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Sen To, X-Men 2
liquidbrains writes "With 'Princess Mononoke' fresh in our memories, the number one highest grossing film in Japan -ever- is coming to the US. Thanks to Disney and Pixar's John Lasseter, who has supervised the dub, we can soon expect a fine English adaptation of animation master Hayao Miyazaki's latest masterpiece, 'Spirited Away'. See the trailer here." Reader thefalconer writes "It seems that Apple has just released the very first trailer to X-Men 2 on their website. From what I've seen this movie looks like it's going to rock! Too bad I have to wait for May of next year!"
It doesn't have to be loyal to the comic. The comic is the comic, and the movie is the movie.
I would rather they concentrate on making a good movie rather than concentrating on staying loyal to the comic.
If the sequel is even half as good as the first movie, then it will be one kick-ass flick!
Allthough it's getting better, the film probably won't be show in europe until October next year.
I don't know why, but it allways takes such a long time. It's pretty bad too, because when the film is "hyped" in America we hear it too. So when it finally hits the theaters here (in Europe) people go like: "Oh yeah, that movie. That movie's old, man!"
we could send a message to the MPAA by boycotting [these] movies.
Nah, I guess that just won't happen.
I saw the anime from Miyazaki about 3 months ago in France where the title was "Le voyage de Chihiro". It's a beautiful poetic movie and was quite successful in France. I seem to remember that it was in the top 10 most watched movies of the week for a couple of weeks at least. Let's hope it was not Dysneyified in the US.
I'll do it for cheesy poofs.
Anyway, mixing the two is sacrilige, as the first is 500 times what the second will ever be. (self-respecting anime geek subtle joke inserted in the hope of karma whoring a few points off them...)
For me, the sound and accent of the voices is just as important as the visuals, so the dubbed version of Princess Mononoke was awful. When trying to recreate the atmosphere of medieval Japan, you should not use American valley-girl/dude accents. Dubbing can significantly detract from a film, and it certainly did in Princess Mononoke's case (Luckily the DVD release had the original soundtrack). Imagine how badly Amelie would have sounded if she spoke with an American accent (Not that I'm flaming Americans, any accent other than French would have been pretty bad).
Having said that, the dubbing on the trailer for Spirited Away actually sounded pretty good, and I don't think it'll detract from the experience. As for movie itself - [Ferris Bueller paraphrase]: I love the flick. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.
Because a truly self-respecting anime fan is able to resist the anti-dub propaganda? Because he hopes that the US release will not have the strong red tint of the Japanese DVD, and knows that it will also contain the Japanese soundtrack and be cheaper?
The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.
--Henry Kissinger
Check out Nausicaa.net for more about Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. These people are brilliant, and Disney bought the North American distribution rights because they're (as much as I hate them) good business people. Porco Rosso, Mononoke Hime, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, The Castle of Cagliostro and Tonari No Totoro are all examples of pure brilliance.
This is what Animation should be. Also, Disney's trailer sucks, ignore it, the trailer for the French release was WAY better, check out the official France site or follow the "La Fiche du Film" link here (they took down the really good trailer, damn). There are other trailers around, anyone got links?
well, not quite direct, damn akamai
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As CmdrTaco himself best said,
"anime makes you wish American tv and movies had a soul..."
What I loved about Mononoke was that there was no clear good or evil. The central character, the boy, was kind of a protagonist, except he fucked up royally and got poisoned. That mark sealed the fate of his doom. You wouldn't see something that grim from Disney. They are afraid to even say the word "death." And Lady Iboshi was pretty bitchy and greedy, but she turned around in the end. And the great forest spirit was supposed to be so benevolent and good, ended up being a total havoc wreaker. So the movie doesn't draw clear lines about who is good and who is evil.
That's the point. You're supposed to think about the qualities of the character and decide for yourself whose side your on. It gives you insight into human nature. And it's a hell of a lot more entertaining than watching some Bruce Willis action flick where the villain may as well have the snidely moustache painted on his face with the word "VILLAIN" stamped on his shirt.
Mononoke was about redemption, about good and evil, about preservation and progress, and about carrying out your duty even though you're damned to die.
And come on, did you see when he shot that guy's head off using only an arrow? Fuck all, that's badass as hell.
y, i notice all of their femail characters are firmly planted in the feminist world.
No ridiculously thin waists.
No acting pathetic and being rescued by tough guys.
Yes Disney, that paragon of political correctness.
I bet you don't even know what political correctness is. It was a phrase spawned by the right to crush any dissenting thought.
Complain that disabled people cant get access to a building and you're being "politcally correct"
Think that the femal uniforms shuldn't have a plunge cleavage and a short skirt - politcally correct.
Think that you shouldn't make fun of the way people naturally look, politically correct.
Think that slaughtering millions of animals for food is just a bit over the top and you're a goddam freak of nature.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
I don't know about the rest of the /. crowd but I extremely surprised by how much I enjoyed the first X-Men movie.
As an avid comic book reader (and a one-time X-Men fanatic) I was apprehensive about the film adaptation of my favourite band of super heroes.
After all, the track record of comic book characters on the silver screen wasn't exactly filled with success - Superman, Batman were both good movies but their follow-ups got progressively worse, Judge Dredd had so much potential (see Robocop, which even includes some classic Dredd on-liners) but was such a disappointment, The Punisher, etc. (The less said about Supergirl the better.)
Compared to all of these, X-Men rocked.
Not only was it true to the comic book in most regards but it got across the underlying moral message of the comic book title - that no matter what we look like on the outside or what we can do, we are all equal - without having to excessively spoonfeed the audience or dragging its feet.
OK, if we're nitpicking then Rogue shouldn't be a teenager and neither should Bobby (Iceman). Jean Grey should be called Marvel Girl - or Pheonix at a pinch - when in costume not Jean (did anyone else find it silly that her's was the only alter ego that didn't have a proper name?). Ororo should have either had a headpiece or a mohican hair cut. Toad should have been fatter and stupider. Mystique should have had a costume. It should have been the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
But, there are things that will work in comic books that won't work on screen. The writers allude to this when they have Wolverine question the fashion sense of the team's costumes, to which Cyclops replies "What would you prefer, gold spandex?" - any X-Men fan will recognise this immediately as a reference to Wolverine's own comic book costume, which was originally blue and gold and later orange and brown.
In fact, this was one of my favourite scenes in the movie, and even my girlfriend who wouldn't read a comic book if you paid her laughed along with the joke.
Bottom line is this: rather than nit-pick over minor details why don't you just enjoy the film?
Brian Singer, the cast and the crew did a great job. Would it kill you to acknowledge it?
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
I dont care if Disney made this movie or not, any movie where Disneys name is anywhere in the credits I will not buy, rent, or support in any fashion whatsoever.
If you use Linux, please help development of Autopac
Because its an emotional movie. Its also applies to the real world while remaining fantasy.
I'm not one to be interested in emotional movies but I could tolerate Princess Mononoke do to its very high quality.
If you use Linux, please help development of Autopac
I have put up some direct links on a page here :e rs. html
http://homepages.inspire.net.nz/~bathtub/trail
Surely that would have been made by an evil MPAA member? And all you people will be boycotting it for that reason?
;o)
Ah, so it was posted here for protest purposes, so everyone knows what to avoid, and when to avoid it. My mistake
Game dev and music blog
As for my childish hatred on Disney... Yep, it probably is childish but come on every animated film they made since id on't know when happen to be so.... disneyish! You know that sappy/corny stuff.
You should really check out Atlantis, then. While it had sappy/corny elements, the overall movie was quite the gorefest. Huge bodycount and a great premise.
Lilo and Stitch was also fun, but a bit more sappy than Atlantis. Overall though, it looks like Disney is taking their films in a different direction from the "classics" of Cinderella and The Little Mermaid, etc. Unless you're boycotting for moral reasons, I suggest giving some of their latest offerings a shot.
Be aware that Japanese fans have been up in arms over the Japanese DVD release. Apparently, the color balance is way off the original theater release - it's heavily red-biased.
alt.binaries.multimedia.anime
See it without excessive mouse raping (and it's subbed, sorry, some of you will have to deal with the horrors of reading)...
Or try for it on any P2P service...
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Anime News Network claims to have seen a 35mm. Read about it here.
The short version: Absolutely nothing was cut from the movie. Not the smokes, not the booze, nothin'. However, a few lines have been added to help fill in certain blanks. He also claims that the dubbing was better than on Mononoke.
"You're never ready, just less unprepared."
I'm hoping for a subtitled release as well... I'm really not looking forward to a dub.
Whenever I watch any foreign movies, I _always_ watch in the language it was originally made in... The only way to get the real feeling, imho.
I doubt they'll release the subbed version theatrically though, so I'll just go the import route instead and buy the Japanese DVD.
N.
"Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
yes the thin waist stuff was to counter the charge of politically correct
...
Disney is almost as reactionary as you can get without becoming propaganda.
I appreciate your link but the term has moved on from that early definition. Rectionaries use it as a term of derision to label any progressive or inclusive thinking as "loony left".
And as a political act, stealing terms and abusing them is a proven tactic. It's demoralising.
In the UK most political action toward and of the common people is ruthlessly mocked in the popular press and I'm sure that must be the case elsewhere.
Those who coined "political correctness" as a liberating way of thought seek to enable and free people from the cultural constraints of our heritage. Breaking institutions is a necessary and difficult task in human society. Leave them in place too long and many will die when they eventually crumble, break them too soon and people become confused as the cultural landscape shifts around them.
anyway back to the xmen
I'm sure Jack Valenti will enjoy it.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
The audio for the X-men trailer seemed very "Swooshy", like the channels are slightly out of phase or something (or extremely low bitrate with poor compression).
Nasty... Not a good way to listen to a trailer.
"Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
Well, in an ironic twist of fate the late Ozamu Tezuka was himself ripped off by Disney after his death, despite his wife's protestations to the contrary (bought out by the Mouse perhaps?).
Or has no one else noticed how blatantly similar Tezuka's "Kimba the White Lion" was to Disney's "The Lion King"? Or that "Atlantis the Lost Empire" is so disturbingly similar to GAINAX's "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" to be the most obvious candidate for true Disney plagiarism?
Qu'on me donne six lignes écrites de la main du plus honnête homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre.
One of the things that made the US release of "Princess Mononoke" more accessable to Western audiences was the excellent translation by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman didn't just make a literal translation (try comparing the soundtrack to the "literal translation" subtitles if you have the Region 1 DVD), he also adapted the narrative slightly so that some assumed cultural references were replaced with ones which would be more familiar to us, and conversations would flow in a way more natural to English speakers. He even went as far as to use words that would roughly lip-sync to the film, unlike the literal version. This is a heck of a lot of work to do, and shows real dedication.
True anime fans, used to subtitles, might balk at this - they'll get the cultural references and know the background. But think back to when you saw your first anime, and how alien some concepts seemed, and don't forget that the R1 DVD edition also contains the original soundtrack and literal translation subtitles, so you still have that option as well as the greater audience appeal resulting from the (respectfully done) Westernisation.
I hope future dub projects get this kind of attention... it makes quite a big difference. Gaiman said he'd have to be mad to ever do it again. Not an easy job, it seems.
Has anyone seen other well-done dubs from studio Ghibli on DVD? My other half and I love their work, and want the option of the literal sub/japanese dub, but would also like an English soundtrack if possible...
-- What goes up must come down. Ask any SysAdmin.
Too bad I have to wait for May of next year!
Not if you have a 12 year old in your neighborhood. I'm sure he could make you an SVCD in late April.
Saw the R2 DVD with English subs yesterday, and it is indeed an amazing movie. I wish it would appear here in a cinema some time. Not much chance of that happening though (I am living in Norway).
:-)
Not as epic as Mononoke, but definitely magical, and no not comparable to any Disney animated feature I ever saw.
Could happen it didnt go down too well with the general US moviegoers though, it is indeed quite asian when it comes to all the gods and spirits etc. And the lovestory plotline is not exactly conventional
life+universe+everything=42
Think that slaughtering millions of animals for food is just a bit over the top and you're a goddam freak of nature.
/.
It's good to know I'm not the only vegetarian on
Sometimes it seems I'm the only geek in the computer biz that thinks respect for others should not be limited to the human race only.
This beeing said, I'll just put on my flameproof suit and await the inevitable assault on my karma.
Moderators, do your worst.
"First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
The music in the trailer for X2 is Mars by Gustav Holst. While this is an awesome piece, it just doesn't work with this trailer. It pretty much ruined the trailer for me. Anyone else notice that it just didn't work with the visuals? Almost like they threw it on at the last minute because they didn't have anything else.
The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
Unfortunately, though I shall not be supporting either the RIAA or MPAA financially due to their recent requests for immunity to commit cyber crimes. That makes them criminals in my book, and I don't give money to criminals.
...Hopefully it's before the Matrix 2 and 3 come out? :)
The movie sounds good though, so I anxiously await the day that jackasses don't run the RIAA/MPAA.
It's been a long time.
Man, I hate people like you.
:P)
I am a long time fansubber, if you pay any attention to the digisubbing scene, there's a very good chance you've seen something I've worked on. (Whether through BakaMX, Live-eviL, or other projects.)
Anyway, people don't seem to understand that if you don't BUY anime, there WILL be no anime. Look, if Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi is a success in America, then that will ENCOURAGE others to bring films over here as well as Disney. Likewise if people don't support it, it will DISCOURAGE more anime from reaching our shores.
As a fansubber I love nothing more than to see a show I helped promote get licensed and released in the United States, because that means the community is healthy, and people are supporting the industry.
You just don't get the point at all. I hope this was a troll, because you come off like such an ass. We WANT more anime to come out over here. So yes, any SELF-RESPECTING American anime fan should buy the R1 when it comes out, and go see it in the theater, and promote it to others. Otherwise you're not helping the community that you claim to belong to.
I don't want people like you watching my fansubs, I don't feel you have any devotion to the community at all.
-Tofusensei (posting this anonymously because I got sick of waiting for slashdot to send the damn registration email... if you want to reply to me directly email live_evil_fansubsNO-SPAM-SPAM@SPAMhotmail.com (you know what to remove
BTW, just for the record, I pre-ordered and imported the Region-2 DVD, which is very nice, but does have the annoying red tint. And I will be buying the R1, assuming I can get it, because I am moving to Tokyo in September.
Oh, it definitely beat Titanic. From the article:
Since opening last summer it took 29.3bn yen (£15.5m) at the Japanese box office, beating Titanic's record of 26bn yen (£13m) and Miyazaki's previous film Princess Mononoke, which took 19.3bn yen (£10m).
Please subscribe to see the more insightful version of th
I would believe that if the statement was qualified as the highest grossing animation ever, but not film.
I don't even think that Mononoke even was the top grossing film of the year.
IIRC, Titanic came out in the same year, and topped the charts in Japan for largest gross.
When the government decided to rid the world of mutants, they did it by using Sentinels That was the best part of the Saturday morning X-men cartoon.. I sure hope it comes to the big screen.
Seeing X-men against humans is kinda weak.
Also, has Sir Ian McKellan turned into the greatest fantasy actor of all time? Magneto and Gandalf.. wow.
Live web cams
At Anime Expo NY in a week and a half, there's a note on the schedule for a 'mystery surprise movie'. Many people think that it's going to be a preview of the dub of 'Spirited Away'.
Considering the night before, there's the release of 'Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on HEaven's Door' (followed by a panel discussion with the director, character designer, and the music composer (Yoko Kanno!)), as well as showings of the subtitled Escaflowne movie and Char's Counterattack... we think there's good possibility there.
Brazil has decided you're cute.
While I realize they aren't Making this movie, I can't help but wonder how much of it they will chop out, or change to fit their idea of what a movie should be.
If you'd read the article at Nausicaa.net, you'd see that there will be no changes except the dubs.
According to Mr. Suzuki, the producer of Ghibli, other companies such as Fox and Time-Warner contacted Tokuma, but Disney was the only company willing to agree to this condition, and that was the main reason why Tokuma chose Disney as a partner.
The VHS release of Kiki's Delivery Service had a ton of Disney previews before the movie. The Princess Mononoke US DVD release had very little if any Disney spots, I don't know if it even showed the Disney castle with Twink flying over it as in other Disney movies. AFAIR it was the the least "disnified" Disney release ever. Most people were satisfied in the DVD release- but felt they bungled the theatrical release. Let's hope they do better this time.
So no, Disney is doing nothing with the movie except possibly throwing in some previews, distributing it, and making money off it.
-- If god wanted me to have a sig, he'd have given me a sense of humor.
- Compare me with a camper in some stupid FPS-game.
- Call me a "fairy" (no doubt hoping I'd be insulted)
- ...and, (I really love this part) told me to grow some balls while you yourself post post your criticism as an AC.
Sorry, I just have a really hard time taking anything you say seriously after that."First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
I bought the Sen to Chihiro (Spirited Away) DVD on the way back from my last trip to Japan. Oddly enough, the sound menu offers Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, Japanese DTS, and ...French? I can't really understand the reasoning here, but it's there. There are English subtitles, but no dub.
;-)
BTW I guess in order to be able to select the language or subtitles, you'd should be able to read Japanese.
p.s. The newest Ghibli movie is already in theaters in Japan (it came out when I was there) and it's called "Neko no Ongaeshi" (The Cat Returns a Favor). However, it's produced but not directed by Miyazaki Hayao, and before the movie starts is this weird cartoon called the "Gibulies" or something that was like watching one of those 60's acid trip cartoons.
p.p.s The preview included a new Godzilla movie (Japanese Godzilla, not Matthew Broderick Godzilla) in a double-feature with an animated movie with Hamtaro (the Hamster). I laughed for about 5 minutes non-stop after seeing that.
Maybe by that time my afternoons will be free because GoKu will have finally beaten Freeza..
Aren't we going on three weeks now? It's like trying to watch the whole Superbowl, BETWEEN commercials.
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
What is the significance of the giant bio-mass thingy that seems to appear at the end of so many Japanese movies?
Yeah. The idea basically is "don't screw around with mother nature because she'll send the big ugly monsters to kill you". The end of the movies they say "wow, we were messing with powers beyond our understanding and control, and are lucky to be alive. Let's change for the better and never do it again".
It's a common theme, man vs. nature. Japanese are more spiritually attuned to nature, that's part of the Shinto religion, and why movies with this theme tend to do well.
-- If god wanted me to have a sig, he'd have given me a sense of humor.
Add in "Il Postino", that ran for 52 weeks straight in theatres in (I think) 1995-95, but that's the only other subtitled "mainstream" thing I can think of.
Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
So, on imdb they list Senator Kelly as being in the film. Didn't he turn into H20 in the last film? Or is this simply Mystique in his form?
I understand your (offtopic) rant, but the phrase "Politically Correct" normally is a derogatory term for going too far in order not to offend anybody. Disney is most definitely guilty of this.
When companies get as big as Disney has, artistic values are sacrificed for profits. If they feel being less offensive (and thus bland) will mean more money, then they're all for it. This is as old as Walt.
Some companies have learned how appearing "politically incorrect" (what used to be called contraversial) can win viewers, but Disney is afraid of offending any potential customers. In the case of "Sen", this may actually mean that Disney might be too afraid of alienating anime fans to make too many changes. Whether that is good or bad, I don't know. I'm just not an anime expert.
Oh, and as for slaughtering animals: I'm afraid you're a little too late to save the wooly mammoth. We homo sapiens already ate them all. (In other words, your "slaughtering animals" comment is a perfect example of what pundits like to label as being politically correct. It's a derogatory term, remember?)
The goofiness of sub loving fans is often short sighted. They will complain that a dub isn't accurate but then fail to realize that an accurate strict translation in spoken English is very odd sounding and thus is a poor dub. You can't win either way with these blockheads.
:-)
Gaiman did an excellent job with Mononoke. Most quality dubs these days flow well because they don't strictly follow the original Japanese screenplay. All of the feeling and themes where in Mononoke even if it isn't a strict translation. So what is the problem? FAR more people saw Mononoke Hime dubed than they would have subed. I can't see anything wrong with that.
I liked Kiki's Delivery Service. It was kind of overshadowed by movies that came out the same time. It also has the interesting note that it was one of the last performances of late Phil Heartman of SNL fame. But it is easy to make a quality dub out of quality material.
Because this isn't a DVD release. It's a theatrical release, and even the hardest of hardcore subtitle fans realize that watching a movie on the big screen is much better than seeing it on DVD.
FWIW, Disney and American Cinematheque are doing an advanced showing at the El Capitan theater on 10 September. Miazaki will be there in person to answer questions after the showing. I was at a showing of a subtitled version of Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira where the preview was mentioned, and after the show essentially the whole theater walked over to El Capitan to buy tickets. That ought to give you some idea of how vital those people thought that subtitles are. Tickets weren't available that day (or the might have sold out immediately) but I bought mine the first day they were available. Good thing, too, because they sold out the next day.
There's no point in questioning authority if you aren't going to listen to the answers.
The US DVD includes the original soundtrack and a set of English subtitles. At least, the DVD I watched last night had the right color balance and I watched it in Japanese with English subtitles. DVDs these days generally have soundtracks from the region they're for and the region they're from, and subtitles for both of these and frequently others.
For that matter, dubs are getting much better these days. Evidentally the anime world has discovered that there are actually decent English-speaking voice actors. I still prefer subs, but when I watched Cowboy Bebop on DVD, the dubbing wasn't jarring (like, for example, Ranma); I had to actually notice that they were speaking the wrong language in order to realize I'd forgotten to set up the DVD.
For that matter, you may notice that this is a fantasy story, and would likely be enjoyed by kids who can't read (or can't read quickly enough to follow it). The US DVD will mean you don't have to read all the subtitles to your little cousin when your relatives come over and want to watch something.
I more or less enjoyed watching _X-Men_, although I found that it wasn't really worth watching more than once, except to see Hugh Jackman without his shirt. The thing that I found myself wondering when I watched the movie the second time was how on earth Xavier could expect a bunch of mutants--especially mutant teenagers--to get along with one another, simply because they're all mutants.
Think about it. "Hi, my name's Gene Hartford, but you can call me, uh, Laserray or something [insert name from Silly Superhero Moniker Generator here.] (I guess that mutant superheroes, like neo-pagans and Slashdot readers like myself, can't resist the special narcissism of adopting a pseudonym, often more than one. "What kind of name is Silver Ravenmoon?") I can punch holes through six inches of steel at five hundred yards. What can you do?" "Oh, I can make ice sculptures." Does anyone really expect that these two will be able to get along as social equals?
I'd also like to know how Cyclops got through life from the time when his, er, ability first developed, and when Xavier was able to design those goggles of his. Did he spend a year with his eyes tightly shut? But I guess that question, like the question of where the superheroes get their numerous costume changes, doesn't bear close examination.
hyacinthus (whose neo-pagan superhero pseudonym is Ernest Samuel Tomlinson.)
With 'Princess Mononoke' fresh in our memories, the number one highest grossing film in Japan -ever- is coming to the US.
You mean something finally beat out 'Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster'?
GMD
watch this
I was being sarcastic and expecting a Redundant or Flamebait response (which I did get one each of....)
As someone else points out, a boycott will not do any good because it will still make several mil. Plus, even if there was a drop, the MPAA would just spin it and say that no one is seeing movies anymore because they can just download them. We're really damned whether we do or don't.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? You might have heard of it :-)
1) Not only is it a theatrical dub, but I've heard that some areas will also have subtitled prints of the film available. No matter how much you hate dubs, you have to admit that the chance to see it subtitled in a theater is worth something, eh?
2) The Japanese version of the DVD reputedly has a mastering problem that tilts it heavily toward a red tint on any normal TV on which it is displayed. Also, it is a region-2 disc, so that folks who want to buy it need to be able to play omniregional. (Not that this will be a problem for most of the geeks here, but...)
3) By buying their version rather than the American version, you're taking away from the profitability of American version of the picture, and reducing the chances Disney will try anything like this again. This is kind of Miyazaki's last chance for an American release with Disney...when they released Mononoke, it was a total wash. $10 million license fee, $2 million total theatrical take. A lot of fans are counting on Spirited Away doing well enough to get all Miyazaki's films released on USA DVD.
Sure, you can import the Japanese DVD, but a lot of fans can't...and if Disney doesn't release any more of the films here, you're depriving Miyazaki-san of a lot more potential income and the chance to make more masterpieces of film. (And the money you spend on the Japanese disc goes to Disney anyway, since they're the ones who handle Ghibli's video releases world-wide.) If you want to buy both versions, then go for it, and more power to you. Me, I'm waiting for the American release and the American DVD.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Why would any self-respecting anime fan buy a English dub of "Spirited Away" when the Japanese DVD includes a very good set of English subtitles?
Because I want to sell my family members on hit anime as well, and they won't watch anything with subtitles, no matter how good it is.
Next elitist? Yes, you in the back....
1: Cheaper. The Japanese DVD sells for Y4700, and that doesn't include shipping from Japan. And you'll still need a region-free or R2 compatible player. (this also limits which of my friends can borrow the disc...)
2: *HOPEFULLY* they'll fix the color problem.
3: Buying American releases encourages companies to do MORE releases... (which is a good thing, right?)
Actually, Chihiro is supposed to sound whiney in the begining of the movie...
;)
Woe to the foreigner who can't tell the difference between "cute" and "annoyed."
The import DVD of 'Spirited away is available on DVD right now, so you don't have to deal with all the drooling idiots and their drooling, seat-kicking idiot kids that flock to any movie with 'Disney' plastered on it.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
First off, although I'm not big on the internet digisubbing scene and I've never encountered your (or anybody else's) work, I do appreciate the positive effects that you and other fansubbers have had on the success of the anime industry in the US. I am myself a fansubber (read my Linux fansubbing guide if you don't believe me), and although I don't distribute fansubs publicly out of concern for copyrights, I bet we must have a lot in common if we're both crazy enough to fansub ;-)
if you don't BUY anime, there WILL be no anime.
I totally agree with this statement. However, in light of this statement, I don't see how you can possibly object to the original post's suggestion to buy the R2 DVD. A sale of the R2 DVD is still a sale, and still supports the studio every bit as much (and probably more so) than an R1 sale.
any SELF-RESPECTING American anime fan should buy the R1 when it comes out, and go see it in the theater, and promote it to others.
I do not agree with this statement at all. Remember the question at hand is whether to purchase the R2 DVD or the R1 DVD. Now, maybe some people like you are rich and can buy both, but most people are content with one or the other. An anime fan, whether American or otherwise, has no ethical obligation to purchase the R1 DVD preferentially over the R2 DVD. I fail to see how it could be any other way. I should have every right to purchase the R2 DVD, if I want, and not get lectured by the likes of you.
We're not talking piracy here. We're talking about the purchase of a legitimate R2 DVD which pays legitimate royalties to the producers. The anime industry is not going to die if everybody in the US decides they want to purchase R2 DVDs from now on.
What has not been explicitly mentioned so far is that R1 DVDs are often way better value than R2 DVDs. Now, it should be said, I really appreciate how cheap R1 DVDs are, and again I appreciate your efforts to bring anime to R1 if nothing else then for this reason. But your position that I am obligated to prefer R1 over R2 is, frankly, bogus. If I am feeling masochistic and I want to buy an R2 disc and pay twice the money for half as much stuff, isn't that my right? And who are you to take that away from me? Why do you "hate" people who, for whatever reason or another, genuinely prefer the R2 discs?
To put it another way: you fansub (I assume) out of your own kindness and generosity, right? I know I sure do. Fansubs are a gift, and, IMO, a gift that comes with no obligation on the recipient to repay any of the enormous effort involved in their making. Now before you say anything I am well aware that he who receives a fansub is ethically supposed to go out and buy the anime commercially when it is released. You may interpret this as an "obligation". But we do not enforce this requirement, nor could we without bringing all of internet distribution to a screeching halt. Be honest with yourself here: probably more than half the people who view your work never follow up with any commercial support at all. The people who buy R2 DVDs are not the enemy here. I would be absolutely ecstatic if anybody were motivated to go out and purchase R2 anime DVDs as a result of viewing my fansubs.
Okay, woah, that got wayyyy too long, but I hope I was able to contribute something of value.