Hello from the Russian version of Dr.Saruta

[Saruta]

Hello,

Well, I *am* the Russian version of Dr. Saruta. Nearly everyone who saw a Russian dub of Hi No Tori 2772 in the last 13 years heard me as him. This gives a certain claim

Two Russian dubs exist. The first was shown once in or around 1993 on Russian TV - and then vanished into obscurity. The second was made in 1998 by a team which I called together and led. This one is still making the rounds on torrents - despite being rather inexact. We only had the English for the source

The backstory. I lived in Moscow then. saw the movie on TV in 1993 and was deeply impressed, but at that time acquiring a copy was impossible. I did get it, in English on VHS, in 1998 - and watched it many, many times.

Some months later the Japanese embassy screened some Tezuka movies in Moscow. I went there with a lady. It tuerned out they forgot to invite an interpreter, so I started translating for the lady. Cries of "louder" ensued - within 10 minutes I was pushed into the translator box. Without understanding a word of Japanese I rendered a passable version - simply because I knew it by heart.

After a hearty applause and a small Moscow Times interview, I was able to build a team for the dub. We started off to a rather simple standard, even tried going with an entire scene at once. We soon went to full-scale "professional" with each line being recorded separately, sometimes a few times. So I became the voice of Saruta, Bun, and Ban - with computer effects to differentiate (but Saruta was least distorted).

We released it anonymously (as this was technically a copyright violation). We did not make one ruble of money on this, as a matter of principle - we were fans, not "pirates". We just gave away copies and they were copied on VHS by people who would never have access to a licensed version... I am more open now as this was over ten years ago.

As I became older, I found I'm much more like Saruta himself, not just the voice on that dub

Now the honest part, I did this because I was quite in love with Olga. I still don't know why she is never included in Tezuka character list, and generally ignored by "the community" small as it is, along with the entire movie.

Perhaps it's because it does not fit into the Phoenix arc. Tezuka apparently planned a retrofit, but we all know how Phoenix ended without being finished

Well, as we won't have any from the Author, perhaps I'll publish a fic that does a kind of retrofit. Without stepping one jot from the movie canon. I have the idea, anyhow - and of course it's through Saruta, who is the central character anyhow. Being kinda Saruta, I'd better take my responsibilities seriously

(Of course, Tezuka fan fiction is a bit touchy because he was a genius - but then, so was Tolkien.)

P.S. I live in Ireland since 2006. Nothing political, just career. Not Iceland, sorry but at least I do really have a beard.

[Princess Sapphire]

Wow. So great to meet you here Saruta.

I love that movie too. I have it in English under the title Space Firebird 2772 if my memory is correct. I must watch it again sometime.

[F-Man]

It is so easy to fall in love with Tezuka's robots, isn't it? XD

Good job on making a dub, sounds like you put your heart into it. I'm much more of a subtitled-version person, personally.

[Saruta]

Well, yes. But!

After watching in English, while still remembering the content, watch in Japanese. It's on Youtube all right. (And so is the English. Two full versions, and nobody bats an eyelid?)

There is some difference made by the playing of the voice actors. In case of Godo, to me it seems to make *all* the difference.

(Saruta is passable in English, though I actually found my Russian render was somehow closer to the Japanese.

Well, perhaps it's because I *was* "playing myself". At the time I was too young to recognize this, but now I see clearly that my unwieldy/comic side is somewhat similar to his. Yeah, I can talk on stuff that I deduced with just the same kind of unwitting pathos - and also, stuff like that wine moment...)

[Saruta]

I also prefer subtitled versions. Anna Panina made a Russian sub in 2003.

If we had the Japanese source we woud perhaps think again whether to make a dub. But we only had the English. And we wanted to do it BETTER than the English version.

Personally. I think we have succeeded. Still way below Japanese (wish we had that available as a reference! But we only saw it once or twice in the cinema; the first time I was doing the fan translation, and then they put in a professional translator).

[Saruta]

And Olga... Just Olga.



source: http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiec ... gsub=51699

[Saruta]

Satomi Mikuriya's version from the movie-based comic/manga. Perhaps somewhat closer - in an emotional way - to how I imagined her. (But then. Tezuka's pinup, judging by the colours on the face and the yellow halo at the lower part, is likely of the happy Firebird!Olga on the paradise planet)

Anyhow - Mikuriya's troubled robot lady. Striving to grasp the meaning of "love". (But, do humans do better?)

[F-Man]

Wow! Who's Mike Price?

[Saruta]

The source link does not even really explain whether it was Mike Price himself who sold it.

I'll let the American fandom worry about that, though

[strobe_z]

Hi Saruta, nice to meet you. I'm always amazed at how many Tezuka fans there are from all over the world.

That's a great great pic actually. Thanks for sharing. Did you know she also makes an appearance in the "Waiting for Godot" chapter of Rainbow Parakeet (Nanairo Inko)? It's one of my favourite chapters.

[Saruta]

I do know. But is there a scan of the chapter available somewhere?

[F-Man]

And a in Astro Boy (2003) Episode 48.

[Saruta]

And as for fans...

There are, in fact, *very* few fans. Outside of Japan is there even a hundred of us? And with those *in* Japan but not professional manga writers, is there even a thousand?

His primary fandom were those who followed in his footsteps. A Russian fan put in their sig - Tezuka is the god of manga, one must make manga offerings to him. That's pretty much how the manga world came to be.

But as for a "fandom" in the modern sense of the word - it is, for an author of this caliber, incredibly small.

In "those years" (1998-2001), this was quite a disaster for myself. Because if a fandom of regular density were to emerge. there would likely be "versions" of Olga there, just as it happens with important characters in regular fandoms. People just take on the image. Given that regular fandoms mostly consist of ladies, there would be an Olga out there - which, for me as I was then, would probably have been cause to travel a considerable distance if I just knew.

But now, with that story past, I see the small fandom as a blessing as well. With a big fandom, come the bad fics and the slash and all that. At least we never saw Godah/Rock! (ugh)

[Saruta]

That 2003 cameo just means there might be a hidden Olga fan somewhere in the team that made the series

Thanks a lot for the picture!

[Sevi]

Hi Saruta!

Welcome to the forums! I hope, that you'll enjoy your stay and the discussions with the other Tezuka fans!