Astro 80s audio - original japanese vs english dubb

[omega.factor]

Having almost completed my conversation project, ripping all my DVDs (I decided not to sell them), I'm finally enjoying the fruits of my labour. Basically, I can now quickly re-rip to my iDevices, and enjoy them! Anyhow, having watched some of the English and then Japanese, I think that although there is some purity in watching the Japanese versions, having grown up with this version, (80s English) I find the English dubb to be pure nostalgia!

In most cases, I find the English emotion in the voices stronger than that of the Japanese voices. Also, I'm no linguist, but I believe Japanese is very literal and sometimes in reverse, (a little like my own grammar) anyhow perhaps sometimes a slight re-phrasing is more culture appropriate then a translation! Although still fantastic to see some of the intended story where it was changed from the original. None the less, the political incorrectness of the Japanese version is often almost hilarious!

I still don’t support the mutilation of the first episodes, which left me confused as a child about Atlas, interestingly too as I always suspected something was missing! Also the name Bruton somehow seems a little more appropriate then Pluto! So over all, there is some value in having both versions! So awesome to watch!

Next task, translating the 1960s episodes, project up soon!

[Toshio Tenma]

I belive that "Bruton" is a bad idea since it feels like a variation of "Brutus", because Pluto is based in the roman god of death and it was pointed out in Pluto manga made by Urasawa.

It would not work if they used "Bruton" and they said he is based in a roman god of death, considering that it doesn't exist a god with that name in the roman mythlogy.

It don't matter if the dub sounded good, it wasn't a real contribution considering all the cuts and wrong order of episodes.
And the emotion was tonned down.

A dub should not just sound good, if the story elements are ruined then it'll become souless and emotionless...

What's the point of making a dub which focus more in sounding good than having emotion?

Lack of emotion may turn a dub into a failure and from what I noticed Astro Boy is only more popular than the original since America never had interest of importing the original series without cuts and original voices subtituled...

I do aknowedge that Astro Boy contributed a lot, but I can't just pretend that Astro Boy is perfect and should be considered the ultimate version of the series.

Unfortunatelly, Astro Boy is no longer the atom robot (even in the title) which was just a minor character of Captain Atom, but had turned into a box filled with surprises which conquered many hearts in Japan.

And it's sad that the souless (in regard that Tezuka did not took actually part in the re-scripts and removed scenes) adaptation is more known than what Tezuka trully did...

For Tezuka it must had being a pain to allow his work become heavily edited since America would quit the possibility of the importation.

[omega.factor]

Bruton sounds like the word Brutal or Brute, which I find menacing in English, fitting on his nature. However I love the roman god origin of the name, I didn't know that, but Pluto sounds less menacing!

Regarding the English dubb, for the 80s, I find the English version to have more emotion in the acting voices than the Japanese! Bit I haven't watch all the Japanese yet!

So I'm saying it's not soulless. But in fact the opposite!

[Toshio Tenma]

Pluto have that name, because he is a slayer and Bruton sounds like he is just a stupid brute prone to breaking things away for further amusement or senseless anger.

And Astro Boy is indeed souless, after all it doesn't respect the original source material since it does deny the series own origins and background.

Everything is re-scripted without any take from Tezuka themselves.

The english dub have less emotion since the idea was to make it more like a cartoon and Shin Tetsuwan Atom is being broadcasted by Viki as "Astro Boy 1980".

However, it's misleading since Astro Boy 1980 was actually a dub with many cuts, wrong order of episodes and re-worked scripts which have little to do with the original series.

Though Tezuka accept the name in their english site, they only mention events of the original Tetsuwan Atom which proves that Astro Boy dub is actually non canon.

These are some of the deleted scenes of the dub:


Astro Boy keep hidding it's flaws for long since the media mostly talk about the dub without caring about what the series trully is in Japan...

[F-Man]

See, with Toshio, even your opinions about whether you like something or not are wrong. It's no use.

He also very much enjoys telling us facts we already know that have nothing to do with enjoying something or not.

[omega.factor]

Toshio - I disagree. The word "brutal" which I derive (from Bruton) is more fierce than the anything I can associate to the word Pluto! I plan to watch the 80s Japanese soon, out of respect for the canon, but what I am saying, is the 80s English dub had a life of it's own, and for me, Astroboy in this release had a very strong and honest soul.

In fact, I would even go as far as to argue that the Japanese voices sound so child like, and so similar that their emotion is not present, as it's always the same dramatic tone. Maybe my not understanding Japanese is what is missing. Even Atlas sounds a little emotionless. The English speaking Atlas is phenomenal sounding.

So make no mistake, in my opinion, more emotion in the English release (for me anyhow). You may be right technically, and you may have emotion attached to your opinion, but so do I and you can’t reverse my emotion with facts. You would need to be omnipotent and re-write my history and possibly the release history of the series in this case!

Also, if you want to be true to the facts, Pluto was based on Ancient Greek mythology, and the name is not even written Pluto, or possibility even not pronounced Pluto, - so where do you go from here, as it seems lost from Greek to Japanese translation too!

Refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_%28mythology%29