"Glass Half Empty" corner - What don't you like about the Japanese version?

[Ryu Taylor]

I think the over the top statement people keep saying might just be because they aren't use to seeing passionate acting in anime or cartoons.
Like Frank Welker isn't overacting when he plays Fred Jones or Scooby Doo he's just really into his characters and in animation you really have to act like that.

Now then, to get back to the topic at hand, yes, I am used to hearing passionate acting in cartoons (animated feature films from any of the big studios making them). It's just that I think the Japanese version of Pokemon (and actually Japanese acting in general, I'm finding, even in their dubs of American media) can border on Brian Blessed-levels of overacting.

 

[Desdar300]

I think the over the top statement people keep saying might just be because they aren't use to seeing passionate acting in anime or cartoons.
Like Frank Welker isn't overacting when he plays Fred Jones or Scooby Doo he's just really into his characters and in animation you really have to act like that.

Now then, to get back to the topic at hand, yes, I am used to hearing passionate acting in cartoons (animated feature films from any of the big studios making them). It's just that I think the Japanese version of Pokemon (and actually Japanese acting in general, I'm finding, even in their dubs of American media) can border on Brian Blessed-levels of overacting.

Well they just get into their roles like I said and honestly it helps a great deal too because it prevents stagnation or poor voice acting

 

[ii kanji]

It's just that I think the Japanese version of Pokemon (and actually Japanese acting in general, I'm finding, even in their dubs of American media) can border on Brian Blessed-levels of overacting.

This proves that either you don't really watch the Pokemon anime in its original format or you have no idea who Brian Blessed is.

 

[Dogasu]

Only once did I make a comment that implied that to be the case (which you quoted)

There was also the other quote of yours that I posted (and you subsequently ignored) where you paint this picture of us fans of the Japanese version being so blinded by the majesty of "the so-called perfect Japanese version" that we couldn't possibly imagine anyone criticizing it (otherwise doing so wouldn't be "unthinkable"). Which is an inaccurate representation of us fans at best and an over-simplified caricature at worst.

I mean if I had written "Now it's finally time to do the unthinkable: talk about what there is not to like about the so-called perfect English dub" you would probably think that was a pretty dickish way to start a thread.

 

[Ryu Taylor]

This proves that either you don't really watch the Pokemon anime in its original format or you have no idea who Brian Blessed is.

Yeah, bad comparison on the acting. But it still stands that it gets too hammy for my tastes at times.

Even if I don't watch it in Japanese anymore, I have seen the show in its original format. How do you think I came to my decision about Meowth's original voice (and recently, Wobbuffet's)?

There was also the other quote of yours that I posted (and you subsequently ignored) where you paint this picture of us fans of the Japanese version being so blinded by the majesty of "the so-called perfect Japanese version" that we couldn't possibly imagine anyone criticizing it (otherwise doing so wouldn't be "unthinkable"). Which is an inaccurate representation of us fans at best and an over-simplified caricature at worst.

I mean if I had written "Now it's finally time to do the unthinkable: talk about what there is not to like about the so-called perfect English dub" you would probably think that was a pretty dickish way to start a thread.

Thing is, I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect version of the show. But seeing such praise go to the original version and such venom go the the dub can give the impression that that's the consensus: original is perfect, English dub is sin.

That's the impression I got, anyway. That "so-called perfect Japanese version" quote of mine was meant to be an articulation of how I don't agree with that hypothetical consensus. And I never will agree with it because I feel the original version is awful.

 

[Ryu Taylor]

I gotta be honest here: the Pikachu shorts are fun, but all except one of them have the same problem that does knock them down to last place among my favorite Pokemon anime media. And that would be the fact that they all have a narrator commenting on what's going on. "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure" is that one short that's the exception, and I love it for that.

Three words, Pikachu shorts:

Show, don't tell.

 

[Dogasu]

But seeing such praise go to the Japanese version and such venom go the the dub can give the impression that that's the consensus: Japanese original is perfect, English dub is sin.

So in other words you've created a strawman version of us fans of the Japanese version that has no basis in reality to justify taking cheap shots at us.

 

[Galactic_V]

Okay, since it was brought up and I lost by the time it happened, I'd like to say that I understand better the Japanese Nyasu than the English Meowth (sorry if it's off-topic)
English's not my first language neither I ever lived in a place where people speak it, but I can say I'm fluent as I communicate with speakers just fine...
English Meowth for me sounds like "This Poishan is...", this weird-sounding gangster accent (for me) that I read it's from Brooklin... Really, am I the only one who can't understand everything he says?

 

[ii kanji]

Really, am I the only one who can't understand everything he says?

You are not alone.

 

[Ryu Taylor]

But seeing such praise go to the Japanese version and such venom go the the dub can give the impression that that's the consensus: Japanese original is perfect, English dub is sin.

So in other words you've created a strawman version of us fans of the Japanese version that has no basis in reality to justify taking cheap shots at us.

If that's what you want to believe, then by all means, believe it.

But here's the truth: I have no problem with fans of the original version. It's the purists who think no one has the right to like anything other than the original that I feel no kindness toward. And why should I feel kindness toward someone like that?

Since you're here, do you have any problems with the Japanese version you'd like to share here?

 

[Galactic_V]

Not very familiar with English-speaking Meowth here, but I can attest that the Brazilian Portuguese one sounds like an average grown-up man... No accent whatsoever.
Maybe that's because their dub's based on the 4kids one, however it manages to be even worse than the former. It's even odd to hear all other Pokemon with distinctive voices and his ordinary human voice, gets to be innacurate.
I believe other 4kids based dubs have the same problem (I'll try watching the Portugal Portuguese, Spanish and Italian someday, as those're 3 languages I can pretty much understand)


But back on-topic, I wonder why Ishizuka Unshou voices so many Pokemon... Watching all 700+ episodes, he voiced at least a hundred... (Satoshi's Gantle, Pansy's Gogoat, Touki's Hariteyama, etc...) And thing is, his voice never really changes much, so you can recognize it's him every single time!

 

[Ryu Taylor]

Not very familiar with English-speaking Meowth here, but I can attest that the Brazilian Portuguese one sounds like an average grown-up man... No accent whatsoever.
Maybe that's because their dub's based on the 4kids one, however it manages to be even worse than the former. It's even odd to hear all other Pokemon with distinctive voices and his ordinary human voice, gets to be innacurate.
I believe other 4kids based dubs have the same problem (I'll try watching the Portugal Portuguese, Spanish and Italian someday, as those're 3 languages I can pretty much understand)


But back on-topic, I wonder why Ishizuka Unshou voices so many Pokemon... Watching all 700+ episodes, he voiced at least a hundred... (Satoshi's Gantle, Pansy's Gogoat, Touki's Hariteyama, etc...) And thing is, his voice never really changes much, so you can recognize it's him every single time!

At least Michael Haigney had vocal range for the Pokemon he voiced.

I think it'd be better if they gave more actors some Pokemon roles. Wouldn't it be great if the series's human regulars' VAs voiced some Pokemon?

 

[Musajirou]

Japanese Meowth is literally just "nyanyanyannyarrmeow" and I can't make out anything he says, which is the problem I have with it.

He's a cat Pokemon that self-learned human language. You expect him to speak totally perfect? I think it totally makes sense he has some of his cat speech left and also adds to the cute factor. Pretty much every cat mascot I saw in Japanese anime speaks like that.
I'm near fluent in Japanese and his speech isn't that hard to understand. There's a pattern in his speech that's easy to get (he changes pretty much every "na" sound to "nya"). Except for that he speaks pretty much normal?

And btw, I know that it's a matter of preference, but I just want all people who hate on Japanese Rocket VAs to know that they really love their characters and know them as no one else. They're the best actors you could get for their roles. They put heart in what they're doing. You may not like sound of their voices, but you can't say they aren't doing a good job.

 

[Ryu Taylor]

And btw, I know that it's a matter of preference, but I just want all people who hate on Japanese Rocket VAs to know that they really love their characters and know them as no one else. They're the best actors you could get for their roles. They put heart in what they're doing. You may not like sound of their voices, but you can't say they aren't doing a good job.

Now that's something I admire; that they do care about their roles. For the record, I don't hate Inuko Inuyama for how she sounds as Meowth. I just hate how Meowth sounds. That means nothing about how I feel about her in general.

 

[Team Gaara]

He's a cat Pokemon that self-learned human language. You expect him to speak totally perfect?

Not necessarily, but I need to understand him. I don't expect everyone I talk to to speak perfect, grammatically correct, English, but if they aren't comprehensible, that's a bit of an issue because it causes me to have trouble understanding them. I can't even get the jist of what Meowth's saying because it doesn't sound like words, is what I'm saying~

I think it totally makes sense he has some of his cat speech left and also adds to the cute factor. Pretty much every cat mascot I saw in Japanese anime speaks like that.

I know, but depending on how it's used, I don't really care for that either, but that's neither here nor there. It's fitting for Meowth, though.

I'm near fluent in Japanese and his speech isn't that hard to understand. There's a pattern in his speech that's easy to get (he changes pretty much every "na" sound to "nya"). Except for that he speaks pretty much normal?

As I said earlier, I'm sure his speech is fine to anyone who can comprehend Japanese, but I'm hardly a beginner in Japanese, so I do find it hard to understand. If he's replacing every "na" with "nya" and I can't recognize the word anymore (if I even knew it before), obviously I'm going to reaffirm my point that it's literally a bunch of "nyanyanyanarrar".

And btw, I know that it's a matter of preference, but I just want all people who hate on Japanese Rocket VAs to know that they really love their characters and know them as no one else. They're the best actors you could get for their roles. They put heart in what they're doing. You may not like sound of their voices, but you can't say they aren't doing a good job.

I didn't say they weren't, just that I didn't care for Meowth's voice. In fact, as I said before, it's a perfectly fitting cat voice and I know what they are going for (just like I know what Jimmy Zoppi's going for). It's just that I can't get with it.

 

[ii kanji]

As I said earlier, I'm sure his speech is fine to anyone who can comprehend Japanese, but I'm hardly a beginner in Japanese, so I do find it hard to understand. If he's replacing every "na" with "nya" and I can't recognize the word anymore (if I even knew it before), obviously I'm going to reaffirm my point that it's literally a bunch of "nyanyanyanarrar".

I appreciate what you're saying, but I think for this reason your point really isn't valid - it's not a fair criticism to say that a character's accent is too difficult for beginners in the language to understand, as clearly that group of people is not the target audience for the show.

I think it'd be better if they gave more actors some Pokemon roles. Wouldn't it be great if the series's human regulars' VAs voiced some Pokemon?

Wtf are you talking about? Plenty of pokemon (main and CotD) are voiced by the series' human regulars, and I can't think of any of the regular seiyuus having voiced just one character.
ETA: And actually that's not even the point. Why shouldn't each character have their own voice actor, different from another character? Does any one living being have the exact same voice as another? No. So, as long as the budget allows for it, what possible reason is there for different characters to have different actors?

 

[jnsharley13]

Hey you, Jeshi, you look familiar. You wouldn't happen a to know a guy on Pokemopolis would you?

Only real thing, honestly, is Meowth's voice~ I know what they're going for, since his English voice here is also just a localized annoying sounding cat voice, but he actually sounds incomprehensible; like I wonder if he's actually saying words at times in the Japanese version.

Whenever I watch it, it's just "meownnyaranyanyanyanyarr". Enunciate please, sir.

Yeah, if you don't know Japanese, it would be hard to tell what he is saying.
<*sarcasm/joke mode> Also Japanese people sound like cats... not in a bad way of course... <*sarcasm/joke mode off> maybe his voice actor just sounds like a cat...

 

[Ryu Taylor]

... or maybe his voice actor just sounds like a cat...

It's just a character voice Inuko Inuyama does. Oh, and by the way,

Also Japanese people sound like cats... not in a bad way of course...

Watch it, pal. Racism is not allowed here.

 

[ii kanji]

Also Japanese people sound like cats... not in a bad way of course... or maybe his voice actor just sounds like a cat...

Am I really reading this? How much more of a racist statement could you make.

 

[Tactician Karina]

I have only seen few episodes of the Japanese version and while I do like it, the voices throw me off sometimes, they can be way too over the top which sometimes gets annoying.