by Recca_Phoenix » Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:03 pm
[quote]# While it does make things easier to adopt if one can identify with the characters & settings, many old cartoons were set in the future or in outer space, some even in 'prehistoric' times; but the exotic settings only added to their appeal. The only cartoon that comes to mind as featuring truly international settings is Jonny Quest; this also featured characters having true ethnic features. I think the others were afraid of using such things, but for me, this was 1 of the most memorable of all childhood shows.
Yup.
Although in many cases, localization works out. Take for example, the highly-enjoyable Phoenix Wright games, which switch future-tokyo to future-Los angeles, and change the American characters to German characters. Although with the case of those games, localization was needed because of a lot of Japanese otaku in-jokes and pop culture humor.
Astro Boy is Japanese for all intents and purposes, but seeing as he lives in a future-type setting of general urban-ness, a supposed localization may or may not have to change settings and names. Let's face it, Ochanomizu does not roll off the tongue of an American child that easily.... And even our beloved Frederik Schodt did keep his name as the familiar "Astro Boy" rather than "Mighty Atom"!!!!
But I digresss......
Thankfully the names of the characters in Princess Knight are all pretty European-like and easy-to-pronounce. I don't know if I'm imagining this - did Tink have a different name in the older English dub of the PK anime?
Now translating: