On the surface, it seems very simple to determine what editing is: Removing, masking, altering, or rearranging scenes in a story either to remove material deemed objectionable to a particular audience or to intentionally change the story.

But editing goes much deeper than that, as this Editing 101 page will endevor to explain.

First, a few definitions of terms we will use on this page and the editing reports:

• EDIT - General term for any change, additions, or subtractions made to the video/audio/dialog
• CUT- Indicates video/audio/dialog removed from the title
• ADDITION - Indicatesvideo/audio/dialog added to the title
• VIDEO ALTERATION - Indicates that the video has been altered with graphics, overlays, or otherwise changed while not being totaly removed.
• AUDIO ALTERATION - Indicates that the audio has been altered from the orignal (different sound effects, music, etc.)
• DIALOG ALTERATION - Indicates that the dialog (dub or sub) has been altered from the original (outside of resonable changes that have to be made during translation)

On this page I will discuss the various forms of editing that can and has been done to anime titles when they are brought over from Japan to North America This list is in no means complete and will be updated as needed. Each of the various type of editing is categorized into the following categories:

• Video Edits
• Openings (OPS), Endings (EDS), Eyecatches, and Previews
• English Subtitle Script Changes
• English Dub Script Changes
• Title and Name Changes
• Different Japanese Versions

Video edits to the actual content are the most noticeable and usually the most damaging to the original story and artwork. Some of the most common reasons that companies edit the video are listed below, but it is in no means a complete list:

• To remove or mask nudity
• To remove other material that a North American company may believe to be objectionable to their North American customers (or even to non-customers)
• To remove violence and/or blood, or to soften its impact
• To match English dialog to mouth movements
• To alter the story (by rearranging the sequence of events or removing scenes entirely)
• For running time (although understandable for anime that's shown on television, this is never acceptable for video releases)
• To sell/market the title to an audience it was never intended to be sold to/seen by
• Adding animation to mask or obscure material that a North American company may believe to be objectionable to their North American customers (or even to non-customers)
• Adding obstructive sign/writing translations as either text inside large opaque boxes or in a way that obscures part of the animation
• Making a movie out of TV or OVA episodes (see the Openings (OPS), Endings (EDS), Eyecatches, and Previews section for more details)
• Skipping entire episodes of series (for content, due to 'perceived' bad stories, or to speed up the pace of a series)
• Rearranging the order of a series (especially distainful if the series is not episodic)

editing report criteria: Any alteration of of the video in the story, be it an hour of video or one frame will be considered an edit (although we will try to describe the edit as accurately as possible in order to give the web site visitor a fair idea of what was changed and its impact on the story/plot). For overlayed graphics, unless the unaltered video is provided to the vierwer in some fashion (using DVD angles/branching or including the unaltered video on the tape/disc) it will be considered an edit if the overlay obscures more of the original video than is reasonably necessary and/or the overlay clashes with the original animation. Any skipped episodes or rearranging of episodes by a North American company will be considered an edit (especially if the series is not episodic). If the Japanese company chose to reorder the episodes before the title was broadcast or released to the public in Japan, then that will not be considered a edit.

recommends: (this is a no brainer) Not altering/cutting/adding to the video at all. Use the most complete master available from Japan and use it uncut for the dub and sub versions of U.S released anime. Translations of signs and other written elements should be unobtrusive and either blend perfectly with the original animation or just be done as subtitles overlayed on the video (ideally as removable DVD subtitles for DVD releases). If overlays have to be used, then we recommend leaving one or two frames of the orignal animation untouched so the viewers can see the translation and the orignal (as done in Castle of Cagliostro) or using DVD technology to include both the altered video and the orignal video on the disc. Leaving the episodes in the same order that they were originally broadcast/released in Japan and not skipping episodes for any reason.

Often, companies remove or alter the openings (OPS), endings (EDS), eyecatches (those short segments used around commercial breaks) and previews. Altering or removing the OPS and EDS alters the original episodic way the title was presented in Japan and is thus 'editing'. It almost seems that while some companies are unlikely to edit the episodes/story itself, they treat the OPS, EDS, eyecatches, and previews as fair game to their scissors. We at animeprime.com do not agree with that view.

Removing the OPS and EDS between episodes of a series may save on cost of VHS tape duplication, save space on DVDs, and provide a 'seamless viewing experience', but it also changes the way these titles were meant to be seem: as individual episodes.

Occasionally, there are also unique OPS and EDS for each episode or the ending music starts before the episode ends, so removing these would remove unique elements of these shows or provide bad transitions to the next episode. Removing previews can also detract from the viewing experience, as some people enjoy the teasers for the next episode. In some cases, these edits that remove OPS, EDS, and previews from between episodes also add another problem: spoilers. Some of these tapes/discs combine the previews for all the episodes on the NEXT tape/disc at the end of the current tape/disc. Not only does this mean that sometimes previews from the first tape/disc are missing and are never seen by the American viewer, but it also means that potential spoilers can be found in the previews for episodes that you have yet to see. For instance: In the preview of episode 5 a major character is near death and the other characters all are worried. The preview of episode 6 shows the other characters grieving over the death of the character. If shown directly after the episode 5 preview and before anyone could have seen episode 5, then the viewer will know that the character dies in episode 5 and his/her viewing experience is spoiled.

Another change that can be done to OPS and EDS is to completely replace them with a new OP or ED. Reasons for this include: to remove nudity/objectionable material, to change the title to English, or just to make a OP that a North American company considers more marketable for the North American market.

Another reason OPS, EDS, and previews are removed is to edit episodes into a 'movie' or a 'seamless viewing experience'. First, calling a TV series or OVA series that has been edited together a 'movie' is deceptive and implies a level of quality for the animation that may or may not be true. Granted, not all of these 'combined' episode 'movies' are called movies or motion pictures in the advertising or on the box/case, but some are misrepresented to the consumers as being 'movies' when they are not. There are three general sources for anime: TV series, OVAs, and movies. Many anime fans have certain expectations about what the animation quality of a particular show will be based on the way it was originally meant to be released. TV series are generally the lower quality of the three, since they have more animation to produce with a lower budget and in less time than an OVA or movie. OVAs are the next rung on the ladder with movies being at the top. Now, there are exceptions to this 'ladder' of animation quality (I've seen some anime movies that had extremely poor animation quality and TV series that were gorgeous), but for the most part something that was made as a movie will have higher animation quality than a OVA or TV series episode made around the same time. Herein lies the problem: combining a TV series or OVA series into a seamless product and then calling it a 'movie' is misrepresenting what it is and giving potential buyers expectations of animation quality that may or may not be true of the final edited version.

Other alterations to the OPS and EDS include: cutting away the entire original logo/title and replacing it with an English logo/title (this is particularly disturbing when the original logo is animated or tightly integrated with the rest of the OP/ED's animation), altering the credits with unsightly overlays to cover Japanese characters (which can end up covering parts of the animation), or shrinking the original OP/ED to make room for English credits.

With DVD technology it is very easy to put OPS, EDS and previews on separate chapters and allow the viewer to skip them if they wish too. Using branching technology, viewers could also choose menu selections that would either play the episodes with or without the OPS, EDS, and previews if they so desire. If a company must alter the OP or EDS for some reason (although we here at animeprime.com would prefer that they don't), then the original unedited OPS and EDS should be included as extras on both VHS and DVD versions (everyone buying a product deserves the best product possible).

editing report criteria: Any removal, rearranging, or alteration (except to add/overlay English credits/titles) of the original opening, ending, eyecatches, or previews will be considered a edit. If the original animation is still visible under any English credits/titles, it will not be considered an edit. In most cases, we won't do an editing report if changes to the OP/ED is the only change made to a title, but we may under certain circumstances if there is a compelling reason.

recommends: Leaving the original OPS, EDS, eyecatches, and previews in place and in the same order as they were originally arranged on the original Japanese version. If a North American company has access to 'creditless' video for the OP and ED, then it can be used with the English credits unobtrusively superimposed over it (providing the original OPS and EDS with Japanese characters as an DVD extra would be a nice gesture, since many fans like to see the original). If a North American company only has access to the OPS and EDS with Japanese characters or chooses to use only that version, then the English credits should be added in a way that preserves as much of the original animation as possible and blends well with the rest of the OP/ED. Covering up large portions of the screen with credits inside opaque boxes or completely replacing title logos with full screen logos should be avoided whenever possible.

In a perfect world, translating a story between one language and another would be straightforward and easily be understood by the reader/viewer of the translated work. Unfortunately, the differences between Japanese and English make it impossible to say that there is a 100% correct translation for any given story. Each translator will have his or her own approach to handling certain phrases, puns, jokes, and cultural references. Even a literal translation will frequently vary from translator to translator. And literal translations would make little to no sense for most English speakers. Some translators are better than others at conveying the meaning of the original dialog.

With this in mind, we at animeprime.com will not take translations to task as long as they appear to be trying to keep the original story and plot intact, not "dumb down" the dialog, and don't change puns and jokes to something that is inconsistent with the original pun/joke or that would alter the story/plot. We understand that this will always be a gray area and will attempt to only make editing reports for the worst offenders in this category.

editing report criteria: As long as the translation appears to be done with the intent to translate the original story/plot and not alter it, we will not consider dialog changes an edit. Only when there are obvious changes that can only be explained as an attempt to make the story appeal to a wider audience by "dumbing down" the dialog or removing dialog that may be objectionable to some audiences will we consider a translation to be edited.

recommends: For sub scripts, we feel that the translated dialog should be as close to the original as possible, making only the necessary changes to make the dialog seem natural to the reader. If possible, puns and jokes should be left as is and liner notes (on screen or printed) be used to explain them. If puns and jokes have to be changed to be understandable to a English speaking audience, then they should be changed only so far as they do not affect the story or plot and retain as much of the original feeling/meaning as possible.

Like the English subtitle script, there is no way to say that any given translation is 100% accurate or 100% wrong. In addition to the criteria listed above for the subtitle script, English dub scripts have to account for mouth movements and make the dialog seem natural to the speaker and listener (try reading most subtitles out loud sometime and you'll see how awkward it sounds). As long as the intent of the original dialog is preserved and altering the dialog doesn't change the story or plot, these changes to the dub script will usually be acceptable.

Again, we at animeprime.com will not take translations to task as long as they appear to be trying to keep the original story and plot intact, not "dumb down" the dialog, and don't change puns and jokes to something that is inconsistent with the original pun/joke or that would alter the story/plot. We understand that this will always be a gray area and will attempt to only make editing reports for the worst offenders in this category.

What it comes down to is that we at animeprime.com feel that the decision to watch anime with English dialog or with Japanese dialog/English subtitles should be a choice made by the viewer (also known as the customer). If the English dub (or even the English sub for that matter) is altered or done in such a way to irrevocably change the story/plot then that decision is no longer in the customer's hands, it is then made by the company that is supposed to be TRANSLATING anime for English speaking audiences. They are not supposed to be creating a new story, in our opinion.

editing report criteria: As long as the translation appears to be done with the intent to translate the original story/plot and not alter it, we will not consider dialog changes an edit. Only when there are obvious changes that can only be explained as an attempt to make the story appeal to a wider audience by "dumbing down" the dialog or removing dialog that may be objectionable to some audiences will we consider a translation to be edited. We will not call any script changes edits if they appear to be added to match mouth movements. Any dialog that appears to be ad-libbed, changed to make the story more acceptable to a wider audience, or inserted where there was no dialog in the Japanese dub will be considered an edit in most cases.

recommends: For dub scripts, we feel that the translated dialog should be as close to the original as possible, making only the necessary changes to make the dialog fit the mouth movements of the animation and seem natural to the listener. If possible, puns and jokes should be left as is, but in a spoken English dub it is understandable if these puns/jokes have to be adjusted to some English equivalent. If puns and jokes have to be changed to be understandable to a English speaking audience, then they should be changed only so for as they do not affect the story or plot and retain as much of the original feeling/meaning as possible. Changing the script to remove dialog that may be offensive to some group or person only ends up changing the original story and plot and is not acceptable.

"What's in a name?"

Much like a mother and father chose a name that fits their child, names are usually chosen by the creators of a story for a reason. Altering names alters a part of the story and in some cases can greatly alter how a story is perceived by the viewer. If a name has a particular meaning that the viewer has to know to fully enjoy the story, then it should be explained in liner notes or even in the spoken dialog for the English dub.

For story titles, care should be taken to translate the original title as closely to the original as possible. Making it sound interesting and attractive to a English speaking buyer is all right, but only if it still reflects the spirit and meaning of the original title. Choosing a name that is only designed to attract potential customers and ignores the original title and meaning is unacceptable. It is also undesirable to use different titles for different versions of a title (dub VHS, sub VHS, and DVD or edited/unedited) as this can cause confusion with potential buyers.

editing report criteria: NAMES: Any changes will be considered an edit. No exceptions, but we will indicate reasons for the changes, if known.. TITLES: If the English title appears to be either directly translated from the Japanese title or is translated with only slight alterations and still accurately reflects the story's events or characters, then animeprime.com will not consider it an edit. The same goes for English titles that don't reflect a translation of the original title, if they at least accurately reflect or retains the original meaning or feeling of the original title then we will not consider it an edit. If the titles changes between versions or the title is misleading or otherwise appears to be changed in disregard for the original title, it will be considered an edit. In most cases, we won't do an editing report if name/title changes are the only change made to a title, but we may under certain circumstances if there is a compelling reason.

recommends: Leaving the names of characters intact. If the Japanese company requests name changes, the North American company should do their best to make it known to that company that many North American anime fans desire the Japanese names to be left as is. Titles should be translated as accurately as possible and not changed solely for marketing reasons.

Blurring the editing issue somewhat is the fact that the Japanese companies routinely release multiple versions of anime titles in various forms: As originally aired on television, as expanded OVAs with additional/restored footage, as an edited together movie (with or without new footage), or the same episodes in different packaging and/or special editions with video extras (interviews, omake segments, music videos).

For the most part, a North American company licensing a movie that was already edited together by the Japanese company can't really be considered 'editing' by a North American company, but in most cases it is preferable for a North American company to license the original (or most complete) unedited version instead of an edited version (or providing both where possible). It's also nice to have any 'extras' that the Japanese included in the Japanese video releases included in the North American release as well.

On occasion, the decision of which version to use is made by the Japanese company for various reasons (fear of reimports, wanting too much in licensing fees for them, music licensing issues, and other reasons).

editing report criteria: A North American company releasing a title in a way it was released in Japanese (even if the Japanese version was somehow edited) will not be considered an edit as long as no additional edits (as defined above) are done to the title. Usually, we will provide anime fans with the information of what version was used for the North American releas and base our editng reports on changes made from that version.

recommends: That North American companies use the most complete and unedited version available to them. In most cases this would mean the first release of a OVA or movie. In the case of TV series, this may mean as it aired on TV or as a video release that restored footage cut to allow the TV episode to run in the time allotted (which isn't a problem for a video release in North America). Of course, every licensing deal is unique, but offering the best product possible in North America will only ensure profits for all the companies involved and keep customers coming back for more.