Tag Manipulation Guidelines
Also known as “Animated Subtitles” or “Text Effects”
More information can be found in the Aegisub Docs: ASS Override Tags
Using Tags
- Plain subtitles are fine but they can be more interesting.
- You can manipulate how the tags look depending on how the line was said. It can either be a scream, a sigh, or anything else!
Action Subs and TL Notes
Action Subs in general
Short Answer: No.
- Long Answer: This can be represented with an edit instead.
- Action Subs are *cute laugh* *sneeze* *oh look how cute she is* *brrr*
- Unnecessarily dictates what the talent is doing; sounds and noises.
If the Action Subs are specifically mentioned by the talent
- Some action subs can be localized by the translators appropriately.
- Most action subs are left in the hands of editors.
You don’t use asterisks (*)
Laughs / www / 草
If you’re new or even experienced in subbing, I kindly advise you don’t add them and leave them to the editor instead.
TL Notes
- These are to be avoided as much as possible.
- If you do have to add it and if an image can be added, add an image instead.
- If it can be added above the text that specifically needs the note, you can add a small text above it instead. (FuriNotes)
Basic Principles of Complex Animation
- This part is only useful once you know how to manipulate tags efficiently.
- The speed of change of the tags will be dependent on how it’s timed.
- If the change is quick and the timing is short, it’ll be intense.
- If the change is slow and the timing is long, it’ll be relaxed.
Animated Tag Stacking
\t Tag Stacking
- 0 - Starting time (by the millisecond)
- 4900 - Ending time (by the millisecond)
- 1 - Acceleration of the animation (multiplier of 1)
- You can stack \t tags in the same line as long as you add the appropriate starting and ending time.
- The Numbers marked in yellow are variables and can be adjusted + it’s relative to the timed line.
- In this case, the line is 5 seconds long (5000ms)
Move Stacking
- Line 15 is moving on the 30th of a second
- Line 16 is moving at a full second
- The final position of Line 15 is the starting position of Line 16
- By this, since the move tag can’t be stacked in one line, we go around this by using multiple lines, creating an illusion of acceleration.
Extreme Example
- An example to represent how far and complicated you can stack tags and create something like this.
- It’s messy, I know.


