Are There Any Pieces of Instrumental Dub Music You Actually Liked in the PokeAni International Dub (4Kids or TPCI)- NOT COUNTING INTROS OR ENDINGS!

[Tree99]

I did like the Loeffler and Schuckett score from The First Movie (especially the Dragonite Takes Flight song) and the Lugia theme from 2000. Just a shame the music budget seemed to be slashed for 3 and the synth quality took a giant nosedive.

As for TPCI stuff, one that comes to mind is Goldfarb's score for I Choose You. It was a significant improvement from the scores of the previous films he did, mainly in the action department, because of more use of real instruments alongside the music software, as opposed to just the software.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

I did like the Loeffler and Schuckett score from The First Movie (especially the Dragonite Takes Flight song) and the Lugia theme from 2000. Just a shame the music budget seemed to be slashed for 3 and the synth quality took a giant nosedive.

As for TPCI stuff, one that comes to mind is Goldfarb's score for I Choose You. It was a significant improvement from the scores of the previous films he did, mainly in the action department, because of more use of real instruments alongside the music software, as opposed to just the software.

The problem, IMO, with Movie 20 dubbed has less to do with Goldfarb for once that it does with TPCi's archaic handling of music there: keeping just 1 out of 58 pieces of the OST for a 20th Anniversary Movie dub really says a lot about how much the dub's budget had been slashed by Sun & Moon once again (I think there were two individual moments the English dub clearly had its budget slashed: between Seasons 8 & 9, then between Seasons 16 & 17, you can tell because of a massive nosedive in VA, intro, and script writing quality between late AG & the last portion of it in the Pokemon dub as well as the music and synth between the latter once Loeffler is ousted + Goldfarb is placed onboard). It was some of Ed's least bad musical work, but it still doesn't hold a candle to Shinji's even there imo.

 

[Tree99]

The problem, IMO, with Movie 20 dubbed has less to do with Goldfarb for once that it does with TPCi's archaic handling of music there: keeping just 1 out of 58 pieces of the OST for a 20th Anniversary Movie dub really says a lot about how much the dub's budget had been slashed by Sun & Moon once again (I think there were two individual moments the English dub clearly had its budget slashed: between Seasons 8 & 9, then between Seasons 16 & 17, you can tell because of a massive nosedive in VA, intro, and script writing quality between late AG & the last portion of it in the Pokemon dub as well as the music and synth between the latter once Loeffler is ousted + Goldfarb is placed onboard). It was some of Ed's least bad musical work, but it still doesn't hold a candle to Shinji's even there imo.

TBH, I can't even call TPCI greedy when it comes to the use of music in the films because just as randomly as they scrapped the Japanese music in the first XY film, they brought it back for Power of Us onwards.

It's just random, like they had a dartboard to choose what music to use lol

I'm grateful (I really like Power of Us's OST), but it's still weird.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

TBH, I can't even call TPCI greedy when it comes to the use of music in the films because just as randomly as they scrapped the Japanese music in the first XY film, they brought it back for Power of Us onwards.

It's just random, like they had a dartboard to choose what music to use lol

I'm grateful (I really like Power of Us's OST), but it's still weird.

It makes no sense as to why this happened beyond TPCI just trying to make royalties for export, honestly, Movies 1-3 had dub scores before 4Kids surprisingly realized their mistake and just kept the Original Japanese BGM/OST for Movies 4-8 (either that, or it was due to a licensing agreement, but whatever the case those latter dub Movies are still my favorite Pokemon's dub has ever had in English in so far as the films go-- Movies 7 & 8 were especially very well done script wise, too).

I won't say "greedy" but to make more cash? It's absolutely the reason, about the almighty dollar etc. as it was with 4Kids for TPCI in this department (it will forever amaze me TPCI replaced more of the OST than 4Kids did in Pokemon, I always felt Pokemon had a justified reputation for being 4Kids' best English Anime dub out of all the properties they licensed into English but who would have ever guessed the defunct company actually was so respectful of the Japanese OST in this Series vs 95% of the others they dubbed? I've heard it was due to an agreement made as well to preserve certain tracks/battle OST especially, but whatever the case it was so nice back then to me).

I think that's how Gopal approaches it, there's no rhyme or reason to what gets retained nowadays (they even replace the title card theme with dub music in the main Anime now, repeatedly, in JN). The only insight we got into this prior was from Michael Brady (he went by @bacondevil on Reddit back then, now gone) and he said that in the AG era 4Kids run as he came onto the music staff in their final years, the logic was we keep all of the Gym battle/Rival OST pieces & TRio motto pieces but can replace the rest as we see fit to do so (they kept a little more in AG's Anime dub than many realize because of false rumors spread through the fandom in that regard, it was certainly better than late BW-JN in that regard + slightly more than BF even there).

What's weird is TPCi did the dub music scores after the Genesect Movie for 4 straight Movies (M17-20), but with Power of Us, they went back to the Movie 4 4Kids Era-16 TPCi Era handling there and Goldfarb only did insert songs/endings for the last 3 ones now...??? Incredible.

 

[Insanish Danish]

There's one piece I'm particularly fond of that I don't think has been mentioned in this thread yet (I went through it and couldn't see any mention of it, but it's completely possible I just missed it) - it's not used too much, but a few episodes it's used in are Princess vs. Princess when the contestants are being introduced, Bad to the Bone when Marowak is thinking back on the good times it shared with Otoshi, and A Tent Situation when Ash and Gary are talking after Gary saves everyone from Team Rocket. I think it also plays in The Pi-Kahuna but I can't remember for sure. It's a fairly short piece but I've always thought it sounded pretty good.

 

[Poke Trey]

Another piece I like from the JN dub is 1 that's played a few times: it's used in the end of the 1st episode where Goh does his catchphrase, part 4 of the SS arc where Ash and Goh start to catch Eternatus.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

Interesting picks, everyone, I think I found my favorite dub Movie music piece (while the dub itself may be garbage and the worst entry from the 4Kids Era for the films objectively, aside from the voice acting) personally I think this stood out:

Dragonite Takes Flight

Provided to YouTube by Entertainment One Distribution USDragonite Takes Flight · PokemonPokemon The Movie℗ KOCH RECORDSReleased on: 2000-05-09Auto-generated ...

m.youtube.com

 

[R.O.B.]

I can't find the anime version but:

Welcome to the Pokemon Spa - Pokemon Puzzle League

Pokemon Puzzle League - Line Clear mode intro

m.youtube.com

Especially around 0:22

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

Charizard vs. Articuno! | Pokémon: Advanced Battle | Official Clip

Charizard vs. Articuno! ð¥âï¸Watch as Ash confidently challenges the Legendary Pokémon Articuno in his first Battle Frontier match!Thereâs a #PokemonForYou!Fo...

www.youtube.com

Still think this is my favorite dub music piece, used from EP001 when Ash is on the bike fleeing the Spearow to somewhere in the middle of S10 in DP (DP035?) before 4Kids and TAJ no longer had anything to do with the Pokemon dub (around 1:30-1:52 specifically). I don't see how anyone can equate the 4Kids dub BGM to TPCi's homegrown dub BGM, in dramatic scenes and sad ones, the former has some genuine merit IMO in placement even if it still pales compared to the OST.

 

[Poke Trey]

So, it's been a whole year from today since my last post on this thread and yep, I still stand by it. The score for the recent Pokémon master episodes, the blue sky special and the last main JN episodes by Goldfarb are still among my favorite music pieces from the dub PERIOD. Horizons will be quite the change, but I have nothing but faith the team will do justice, if the sneak peek is anything to go by.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

So, it's been a whole year from today since my last post on this thread and yep, I still stand by it. The score for the recent Pokémon master episodes, the blue sky special and the last main JN episodes by Goldfarb are still among my favorite music pieces from the dub PERIOD. Horizons will be quite the change, but I have nothing but faith the team will do justice, if the sneak peek is anything to go by.

Each to their own, glad you like them.