Review DP092: Back to Basics, Rocket-dan!?

[Dogasu]

Yet they have no problem keeping English in the show. If they were really concerned about not having text distract from one's enjoyment of the show, they'd replace all the text with Tajiran. Not just the stuff that they'd just go ahead and write in Japanese if this was still Season 1.

And even if I *were* to agree with you that having Japanese (or English) text would be more distracting than Tajiran...so what? You'd be distracted for what...all of 0.5 seconds? OH NOEZ THE HORROR!!!

 

[Doctor Oak]

And even if I *were* to agree with you that having Japanese (or English) text would be more distracting than Tajiran...so what? You'd be distracted for what...all of 0.5 seconds? OH NOEZ THE HORROR!!!

What's there to agree with there? I wasn't expressing an opinion - it's a well established fact and one that causes designers no end of issues - and likely causes international anime quite a fair bit of a problem too (hence Pokemon bothering with a solution).

What my argument is, is why on earth it's an issue. Of all the things one could list that's wrong with Pokemon, Japanese or Dubbed, the fact that they don't use an actual language in the random background text is absolutely far beyond the minimum bottom line of issues.

Honestly, you may as well be complaining that they don't include Digimon in the show.

 

[Dogasu]

I never said that it was a huge issue. Just something that I've noticed, thought was stupid, and decided to comment on.

 

[Yamato-san]

I never said that it was a huge issue. Just something that I've noticed, thought was stupid, and decided to comment on.

seriously... why is it whenever fans just do a little nitpick on something that could be argued as being utterly stupid and even a bit pointless to do (like 4kids deciding to replace onigiri with badly-drawn sandwiches despite having kept the damn things intact for about 7 years), people think we're over-reacting and treating it like the end of the world? Not only that, but is it so bad for a ton of western otaku to wish the show would return to having a bit of the foreign charm it once had (I wonder if the natives think anything of it, for that matter)?

 

[Geodude]

The Doctor, there are also just as many times when the text IS an important part of the scene, such as when everyone's looking at a sign advertising an upcoming contest or something, or we get a closeup of something a character is reading. Are you going to insist that the text should be unreadable then as well?

Like Dogasu said, it's not a huge issue, but it is an annoying one.

 

[Argy]

What was Musashi talking about Musalina being 19 years old? I just kept hearing that age being mentioned a lot.

 

[Yamato-san]

What was Musashi talking about Musalina being 19 years old? I just kept hearing that age being mentioned a lot.

I think you mean 17. I'm pretty sure, as she was introducing herself as Musalina, she said "juu-nana-sai" (and to answer your question, it's rather common in Japanese conversation to state your age while introducing yourself... though oddly enough, it seems to rarely occur in Pocket Monsters). Either way, the age is clearly false and intended for her quirky Coordinator persona, seeing as it's been indicated several times that Musashi's in her 20's (especially when the show plays off of the "25+unmarried=old hag" cultural standard, though she'd likely argue she's not quite at that age yet).

 

[Musashi]

17 is also age she used in "Pokémon Certification Test!?" so at least they're being consistant.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

The Doctor, there are also just as many times when the text IS an important part of the scene, such as when everyone's looking at a sign advertising an upcoming contest or something, or we get a closeup of something a character is reading. Are you going to insist that the text should be unreadable then as well?

Considering everything that's meant to be important that's written out is also said aloud and always WAS no matter what language it was shown in? I don't think it matters then.

especially when the show plays off of the "25+unmarried=old hag" cultural standard

Has the show actually done that for anyone BUT her? I know it was brought up in Magical Pokemon Journey with Cashew (who...appears to be no more than fourteen), but on the show itself, Jesse seems to be the only woman concerned with such things.

 

[Dogasu]

Considering everything that's meant to be important that's written out is also said aloud and always WAS no matter what language it was shown in?

Then just put it in Japanese. Which is what I've been saying all along.

Anything that's being written in Tajiran could just as easily be written in an actual language without anything changing at all. There's no reason to keep it around at all.

I mean, really...if they got rid of the Tajiran altogether, I very seriously doubt that there will be any negative consequences whatsoever. They retconned the Japanese text out of the show, so they can sure as hell retcon it back in.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

But then to the Japanese it's just business as usual with no flair.

 

[QuietDragon]

Yep, she's actually 25-ish by now.

17 is what she uses for her alter-egos. xD

Well, nobody else of the main cast is that old, and if they are, they've never seemed all that concerned with their age or whether they're considered unmarriable or not. xD

Though Kojiro also seemed pretty put-off when kids call him ojii-san, but he bounces back pretty quick. ^^;

 

[Dogasu]

But then to the Japanese it's just business as usual with no flair.

I'm not seeing any problem there.

 

[Yamato-san]

by flair, I guess you assume that the Japanese would like to make environments that differ from their homeland... fair enough, even if it's a mere assumption. But I don't think "Tajirian" is exactly what one would call "flair". I mean, if the producers actually go out of their way to make up a written language that's actually consistent and even legible (often-times with each symbol being based off of a certain kana, as is the case with The Legend of Zelda or Digimon), then okay I guess. But I don't think randomly scribbling paint on every sign that appears could be considered "flair".

Has the show actually done that for anyone BUT her? I know it was brought up in Magical Pokemon Journey with Cashew (who...appears to be no more than fourteen), but on the show itself, Jesse seems to be the only woman concerned with such things.

well, considering she's practically the only recurring character who isn't a MILF but is still significantly older than the main cast, not to mention a constant source of comic relief (thus ruling out Shirona and Saori, assuming they appear more), I'd say: yes, she is the only one concerned with such things... well, except for Yamato. I don't think they've done an "old hag" scene with her at this point in time.