Forum - View topicSteven Foster and Le Chevalier D'Eon
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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Ghost stories was part of that "lets cause fanboy/girls to be angry by saying we won't be producing an faithful English dub of this series" It's a great way for a series that didn't have a lot of steam (I never heard of it until the news broke) by creating news for it.......
I like the dub also for Cromatie High School, but it's not the same show when you look at the subs for it; It's one of the few rewrite that I thought were alright.
I really like Gilgamesh, there was a very large cast that had to fill the roles of all the Gilgamesh's and other characters, so for that I am glad that the dub wasn't a trainwreck. But for Voices.....dear me that was quite a different story when you go from dubs to subtitles. |
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Sakura Shinguji
Posts: 190 |
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I thought we'd learned it was because certain content elements prompted Foster and ADV to ask the cast if they wanted to use pseudonyms, and so several individuals opted to do so. The confusing thing about it is that there's far worse in other titles that ADV's released, so I'm not sure precisely what Foster and others felt was that bad. And, I'm inclined to believe that, had the idea of pseudonyms not been brought up, it would never have even occurred to any of the VAs. So, it's just sort of a strange situation all around. More on topic, I think Steven Foster is an excellent ADR director who really knows how to get some great performances out of his actors, especially when the project is a comedy. I think he's also a questionable scriptwriter whose work has admittedly gotten much better over time but was utterly ridiculous in the beginning. I was sad to see that Orphen got mentioned and then discarded in the interview, and that Sorcerer Hunters and Generator Gawl were never mentioned at all. His comments can apply to more recent scripts, but those three early ones (written and directed under the name "Steven Rocket" for those keeping track) were unnecessary rewrites no matter how you look at them. Dated pop-culture references, weird one-liners in place of meaningful dialogue, tone changes that were completely contradicted by facial expressions or other things actually happening on screen, and so on. When something like "let's go see" turns into "managed health care?" then you know there's problems. I wouldn't at all mind see Foster direct more titles, because he's good at it and he's very enthusiastic about what he does. Just don't let the man do any writing! |
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NightOption
Posts: 18 |
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Well, considering that the number of American fans of the original Ghost Stories could be counted on one hand, there comes a point where you have to draw the line, and realize that the show the Japanese are giving to you for free isn't exactly sacred. |
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Dorasaga
 Posts: 20 |
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I think people like you guys/gals and me, who actually bare reading through this interview with a shadow warrior commanding his King ADV's pretty voicemen, can all appreciate their dubs one way or other.
But as much good work I 'm seeing out of Foster, thanks to ANN staff 's diligent interview -- WHAT THE HECK are all these Chevalier SPOILERS running through this whole interview??? Don' t you ANN staff know better: There's people who haven' t watched the show (and not downloading any fansubs but wait for the license DVDs come out), and these people might read this. Please, try prevent your interviewee from spilling out so many spoilers, or at least stop him/her next time you interview someone. Thanks. |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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I haven't seen Chevalier so I don't know what could reasonably be considered a spoiler and what couldn't. If you're talking about content that's on the first DVD that's out now, then honestly I don't consider any of that to be spoiler material. Also, there's no need to use bold giant red text. You don't need to get so angry about spoilers. It's just a TV show. |
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Ranma824
 Posts: 456 |
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Well then, let's just spoil all of Haruhi Suzumiya and the last volume of My-HiME while we're at it 
Anyway, what I learned from the interview and this thread: I need to rewatch Voices of a Distant Star in JP with subtitles I need to rewatch Steel Angel Kurumi with JP/subtitles I need to give Cromartie High School ANOTHER CHANCE w/ JP & Subtitles
Hey, did you show Studio Pierrot the finished product? I'd love to know their reaction to Steve's "do whatever you want" style. So, YES, doing two great shows (Gilgamesh & Place Promised) does not absolve you of the hate you earned. Even if Chevalier turns out good. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOOD AND COMFORTING - Don't let him near Keroro Gunso (it wasn't listed under his name in the Encyclopedia) EDIT: George Manley is ADR on Sgt. Frog, but since AWO mentioned Foster and the Frog in the same paragraph I thought I freak out. |
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DKL
 Posts: 1945 Location: California, USA |
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Hmmm... I think it's good if George Manley is on the thing since, from what I remember of him saying, he's pretty big into Gundam and stuff...
So, it's likely that he'll keep the stuff in if it's him directing (and I'm all for new directors popping out at this point given how new and great Paradise Kiss was) ... Err... this is assuming of course that: -Manley is doing the dub -I'm correct in assuming that Sgt. Frog will have obscure references (that I probably won't get) But then, I could be all wrong given that I'm just blindly speculating and operating from vague recollections... |
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Elves
 Posts: 269 Location: USA |
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For what it's worth, I found the interview very enjoyable reading - thanks for agreeing to an interview Steven! It was interesting to read about his encounter with fansubs, so afterwards I hope he has an idea of where the "picky" fans are coming from.
Speaking of which, I'm gonna have to jump on the bandwagon and say that Orphen's dub was a disaster. When I first watched the show I had no idea who the guys in the black robes were and finally gave up trying to understand who they were exactly after about the eighth episode. After getting half-way through the series I was so confused that I started over and watched it in Japanese and by the second episode I knew exactly who the black robed guys were - the teachers/board members (something like that - it's been a while since I watched it) at the school. Erm...when important information doesn't come through something has gone terribly wrong. 
Anyway, onto better things. Le Chevalier D'Eon dub sounds as though Steven has tried to stay as true to the script as possible and has kept the fans in mind. So I'm looking forward to watching it, and all the extras! That was such a tease!  Good interview overall. Thanks!
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Dorasaga
Posts: 20 |
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And this is just a forum. Pardon moi to use expressions at my will. 
Hi, good to see the administrator nozing around. I'm not angry; why should I be angry at my beloved ANN staff who did so much for the otaku community??? I was simply trying to remind people not to give away the plot. But again, I can see what you are saying, as long as you don' t point out the episode number and verbalize the "in-plot" timeline during the interview, I guess few have the clue where's the content located. Yet, saying just because the first DVD comes out (release date TODAY! 2007.02.20) doesn' t justify anyone from spoiling a show. Again, ADV is releasing many fun titles this year (Guyver, UFO, Chevalier). In general, I prefer Funimation for the genre they gear towards, which are more drama-oriented (Beck, Fruba), not action-packed or big fancy ~~*moe-moe*~~ chara appeals, but I guess it's just me. |
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belisarius
Posts: 203 Location: Concord, NC |
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Kudos to everyone involved for an enjoyable and enlightening interview. I thought it was sort of refreshing to hear someone come out and say "yeah, my first few pieces were crap" rather than try to dress it up. Everyone's got to cut their teeth on something, and it's pretty obvious there's a learning curve involved. I'd be interested in hearing Chris' impressions of the guy, he came off as sort of an affable working man type of guy. If that's the case, then great, the last thing the industry needs is someone who takes himself too seriously in charge of directing.
An interesting example of why people don't seem to like him is the Generator Gawl series and the dub there in. Gawl remains one of my favorites despite its numerous flaws. I've watched the show both dubbed and subbed. I have to say the original Japanese version is an okay show, a throw away shonen action series with plot elements interesting enough to keep you watching. The problem it runs into is that it will occasionally take itself too seriously. Gawl (the character) is your typical goofy but noble super powered hero and in the original, the melodrama that can crop up as a result of all his travails and sacrifices can get, well, rather melodramatic. That takes away from the series because honestly, we've all seen it before, and as characters go, Gawl's not well developed enough for me to sympathize with him at that level. The dub fixes this problem by injecting light hearted elements into what functions better as a action-comedy with some serious elements. The throw away one liners and pop culture references add a bit of levity to a show that, in a more faithful translation, would have taken itself far too seriously. There's a good example in either episode 1 or 2 in which Masami is objecting to her mother's decision to allow Gawl and the boys to live with them. The original Japanese is the typical mother lecturing daughter dialog we've all heard 1,000 times and frankly, isn't that good because Masami's character doesn't play as well against the stereo typical mom. In the dub, Mom makes essentially the same point but does so in a comedic way that, as I recall, makes a humorous reference to Marilyn Manson going on a bender. Good stuff, and it adds a little pop to the dialog. People might say "Oh, but that's a one time cultural reference, people won't get it X years from now, booo". I've got news for you, the odds of someone watching the Gawl dub that far into the future and actually caring are slim and none. All in all, I agree with his general assesment that there is a time and place to make en economic decision about how to approach a series. It worked for Generator Gawl, at least in so far as my own experiences are concerned. I think it's funny how stark raving mad some people get/got about Ghost Stories, especially with a faithful sub right there on the DVDs. I really think a lot of fans take some of these series, like Ghost Stories, far more seriously than the companies that produce them. When they said "Do whatever you want" I'm sure that's exactly what they meant. I'm sure Pierrot could give a rat's ass as long as they get their licensing fee and chunk of the profits. Remember kids, this is a business. Try turning it around to see if it makes more sense. Do you think Jim Belushi and the cast of Life According to Jim (or practically any other American sitcom) would care, even a little, if their show was re-adapted to suit Japanese views as long as they were getting a check for it? I highly doubt it, actors and writers as a whole understand that this is a business, and in cases where a dub must remain faithful to the story, domestic licensors seem to understand and respect that. For someone who's frequently interested in the business side of the domestic scene, dub changes can actually add a little value to a show. It can be enjoyable to go through the sub/dub, note the differences, and try to dissect why particular changes were made. Of course, hardcore internet fandom will generally be appeased by nothing less than literal translations all the time. If you understand that a majority of animation companies (both foreign and domestic) take their profits as seriously as the internet fandom takes these dubs, their choices will make a lot more sense. |
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Renaisance Otaku
 Posts: 469 Location: Modesto, CA |
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I haven't rally seen Gawl, but I remember reading that the changes were far more than just adding humor. The case I remember being a pacifistic character being dubbed into some bloodthirsty jerk. Wheter this "improves" it or not, it's not Foster's job to decide whether the series needs a "fresh appoach" or not. You may think it makes it less "generic" but it also drastically alters the show. Most people don't watch both versions, and some have no idea how altered the dub is.
Here's one comparison for those that want more details. http://animeprime.com/reports/gawl.shtml Sure people like me, whom prefer subtitles, are covered, but what about those that prefer dubs but still want an accurate version of what came out of Japan; not the ADR's ideal version that caters to the US? If people wanted to watch something that catered to american humor there's always Family Guy, The Simpsons, and any number of sitcoms on TV. To each their own, but I'll stick to his more accurate dubs when I'm in the mood for english language anime.
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18191 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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There was nothing in the interview that I'd consider a significant spoiler for the first volume of Le Chevalier. The thing about d'Eon's sister possessing his body is one of the major advertising points of the series, and the things about the skuill are hardly major plot points. I've done a line-by-line comparison of VODS between the subttitles and dub, and while it could be tighter, in only one place did a line change cause a significant alteration in meaning or characterization, and that was a very brief one. Except for the untranslated text messages thing, that dub doesn't deserve the reaming it's taken. Neither does Steel Angel Kurumi, which I've always thought was a great dub. If it's not perfectly accurate, so what? It retains the full spirit and feel of the characters and content, and that's what I consider most important. |
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 7580 Location: Wales |
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Just checking: does this entire paragraph relate to Voices? |
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NightOption
Posts: 18 |
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If they preferred something more accurate to the Japanese version, then they would watch the Japanese dub. The purpose of an english dub is to sacrafice some accuracy for coherency. |
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Renaisance Otaku
Posts: 469 Location: Modesto, CA |
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I know that, which is why I do watch the sub track most of the time. So it's a non-issue to me as my prefrences tend to avoid his work. Still, some of Foster's most visable work can hardly be called "sacrifacing some accuracy for the sake of coharency". Even I have no problem with that (though some ADRs have been rather slavish to mouth flaps, to the point that it damages performences). I've even enjoyed some dubs that take some liberties in the script. Though when it goes so far as to outright change the feel of a character or even an entire show, I draw the line and not listen.
No, they're examples of trying to fix something a select few see as broken or to make something more 'accessible' to people who probably wouldn't be the main market for something in the first place and then justify it with a, "it's a minor show that we've improved through our creativity [hit or miss on whether it actually is 'creative']" or a "they can watch the sub". Your milege will very, but I am a little tired of the former. As for the latter, I know people who won't watch subs, but still expect it to be something like the original. It's not a big thing to ask. You'd be surprised how little things can have big impacts.
I'll watch my subs in the meantime (though they're not always perfect [TWHE II])... |
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