Chances of Official Subs?

[63cohen]

What do you the forum think is the chance we could get official subs from TCPi? Seeing as 4kids has went ahead and made official subs for Sonic X and Yuigoh 5Ds, why should Pokemon fans be left out? Why could TCPi not go ahead and make some official subs of some episodes? Chances? Thoughts?

 

[Rex Kamex]

As much as I want that to happen, the target audience has no known interest for it, and even among the older fans there doesn't really seem to be much of an interest, from what I've seen.

 

[Dogasu]

They should, but they won't because it wouldn't be worth the time and money necessary to pull it off. The percentage of fans who give a damn about the Japanese version of Pocket Monsters is much smaller than the percentage who care about the Japanese versions of Yu-Gi-Oh! or Sonic X.

The demand just isn't there, unfortunately.

 

[63cohen]

They should, but they won't because it wouldn't be worth the time and money necessary to pull it off. The percentage of fans who give a damn about the Japanese version of Pocket Monsters is much smaller than the percentage who care about the Japanese versions of Yu-Gi-Oh! or Sonic X.

The demand just isn't there, unfortunately.

It is a shame, all options should be available.

 

[MizuTaipu]

Unfortunately no. Maybe someday though. Dub-only purists might want to see what the Japanese version is like if they cared...

 

[63cohen]

Dub only puritians? I thought it was the only way around.

 

[MizuTaipu]

Dub only puritians? I thought it was the only way around.

Well, at least people who believe the dub's better then the Jap. version.

 

[Ranger Jack Walker]

Fortunately, its highly unlikely or next to impossible. The taget audience most probably wouldn't want to read a TV Show, would they?

 

[Dogasu]

Dub only puritians? I thought it was the only way around.

Haha, noooooo. I've lost count of the number of people I've run into who flat-out attacked me and called me an elitist snob because I dared to do something as horrible as refer to a character by its Japanese name.

 

[63cohen]

Haha, noooooo. I've lost count of the number of people I've run into who flat-out attacked me and called me an elitist snob because I dared to do something as horrible as refer to a character by its Japanese name.

Well, there is a difference in that. If you are specifically refering to the dub version, then it makes a difference if you are using the Japanese names anyway. If you are using the Japanese names to refer to the dub characteristics that might be different, than it would be elitist. But if you aren using them to refer to the characters as a whole, or something specific to the original, it is ok.

I think the reason why people call you an elitist is because you use original names for Pokemon, a show where most people are familiar with the dub names more, especially for the Pokemon themselves. When I go to Janime and use dub names for the Yugioh characters, I am in your boat if you know what I mean. Many online Yugioh fans refuse to use dub names, even though there are far less than in Pokemon. Even for the actual product, the cards, even in TCG form, they use the OCG name to refer to it. Red Dragon Archfiend at an American YCS is still Red Demons Dragon to them.

Them would equal elitist. Thanks for the lesson Dogasu, the majority fanbase is usually seen as either puritians or elitists.

 

[Yankees4life]

As much as I would want that to happen, it won't...

 

[Geodude]

Haha, noooooo. I've lost count of the number of people I've run into who flat-out attacked me and called me an elitist snob because I dared to do something as horrible as refer to a character by its Japanese name.

Many of those people were no doubt familiar with at least some Japanese names at some point, but immediately forgot them when the English names were revealed. And it's bound to happen again this time around.

 

[Hidden Mew]

As others have mentioned, it seems pretty unlikely to have official subs for Pocket Monsters. While I wouldn't be against the idea myself, it would be just too expensive for TPCI to actually do, especially since the demand for subs from the target audience, the kids that the series is actually aimed at, is practically non-existent. They're most likely fine with just the English version or else TPCI would have attempted making official subs long before now.

 

[63cohen]

Many of those people were no doubt familiar with at least some Japanese names at some point, but immediately forgot them when the English names were revealed. And it's bound to happen again this time around.

That is quite weird. Even I usually use the original names unless specifically speaking of dub characters for shows I have seen the original first. I am used to Japanese names, so I usually use that over the dub. Unless I overly like the dub name better (this is usually not the case)

@Hidden Mew

I doubt it is that expensive to sub. 4kids currently subs 2 shows, and are currently working on getting rights for a third. There has been little to no advertising for it, some people are a bit surprised when I sent them a link. One would think if it cost so much, there would be more advertising. I figure the idea is there is no demand. If there was demand, they would be glad to do it.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I doubt it is that expensive to sub. 4kids currently subs 2 shows, and are currently working on getting rights for a third. There has been little to no advertising for it, some people are a bit surprised when I sent them a link. One would think if it cost so much, there would be more advertising. I figure the idea is there is no demand. If there was demand, they would be glad to do it.

If it's expensive to dub an anime, I'd imagine that subbing a series would cost a bit too. Though, I'm sure that TPCI can afford to sub the series, but there's no demand for it, which in lies the actual problem with this proposal. I'm not sure if they would be glad to do this if there was enough of a demand since they would be spending more money and like most companies and corporations, they prefer to spend as little money as possible while still gaining profits at the same time. Considering the few people who would like subbed Pocket Monsters are well outside of the target audience, I don't think that they'll ever subbed the series.

 

[Rex Kamex]

Many online Yugioh fans refuse to use dub names, even though there are far less than in Pokemon. Even for the actual product, the cards, even in TCG form, they use the OCG name to refer to it. Red Dragon Archfiend at an American YCS is still Red Demons Dragon to them.

I haven't been on Yu-Gi-Oh! fansites in forever, but from what I remember, among the older fans there'd been more of a favoritism of the Japanese version than of the English version.

With older members of the Pokemon franchise... that's not the case. The majority of older fans use the English names. (It's their right and all, but I'm just saying.) When you ask about favorite theme songs, from what I noticed, if the person asking isn't specific, many people who answer mention English songs. Another thing about the names, most of the biggest unofficial Pokemon fan sites use the English names of stuff on default. (Game-wise, they say the first games are Red and Blue, and not Red and Green, 'cause everywhere other than Japan they were Red and Blue.) Etc.

Which is why I say even among the older target audience there isn't enough of a demand.

 

[PDL]

With older members of the Pokemon franchise... that's not the case. The majority of older fans use the English names. (It's their right and all, but I'm just saying.) When you ask about favorite theme songs, from what I noticed, if the person asking isn't specific, many people who answer mention English songs. Another thing about the names, most of the biggest unofficial Pokemon fan sites use the English names of stuff on default. (Game-wise, they say the first games are Red and Blue, and not Red and Green, 'cause everywhere other than Japan they were Red and Blue.) Etc.

Which is why I say even among the older target audience there isn't enough of a demand.

This makes sense since Pokémon was one of the earliest anime to be really successful worldwide, and it's often listed as the "gateway" series most fans of anime got intitiated into.

We all know how "nostalgic" people get, so it makes sense that people care way more for the dub of this anime then anything else.

Besides, it's not like there is anything crucial in the plot that's left out of the dub anyway. Perhaps the earlier movies, but that's because, well, they were in less then ideal hands.

 

[Dogasu]

I think the reason why people call you an elitist is because you use original names for Pokemon, a show where most people are familiar with the dub names more, especially for the Pokemon themselves.

Which is a ridiculous reason. I'm not using the Japanese names to show off or to make people feel stupid, or whatever other reasons people assume. I use them because that's the version I like and am the most familiar with. There is nothing wrong with that.

If I was running around telling people that they weren't real fans for watching the dub and demanding that they only use the "real" names, then yes, people would have every right to throw that label at me. But I don't.

I doubt it is that expensive to sub. 4kids currently subs 2 shows, and are currently working on getting rights for a third.

But 4Kids isn't handling the show anymore. TPCI is, and the company's shown absolutely no interest in providing fans with the Japanese version of the show. Nintendo of America probably doesn't want it out there, either.

While subbing a show is much, much cheaper than dubbing a show, the cost of doing the former still isn't negligible. It doesn't cost nothing, or even anything close to it, so money is definitely an issue.



Don't you guys think that if TPCI had wanted to release the Japanese version of the show on DVD, they would have already done so by now? Wouldn't you think, in the 13 years since the show premiered on American TV, that someone in one of the companies who handles the TV show would have made the suggestion? And that each time it was brought up, it was shot down? What in the world makes people think that bilingual DVDs are something we'll ever get?

 

[Rex Kamex]

This makes sense since Pokémon was one of the earliest anime to be really successful worldwide, and it's often listed as the "gateway" series most fans of anime got intitiated into.

We all know how "nostalgic" people get, so it makes sense that people care way more for the dub of this anime then anything else.

Besides, it's not like there is anything crucial in the plot that's left out of the dub anyway. Perhaps the earlier movies, but that's because, well, they were in less then ideal hands.

Plotwise... in the big scheme of things, yeah, you're right. But if there's anything that's preferred in the Japanese version that the dub doesn't have... certain background music, for example, then as far as the English version of Pokemon is concerned- it's gone, end of story. If something you like in the original isn't in the dub, you can't go to the Japanese version on an English DVD and look at that.

But since things are the way the are, someone who wants to watch the Japanese version of Pokemon has to find another way to watch it. Preferably one without breaking the law, IMO.

 

[63cohen]

The only reason I bring up 4kids is because they are in financial hell right now, and are still able to fund 2 sub series, and are working on getting a third. They are also dubbing 2 series, one of which has yet to hit TV, and a movie set for February. All with only about 15 million dollars as the company worth. TCPi is definitly above that.

I was just bringing this up to see what people's ideas of actually getting official subs. I feel every anime series should have them, as fans have a right to view any version they want, as long as they have the money for it.