From: emru@CAM.ORG (Emru Townsend)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: Quit the ROBOTECH bashing!
Date: 12 Oct 92 18:11:30 GMT
Organization: Communications Accessibles Montreal, Quebec Canada

In article <priss.718771912@glia> priss@glia.biostr.washington.edu (Lisa) writes:
>In <LFegsB1w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca> vlad@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Vlad G. Pohnert) writes:
>
>>00gdwessel@bsu-ucs.uucp writes:
>
>>- Hey, what is up with all the ROBOTECH bashing on this, huh?
>>- 
>>- OK, maybe it wasn't THE best series, but as far as an introduction to the mas
>>- American market it was ART at it's finest.
>>- 
>>- And ROBOTECH HAS lead me to actively seek out other stuff(ie RANMA 1/2, AKIRA
>>- DIRTY PAIR[btw everytime you use DP, I think "Doom Patrol." Sorry], etc.)....
>>- 
>>- So cut it out, huh?!?!
>
>Actually, I believe the Robotech Bashing is mostly because of the person responsible for putting it up... Carl Macek.  I have seen Galaxy Express 999 dubbed, and it was done fairly decently.  However, trying to tie several different story lines to one thing is bad.  To use the same voices for some of the series is worse.  Even more, to change the actual program to make it seem like a happy ending is criminal.

Hm?  What was the original ending to Mospeada like?  It seemed like a 
reasonably bittersweet ending to me.

>A friend of mine has met Mr. Macek before, and talked to him straight in the face.  The problem with Macek, is that he lacks the understanding of how dubbing is okay, if you do it correctly.  Macek is a business man, not an Anime Fan.  Thus, there is the major hatred for Robotech, since Macek is making American Anime Fans think this is what the story is about.  It loses the flavor the Japanese intended and it also makes the story a little incomprehensible to us.

But but but... Robotech wasn't supposed to be a translation, but an adaptation.

>I have sat down at the showing of Akira in both English and the Original showing.  The english dubbed version was 'sanitized' because the people who did the dubbing disapproved of the literal translation of swear words.  IT is because the people who are doing the dubbing are considering the 'younger' audience, when Akira was meant not only the 'younger' audience, but for all people.

Blame the Japanese.  The English dubbing was overseen by the Akira Production
Committee.  Streamline just did the distribution.

(Since this is a common misconception, shouldn't it be in the FAQ?)

>This is one of the things that makes Subtitling much nicer and desireable.  AnimEigo is not worried nor catering to just the 'younger' audiences like Macek is.  Anime was made for all ages to enjoy, not just the little kid behind the TV.

I don't think Macek is aiming towards a younger market.  I just think his
perceptions of what older people want is a little off in some respects.

>Macek should be aimming for the cute, little kid stuff they show on TV, not some of the decent shows like Akira, Vampire Hunter D, Nadia, or Macross.  Each of those series have people who like it, but it is ruined instantly with the repetative voice actors/actresses they use and also the 'sanitation' and 'editting' they do to it.

What editing?  All the footage is intact.  The only editing to speak of was in
Macross, and that was when he was working for Harmony Gold.

>I have nothing against Dubbing or Robotech, however, I do have an extreme dislike to a business major whose only goal is to sell a lot, and not keep the object of people's interest the same.

The trouble is, most anime fans will never be happy unless the translation
fits their particular vision.  Besides, Streamline (both Jerry Beck and
Carl Macek) have said in interviews that they aren't aiming to please fans -
the idea is to widen exposure to anime.

[Devil's Advocate Mode OFF.]

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Emru Townsend        Fido: 1:167/133        emru@cam.org        BIX: switch
      "The puny anth... thomeday I shall be mathter of the world..."
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