Last week, FUNimation Entertainment attempted something I think it should’ve been doing all along — a simulcast of an anime with English subtitles in the US as it was being broadcast in Japan. Unfortunately, some opportunistic fansubbers found a copy of the anime on a public server and released it ahead of the broadcast in Japan. While this turn of events is a set-back for anime in the US, it is simply a product of the environment fostered by distribution companies, which have been slow to release anime and almost always charge outrageous amounts of money to buy the animes legally.
I hate to say it, but if the system of distribution of anime in the States wasn’t as archaic as it currently is, there wouldn’t be a need for fansubs, torrents, and streaming sites.
Internet Piracy
That said, I don’t think this recent episode of piracy should deter FUNimation and its fellow distributors from working with the Japanese production companies to continue evolving anime distribution in the US. I think we can all agree that they should stop relying completely on the old system of DVD sales and traditional television (with their incredibly lame English dubbing — IMHBAO).
Consider developing a partnership in anime (and perhaps even J-drama) similar to what American entertainment companies have done with Hulu. Incorporate in-video advertising and on-page banner advertising, or, as a last resort, charge a nominal monthly fee to users in order to monetize the service. Actually team up with your current nemeses, the fansubbers (*gasp*), to rapidly deploy subbed animes. … The big difference is that they’ll be subbing legally, and viewers will be watching legally. … And you get paid!
See? I just wrote your business plan for you. Now, get to it Gen Fukunaga. Ganbatte ne!
Hulu Animation - Cartoons Channels Page
What you can’t (or shouldn’t) do, however, is leave fans with only the alternatives you’ve provided them up ’til now — waiting months after a broadcast to pay $24.99 for 3 episodes or waiting even longer to see the anime on television.
There is an audience for Japanese entertainment here in the US, and we’re hungry for the latest and the greatest. Don’t let us down Fukunaga-san!
**5-6-09 Edit: I did neglect to mention that Crunchyroll.com does offer legal viewing of recent anime, J-dramas, and other forms of entertainment from Japan and Korea. I should clarify that I’m talking about a comprehensive streaming video site from the distributors that allows users access to as many animes and J-dramas as possible. Perhaps what is needed is for the Japanese production companies to loosen up their licensure restrictions and to work with Crunchyroll to develop this comprehensive site.