ESJMDB FAQ

WHAT IS THE ESJMDB?

'ESJMDB' (a real mouthful) stands for the "English-Subtitled Japanese-Movie DataBase" (an even bigger mouthful) or "Subtitled Japan" for short. It is an ongoing information project of cataloging and dissemination. It started off as just fun, but became something real, something interesting, something helpful and insightful (at least we hope). It is searchable.

WHAT MOVIES DOES THIS DATABASE COVER?

Currently, this database only covers Japanese movies that are professionally subtitled. Fan subtitled movies are not recognized.

WHAT INFORMATION DOES THIS DATABASE HOLD?

At the moment, this database contains information on details such as titles (both English and Japanese, and in both written languages), production years, major actors/directors/writers, genres, and short descriptions (objective; no more than 5 lines long).

IS THIS SITE FINISHED?

As new movies are being made all the time, and older movies discovered, it is unlikely this site will ever be 'finished'. If it could ever be 'finished', I don't think it will be as enjoyable to put it together.

LINKING TO US

Feel free to link to us, mention us, or otherwise disseminate the information we have on this site as long as you give credit where credit is due. Please do not just steal the information. We have put a lot of effort and time into this site and we hope that you and others can appreciate that. We have two link pages, and will be happy to link back if your link is permanent. Related Links covers sites with topics such as Japanese movies or culture, and Non-Related Links, a page that links to sites that are not Japan-related in anyway; listed in alphabetical order.

I HAVE AN ENTRY YOU FORGOT!

Cool, send it to us. The format is as follows:

  • MOVIE TITLE (original)
  • MOVIE TITLE (english if applicable)
  • MAJOR PLAYERS (stars/directors/producers (only major names needed), if none, no worries)
  • GENRE (suspense/thriller, drama, horror, fantasy, cyberpunk, sci-fi, biography, documentary, live action hero/sentai, anime, crime, epic/historical, war, samurai/ninja/chambara/swordplay, sexual/erotic, cult, comedy) -- mark as many as appropriate
  • FORMAT (widescreen (16:9), television (4:3))
  • YEAR
  • REGION (very important. not all movies subtitled in Japan are subtitled overseas and visa versa)
  • DESCRIPTION (objective and only 5 lines max -- no spoilers please, no plagiarization please)

We ask that you try to do your best and fill as much of this out as possible. We will check it and add it if it fits the site criteria. No adult movies thank you, we are not really interested in adult movie entries.

ONE OF YOUR ENTRIES IS INCORRECT!

Really? Well, we are only human after all. It's quite possible we have made a mistake. Feel free to submit errors you have found. Be polite about it though. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Note though, we reserve the right to change, or not, anything in the database, as we see fit. If we don't make change(s) you propose, don't take it personally. It's never personal.

I HAVE FURTHER INFOMATION ON A MOVIE I FEEL WOULD BE HELPFUL TO OTHERS.

Cool. Submit. Though, note, we reserve the right to change, or not, anything in the database, as we see fit. If we don't take your submission(s), don't take it personally. It's never personal.

WHAT IS REGION ENCODING?

The world is broken up into 9 encoding regions. These regions determine what DVDs you can view where and/or with what kind of DVD player.

Region All/Free/0 -- viewable on all DVD players (likewise, Region All/Free/0 DVD players will play all DVDs)

Region 1 -- viewable in the US/Canada

Region 2 -- viewable in Japan, the UK, Saudia Arabia

Both DVD players and DVDs are region-encoded. This means that if you have a Region 2 DVD and a Region 1 player, then you cannot view the DVD. Your DVD player is more than likely encoded for the region you bought it in (ie your player will be encoded for US movies if you bought it in the US; encoded for the UK, if you bought in the UK; encoded for China, if you bought it in China; etc), unless you specifically bought a region-different/region-specific player.

For more information on regions and related issues, please visit DVD Demystified.

NTSC/PAL?

All DVDs out of Japan are NTSC without exception.

CONTACTING ESJMDB

So you'd like to contact us for [fill in your own compelling reason]. Cool. We love to hear what people have to say, but please do remember, we have lives and other things to do. Sometimes we may not be able to get back to you in as timely a fashion as we would love to. Patience is the key. Also note, at this current time, we are not seeking any help. We have a dedicated group of individuals who are fabulous, but thanks for offering your skills. We do appreciate it. Write us here.