Over the past week i've noticed a few groups at each other because one group has started at the other group's latest release and further, rather than beginning at chapter one. I'm sure this has happened many times in the past too. I don't want to be bias to one group or the other, as I think that any and all scanlations deserve to be recognised for their efforts. But I was wondering what your own feelings towards this matter is... Can you understand one view more than the other? Should only one group focus on a series? Are there times when more than one group on a series is ok, etc...

I'm curious and don't want this thread to turn into a slinging and slagging match so civil replies appreciated. Thanks :-)

well, unless this group had drop the project the other scanlator should not continue the next chapter unless got the permision from the original group. And of course, not all scanlators follow that rule. To tell the truth, each scanlator have different quality work, some are high quality and release slow or average and some are just low quality but release pretty fast.

So, what I would say is one series should only have one scanlator to work on it unless it is drop or the scanlator go offline. I don't like the idea of many scanlators working on the same project or should i mention about Rockin Heaven'?

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R-18 below

Detective Horror Series

Tracker BakaBT

Well, although it's generally one scanlator to a project, I don't think it's rude to pick a project that's been stagnant for months.

It's one scanlator to a project because there's this idea that overlap is a waste of effort, and there are so many manga in the world that need scanlation, that there shouldn't be a need for overlap.

On the other hand, if the project has been stagnant for a long time and another group picks it up, then I don't see the problem. To me, it seem another group has time to dedicate to the project that the original group couldn't do. And, in scanlation, I think love for a project is essential, otherwise there's no interest.

Um... and sometimes overlap happens unintentionally, and scanlators talk to each other to clarify the issue. Sometimes it ends well... sometimes it ends REALLY badly.

What's probably MORE rude is flaming the group in other places instead of asking them flat out WHY they are "duplicating" effort.

Really? Oh wow. I never thought there was any trouble to picking up a series if another scanlating group is doing it... but just more slowly. Hey, if you can provide faster releases... or more quality releases, why not?

But anywho, it's something altogether different for me. I would do something just because I loved doing it (i.e. I joined DoubleO7 to scanlate Suzuka)... but that's probably about it... the whole reason I'm doing all this work is only because I love the series enough... and I want to give others a chance to experience that.

I don't think any scanlating group should be scolded or flamed if they're picking up projects for that reason.

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-Max

And that is why we need permision from the original group, because you might not know but the original group might be wanting to still continuing the project...

As i said, unless of course the group is "OFFLINE" or dropped the project we can freely surely continue the project whenever we want, if the group is still alive, and the project is in the ongoing list, it's safe to ask permision..

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R-18 below

Detective Horror Series

Tracker BakaBT

But that's the thing... is it theirs to ask permission of..?

I know it's just nicer to ask permission... and probably about 90% of scanlating teams would be like, sure! go ahead!

But... what about that 10% who think they completely own the manga..? Isn't scanlating a service we're doing for non-Japanese readers...? So, I mean, what happens when they say no? It feels kinda weird for anyone to feel ownership of something they didn't create.

....


...haha. But I agree. It usually doesn't hurt to ask... and it's more polite.

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-Max

Here's the thing i'll ask ..but i have no intention of listening to what their answer is...meaning..if they say go ahead then i will...if they say hell no...then i will still go ahead. In the first place I won't do a project unless it's not being scanlated or the group is going really slow or practically dead or the quality is god awful..scanlators have no ownership over anything..it's just well it benefits the manga community if the scanlators do more projects rather that 5 groups doing one *cough manga helpers cough* ... But if the group is going too slow and i'm a fan of the manga... I won't care whether they like it or not. If a group hasn't released in a month for that manga... i wouldn't even blink.. i need my fix however i get it . mwahahahahahahaha.

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~~~the world it is a dyin'~~ so let's just enjoy the view~~~

Well, that's one way of looking at it. Just look at bleach and one piece, for example. For me, if you like working on it, then go ahead. Scanlators really have no right to have "ownership" over mangas. Moreso, they shouldn't get mad over another starting on it when they can't give much attention to it. But it is polite to just mention it to the original scanlator. Just mention that you intend to start on it (to let them aware ~ not to start a competition, but just so that they won't be surprised and avoid false rumors to start.) And it's equally polite not to hinder the 2nd group's intention to do the series. It's up to the readers as to which version they would like. Most of the time, like me, people would download whichever is released first but then they keep whichever they liked best. But, yeah, I agree with DeLtA_IjK. The second group shouldn't be flamed or anything like that. They're just fans, too.

Well i kinda disagree, even shounen mangas got lots of scanlators. So why can't shoujo? I think you can overlap the scanlations if you got your own raw or if you think the group is too slow or have LQ releases. After all, it's not the scanlators who will decide who will release the manga first and shall continue it, but they must think of the fans who wanted to read it so badly.

Oneshot on the other hand shall only be scanlated by one group. It's short anyway..


Well, thats your opinion. I don't like to start flame wars in here but scanlators got no right to say that they are the only ones who can scanlate that project. If scanlators think that they have rights to say that the group must not touch a certain project cuz they are the ones doing it then they are thinking of themselves and not for the fans.


True


Thats right.Thats an issue to the 2nd scanlators...other people are no0b enought to flame not thinking that scanlators are not just people but also fans

Last edited by sakimichi at 7:05 pm, Jun 22 2007

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I'm not sure about shounens, because i rarely ever see one with overlap scanlators nor read one. Look, it wouldn't be respecting the original scanlator if we just continue it off. Of course the scanlators do not meant it to be their own manga, but they were the first people who started bringing the manga to us with raws translations editors etc. It could be other scanlators start off late but that is a whole different story.

The moment i started saying "I don't like the idea" of course that is my own opinion.. Actually everything i wrote and am writing are all based on my opinion toward scanlation, but isn't this what the thread wanted?.. Anyway, scanlators of course do not have the right to do so, but look, i think my example was bad as Rockin Heaven wasn't about "continuing" but about doing the same project...



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R-18 below

Detective Horror Series

Tracker BakaBT

i think that scanlators scanlating the same manga should somehow communicate with each other at least a little to let each other what each is planning to do...
and work out some sort of agreement or conclusion..

i think its perfectly fine for more than one scanlating group to work on a manga... since everyone's free to do what they like, right? (i mean to some extent of course)

but then i think there should be communication since realizing that another group is suddenly doing the same thing as you would be sort of a shock... and well...

*rambles on incoherently*

i dunno, but it hurts feelings when people start feeling that others are stealing others' projects

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This is an interesting topic~I've been annoyed by the multiple releases of the same chapters all by different groups as well. honestly, I don't mind if ppl want to scanslate manga's (like some ppl already mentioned on quality, frequency, and etc.) but if they're going to start releasing chaps that other groups have already started they should just drop them a note so they don't waste their own time and the reader's patience on the same chapter. In fact they should just turn it into a joint project. Maybe we should drop the groups some hints when we spot such things?

I think they already know that and have considered that as well. While I agree it's better if they would just do a joint, it's either one of them didn't want a joint or they have already agreed to do their own thing. Dropping those kind of hints could still be considered flaming, doesn't it? Just let the scanlators handle it themselves.

ummm... although I was pretty much ignored, I think MOST scanlators try to be polite to each other.

If they don't know that someone else has claimed something, they'll often ask the original scanlator.

There are some people in the world, however, who are just jerks, and their group is a collective jerk.

You also run into the fact most groups hate working on Joint Projects.

AND - you also run into the fact that sometimes things get posted on here that AREN'T supposed to be posted even IF the scanlator requested it not, so you get lots of random crap.

:: shrug :: Scanlation should be like everything else and done with civility, unless the original group is going to be jerks and then I say W/E, but with more fevor and a few more swears. Sometimes asking works out; sometimes it bombs.

I guess. I mean, I'm in a scanlation group and when another group started on one of the projects that we intended to work on (I have no idea if it was already being worked on... I think it was, but I was just a scanner and that project was not the one I was scanning), I felt like "they should have just joined and helped us." But yeah, I guess since it was a project a scanlator was working on, they would feel that they should have joined the group (not a joint project but literally joining the original group) to help make scanlating it faster. But I think some groups just move other people to other projects when that happen (cuz they gained people to work in the original project in joints) but that's just me.

I think those groups who did good work and are releasing at an adequate pace but still some group started on that same project, then that 2nd group is what I would call jerks.