Raw, subbed, BDRip, WEB-DL… how do I read an anime release name?
Search a show on Nyaa or in Fushi's anime downloads and you get a long list of near-identical titles trailing bracketed tags. This explains what they say and which to pick for Japanese.
Raw / subbed
- Raw: the original with no translated subtitles. It may have no subtitles at all, or Japanese ones (closed captions, Blu-ray subs).
- Subbed: a version with translated (English, Chinese…) subtitles, which may be external, embedded or burned-in.
For learning Japanese you want raws: translated subtitles on screen get read without you noticing and teach nothing. A raw plus a Japanese subtitle (Fushi can match one from Jimaku automatically) is the smoothest setup for lookups and mining. The "Raw / English-translated / Non-English" filter in Fushi's "Anime download" dialog splits along exactly this line.
Source: BDRip, WEB-DL, TVRip
| Tag | From | Traits |
|---|---|---|
| BDRip / BDMV / Remux | Blu-ray disc | Best picture, uncensored, no station logo; appears months after broadcast |
| WEB-DL / WEBRip | Streaming (Crunchyroll, Netflix, Bilibili…) | Available the day it airs, medium quality; often carries the platform's subtitles |
| TVRip / HDTV | Broadcast recording | Earliest, with station logos, tickers and possible censorship |
- BDMV is the raw Blu-ray folder, tens of GB; Remux repackages the disc's streams into an mkv without re-encoding — disc quality, still huge; BDRip is re-encoded, one or two GB per episode, and the most common.
- WEB-DL is the stream taken directly from the service; WEBRip is a screen capture or re-encode, slightly worse.
- CR / NF / AMZN / B-Global in a name mark the source platform (Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon, Bilibili international).
The quality part
1080p, x265, Hi10P, FLAC describe the video codec and audio — see what the video terms mean. In short:
- 1080p or 720p are both fine; anime's native resolution is usually below 1080p;
- x265 / HEVC is smaller but older devices may not decode it — pick x264 then;
- 10-bit has finer colour; check hardware decoding support on phones.
Release groups
The first bracketed tag is usually the release group. Veteran BDRip groups (VCB-Studio, Moozzi2, Beatrice-Raws…) are known for consistent quality; fansub groups (the various "Subs") produce subbed releases; Erai-raws, SubsPlease and similar re-post streaming WEB versions — the fastest, usually with multi-language external subtitles.
Subtitle tags
- CHS / CHT / JPN / ENG: subtitle language — Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese / Japanese / English;
- Multi-Subs: several subtitle languages; Dual Audio: two audio tracks (usually Japanese + English dub);
- CC: closed captions, same-language subtitles made for the hearing impaired, including cues like "(door opens)". Japanese CC subtitles from Japanese streaming services are excellent for learners.
Batches and seeders
- Batch: a whole season in one torrent, marked "Batch" in Fushi's anime downloads. For finished shows a batch is the least hassle.
- Seeders: more means faster; releases from years ago may have none and won't download — pick another.
- Trusted: uploaders vetted by Nyaa; tick "Trusted only" in Fushi's "Anime download" dialog to see only those.
Picking for Japanese
In this order:
- Raw first; a WEB version with Japanese CC subtitles is even better;
- finished shows: BDRip batch; airing shows: WEB-DL;
- 1080p / 720p either way; on older devices avoid x265 and 10-bit;
- choose Fushi's "Include subtitles" when downloading so Jimaku matches Japanese subtitles — the BD and WEB versions may have different timing, and if it's off, see subtitles out of sync.
The actual download steps are in Stream anime or download it?.