Although it is a violation of copyright laws in many countries, some fans watch fansubs, recordings of anime series that have been subtitled by fans. Watching subtitled Japanese versions, though not necessarily downloaded fansubs, is seen by many enthusiasts as the preferred method of watching anime. The ethical implications of producing, distributing, or watching fansubs are topics of much controversy even when fansub groups do not profit from their activities and cease distribution of their work once the series has been licensed outside of Japan.
It is also agreed by many fans that fansubs are occasionally superior to subtitles on released DVDs in US, as the subtitles are easier to read and the subtitles on the songs often include sing-along style subtitles, often with a theme associated with the show.
Some Western animation use anime methods described in anime physics. Such examples exist in Totally Spies!, The Boondocks, W.I.T.C.H. and Teen Titans. In addition, works such as Avatar: The Last Airbender featured Asian themes. While these examples are not particularly considered as anime, they are best noted for being "influenced by anime".
