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I'm just thinking that ADV has or is going to run out of money to actually get those A-list titles, so they have to make due with what they think has the best investment to profit ratio. I'm guessing that it didn't cost them as much to get Ghost Stories than to say Full Metal Panic, and since FMP has a fanbase, it wasn't hard for ADV to get some profit out of it.

I see Ghost Stories as an experiment to see what people will go for, just like how Volcano High was changed with the dubbed version from MTV, which I thought was very successful, but then again, it also had some famous rappers working on it as well.

If this works, look for more B to C rated titles that will get the parody treatment as well, and as long as the product comes with the original, then both parties will be happy...to some extent anyways.

On the one hand, a Wacky Dub sounds like lots of fun, and it seems the original version isn't worth the breath it takes to talk about...

On the other hand, I'm slightly worried that they might end up doing this too often to shows that deserve better, or that the "rewrite it" concept may end up being used to lesser degree on a wider line of products.

As it is, I don't mind (especcially since the original version in in the subs) and I'm interested in seeing this.

Wow... that was condenscending...

Pretty popular show, this Gakkou no Kaidan, back in Taiwan on Animax Asia. If this is the best ADV can muster, bringing in a show that is over five years old and "altering" it to American liking, then shame on them. What's the point of marketing a show that's in broad opinion "banal and uninteresting?" It's as if ADV has too much cash and time to burn. Why not release the next volume of Aria? Why market something that clearly has no market value where it's being marketed?

Well at least the original version will still be on the DVD, although translation wise I'm not so sure how accurate ADV will do. But really, it's a shame that ADV has to resort to such tactics. Out of all the anime in the world to market, why must they screw up this one?

Well, at least I still have my DVDs back in Taiwan.

ladholyman wrote:

Out of all the anime in the world to market, why must they screw up this one?

What would you prefer they "screw up"?

Besides “they WANT the money” can you offer any other argument, Zack? If not, you had not replied any of the statements previously wrote against that new release.

If that money is so important then it will be more important to ask why they want that money so bad? Are they going to give it to a charity? To help Stunami victims? To help improve education in undeveloped countries? If the money is not for that I just DON’T care. I think they have enough money. Anime is art, and it’s not valid to destroy art just because a greedy _ _ _ executive wants a new gold comb.

so what's the big deal about this? i don't get it.

Last edited by GATSU on Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

The trailer looks pretty boring IMHO. I think they're gonna need more than just a re-tooled dub to sell it. Really nice animation for such a niche title, though. But I'm getting a Goonies vibe from it, in that it'll end up being something most people don't want to admit liking, but they'll watch it anyway.

Coriandra:

Quote:

Are they saying Japanese humor sucks?

No, just Japanese delivery of humour. But all kidding aside, sometimes the comedy gets lost in translation. I was like "eh" when I saw the Yamadas at a local screening, but some Japanese girls in front of me were rolling with laughter. (Which is ironic, considering it did poorly at the Japanese box office.)

Zac:

Quote:

It isn't famous, it isn't a proven property, it doesn't even have a fanbase in the states since the fansubs weren't popular.

Yeah, Lupin suffers a similar problem, but probably not on the same level, even if it's an older show. And the ML gets frequent complaints about the modernized dubs from Geneon, and the lazy dubs from FUNimation. But there are a numer of fans who really do admire the American voice actors and probably wouldn't have gotten into the show if they hadn't seen it in that format, so it's a small price to pay.

AnimeDude:

Quote:

I see Ghost Stories as an experiment to see what people will go for, just like how Volcano High was changed with the dubbed version from MTV, which I thought was very successful, but then again, it also had some famous rappers working on it as well.

I'm just glad they released the uncut Korean version on dvd, because a lot of people thought it was going to be dub only, since the middle-man sold(out) a lot of Asian films to Miramaxe.(They're also doing the live-action Kite...one day...)

lad:

Quote:

Why market something that clearly has no market value where it's being marketed?

Because they're stuck with it, and they might not be able to get their money back on it, or find someone else who's willing to buy it if off them. Although FUNimation is probably in worse shape with Case Closed, since they have to unload 400 episodes of that sucker onto an American audience....

Animedude35 wrote:

If this works, look for more B to C rated titles that will get the parody treatment as well, and as long as the product comes with the original, then both parties will be happy...to some extent anyways.

And this is the absolute, worst-case senario. All of our years of whinning, complaining about accurate dubs; for naught?

Also, what makes it ok to totally rip-apart a script from a SUPPOSEDLY bad show (taste is opinion)? It's the same as revising the script from FMP or Eva.

The big deal is that this show isn't exactly bad, but superbly decent. It's more of a cult favorite.

ladholyman wrote:

The big deal is that this show isn't exactly bad, but superbly decent. It's more of a cult favorite.

Nobody said the show was bad, just blindingly mediocre. And it isn't a cult favorite in the states; something like Azumanga Daioh is a cult favorite.

Ghost Stories is incredibly obscure. 'Cult Favorite' is like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Ghost Stories is more like... you know, a movie you've never seen or heard of.

Also, the Japanese humor thing... that line needed more clarification. What I was trying to say there is that the VAs' talent for comedy shines more with material written for Americans than with the Japanese stuff, which when dubbed in English frequently elicits eyerolling rather than laughter. It's delivered better in Japanese, even if I don't personally find it very funny in either language.

antonmonter wrote:

Besides “they WANT the money” can you offer any other argument, Zack? If not, you had not replied any of the statements previously wrote against that new release.

If that money is so important then it will be more important to ask why they want that money so bad? Are they going to give it to a charity? To help Stunami victims? To help improve education in undeveloped countries? If the money is not for that I just DON’T care. I think they have enough money. Anime is art, and it’s not valid to destroy art just because a greedy _ _ _ executive wants a new gold comb.

The misinformed babble here is enough to make any eyes roll.

Ghost Stories was more than likely picked up during ADV's run of "pick up anything we can!" phase some time back. As a result of B and C titles essentially killing the domestic market, you need to either only buy high B or A titles, or make B and C titles more attractive. As ADV had to buy this, you know, with REAL MONEY, they have to make a return since well, it's a commercial product before an art.

Blah blah, dead horse, etc.

I'm close to a purist thus I rarely watch the dubs anyway. I'm glad they left in the sub track, simply as a sign of things to come since I don't plan on getting this anyway. I might rent it though.

Zac, I take it you're no longer contractually exclusive? Does this mean you'll be writing more for the website?

Anyway, I'd rather watch Sealab 2021 than original Sealab, so I can't work up any outrage about this. Appropriating mediocre anime as raw material for an improved product sounds like the kind of subversive stategy the anime industry needs to productively deal with the glut of cruddy anime.

FYI, Steven Foster also wrote the alternate dub for The Super Milk Chan Show (the one that didn't air).

Well Aaron White, After all your pseudo capitalist babble I hope that at least you share some of the profits they get from "recycling" that anime.

Some of the posts in the forum proved that the real anime fans in this forum are against that bad bussiness practices. I hope ADV turns to be licencing anime equivalent to ENRON (bad bussines choices cost a lot in long terms) . They stink to heaven. Better is to pay attention to releases from better companies.

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REVIEW: Ghost Stories