The shows and the groups themselves are the reason why they are doing well, but the accessibility of having English subtitles is so important to taking it further.
It doesn't seem like that much right now, but it's so important for BMSG to build a foundation outside of Japan. (I actually have a lot to say about SKY-HI's approach to the international market — I even watched and translated his business interviews — but that is for another comment on another article.)
I'm going to use Mazebeya as an example because I've been tracking their numbers. I do think the English subtitles play a part in getting some of the newer episodes to 1M views.
Mazebeya releases English subtitles for new episodes about 2 weeks after they air. (The schedule is not fixed, and they have been releasing English subtitles for older episodes, so the schedule has been disrupted.)
Based on my observations, when a new episode of Mazebeya airs, the first 24 hours reach 150K, the weekend reaches 300K, and within the week they reach about 400K to 500K. The viewership slows drastically during week 2. But when the English subtitles drop, I see a spike of 100K to 200K within the week. It makes a difference. When Fan really understand what is going on, they feel more connected then ever.
On a personal note, the BMSG FanClub app "Be with U" does have a translation function. It's probably not human-translated, but just having that function within the FC makes a huge difference. Just being able to read the updates in real time makes a huge difference for fans. Unfortunately, the videos on the app do not have subtitles.
I completely agree with you on the importance of English subtitles.
Before the official translations, I used to watch Mazebeya with auto translated subtitles which was not that accurate but at least I got a bit of context. Now the official translation is just amazing, they even try to translate the context of jokes you could only understand in Japanese. I really appreciate the staff for the good work, they also go back to translate older episodes.
For the FC videos, if you use google chrome and open the videos on Vimeo you can auto translate some parts of the videos through google translating the whole page. It does not always work or translates everything but its something instead of nothing.
I was especially impressed by your observations on Mazebeya’s viewership trends. That kind of careful long-term perspective is rare and genuinely insightful.
I also really connect with your view on what BMSG needs to keep growing internationally. Accessibility and a deeper connection can make a huge difference.
I’ll continue writing about these changes, and I’d truly welcome your thoughts and perspectives anytime in future posts.
Thank you again for taking the time to share this.
The shows and the groups themselves are the reason why they are doing well, but the accessibility of having English subtitles is so important to taking it further.
It doesn't seem like that much right now, but it's so important for BMSG to build a foundation outside of Japan. (I actually have a lot to say about SKY-HI's approach to the international market — I even watched and translated his business interviews — but that is for another comment on another article.)
I'm going to use Mazebeya as an example because I've been tracking their numbers. I do think the English subtitles play a part in getting some of the newer episodes to 1M views.
Mazebeya releases English subtitles for new episodes about 2 weeks after they air. (The schedule is not fixed, and they have been releasing English subtitles for older episodes, so the schedule has been disrupted.)
Based on my observations, when a new episode of Mazebeya airs, the first 24 hours reach 150K, the weekend reaches 300K, and within the week they reach about 400K to 500K. The viewership slows drastically during week 2. But when the English subtitles drop, I see a spike of 100K to 200K within the week. It makes a difference. When Fan really understand what is going on, they feel more connected then ever.
On a personal note, the BMSG FanClub app "Be with U" does have a translation function. It's probably not human-translated, but just having that function within the FC makes a huge difference. Just being able to read the updates in real time makes a huge difference for fans. Unfortunately, the videos on the app do not have subtitles.
I completely agree with you on the importance of English subtitles.
Before the official translations, I used to watch Mazebeya with auto translated subtitles which was not that accurate but at least I got a bit of context. Now the official translation is just amazing, they even try to translate the context of jokes you could only understand in Japanese. I really appreciate the staff for the good work, they also go back to translate older episodes.
For the FC videos, if you use google chrome and open the videos on Vimeo you can auto translate some parts of the videos through google translating the whole page. It does not always work or translates everything but its something instead of nothing.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment!🙏
I was especially impressed by your observations on Mazebeya’s viewership trends. That kind of careful long-term perspective is rare and genuinely insightful.
I also really connect with your view on what BMSG needs to keep growing internationally. Accessibility and a deeper connection can make a huge difference.
I’ll continue writing about these changes, and I’d truly welcome your thoughts and perspectives anytime in future posts.
Thank you again for taking the time to share this.