50th Anniversary Reviews of original anime

[AprilSeven]

I highly recommend this blog that provides a very thoughtful and appreciative
review of the 1960's anime. It's treated with respect and acknowledges the craftsmanship that went into its production and quality of writing of the script.

http://thiswastv.com/2013/01/01/review-astro-boy-the-birth-of-astro-boy-and-adventure-on-mars/

He did get the American dub name wrong, though . . . it is Boynton, not Boyton Everything else was spot-on.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

If I had the mad-money to spend on it, I'd buy the whole collection on DVD from Rite-Stuff. I understand that there are a few extras in there that were never seen on US TV including one colorized episode, one in a blue toned background, and the very last episode (not dubbed but with subtitles).

[Earthshine]

If I had the mad-money to spend on it, I'd buy the whole collection on DVD from Rite-Stuff. I understand that there are a few extras in there that were never seen on US TV including one colorized episode, one in a blue toned background, and the very last episode (not dubbed but with subtitles).

I have the Ultra Box sets, and the extras are really something. The blue-toned episode that you are referring to is my favorite episode in the series which features Bem (Bimo, in the USA dub) and also has red-tones to give the impression of imminent doom with the collision of the meteor.

It also has the final Astro Boy episode aired in Japan.

It's a real good buy and totally worth it.

[AprilSeven]

I have both sets, too (Santa was very good to me last year!). They also have interviews with Fred Ladd - and you'll hear him describing how - and why - they came up with the names in the American dub (Toshio, you would find this very interesting, I'm sure!)

My only frustration now is being able to view the "final 89" - the 1960's episodes that were never translated to English, and released outside of Japan. Some of the most incredible episodes are in that group.

The boxed set of those eps was available from some asian websites, but something like $300 -- too much $$ for me!

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

My only frustration now is being able to view the "final 89" - the 1960's episodes that were never translated to English, and released outside of Japan. Some of the most incredible episodes are in that group.

The boxed set of those eps was available from some asian websites, but something like $300 -- too much $$ for me!

TV standards in Japan were the same as in the US (we both used NTSC) before digital so Japanese VHF and DVD disks (if your player is region code insensitive, my OPPO had a cheat code to disable all region codes) are playable on US equipment. That would be a good reason to be able to understand Japanese! BTW, I'd read someplace that those 'missing' 89 episodes had been lost and thought destroyed when Mushi went bankrupt. I'm glad that wasn't true.

I'd like to find the videos for Jetter Mars, none have been dubbed or sub'ed as far as I know (at least not in English). One of my daughters is now taking Italian in college, which is one of the languages that series WAS dubbed into (also IIRC, Greek, Spanish, and Russian?)

[Toshio]

I still hate the name of Astro Girl, that's an abomination of name for such a endearing character.
They should give a more idependant name for her.
Also, citing Superman as example is still not worth.
Superman and Supergirl real names are not too alike.
Comparing with the issue of "Astro Girl", it's the same of saying "Roberson" and "Everson" are the same.

That's still a bad name, because the first name is keept and only chance the gender from male to female.
It sound like gender bender issues like Ranma 1/2 O_o

I read several names of the 1963 series and they're unpleasant...

I rather preffer watch the japanese episodes, I've saw part of the dub and I had to switch O_o

[Earthshine]

From what I know of Tezuka's personal history with Tetsuwan Atomu after about the end of the English reel the individual stories really begin taking a nose-dive. Although their animation had a good spike up in quality due to contributions from NBC at the time, Tezuka was getting burnt out and his creativity was exhausted. He had to come up with new 'exciting' adventures for Atom and after a hundred of them, surpassing the manga, he began recycling the stories telling them in different ways and even recycling stories from other works of his. In the end, well, you know what happens to Atom in the 1960s anime.

Because of this I am kind of fifty fifty on wanting to see the last episodes never dubbed or aired in the USA, but still it is a curiosity. I too am glad that they weren't destroyed or warehoused forever.

[Toshio]

Tezuka was actually displeased with the american censure and if wasn't enough he got series of comics without his permission being made.

That epoch started everything, but it should not have so nightmarish O_o

Boynton? That's quite of a forced name...

It's ok, that dub had just started in the 60s, but it's still not a reason to come up with forced names.

By the way, I'll no longer bother with the name of "Zoran".

But, at least I'll use her original name in my fanfics, after all "Astro Girl" sounds much nightmarish O_O

I would not surprised if there was a fanart which Uran thinks about the name "Astro Girl" and imagine her brother portrayed as a travestite.

[Earthshine]

Yeah, Astor Boynton, it doesn't flow very well does it? For some reason Fred Ladd felt that he needed to have this name to make a sure link between Astor and Astro for American children. Either way it just doesn't seem to flow, even if both are legit names.

I don't understand why he didn't just go with Toby, that's a cute name and it's close to Tobio. Oh well, America was different then and still in shell shock from WWII.

[Toshio]

Dr. Elefun was terrible too, so uncreative and not suitable for a genius scientist...

I really feel bad for those who got fooled by that ancient dub.
It's quite revolting to have animes having their original concept hidden and having senseless names which more deceive the viewer than make him enjoy the anime.

The fact that America have most of the original concept censored, adapted (with lies, missing episodes and awfull dub names), incorrect order of episodes is the same of making a fool of their consumers.
And in special if they sell just what was shown in the TV without any care for extras like the original voices and names recovered.

So, I do not accept any reason for putting these horrible dub names...

Unfortunatelly what american fans have to suffer with the adaptation is sent to other countries who take the american dub as a basis.

With this a lot of people get a bad dub which is not faithful to the original show.