The Apocalyptic aspect of Astro and anime

[cybotron]

First thing that strikes me, is the vast changes that are made in these animes when they are shipped into the american audience. Take Dragonball Z as a measure. In Japan DBZ is set mostly in "Satan city"... The character we know as "Hercule" is named "Satan.. the boss of Satan city" in Tokyo. And Mr. Satan is portrayed as a bumbling comic relief.. The original anime is festooned with the name Satan in english all over the place, on caps, cars, buildings, shirts... Each instance of his name has to be removed from the animation by Funimation. Gohan has for a love interest the daughter of " Mr.Satan". Pan the grand daughter of Goku in Dragonball GT, is therefore the grand daughter of Mr.Satan, and Daughter of Gohan and Adel.... When we see Majinn Buu attack Goku and what the american censors call "west city" in the americanized Funimation version, it really makes no sense, and Buu is seen as evil incarnate, until you know that he is destroying the stronghold of "Mr. Satan".... But in the end Goku and Buu are friends! But in the Apocalypse which was known to the writers, it is the good God that sends warrior angels against Satan and his kingdom. This stuff is lost in translation, and confused in ignorance of the source material. Yet Goku is often seen with all the high overlords or "Kings of Heaven" that permeate eastern theology. And is portrayed with an "Angelic Halo".
What vast changes have been done to Astroboy? h34r: h34r: h34r: :wacko: :wacko: :wacko: B) B)

[DrFrag]

I remember seeing a support banner that read "Satan" in the crowd during the World Tournament Saga of DBZ. They must have missed that one!

But I would have thought there was a greater parallel between Goku and the ancient story of Son Goku (also protrayed in Monkey Magic and other stories), rather than biblical apocalyptic literature / Christian themes. But I haven't looked into this as much as you obviously have.

One thing I've really noticed about the editing done for the 80s English dub of Astroboy is the removal of all references to Japan. It's as though they want to make it look like Astroboy is an American robot.
In Robot Circus, there are references to Dr Elefun travelling from Japan to Chigaco to see the circus. This is removed. When Dr Elefun identifies Astroboy, in the original he says he's made in Japan. This is also removed for the English dub. In Uran The Tomboy, a scene featuring Astro wearing a kimono is edited out. In The Greatest Robot In The World, Bruton is told Astroboy is from Japan, but his country of origin is removed for the English dub. Other edited scenes and dialogue are mostly miscellaneous violence and intense emotion, but the removal of all references to Japan is a consistantly edited theme. (don't mention the war!

Cybotron, you wrote in the other thread about post WW2 Japan in biblical prophesy. Can you tell me where this shows up?

[cybotron]

All these distinctions fuse in the unified field of Om the undying. The Monkey king is rectified by The Buddha's inescapable hand. The Elephant (Elefun) Genesa the Elephant headed resurrected son of Shiva the destroyer, is the vehicle of the Buddha, Om (30) is the seal on the head of the Elephant king. Mostly The kings of the east are a Revelation 9 prophetic. I suppose you would have to experience the loss of your cultural head and the awful destructions of the 40's to bond with Osamu. Who knows what he saw? There is an Astro ep called "The terrible time gun" full of crosses, knight heraldry, and old England, that is quite interesting coming from the mind of A Japanese Artist from post WW2 fantasy land.
The Genesis of Astro has Astro sold to an Italian circus.... In the new version the Italian aspect is removed. Dr. Elefun is changed to O'shay?
And the enemy is Atlas a Greek God?

[DrFrag]

All these distinctions fuse in the unified field of Om the undying. The Monkey king is rectified by The Buddha's inescapable hand. The Elephant (Elefun) Genesa the Elephant headed resurrected son of Shiva the destroyer, is the vehicle of the Buddha, Om (30) is the seal on the head of the Elephant king.

That's way over my head. Is this a Bah'ai thing? I've never heard of Om.

The Genesis of Astro has Astro sold to an Italian circus.... In the new version the Italian aspect is removed. Dr. Elefun is changed to O'shay?
And the enemy is Atlas a Greek God?

Dr Elefun was only used in the English dub. His name is Ochanomizu in the Japanese.
Interestingly, Walpur Guiss (sp?) who created Atlas in the 80s series has his name derived from Walpurgis...

Walpurgis was an English nun (she died in about 788 AD) who went as a missionary to Germany and became abbess of Heidenheim; she is celebrated on the first of May, which is coincidentally the date of the rites of an earlier (pagan) festival, one of the Celtic quarter-days, in fact. On the night before May Day, Walpurgisnacht, the witch-world holds its most elaborate revels particularly at The Brocken, high-point of the Harz Mountains, in the presence of the Devil. (RC)

link link

I don't know what his name was in the Japanese version.

I've just spotted an amusing coincidence. The only non-Christians in my family are my brother and one of my sisters. They were both born on Walpurgisnacht, exactly three years apart. :wacko: