The Author of "Black Butler" announces "No More Illegal Watching Anime"

[kenrou]

On 15 August 2010, Yana Toboso, the author of Black Butler, announced her feeling about downloading Anime on her blog.

The following sentences are the translated message from Yana Toboso in English, and this is unofficial translation.
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About Illegal Videoclips

I don't want to lecture so much, but I want to give a comment because I receive too many messages from my fans. Is this caused because it's summer vacation now?

It's illegal to watch Black Butler and Black Butler II on the unofficial video sharing websites. (Both of Black Butler I and II are currently broadcast on Nico Nico Douga.)

And,

It is banned to read Black Butler (manga ver.) by illegal downloading or with CD-ROM except books published by Square-Enix in 2010, Japan.

I want to write a notice because I receive messages frequently from my fans even I got some before.

Some people write

"I read all of your manga with CD-ROM borrowed from my friend."
"I searched your anime on the foreign video sharing website, and I watched all of your anime."
"I became your fan when I watched 2nd season, so I watched all episodes of 1st season on the foreign video sharing website. They were very good."

like these, but these are completely illegal.

They are same as shoplifting and bilking on a restaurant bill.

If you watch or download illegally, we, creators and voice-actors, will die off because we can't earn our daily bread. This isn't a joke.

It' not .

A cold shiver ran down my spine because of moral degeneration as sending me such a message. It is as same as to send me a message like

"I like Black Butler so much, but I want to reduce your income and let you die of hunger".

I tremble with fear seriously. It's too bizarre.

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed my works, but I want you to know that many people have to work to make something amusing. Haven't you understood it precisely yet?

Not only Black Butler, but manga and anime are the "works" also made by human beings. Characters in anime don't move by themselves.
The anime characters can't exist without the scenarios made by many people, the huge number of pictures painted by many animators, and voice acted by voice-actors. Manga is same. It is created with story and pictures made by author and stuffs.

Everyone has got a right to enjoy anime and manga, but they are made by human beings like us. We can't live without eating. We need money to eat. It's a common knowledge, isn't it?

I know it is regrettable if you failed to watch the episodes or forgot to record them. I have done it before. Hey, students, especially students in elementary-schools and junior high-schools who are not allowed to work, it is very hard for you to buy DVD or BD. I know how you feel., but it can't be excuse. If you missed watching, watch it on pay websites or video rental shops. You can watch at cheap price. You can get such a pin money from you parents when you do assistance. If you are adults, of course, pay. So, if you haven't got small money, are you allowed to watch it for free? The answer is "NO".

That act is against the rule of equivalent exchange if I say like FMA. If you continue doing it, we can't make anime and manga forever. It is against the rule of equivalent exchange, so one day, entertainment business rebounds. Even if the business goes well, it might be destroyed in the near future, like "No Anime in this season". There are rules in any industries. Not just Black Butler, please spend enjoyable two-dimensional life with keeping the rules for everyone to enjoy.

Anyway, I wrote long texts. The conclusion is

NO Illegal Videos and Downloading!

Before you try to download, try to check TV to prevent from missing because they are free when they were broadcast. And, if you feel it funny or you want to watch next episodes, please buy any products including DVD, rentals, official products or CD. One is enough. Please buy the official products of anime you like. It will save the future of the work and also save the future of anime and manga industry. Please. We will do as much as possible to produce good works to entertain you.

Finally, I don't make a denial of video sharing websites. There are so many songs, dance, and videos of own making, and culture and works developed from them. if you continue watching works illegally, such a enjoyable websites might be banned. I wrote these messages because I don't hope it.

I'm sorry that this is not enjoyable article.

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Source:
http://d-6th.com/blog/2010/08/post-170.php

[Kudryavka]

I don't think that anime is an industry that will suffer so much that its employees starve if we have illegal downloading. And I hope that with that one comment about "watching your anime on the foreign website" didn't refer to fansubs, or poop just hit the fan.

[Royal_Devil]

Originally Posted by Komari

And I hope that with that one comment about "watching your anime on the foreign website" didn't refer to fansubs, or poop just hit the fan.

Keep in mind, she's saying this in response to Japanese "fans" who used "foreign websites" to watch it rather than buy it, which does affect things more directly than foreign fans doing the same.

And what kind of jerk do you have to be to write to the author and tell them about how you're avoiding paying for it while saying how much you like it?

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Royal_Devil

Keep in mind, she's saying this in response to Japanese "fans" who used "foreign websites" to watch it rather than buy it, which does affect things more directly than foreign fans doing the same.

And what kind of jerk do you have to be to write to the author and tell them about how you're avoiding paying for it while saying how much you like it?

I don't see why a Japanese person can't watch fansubs, the audio's still in JPN, you've just got rune symbols on the bottom of the screen. But yes, that does affect things more, since them watching it for free = them not buying it. Us watching for free = no consequence to them, since their properties probably aren't available to us in legal forms.

And about those jerks, that's what happens when people have that thick veil called The Animosity of the Internet to hide behind.

[Royal_Devil]

Originally Posted by Komari

I don't see why a Japanese person can't watch fansubs, the audio's still in JPN, you've just got rune symbols on the bottom of the screen.

Never said they couldn't. But since the anime industry relies mostly on domestic Japanese sales then people using these foreign websites instead of buying is a more serious problem

Originally Posted by Komari

Us watching for free = no consequence to them, since their properties probably aren't available to us in legal forms.

Black Butler at least is available in R1 regions. If you're referring to other series or live in a different region then your point stands I guess.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Royal_Devil

Black Butler at least is available in R1 regions. If you're referring to other series or live in a different region then your point stands I guess.

Since the author of the article seems to feel the way she does about all illegal watching of all anime and reading of manga, my post will apply to anime and manga, of which not all, if even most, make it out of the Orient.

[Roloko vi Britannia]

I don't watch the anime illegally since Funi is providing it, but different story for the manga though since Yen Press is slow with releases and I'm not going to wait 4+ years for them to get caught up to the current chapter now in Japan. I doubt no one will stop downloading/uploading/scanning/fansubbing Black Butler or any other anime/manga series for that matter anyways.

[Equidistant]

From what I've seen, Black Butler is one of the better selling titles in America. It's volumes always seem to end up on NY Times bestselling manga list anyway. It's not really an issue of scanlations or fansubs(as the Japanese themselves upload HQ raws of anime for download, foreign streaming sites might just be more convient.)

It seems all but one of those messages she got were fans who had streamed the anime. That doesn't actually prove they're doing something horrible, it's still possible they might be buying the manga(money to mangaka), or could possibly buy DVD releases(money to anime studio). However, from what I've heard BB isn't that popular in Japan(might be wrong), so hearing this from an mangaka who's career might depend on her small audience actually buying her product adds some weight to her(completely overdramatic) words.

[Kamui4356]

The best part is they may very well have been watching it legally. Black Butler, well episodes 1-6 anyway, is available on Funimation's site.

[Last Sinner]

I appreciate the manga-ka's sentiment and most of her points are valid.

What I DON'T like is that blame is being put squarely on consumers. Not good business practice. If people are just going to rave on like the industry itself has nor blame for this, they're kidding themselves. The same way the music industry was last decade. We all remember that fiasco.

How about thinking WHY people resort to piracy?

1. Money. Some people will be daring enough to prioritise luxury over essentials like food. Most won't. And for those living tight, they'll only do it once in a blue moon. When those type of people can afford in, generally they will go and buy it for real.

2. Reading/viewing format. Some like paper/ther TV. Some want it on their screen. We live in a technological age where the computer can perform the roles that used to take several appliances/objects to do. Not everyone will want to read on paper/the box. If you're going to keep it to there, you're losing potential customers.

3. Some people are just pricks. As long as there is intellectual property and humans still exist, there will be those that steal. Always have been, always will be. Those people you can't consider as lost sales, but more what they might do with the material itself.

4. Quality of material. Over the last few years, I've noticed glossy covers being removed by several manga companies for flimsy paper ones; the quality of the paper itself going downhill; errenous/ruining the source translations. Yet the price remains the same or has increased. In anime, you can now show something in 1080p, even 720 is still acceptable, yet 240/360 is still dominant in streaming and durability of DVDs/Blu-Rays will ALWAYS be an issue. Why would people want to pay top dollar for a product that is inferior?

5. Licensing per country. Only a fraction of titles make it out of Japan to the West. Reading a title that you can't buy may not be morally correct but I wouldn't exactly call it lost sales.

6. It is a hard life to work within the industry. Face the facts - being a manga-ka, their assistant(s), an animator or director - it isn't exactly profitable. Some animators get paid $3 US an hour...and it is well documented that unless you're a big name author/director, you're not going to get paid the big bucks. To make it in the industry is harsh. And lack of financial motivation leads to offshore sourcing for animation - leading to lower quality animation. Not exactly a good selling point...


So what can be done? (Suggestions, not golden solutions that will fix all. There is no fix-all for this. These are just ideas)

1. Decent quality online purchasing. There is a signifcant proportion that won't read manga on paper or won't watch anime on a disc. Give them the option for a pay-per download. It won't be for everyone, but at least it gives people an option and allows those preferring the electronic medium to access it. Technology needs to be utilised, not feared. Lest the manga/anime industries take a fatal turn like the music industry nearly did. And with the arrival of the iPad, it makes more sense than ever to try this medium. And an online system could REALLY help get past the time difference between availability in Japan and in the West.

2. Cost of product. $70US for 2 episodes of anime in Japan. It's financial suicide in some regards to be an anime fan in Japan. Yes, price needs to be proportional to sales. But making your fans perma-broke is insanity. Manga is $5 a volume in Japan, so that's fine. As for the West, anime is a lot more affordable but manga gets overpriced with shipping costs and the like. 10-12 in the US, 15-20 in other countries with the extra shipping.

3. Make it affordable to work in the industry. Japan is the most expensive country to live in, in terms of big cities. You can't expect people to be enthusiastic to live on the bare minimum. This one is a lot harder, though. 'The recession' - they've been in one for around 20 years and still are.

4. Try before you buy/accessibility. Seriously, if you're going to fork out substantial money on something, you'd want to know what you're getting yourself into. i.e. What is the product like? Either allow some sample viewing in stores or online. Samples on the product itself is a token effort at best. More of an issue for anime than manga, though.

5. Publishing/directing deals. The creators need incentive to do what they do. I found it appalling that the authors of Death Note were virtually broke after the series was finished - such a successful title and they're no better off?! No wonder they wrote Bakuman as such a parody of the industry in the aftermath. Crap publishing deal cost them - 20+ volumes and big sales + name are usually the triggers for the big money. Don't throw them a fortune until the sales are appropriate but don't leave them wanting, either. They're aren't many rich authors/directors out there. Not everyone can get to the Rumiko Takahashi or Hayao Miyazaki level.


That's my thoughts. Basically, try and fix the problem rather than lay full blame on customers or potential ones. The industry has glaring flaws that need to be fixed and needs to get with the times. And as for customers - if you can afford to buy a product you like - don't be a prick. BUY IT.

[Kudryavka]

Yeah, I'm still scratching my head as to why DVDs and Blu-Rays are extraordinarily overpriced in Japan. It seems that only the hardcore enthusiasts (otaku and the like) and rich people would ever buy a lot of shows on DVDs.

::edit:: Scratch that, I think that DVDs are overpriced because the anime companies don't make enough money from advertising and TV channels (that's one huge difference from American shows), so they have to shrug the rest of the cost onto their consumers (which I think is rather unfair, since it's much easier for a company than a consumer to fund a TV series).

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Komari

Yeah, I'm still scratching my head as to why DVDs and Blu-Rays are extraordinarily overpriced in Japan. It seems that only the hardcore enthusiasts (otaku and the like) and rich people would ever buy a lot of shows on DVDs.

::edit:: Scratch that, I think that DVDs are overpriced because the anime companies don't make enough money from advertising and TV channels (that's one huge difference from American shows), so they have to shrug the rest of the cost onto their consumers (which I think is rather unfair, since it's much easier for a company than a consumer to fund a TV series).

No, it's simply price fixing on optical media. It happened in the US too, when CDs first came out. There was a lawsuit, and the price of CDs dropped overnight. In Japan, that never happened, so optical media prices remained artificially high.

[Roloko vi Britannia]

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

1. Decent quality online purchasing. There is a signifcant proportion that won't read manga on paper or won't watch anime on a disc. Give them the option for a pay-per download. It won't be for everyone, but at least it gives people an option and allows those preferring the electronic medium to access it. Technology needs to be utilised, not feared. Lest the manga/anime industries take a fatal turn like the music industry nearly did. And with the arrival of the iPad, it makes more sense than ever to try this medium. And an online system could REALLY help get past the time difference between availability in Japan and in the West.

I'm one of those who don't like the idea of paying to download anime/manga I'd just rather buy the actual DVDs since my computer crashes and looses data so it would be a big waste of money. Although I would like to see a legal manga site work like crunchyroll where you have the option to pay, but you can still read the newest chapters from Japan for free with ad-support after a set period of time.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Komari

Yeah, I'm still scratching my head as to why DVDs and Blu-Rays are extraordinarily overpriced in Japan. It seems that only the hardcore enthusiasts (otaku and the like) and rich people would ever buy a lot of shows on DVDs.

::edit:: Scratch that, I think that DVDs are overpriced because the anime companies don't make enough money from advertising and TV channels (that's one huge difference from American shows), so they have to shrug the rest of the cost onto their consumers (which I think is rather unfair, since it's much easier for a company than a consumer to fund a TV series).

There is no cost for advertising in Japan at the timeslots almost all animes air. Late night TV = no revenue for advertising. Hence why those series only have one commercial at halfway then one once the show is over. Advertising for self promotion purposes.

@Roloko - I understand your point of view and fair enough from your experiences. Which is why I said it should exist as an extra option, but not the only one. From my experiences, half the anime DVDs I've bought have died within half a year. My music CDs were barely lasting 1 month. Why the hell would I waste money to lose that product when I could get a computer file version, have backup copies and preserve the quality? People have different circumstances so I think mutliple options is a necessity. I don't even use a TV for normal free-to-air anymore - I just run everything through my computer.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

No, it's simply price fixing on optical media. It happened in the US too, when CDs first came out. There was a lawsuit, and the price of CDs dropped overnight. In Japan, that never happened, so optical media prices remained artificially high.

Well then, that needs to be cut out pretty soon, methinks. I hope that artificially high prices on DVDs are the first thing to go when companies start trying to combat supposedly lost revenue when (Japanese) people watch anime online illegally for free. Maybe more people would buy if they weren't so expensive, and therefore they'd make more money than selling them overpriced to that small(er) group of rich/devoted fans.

[Roloko vi Britannia]

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

There is no cost for advertising in Japan at the timeslots almost all animes air. Late night TV = no revenue for advertising. Hence why those series only have one commercial at halfway then one once the show is over. Advertising for self promotion purposes.

@Roloko - I understand your point of view and fair enough from your experiences. Which is why I said it should exist as an extra option, but not the only one. From my experiences, half the anime DVDs I've bought have died within half a year. My music CDs were barely lasting 1 month. Why the hell would I waste money to lose that product when I could get a computer file version, have backup copies and preserve the quality? People have different circumstances so I think mutliple options is a necessity. I don't even use a TV for normal free-to-air anymore - I just run everything through my computer.

oh I never had that problem with my anime DVDs cause I try and make sure all of mine stay in their cases ESPECIALLY my Ceres Celestial Legends DVD since its out of print same for my CDs too. Although when I don't have money I try and find legal streams so I can support the industry until I can afford the DVDs. One of the reasons I think that manga companies are not doing so well is because the huge 3-4 year gap between the American and Japanese releases I mean if the American companies could find a way to simulcast the newest chapters for a small monthly fee or for free with ad-support whilst releasing the older volumes the industry could improve a bit and it could cut down the need for illegal scanslations.

[FateAnomaly]

Wait... borrowing from your friend is illegal?

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

Wait... borrowing from your friend is illegal?

If you ask media corporations it is.

[Joe4evr]

Another problem already present with the current options of Crunchyroll and Funimation's website/YouTube channel is that they're region locked because they don't care for anyone outside of the US. Even most anime that gets licensed in the US never make it to Europe.

For instance, I bought the Lucky Star box set because I liked the show so much I was willing to pay for it. However, each DVD boots up with an FBI warning saying it's illegal to watch it outside of the US and Canada. I just ignore this because I paid €50 for this box set, so I expect a right to watch what I bought. Or would they rather that I keep downloading it off the Internet instead of providing them with a sale?

Not only in Japan, but also in the west the people in this franchise need to get their heads out of their ass, because Europe seems like a huge market not tapped to its full potential to me.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Joe4evr

Another problem already present with the current options of Crunchyroll and Funimation's website/YouTube channel is that they're region locked because they don't care for anyone outside of the US. Even most anime that gets licensed in the US never make it to Europe.

For instance, I bought the Lucky Star box set because I liked the show so much I was willing to pay for it. However, each DVD boots up with an FBI warning saying it's illegal to watch it outside of the US and Canada. I just ignore this because I paid €50 for this box set, so I expect a right to watch what I bought. Or would they rather that I keep downloading it off the Internet instead of providing them with a sale?

Not only in Japan, but also in the west the people in this franchise need to get their heads out of their ass, because Europe seems like a huge untapped market to me.

You bought it in Europe as a European product and an FBI warning comes up?

I don't know why the Japanese prefer NA over Europe (UK mainly, are they even interested in licensing to other languages?), but it usually turns out that way from what I've seen with JPN properties leaving the Orient (it's the same with Japanese video games, always comes to NA first).