FAQ

  1. How do you play the h264 mkv files?

    You’ll need the proper codecs. Actually, quite a number of programs are needed to get it running. However, luckily it is all packaged in the K-lite codec pack. That links you to the mega pack. It is more complete than CCCP. Also, it includes CoreAVC instead of ffdshow to decode h264. CoreAVC decodes more efficiently. Media Player Classic is packaged inside k-lite codec pack as well. MPC is our recommended media player.

  2. Are the mkv files soft-subbed or hard-subbed?

    Soft-subbed.

    Hard-subs mean that the subtitles are encoded into the video. They cannot be removed.

    Soft-subs are subtitles from a file separate from the video, which is packaged inside the mkv file. You have the option to watch with or without the subtitles.

  3. The mkv release seems to be out of sync. Why is this so?

    Decoding h264, especially at 720p, requires a lot of CPU and GPU power. It probably means your computer isn’t fast enough to play it and you’ll get a lot of stutter, causing the audio to desync with the video. A dual-core anything should be plenty. A high-end p4 or equivalent should be fine as well. Additionally, you’ll need a decent graphics card as well.

    A GeForce 5500 or Radeon X1600 and above should be the minimum for smooth playback. You will not be able to achieve smooth playback with motherboard built-in graphics or a low-end graphics card. The graphics card is VERY important to video playback. Graphics cards nowadays do a lot more than just 3D games.

    If you do have enough CPU power, then remove CCCP and replace it with the k-lite codec pack as that uses CoreAVC instead of FFDshow to decode h264. Clear out all the useless codecs as they may cause conflicts. If that still fails, then just get the XviD version. m33w are not proponents of CCCP.

  4. How do I play the h264 mkv files on my linux/mac box?

    Wow, honestly, we don’t know. Try using VLC player for the Mac. It may not play very well though.

  5. Why is the audio in the h264 mkv version encoded in only 64kbps? It sounds like crap.

    You would imagine that we actually watch the releases before putting it out. You’re probably an isolated case. Avoid installing bad codecs or purchasing poor hardware. Or just download the XviD version. That one runs on everything.

  1. What is m33w?

    We are a fan subtitling group which translates anime from Japanese to English for non-Japanese speakers to enjoy.

  2. When was m33w founded?

    m33w-fansubs was founded by Korokun around mid 2006. Because of disagreements with our former group, Lime-anime, a number of us had left to form the core members of m33w. However, only a handful of the core members still remain.

  3. Are you a speed-subber?

    No, we are not (anymore). m33w kinda died in late 2006, and then revived in late 2007 with School Days speed subs. The group then finally became a full time subbing group again with projects Myself; Yourself and Ninomiya-kun. The subbing was very basic, with just translation, translation check, editing, and simple text typesetting. As we kept up our consistent release schedule, we slowly gained/regained members and our staff grew. As each season passed, we slowly improved the quality of our releases. Our goal now is to provide excellent quality subs in a timely fashion (not falling behind an episode). Our Spring/Summer 2008 shows (Itazura na Kiss, Special A, Nogizaka Haruka, Telepathy Shoujo Ran, etc.) are a good indication of what you can expect from us these days.

  4. How do I get a custom avatar for the comments page?

    Sign up at gravatar.com, upload your own avatar and use the e-mail address linked to that avatar here.

  5. Can I donate?

    m33w-fansubs doesn’t accept donations. This is the normal policy of most fansubs groups. We are not doing this for profit, nor do we think it’s ethical to do so. Spend your money on original merchandise from the producers.

  6. Seriously what is this bullshit? you don’t accept donation yet you have ads on your website. I cant believe that yet another fansub sold their soul to those retard ad companies. Please stop throwing sand into the eyes saying that you don’t accept donation, yet you have ads. Its always this bullshit.
    Regards
    Nekomo

    We don’t accept donations because we have ads. I don’t see why this is hard to understand. Our server costs still exceed ad revenue by at least double. Webserver is $10/mo, cbox is $2/mo, distro server is $70/mo. Not including XDCC. Do you think we’re rolling in money from ads?

    If we remove the ads, then we’ll have to start accepting donations. But, I’m fairly certain that donations will easily exceed the server costs and we’ll be turning a profit. Then, we’ll have a surplus in the paypal account and we’d be forced to spend it on things we don’t need. And after that, those who donated would feel that they deserve something from us because they paid for it. We don’t want to feel obligated to leechers. Just download your anime and go about your business.

  7. Are m33w recruiting?

    No. We are full at the moment. If you still really wish to join, please talk to one of the ops in #m.3.3.w@irc.rizon.net or e-mail Korokun(dog_man32@hotmail.com). The minimum requirements for all positions are that you:

    • Enjoy anime and Japanese culture.
    • Are friendly and cooperative.
    • Are hardworking and willing to learn.
  8. Can I request a series?

    You can, but we probably won’t do it. We do only a very specific genre and would probably not do mecha, shounen, horror and such.

    In short, if it’s an unsubbed series, don’t bother. Your request will not be fulfilled for various reasons.

  9. How is m33w related to Baka-Wolf?

    As of August 04, 2008, we no longer have any relation to Baka-Wolf.

  1. When is so-and-so episode going to be released?

    Tonight.

  2. What is your release schedule like?
    Err… We release 1 episode per week.

  3. What are the differences between the XviD and H.264 versions?

    The difference is mainly in the video quality. The H.264 versions will be encoded at 1280×720 or 1024×576 pixels, while the XviD will be 704×396. The subs for the H.264 version is softcoded. Other than that, there are no differences.

  4. What is the best way to download m33w’s releases?

    The best way by far is through bittorrent. You’ll find our torrent listing here.

    Bittorrent is the best method of sharing the same file among a large number of downloaders because of its swarming technology. It is also the cheapest method for us because we only need a few uploaders to propagate the files quickly. Bittorrent works because everyone shares a portion of their upload bandwidth. So please keep your download window open after you’ve finished downloading. You still can play the file while uploading.

    If you’d like to know which bittorrent clients are good, we recommend uTorrent, Azureus and BitComet among others.

  5. I can’t download from BT or am having extremely slow speeds.

    It is possible that your firewall at your school, dorm or workplace has blocked off BT ports. Try using different ports and encryption. If you’re having slow speeds, make sure you’ve port-forwarded correctly in your router settings. If you’re still not getting good speeds, perhaps your ISP is shaping you. Some of this shaping methods can be by-passed through encryption.

    An alternative to BT is to download via our bots on IRC. (#m.3.3.w@irc.rizon.net) Read the channel topic on instructions on how to download. You should be capable of figuring it out quickly.

  6. I really can’t get your releases from either BT or IRC. What should I do?
    Find a DDL site like National Anime, or stream it from YouTube, Crunchyroll, Watch Anime On, etc.
  7. Can I have your scripts to translate into other languages?

    I’ve been giving them out freely so far, but it’s actually starting to get a bit annoying. Just either rip it from the MKV, or watch the video normally and translate from there like how everyone else does it.

    You are free to do anything you wish with our translations, but we will not provide any support.

  8. Can I upload your releases to YouTube/Veoh/Stage6/etc.?

    Yes, feel free to do so. We kindly request you put a link to this website if you do so.

    We are currently boycotting Veoh though because they’re blocking a huge portion of the world.

  1. What does ‘-san’, ‘chan’, etc. mean?

    The Japanese are well known for their politeness. And it is also clearly reflected in their language. ‘-san’, ‘-chan’, etc. are honorifics, similar to ‘mister’, ‘sir’, etc. in English. However, the Japanese use a much wider variety of honorifics to denote status and seniority in society.

    ‘San’ is generally, let’s just say it is, the most generic honorific, which is quite safe to use in most situations. It is similar to ‘mister’ and ‘missus’ in English. It is often used when conversing with strangers, people more senior than yourself and female colleagues. However, unlike ‘mister’ and ‘missus’, ‘san’ can be attached to words like ‘father’, i.e. ‘otou-san’, as a sign of respect. ‘san’ can also be attached to pets/animals.

    ‘Chan’ is a term of endearment, similiar to ‘lil’ in English. It is often used when addressing children or anything that you think is cute. Like you might call a teddy bear, ‘kuma-chan’.

    ‘Kun’ is often used with young males, after they’ve outgrown the ‘chan’. It’s used when addressing colleagues, peers and those of lower status. It is sometimes used for women, but normally only those you study or work together with.

    ‘Sama’ is used to address those of higher status. Examples are like your customers and great heroes. It is also used in greetings such as ‘otsukare-sama’, which roughly (not lit.) means “Thank you for your hard work.”

    There are many others. Another note is that when describing yourself and your family, don’t address yourself as ‘-san’ or with any other suffixes. These honorifics are signs of respect and you should always present yourself as humble and modest, thus you wouldn’t give yourself honorifics.

    Examples of other honorifics are ‘sensei’ and ‘senshu’. ‘Sensei’ is used for knowledgeable people, like teachers, doctors and politicians. ‘Senshu’ is used for athletes or participants of a competitive game.

  2. What are some good resources to learn Japanese?

    Try this.