FAQ

**WARNING: no asking about release dates. They’ll be out when they’re out. If stalled, we will mention so on our site.**

Please read the FAQ below before asking any question in our IRC channel/forums to avoid asking a question already answered here.

Topics in this FAQ:

1. The Fansub Basics
2. NeXT specific FAQ (includes playback issues)
3. General Anime FAQ (includes playback issues)
4. IRC-specific FAQs
5. Series-specific FAQs
6. General Q/A service

1. The Fansub Basics

   1. What’s a fansub?

      http://www.google.com/

   2. Why are you guys called ‘fansubbers’?

      Because we are anime fans who add subtitles or ‘subs’ to raw anime just so that those of you who can’t speak a word of Japanese can still watch and enjoy it.

   3. So… why do you guys fansub?

      Hmm… because we like doing it. Most of us started watching anime with fansubs.

   4. Ok cool, how much do you get paid?

      Aboslutely nothing. In fact, many of us spend money on R2 DVDS, bandwidth, and webspace in order to make fansubbing and distribution possible. We do it out of the kindness of hearts!

   5. What jobs are needed to make a fansub possible?

      1. Raw provider: Captures the show as it airs on TV, encodes it digitally, and provides it to the rest of the fansub staff. (Yes, someone has a job to do even before the translator!)
      2. Translator: Translates the Japanese dialogue and onscreen writing into the English you see as subtitles.
      3. Editor: Edits the English in the translation to make it sound perfect. So yes, when subtitles have poor grammar, it’s their fault. :-p (And QC’s for not catching it!)
      4. Timer: Times each and every dialogue and onscreen to the appropriate scene in the video. This job requires a very very patient person…
      5. Typesetter (Does this require a typewriter?): The typesetter is the almighty beautician of a fansub. S/he styles the dialogues and onscreens (and sometimes the karaoke) and positions them in the appropriate places on the screen. This often requires going frame by frame through the video and also requires a VERY patient person. As for the typewriter part… Does typing require a typewriter?
      6. Encoder: An encoder is the person whose computer’s harddrive is harassed the most. S/he puts the subtitle file(s) and RAW video together and creates the final release version of the fansub.
      7. QC: QC stands for “quality control.” Quality-oriented fansubbers (as opposed to “speedsubbers”) make sure each of their fansubs goes through at least two rounds of QC prior to release. In each round of QC, at least 3 “qcers” watch the fansub completely through and note errors as well as make suggestions. The purpose of quality checking is obviously to keep errors to a ‘nil’ level and ensure fine quality subs.
      8. Distro (Distribution): Gets the file out to all of you leeches!!! Includes BT seeders, bot providers, and hosts of DDL (direct download) sites.

   6. What process does a fansub follow?

      The most common process is: raw encode —> translation —> timing —>editing —> typesetting —> QC encode —> QC —> RC encode/final encode —> RC —> distro (released!) Some fansubs follow a slight variation, e.g. the episode is pre-timed or a script qc is carried out before encoding is done. A script qc is where the raw video is qced using a stand-alone script file.

   7. Do I need to know Japanese to fansub?

      Nope. Although, if you do, you SHOULD be fansubbing! Translators are *always* needed.

   8. Is QC something I can do?

      Anyone is qualified to become a qcer as long as s/he meets the following criteria:

      • Has been speaking, reading, and writing English for over 12 years and has a VERY good command of the language. Native speakers are highly preferred.
      • Can effectively check spelling and grammar, as well suggest rephrasings of awkward sentences.
      • Is familiar with common abbreviations such as: AM/PM, PST, EST, JST, etc. regardless of race/culture/geographical location.
      • Is 15 years of age or older. (This has to do with maturity.)
      • Has a longer than than average attention span. QCers frequently watch an episode multiple times before it is released.
      • Does not mind watching scenes with nudity in them.
      • Is not afraid of pissing any member off by suggesting changes for the good.
      • Can concentrate on more things than just the English in the subtitle. QCers also check all signs and onscreen text, as well as watching for timing and encoding errors.

      In addition, to become a QCer for NeXT, you must also:

      • Be willing to QC Eriko!
      • Be able to use/willing to learn (how to use) IRC and idle in our channel(s) often;
      • Be collaborative.

   9. How does one become a fansubber?

      Currently, you’ll need to have some previous experience with fansubbing if you want to apply for the position of encoder, typesetter, timer or translator. For other positions, we’ll help to bring out the potential in you as a fansubber once you’ve joined us as a QCer. Editors can be new, but you’ll need to QC for us for a while so that we can see if you’ll make a good one.

      • Editing ability is usually recognizeable from the QC reports one turns in. Editing for fansubs is different than editing for school/work. Although grammar is still important, emphasis is placed on natural speech/dialogue. This means, among other things, that we see a much greater use of ellipses, etc.
      • Timers: A good “ear” can’t be taught. Even if the timer does not speak Japanese (yes, this is pretty common), they still need to be able to audibly recognize where sentences/phrases begin and end.
      • Typesetters need to know the basics of dealing with subtitle software (usually aegisub or sabbu) before they can begin their training. Most people gain this experience by editing and/or timing first.
      • As for translators, at least 3 years of preliminary experience with speaking, reading, and writing in the language is required. Also, translators must be able to catch dialogues from audio only. The art of fansub translation involves ability to to identify and distinguish metaphorical ideas from their literal meanings. Translation abilities are gradually developed over time but a newbie translator must have an accuracy of 90% to be accepted to NeXT. But if you’re willing to become a translator for NeXT, provided other staff are interested, you’ll be able to choose a project for us to sub.

      MOST IMPORTANT RULE BEFORE JOINING: KNOW THE FANSUB BASICS.

2. NeXT-specific FAQ (includes playback issues)

   1. Why NeXT?

      ‘Next’ is one of Eriko’s ’special’ songs. I can’t say anymore since it would mean spoiling the anime for you guys.

   2. Who founded NeXT?

      Tsubasa— that is me — and my friends from Live-evil. I had to leave L-E so I decided to make a group on my friends’ suggestion so that we could continue do Eriko here.

   3. What’s up with the ‘dogmatix’?

      The ‘dogmatix’ domain belongs to blip2 who is kindly hosting the site and forum for NeXT. He is a very special friend of mine and is also our webmaster. We met on ETG while Live-evil was subbing Death Note and back then he was even running a bot for the series. Now he is also a member of NeXT distro.

   4. Why can’t you get a proper domain?

      Well. I’d love to get one— no doubt about that, but I do not qualify for a credit card yet.

   5. Where can I get hold of [insert licensed anime title here]?

      Our answer is ‘your closest anime store.’ NeXT has a strict policy about licensed materials: We neither sub them nor serve them. Therefore, we do not appreciate requests for licensed material. Please refrain from inquiring about licensed titles. Our IRC network has a strictly policy of not allowing the distribution of licensed series and as a group, we believe it is unethical to sub a licensed anime as well. A mostly complete list of licensed animes can be found here. When in doubt, check the list first!

   6. Why won’t you guys sub licensed shows?

      See above…

   7. Can I have your scripts please?

      We do not share our scripts with the public for any reason. Whether you’re a fansubber or just a leechie, it doesn’t matter. No means no. If you want them so badly, download the episode and type it out yourself. >.>

   8. I’m from [name of other fansub group] will you joint with us?

      That depends on whether your series fits our subbing genre and what staff you are willing to provide. (For all we know, you need to give provide the translator unless we have one ready.)

   9. Can you sub this series?

      Sure, as long as you’re patient and are fine with a release rate of 1 episode every 2 months and are willing to provide the translator, we can consider it. For further information, click here.

   10. Is anyone else having problem playing EpXX of Eriko?

       Match CRC? If the CRC doesn’t match, then you need to re-download. If it matches, you need to change your player configurations and/or either reinstall or update your codecs. When in doubt, try the CCCP and their help forum or channel. If the problem still persists, then it must be your video card.

   11. The anime I downloaded from you does not work on my dvd player, help!

       Ask Mamo-chan.

   12. Why doesn’t your fansub work on my 486DX2/66??

       You need at least a pentium III with 256MB Ram to play/view most fansubbed anime.

   13. Why is your website so ‘cute’?

       While blip2 argued that we should have a blue/silver forum that’d make the site more calm and quiet and hence professional, I wanted a site that would talk about Eriko. Eriko is a very cute girl and hence our website was designed to meet her personality and the series itself. I am also a rather pink-loving girl myself. We have tried to keep the site to reflect a fansub group subbing a pure shoujo anime and yet make sure it’s not all too rosy so as to repel guys from browsing.

3. General Anime FAQ (includes playback issues)

   1. Where can I get anime?

      IRC, anime DDL sites, p2p (including BT), and DVDs (recommended - most ethical way to obtain them)

   2. Where can I get raws?

      What do you need them for? Can you translate? (i.e. We do not provide information regarding raw sources and this is a question people should refrain from asking.)

   3. How does BitTorrent work?

      You’re best off googling it. The basic concept of BT is a number of leechies known as ‘peers’ are connected through a tracker and/or this decentralized tracker thingy called DHT and they obtain bits and pieces from here and there of the file from these peers. When the download is complete and a peer has 100% of the file, s/he becomes a ‘seed’ and is requested to keep the download window open and to share the file with those who are still downloading. This way, through a worldwide network system, people obtain the files through sharing them with each other.

   4. What’s h264/x264?

      A video codec producing super video quality for comparatively smaller file size than xvid would at the same bitrate. (Well, the quality improvement is debatable, but it’s still a good codec.)

   5. What’s an mkv?

      Shortcut for a container known as ‘matroska’. Matroska supports softsubs,audio tracks, chapter stops and many other neat features. See our Harlock subs to get an idea. Find out more by googling it.

   6. Why can’t I hear the sound from ac3 audio?

      You need to configure your ac3 settings. You need not necessarily turn the volume up. Just set the volume bars on ac3 to high gain.

4. IRC-specific FAQs

   1. What does IRC stand for?

      Internet Relay Chat PM = Private message ban/kickban = you will not be allowed back in the channel

   2. What is mIRC ?

      The most basic and most widely-used (popular) IRC client. You can grab a copy of it from here.

   3. Who are @s/ops and what do they do?

      They control your IRC life by kicking and banning. Benevolent @s normally help answering FAQs. NEVER PM an Op without their permission. Random PMs will get you kickbanned.

   4. What does a +v do?

      A voice is given to a non-staff who is special and important to the channel. The voice list in our channel mostly consists of newbie QC-team staff and friends who are not staff.

   5. How do I leech from your channel?

      Visit http://www.kasshin.net/ to learn how to leech on IRC. Note that we are currently NOT serving anything in our channel and you won’t get a list on using any trigger. In our channel, you type !list and follow the instructions for the bot you’re dling from. For example, say you’re in #live-evil and trying to download Mami 50 from L-E|Parmenion. For Parmenion, !list gives you:

      -L-E|Parmenion- (XDCC) Trigger:(/msg L-E|Parmenion xdcc list {list name}) Lists:(Akazukin_Chacha_OAV, Captain_Harlock, Creamy_Mami, Death_Note, Detective_Academy_Q, Galaxy_Express_999, Initial_D_Fourth_Stage, Kanon, Karin, The_Melancholy_of_Haruhi_Suzumiya, The_Trapp_Family_Story, Tsubasa_Chronicle) =arisa=

      As the trigger says, type/copy & paste /msg L-E|Parmenion xdcc list {list name} replacing the {list name}with the appropriate list from the choices. In this case, you need to replace it with Creamy_Mami. So you type /msg L-E|Parmenion xdcc list Creamy_Mami. A word of advice: to avoid hearing ‘fail!’ or ‘you fail’, trying msging bots from the status window. Anyways, the Creamy Mami trigger gives you:

      -L-E|Parmenion- ** 1 packs ** 2 of 2 slots open, Record: 662KiB/s ** -L-E|Parmenion- ** Bandwidth Usage ** Current: 0KiB/s, Record: 703KiB/s ** -L-E|Parmenion- ** Total Offered: 248.4MiB, Total Transferred: 4.6TiB ** -L-E|Parmenion- ** To request a file type: “/msg L-E|Parmenion xdcc send Creamy_Mami #x” ** -L-E|Parmenion- #1 1x [248M] [Live-eviL] Magical Angel Creamy Mami - Ep 50.avi [CRC:220F270B]

      Like before, copy/paste the /msg L-E|Parmenion xdcc send Creamy_Mami #x, replacing x with the the number of the file. So this one being #1, x=1. Then you’re either put on a queue or told to accept downloading. Done. Simple, isn’t it?

   6. Wth? Why was I banned??!!

      To decide whether you deserve a ban or not, read the relevant thread in our forums. If you believe you haven’t broken any of the rules, pm an active staff member in the forums with the details, and most importantly your hostmask and request to be unbanned.

   7. Who is peer and why is he resetting me?

      Oh, you mean 007 undercover. A peer on IRC is your fellow idler and stalker. He resets you to remind you of his existence.

   8. Why aren’t you on Rizon?

      Cause I love ETG and would not abandon it for the world! NeXT was a possibility because I met great friends on this network.

   9. How do I register my nick on this network?

      You can’t and therefore don’t. NickServ on etg is limited to ETG staff only.

   10. Why are you so strict on nOObs?

       We are not…

5. Series-specific FAQs

   :: :: :: Legendary Idol Eriko :: :: ::

   1. Why are the L-E staff subbing Eriko with NeXT and not L-E?

      I was supposed to manage and translate Legendary Idol Eriko for L-E but since I had to leave the group, I had to bring Eriko to my new group.

   2. Are all Eriko staff L-E staff?

      Nope, although most of us were/are.

   3. How come the video for Eriko is so low quality despite being a DVD-source release?

      This is because Eriko is a very old series and the DVDs were made very recently from old TV caps.

6. General Q/A service

   1. Why did you copy L-E’s FAQ in most places?

      We didn’t exactly copy their FAQ. I had written most of that FAQ and considering the staff are mostly L-E members and the purpose of the FAQ is similar and I had come up with most of the questions and answers there, writing a complete new FAQ would mean having two answers for each question on my part which I believe is insane, not to say almost impossible. Thanks to tlynnec and emsko for their massive contribution to the FAQ. I should also mention that WillowD, bobby6, keepergirl and blip2 — our main webmaster — played a big role in making this FAQ as accurate and well-presented as it is so heartfelt gratitude to them.