is starting to swing toward the positive. It also comes to us through Fuji TV’s noitamina (that’s “animation” spelled backwards, get it?) programming block, which is known for its unique and distinctive titles, so it has a good pedigree. Check out the trailer and see for yourself.

And finally…

K-ON! Season 2: This one should go without saying. MIO!!!!!!!!111

(EDIT 2010-03-28: added Part 4 (the final part) of Japanator’s Spring 2010 Preview, along with my reactions to it.)

Related posts:

1. Yet Another Spring 2010 Anime Lineup
2. Tales of Symphonia anime coming in Spring 2010; promo video available now
3. It’s here! The Summer 2010 anime season is upon us!