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Official Policies/Disclaimers

This page contains Ani-Gamers’ policies and disclaimers regarding our contributors’ coverage of anime, manga, video games, and other subjects.

Fansub/Scanlation Policy

We understand the ubiquity of pirated anime and manga on the Internet, but we also recognize that these unauthorized versions of material are both illegal and widely considered to be detrimental to the anime and manga industries in both America and Japan. So, in order to promote the legal acquisition of anime and manga, as of October 17, 2009, our in-depth coverage (i.e. partial or complete reviews) will only feature the following content:

  • Titles licensed for distribution in North America, the United Kingdom, or Australia
  • Unlicensed titles or titles whose licenses have expired (in reference only to their North American licensing status), as long as their Japanese release date is at least five years earlier than the review’s publication date

Yes, that means no reviews of fansubs of recent series, and (obviously) no reviews of fansubs of licensed series. However, we may mention recently fansubbed series in podcasts and other posts, as it would be foolish to pretend that our contributors NEVER watch fansubs or read scanlations.

Ani-Gamers refuses to print reviews or other supportive coverage of pirated video games of any sort, since a heavy majority of video games on major consoles receive legal releases in North America.

Review Disclaimers

In order to make our reviewing process more transparent, our reviewers will include a field in their review stating the version of the title that was reviewed. This allows our readers to see whether the reviewer bought the DVD, manga or game, received a review copy, or watched a fansub/scanlation. If a company refuses to allow us to include the disclaimer for some reason, we will negotiate with them to reach a conclusion that allows the maximum amount of transparency for our readers.