Current mood:

*thud*

Wank...Tiara...Action!
Fansub mini-wank!

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is a brand new Japanese live-action series based on the popular manga/anime series of the same name. Every fansub group and their mother is busy digisubbing this thing for rabid Western hemisphere Moonies who can't get enough of Usagi and her adventures.

Members of the fansub group Anime-Otakus decide to do a sub with some silly jokes thrown in because, apparently, sentai shows are easy to mock. The sub was meant for their close circle of friends only. Somehow, it got out on BitTorrent, where a number of hardcore Sailor Moon fans downloaded it in the hopes of seeing the latest version of their favorite dango-head. Keep in mind that no one knew that this was a "partial-parody sub" of the show. And then some fans take it a bit too seriously.

Rebochan downloads the fansub, and ends up becoming, shock of shocks, offended!

A-O seems determined to ignore the fandom that actually cares about this series.
And here's the stupid sub of the release: In an emotional moment, when Ami decides she wants to become a soldier, A-O now has her say - "I want to yuri you up." Nothing like a good slap in the face to the Sailor Moon community.

Hee-hee-hee! It says "yuri"!

I also really hope they stop insisting that only morons are watching this.

Some other remarks in the thread:

Oy.. Some people will never take some jokes... hence the parody warning.. But still people feel the need to crititize it because that's all they can do.

it is rather disgusting the complete lack of professionalism, ego grubbing, and general deterioration in quality that has gone on in the fansubbing community lately.

Wow, elitism in a fandom community! Who da thunkit?

I do not take kindly to wasting my bandwidth.

So is time better spent downloading warez than a silly fansub of a silly Japanese television show aimed at kids?

A member of the fansub group in question responds to the above comment:

STFU you stupid leecher. If your bandwidth is so precious to you, don't pirate anime. Fucking idiotic leechers...

It's already listed as partial parody, and a great more number of people WANT to download it than not. AS should NOT comply to the whiny bitching of a few stuck up hard core sailormoon fans.

So, that's it. The creator has spoken. The parody stays listed. But, oh! But the wank doesn't stop there!

And here's the post that got the thread locked:

1: This is a freaking BITTORRENT site, not an IRC channel you n00b. By definition of the BT protocol it is impossible to leech, as you are always contributing back to someone else.
2: If they didnt want me "waisting their bandwidth" to send it to me, they wouldnt be seeding it in the first place. Duh.
3: Sure, just tell the entire fansubbing community to stop with their shamefull ways. "Pirate Anime" my buttocks. Do you have any idea how rediculously inane that comment was given the kind of board you posted it on.

Now who says that anime fandom doesn't give up the wank?

(Post a new comment)

	chash 2003-10-30 05:16 am UTC (link)
	Man, I obviously haven't been getting the best horrible (yet somehow terribly addicting) Power Rangers knock off! I was foolish enough to watch it raw. I really want to see that parody now. (Reply to this)

	iris 2003-10-30 06:32 am UTC (link)
	There's a parody? perks up And here I've been watching it raw. I must get my hands on this! It is easy to mock. I love Sailor Moon to death and I think it's easy to mock. Come on. That quiz show thing at the beginning of episode three? The fact that their hidden hero base is equipped with a lava lamp and a karaoke machine? It's comedy gold! (Reply to this)(Thread)

	hnks_sockpuppet 2003-11-04 08:45 pm UTC (link)
	I've been watching the sub smirk much though I love Sailor Moon I must find this parody. Ironically enough the sub I watch is from #tv nihon, the home of wank. Rock. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	meril 2003-10-30 06:55 am UTC (link)
	I'm going to definitely have to get a hold of that parody. Or the original show. There is nothing better than pure cheese, y0. Of course sentai shows are easy to mock! Even the Japanese do it! (Wasn't that what that anime Shinesman was all about?) (Reply to this)(Thread)

	smo 2003-10-30 05:00 pm UTC (link)
	Of course sentai shows are easy to mock! Even the Japanese do it! They do indeed, Kami-sama love 'em. Entire series' worth, in some cases. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	dawnswalker 2003-10-30 07:03 am UTC (link)
	"In an emotional moment, when Ami decides she wants to become a soldier, A-O now has her say - 'I want to yuri you up.'" I dunno... maybe they're just upset because the jokes suck? (Reply to this)(Thread)

	gaisce 2003-10-30 09:48 am UTC (link)
	One of the non-wanky posters (Tougafan) pretty much said, "You do a great translation, but your jokes aren't that funny." To which the fansubbers said "Okay, suggest and we'll see." Now I want to sign up just so I can flood them with MST3K in-jokes. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	defenestrate 2003-10-30 08:46 am UTC (link)
	In an emotional moment, when Ami decides she wants to become a soldier, A-O now has her say - "I want to yuri you up." I blinked, rewound, and realized they weren't limiting themselves to the 'commercials'. I still get a kick out of "Die Kitty! Die Kitty!" (Reply to this)

many stupid questions

crickets
2003-10-30 10:40 am UTC (link)

what's a fansub? I get the general idea, but...maybe not?

what does yuri mean? and is it / why is it lame?

and just because - die kitty?

Maybe I was hallucinating, but I think I saw Sailor Moon on the Cartoon Channel several years ago. I tried to like it but it just didn't connect with me. Besides Speed Racer, the closest I've come to appreciating Japanese anime/manga was a series of comic books (books, not zines) called Mai the Psychic Girl, which I really loved.

Is there anything similar to that on TV these days, or...?

Apologies if my questions are lame beyond belief.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

Re: many stupid questions

bohicamouse
2003-10-30 12:07 pm UTC (link)

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people! (Not that you're one. I'm quoting, it's too late to make up my own jokes . . . )

Fansubbing is when anime fans translate and subtitle anime that hasn't been licensed yet in the US and so is not available to the non-Japanese speaking fan. Sometimes they do it when the anime HAS been licensed and things get wanky! If there's more to it than that, someone more fanny than I am can add to this (I make do with manga).

Yuri is a term for anime/manga/Western stuff when referred to by anime fen, that means it contains lesbian relationships. I've never seen it used as a verb, but I can imagine what it means here, heh. Yuri's not lame but the joke sounds pretty weak to me.

Die kitty? No idea.

I've never read Mai, so I don't know if there are any similar series out there. What's it like?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions (Anonymous) 2003-10-30 06:41 pm UTC (link)
	Well, the Luna kitty doll looks really awful, so I wouldn't mind killing it... The guy who made Mai has drawn some other stuff too, but I can't for the life of me remember their names. Perhaps Sanctuary, a yakuza drama/action with a similar drawing style. Much more grown up than Sailor Moon (just leave the movie alone!) ~ Dancing Moon (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions ymfaery 2003-10-31 09:04 pm UTC (link)
	The artist for Mai has also done Crying Freeman and Sanctuary. Wish I could remember his name. sigh (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: many stupid questions crickets 2003-11-01 04:49 am UTC (link)
	Wow, now that you explain it, the term fansubbing makes perfect sense. And I appreciate the yuri explanation too. Thanks! Phospate gives a better explanation for Mai than I could, farther down. I'm sure you've seen it by now. :) This is what happens when I leave a comment and then don't get back to the computer for two days. Oops. Thanks again. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions crickets 2003-11-01 07:22 am UTC (link)
	And I misspelled phosfate, dangit. (Reply to this)(Parent)

Re: many stupid questions

phosfate
2003-10-31 12:48 am UTC (link)

Mai the Psychic Girl is still in print (I pimped it to

sailorromana earlier this year) in chunky graphic novel form, and holds up very well indeed:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/156931070X/qid=1067553208/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2613504-1032869?v=glance&s=books

I find most of Ryoichi Ikegami's other comics pretty repulsive, what with the flying decapitated heads and rapes and all, but his art is always fantastic no matter what he's drawing. He's got a bunch of stuff in English. Do an author search on Amazon.

There's a Mai movie, but I've never been able to find it.

Graphic novels with similar appeal might be: Nausicaa, Peach Girl, Steam Detectives, Mars, X/1999, Clover, You're Under Arrest!, Fushigi Yugi, and other stuff that is hiding from my brain at the moment. Again, Amazon is your friend here because it'll often show you several sample pages.

If Sailor Moon had any appeal for you at all, I strongly recommend trying a few episodes in Japanese with subtitles. I'm not normally a sub Nazi, but in this case it absolutely makes a difference for both content and quality of voice acting.

Anime currently in rotation on Cartoon Network you might like: The Big O, FLCL, Trigun, or Inu-Yasha. Check adultswim.com for shows and schedules.

On DVD, try any of those titles, plus: Noir, Revolutionary Girl Utena, serial experiments lain, Haibane-Renmei, Millennium Actress, Spirited Away (or pretty much anything by Miyazaki) or whatever's on the shelf that takes your fancy.

You can get information on the content and availability of any of these series with a little help from Mr Google.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions sagralisse 2003-10-31 06:03 am UTC (link)
	Graphic novels with similar appeal might be: Nausicaa, Peach Girl, Steam Detectives, Mars, X/1999, Clover, You're Under Arrest!, Fushigi Yugi, For some reason I'm not feeling the urge to go buy a graphic novel named Nausicaa. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions phosfate 2003-10-31 06:14 am UTC (link)
	Please note how I refrain from beating the holy living crap out of Sagra. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions sagralisse 2003-10-31 06:16 am UTC (link)
	Nya nya, you don't know where I live. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions phosfate 2003-10-31 06:21 am UTC (link)
	Don't be stupid. You live at Sagra's place. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions sagralisse 2003-10-31 06:23 am UTC (link)
	At the end of Sagra's Lane. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: many stupid questions azarias 2003-10-31 10:59 am UTC (link)
	stealthily slips shiv to phosfate It's not technically "beating" ... (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions phosfate 2003-10-31 04:34 pm UTC (link)
	pockets shiv Dude. (Reply to this)(Parent)

Re: many stupid questions
(Anonymous)
2003-10-31 06:30 am UTC (link)

The full name of the story is "Naausica of the Valley of the Winds" and it is a post-apocalyptic eco-novel. The heroine is named for the character in Homer's 'Odyssey'. It was written by Hayao Miyazaki (yes, the guy who did 'Spirited Away') and is considered a classic among anime fans.

The English translation does cost $80.00, but I for one think it's worth overcoming your reservations about the name and at least looking at it, or the film Miyazaki made of it.

windtear

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: many stupid questions iczer6 2003-10-31 07:08 pm UTC (link)
	[For some reason I'm not feeling the urge to go buy a graphic novel named Nausicaa.] You should, Nausicaa is one of the most touching and moving stories I've ever read. If it doesn't make you cry then you aren't friggin human. [Plus the name doesn't sound like the way it's spelled.] Icz (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: many stupid questions (Anonymous) 2003-11-01 05:00 am UTC (link)
	Nausicaa, of the Valley of Wind by Hayao Miyazaki is really good, actually. (Reply to this)(Parent)

Re: many stupid questions

crickets
2003-11-01 05:07 am UTC (link)

Woohoo! I read Mai about 12 years ago when a friend loaned the books to me, so I had no idea it was still in print; thanks for the heads-up.

what with the flying decapitated heads and rapes and all

Uh, I do remember a fair amount of violence, but nothing like that. Yikes! I will look into his other works though, because I was also impressed with the art. I really enjoy comic books (graphic novels) like Sandman and Bone, but Mai is the only Japanese one that I've read and I would like to read more. So I'll keep looking around, and I appreciate the other graphic novel recs.

Thanks for the anime recs too! I'm a fan of classic WB toons from way back- the art, the music, the writing. Love it. Japanese anime is a different beast, but I definitely see the allure. I'll dip my toes in a bit more.

Thanks again for the help!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions phosfate 2003-11-03 06:25 pm UTC (link)
	Mai has episodes of violence, but nothing like Crying Freeman and some of the artist's other titles with the swords and the guns and the yelling and the mayhem and the freunLAVIN! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions crickets 2003-11-04 07:43 am UTC (link)
	Gotcha. Hee! I love animaniacs. (points to icon) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: many stupid questions phosfate 2003-11-04 04:30 pm UTC (link)
	SQUEEEEE! Neat! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	nekoneko 2003-10-30 01:32 pm UTC (link)
	I LOVE the parody sub! It's the only thing that keeps me watching it. The CG is absolutely awful. My favorite part had to be the... crap, I forget what they are called. x_x; 'cram schools' or some other weird crap in the translated manga. At the one that Usagi goes to, it says 'Bukkake Center'. Oh, I have an icon I made from the sbow. I should upload it. :3 (Reply to this)

(Anonymous)
2003-10-30 06:38 pm UTC (link)

I can understand getting a bit miffed if there's no warning that you're not downloading a 'real' sub but if It's already listed as partial parody then why she's complaining? It's not as if BitTorrent attacks other computers and forces you to download the eeeevil parody!

Anyway, even without the subtitles, Pretty Guardian SM looks like a parody of itself. And I'm a rabid SM fan saying that ^_^;;;

~Dancing Moon

(Reply to this)

	(Anonymous) 2003-10-30 07:02 pm UTC (link)
	I am a moonie and even I think its stupid! (Reply to this)

	chaos_priestess 2003-10-30 07:12 pm UTC (link)
	I've been downloading the live action. Not the parody sub, because even before I started watching it I knew it would be way too easy to mock. Personally, I think the idea of having a parody sub is a little overboard. It's completely not needed. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	phosfate 2003-10-31 12:50 am UTC (link)
	That's the kind of thing that needs to be done very well if it's going to be done at all. Otherwise it's like doing a parody sub of Plan 9 From Outer Space. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bohicamouse 2003-10-31 05:28 am UTC (link)
	I feel I must finally profess my undying love for that icon after weeks of gazing from afar. (Hooray for brats with huge pink hair and questionable taste in men!) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	phosfate 2003-10-31 05:40 am UTC (link)
	Isn't she keen? She's by a member of iconaddicts. Find her and several equally spiffy morphin' Scouts here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/iconaddicts/2990198.html?view=23402614 Say...when I upgrade my account I can add more of them, can't I? WOOHOO! (Reply to this)(Parent)