Feedback Forum, Special Naruto Dropped Edition
2008/11/28
Welcome this is special edition of Dattebayo’s feedback forum, which is dedicated to answering your burning questions regarding our announcement that we will be dropping Naruto as of 1/15/09. Thank you to the thousands of people who have sent letters of support in the last week. The staff is still reading through all the messages we have received, but you can be assured that each and every one of them will be read.
First of all, we’d like to clarify a few things. TV Tokyo has announced that it will begin streaming English subtitled Naruto Shippuuden via Crunchyroll approximately one hour after it airs in Japan (that would be sometime early Thursday morning EST) on January 8, 2009. This service will not be free, but will most likely require a subscription or a small fee per episode. According to ANN, this service will be “worldwide”. After a week, the episodes will be available for free. (Read more here.)
Viz Media has also announced that it will begin streaming free English subtitled Naruto Shippuuden episodes a week after airing via their official site Naruto.com as well as the services Joost and Hulu. This will begin January 15, 2009. These episodes will be free. In order to get viewers “caught up” to the current episode, Viz will be releasing 8 Naruto Shippuuden episodes, starting with episode 1, every Friday starting on January 2, 2009 via the aforementioned services. (Read more here).
This answers 85% of the questions we’ve received over the last week, including “Will the episodes be subbed or dubbed?”, “Why aren’t you going to keep subbing so we don’t have to wait 91 weeks for the official subs to catch up?”, “Will the subs be available outside the US?”, and “Could you give us more information about what sites we will be able to view these official versions at?”
Now that that’s out of the way, here are answers to some of the other questions/comments we’ve received in the last week.
Q. This latest announcement had better be a troll.
A. You are forgiven for doubting us considering our checkered past. However this is not another troll. We will no longer be subbing Naruto Shippuuden as of 1/15/09.
Q. I have a really lame reason why you shouldn’t drop Shippuuden. (Such as: You owe it to the fans to keep going/You have no right to drop it/I’m too cheap to pay for subs/I’m afraid that it won’t be available where I live/I think you should totally risk getting the pants sued off of you so that I can save $2). Will you change your mind?
A. No. We like our pants, and our decision is final. DB will stop subbing Naruto when Viz beings streaming it in January 2009.
Q. Will you still be subbing the Naruto movies?
A. We’re not sure. It depends on how Viz decides to handle the release of the movies in the US, how the staff feels about it, and on a couple of other factors. You’ll know in April by whether or not we release it. Until then, please stop asking. Every second we spend reading your question takes away from time we could be spending reading mail we care about.
Q. Is this really the end of Naruto for Dattebayo? Please tell me the truth.
A. OK, here's the truth: This is really the end of Naruto for Dattebayo. We're really dropping it on January 15, 2009.
Q. What about Bleach? Are you dropping that too?
A. If you’d actually read our press release, you’d know the answer is no. Sadly, if you’re the kind of person who would ask this question, you’re probably not reading this either. However, if TV Tokyo and/or Viz begin releasing Bleach the way they are planning to do with Shippuuden, we will most likely drop it as well.
Q. Is this for real? I mean are you really going to stop?
A. Yes, it is for real this time. We are really going to stop subbing Naruto Shippuuden on 1/15/09.
Q. If you’re not going to be releasing Naruto anymore, someone else will, right? Will you link us to their site?
A. You obviously missed the point. We are dropping it because there will be fast, official, legal versions available. We are not going to recommend another fansubbing group to you, because one of the main reason we are ceasing to sub the show is to support the official versions.
Q. Are you really going to drop Naruto Shippuuden?
A. Yes, we really, honestly, truly are dropping Naruto Shippuuden in January 2009.
Q. Now that you are dropping Naruto Shippuuden, are you going to change your name?
A. No. Our name is our name. We aren't going to change it.
Q. I know your announcement is a troll because of some stupid reason (Such as: It's your 100th PR/The date coincides too neatly with the date Viz is starting their service/There was a typo in the PR/The date 1/15/09 doesn't exist).
A. It's cute that people are so busy looking for the clues that are meant to tell you this is a troll. The only problem is, it isn't. The 100th PR thing is just a coincidence, albeit a pretty neat one. The date we are dropping Naruto and the date that Viz's streaming starts is the same for an obvious reason. And to the person who believes the date "doesn't exist": that's how we write dates here in the US. But thanks for playing.
Now for some special bonus material. People often ask us about the positive feedback we receive. To satisfy them, here is a small sample of the overwhelming number of positive messages we have received in the last week. None of these messages have been edited except for the removal of the email addresses to protect the innocent.
Subject: [PRAISE] Response to Naruto Drop
Email: (withheld)@gmail.com
To start, I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with Dattebayo as an organization. While I'm dissapointed that you will be dropping Naruto, mostly due to the inevitable drop in quality, your recent press release made it perfectly clear your intentions. The decision to drop the show in order to help the industry is something I can wholeheartedly agree with, and my opinion of your organization has only increased. I have nothing but respect, admiration and appreciation for everything you've done till now, and I'll continue to be a mad, raving fanboy as long as you continue to do whatever it is you're doing. Thanks so much for your service to this "community."
Subject:[PRAISE] Thank you dattebayo
Email: (withheld)@msn.com
I think this is the best end of a show a fansubing group can hope for. Maybe except for actually finishing the show.
No lawsuits, no drama and the fans even get to watch the show for free legally.
Thanks for your hard work, respect to Viz and keep pumping out those excelent Bleach releases. ;)
Subject: [OTHER] regarding interactii's post
Email: (withheld)@aim.com
Your group has had an amazing run with naruto. Thank you for providing us with years of episodes. You guys deserve some kind of medal.
Subject: [PRAISE] Naruto
Email: (withheld)@hotmail.com
I am truly greatfull for your wondefull work and I will miss your subs.
But I guess there's not much to do so thank you sooooooo much for the time you have subbed naruto.
I really hope that you will continue with subbing bleach for as long as you can :)
Again Thank you and have a nice future!
My regard // Offe
Subject: [PRAISE] Your work has saved lives!
Email: (withheld)@gmail.com
Hi Guys!
After reading Interactii's message about dropping Naruto, I felt there's something I needed to say which is: thank you all for your amazing work. My brother was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago and one of the things that kept him going while he was stuck in the hospital was you. Every week he looked forward to both Bleach and Naruto. I have downloded every single episode you have ever released for him...and me, I bacame a fan. Now my brother is cancer free and I really feel like you have played a big part in that. Thank you, a million times thank you. It doesn't feel like it's enough but that's all I can say. Now you are dropping Naruto but it seems like a very reasonable thing to do... I hope people don't give you too much shit about that. Thanks.
Catherine
Subject: [PRAISE] Thank You!
Email: (withheld)@hotmail.com
It's sad to see that you're stopping Naruto, but the reasons and other events that are occuring are great news. I've never written in before but I had to this time, just to say Thank You! Very much, for all the years of episodes, even crappy filler, that you have subbed. I'll be around for Bleach or other anime you all decide to sub, and I'll always think Dattebayo when I think of Naruto, even if I'm watching it on Crunchyroll. You guys rock, thanks again and best wishes to you!
Again, we appreciate all the support and understanding we have received regarding our decision. None of us anticipated such an overwhelmingly positive response from our viewers. Although I rarely work on Naruto anymore due to schedule conflicts, it has nonetheless been a part of my life for the last 4 years. Naruto was the first project I ever worked on as a fansubber. Like many of you, I'm sad to see it go, but I'm also hopeful that the industry is finally heading in the direction we all knew it should have been going in all along. Here's to the last four years, and the next, whatever they may bring for the anime industry, for DB, and for all of you.
-lafnear