Frequently Asked Questions

What is Anime?
What is the difference between Anime and Manga?
Hey! You gave my favorite series a bad rating, what gives?
What do you base your ratings on?
Where can I buy anime?
Anime costs too much, I'd have to sell crack to afford everything I want!
Which is better, Subtitled or Dubbed?
What's a Fansub?

What is Anime?
Anime is a term used to describe Asian animation covering a wide variety of genres. Sometimes it's called by the older term "Japanamation", though not all anime is from Japan. China and Korea are also sources of animation similar to that of Japan, and can be considered anime as well. In the US it is usually Japanese animation that is associated with the term anime. For years, anime was lumped with "cartoons", and only recently has become its own genre in the West. This is an improvement, but is still incorrect and can lead to misperceptions about anime. Like live action movies, stage, opera, and any other medium of performance, anime should be divided into separate genres, to distinguish titles. As any fan knows, there are vastly different types of anime, from children's titles like Pokemon, comedies like Tenchi, sci-fi like Evangelion, fantasy like Lodos War, horror like Vampire Hunter D, and even pornographic titles. Just because you've seen Pokemon and thought it was stupid doesn't mean you won't be moved by Princess Mononoke or thrilled by Akira.
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What is the difference between Anime and Manga?
Manga are Japanese graphic novels, illustrated in the same distinct style that is found in Anime. These novels are often serialized, often for years with dozens of titles. Anime is the animated form of Manga, often shorted and more action-oriented. There's a great deal of crossover, with series available as both Anime and Manga. This is especially true from a Western perspective, since much of the manga that gets translated is first released in the West as it's animated cousin.
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Hey! You gave my favorite series a bad rating, what gives?
All of my reviews and ratings are really just my opinion, and should be viewed as such. I try to be objective, but entertainment is a highly subjective subject, so what I like and dislike probably isn't shared by anyone. My personal taste in anime leans toward drama and action with an emphasis on character and plot over the visual art. The movies and series I review tend to reflect that, you'll notice that there are very few children's, hentai, and "fighting" type titles. My opinions of anime comedies tend to be mixed, and it's there where I strive to be the most objective.
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What do you base your ratings on?
As I've said before, it can be difficult to remain objective. Nonetheless, I try to be as fair as possible when reviewing and rating anime and manga. Basically, there's one star for each of five areas: character, writing, animation/art, theme, and enjoyability Because my impression of a piece is a combination of all these factors, I resist breaking a title down by them, but instead rate the whole on a 1-5 scale. It's very difficult to get a full five points this way, but it's also very hard for a title to get a rating of one.
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Where can I buy anime?
Anime has become increasingly popular, which is good for anyone who wants to buy it. Just a few years ago, all but the most popular titles were impossible to find outside of specialty retailers like comic book stores. Now, almost every video, music, and game retailer caries at least a few titles, though the prices can be high. The best place to find anime is on the internet, either at second hand sites such as Half.com or Ebay, or retail sites like Amazon.com, Buy.com, and DVDPlanet.com.
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Anime costs too much, I'd have to sell crack to afford everything I want!
With the huge number of anime titles out there, building a decent anime collection, or even just a few series can be hugely expensive. With most other genres, renting or watching on television is a viable option, unfortunately most video stores have a microscopic anime section, and most televised anime is heavily edited. Luckily, a little bit of smart shopping can save a bundle. First, get a DVD player. Not only are DVDs often better quality, but most companies pack more episodes per disc than they do on VHS tapes. Plus, most DVDs contain both dubbed and subtitled versions, so you won't have to worry about buying the best one. I usually check a DVD rental site, like Netflix.com first. While there can be an agonizingly long wait for titles to ship, the pricing is decent, and it's a great way to preview a series before you commit to buying it. Next, once I decide I want to own a title, I'll check on Half.com or Ebay to see if I can get a used title for cheap. You'll get the best deals on older titles, but even newer ones are often below retail. Second, shop around. While sites such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, and DVDPlanet.com on average have comparable prices, individual titles can differ greatly from site to site. I usually avoid retail outlets, as their prices are too high, and selection too low. Keep an eye out for deals like coupons, sales, and free shipping, and you're sure to save a bundle.
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Which is better, Subtitled or Dubbed?
Thousands have died attempting to settle the age old question of which is better. OK, that might be an exaggeration, but there have been a lot of heated arguments over the subject. Purists claim that English voice-overs are terrible, the stories are mutilated it the process, and the end product is far inferior to the original. Proponents of dubbing often accuse subtitled anime of being to hard to watch, saying they want to enjoy anime and have fun, and don't want to read an entire movie or series. In truth, it's really a matter of taste and individual anime. Some anime is much better without the voice-overs, especially anime translated in the 80's. Now that budgets for translating and dubbing anime have increased with it's popularity, the quality is much better. Unless you can speak Japanese fluently, you're probably going to enjoy the English language version better. Fortunately with the advent of bilingual DVDs, you don't have to make the choice at the video store, take a look at both versions and decide which you like better.
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What's a Fansub?
A Fansub is a piece of anime that has been translated and subtitled by fans. Usually, this is done by a club that has access to the equipment for subtitling as well as at least one member who is fluent in Japanese and English. Fansubs can be a great way to watch a title before it's been released in the US, some series are available even while their still on Japanese TV. On the downside, many of these titles are second or third generation copies, so don't expect the quality to be Top notch. Fansubbers getting around the moral issue of video piracy by only subbing titles that have no US distributor, and charging only the price of the tapes they copy onto. It's a legal grayarea, but it's unlikely that any Japanese companies will sue them. Once the title has a US distributor, reputable fansubbers will cease distributing copies of the title, even if the release date is a year away. Of course, not everyone is as ethical as the folks actually making the sub, so some distributors of fansubs may have the titles available long after the official, licensed US copy is released. Fansubs shouldn't be considered as a substitute for commercial anime, but rather as a way for fans of a particular series or artist/director to indulge themselves until the official version is released.
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