Different Stages of an anime fan.

tacooe · Post by **tacooe** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:46 pm

I couldn't be bothered coming up with relevant stages but I started off watching subs and I stick to it, save Ranma which is now really bad. I can't stand most cutsy ones like Digi Charot, Fusugi Yuugi is about as far as I'll go and it's pushing it, give me a nice gory one, lots of debauchery.

I took a japanese class two years ago, I own a bonsai tree, I know some origami from when I was small and I do a martial art but these are all just coincidences of course

of course

Bluemantis · Post by **Bluemantis** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 5:18 pm

I am not on the list because I refuss to believe that dubbing is bad. I mean their are some really good voice actors out their who do go work. One the anime I am collecting, Fruits Basket, has really good dubbing. I hate the japanese voices, it does not seem to fit the charactors, accept for Kyo and Shigori. Golden Boy is much funner in english.

I understand that their have been some mistakes like Love Hina. The dubbing on that suck ass!! I also think that Azumanga should be left alone too.

On top of that I don't completely trust fan subs. I do watch them but you can't always translate everything directly, two traslators can come up with to different was to say the samething. And have any of you watched the dubbed with the subtitles on, for the most part they say the exact same thing. Some times the words are different because of time to synce it with the action, it had to either be lengthen to fit or shorten.

Sorry for being wordy but I hate when people think that they are more of an anime fan because they only watch subs.

Meksikanfude · Post by **Meksikanfude** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 5:55 pm

I consider myself a big otaku, but I balance it along with other hobbies, like music (Pink Floyd! Woo!) movies, cars, and social life. I wanted to take Japanese but there wasnt any in my school... so i took french... no idea why...
I dont have much money, and since my way of getting anime is not... legal... (the shame!) i dont have much, but i get it whenever i have the chance.
I dont really mind that much what language I watch the anime, if I have the choice I watch it in Japanese, but otherwise I dont complain.
As for Japanese music, its right here next to my Tupac CD, so I'm versitile in that. I would consider myself a 4, although I dont care bout the english.
Actually, I think I should raise that number a little. After all, I risk my neck and my future trying to get anime, literally, now how many otaku do that?

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 6:11 pm

I hate the japanese voices, it does not seem to fit the charactors, accept for Kyo and Shigori. Golden Boy is much funner in english.

Well I hate to break it to you, but the japanese voices are the ones that fit no matter what your ears tell you. I know that sounds really haughty, but I mean it in terms of a creator/original vision standpoint. This will also sound mean, but we as fans don't really have any right to say something sounds right or wrong or if a show should do this or whatever. It's the Japanese production staff (namely the creator and director) who say what is right and wrong. We didn't work on the show or think it up did we? How are we to know what the creator thinks thing should look/sound like? We only watch the show and (hopefully) enjoy what the director and creator are trying to convey (as in art).

I know of no instances where the Japanese production staff came to the states and helped with the dub. If they did, and the creator said "Yes this is what I want the US voice to sound like" then I'd accept a dub. Although by no means does that mean all dubs are bad (Cowboy Bebop comes to mind), but to me it does make it a bit "impure."

The reason I watch subtitled anime (or if I could...raw) is that I want as little changed from the original vision (i.e. less butchered). I do agree that translations can vary, but the same can be said about dubs. Almost *every* dub takes things out of the script just to fit the mouth movements. This is a fact. I'd rather lose a bit of the translation and hear the original emotions and tones than lose some translation and the original intended audio, but that's just me.

In fact, I've been at convention panels were dub actors talk about rewriting them script on the fly because they think the character to say this instead. I don't think they have any right to change the script since they didn't write it or come up with the story. I find it quite insulting actually.

I'd also like to point out that Japanese Voice Actors are (on average) quite a bit more talented than US Voice Actors. This makes sense from a history standpoint. The Japanese view animation in a much higher regard than we do and thus Voice Actors are treated like normal celebrities and movie stars (also get paid the big bucks). This is mostly due to the fact that a lot of anime is prime time TV and the big budget movies (like our Hollywood). In the states though, Voice Acting isn't regarded as highly or paid that much and thus the talent reflects this directly. I hate to say it, but most of the voice actors are just...well...random people who have other jobs. In Japan this is well...a job. A full-time job.

However, on a positive note, I have noticed that US voice acting has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years. This can be noted for the same reason as the Japanese. Anime is becoming more mainstream and more highly regarded (i.e. makes money), so in turn the quality goes up. Do you guys remember the original Dragonball Z voice acting on the WB way back in the early 90's?

Please refer to this thread if you'd like to see more points on the dub/sub topic.

Sorry for being wordy but I hate when people think that they are more of an anime fan because they only watch subs.

Well I don't think they're trying ot imply you're "more" of an anime fan than another. I mean we all watch anime which makes us anime fans right? I think it's just a sort of generalized form of "evolution." Again, it's generalized. You don't have to follow it.

Wow talk about wordy

skanks · Post by **skanks** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:05 pm

You've obviously never met the girls I sit with at my anime club. The scary type of otaku.

hey, whats an otaku?
never heard of the saying before,

In my opinion... attend a few cons (AVcon esp). After then you'll probably throw out your current system and draw up a new one, or just realise that it's too hard to define it using only numbers.

Are there any AVcons in WA?
I heard some rumours about some things going on at UWA (Uni in the city)
never heard anything about AV though, i'm guessing you mean AV channel one of the main anime distributors of Australia.

EarthCurrent · Post by **EarthCurrent** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:15 pm

skanks wrote:hey, whats an otaku?
never heard of the saying before.

Otaku are obsesive fans who essentially build their entire existence around whatever they are a fan of. They are thought of rather poorly in Japan, and many make mental connections that associate otaku with serial killers and such. In reality they are more like closet introverts with little social ability, except perhaps when dealling with their small circle of fellow devotees.

In America, anime fans somewhat foolishly use the word otaku as a badge of honor, not really understanding what a "true otaku" really is.

skanks · Post by **skanks** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:24 pm

scary

Bluemantis · Post by **Bluemantis** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:39 pm

YO dwchang,

I can respect that, as long I am given a good reason why you would prefer one over the other. I have a friend who simply thinks that the language is much prettier and thats cool enough reason for me. I have one friend who watches anime depending on the types of people in it, if it is all japanese people than it seems natrual to watch sub. If the are people from multiple backgrounds he watches dub, because he wants to her the difference in how they talk that he can't hear in japanese.

Watching dub can be eductional though. Example I hate how Kitsune(Love Hina) sound so country when she talkes. Later when I was complaining about it a friend told me that that it was the equivalent of japanese oska acsent(I think he said oska). So know when I wacth it subbed I can hear how she says her words different from everyone else.

I also heard your veiw point from another friend who wants to see the creators intentions. This is just a question not an argument against you preference? But how can say what their intention are? I was listening to an interveiw with the creator for berserk and he think that western fantasies are the most orginal fantasies created. He hopes that what he created is as good as what he thinks we create is and that we will except it. Our culture influenced his work with hopes of sending it state. Would you still call it impure to watch it dubbed? Are when animatrix comes out, knowing that the creators are americans what would you prefer?

Bluemantis · Post by **Bluemantis** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:44 pm

I took an otku test once. It sais that I was 40% otku but not ready to give up real life yet. I am proud of my score.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:51 pm

earthcurrent wrote:
skanks wrote:hey, whats an otaku?
never heard of the saying before.
Otaku are obsesive fans who essentially build their entire existence around whatever they are a fan of. They are thought of rather poorly in Japan, and many make mental connections that associate otaku with serial killers and such. In reality they are more like closet introverts with little social ability, except perhaps when dealling with their small circle of fellow devotees.

In America, anime fans somewhat foolishly use the word otaku as a badge of honor, not really understanding what a "true otaku" really is.

Excellent post! I was going to say the same thing. I think American "Otakus" don't realize that the term Otaku is actually an offensive term in Japan. I had a friend who went to Japan and said he was an Otaku and got a weird look. It's not exactly looked highly upon to be this obsessive and it's even more foolish to say that you are one. (sigh) C'est la vie!

I wouldn't wanna be a house either...