Hi everyone,
I really find this topic very interesting and it was really nice to read all your posts! It started with breaks, but many things about quality etc were mentioned along the way. I really wanted to express a few thoughts here.
Regarding the initial topic about breaks, from the first time I entered viki as a viewer it really took me by surprise to watch those never ending lines in the subtitles. I had never seen that before and I bet it’s for a reason. As mentioned, there have been numerous studies regarding readability of subtitles and how to make them more comfortable for the viewer. And those studies have led to some rules most subtitlers and subtitling companies follow. But not here. Well, to my knowledge, it’s a technical matter about the appearance of subtitles in mobiles or tablets, but I bet it could be solved somehow, every other platform has solved this issue. It’s really, really tiring to see those long, long lines or subtitles breaking anywhere. The same stands for those subtitles you can’t read without pausing. You can’t enjoy an episode when you have to pause every two minutes. I always wondered why viki doesn’t apply those subtitling rules (line breaks, CPS etc). Beats me! Still, a subtitler or a moderator can apply those rules on its own. So, it’s up to the person.
Regarding quality, I have to say that the poor quality in subtitles of my language was the second thing that surprised me here, not pleasantly. That, in combination with my love for K-dramas, was the reason I started contributing here. When anyone can contribute here, with no requirement whatsoever, it’s natural for the quality to vary. Along the way, I met contributors who not only were unable to translate, people who used GT, but even people who couldn’t handle their own language properly. BUT, I also met people who were doing a wonderful job, offering excellent subtitles to our language and giving access to the wonderful world of Asian content to people who don’t know English. If you consider that here people aren’t getting paid, they’re volunteers, that’s quite admirable, especially when you see the “professionals” in other platforms doing a very poor job, although they’re getting paid (Of course, sometimes it’s just MT or the absence of QC that leads to those bad subs, but still).
Being a fan of K-dramas, a subtitler and learning Korean at the same time, the issue of the particularities of the language and how to deal with them has always torn me apart. Especially regarding the appellatives. When I watch a drama and I see “nuna” being translated with the name, it really annoys me. On the other hand, there is no word to translate it in my language, unless being really creative with all its different meanings and the translation being really awkward to the viewer, without a proper explanation. And if you just transliterate them, without TN, people will think that all women in Korea are named “Nuna”, ‘Onni" and “Ajuma”. After all, we don’t translate proverbs literally in our language to preserve the beauty of the culture, because we need the viewer to understand the meaning, so we adjust them to our language. But, again, the other day I was watching a k-drama with my husband, who doesn’t know a single word in Korean, and at some point he says: “Why does the subtitle say Jun-Ho, when I keep hearing them calling him something else?” He meant “hyong”. Viewers aren’t stupid, they can understand something is off. That’s what I mean about being in a quandary 
I wanted to mention though that all those big platforms send guidelines and name lists and terms’ lists to the subtitlers and in professional subtitling Translation Notes aren’t allowed. So, it’s not the subtitlers’ fault, it’s the platforms’ choice. I wish TN were allowed, that could solve so many language mistreatments.
What am I trying to say with this long post? Sorry, I got carried away…
In my personal opinion:
-Line breaks are definitely a must, as is the need for subtitles at the right speed.
-“Professionals” and “un-professionals” can be found everywhere. A “professional” or good, if you prefer, subtitler isn’t the one who gets paid, but the one who does a good job.
-Language authenticity vs everything else and how to preserve and convey cultural details. For that, I haven’t found my answer yet.