Embracing Dubs

I fell into anime fandom somewhat recently.  With only about two years of avid watching under my belt, I came to the medium after literally decades of development (with regards to both the Japanese creators and United States/English-language distributors).  This has meant that much of the anime I've watched are the beneficiaries of advanced animation techniques, musical scoring, script writing and - most importantly for this blog entry - English dubbing.  

Having spoken to many long-time fans and having read various articles and essays about anime, it is clear that many earlier imports from Japan suffered from rather deplorable English dubs.  This is obvious when one rents an older title, selects English for the language, and is variably assaulted by overacting, deadpan voices and/or choppy and unnatural dialog. 

The often deplorable state of dubbing certainly contributed to the (sometimes snobbish and haughty) typical preference of anime fans for subtitled versions.  Many will look at you in shock if you profess to prefer a dub to a sub.  For sub fans, they question the purity and faithfulness of watching a show that is dubbed; and it is not rare for sub fans to be somewhat dismissive of and condescending to the dub fan.

So why do I prefer dubs?

If you've seen BECK, you'd KNOW why I prefer dubs!!!

First, it is important to point out that I was lucky enough to come to the medium after the companies responsible for English-language distribution, and in turn the many individuals making such distribution possible, had honed their craft.  Those fans who, like me, only became familiar with anime in recent years, have benefited from: increasingly excellent and accurate translations; intelligent, sensitive and practical writing, and re-writing, of scripts (to convey the original meaning while also being relate-able for English-speaking audiences); and nuanced, enthusiastic and measured performances by voice actors.


As a result, when picking up an anime DVD and choosing to listen to it in English, the viewer is often treated to a dub that is a full 180 degrees in opposition to many of the earlier dubbing debacles. 

Second, I have no desire to read television shows.  Having to read the dialog takes time away from appreciating the art and special effects of the shows.  Part of me pops in a disk to be transported elsewhere, and the illusion of becoming lost in a fictional world is somewhat lessened when I am rushing to read the oftentimes extensive and fleeting dialog on the screen. 

And if I didn't watch shows in English, I would have missed any of the multiple shows whose dubs are highly regarded and memorable.  Shows like Hellsing Ultimate, Fullmetal Alchemist and Last Exile.  In fact, some shows seem to make more sense in English - shows like Baccano! (which mostly takes place in prohibition-era New York and having voice actors speak in New York-accented English simply fits) and BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (where the songs sung were written in English).  Other shows need to be re-written with an English-speaking audience in mind for the gist of the humor to be fully realized, like Desert Punk.  Other shows work well in the subtitled format, but also worked extremely well as a dub - including classics like Full Metal Panic!, Cowboy Bebop, FLCL and Witch Hunter Robin.  

I am trying to watch a few more shows in subtitled format - in fact, my hand will be forced as fewer shows are being dubbed, due in large part to the ailing economy and its impact on the anime industry.  But that said, it would be a shame for fans in general to dismiss all English dubs without even a listen.  Many shows are even arguably better in English, and I would hate to think anyone would miss Steven Jay Blum's performance as Spike in Bebop, or Crispin Freeman as Alucard in both Hellsing series simply because they remember the horrific dubs of the past. 

So for those who are die hard sub fans, why not kick back and just give a dub a chance?  At the very least, you can avoid eyestrain and not have to scramble to read dialog . . . .

[INSERT BOOK TITLE] Would Make A Great Anime

The beauty of many anime series is that the format allows intricate, sometimes epic, stories to be told without cutting corners.  Over the course of a full season, or two full seasons, there is time enough for the un-rushed introduction of a large ensemble cast of characters, to allow them to have histories and story arcs, to develop as characters.  The plot can unfurl in its own time, not rushed by an abbreviated allotment of time, not drastically cutting out important and illuminating sub-plots.

As I think about some of my favorite series, I am especially thankful that they weren't shows made in the United States.  I am especially relieved that none were shoe-horned into a typical two-hour film format.  Series like Fullmetal Alchemist - the original series spanned over 50 episodes, included dozens of important characters, none of which were purely good or evil.  Each main and supporting character had at least some screen time, allowing them to be fleshed out in three dimensions, with unique motivations and backgrounds, all melding into a unified plot.  In fact, the series then spawned a follow-up movie, as well as a currently airing new series, re-telling the original story (this time adhering more closely to the manga source material).

Series like FMA, Eureka 7 and RahXephon make me wish other stories that I've fallen in love with would find their way to one of the better anime production studios in Japan.  Two different series of novels, both by geniuses of the science fiction genre, would be ideal for depiction in an extended anime series.

The winner of the first Nebula Award for science fiction, Dune by Frank Herbert, has never successfully made it onto film.  The two main attempts at doing so (1984 film version by David Lynch and the 2000 television mini-series aired by the Sci Fi Network) were nothing if  not disappointments to those familiar with the novel (and its sequels).  Though the film got some decent reviews, there is really no feasible way to take a book topping out at over 600 pages (whose plot is nothing if not a labyrinthine tapestry of political intrigue, sociological and ecological commentary, and a host of other issues) can be edited down and successfully distilled into two hours.  Such an epic deserves and demands a lengthier format.  Unfortunately, the television mini-series suffered from both decidedly sub-par acting and effects (though more of the book's content survived onto the screen).

I can so easily picture Dune, and even some of the following books in the extensive series, being rendered in gorgeous, elaborate and specific detail in a two- or three-season anime series.  Over the course of 50 or 75 episodes, the complex political background which the events of the novel play out against could be faithfully reproduced.  The desert world of Arrakis could come alive.  The impossibility of finding live actors who physically match the descriptions of the Fremen (a lean, tough and incredibly proud desert-based culture of people) would be made obsolete as artists could depict the Fremen as Herbert described them.  The sandworms and the navigators, the machine world of IX and the uncanny powers of the Bene Gesserit - all could be realized in the anime medium as it was nearly impossible for it to be realized via live action and CGI.  

What's more, so many anime series allow for mature plots and often controversial subjects to be heard.  These are stories that would almost certainly not be told on the major networks and would more likely find their homes on channels like HBO and Showtime.  Think Neon Genesis Evangelion - a science fiction, post-apocalyptic tale that takes a hard look at the psychological frailness of children asked to fight invaders (called Angels), and of the adults which force them to do so despite the catastrophic effects the battle is having on their psyche.  Or think of Monster, an anime that asks the questions of whether all lives should be saved, as explored via a surgeon who blames himself for saving the life of a child who proved to be a sociopath, thus facilitating that sociopath's later murder of countless others.  A show like Dune - which deals with sexuality, assassination, perversion, cultural misunderstandings, pending ecological disasters, empire building and empire falling, and genetic manipulation - could only be told properly where the makers not only had the freedom to tell the story in detail over many hours of airing time, but also had the freedom to not be pressured with censorship of its story or lack of access to a mature audience.

The second novel (or really, series of novels) which I would love to see carried out in the anime medium is Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card (along with the Shadow series of books, which follow the character Bean more closely than the eponymous Ender of the original book).  Ender's Game takes place in the semi-near future (100 or so years beyond the present) in a world where an alien race has attacked the Earth, and the human race has put aside most of its differences (temporarily) to fight the threat.  Historically, the best minds (militarily and otherwise) are the minds of the young - as a result, the war is fought by genius children, who are taken from home around the age of 6 and sent into space to attend Battle School.  

Clearly, the biggest challenge of a live action version of Ender's Game is that it is a story where the vast majority of the main characters are children - many under the age of 8 or 9 years old.  This novel had been rumored to be in consideration for filming, but the challenge of finding a cast of children who can act, let alone play geniuses (who, when reading the book, the reader often forgets are children) is at best daunting, and at worst impossible.  

Making such a novel into an anime series obviates the need to find a cast of children, and also eliminates having them act out situations which could make any stage parent nervous (one child character inadvertently kills another child; there is bullying and ostracizing; there is a brother that threatens fratricide; there is the manipulation of children by adults).  If just doing Ender's Game, 13 episodes would probably suffice to tell the story in exacting detail.  If one wanted to integrate the Ender's Shadow story (basically covering the events from Ender's Game, but told from another character's perspective), and other Shadow books, the story could easily span one to two (or even three) seasons. 

I can imagine the superb writing, complex action and questions of political morality that could be brought to life in a manner similar to the extremely sophisticated tale told in the Ghost in the Shell series (from the original film, the the Stand Alone Complex and 2nd Gig series, as well as the two other films).  Similar animation and attention to detail brought to the Enderverse would be stunning.  And in shows like Evangelion, not to mention countless others, complex stories involving children have been told to great effect. 

One can only hope that some of the amazing novels that currently exist find their way to desks in Japan.

I'm Not Sure What I See in You . . . .

I can remember multiple times in the past when I developed a superficial crush on someone and, for the life of me, I could not understand what I saw in them.  In retrospect, the mystery of my attraction to these individuals often became more inscrutable, rather than less (both to myself and to friends).

I periodically get the same inexplicable interest in an anime series.  I couldn't explain to another anime fan or a friend what exactly drew me to a series, or even why I continue to watch it.  I liken this phenomenon to my abiding and equally inexplicable taste for and enjoyment of junk food.  I know that junk food (be it McDonald's fries, Ruffles potato chips, Hershey's candy bars, or any variety of gummy candies) is nutritionally deficient; that the sugar and/or calories and/or fat involved in consuming those "food" items is in no way compensated by the vitamins, minerals or other nutrition I manage to glean from them. 

Like junk food, I sometimes find myself watching anime series that have few redeeming qualities and are, in the truest sense of the word, purely entertainment.  Most, if not all, of these shows are formulaic, boasting minimal (if any) character development, the shallowest of romances, and the flimsiest of plot lines (with almost all "twists" clearly foreshadowed and telegraphed by the characters and the music).  No real surprises, no epiphanies, no moments of grandeur or deep thoughts inspired.  The ultimate in disposable media. 



Shows like Best Student Council - a truly odd high school comedy, where the main character starts at the most elite of high schools and has a tough time fitting in.  This isn't made any easier by the fact that she has a puppet which is almost always has on her hand.  Of course, this puppet has its own consciousness and personality .... no, really.  Despite her puppet and inescapable clumsiness, she perseveres and succeeds, due mostly to her sunny and positive disposition!

Or Angelic Layer - where a decidedly annoying middle school protagonist finds that she is wonderful at a virtual reality game and succeeds due to her sunny and positive disposition ... oh, and finds her long lost mother in the process.

Take Stellvia - another middle school protagonist and a vaguely explained recurring threat to Earth.  The  protagonist succeeds due to her - you guessed it - sunny and positive disposition.  Oh, and despite her innocence and apparent trouble in school, she turns out to be a genius!

Most perplexing, I've watched Daphne in the Brilliant Blue - populated by ridiculously busty protagonists wearing even more ridiculous outfits, if the word "outfit" is the correct term to refer to outfits that look like strategically placed strips of duct tape, the skimpiest of bathing suits, or devices for showing as much of the female body as is possible without turning a show into hentai.  The main protagonist, innocent despite her INSANE bust-line, succeeds due to her sunny and positive disposition --- sensing a theme here?

I told you.  RIDICULOUS.

Then you have the variety of shows which are less obnoxious, but I couldn't really tell you why I think it is fun to watch.  And unlike the shows above (which only span a single season, about 24-26 episodes), these shows go one or two or dozens of seasons.  Shows like Hunter x Hunter, which spans 62 episodes and is eminently good-natured.  It follows a young boy and his compatriots as they attempt to become "hunters" (which are individuals who are often similar to mercenaries, though they don't have to have a typical mercenary personality; and they are experts in any number of areas, always clever and capable, great fighters, etc.).  The show isn't particularly exciting, the story lines take a long time to unfurl.  But it is somewhat comforting to turn it on and know just what you're going to get.

Similarly, One Piece (a veritable never-ending show, with 458 episodes) has extended story lines and a good-natured feeling.  It is more exciting than Hunter, but there is still a certain predictability (hell, how can something with hundreds of episodes not devolve into predictability?); the characters are more colorful, but it has an old-school feel to it.  It helps that it is a crew of honorable pirates, traversing a dangerous ocean, meeting the most outrageous of villains.  You can pop in a DVD after a long hiatus and know exactly where you are (even if you've never been to that particular island and never seen that particular oddity).

So while I'm not sure what I see in these shows, I guess they are like comfort food.  Sometimes you want to plug in and tune out.  Such shows, though never destined to be on a "Best of" list or something you insist someone must watch, have their place.  And the next time I find myself unable to engage my brain or feel invested in a character, I can always watch one more disk of One Piece, get lost on the Going Merry (their pirate ship), kick back and relax.

Out of Print, But Not Out of Mind

One constant frustration with being an anime aficionado is falling in love (or in like) with a new series and seeking out the box set to add to your collection, only to find that it is out of print.  Those words, "out of print," can often make my heart fall.


And so begins the search - sometimes heady, sometimes frenzied, sometimes lackadaisical . . . depending upon how ardent my admiration is for the show in question, or sometimes whether I am scheduled to go to a convention and want the DVDs to be signed by a voice actor.


Where to start?  Usually Amazon - even though it is out of print, there are often sellers in Amazon Marketplace that have used (or sometimes even new) copies of my quarry.  The prices can vary in the extreme.  Sometimes you can locate a fantastic deal, sometimes it looks like you may need to mortgage your house to purchase the disks in question.


After Amazon, typically it is time to wander over to eBay.com or to half.com (an eBay-related site where the prices are fixed and there is no bidding).  Here you need to be careful, constantly on guard against bootleg copies.  This means vetting the seller (looking at ratings, asking plenty of questions if the deal seems too good to be true ... often an indicator that what they are selling is not a licensed Region 1 disk, but a pirated copy).


Other than these stalwart standbys, I can hunt around in other places.  Rentanime.com, a Netflix-esque rental site with only anime DVDs, offers the many of its rental disks for sale (some of which are out of print in the US).  I'll check Barnes & Noble, which sometimes has copies of out of print series.  And I can swing by Fast Food Anime's website, and Rightstuf.com (anime specialty stores).


If I'm lucky enough to find a complete box set - new, or perhaps in like new or very good condition if used - at a palatable price, I snap it up.  Often, though, such deals aren't available.  I'll price compare, bid at eBay with an eye toward how rare the prize is, and hope not get outbid at the last instant.  Sometimes the box sets are simply too expensive to justify.  $300 for a particular version of Evangelion.  $250 for R.O.D. the TV.  And, perhaps most extravagantly, $180+ for a used FLCL and nearly $320 for a new version, keeping in mind FLCL has only 6 30-minute episodes.  Now I love anime, but $30 an episode (or $1 a minute) for a used series, or more than $50 an episode for a new version verges on the ludicrous!


If a complete box set is not to be mine, I look for starter sets (which typically include the first volume of the series along with a collector's box large enough to fit all of the other volumes of the show).  Then the search begins for the best deal on every volume, a search which sometimes can be a prolonged affair - at times both fun and infuriating. 


As a result of my dedication, mild obsession, and persistence, I've been able to acquire multiple titles I love - sometimes for good prices, sometimes for small fortunes.  I tracked down a pricey and nearly new box set of Hellsing (not the Ultimate series which adheres more closely to the manga, but the earlier version of the show).  I searched for and found a well-preserved box set of Gasaraki.  I stumbled upon a brand new copy of Hare + Guu for sale at Barnes & Noble (for less than the amount I would have paid in my losing bidding war on eBay).  My most prized acquisition was a nearly pristine box set of R.O.D the TV (Read or Die, with avowed bibliophiles acting as the main protagonists).  It cost me more than I'd care to admit (well in excess of $100), but it is and has been out of print for a while, is a charming series, and my long love affair with reading made it all but impossible for me not to own a wonderful series where the protagonists and heroines love nothing more than getting lost in a good book.


There is a certain pleasure in the hunt - pursuing a new prize, questing after elusive prey, sniffing out and claiming it as my own.  And there is always something new to covet and capture - right now I am looking for copies of Excel Saga (a series that is hysterical and verges on the manic, spoofing various aspects of the anime culture), Haibane-Renmei (a mysterious series with a supernatural theme), and Princess Nine (a fantastic baseball series following a girl's team).


Happy hunting!