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Cartoon Network Serves Up More Anime

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the good-stuff-here-people dept.

E-Rock-23 writes "Anime News Network has the scoop on more Anime series Cartoon Network plans to bring to the Adult Swim block next year. Witch Hunter Robin (2) has been confirmed for a February run. On the "Probably" list are Wolf's Rain in April and Ghost in the Shell in July, though they didn't specify if it'd be the Mamoru Oshii film or the Stand Alone Complex TV series. Either way, the latter will most likely have to be rather heavily edited for TV. Looks like I have a few more reasons to stay up past my bedtime..." Or get a tivo. Witch Hunter Robin & Wolf's Rain are both really excellent shows- it's very cool to see them hit mainstream TV.

9 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. I just want to know... by halivar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...when we're going to get past this dubbing thing and see some subs.

    1. Re:I just want to know... by p4ul13 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      God I really freakin' can't stand this old complaint. The subtitled text is interpreted into our language just as the dubbed dialog would be, so no matter what, unless you speak the native language of the show, you're getting an interpretation of it in english.

      If your complaint instead has to do with the quality of the voice acting, well I still think it's lame in that you won't fully get to know how good the original voice acting was if you can't understand what words they're actually emphasizing.

      Sit back and enjoy the show. If you're that much of a purist, rent the DvDs when they come and they'll probably have an original language track with subtitles.

      --
      Paul Lenhart writes words!
    2. Re:I just want to know... by gabec · · Score: 5, Insightful
      It's not really the quality of the english voice acting, it's the casting and direction of european voice actors that often doesn't fit. For example, in the series Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X), the Japanese version had a woman doing the voice of Kenshin and it was convincing. In the english version they had a guy sounding like he'd been kicked in the balls and perpetually on happy pills do the voice acting.

      If you're six years old then the latter is probably more interesting (for example who can stand the sound of Barney's voice for more than a minute except a six year old?), but to me I prefer the more natural voice (even though it was from a woman, her voice was rather ambiguous in that way and it did seem to fit Kenshin).

    3. Re:I just want to know... by Chibi · · Score: 4, Interesting
      ...when we're going to get past this dubbing thing and see some subs.


      I'm not sure if they'd made any progress on this, but I believe ADV has at least tossed the idea around a bit for their Anime Channel. It'd have to use a combination of closed captioning and SAP, but it's not impossible. Just have to figure out if the demand is high enough and what the related costs are. I feel that, for the most part, the US anime industry has a much better connection with their fans than a lot of more mainstream entertainment entities (RIAA, MPAA, etc).

      --
      If all you have are silver bullets, everything looks like a werewolf.
  2. not for awhile by tuffy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...when we're going to get past this dubbing thing and see some subs.

    The market for subbed-only anime is still very small, that's why studios work hard to ensure all the DVD releases have a dub track (preferably a good one). Trying to put subbed-only anime, even on late night, isn't going to keep enough people watching to pay the advertising dollars.

    --

    Ita erat quando hic adveni.

  3. Don't forget by yoshi_mon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know Taco loves his Anime but I'd also just like to send a big shout out to Cartoon Network for the great stuff they have been doing with the other part of Adult Swim.

    The new SpaceGoasts CTC have been great as well as all of the other ones. (Sealab2021, ATHF, Brak Show)

    Even after the death of Harry Goz (1932 - 2003),voice of Captin Murphy on Sealab 2021, the show has bounced back imo and did a good new ep.

    Thanks Cartoon Network. I'm not a big fan of Anime (Cowboy Beebob as one of the BIG exceptions.) but you still have given me a reason to stay up late every night.

    --

    Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
  4. Standalone Complex by Tim+Fraser · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't think the Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex TV series would have to be edited too much for US TV. I have all but the last DVD (imported from Taiwan), and I think most of the episodes are free of anything that might cause US TVs to melt down in a fit of self-righteous indignation.

    Of course, perhaps the good/bad stuff is in the last few episodes I don't have. I can't seem to get the last DVD. One of my local Anime dealers told me that this is intentional - He said that the producers of these (non-US) releases don't release the last DVD until they release the whole series as a boxed set. Their plan is to force all the fools (like myself) who bought the single DVDs to buy them all again in the boxed set in order to get the last episodes.

    Can anyone confirm or debunk this theory?

    - Tim

  5. How about an Adult Swim channel? by Orne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I, for one, welcome our new Unedited Cartoon Network... err...

    Seriously, suppose Cartoon Network spun off a sister-station, and cable networks made it an optional channel to standard packages, who's purpose was to show anime in its raw form? Parents have the option for nudity and cursing on HBO & Cinemax, and they also have the control whether they want that stuff in their home or not. If you don't want it, the cable company can block it.

    I'm not saying that we need a cartoon Spice channel (not that there's any shortage of hentai), just that there should be some medium for your average movie where you can catch the whole thing. The Cartoon Network has an image to keep as a channel for kids (the alternative to Nickelodeon), and they can't risk someones child staying up late and catching some unedited Vampire Hunter D.

    Adult Swim has this nostalgic aura about it now (GiJoe, He-Man) ... like 80s Strike Back on VH1. And mix in a bit of "here's something cool you didn't know existed"... sort of like catching Most Extreme Elimination Challenge on TNT/SpikeTV. That's what anime is to American audiences... years of shows about robots and vampires, lasers and rockets and giant aliens, fast action and a "new" visual style.

    There's something that bugs me about watching a show or movie when I know that it has been edited by some middleman... The director of the project had an artistic vision and those scenes & language capture the intent. You can't express the story of the rough mafia men in the Sopranos without the occasional trip to the strip club... this is what tells the story of men making bad choices and dealing with the consequences.

  6. Short Answer is: No by EXTomar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not for a cable channel that wants to target the 18-24 segement anyway. Adult Swim shows are some of the highest rated stuff floating around cable even though they are dubbed. Going sub is a giant risk since the ratings indicate that there are more now more than just Anime fans watching the block of programming.

    In Japan they have plenty of US movies and TV shows but are they subtitled? The Japanese like hearing things in their native language which is why its in Japanese in the first place. On this side of the Pacific, the US Anime Industry has advanced pretty far. The quality of scripts have gone up since translators have access to even more material than they used to (including the production staff!!!). The quality of actors has gone up since it has been shown you can make money acting. There really is no reason to ask for a sub unless you really really really want to her you favorite actress. The casual and non-fan viewers are definately not interested in that.

    I like raw shows as much as any hardcore fan but people have to realize there are many more people out there than the hardcore otaku fandom. Getting causual and non-fans to sit down and watch subtitled material is hard. Having people watch Robin and SAC is great! Its better than having these shows sit only in Anime fandom obscurity.