The dual-edged nature of fansubs: a look at the Japanese media industry
For as long as computers had the ability to show videos with subtitles in a decent quality, fansubbing has been a mixed bag of dual-edged issues.
Although demand for various shows in Japan, both anime and live-action, is high online, the inherent problem is that it is piracy, which is basically defined as theft of works involving a firm or company's intellectual property (IP) in a format that the FBI can use against you in court, possibly putting a felony on your criminal record, $5,000,000 is paid to the government, jail time or a combo of two or all stipulations.
I have noted that in the past 10 years, my kleptomania got the better of me, but in the last 5 years, numerous anime dubbing and distribution companies in America had fallen victim to the financial crises America has faced and shuttered their doors permanently, with manga translation and distribution groups following suit. The companies that survived like Funimation and Viz Media, had recently taken on highly requested works like Sailor Moon and absorbed assets bought when certain companies folded in the latter half of ten years.
I had been buying the works as they come. I am proof old habits die hard.
I write this as an eggplant type of article: you may find a benefit or detriment to this issues in your life, but I leave this up to you guys to voice your opinion.
Personal Quote: "I like my men like my sodas: tall boys." (Zevia has both 12 and 16 oz options)
(P.S. I'm about 5' (150cm) in height and easily scared)