
Original newsarticle posted on ANN, got the wind of it via Kuro’s blog. Now ain’t this ironic given everything Yamakan had stated here:
Yamamoto said he hopes to create an interface with prospective fans overseas through such measures as adding subtitles to his works.
Nevertheless, he believes simply selling anime abroad is not enough. He said it is crucial for the domestic market to regain its vibrancy that will attract people overseas.
And then the production committee decides to halt North American simulcast. The reason? Piracy, boo hoo. Japanese have stated that because there are illegal fansubs around of Fractale, the legal alternative must be terminated in response. Obviously the logic behind this is twofold: First, remove the easy alternative of ripping legal subs, and second, push the foreign publishers to take legal action. Of course the rest of the world knows how this goes. Removing simulcast subs will just make subbers translate from scratch themselves as they used to, and now the industry isn’t going to make even the little money they may from a legal alternative.
Continue reading →