[Skullmeat]

Alex Moore, voice actress for numerous Funimation dubs such as One Piece and Tokyo Goul, posted a tweet telling audiences if certain anime are not licensed in the US then they are "not allowed to have it" further adding that piracy is "colonizer bullshit." Needless to say, anime fans were not impressed, and immediately took her to task.





I do, in fact pirate anime. I dislike streaming anime, to me it makes it look muddy and of low quality, especially on my 1440p display. Blu-rays are expensive, (around $40 USD) and alot of what I watch isnt even available here in the US. Often, fan subs are much better than their professional counterparts, and if I really like the anime, I'll buy the anime or merch. This kind of behavior makes one more reason to ignore dubs entirely.

[Oni]

I'm not saying any of this from a moral standpoint, but if people don't support creators then there will be less anime for all of us to enjoy. Brazen theft isn't something I'm about, but I don't blame people for torrenting if they're in a bind or the show isn't localized. Voice actor is misinformed and overly harsh, but it's their job and they have to eat.

Given most of Funimation's money comes from localizing anime, it makes sense a voice actor would be hostile about piracy. COVID is particularly stressful on voice actors, so it's important to give credit where it's due. I'm of the opinion if you're torrenting anime, you better be supporting the creators somehow (i.e. Bluray/merchandise/figures).

Make a point to support the shows you guys love, or they won't make more. Ignore dumb voice actors when they rant on Twitter.

[Skullmeat]

I'm not saying that you shouldnt support the shows, but Funimation often does a poor job at both subs and dubs. Dubs in particular. Dragon maid comes to mind, where all the lesbian undertones were completely removed. There was no need to alter the message that much. If they want my money, they need to offer me a product worth paying for. If you do pirate shows, by all means go out and buy the merch, figures, etc.

[Oni]

I'm not saying that you shouldnt support the shows, but Funimation often does a poor job at both subs and dubs. Dubs in particular. Dragon maid comes to mind, where all the lesbian undertones were completely removed. There was no need to alter the message that much. If they want my money, they need to offer me a product worth paying for. If you do pirate shows, by all means go out and buy the merch, figures, etc.

Reminds me of the stuff 4Kids did to cartoons. Either way, anime would not be as prevalent in the US without Funimation and other localization companies. Even if the dubs are bad, they are supporting the original creators as well.

[Jiggly]

I can really see both points here. I definitely think it's worth having a dialogue with Funimation about how they can improve their product (not twitter rants, but contacting their representatives with suggestions and feedback). I can't really judge people for pirating anime, since it is a massive source of exposure for shows that otherwise might not get any exposure at all. At the same time, I agree with all of Oni's points. Funimation is an entity that is bringing more anime to the US/Western world.

Wherever I can, I would like to support the anime industry. There is a lot of talk about anime producers/creators making more deals with the western world for distribution of their shows. However, that seems to be met with a lot of challenges.

Animators are working in a very difficult, and not overly well-paid industry. This article talks about it in some detail.

[Skullmeat]

I can really see both points here. I definitely think it's worth having a dialogue with Funimation about how they can improve their product (not twitter rants, but contacting their representatives with suggestions and feedback). I can't really judge people for pirating anime, since it is a massive source of exposure for shows that otherwise might not get any exposure at all. At the same time, I agree with all of Oni's points. Funimation is an entity that is bringing more anime to the US/Western world.

Wherever I can, I would like to support the anime industry. There is a lot of talk about anime producers/creators making more deals with the western world for distribution of their shows. However, that seems to be met with a lot of challenges.

Animators are working in a very difficult, and not overly well-paid industry. This article talks about it in some detail.

My understanding is that studios make very little from licensed anime in the US. The bulk of profits come from merchandise. I try to support them that way. Its why I have far more figures and plushies than I do actual Blu-rays. There's also companies like NIS, who are notorious for selling anime in limited runs. It's why I do not own a physical copy of Toradora. The copies Ive seen for sale are upwards of $300.

[Jiggly]

I can really see both points here. I definitely think it's worth having a dialogue with Funimation about how they can improve their product (not twitter rants, but contacting their representatives with suggestions and feedback). I can't really judge people for pirating anime, since it is a massive source of exposure for shows that otherwise might not get any exposure at all. At the same time, I agree with all of Oni's points. Funimation is an entity that is bringing more anime to the US/Western world.

Wherever I can, I would like to support the anime industry. There is a lot of talk about anime producers/creators making more deals with the western world for distribution of their shows. However, that seems to be met with a lot of challenges.

Animators are working in a very difficult, and not overly well-paid industry. This article talks about it in some detail.

My understanding is that studios make very little from licensed anime in the US. The bulk of profits come from merchandise. I try to support them that way. Its why I have far more figures and plushies than I do actual Blu-rays. There's also companies like NIS, who are notorious for selling anime in limited runs. It's why I do not own a physical copy of Toradora. The copies Ive seen for sale are upwards of $300.

That's actually really interesting. I wish you could buy/rent anime either digitally or buying DVDs etc, like you can with shows on amazon prime. I would love a service like that, but that would be easier said than done.