AnimeSuki Forums

***GHDpro*** · 2011-09-07, 12:36

IMPORTANT: THIS THREAD CONCERNS THE TORRENT INDEX (www) PART OF ANIMESUKI AND NOT THE FORUM!

Some people will undoubtedly argue we're quite late with this assessment, but it has become obvious that the relevancy of the torrent index (www) part of the site has diminished to a level where I am not certain it is worthwhile continuing.

Since shortly after its conception AnimeSuki always listed only unlicensed English anime fansubs. However in recent times with the advent of legal streams on Crunchyroll, NicoNico, Hulu (etc) the amount of series left for us to list is minimal. I wouldn't say there are no good shows left for us to list, but there are certainly only very few.

Added to this is the problem that most people who watch recent anime through the internet can be divided into two groups: those that have embraced the new legal streams and those that don't and continue to download torrents (which frequently use subtitle rips of CR etc). Neither group is likely to visit AnimeSuki for the torrent index: those who mostly watch streams go to those sites directly and those who still use torrents most probably use sites other than AnimeSuki as they are looking for content AnimeSuki doesn't list.

So I ask, is it perhaps time to end it?

With that I mean to stop trying to actively keep the torrent index up-to-date with the latest torrents (for the few series we still list). It would be no problem to keep the site online, but without updates it will be only a historical archive of some sort and cease being a place to find new torrents.

I've also thought about the idea of listing streams (in addition to torrents) on the site in the past, but there are two problems with this: I myself am in the camp of people who are still sticking with torrents and have trouble motivating myself to build such a feature that I am myself not likely to use and (for the aforementioned reasons) I am not sure if AnimeSuki attracts the right target audience for such a feature anyway.

Alternatively - and this is the reason for this thread - is there anything else we can do with the site? Perhaps take it in a different direction and not focus on the latest and greatest, but only older series that haven't been licensed for ages. Or perhaps the license database could take a more prominent role. Do you have any suggestions? (Note that discarding our listing policy and simply list everything regardless of license status is not an option)

This all does not affect the forum much, if any btw. There may be a few changes if we stop updating the torrent index (like getting rid of a few sub-forums that don't make much sense anymore in that case), but those will hardly impact most forum visitors.

I thank you for your comments...

Dist · 2011-09-07, 12:43

What I want to know is who uses the torrent feature in the first place, what's the point? There's many torrent sites out there, Nyaa being the most popular one and I have never used the AS one.

With that said, though it doesn't obviously concern me, I think it's time to end it as I don't even see a purpose for it in the first place.

k//eternal · 2011-09-07, 12:50

Perhaps the site should collect anime ratings/reviews and post anime news? Some kind of anime index which also points you to similar series, so if you like something you've got suggestions, etc.

***GHDpro*** · 2011-09-07, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dist

What I want to know is who uses the torrent feature in the first place, what's the point? There's many torrent sites out there, Nyaa being the most popular one and I have never used the AS one.

With that said, though it doesn't obviously concern me, I think it's time to end it as I don't even see a purpose for it in the first place.

I think back in late 2002 when the site got started there were a lot fewer people who would agree with you. Back then there was no Crunchyroll. Or Hulu. Or NyaaTorrents (I think). There was a site that was similar to what TokyoTosho now is (bt.mircx.com if I recall correctly), but that lacked organization which AnimeSuki provided. In any case I do feel the site was relevant at some point in its history.

Quote:

Originally Posted by k//eternal

Perhaps the site should collect anime ratings/reviews and post anime news? Some kind of anime index which also points you to similar series, so if you like something you've got suggestions, etc.

While not a bad idea in principle we would not exactly be unique with that. Tons of sites already offer such content.

Keriaku · 2011-09-07, 13:06

Something I definitely like about Animesuki over places like NyaaTorrent is that Animesuki is much more organized and easier on the eyes. That being said, my usage of Animesuki for torrents has definitely gone down over the recent anime seasons for the reasons stated above.

Though I don't think that all the older torrents should disappear, because they are useful, maybe something like what k//eternal suggested would be a good idea for still staying relevant. Other then that, maybe just switch from posting up individual episodes to only putting up whole series of unlicenced anme? More of a boxtorrent style, while still being organized and useful in the long run.

Reckoner · 2011-09-07, 14:53

In this website's earlier life I used to visit all the time for torrents, but since like 2008 and on, my usage has diminished due to other databases like nyaa and licensed content not being available on the site.

I personally don't see much use for it anymore. It's more hassle for the staff than it's worth since it's pretty much faded away its worth.

monster · 2011-09-07, 17:28

If you're willing to go beyond bittorent and anime, you could always either add or switch entirely to listing manga releases, specifically for those that are offered outside of IRC.

Gagagigo · 2011-09-07, 17:33

Coming out of years worth of lurking here to comment on this. Account created < 3 minutes ago to do so.

There is simply no better index of anime torrents on the internet than Animesuki. This was true back in 2003 when I personally discovered the site, and it is still true now. There is nothing that cleanly as cleanly indexes or makes searchable, by show, exactly what you are looking for. With useful links to other sites to help you learn about new shows, this site simply cannot be beat.

Beyond that, what I fear if this site were to shut down is that there would be no meaningful way for people to find those older shows that are simply never going to show up on Crunchyroll or Nico or DVD and whatnot, and those are the shows that will get seeded for like a day after an episode gets released and will again be lost to the mists of time for most of us.

The other issue with using other sites is that they serve a wider variety of interests than English fansubs-things like raw episodes, subs in other languages, soundtracks, and in a couple of cases, links to commercial versions of some fansubs or the aforementioned rips of CR and stuff...in other words, things that don't fall into that grey area regular fansubs have lived out of. And again, they simply do not have the level of organization, and the level of detail many of them offer on each torrent(for example, is this thing even what it says it is) is laughable at best.

TLDR: Shutting this site down does not effect the established, airing right now shows or the people that watch the "official" streams. It effects the lesser known gems that will never see the light of day in the English speaking world. And frankly, using other sites is much more difficult and often makes getting what this site does a lot more difficult.

Urzu 7 · 2011-09-07, 17:54

I don't know how feasible this idea is, since this could involve a lot of money, but what about working with companies to legally stream content? Anime News Network jumped on that bandwagon. We could start off small, and if it succeeds, this could be a site that offers viewers many shows, OAVs, and films to watch.

It is just an idea. I really don't know how feasible it is, but for anime sites, this seems like a bandwagon to jump on. This could also increase the size of the forum community.

Flower · 2011-09-07, 18:01

Fwiw I actually LIKE the fact that animesuki's torrent page has included material that was unlicensed - mainly because the listings were of many subbing groups and titles that I did not know about and would have had difficulty finding otherwise.

I would vote to keep it the way it is, but then I am not involved in the maintenance of the listings, which I have no doubt could be a difficult task.

JackBassV · 2011-09-07, 18:16

While series such as Appleseed XIII almost certainly will get licensed, it's lesser known titles, such as Denpa Onna and Hanasaku Iroha which need a site such as this.

I personally dislike the licensed streaming sites, mainly because they go for the "Mainstream" titles - pun intended. Titles like Gosick are brilliant but are unlikely to be released in the UK, so I have to either purchase them from the 'states or download them . Not what I really want to do, but since I'm treated like a criminal (No bluray's from the USA - only what We want you to watch) I really have little choice if I want to watch the latest series.

BTW, this is spreading to the Manga market too. A series I read can now be downloaded, but only by americans... Life Sucks big time.

JBV

doll_licca · 2011-09-07, 19:42

As a fansubber, I would say no to removing the torrent index.

As a fansubber who mostly works on older series and is willing to "follow the rules" to get things listed here, this site is a godsend. In fact, approximately 1/2 of the hits to our blog is referred from here.

Also, a lot of the older series listed here are nowhere to be seen anywhere else (that doesn't require registration or a ratio). Basically, this site is one of the last bastions on how fansubbing used to be (and should be).

Kudryavka · 2011-09-07, 20:00

I do use and love the AnimeSuki torrent listings, they're extremely easy to use and well organized. I also use Nyaa, but it's not 110% foolproof like AnimeSuki is, so I like AnimeSuki more (heh, I'm still a little wobbly with fansubs :P).

But if the torrent listings have just become a white elephant now, sucking up bandwidth and staff's time while not delivering something super unique, then I'd understand letting the torrents go.

Knight Hawk · 2011-09-07, 20:44

Perhaps an index of older series that have been abandoned/not licensed, like the ones from the 90s 80s 70s and so on. With each of these classics having it's own information page a la anidb[dot]net or ANN. Each page containing a torrent or stream.

gsilver · 2011-09-07, 20:59

I greatly appreciate Animesuki for what it is, a list of the latest non-licensed releases. A lot of the reason why I visit the site is for releases of older shows, and there isn't even anything remotely comparable for per-episode releases. Yes, I use it for new shows, too, and non-licensed new releases are dwindling, but there is still a significant volume of those. I really don't have a need for torrents of shows on Crunchyroll, et al, so the lack of those listings is convenient for me.

I could visit the individual group pages, but that would be much less convenient, especially when releases are infrequent.

wingdarkness · 2011-09-07, 22:13

LOL...It's funny really, but I haven't used that torrent index in atleast 5 years...But some sentimental nostalgia inside of me wants yall to keep it so I can start using it again^^...

But yah, bag it -__-

Although keeping an index of pre-2000 titles could be the saving grace...

Viresse · 2011-09-07, 23:52

Like Gagagigo, I just created a forum account just to post on this.

It would actually be a huge loss to me if the torrent listing was closed or no longer updated (as I very very rarely visit the forums). I've used it practically every day for the last 3 years. I've also been a regular visitor since 2002-2003. And I always make sure my friends have tried here first if they're looking for something and want my help finding/downloading it. In fact one of them is a regular visitor now as well since he's a huge fan of older unlicensed series.

mulesquito · 2011-09-08, 04:15

End it? But I thought Anime Suki was the hub of the anime torrent universe

I check the index several times per week, mostly for inspiration to look into titles that I don't recognize. However, I torrent by the batch whenever possible now because I generally watch only one series at a time, and only after I have all eps in in hand (it hurts to latch onto a series only to have it stall unfinished).

That said, I've been torrenting long enough to have discovered a few other reliable sources. If your magical index dies, then I'll probably hop over to Bakabt (Baka BT). It has a quota system to encourage continuous seeding of complete series, especially older ones. It's so effective that I have actually found it difficult to share back my customary 130% from an anonymous (unregistered) position. However, I can download five and ten year old series at max broadband bandwidth. Want a complete set like Kimagure Orange Road, including its OVAs and movies? Just Google the title and "bakabt".

However, for newbies in the world of torrents, Anime Suki's current and series indices are the easiest place to start exploring and see what's being fan-subbed right now.

victorpofa · 2011-09-08, 04:55

I thought I joined the forums years ago, but it looks like I was mistaken.

I vote to keep the torrent tracker running. I visit at least twice daily and some groups are listed here and not on other trackers such as Nyaa. Live-eviL, for example. With the closing of scarywater it became hard to locate releases from some groups, and you provide a website for groups that you have releases from which is invaluable even if the links are sometimes out of date.

It also lets me know what has been licensed, and has a nice mascot in the form of Kairin. It would suck to lose both Kairin and Trixie Turnpike (who has been dead to me since the site was sold a few years ago).

calorie · 2011-09-08, 05:58

Seconding all the 'nostalgia/love for the aesthetics' comments. AnimeSuki was the first anime torrent tracker for me and I remember using it for a couple of months before I joined the forums.

Since then I've found out about a number of ways to get to the series I'm interested in so sadly I can't say I find the AS tracker useful at all anymore. I would like to see it put to some other, unique use and not just keep it online. The interface really does look very nice and I would like to have a reason to browse through it again...

Try as I might however, I cannot think of any such use that isn't already out there in an well established form (i.e. news site, anime/manga/fansub database, BakaBT like torrent tracker etc.). Maybe just accentuating the unlicensed series index on the main page rather than showing the latest torrents.

2011-09-07, 12:36	Link #1
*GHDpro* Administrator Administrator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Netherlands Age: 45	Time to end it? (AnimeSuki torrent index future) IMPORTANT: THIS THREAD CONCERNS THE TORRENT INDEX (www) PART OF ANIMESUKI AND NOT THE FORUM! Some people will undoubtedly argue we're quite late with this assessment, but it has become obvious that the relevancy of the torrent index (www) part of the site has diminished to a level where I am not certain it is worthwhile continuing. Since shortly after its conception AnimeSuki always listed only unlicensed English anime fansubs. However in recent times with the advent of legal streams on Crunchyroll, NicoNico, Hulu (etc) the amount of series left for us to list is minimal. I wouldn't say there are no good shows left for us to list, but there are certainly only very few. Added to this is the problem that most people who watch recent anime through the internet can be divided into two groups: those that have embraced the new legal streams and those that don't and continue to download torrents (which frequently use subtitle rips of CR etc). Neither group is likely to visit AnimeSuki for the torrent index: those who mostly watch streams go to those sites directly and those who still use torrents most probably use sites other than AnimeSuki as they are looking for content AnimeSuki doesn't list. So I ask, is it perhaps time to end it? With that I mean to stop trying to actively keep the torrent index up-to-date with the latest torrents (for the few series we still list). It would be no problem to keep the site online, but without updates it will be only a historical archive of some sort and cease being a place to find new torrents. I've also thought about the idea of listing streams (in addition to torrents) on the site in the past, but there are two problems with this: I myself am in the camp of people who are still sticking with torrents and have trouble motivating myself to build such a feature that I am myself not likely to use and (for the aforementioned reasons) I am not sure if AnimeSuki attracts the right target audience for such a feature anyway. Alternatively - and this is the reason for this thread - is there anything else we can do with the site? Perhaps take it in a different direction and not focus on the latest and greatest, but only older series that haven't been licensed for ages. Or perhaps the license database could take a more prominent role. Do you have any suggestions? (Note that discarding our listing policy and simply list everything regardless of license status is not an option) This all does not affect the forum much, if any btw. There may be a few changes if we stop updating the torrent index (like getting rid of a few sub-forums that don't make much sense anymore in that case), but those will hardly impact most forum visitors. I thank you for your comments...

2011-09-07, 12:43	Link #2
Dist Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Finland Age: 33	What I want to know is who uses the torrent feature in the first place, what's the point? There's many torrent sites out there, Nyaa being the most popular one and I have never used the AS one. With that said, though it doesn't obviously concern me, I think it's time to end it as I don't even see a purpose for it in the first place. __________________

2011-09-07, 13:06	Link #5
Keriaku Thought Being Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada	Something I definitely like about Animesuki over places like NyaaTorrent is that Animesuki is much more organized and easier on the eyes. That being said, my usage of Animesuki for torrents has definitely gone down over the recent anime seasons for the reasons stated above. Though I don't think that all the older torrents should disappear, because they are useful, maybe something like what k//eternal suggested would be a good idea for still staying relevant. Other then that, maybe just switch from posting up individual episodes to only putting up whole series of unlicenced anme? More of a boxtorrent style, while still being organized and useful in the long run. __________________ Meta-World Theory: Reality-Fantasy Perspective [*] Beatrice's Dead-End Fate A Lovingly Crafted Tale [<3] Meta World Theory [Foundation] Aspects of Umineko

2011-09-07, 17:54	Link #9
Urzu 7 Juanita/Kiteless Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New England Age: 40	I don't know how feasible this idea is, since this could involve a lot of money, but what about working with companies to legally stream content? Anime News Network jumped on that bandwagon. We could start off small, and if it succeeds, this could be a site that offers viewers many shows, OAVs, and films to watch. It is just an idea. I really don't know how feasible it is, but for anime sites, this seems like a bandwagon to jump on. This could also increase the size of the forum community. __________________

2011-09-07, 18:01	Link #10
Flower Blooming on the mountain Join Date: May 2010 Location: Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light....	Fwiw I actually LIKE the fact that animesuki's torrent page has included material that was unlicensed - mainly because the listings were of many subbing groups and titles that I did not know about and would have had difficulty finding otherwise. I would vote to keep it the way it is, but then I am not involved in the maintenance of the listings, which I have no doubt could be a difficult task. __________________

2011-09-07, 12:50	Link #3
k//eternal do you know ベアトリーチェ様? Join Date: Dec 2003 Age: 35	Perhaps the site should collect anime ratings/reviews and post anime news? Some kind of anime index which also points you to similar series, so if you like something you've got suggestions, etc.

2011-09-07, 17:28	Link #7
monster Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005	If you're willing to go beyond bittorent and anime, you could always either add or switch entirely to listing manga releases, specifically for those that are offered outside of IRC.

2011-09-07, 17:33	Link #8
Gagagigo Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2011	Coming out of years worth of lurking here to comment on this. Account created < 3 minutes ago to do so. There is simply no better index of anime torrents on the internet than Animesuki. This was true back in 2003 when I personally discovered the site, and it is still true now. There is nothing that cleanly as cleanly indexes or makes searchable, by show, exactly what you are looking for. With useful links to other sites to help you learn about new shows, this site simply cannot be beat. Beyond that, what I fear if this site were to shut down is that there would be no meaningful way for people to find those older shows that are simply never going to show up on Crunchyroll or Nico or DVD and whatnot, and those are the shows that will get seeded for like a day after an episode gets released and will again be lost to the mists of time for most of us. The other issue with using other sites is that they serve a wider variety of interests than English fansubs-things like raw episodes, subs in other languages, soundtracks, and in a couple of cases, links to commercial versions of some fansubs or the aforementioned rips of CR and stuff...in other words, things that don't fall into that grey area regular fansubs have lived out of. And again, they simply do not have the level of organization, and the level of detail many of them offer on each torrent(for example, is this thing even what it says it is) is laughable at best. TLDR: Shutting this site down does not effect the established, airing right now shows or the people that watch the "official" streams. It effects the lesser known gems that will never see the light of day in the English speaking world. And frankly, using other sites is much more difficult and often makes getting what this site does a lot more difficult.

2011-09-07, 18:16	Link #11
JackBassV Insane Grandfather Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Somewhere in my mind, which is really messed up.	While series such as Appleseed XIII almost certainly will get licensed, it's lesser known titles, such as Denpa Onna and Hanasaku Iroha which need a site such as this. I personally dislike the licensed streaming sites, mainly because they go for the "Mainstream" titles - pun intended. Titles like Gosick are brilliant but are unlikely to be released in the UK, so I have to either purchase them from the 'states or download them . Not what I really want to do, but since I'm treated like a criminal (No bluray's from the USA - only what We want you to watch) I really have little choice if I want to watch the latest series. BTW, this is spreading to the Manga market too. A series I read can now be downloaded, but only by americans... Life Sucks big time. JBV __________________ The Who:Hope I Die before I get Old... Like Hell, I'm gonna grow old disgracefully!

2011-09-07, 19:42	Link #12
doll_licca Licca Fansubs Founder Join Date: Aug 2010	As a fansubber, I would say no to removing the torrent index. As a fansubber who mostly works on older series and is willing to "follow the rules" to get things listed here, this site is a godsend. In fact, approximately 1/2 of the hits to our blog is referred from here. Also, a lot of the older series listed here are nowhere to be seen anywhere else (that doesn't require registration or a ratio). Basically, this site is one of the last bastions on how fansubbing used to be (and should be). __________________ Founder of Licca Fansubs

2011-09-07, 20:00	Link #13
Kudryavka Senior Member Join Date: May 2009	I do use and love the AnimeSuki torrent listings, they're extremely easy to use and well organized. I also use Nyaa, but it's not 110% foolproof like AnimeSuki is, so I like AnimeSuki more (heh, I'm still a little wobbly with fansubs :P). But if the torrent listings have just become a white elephant now, sucking up bandwidth and staff's time while not delivering something super unique, then I'd understand letting the torrents go.

2011-09-07, 20:44	Link #14
Knight Hawk Lurker Join Date: May 2004 Location: New York City	Perhaps an index of older series that have been abandoned/not licensed, like the ones from the 90s 80s 70s and so on. With each of these classics having it's own information page a la anidb[dot]net or ANN. Each page containing a torrent or stream. __________________ --A dream called "*Youth*". We'll eventually wake up from this dream, but the memories will continue to endure. - Karasuma, School Rumble --Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. - Dr. Seuss

2011-09-07, 20:59	Link #15
gsilver Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007	I greatly appreciate Animesuki for what it is, a list of the latest non-licensed releases. A lot of the reason why I visit the site is for releases of older shows, and there isn't even anything remotely comparable for per-episode releases. Yes, I use it for new shows, too, and non-licensed new releases are dwindling, but there is still a significant volume of those. I really don't have a need for torrents of shows on Crunchyroll, et al, so the lack of those listings is convenient for me. I could visit the individual group pages, but that would be much less convenient, especially when releases are infrequent. __________________ ◕‿‿◕

2011-09-07, 22:13	Link #16
wingdarkness Retweet Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ニュー・オーリンズ、LA	LOL...It's funny really, but I haven't used that torrent index in atleast 5 years...But some sentimental nostalgia inside of me wants yall to keep it so I can start using it again^^... But yah, bag it -__- Although keeping an index of pre-2000 titles could be the saving grace... __________________ Fly since ↔...

2011-09-07, 23:52	Link #17
Viresse Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2011	Like Gagagigo, I just created a forum account just to post on this. It would actually be a huge loss to me if the torrent listing was closed or no longer updated (as I very very rarely visit the forums). I've used it practically every day for the last 3 years. I've also been a regular visitor since 2002-2003. And I always make sure my friends have tried here first if they're looking for something and want my help finding/downloading it. In fact one of them is a regular visitor now as well since he's a huge fan of older unlicensed series.

2011-09-08, 04:15	Link #18
mulesquito Share ratio 130% Join Date: Aug 2009 Age: 62	Alternatives End it? But I thought Anime Suki was the hub of the anime torrent universe I check the index several times per week, mostly for inspiration to look into titles that I don't recognize. However, I torrent by the batch whenever possible now because I generally watch only one series at a time, and only after I have all eps in in hand (it hurts to latch onto a series only to have it stall unfinished). That said, I've been torrenting long enough to have discovered a few other reliable sources. If your magical index dies, then I'll probably hop over to Bakabt (Baka BT). It has a quota system to encourage continuous seeding of complete series, especially older ones. It's so effective that I have actually found it difficult to share back my customary 130% from an anonymous (unregistered) position. However, I can download five and ten year old series at max broadband bandwidth. Want a complete set like Kimagure Orange Road, including its OVAs and movies? Just Google the title and "bakabt". However, for newbies in the world of torrents, Anime Suki's current and series indices are the easiest place to start exploring and see what's being fan-subbed right now. __________________ In a free society, the most local level of gov't is the individual citizen.

2011-09-08, 04:55	Link #19
victorpofa Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2011	I thought I joined the forums years ago, but it looks like I was mistaken. I vote to keep the torrent tracker running. I visit at least twice daily and some groups are listed here and not on other trackers such as Nyaa. Live-eviL, for example. With the closing of scarywater it became hard to locate releases from some groups, and you provide a website for groups that you have releases from which is invaluable even if the links are sometimes out of date. It also lets me know what has been licensed, and has a nice mascot in the form of Kairin. It would suck to lose both Kairin and Trixie Turnpike (who has been dead to me since the site was sold a few years ago).

2011-09-08, 05:58	Link #20
calorie Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tannhäuser Gate Age: 35	Seconding all the 'nostalgia/love for the aesthetics' comments. AnimeSuki was the first anime torrent tracker for me and I remember using it for a couple of months before I joined the forums. Since then I've found out about a number of ways to get to the series I'm interested in so sadly I can't say I find the AS tracker useful at all anymore. I would like to see it put to some other, unique use and not just keep it online. The interface really does look very nice and I would like to have a reason to browse through it again... Try as I might however, I cannot think of any such use that isn't already out there in an well established form (i.e. news site, anime/manga/fansub database, BakaBT like torrent tracker etc.). Maybe just accentuating the unlicensed series index on the main page rather than showing the latest torrents.