Shameful Otaku Secret!

TheBigN’s big idea

TheBigN is another American blogger whose work I love to read, although he updates somewhat infrequently. He’s one of the writers at the awesomely-named Drastic My Anime Blog (a great reference though I’m not a big Scryed fan), and though he seems to like Strike Witches, I value his opinion. TheBigN is in med school, so I assume he’s pretty smart, and I’ll choose my words carefully because he may be cupping my balls someday while I turn my head and cough.

What could I as a consumer actually do to fix it? I don’t think buying anime DVDs and merchandise by myself fixes the problems that the industry, no matter which one you’re talking about. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to do so (in fact, I regularly by DVDs, CDs and manga during the year. Enough that I’d probably cringe if I paid attention to what was coming out of my pocket), but at the same time, it wouldn’t necessarily help the situation at hand. And though you could say that’s better than downloading fansubs and that’s that (which I feel also help a little and hurt a little). One thing I can do as a consumer is complain that we’re not getting the best deal out of things, based on what you’ve already said about getting “good” stuff out of here (good in the eye of the beholder of course) as quickly as possible and with the best cost-benefit ratio possible. And trying to let the companies know that things could be better might help, but then I don’t necessarily know how.

I do think there needs to be a good, solid dialogue between the industry and the fans about the problems on both sides of the issue, and some consensus might be made. How to go about that though is another question though. Surveys? Panels? Calls to action? Either way, there needs to be a way for both sides to be able to communicate in order to learn things. Like how/why the industry is exactly in trouble. We see evidence like companies restructuring, and folding in the like, but coupling that with falling DVD sales, fansubs and torrents, etc. how does this mean that the industry is in trouble, for example? Are companies able to do things free samples and get feedback on whether or not these shows are what people would want to buy? How would fans be compelled to buy things instead of grabbing them for free if they present themselves well, like what GONZO’s trying to do? What are the incentives for both sides here, and can they coexist, or even better, work together?

It would be good to try and ask and answer questions like that from both sides, if just to get some bearings on this complex issue that’s not going to get simpler anytime soon. What we can’t do is lob bombs at each other, since that just ends up alienating both sides from each other and making the situation a lose-lose for all involved.

There may already be answers to some of these example questions, but in essence this is a great idea we can all get behind. Let’s open a dialog. Let’s get people on both sides of the equation — consumers and providers — talking.

How does that happen? I don’t know exactly, either; companies in various industries have made giant leaps by becoming more transparent thanks to the power of the Internet. Corporate blogs and the cluetrain style of marketing have made consumers feel like they’re being listened to. I think anime buyers, like any other consumer, would feel much better about supporting companies that they feel aren’t just faceless corporations, but groups made of people who actually want to provide them a good product.

I suppose as consumers we have our own responsibility if there is to be a conversation. Our desires are important, but let’s face it — getting everything for free is probably not a reasonable desire (although the Internet and its largely ad-supported content do make it theoretically possible). Perhaps omo’s insistence that we vote with our wallets is the first step in saying what we need to say.

Any thoughts on how to get the conversation flowing?

- otou-san out!

The Baka-Raptor way

When I asked Kabitzin my survey question, I knew I’d probably get something short but well thought out, like most of his posts. When I asked this next blogger, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to get. Baka-Raptor, known (since the day of his sell-out) by the same name as his Maddox-worshipping site Baka-Raptor.com, is in law school, and promises a blog post on international copyright law sometime in the next decade. He’s great at distilling his opinions down more concisely than just about anyone (see Kurenai: “The ending was terrible.”).  Here’s what he had to say:

I’d appoint myself overlord of the anime industry. All anime production would be under my control. Anime would be so good that everybody would want to buy it. Problem solved.

But if that can’t happen…

I believe in the free market. Anime is a desirable enough product that it’ll make it over here in some way, shape, or form. Whether it’s downloadable, streaming, DVD, dual audio, on TV, first episode free, all you can watch for a monthly fee, or some new business model nobody will see coming, things will work out in the long run. We just need to let business run its course.

I submit this as proof that all so-called Libertarians actually believe in dictatorships. Just leave your guns at home when you go vote for Ron Paul this November, ya fascist!

I kid.

I’ve never been one to think that the market corrects itself automatically, but I’m no economist. Frankly, it seems like someone’s got to actually do something while we sit around waiting for “business to run its course.” Fundamentally though, I am with the dinosaur. Boil it down, he’s saying the sky is not falling, and that the onus isn’t on the consumers to hold the sky back anyway.

Are you with BR, or do we as consumers have more responsibility to make something happen in the short run?

- otou-san out!

Kabitzin’s Version

I had to ask Kabitzin of Sea Slug Team! his take on this “issue” because he’s been doing this forever, and because I’m a fan. It was only natural that he (and probably quite a few other people) would mention fansubbing. It turns out Kabitzin tackled the issue three years ago. I suggest everyone reads that post, because it’s typical Kabitzin: concise but meaty, and very thoughtful, skeptical instead of argumentative. That, however, was a direct reaction to the fansubbing issue, whereas I was hoping to be more forward-looking here. Three years later, we shouldn’t be in the same spot, and it appears that he agrees. So, on with his thoughts:

I have always felt that the industry needs to stop focusing on pointing fingers and start coming up with solutions.  I think what you have seen companies do recently with day-of streaming and official subs is a step in the right direction.  In America, fansubs built the anime consumer base and to target fansubs before you have a viable solution in place is counter-productive.  I think the music industry offers some hints about how to proceed.  Once you’ve got services with large selections, reasonable prices, and fast releases then you can really start cracking down on pirates and fansubbers.  Until then, all you are doing is decreasing your potential audience.

Well said. The music industry has been slow on the uptake though, and if it takes anime production and licensing companies just as long as the Big Four and the RIAA, we’re in for another few years of the same crap.

The main point I can take away from this is that there are two attitudes you could have.

1. “A fansub downloaded is a DVD sale lost.” That is both logically flawed and, frankly, whiny.
2. “A fansub downloader is a potential customer.” Now that’s the kind of attitude that makes money.

It’s also the same kind of pioneering thinking that got anime over here to begin with. As Kabitzin mentions, fansubbing created today’s market for anime in America. Music downloading led to the iTunes store. You get the idea.

Next up, that classic argument for the efficiency of a dictatorship.

- otou-san out!