Forum - View topicWhat do US dubbers have against text?
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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This kinda bugs me, but I've noticed that in most dubbed anime on CN, text is left completely untranslated. I noticed this in Super Milk Chan, and Yu Yu Hakusho, and I think in GitS and Gundam as well, that when Japanese text is on screen, such as in a readout or a building sign or something, the CN dubs leave viewers completely in the dark as to what that text might mean.
Why is this? In any respectable FAN sub, such text would have a text subtitle pop up either across the top of the screen, or next to the Japanese text on the screen. Many of the better fan subs also put "footnotes" across the top of the screen to explain Japanese contexual dialog, something that Milk Chan is in desperate need of. So I have to ask, what do the proffessional dubbing companies have against the writen word that they refuse to add subtitles, even at the expense of the understanding and enjoyment of their viewers? |
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ShellBullet
 Posts: 1051 Location: I hit things, with my fist. |
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Different people are of differing minds on this issue. While some fans like knowing what is written many others prefer to not have the screen cluttered by unneccassary lettering. There was an outcry a while back when EVA decided to overwrite Japanese text with English. There is not often that knowing what is written is really an issue. Kare Kano may be the only real exception to that rule that I know of.
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Steventheeunuch
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In regards to people who enjoy subs and subtitles for translating signs, DVDs tend to have an optional subtitle track that covers OP/ED lyrics along with various signs. I'm sure CN have access to these however I doubt they impliment them in the broadcast of their shows for some reason (just a general no sub thing? I'm not sure). I do know some companies do not include these sorts of tracks in some shows, however they are (supposedly) present in all DVDs of shows broadcast on CN.
My two cents, anyway. Chalk it up to CN not really knowing any better (or expecting the masters they receive to already have pre-printed overlays or translations in the video masters, or the signs to be drawn in english in the first place, like Big O etc) |
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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Oh, I'm not in favor of them overwriting the original text, that smacks of "Americanizing" at its worst. I only think they should have foot notes across the top, bottom, or to the side of the Japanese text, so that an American viewer knows what the words actually say. What's the point of having words that cannot be read? |
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Animefan16
 Posts: 1025 |
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Just like name changes, changing the Japanese text is a small and stupid thing to complain about. I thought the people who complained about the text in EVA being changed were complete idiots.
I think what a lot of anime fans don't know is that Japan also localizes American comics/cartoons. Gonzo's working on an anime based on the American comic Witchblade. They're gonna be replacing the main character Sara Pezzini with a Japanese policewoman. They're also working on a GI Joe anime. I don't know if they're gonna localize it though. I always thought that as long as it doesn't affect the story,characters, etc. I'm okay with it. Of course there are times when localization is stupid. If they americanized something like Rurouni Kenshin, Even a mainstream audience would think that's stupid. They'd have to digitally replace everything including the clothes. |
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Kazuki-san
 Posts: 2251 Location: Houston, TX |
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And they do, on the DVD. The only show I can ever recall being on TV that DID show the text was Eva, and that's because it was hardcoded into it, you couldn't turn it off. I don't recall shows on CN doing it, I know shows and TAN don't do it. I'm willing to bet it's because it would make the screen look cluttered, and take attention away from the story. Not every out there cares to see a sign that says "restroom" in subtitle text on their screen. It's really not that a big of a deal for a show that you aren't paying for to watch (aside from having cable/satellite) If it bothers you so much, buy the DVDs or right CN and ask them why they don't. |
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Perfectsword
 Posts: 527 Location: Somewhere in NY |
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there are plenty of foot notes in anime.
a good example would be Rurouni Kenshin. there are tons of foot notes. name of atendees in the school, name of the school, resturants....mostly important stuff |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 19166 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I believe I've heard it said that it's more of a technical issue for CN to broadcast the subs for signs and on-screen text than a "personal preference" issue. They aren't the only ones; most of Anime Network's VOD stuff doesn't subtitle on-screen text, either. (Interestinigly, AN's VOD service DID start doing this on Kino's Journey starting with the 8th or 9th episode. It makes a significant difference in that case given the questions flashed on the screen.)
I also once at a convention asked a woman involved with translating and dubbing anime about why text on-screen wasn't translated in the dub for one particular release last year (the Read or Die OVA, I believe it was). She said that's pretty much the call of the people who actually encode the DVDs. She did have it set up that way when she sent in the master, but it apparently got dropped in the encoding process. |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 12095 Location: Frisco, TX |
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I'm not sure if this is particularly relavent to the topic, but if any of you have ever watched the R1 version of Kare Kano, the subbing is insanely jumbled. Aside from the dialogue at the bottom, there are times where a lot of signs or onscreen text is present at the same time, and as you would expect, a lot of subtitles are needed to translate that stuff.
I'm amazed at the job TRSI did with it and also in giving the option to separate the subs into three different (optional) categories. And on top of that, they also have the footnotes in the Extras section, so that might be something to cheer about. 
And while I'm at it, I'd also like to commend Media Blasters for their subs and footnotes for Rurouni Kenshin and ADV for their's on Azumanga Daioh. Both companies do a very good job providing additional information and adding to the overall presentation of their respective titles. 
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kusanagi-sama
 Posts: 1723 Location: Wichita Falls, TX |
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The version of the ROD OVA I have has onscreen text for some signs on it. |
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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That's a very different thing though. That's them taking a CONCEPT and making their own unique anime based on it. They're free to "japanize" it all they want. A similar thing would be if the US liked Read or Die so much that they decided to make a new series of Read or Die, from scratch, produced, written, and keyframed by Americans. It wouldn't really be "RoD", but as an American production they'd be free to "Americanize" the series as much as they want. The problem is when there is a completed work, made in Japan and containing Japanese content, and that content is molested to produce an Americanized varient of it. That's a completely different thing. Transformers: Car Robots is a good example of this. The original was (I think) and American production, but the Car Robots season was a Japanese production from top to bottom, and yet when it was brought over to the US, obvious Japanese elements were toned down as best they could. That's one thing I always respected about the Digimon productions. Even though they didn't do a straight dub, they at least never made apologies about the fact that the series was about Japanese kids who happened to live in Japan. Why they can do it but so few other series can is beyond my comprehenshion. |
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Animefan16
Posts: 1025 |
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The reason why they didn't americanize Digimon could be how they didn't have enough time to do it. I read in the book, "the Anime Encyclopedia", that because of how Saban rushed to get Digimon and other animes to the States, there wasn't enough time to do much editing and other changes. The only exception is DBZ(the 1st 2 seasons). That show was edited a lot but most of you know that already.
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Goodspeed
 Posts: 48 |
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If it's not important, why bother?
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Steventheeunuch
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It's the principal of the thing. |
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Nagisa
Moderator
 Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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I dunno, it kind of gets ridiculous when companies like ADV feel the need to put subtitles under such absolutely unnecessary signs as "gas station" in the distant background to the far left (incidentally obstructing something important in the foreground). |
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