Explanation of the ending of Tomodachi written in 1998.

From the Tomodachi Primary Site Update Of June 1998....

                                                      VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE

For many who have asked regarding what my current plans are, what I am working on, what the future holds, I'm ready to make a public comment on that.

But first an explanation about
my feelings about fansubbing...

When subbing began from this end, it was out of the love of sheer love of a TV series with no
particular intent to distribute it. The reason for the decision to distribute, after some of the work
was done, was because I remembered how badly I was suffering wanting to know what my favorite characters were saying. I felt that WHAT IF, back when I was going crazy, someone had
translated Marmalade Boy and said I couldn't see it? 

That was why.

At the time, Japan seemed so far away that bringing shoujo anime to English speakers felt much like bringing anime to the attention of earthlings from Mars.  In addition, it was felt that bringing anime here would help spread it in the US. That, in fact, turned out to be true IN SPADES.

It was a great blessing to us all. It did have the result of increasing fanship and sells of anime
products in a huge way. I can never be sorry for all the wonderful things that occurred as a result.

But as the two cultures came closer to each other through anime, Japan began to seem not so
far away anymore. I became increasingly concerned about their feelings. Not because of any
particular risk to myself but simple out of a feeling of compassion...wondering how I would feel
about fan subbing and distribution if I were them.

Upon mentioning this thought to fan friends and contemporaries, many related to me stories of
important Japanese figures in anime who upon hearing of the fansubbing were thrilled that
Americans feel affectionately enough about their work to sub it at their own expense and share
it.

Others would say that the laws regarding "the rights" were specifically written for industry sized
situations. That the mother companies aren't interested in puny matters like fan subtitling.

I was reminded by some that the Japanese mother companies allow the infringement of copyright
laws in their own country regarding fan dojinshi, etc.

And there were other thoughts...

Like...
...the mother companies had to have figured out WHY people from here suddenly started buying products from these shows...and have likely decided it beneficial to leave things the way they are regarding fan subtitling.
 

These thoughts have been carefully weighed by myself from every angle.

However....

           In the course of being in Tomodachi several things have been discovered...

                                                      One of those is...

We humans have fallible minds that jump to conclusions EASILY. (I doubt any of us are completely free of this problem.)

As soon as someone assumes how someone else feels, without them having say so themselves,
it's bound to be inaccurate. Human feelings and thought aren't usually something that can be
made in sweeping statements, due to the general complexities of thoughts and feelings.

It doesn't matter HOW OBVIOUS a situation looks! Two situations can look just alike and
not be identical. Some have heard me say "The man smiles, he's happy. The man smiles, he's
passing gas."

                      heh, heh....sorry. (^_^)!

To assume the Japanese mother companies are happy about fansubs is wrong.

To assume the Japanese mother companies are unhappy about fansubs is also wrong.

And truthfully speaking...

Even IF one of the mother companies were to make a public comment (pro OR con),
they wouldn't represent ALL the mother companies of anime. Every single one of them
need the right to say "yes or no".

Otherwise, it would be like saying that 100% of you hold the exact same opinion about what I'm
writing. Want to make a bet that that's not the case? (^_^) No? Not willing to take
that one up, huh? Hee hee....didn't think so. Me either.
 

BACK TO THE PAST:

To find out how the Japanese felt presented quite a problem. I was told there was a cultural
crossover problem to deal with.
 

My understanding of it was...

There's a behaviorism in Japan called "meotsuburu", and it means "to pretend not to notice
something"

To understand how this might work, take a situation like this possible one...

Cel painters maybe paid a very low income. So in order to live, they many take cels and sell them.

The company might know they're doing it and why and not mind. However, if asked if it's all right, they would be FORCED to say "no".

The company would turn its head the other way and employees know better than to ask for
permission that the company cannot officially give.
 

So with this in mind, if asked if it's all right to release fanworks to others, it could be problematic for them to say "no" to something they might not mind due to the free advertising and sells generated by such activities.

On the other hand...

....NOT to do so, takes way their right to free choice about something that belongs to THEM. And just to "assume" they don't mind (because of the benefits) could be considered the epitome of arrogance.

The problem required a middle of the road answer. One that would give them the open feeling
that we invite them to tell us how them feel WITHOUT being right in their faces.

A year and half ago messages began on my work inviting the mother companies to contact me.
 It was figured that if the American companies employees who were watching these titles (they're fans too) were also in contact with the mother companies, there was every chance that they would pass that information along.

In addition, a letter addressed to them was placed at the end of the Manga Escapees tape, then
sent it to a well known anime fan and anime collector in Japan.

Since Manga Escapees has missing stories from popular anime, was uniquely done, and was not
something that could be gotten at the local rental shop there, there was the hope that it would spread around enough to get back to the mother company. The time allotted for it to make the rounds that far to me was ranging somewhere over a year plus.

However IF there was no word within a reasonable amount of time, I could not in all fairness
make their decision about further fanworks for them regardless. It would be the end of the road
on my work. I did not wish to bother the public with all this decision-making since, when you
get down to the nitty-gritty, it was only one person's decision to make.
 

Changing gears a little here...

For three years straight though all of Marmalade Boy, the OAVs, the movies, the manga videos,
and the ever popular Fushigi Yuugi, I always made sure that I had something new for fans on the
first of every month. Never once, did that fail to be the case. However the Manga Escapees
(last year in August) was my last release. My announcement after that was that I would be
studying graphics. That there were series that I was interested in but hadn't gotten the LDs.

What I didn't want to say publicly then, but am telling you now, is that it was hoped that
procuring the LDs would be only a couple of months wait. That wasn't the case however.

I'm sorry but in the meantime, the time has run out on what I felt and still feel is a reasonable
amount of time to wait to hear from the mother companies AND still be able to get out a full
length series.

At this time, because I do not believe in controlling decisions that should belong to someone else,
and also since most of my other titles have been removed already, Fushigi will start to be removed
from the Tomodachi distribution list. Bruce's titles remain and I am turning over the name "Tomodachi Anime" to Bruce exclusively.  What he decides needs to be his own decision as well.  And I will support his decisions for himself just as he will for me.

In addition, I will continue support others in their decisions good or bad. Why? Because I want the same for myself. This letter is ONLY meant as an explanation (so that people don't turn around and point at each other and say "It's YOUR fault", which I don't want. Trust me, I heard people telling others that Karen Duffy would quit because of them before I ever made the decision to...and they gave different reasons for it than the ones I have altogether.).

This is WHO I am. I police myself and no one else! And frankly, I think that telling other people what they should think or feel is somewhat like making puppets out of them, with me pulling all the strings. I don't want to do that to them. I want to love people just the way they are!

So continue the way you are or change as you feel comfortable without feeling that I would criticize. After all, I'm asking an awful lot of you (tachi) to allow me the freedom to let go of me as KD, the fan subtitler.

In closing, without a doubt, if there's something you really believe is the right thing to do, it
should never be reneged on.

Over and over in my mind are the words "When do you stop doing what you feel is right?
When it becomes painful? When you have a lot to lose? When people beg you not to?
When it's popular or not popular? "

I do have a lot to lose. But as long as I want the right to choices that should be mine, I
have to give it. I'm willing to give up a great deal to have that freedom.

Karen