50th Anniversary Reviews of original anime

[Earthshine]

Pachydermus (not sure on spelling here) J. Elefun at that. Fred Ladd liked puns, but that's a little... too much.

Still at least in the 2003 version they tried to make a similar sounding name with Dr. Oshay, and it's cute and sounds like a nickname.

[Toshio]

Fred Ladd lacked creativity...

I don't accept any excuse to make a missleading name like "Astro Girl".

As if she had everything which "Astro" had...

But, a family name should not keep the first name intact and change the gender.

It's too bad that he even forgot issues like the need of shortening the main character name to make the dub easier and in special in dramatic scenes.
Also, dub errors could occur when a voice actor screamed "Astro" accidentally when "Astro Girl" was in the same scene.

To explain how much missleading: One who was new could think that "Astro Boy" swapped his male body to a female body o_o
Also, if there was episodes which "Astro Girl" got mad with people comparing her with "Astro Boy", the effect of the scene would not gone well...

The dub names for Tobio and Dr. Tenma were pretty bad...

"Aster" and "Dr. Boynton", YUCK!!!

It's not from today that american dub come with weak names for characters...

I heard that it was too difficult for them making dubbing back then, but it doesn't work as a excuse for such unreasonable names...

[jeffbert]

You are the most negative person I have ever 'met,' Toshio. You say that Ladd lacked creativty; yet, if this were true, he would not have had his job. As I see it, if Ladd had given Atom any name other than 'Atom,' you would be lashing out the criticisms. I Believe Ladd adequately explained why 'Atom' & in particular, "Mighty Atom" was not used. But that is simply not good enough for you. Thus, I will not even begin with a defense of 'Astrogirl'; which Ladd himself defended more than adequately, already.

You, as I understand it, are rather young; therefore, you live in a world in which censorship is little more than history. Yes, episodes were rejected, & content was cut; we discuss the negative aspects of this, but never the positive: rather than rejecting the whole series because of occasional infractions to the US standard for kid-friendly shows, cuts were made, dialogue was changed, etc., & the show was accepted.

Hooray for Fred Ladd!

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Fred Ladd was familiar with the TV industry and he knew what he had to do to get the Tetsuwan Atom series accepted by the networks. Like it or not, there was still some anti-Japan feelings present in the US at the time and he had to hide any trace of the programs orgin. I suspect that he had to have some new footage made up to replace frames that had any Japanese writting in it. I've watched most of the 1960's series on youtube before they did a DCMA smackdown on it, and while I can find MOST of the footage for the intro in the episodes, I can't identify alll of it (though some bits may have ended up on Ladd's cutting room floor). Some of the name changes were a bit silly (Dr. Elfun is obvious thanks to his outstanding facal feature!) but other cartoons airing at the time were full of the same puns. (Like Rocky and Bullwinkle).

[Earthshine]

My point as well, USA feelings towards Japan at the time were very hostile still, all the way through the late seventies even. Fred Ladd knew about this stigma and how to counter it, so a full switch on names had to be done in order to have the show brought to America and be enjoyed. Granted, the names were a bit silly, they may have been 'too much' by our standards but then it wasn't. During the sixties things were more... innocent and simple, when it came to cartoons.

I'm sorry if that post made no sense, my head is really fuzzy at the moment.

[Toshio]

Aprilseven, I don't get convinced with the english dub, it's TERRIBLE.

Neither I can accept any excuse for giving a gender bender name for Uran.

They had to change in the 80s dub, so that's unexcusable.

Regardless of what you say the 63s dub feel more like a mockery of Osamu Tezuka's work than being a worth dub.
I cannot see with good eyes these puns, the story was tragic and it feels heartless putting several puns for every character.

"Ferno" for Atlas?
You can't be serious...

And there was complaints from Tezuka's part about how his work was treated.

Although, the only way which you guys got the chance to see the series was through that dub, it was still the wrost if compared to the later series.

I really don't understand why they don't stop ruining series with their awfull dubs, that's unfair...
When I first heard part of "Kirby Right Back at Ya" in english for example, I had to change since it sounded too awfull to be true...

If the Tetsuwan Atom 1963 was sent here during the 70s or 80s, then the names which were already awfull would get much worse.

The only way which I could enjoy the 63 series is subbed and with the original names keept.

My major concern that most countries will have their aired versions based in the american dub which cut most of the original concept of the series.

I'm happy for not having to deal with a dub like that, we got Jetter Mars here, but was better than having a lot of ridiculous puns for names which ruin the emotion.

In my country there was the habit of translating or making names in older cartoons like Looney Tunes (Bugs Bunny as "Perna Longa" for example) when it was possible.

If Tetsuwan Atom came here with these horrible puns, then it would NOT work.
If they had used the american dub as basis, then the result could not be good...
"Dr. Berinjela" for "Dr. Ochanomizu" or "Dr. Garotinho" for "Dr. Tenma" would sound
nightmarish.

Jetter Mars dub wasn't that bad here, the problem was Mars voice which was of a middle aged man O_O
The story was keept without many puns and he just got called "Jet Marte".

I cannot change my opinion.

If they want to make bad dubs, then it's fine, the problem is forcing other countries to deal with adaptations which are NOT worth of our money.

Hope the original series get released in my country with their soul intact and subbed without these awfull name puns.

What I trully desire is to enjoy Tezuka's ORIGINAL work and not a pointless dub which had everything turned into puns just to fit the date which was aired.
His original work is much better and is what I wish to cheerish the most.
I cannot give any value for the english dub, because it was NOT them who created Tetsuwan Atom.
The original work have a soul which deserves more respect than any adaptation.
The fact that even american comics were made without Tezuka's permission is revolting.

Unfortunatelly even the tokusatsu got messed up, because the american companies don't wanted to just dub.
Several series like Metalder, Spielvan, Zyuranger and others turned american adaptations with replaced actors and ruined stories.

And other countries lost the right of watching the original series, because of those who adapted them in series like Power Rangers and VR Troopers got the licensing for toys, games and DVDs.

[AprilSeven]

Oh, no ... wait - that was from another dreaded American dub!! Sorry!!

Look - you don't have to like any of the various dubs, and character re-names from the 60's but you do need to BE RESPECTFUL.

You have no place claiming Fred Ladd "has no creativity" - that is just mean-spirited and hurtful. AND ATOM WOULDN'T DO IT.

Besides . . . it's OFF TOPIC! ** Ahem!!**

Those who wish to read the reviews of the 1960's series - which is celebrating it's half-century anniversary this year - I see Noel has additional episode reviews up there (in fact I am THRILLED to announce he is now a member of ABO!! :w00t

You'll see he refers to the character original names, but does tie them to the dub names (so you can make the connections, which people new to the series will appreciate).

One more off-topic thing:

Frankly, I thank God every day for Fred Ladd, Frederick Schodt and Osamu Tezuka. And yeeeesss when I was 10 years old I actually didn't like the "punny" names either. But I see them as an almost 60-year-old woman now, and there is a real charm and sweetness to them that warms my heart.

[jeffbert]

"Ferno" for Atlas?
You can't be serious...

The episode was retitled DON TAY'S INFERNO, a pun on Dante's Inferno. While it is true that the kids would not get it, it is funny.

As Oddball said, "can the negative waves, Moriarity, can the negative waves."

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

[QUOTE=Toshio;205865]
"Ferno" for Atlas?
You can't be serious...

The episode was retitled DON TAY'S INFERNO, a pun on Dante's Inferno. While it is true that the kids would not get it, it is funny.

As Oddball said, "can the negative waves, Moriarity, can the negative waves." [/QUOTE]

If you want to talk bad puns go to Hulu and watch some of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle shows. Some of the names they came up with are real bad. Like Bullwinkles alamatta "What'samatter-U". There was this line about a girl football team and Bullwinkle asks "How do you play with girls?" and Rocky says "I guess this IS a kids tv show".

Fred Ladd had nothing on Jay Ward!

[AprilSeven]

As Jeffbert pointed out . . . the cartoon "culture" of the 60's was NOT like today.

You'd also see similar "corny" or "punny" content on Warner Brother's "Looney Tunes" or Hanna Barbera's cartoons. As I recall, Jonny Quest was probably the closest an American cartoon came to Astro Boy - it was more "serious" and "action oriented." Jonny was an 11 year old boy with a internationally renown scientist father (geeeee . . . ya think? :rolleyes . But even that series had it's share of goofy/corny elements.

And the Flintstones and Jetsons were of that era . . . all combined (tame) adult humor, slapstick and story lines that would appeal to children. So Tezuka's work truly did reflect the times, and the "punny" names were not unusual -- come to think of it . . . Ochanomizu supposedly means "tea water" . . . and everything surrounding Tenma is related to "horses." Even Atom and his siblings - all had "atomic" names. That, in itself, could be seen as a bit corny/ironic.