Anime that has been subtitled by an amateur individual or group, usually because professional subtitling and/or dubbing hasn't been done yet. Many anime releases are available in the U.S. in fansub form months or even years before a professional job is done (if it ever is), often within a week or two of its airing in Japanese TV. They once were mostly seen at conventions and in college anime groups, but distribution via the Internet has become the common practice over the last few years. Parody fansubs of popular titles also do exist. Though fansubs violate copyright laws, they are usually tolerated as a means of promoting interest in a title prior to its official translation and release, provided that they are not sold – although this may be changing. Many (but not all) Internet sites that allow downloading or file-swapping of fansubs will pull titles from circulation once they have officially been licensed for U.S. distribution.
(also fansubbed): anime titles that have not been licenced or distributed in North America, but that have been subtitled by anime fans or anime clubs. Fandubs, where fans have done the voices themselves, are also sometimes available, though very rare. Fansubs are supposed to be sold at cost because organizations or individuals who subtitle them do not legally hold a licence over them and therefore cannot generate a profit by them. Fansub sites are the best place to look for titles that are new in Japan, and that are popular among fans here. Many titles later picked up by companies in North America started out as fansubs ( Rurouni Kenshin, Weiss Kreuz). As soon as the licence is purchased in North America fansubs become illegal, and all legitimate fansub sites will remove them from their list.
a bootleg translated and subtitled by anime fans, rather than a professional company who actually distributes them too
a movie or an episode that is in another language and is subtitled in English at the bottom of the screen
an Anime that has been translated and subtitled by groups of people who want to promote and introduce Anime that are not yet available in North America
an anime that was subtitled into another langauge by fans (of anime)
an anime video which has been subtitled by amateur translators, generally fans
an unauthorized reproduction, ergo it is a bootleg, and anyone who creates or distributes that content is a bootlegger
a piece of anime that has been translated and subtitled by fans
a subtitled translation of an anime episode or movie created by amateur fans in an effort to promote awareness of anime
a subtitled version of an anime show produced by private, amateur anime fans on a non-profit basis
a tape that has been translated by somebody besides a licensed company
a translated, subtitled version of an anime series produced by fans instead of a video company
a video program (anime or otherwise) that is translated and subtitled by fans and distributed to other fans on a strictly not-for-profit basis
a work of anime that a private party has subtitled, usually a fan, as opposed to a domestic anime company
A subtitled version of a show, made by a fan for the benefit of other fans. It is not intended to be a profit making effort – if purchased, the price of a fansub should be equivalent to the price of a blank tape or CD plus shipping.
A subtitle script translated by movie fans, for distribution to other fans. Not professionally prepared or officially licensed.
This is a collection of anime that has not been commercially released, and has been translated or subtitled by fans as a way to view unreleased titles. While fansub is illegal, it is generally tolerated by companies.
Fan-produced translated, subtitled version of an anime.
An unofficial release of an anime series subtitled by fans for fans. The theory behind the practice is to make the non-Japanese speaking anime community aware of anime in the hopes of having it licensed for Western release. However, the process is illegal as it infringes copyright laws, especially by those who profiteer from selling fansubbed anime, which is a big no-no.
This is an anime subtitle track produced by fans and added to anime not yet translated into the fansub creators' (also called 'fansubbers') home language. The quality of fansubs can vary depending on the translating ability of the fansubber and also on whether they do a literal translation or their own script. Fansubs used to be distributed on VHS and VCD for the cost of the Cassette or CD. Although unlicensed by the animation studio, fansubs generally escaped prosecution for piracy as many fansubbers translate series unlicensed in their home country and stop distributing their versions when the rights are bought properly. However, this is becoming more difficult to control with the advent of digital media (see 'Digisubs' above), and studios have started to clamp down on fansub groups, particularly those who illegally distribute licensed series and films.
A video translated and subtitled by anime fans, rather than a professional company. They are of widely varying quality (from near-professional to barely watchable), and are usually distributed by fans willing to spend the time to copy and mail tapes for the cost of shipping and the blank video. Though quasi-legal, since they are only usually available for series that have not yet been translated into English "officially", and when done properly are not used to make a profit, they are generally accepted without much hassle, and are relatively popular with hardcore fans, as well as those who like uncut (and perhaps subtitled) versions of series such as Sailor Moon or Dragonball.
An as-yet-unavailable-in-English anime that has been translated and subtitled by anime fans for fans. Usually available for series that have not yet been translated into English 'officially'.
An unofficial video tape release of an anime that has been subtitled into English by fans. While technically illegal because of copyright issues, fansubbing has been one of the major vehicles for getting translated shows into the hands of Western audiences. Hence, fansub projects are looked upon favorably by veteran anime viewers, provided the fansubbers make
Anime that has been made available translated by fans. These series are usually ones that have not yet been released outside of Japan for commercial viewing.
An anime title that has been subtitled by fans.
A fansub (short for fan-subtitled) is a copy of a foreign movie or television show which has been subtitled by fans in their native language. It is most commonly used to refer to fan-translated anime videos that are shared amongst other fans.