# Tag Manipulation Guidelines

Also known as “Animated Subtitles” or “Text Effects”

More information can be found in the Aegisub Docs: [***ASS Override Tags***](https://aegisub.org/docs/latest/ass_tags/ "ASS Override Tags")

# Using Tags

Use these tags to your advantage.

- 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

<p class="callout danger"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Short Answer: </span>****No.****</p>

- Long Answer: This can be represented with an edit instead.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Action Subs are </span>****\*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

- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Some action subs can be </span>****localized by the translators appropriately****.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Most action subs are </span>****left in the hands of editors****.

<p class="callout danger"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You </span>*****don’t*****<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> use asterisks (\*)</span></p>

#### Laughs / www / 草

<p class="callout danger">****If you’re new or even experienced in subbing****<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, I </span>**kindly**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> advise </span>****you don’t add them****<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and leave them to the editor instead.</span></p>

#### 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](https://prnt.sc/1wx69ps))

# 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.
    - <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If the change is quick and the timing is short, it’ll be </span>****intense****.
    - <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If the change is slow and the timing is long, it’ll be </span>****relaxed****.

#### Animated Tag Stacking

[![unnamed.png](https://wiki.holoresorttls.org//uploads/images/gallery/2025-06/scaled-1680-/zo1FpF4CuNXiQ7Ds-unnamed.png)](https://wiki.holoresorttls.org//uploads/images/gallery/2025-06/zo1FpF4CuNXiQ7Ds-unnamed.png)

##### \\t Tag Stacking

- 0<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Starting time (by the millisecond)</span>
- ****4900****<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Ending time (by the millisecond)</span>
- ****1****<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Acceleration of the animation (multiplier of 1)</span>
    - 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)

[![image7.png](https://wiki.holoresorttls.org//uploads/images/gallery/2025-06/scaled-1680-/W2R9fzpmMlowcD0A-image7.png)](https://wiki.holoresorttls.org//uploads/images/gallery/2025-06/scaled-1680-/W2R9fzpmMlowcD0A-image7.png)

##### 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.

[![image13.png](https://wiki.holoresorttls.org//uploads/images/gallery/2025-06/scaled-1680-/ClFjJUCoWY67fb5D-image13.png)](https://wiki.holoresorttls.org//uploads/images/gallery/2025-06/scaled-1680-/ClFjJUCoWY67fb5D-image13.png)

##### Extreme Example

- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">An example to represent how far and complicated you can stack tags and create something like </span>[this](https://youtu.be/68N61NxIKjc?t=542).
- It’s messy, I know.