Can someone recommend a good Bleach fansub? [Archive]

Kasshin

2004-10-10, 04:19

Well, when there's a review on the translation technicalities, it's not about "opinions" anymore, it's about the facts. Facts that I won't know about, but would want to. Also, seeing someone else's opinion about something is a great help too, sometimes. You may even find people you constantly agree with on most points. Then if they do a (brief) review, it could save you the trouble of downloading all the versions and seeing for yourself. At least it'd help narrow down the number of versions you might check out. Screenshots are usually posted as well; that's definitely much more convenient than downloading a whole episode just to see minor stuff like what the group used for their main dialogue font.

7thMethuselah

2004-10-10, 05:04

This site might be interesting to you to compare the different fansubbers

http://ultima.hafio.info/

hooliganj

2004-10-10, 12:07

7thMethuselah

2004-10-10, 13:55

Since one guy said anybody but Lunar, I'll chime in and say Lunar is the one I'm going with for now. Their translation isn't as 'technically' accurate as A-Keep/Anbu's, but it's because they tried to localize and adapt the dialogue a bit, not because they didn't know what was being said.

And I could care less about Death God (Lunar) vs Soul Reaper (A-Keep/Anbu).

i went Lunar as well wince they tried to make the dialogue into a soft kind of slang, some won't like this, others will, personally I don't mind, makes the dialogues more real. No one goes around shouting complicated words when they are about the smash someone's skull :D

A good thing about ANBU/A-Keep is that they do not translate the moves, while Lunar did... Ah well, I can't have it all I guess :)

crumja

2004-10-10, 14:22

Personally, I'm holding out for TW.

Crimsonmon

2004-10-10, 14:37

http://www.anime-planet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13681 should give you an idea of the different groups.

I'd hardly count on the opinion of those elitists.

zalas

2004-10-10, 18:28

I'd hardly count on the opinion of those elitists.
How so? Some of the opinions on that forum are rather not useful, but the threads do link to specific instances of comparisons and also screenshots.

Meatwad

2004-10-10, 18:59

How so? Some of the opinions on that forum are rather not useful, but the threads do link to specific instances of comparisons and also screenshots.
most are STILL biast reviews, bashing on groups they do not like.

crumja

2004-10-10, 19:02

As an occasional reviewer on A-Planet, I have to say that, yes, bias is a human trait and is unavoidable in ALL reviews.

Yes, I am biased. That is because certain groups develop reputations. Despite that, we do try our best to give a good recommendation after examining all aspect of the final release.

However, I haven't seen any group bashing (that was allowed by mods) because we do respect everyone's reasons for and mentalities of subbing.

DekaMaster

2004-10-10, 20:03

A site dedicated to ripping apart fansubs is a lame idea IMO.

crumja

2004-10-10, 21:17

I think that comment is a bit harsh. We do review all aspects of different groups' versions, both to give viewers information about each without having to download and to provide subbers with areas to improve on (if they care).

What's more, anime-planet's main purpose is to recommend shows. One subforum dedicated to reviewing different versions doesn't mean the site is dedicated to ripping groups.

Meatwad

2004-10-10, 21:21

A site dedicated to ripping apart fansubs is a lame idea IMO.
I totally agree!

zalas

2004-10-11, 03:58

A site dedicated to ripping apart fansubs is a lame idea IMO.
Having leechers blindly following whatever fansubbers do is a worse idea. Having an idea of where a fansub is deficient will encourage people to improve.

LytHka

2004-10-11, 04:10

If you are looking for the best fansub possible it's best to check out APN, especially for the more popular shows like Bleach. I'll agree with crumja: it gets as biased as one human nature can be.

I always check APN forums yet I don't always agree with the OPINIONS and PREFERENCES expressed there. The facts are there and to those facts noone opposes (noone can oppose).

Comments like 'comparing fansubs is silly' usually come from people not caring for the release quality (meaning people who download the first version out there) and fansubbing n00bs not getting their job done right or just lacking confidence in knowing the quality of their work.

Shenlong

2004-10-11, 05:33

I took a look at the Bleach fansub comparison thread and I couldn't help but come away feeling angry and very disgusted. There was one poster whining that all the groups translating "shinigami" to death god/soul reaver/whatever was a "slap in the face" to the manga readers.. I'm sorry but such wanabe elitist fanboys need a good hard dickslapping :o

To be honest, that poster looks to the minority and there are alot of useful info on the AnimePlanet forums like the screenshot comparisons and the analysis on how each fansub group translated lines differently. I am a bit leery though, how can I trust the board's translator over the fansubber's translators on how a line should be best translated? I think I will revisit the board whenever I need a fansub review or analysis as long as I remember to cut though all the BS, bias and fanboui drivel

zalas

2004-10-11, 13:49

I am a bit leery though, how can I trust the board's translator over the fansubber's translators on how a line should be best translated? I think I will revisit the board whenever I need a fansub review or analysis as long as I remember to cut though all the BS, bias and fanboui drivel
Generally the board's translators have done and/or are doing translators at the moment, so they are just as good or bad as any fansub translator. runpsicat is like the lead translator for kraze, etc.

crumja

2004-10-11, 15:24

The reviewers on the site are mostly subbers who specialize in that area and are universally respected in their job.

DekaMaster

2004-10-11, 15:55

Having leechers blindly following whatever fansubbers do is a worse idea. Having an idea of where a fansub is deficient will encourage people to improve.

Leechers don't care about reviews of groups work. Leechers care about what comes first period. If that site wants to review anime fine. But what they are doing is the same attitude as bitching about free fansubs. Fansubs are free let the subbers do their own thing. And it was said that the people reviewing the fansubs there are "fansubbers respected for their work" or something. That is just an open door to biased reviews. And who exactly are these respected reviewers?

A fansubber told me he has no interest in critizing another groups work and I totaly agree with that. This kind of place just breeds flames and contempt.

Kawaii_tsunami

2004-10-11, 18:22

lunaranime subs it
anbu and anime keep subs it
and theres a few more i think. im not completely sure.

ps. lunaranime and anbu & akeep's subs are pretty similar...(cept the karoake)...

i've watched both versions, i think both of them are fine.
bleach rox! (first time i heard bleach, i thought it was bout bleaching clothes...>.>)

bayoab

2004-10-11, 18:25

Leechers don't care about reviews of groups work. Leechers care about what comes first period. If that site wants to review anime fine. But what they are doing is the same attitude as bitching about free fansubs. Fansubs are free let the subbers do their own thing.

Yes, fansubbers can do whatever they want, but I do not want to waste 175mb x (# of copies of new anime) to find out who is going to do an assorific job when I can just look at a nice 5mb screenshot list and see that group X is the best. There are two types of leechers, ones who actually give a shit that their sub is not BS and ones who dont. AP caters to the former. And this "you cant bitch about free" or whatever is just a load of garbage. But Ill stop the rant there.. and on the topic of Bleach, a quick look at the screenshots clearly shows that IY4e possibly has no clue about what they are doing and Lunar's t/ls are always bad..so that leaves Krapbu of the groups that are out.

And it was said that the people reviewing the fansubs there are "fansubbers respected for their work" or something. That is just an open door to biased reviews. And who exactly are these respected reviewers?
This is going completely offtopic....
It's not like all of them are respected, but there are a few there who I know do a decent job in what they do so... (And a few who suck...but you need to learn your reviewer...just like with movies.)

DekaMaster

2004-10-11, 19:47

Well this is all just my opinion people are more then free to disagree with me. But I will never agree with a site like that.

JediNight

2004-10-13, 02:27

I have to agree with bayoab here. Anyone who knows me knows I don't have any love saved for Lunar, but its well-founded IMHO. I would recommend Keep/Anbu as the best ATM as well. Their video quality is guaranteed to be top notch with Deathwolf encoding it and the typesets are much more pleasing as well (Lunars OP sfx really clash with the video). Lunar prefers fudging the translation alot which people see as "making it common English" when that may be true, but it also stems from translations that aren't as accurate from the get-go...

DekaMaster

2004-10-13, 02:52

Lucier

2004-10-13, 03:01

As DekaMaster has already noticed...

Rule #1: Never trust JediNight on any fansub-reviews... all he ever does is group bash... He's done it in the past on these forums, as well as on Anime-Planet's forums...(The fact that he knows basically no Japanese, and states that we "fudge" translations (despite the fact we don't...) is simply proof of it...)

As for comparisions...
Our version and ANBU's version is very similiar in many many ways...
I personally despise keep's main font as it is hard to read... but that's just my personal opinion...
As for translations, they're mostly identical in meaning between ANBU and us... Though our translator (not me) prefers a more slangish English tone, and crustol prefers the more literal translation...
The fact that the meaning is almost always the same says, at least, that both groups are doing a great job on translation.

I'd say in the end, either version will satisfy your needs...
If you prefer a bit more "street level" english, go with ours... if you prefer a more literal-style, go with anbu's...

DekaMaster

2004-10-13, 03:38

Lucier you guys do a good job. So does anbu/akeep. But people jediknight just like to bash. You see it all over forums like this. It's sad really.

LytHka

2004-10-13, 08:27

OK so you just hate lunar and like bashing them. Thanks for the heads up.

And you obviously don't have any clue what you are talking about right now. Both Lunar's and ANBU/Keep's are solid releases yet ANBU/Keep's is better. At least ep 01. Who knows for ep 02? Everything can change. These are all simple facts and no matter what you say here the fact will remain as is. And I don't think JediNight said anything bashful or 'hate charged' towards anyone. Nor expressing it. He just said (as I do agree with him) that Lunar really doesn't have the best record of all of their releases. The speed of their releases is appreciated, but that's not something that should be a big part of a recommendation.

Aru

2004-10-13, 08:53

OK so you just hate lunar and like bashing them. Thanks for the heads up. and...

Rule #1: Never trust JediNight on any fansub-reviews... all he ever does is group bash... He's done it in the past on these forums, as well as on Anime-Planet's forums...(The fact that he knows basically no Japanese, and states that we "fudge" translations (despite the fact we don't...) is simply proof of it...)

Obviously if there wasn't anything to bash about, he wouldn't be doing it.

But people jediknight just like to bash. You see it all over forums like this. It's sad really.

You know, ALOT of the posts that I've seen from you are pretty insulting. Does that make you a sad person?

Kawaii_tsunami

2004-10-13, 09:33

I frankly think both fansubs are doing great jobs period.
Don't you? you really cant compare 2 fansubs because THEY'RE DOING IT FOR FREE.
just be thankful that they even continue fansubbing, cuz without em....(no matter how great or bad) we'd wouldnt get all this anime.

just worry about what you wana watch and dont worry about what others want to watch

personally...i think this thread has started some major bashing for lunar.

Enragin_Angel

2004-10-13, 10:15

There should probably be a sticky somewhere saying that you cannot use the "fansubs are free" defense in a recommendation/review thread.

ShikaShika

2004-10-13, 10:28

This (http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=331953&postcount=149) was the deciding factor for me. (You make up your own mind about what I decided.)

LytHka

2004-10-13, 10:30

There should probably be a sticky somewhere saying that you cannot use the "fansubs are free" defense in a recommendation/review thread.

Exactly. When you WANT to output and recommend the best fansub out there of a certain show, you HAVE to compare. Otherwise it's just praising/bashing without any foundations. Not that it is bashing when comparing. Reviews/recommendations should be useful information even for fansubbers so that they'll know for their future releases where to improve. Those who can't stand constructive criticism are just self-centered egostical freaks.

This has gone way off the topic. My recommendation still stands.

DekaMaster

2004-10-13, 14:23

and...

Obviously if there wasn't anything to bash about, he wouldn't be doing it.

You know, ALOT of the posts that I've seen from you are pretty insulting. Does that make you a sad person?

You are kidding arn't you? You think people need a reason to bash something? Some people just bash because they are bitter people.

And you obviously don't have any clue what you are talking about right now. Both Lunar's and ANBU/Keep's are solid releases yet ANBU/Keep's is better. At least ep 01. Who knows for ep 02? Everything can change. These are all simple facts and no matter what you say here the fact will remain as is. And I don't think JediNight said anything bashful or 'hate charged' towards anyone. Nor expressing it. He just said (as I do agree with him) that Lunar really doesn't have the best record of all of their releases. The speed of their releases is appreciated, but that's not something that should be a big part of a recommendation.

Don't speak as though your opinion is fact. The eltisim in the fansub community is sickening.

I frankly think both fansubs are doing great jobs period.
Don't you? you really cant compare 2 fansubs because THEY'RE DOING IT FOR FREE.
just be thankful that they even continue fansubbing, cuz without em....(no matter how great or bad) we'd wouldnt get all this anime.

Some people feel the need to rip apart what they don't like. Let people reccomend what anime they think is good but any thread that starts "Which groups is better" is just an opening for flames,trolling and bashing.

Enragin_Angel

2004-10-13, 14:59

This is a recommendation thread. You NEED to thoroughly review each fansub so that the leecher can make an educated decision in which fansub to download. Saying, "They're all good" or "Who cares, it's free...if you have a problem then don't download it!" doesn't help him choose one fansub over another.

NoSanninWa

2004-10-13, 18:11

Some people feel the need to rip apart what they don't like. Let people reccomend what anime they think is good but any thread that starts "Which groups is better" is just an opening for flames,trolling and bashing.
The only one bashing here is you. Please stop this innane argument about the validity of this thread. I'm allowing the thread to exist. If someone actually starts to flame a fangroup then I'll deal with it.

As for both being free, that doesn't mean they are equal. Incidently I can't honestly say that one of them is better than the other. I feel that the colloqial tone of Lunar is superior because it fits the characters and mood of the show. On the other hand I feel that the greater attention to literal translation of Keep&ANBU is superior because it informs more about what is actually being said. So far I haven't seen a version that I can say is clearly superior. It is a matter of taste.

JediNight

2004-10-13, 18:17

Deckamaster: Apparently you misunderstood, my comment about "well-founded" was my point: Lunar has a history over numerous series for the same problems. I don't just randomly choose group names and decide to start bashing on them. You may PM me if you wish more info, but I don't want to be involved in flamewar here.

Rule #1: Never trust JediNight on any fansub-reviews... all he ever does is group bash... He's done it in the past on these forums, as well as on Anime-Planet's forums...(The fact that he knows basically no Japanese, and states that we "fudge" translations (despite the fact we don't...) is simply proof of it...)

Lucier: I say who I think did a good job, and who I think did not as good a job -- thats what a review is. For those that are looking for more colloquial English, Lunar is a good release for them. I make my recommendations based on my preferences of Best quality video, pleasing well-blending typesets, and a fluid but more literal translation. Those people looking for the same things will appreciate my recommendation, those that don't care can take it with a grain of salt, its that simple.

On the note of no Japanese: I have just completed the required credits for my Japanese Minor. This includes 4 years of college-level Japanese courses, was in a Japanese guild in EQ and DAOC for practice, play FF11 where I have the JP client and converse frequently with Japanese players, and of course many many years of watching Anime that nets alot of experience in adding vocabulary/verbs/whatnot as well. I've heard interesting stories about your Japanese "experience" but I'm not going to bring that up here, just looking to clear up your statement.

(End of my replies, carry on with the topic at hand everyone, sorry)

DekaMaster

2004-10-13, 19:48

Deckamaster: Apparently you misunderstood, my comment about "well-founded" was my point: Lunar has a history over numerous series for the same problems. I don't just randomly choose group names and decide to start bashing on them. You may PM me if you wish more info, but I don't want to be involved in flamewar here.

Lucier: I say who I think did a good job, and who I think did not as good a job -- thats what a review is. For those that are looking for more colloquial English, Lunar is a good release for them. I make my recommendations based on my preferences of Best quality video, pleasing well-blending typesets, and a fluid but more literal translation. Those people looking for the same things will appreciate my recommendation, those that don't care can take it with a grain of salt, its that simple.

On the note of no Japanese: I have just completed the required credits for my Japanese Minor. This includes 4 years of college-level Japanese courses, was in a Japanese guild in EQ and DAOC for practice, play FF11 where I have the JP client and converse frequently with Japanese players, and of course many many years of watching Anime that nets alot of experience in adding vocabulary/verbs/whatnot as well. I've heard interesting stories about your Japanese "experience" but I'm not going to bring that up here, just looking to clear up your statement.

(End of my replies, carry on with the topic at hand everyone, sorry)

Would you like a tape measure? :heh: Anyway nice way to end a statement say how much you know then say a little line bashing a translator. You remind me of that guy at the fansub pannel at otakon bashing crustol

NoSanninWa

2004-10-13, 23:23

Apparently I wasn't clear enough. Dekamaster and Enron are getting banned.

Tsukiyomi

2004-10-15, 00:26

bayoab

2004-10-15, 02:18

How come no one has mentioned the underdog yet?

IY-F subs are doing a pretty good job at Bleach as well. So far on par with akeep-anbu and also keeping some of the manga terms as well for the Bleach veterans. :bow:

From the screenshots I have seen.... IY4ever might have somehow got the ending song incorrectly translated and they also have this habit (Which i personally hate) of leaving very hard to translate terms in romaji (like special moves). This leaves the clueless watcher feeling even more clueless.

hooliganj

2004-10-15, 11:19

I don't know if IY-F improved, but the video quality for the first episode was horrible. I'm usually pretty lax about that sort of thing, and maybe it's just because I already had two better looking versions to compare it to, but I wouldn't watch anything that poorly encoded.

Rx_Fink

2004-10-26, 01:01

zalas

2004-10-26, 01:22

I'm not grossly concerned with whose translations are more accurate. But I do have another question... Does anyone have any idea who has the Japanese lyrics (not the translations of the lyrics) for the opening theme right? I've never seen the lyrics between two subs vary so vastly. I like to learn to sing the song, but I can't really do that until I know who has the words right. So what's the general consensus on that?
Generally, for a song like Bleach's OP, it's really hard to get right the first time. My guess, and another translator's guess is that no one has it right. You should probably wait until the single comes out with official lyrics.

bayoab

2004-10-26, 02:27

I'm not grossly concerned with whose translations are more accurate. But I do have another question... Does anyone have any idea who has the Japanese lyrics (not the translations of the lyrics) for the opening theme right? I've never seen the lyrics between two subs vary so vastly. I like to learn to sing the song, but I can't really do that until I know who has the words right. So what's the general consensus on that?

My guess: None of them. (I do not think a single group got the "Hitotsu futatsu" line's ending right.)

Wait for the single or songbooks (Which ever comes first).

Rx_Fink

2004-10-26, 02:35

Generally, for a song like Bleach's OP, it's really hard to get right the first time. My guess, and another translator's guess is that no one has it right. You should probably wait until the single comes out with official lyrics.

Yeah, I've been waiting for that, I'm eager to get my hands on it. Any idea when that will be?

Kakashi8489

2004-10-29, 22:37

@ NoSanninWa
Why are you only going to banned DekaMaster and Enron? If you going to banned them, you might as well banned JediKnight. Since he was flaming as well. One of his post that he was explaning about himself that he knows the Japanese language and he studied it. But, then at the end of his post he made a sarcastic remark "I've heard interesting stories about your Japanese "experience" but I'm not going to bring that up here, just looking to clear up your statement." to Luicer. That remark to me seems uncalled for and I would consider that flaming.

Also, I'm suprised on this topic that most of these people are extremely biased. All of you seem to think that anbu/akeep are the best and the greatest in the world, the people who don't agree with you, you start saying stuff back to them thinking that you'll change their minds and that's how the flaming starts. Just don't react to opinons of others if you don't agree with them entirely.

I think anbu/akeep and Lunar are doing a great job with Bleach. I just prefer Lunar's version more. I usually download a sereis that anbu/akeep sub, the ones that interst me of course. But with Bleach I prefer Lunar's version.

iluid

2004-10-30, 02:02

I think DekaMaster and Enron were banned for hijacking the thread w/ flames, not simply for flaming. They were warned, yet continued w/ many more posts, that's why they were banned when jedi wasn't. Also, I think it was just a temp ban so they would cool down, they can post again now.

And to stay a little on topic, I vote for keep/anbu or TW/Naisho. My big problem with lunar is the stupid timing/typeset style where part of the line comes up, then the rest later.
So lines end up
So lines end up like this.

I hate that, and won't watch releases from any group that abuses it like lunar ^^

bayoab

2004-10-30, 09:19

And to stay a little on topic, I vote for keep/anbu or TW/Naisho. My big problem with lunar is the stupid timing/typeset style where part of the line comes up, then the rest later.
So lines end up
So lines end up like this.

I hate that, and won't watch releases from any group that abuses it like lunar ^^

After seeing TW/Naisho... I'm not exactly sure what to think... the translations in the first minute are VERY different (compared to Krapbu)... one of the two is definitely being lazy or making stuff up... but at least the critical points match...

hooliganj

2004-10-30, 11:41

bayoab

2004-10-30, 13:21

You might be surprised how different two interpretations of the same line can be, and still be perfectly accurate. As long as the critical points match, the rest is up to the translator.

Also TW did at least 6 volumes of the manga before it got licensed. While I wasn't that impressed with their version of the anime, I can't think of any reason that they would have to make anything up at this point.

From what I know, I would trust TW/Naisho more and would just think Krapbu was being lazy...... but here is one of the lines (this is FAR beyond interpretation) (I cant hear the japanese clearly enough to give romaji).
2:47 ep 1...
Krapbu (Keep/Anbu)
"He's crazy"

TW/Naisho
"I've never seen such irrational violence!"

zalas

2004-10-30, 16:55

You might be surprised how different two interpretations of the same line can be, and still be perfectly accurate. As long as the critical points match, the rest is up to the translator.
Generally that is really only true out of context. However, if you have lines upon lines of context, there usually isn't many ways you can interpret something differently and still have it make sense, unless the script writer was being ambiguous.

7thMethuselah

2004-10-30, 17:16

And to stay a little on topic, I vote for keep/anbu or TW/Naisho. My big problem with lunar is the stupid timing/typeset style where part of the line comes up, then the rest later.
So lines end up
So lines end up like this.

I hate that, and won't watch releases from any group that abuses it like lunar ^^

Hehe, that just happens to be a feature I really like :) I chose Lunars version because I like the bit of slang they use (only a bit, more would be bad) and slang is something that suits a series like Bleach (in other sho<s it'd be unacceptable)
Also Lunar uses a good font. The one minor point about Lunar's version is they fact they use the term Death God , that sounds rather lame imo :)

hooliganj

2004-10-30, 18:31

From what I know, I would trust TW/Naisho more and would just think Krapbu was being lazy...... but here is one of the lines (this is FAR beyond interpretation) (I cant hear the japanese clearly enough to give romaji).
2:47 ep 1...
Krapbu (Keep/Anbu)
"He's crazy"

TW/Naisho
"I've never seen such irrational violence!"
2:47? What timer are you using?

At about the 3 minute mark, what you hear is: 何て理不尽なんだ
Given the context, both of the above translations are appropriate, as is Lunar's "That's so messed up." You could also use "This is unreasonable" or make it fancier and try "This is simply unreasonable behavior", however, that wouldn't fit with the character who is delivering the line (random skater punk).

TW's might be considered the most accurate translation, but for that line (and indeed, the entire exchange) I think they interpreted the scene poorly. Keep's works better for the scene, but barely matches the original intent of the line, in other words, it's been interpreted too far. Lunar has substituted a slang term that suits both the situation and the translation nicely, so I think they win this one.

The point is, though, that they are all correct. When transformed into the wonderful medium of the English language where there are thousands of ways to communicate any idea, the filter known as the translator makes all the difference.

ChoBaka

2004-10-30, 23:50

This (http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=331953&postcount=149) was the deciding factor for me. (You make up your own mind about what I decided.)

Aha! The classic mix up between picture and house! ('e' vs. 'ie')

ShikaShika

2004-10-31, 05:23

I believe the word used in this case was "iei". Someone said so in the Bleach thread at least, with manga scans to go along. Anyway, it's a pretty good example of stopping to think if something really makes sense.

sangofe

2004-10-31, 05:50

A plethora of groups are subbing this title and I was wondering if anyone can suggest which one I might like. I prefer a more literal translation but I also appreciate coherent English sentences. I also prefer a very clear and simple font.

Thanks for your help!
'

anbu-keep
unbelievely good karaoke and video.

translatoins are okay, but seems weird to me at some points.
but nothing bad.

sothis

2004-11-20, 12:49

hi guys,

i know this thread is a few weeks old at this point, but someone just pointed it out to me so i'd like to make a few comments.

as the person who runs Anime-Planet i feel i should interject:

specifically to dekamaster:

A site dedicated to ripping apart fansubs is a lame idea IMO.

sounds like someone hasn't taken the time to go anywhere except where the link took you. first and foremost, the purpose of Anime-Planet (or i should say, the largest tool) is the Anime Recommendation Database (http://www.anime-planet.com/animerec/). you might notice this linked from many of the suki pages ("AniRec Database"). here, you can search for a series you like, and it shows you a list of others people think you'd like. all entries have screenshots and descriptions hand written (none taken from nfo which sound like crap, etc). currently around 6,500 recommendations and 700 series created from scratch. also, there's the Vendors List (http://www.anime-planet.com/vendors/) (which i'll be posting about soon, having received permission from NoSanninWa ^_^), which lists any anime vendors online that sell ZERO BOOTLEGS. a rating system is in place as well, though not fully functional yet (this is a new tool). third, a reviews database (http://www.anime-planet.com/reviews/) (still not huge, it's new). fourth, the forum which, yes, contains info on fansub quality. however, it is a fractional part compared to the rest of the site.

to everyone else, especially those who keep saying the site reviewers are elitist and biased:

if you feel this way, why do i not have an email or a private message in my inbox saying so? why is it that people online can whine and complain everywhere, but never try to do anything to stop the problem? i take complaints about the fansub quality forum very seriously, and all i've ever asked (including blatantly saying this in the forum itself) is that people let me know if you feel something sketchy is going on. i personally don't think there is a lot of elitist or biased attitudes, and if there are, well, i'd appreciate a pm telling me who. flaming is NOT ALLOWED, and mostly everyone who posts respects that and tend to post constructive criticisms. i try to personally contact those who i feel are being too flame-worthy or biased, but i don't read every thread so i rely on user comments. or, the moderators are ALL unbiased (including masakari, who people always claim is not), and will gladly listen to pm's from users as well and take care of problems.

the goal of the section is twofold:
1. be a place where users can visit to figure out (with their own judgement) which version to download

2. be a place where fansubbers can come to hear constructive criticism, and possibly improve on their subs. for the most part, i've never heard any fansubber say the forum is a bad thing... usually they are happy and thankful it exists and improve greatly. if they don't complain, why should you? often the people arguing about translations and such ARE TRANSLATORS from various groups. or people discussing different encoding styles ARE ENCODERS. other users can chime in whenever they want about their opinions too, it's a very friendly environment.

so, in summary, if you have a problem, feel free to take it up with me. if not, kindly don't say things like "they are elitist" or "they are biased, all of them" without having either arguments to back it up, or a message in my inbox so i can help fix the problem (so then you, and other users will want to visit the site, as that's my job.)

Shenlong

2004-11-20, 13:40

My post was unecessarily deleted but..

I said that your Anime Planet looked like a good resource that I would recommend as long as people make an attempt to seperate the useful info from the bashing. The screenshot and translation comparisons are always very interesting reading, but from what I saw a good portion of the comments were people stroking their e-egos and with axes to grind against certain groups that got annoying really fast. I feel people should visit the forum with that in mind and use their heads to identify the good from the crap.

Good luck with your site and board, I've become a regular user :)

sothis

2004-11-20, 18:49

glad to hear that, shenlong ^_^

i still would be totally down for hearing who seem to be biased and are against other groups, i really try to crack down on that as fast as possible ^_^... don't want that kinda thing in that section for sure.

truly_FLCL

2005-12-22, 21:21

Which one do you guys prefer? I only have Lunar Anime, so I don't know if that's the best one or not.

NoSanninWa

2005-12-23, 01:24

That's a tough question. Honestly many of the groups subbing Bleach have such different philosophies of subbing that it is mostly a matter of personal choice.

For instance, Lunar uses extremely colloqial vernacular for everyone. In the case of Gin, the dialect that they sub him with drives many people crazy. Other people including myself really appreciate the way that they dialectize the dialogue and feel it adds a great deal to the color of the anime, suiting it wonderfully.

Then there is Anime-Keep which is doing a truly marvelous job. They are arguably using the best translation, combined with a more standard way of fansubbing dialogue. The people who love Anime-Keep best wouldn't budge for anything. Even if they aren't my first choice, I truly understand why.

Then there are other slow subbers like Conclave, that I honestly haven't watched and a whole host of speed subbers with varying levels of quality. I'm certain that others will eagerly tell you which group that they find the best and in some cases they will even be able to enunciate the reason why.

I'd just like to end by saying that u1tima (http://ultima.hafio.info/) lists screenshot comparisons for pretty much every group to give you a taste of how they differ. Check them out:
Bleach episode 1 (http://ultima.hafio.info/Fansubs/Bleach/Bleach.php)
Bleach episode 26 (http://ultima.hafio.info/Fansubs/Bleach/Bleach-26.php)
Bleach episode 52-53 (http://ultima.hafio.info/Fansubs/Bleach/Bleach-52-53.php)
After looking at those screenies you might have an idea which groups you want to try downloading. Unfortunately DatteBOING isn't on that site yet, but their quality is quite good for a speedsubber, despite their silly name.

Taylor--

2005-12-23, 02:32

Out of the ones I've watched..

Dattebayo: Out fast, and good quality. 5/5
Lunar: For the past while they've became slow, but real good quality. 4.5/5
Anime-Keep: Excellent Quality, really slow. 4/5
Bleach Society: Personally don't like their subs, decent quality, out fast. 3/5

Mousuke

2005-12-23, 03:28

Personally I think that Lunar is the best, but I usually get Dattebayo because it comes out overnight ^_^ Dattebayo is pretty good, actually, I have no complaints about it

Grees

2005-12-23, 03:55

I follow Lunars for awhile, but they are becoming too slow for my taste. DB is my choice.

cimtesa

2005-12-23, 04:04

Favorite Bleach fansub?

www.my_stufs.kik.com/okis/support_vids/anni.html (linoczka.blox.pl/html)

NoSanninWa

2005-12-23, 04:09

Favorite Bleach fansub?

www.my_stufs.kik.com/okis/support_vids/anni.html (linoczka.blox.pl/html)
I assume you are saying that you prefer watching a Polish group? Otherwise your answer is meaningless.

Edit: Hmm... since the link and the name of the link are different, it might be pretty much impossible to figure out what you meant even if I spoke Polish.

bayoab

2005-12-23, 05:35

Note: I do not watch this series religiously but I have seen 1 from every group except Lunar as I know how they do things and it is usually pain to watch. The most important thing to me is a good translation.

Beside the stupid silly grammar mistakes, Naisho/TW usually has the best translation. (However, they are incredibly slow which would make them unacceptable to anyone except those who really do not need to see the episode the day after it airs.)

Then there is Anime-Keep which is doing a truly marvelous job. They are arguably using the best translation, combined with a more standard way of fansubbing dialogue. The people who love Anime-Keep best wouldn't budge for anything. Even if they aren't my first choice, I truly understand why.

Then there are other slow subbers like Conclave, that I honestly haven't watched and a whole host of speed subbers with varying levels of quality.

Wouldn't this be vice-versa? Conclave is the part of Keep that was originally working on Bleach.

I have seen Anime-Keep's before the Conclave split and the translation was decent...
but the only reason I took them was that Lunar's fails in the "english thats understandable" department.
I took Naisho/TW over Keep/ANBU originally because Keep's translator was being lazy and coming up with all kinds of "partial" translations for the hard to understand lines.

Bleach-society's translation was mediocre at best, truely the definition of a speed-sub.
Dattebayo got the main dialogue, but had no idea on any of the special moves. (They should have a clue by now.)

Istan Bravo

2005-12-23, 10:55

For me is Anime-Keep. My first language is not English, so I prefer their formal English translation. I love their encode and presentation. The downside is their speed. Waiting for only 1 episode release really takes forever :(

Cyz

2005-12-23, 21:32

To be honest, I don't mind at all. Bleach Society and Lunar are good with the subbing...but the sizes are too big. You can only fit 3 episode in one disc. Dattebayo on the other hand, despite on some grammar problems, you can fit 4 episodes in one disc because of small sizes than Bleach Society and Lunar.

ranchan13

2005-12-23, 21:36

Dattebayo to see it first, Lunar to collect. Dattebayo is a good subbing group, but I think Lunar focuses on better accuracy of the lines.

Friendless

2005-12-23, 21:39

Dattebayo for life.

ScytheBlade

2005-12-23, 21:44

Bleach-Society: Some grammar mistakes, but translation is pretty good. The fastest subber out there so they deserve points for that. 4.5/5

Hell Fansubs: Definitely was THE fastest fansub out there. They have a lot of grammar errors but you can live with it. They rarely sub Bleach now. 3/5

Dattebayo: Never really watched it, but it seems pretty good because I watched it at my cousin's house. Almost no spelling errors and good translation. Also very fast. 4.5/5

Lunar Anime: Definitely the best sub out there in my opinion. Although they are slow they make very good quality subs and have very little, if any, spelling errors. People complain about the accuracy of the translations but I like it because it adds more of the "Bleach feel" to it. They made Gin really stand out on their translations.
5/5

This is based on MY opinion and it WILL differ from yours.

Altogether I usually download Bleach-Society subs first when they come out because I am a fan of theirs and then I download Lunar sub after they release it.

KanaKaishou

2005-12-24, 13:34

I'm like some of the others in this thread:

Datteboyo to watch.
Lunar to keep.

Aru

2005-12-27, 22:12

Lunar is the best (http://img448.imageshack.us/img448/4753/snapshot200512261942569tz.jpg) for Bleach! Might as well watch one of the speedsubs if I'm going for "the general meaning is understandable"-type of translations!

Dark`

2005-12-27, 23:23

That's a tough question. Honestly many of the groups subbing Bleach have such different philosophies of subbing that it is mostly a matter of personal choice.
Not to mention each viewer's personal tastes as well. I mean, I don't think there can every truly be a "best" fansub for any series...unless only one group translates it even remotely properly, and all the other groups are way, way, way off. Personal preference rules the day, and preference is also the thing that leads people to label what is "best" and what they don't like.

Personally, as mentioned by others, I like Lunar. Like NSW, I do appreciate the way they make the lines seem less formal...and the way they treat Gin's lines is very interesting. I'll admit, it was difficult to wrap my mind around his lines once or twice (had to think for a moment), but it's done with a certain kind of genius that I do appreciate.

I've tried Hell Fansubs, Bleach-Society and Dattebayo before. H-F had so many spelling and grammar errors that I found it unbearable. Bleach-Society was good, but one of their episodes (I think 51 or something) seemed like it wasn't QC'd at all, and that really turned me off. Dattebayo does good work, but too many things slip by their QC team for my liking. That's why I went with Lunar. If Lunar ever stops (well...they probably will, as Bleach getting licensed is inevitable) and Keep/ANBU picks up the pace, I think I'd go with them (I may not have watched their releases of Bleach, but I've watched their other releases like FMA and enjoyed them very much). Dattebayo would probably be my choice after those two.

NoSanninWa

2005-12-28, 01:15

Bleach-Society was good, but one of their episodes (I think 51 or something) seemed like it wasn't QC'd at all, and that really turned me off.
In defense of Bleach-Society, I want to say that they had just had a major staff shake-up. Internecine problems caused them to lose half of their Bleach team. The remaining staff members did their best to soldier on and release an episode of Bleach, despite the fact that their entire group nearly disappeared. It was a great triumph for them to get that episode out at all, even in such bad shape.

Fortunately Bleach-Society recovered from that calamity and their next episode was back up to their usual standards of quality. Please don't judge them badly because of problems that really only existed for a single episode.

Dark`

2005-12-28, 01:28

In defense of Bleach-Society, I want to say that they had just had a major staff shake-up. Internecine problems caused them to lose half of their Bleach team. The remaining staff members did their best to soldier on and release an episode of Bleach, despite the fact that their entire group nearly disappeared. It was a great triumph for them to get that episode out at all, even in such bad shape.

Fortunately Bleach-Society recovered from that calamity and their next episode was back up to their usual standards of quality. Please don't judge them badly because of problems that really only existed for a single episode.
Ah, that explains it. I tried not to judge them badly for that one episode (I had seen a couple of their releases prior to the poorly QC'd one I referred to and they were good), it was more like I was wondering what happened. I waited for a while for a v2 to come out, but I never saw one. Maybe they did release one and simply changed the CRC and didn't label it as v2, which is why I never saw it. That was what kind of put me off there. I was thinking to myself, "The release had so many glaring problems, but there was no re-release?! No v2 to correct the errors of the previous version?"

But your post explains a lot, thanks for clearing it up. I truly was wondering what happened. The quality of their releases were always quite high (I still prefer Lunar's releases, but I still enjoyed Bleach-Society's releases, even moreso than Dattebayo's), which might have resulted in me getting turned off even more than if I didn't know they had high quality releases.

NoSanninWa

2005-12-28, 01:48

Personally, I am opposed to speedsubbing in general and probably shouldn't have stood up for them, but my sense of schadenfreude is quite weak.

SirBob

2005-12-28, 06:20

I saw that and was just wondering about how good the quality is.

I typically get my anime from the one group, because I'm stubborn and I like consistency.

But I like what DB are doing. It appears they'll be releasing all future encodes in this manner.

It being smaller in size is a major plus for me, where bandwidth, download quota and general hard drive space are all minimal. Besides, I'm sure it'd be much easier to distribute, which is good for the community.

NoSanninWa

2005-12-28, 06:34

I took a look at it, since at 75 MB it doesn't take very long to download. The video quality was pretty much on a par with their 175 MB releases. Unfortunately the audio took a noticable hit. While the sound isn't really bad, I think that they reduced the quality a bit too far.

Interesting that the biggest quality loss was in audio, not video, eh? Ph34r teh p0w4 of h264!

Goldsplinter

2006-01-25, 10:16

Hmmm? They Seem new to Bleach, any opinions?

wingdarkness

2006-01-25, 10:22

If your watching Lunar and Dattebayo, continue watching Lunar and//or Dattebayo...

Unless something has changed Hell's sub-track is just like English DVD subs and look pretty awful if you ask me (That clunky white lettering)...The quality of the eps are no where close to Lunar (IMO the best) and they don't tend to release eps any faster than Dattebayo (2nd best but #1 in reliable)...So unless your just fiending to watch another version, like your mama says, "You don't ever want to go to hell..."

kiara_

2006-01-31, 06:13

hey all. I'm wondering if someone could tell me which of the subbing groups (the still active ones) are most similar to the Lunar subs. When I say similar, I mean in terms of the vocabulary/terms they use (eg shinigami/death god/ soul reaper etc etc) I've been watching the Lunar subs since the beginning of Bleach, but it appears the crew have either gone on holidays or aren't subbing the new "original" arc. Not that I have a problem with this - they're welcome to take as long as they like :)
I watch the unsubbed version, and while that was still following the manga I could work out what was generally being said. However, with this new arc I have no idea what is going on, and as such would like to watch one of the other subbed versions. After 60 episodes of the terminology Lunar uses, its very strange watching groups who do it differently (I tried a Bleach Society sub somewhere in the 30s)

So if anyone can help me out, even if it is to tell me I'm wasting my time looking, I'd appreciate it.

If all the groups have their little idiosyncracies, I'll just pick a random one and watch that. I'm not terribly fussy about accuracy, so long as the english makes sense.

NoSanninWa

2006-01-31, 07:22

Dattebayo is closest to Lunar's style, but honestly Lunar is unique.

Lucas

2006-02-01, 03:10

NoSanninWa

2006-02-01, 04:00

I wonder what happened to Lunar Anime. Are they undergoing some major uplift or something? Since their announcement to go h264 with Bleach, they've just... gone quiet... No news on their webby or anything? They still ok?
They seem to be okay judging by their forums and channel. They're only 4 episodes behind you know. It happens. Real life can be a bitch that way.

Pandalax

2006-02-02, 02:09

I watched Lunar for the first 62 episodes (everything they've subbed so far) and I really like their subs. They stopped subbing for a few weeks, so I tried the Bleach-society subs. Their subs would miss a line every episode or two, but generally, they are really good too. The only thing is that there are japanese terms where Lunar would translate and B-S would leave out. IE Gigai and faux body (I think). Anyways, I know Lunar has the best subs, but how do the Bleach-Society subs compare to the Dattebayo subs?

gee

2006-02-07, 16:31

I am watching the Lunar ones, and they are really good.
Just 2 bad points :
1- Sometimes they could use the japanese words, for exemple I really did like when BS showed us the kanji for number 3,4,5 while with lunar you just had to accept it...

2- Well, I'm sad, I'm way below my friends so I cannot listen to their chat, but hey I'll wait it's ok :)

Sandman21

2006-02-27, 02:59

As we all know, a certain series can have more than one fansub group. But which one is better? For the sake of my own knowledge, which fansub is better at Bleach. Is it Dattebayo or Lunar Anime?

PS. Sorry if it has already been discussed. I couldn't find it in my search attempt.

-KarumA-

2006-02-27, 09:01

i always use Dattebayo or Lunar subs, but for good quality and a fast release i use Dttebayo only, Lunar takes a while with their subs and currently they are not subbing Bleach, thanks to personal problems with one of their staff memeber *no offense Lunar, i still love you*

Hellfansubs, i tried that one first one time but never again, bad quality so im sticking with Lunar or Dattebayo

i pick Dattebayo because they release it sooner then Lunar

Sandman21

2006-02-27, 10:37

koei

2006-02-27, 12:09

I've been watching Dattebayo from episode one.

Too bad DB picked up bleach around like ep 50ish...

Sandman21

2006-02-27, 14:23

Hehe. Ok. Let me rephrase that. I've been watching Lunar Anime since episode one and jumped over to Dattebayo since episode 50. Sorry about that mistake.hehe.

Fei-san

2006-02-27, 17:07

I've been watching Dattebayo from episode one. I download the RMVB encodes by BleachTV because I had problems with BitTorrent. Now that BitTorrents works for me, I'm thinking of collecting/archiving all the episodes. So I was looking for the best quality available. Dattebayo is known for it's speed subs. And have a pretty good quality. Lunar Anime comes after them and are said to have high quality releases. Any one care to give some critical insight to Bleach fansubs?

PS. Sorry NoSanninWa, I limited by search to the "Fansub groups" forum, I thought it would most likely be in there. Sorry, my bad.
Lunar have the highest quality releases no doubt about that, but i havent watched them for ages because i could not stand all the slang talk.
But the characters talk rudely though so it kinda catches the mood i supose :o
But myself i prefer Bleach-Society :)

defrule

2006-02-27, 19:36

Same goes for me, it's been lunar up to around 59 i think

lanfear

2006-02-28, 12:15

Heh. Obviously Dattebayo is far better, and I know that even though I don't even watch the show!

Seriously, the best idea is to download an episode or two from both and watch them, and then decide which one you like better. We're probably comparable in quality, but the styles are pretty different, so just take a look at both and see what you prefer.

HeavyYeti

2006-02-28, 16:14

Hehe...
Careful what I say now, eh?

Truth be told, Dattebayo is damn good for being speedy. And I often get my quick fix from you guys.

However, when it come to quality and what I'm actually putting on my DVD's...Lunar all the way. The slang might piss some off, but it adds to character and plot like you wouldn't believe. Gin, for example...my God, his speech just makes his character eek out that creepiness.

Soluzar

2006-02-28, 17:19

I don't like the various comments and junk that Dattebayo put at the beginning of some episodes. Some of it seems pretty prejudiced or racist to me. I guess it's just jokes in bad taste, but I'm not a fan of it. The rest just seems like it has nothing to do with anime, and that's why I downloaded the fansub. To watch anime.

Having said that, their TL quality isn't terrible. There are a few times I've noticed what I thought was a mistake, but nothing that's going to spoil the episode for me that much... there are differences in the video and sound quality between a DB encode and a Lunar encode, but hey, it's a speedsub, video quality isn't why you'd watch it. It's never bad enough to make watching it a chore. Overall the only real difference between Dattebayo and Lunar is one of style. Lunar anime have made at least as many mistakes as Dattebayo have.