In an effort to, uh, expand my German, I have been watching the German dub of sailor moon. No subs or anything. It's intresting to see what happens you
don't re-format a show from being for 16-year-olds to 8-year-olds. There's a few episodes the U.S. Dropped altogether
(but we tend to do that due to our television seasons running differently. we have seperate 'fall' lineups and then an 'off-season' in the Summer, unless your Fox, then you have nothing resembling a sechdule whatsoever).
But, what's really intresting is that the Germans perserved some jokes we didn't. In Japanse Serena is called
Usagi meanning
Rabbit. In German she is
Bonnie, because it sounds like
Bunny (It's because of her hair).
What gets me mad, is how the lines change. Personally, I like the english line of
Some might call me a bookworm to the German (I'm translating for you)
The lexicon is my firend (in Spain she says
Books are my firends, which is worse still, There's a seperate Latin American dub).
Because most of the dropped episodes were the
boring ones that served only characterization, the show makes no sense (Er, well, I'm not sure that's the
only reason). There's no deapth to it. This is not so in German, where what we see in America (due to dropped episodes) as an abusive boyfirend, just has a tough, crunchy exterior (think
leftover lasagna and his insults are his way of trying to modivate her to do better.
We (the U.S. haven't checked the British Dub, but I know it's absent from the French-Canadian Dub) a sequence where the main charater give little girls helpful words of advice. Such as
Love potions are fun to play with, but the only way to get the guy you want it so just be yourself.
There's a satrical fan-dub where during it, she says
If you're in an abusive relationship, leave. I know our show is aimed at eight-year-olds, so if little Timmy won't share his crayons, tell him it's over!.
Also, in various shows Rice Balls have be called muffins, doughnuts and other things. Well, in 4-Kids dubs. Funimation seems to do better.
In fact, funimation does really good dubs, even if they add in some jokes (I can forgive shuffling Richard Moore / Kogorou Mori 's age, six years isn't that much once you pass 35 :D ).
That's another thing. I am not bothered to the point where I feel the need to make signs and rent a plane to skywrite that I don't like the English names. In fact, I like the English names in Case Closed (I'm not sure if I prefer the Title
Case Closed to
Detective Conan, though).
This makes a lot of people upset on Anime fourms...