BAD NEWS!!!.....?

[ainsoph9]

Well, it is kind of like this: there are gateway drugs (weed->coke), gateway music (Story of the Year->metal/emocore), and then there is gateway anime. Gateway anime is the kind of stuff that CN tends to show. This means that it can have almost none of the original Japanese context in it for it to make sense to American viewers. It also must use horrible dubs to make it even more American . Furthermore, if the man refers to mainstream things, then CN would be one of the man's tools in the case of anime. I am glad that CN has anime on, but I do wish that they would make it a bit more accessible to hardcore fans. Right now, I do not even watch CN because of the fact that it uses horrible dubs and shows things that I have already seen before, at least most of the time. If they would dig a bit further into the rabbit hole, I might watch the anime on CN. I have considered watching Code Geass on CN, but I fear watch they would do to Lelouche's voice. I think that it is almost impossible to make him sound any more cold and calculating. Fukuyama Jun does an awesome job of that! Fear the English dub! Fear it! FEAR IT!

[TheGiftedMonkey]

The Code Geass dub = more phail than Haruhi dub. Actually I liked the Haruhi dub, so CG dub = phail period.

[AuraTwilight]

Hey now, aside from Nunally's voice, I like the Code Geass dub. :l

[ainsoph9]

I meant no offense in my last post, but I just think that most of the time you cannot find a good equivalent for a voice. It is like trading in a Porsche for a little kid's tricycle. Of course, you may have some fun with the tricycle for a while, but it is only a matter of time before you realize the difference in value and quality. I do not think that you can do a good English dub for characters like Belldandy, Lelouche, etc. Some are awesome (Miyazaki films); some are ok (I can live with Bleach sometimes); and some just are horrible (take your pick here). Any way you cut it, it just seems like there is always going to be something lost in translation.

[Rectifier]

And then some dubs are actually better than their Japanese counterparts, which although baffling, does happen sometimes.

Examples: Dragonball Series, Rurouni Kenshin


Even with subs you are going to lose something in translation, its a completely different language and culture than typical Western culture.

I have a feeling you are talking about voice acting and not simply the details. Its true, english dubbing is worse, but do you know why?

Its not necessarily the voice talent, its because anime in Japan is taken very seriously and millions of yen are spent on it, and since each anime is expensive the voice actors are helped by the best people, software and other amenities that the anime publishers can afford while still making bank, whereas an english dub voice actor is not given very much help or simply none at all to perform the part.

[ainsoph9]

I realize that the playing fields for the voice actors are not exactly level. However, I find it a shame that Hollywood for the most part does not realize that they are losing out on money here. At the same time, I am relieved that they do not know what they are missing out on because I fear that they will screw things up if they do start making dump loads of anime-related movies and shows. Ugh!

[Rectifier]

Find Hollywood a viable way to market anime to the masses while still turning as much profit as movies like Spiderman, Batman Returns, Ironman, or shows like Lost, Heroes, 24 (I think you know where I'm going with this) and then come back to me.

[ainsoph9]

One way would be to take original American movies, TV shows, stories, etc. to make anime. Basically, all you would need to do is just commission some studio in Japan. Ergo, it is anime. However, in truth it will be American, and the public will never know the difference. That is what it will take to bring anime to more of the mainstream audience. Unfortunately, along the way, you will have to fight a lot of stereotypes concerning anime and cartoons in general. I do not know how many people still think that anime and cartoons are just for children or that anime is all hentai. That is why I think that Americanizing it a little will help make anime more accepted in the United States at least. The new anime that is coming out with the new Batman movie is doing exactly that. These kinds of things will bring whole new audiences into the world of anime. *insert evil laugh here*

[Rectifier]

One way would be to take original American movies, TV shows, stories, etc. to make anime. Basically, all you would need to do is just commission some studio in Japan. Ergo, it is anime. However, in truth it will be American, and the public will never know the difference. That is what it will take to bring anime to more of the mainstream audience. Unfortunately, along the way, you will have to fight a lot of stereotypes concerning anime and cartoons in general. I do not know how many people still think that anime and cartoons are just for children or that anime is all hentai. That is why I think that Americanizing it a little will help make anime more accepted in the United States at least. The new anime that is coming out with the new Batman movie is doing exactly that. These kinds of things will bring whole new audiences into the world of anime. *insert evil laugh here*

Except that only nerds and anime fans care about the Batman anime stuff...but you already knew that right?

[ainsoph9]

Yes, I did know that. It was just a demonstration of a point. All I am saying is that if you take a beloved American icon and turn it into anime, then you will have popularized anime that much more among the American mainstream.

[Rectifier]

I agree, but anime will not become popularized in America until 10+ years from now.

*Sorry for being pessimistic

[ainsoph9]

I do not exactly think that is being so much pessimistic as realistic. Only after this flurry of Hollywood anime-adapted movies comes out do I think that anime will truly get more people's attention. There are so many of them that I am likely to think that sooner or later one of them will be a hit with people. I think this is especially true because there is so major talent behind some of these movies like the Wachowski brothers, Leonardo Dicaprio, and James Cameron.

[OneofFive]

Yeah, anime in the Western World is all-too-often targeted at a younger audience than it's intended demographic.

I personally think that the English Dub of Haruhi is absolutely brilliant, and I prefer it over the Japanese subs.

Anime will only be treated properly in Hollywood when Hollywood recognises anime's true demographic and potential. I don't think any sort of 'event' will change their view on it, but only if anime fans themselves are the ones who work actively to promote it. But it may already be too late, with 3-D animation being developed, people would automatically turn to that as 2-D animation now seems old and redundant.

[troqu]

Two questions:

What is the policy behind the fan translation community now if it has been licensed? I didn't see anything about it earlier in the topic, but I skimmed so I might have just missed it.

And since this thread got on the topic of anime....

I swore I saw somewhere say that season two was starting on 6-14 what happened?

[TheGiftedMonkey]

What is the policy behind the fan translation community now if it has been licensed? I didn't see anything about it earlier in the topic, but I skimmed so I might have just missed it.

Well policy is... Haruhi isn't licensed. Nobody saw anything.

I swore I saw somewhere say that season two was starting on 6-14 what happened?

Season two's air date is still unannounced.