Samurai Champloo discussion

[VTS_v2.0]

Hey all...I got bored and decided to make this thread for when Samurai Champloo makes its debut. Post here to express your views of the english version(if you have seen it in japanese).

[CuriousJoe8]

just saw the first episode, and it was awesomely kick ass!!! basically, just like in cowboy bebop, watanabe delivers a very interesting mixture of music and 'styles' i guess you could say. it mixes rap styles with the old school samurai genre: very cool.

[VTS_v2.0]

i wholeheartedly agree curiousjoe...very much so. it's something definately worth keeping up with...even though i've seen the first 17 eps.

[mofo09]

i have the series.... (il)legally of coarse
its a reeeeal sweet series

[CuriousJoe8]

can you get it in english yet?

[satanicpanic]

ive never seen samurai champloo im watchin futurama waitin for it to come on but im bummed out full metal alchemist isnt on but oh well wounds heal

[Shou]

the dubbing on some of the characters is pretty bad, which is weird since usually new anime gets a good dubbing job unless it has no intention of being shown on tv. The show is really japanese but the dubbing sounds so american, I thought milk chan and FLCL had a good cast that portrayed japanese personalities really well so I dont know what the deal is with this show. But its only the first episode so maybe they get more comfortable later on. The show seems good but the dubbing might ruin its potential if it doesnt improve

[Hiltz]

The japanese version is pretty good from the few episodes I've seen.

FMA and Gits:sta I think have been moved to Monday - thrusday time splots starting around 1 AM on Adult Swim.

[moof]

i have the series.... (il)legally of coarse

people who downloaded that show killed any chance of it getting more seasons.

Anime is one area where piracy actually does hurt the market.... hardy har har.

[Krieock]

I watched it last night (and then Metropolis - expected more) and I thought it was pretty darn good!
Piracy makes me sick!!!

-my 52 fansubbed episodes of GITS:SAC and GITS:SAC GiG2 don't count!

[KempoKatt]

people who downloaded that show killed any chance of it getting more seasons.

Anime is one area where piracy actually does hurt the market.... hardy har har.

I don't see the connection there...

[Krieock]

Download = no money to the creators = no money to continue series

[Naota]

Samurai Champloo arrives. And so does my new avatar. :) Jin's cool.

[pofo]

It's a pretty good series. Not nearly as good as Cowboy Bebop of course, but pretty good.

[Naota]

It may not be "the best", but the directing was great. Just watching the scenes go by was entertaining, it was like 30 seconds of this part (record scratch) then 30 seconds of this part (record scratch) go back (record scratch) and then it did that until everyone died.

[Hiltz]

It was a pretty good series. Too bad I had to stay up till 2:30 AM to watch it. Yeah, slightly annoyed by all the rollback scenes they did. It was cool but got a little repetitive to me. The music is good.

[KempoKatt]

Download = no money to the creators = no money to continue series

So, if I have a friend in (lets say Germany) and I think he'd like a TV show that airs here....translated and subtitled it and sent it to him, I'd be a pirate and keeping the creators from making money off of it?

The people who made the show got paid in advance for making it....and make more money if it's popular....so....how does this keep them from making money?

(Just asking questions, I really don't translate and subtitle tv shows for Germany;))

[Krieock]

So, if I have a friend in (lets say Germany) and I think he'd like a TV show that airs here....translated and subtitled it and sent it to him, I'd be a pirate and keeping the creators from making money off of it?

The people who made the show got paid in advance for making it....and make more money if it's popular....so....how does this keep them from making money?

(Just asking questions, I really don't translate and subtitle tv shows for Germany;))
:(
I'm confused... Don't touch my purse! I don't know you!

[Hiltz]

Fansubs are actually helpful to company distributors for anime series that have not yet been liscenced and available to purchase on dvd/video cassete and/or watch on television in your country.

Viewers learn of these unlicensed anime series and eventually the anime series becomes recognized as a good or bad series. If it is a good series then viewers will be interested in it and for the most part would even watch the series if it were to eventually become licensed andbrought over by the distributing company.

Of course, some fansubs illegaly and direspectfully continue to host licensed anime series for a required membership free or even in most cases it remains free for the public to download and downloaders take advantage of that. I think is is where the basic problem between fansubs and company distributors who try to legally make a profit on licensed series.

The really good thing about fansubs is that if a dubbed series is released in your country and it sucks like hell then you have the opportunity to go on th internet and continue to view the series in it's original japanese version with english subtitles. An example would be the recent licensing of Naruto. Most anime viewers who download the original Japanese version prefer it when compared to the dubbed version. So if Naruto turns out to really suck on Cartoon Network then you may still have the opportunity to download and watch the japanese version if it is in your native language.
However, once a series is licensed distributors would most appriciate it and try in some cases to legally force fansub groups to discontiue their hosting of that specific anime series.

[satanicpanic]

the show was really similar to cowboy bebop the governors voice was clearly Jet and mugens voice is the same as spikes but anyway the show was quick seemed like a 15 min show i even had to watch it again on tivo this morning to see if i didnt pass out before it was over and it still seemed short doesnt time fly.... it was cool and confusing at the same time but it will get better

[VTS_v2.0]

I think the way cartoon network/adult swim show some of their shows do come of kinda fast...but that's just me. The first episode does go by quickly though...guess they just wanted to get things underway...Most of the others span over a few episodes per each part of the story

[Hiltz]

The animation is pretty radical.

[Robosockmonkey]

people who downloaded that show killed any chance of it getting more seasons.

Anime is one area where piracy actually does hurt the market.... hardy har har.

For anyone who has seen the entire series, you know there will never be another season, maybe a movie, but never another season. And for those who didn't like that scratching between scenes thing, don't worry, it isn't done again in any other episode.

And to a degree piracy hurts any market that the pirated product would have gone through, from the retail stores, to the creators, to the shipping companies, not just anime.

[moof]

The people who made the show got paid in advance for making it....and make more money if it's popular....so....how does this keep them from making money?

Because the show was rampantly downloaded in Japan and America (more so in Japan), killing any viewership or sales. They ended the series pretty quickly after that.

[Jeanox]

I like to watch anime subtitled. Subtitled > dubbed (for the most part anyway).

I think I'll gived the dubbed version a shot so I can laugh at it. Same for Scrapped Princess (which also just came out dubbed on dvd...) :D

[DN]

They ended the series pretty quickly after that.

It was scheduled to only be 26 episodes to begin with, so arguing that piracy made them cancel it doesn't really make sense.

I tend to think piracy has positive and negative affects when it comes to anime, so I'm not going to argue with you too much, but I do think you're making some prety big assumptions in this case.

[Bloodstar]

The fight scenes were cool, and it was funny. The scratch thing was annoying though. I thought it was okay. I'll probably wait till a few episodes in to really judge it.

Why does everyone make a big deal about dubbing though? It didn't sound bad to me at all.

[Frank]

can you get it in english yet?
Yeah the first 8 episodes have been out on DVD for a while now.

[chain2treechick]

well, i was thoroughly impressed and VERY happy that i now still have something worth watching. :)
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkk!
animation's awesome. idea's awesome. music's awesome.
and how many "spike's voice"'s does that add up to now just on AS alone? jeeze. at least mugen is worthy of it (finally...ahh...)
must be a short supply or somtin...
ah wells.
btw, metropolis thoroughly dissapointed me. twas kinda painful to watch. i enjoyed the commercials for it ten times more. sigh...

[VTS_v2.0]

yea spike's voice is overused....and i think you're right, there is a shortage in anime "dubbers", let's take duo's voice from gundam wing, for example. i've heard that tons of times.

[oringe]

my only problem with the dubbing is jins voice. hes supposed to be a really quite and reserved person and the american voice makes him sound like, vengeful, like a nemesis voice. he sounds too angry

[VTS_v2.0]

yea...it did really...but he was more talkative in the first ep anyway...he is more reserved in the later ones

[chain2treechick]

ya i did notice that. just the look of him made me expect something else...maybe...i don't know. more of a reserved, untouchable coolness....

[Cativo]

Is it worth buying the whole series(once it's out that is)?

[Hiltz]

Steven Jay Blum has done the voices for other known characters including:

Darcia - Wolf's Rain

Sanjuro - .Hack//Twilight

Master Ninja Gara - Bastard!

Kazuma - s-CRY-ed ( May 28 upcoming new Adult Swim anime series)

Bunji - Gungrave: Beyond the Grave

Makoto Shishio - Rurouni Kenshin

Hakaider - Kikaider

Professor Nebraska - Trigun

Vincent - Last Exile

Spike - Cowboy Bebop

Young shiba/Mr. Moon - Rave Master

Mugen - Samurai Champloo

Akio Kurosawa - Witch Hunter Robin

The Laughing Man - Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex

[Cativo]

He's also done the voice of Roger Smith(Big O)...he's pretty good IMHO.

[VTS_v2.0]

Very good indeed, Cativo. I agree.

[chain2treechick]

He's also done the voice of Roger Smith(Big O)...he's pretty good IMHO.
darn, ye beat me to it. ^-^
seems like there's someone else tho...hmm. maybe just minor parts.

[Cativo]

darn, ye beat me to it. ^-^
seems like there's someone else tho...hmm. maybe just minor parts.
He's done quite a few projects according to anime news:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=4832
btw, I saw Big O and Cowboy Bebop in English first, and can't stand the original Japanese version! He's got one of the best hero type voice!

[Hiltz]

I think his voice acting as Spike remains unbeatable compared to any other character he has done because he was able to express the character so well. It's kind of like those rare matches made in heaven and for dubbing no less.

[Shou]

well the thing about big o and cowboy bebop was that they werent really tied to a nationality. So all the voice actor has to do is be good with emotions given the character hes doing, he doesnt need to sound japanese or american since the character doesnt have an obvious nationality. Samurai champloo is japanese themed but the voices sound completely american and clash with the characters. Its like watching a dubbed kung fu movie, little asian guys with john wayne voices dont work.

[Hiltz]

Ninja scroll and Ghost in the Shell have japanese characters and the english voice acting seems fine. Although, it is obvious when a voice doesn't sound right for a character no matter what their nationality may be.

There's far worse voice acting than Samurai Champloo.

[chain2treechick]

btw, I saw Big O and Cowboy Bebop in English first, and can't stand the original Japanese version! He's got one of the best hero type voice!
hehe...true true true.
i've never seen the japanese versions, but i honestly don't think there could ever be as perfect a match (bebop i mean)
..ever

[Hiltz]

Samurai Champloo - Behind the Scenes Voice Acting

(video clips require Real Player or Windows Media)

http://www.adultswim.com/misc/bts/samurai/index.html

[Bloodstar]

Makoto Shishio - Rurouni Kenshin Heh, I never noticed that before but it is the same voice.

[Hiltz]

Lol, the guy can be good when it comes to changing his voice for a different character. :D

[Alucard1515]

well the thing about big o and cowboy bebop was that they werent really tied to a nationality. So all the voice actor has to do is be good with emotions given the character hes doing, he doesnt need to sound japanese or american since the character doesnt have an obvious nationality. Samurai champloo is japanese themed but the voices sound completely american and clash with the characters. Its like watching a dubbed kung fu movie, little asian guys with john wayne voices dont work.
But beatboxing and modern graffiti does?

I do think the voices sound odd, though. Not that they're bad actors, just that their voices don't seem to fit their characters. It doesn't help that they all did such a good job in Cowboy Bebop, and fit those characters so well, that it's hard to not think about those characters when you hear these voices.

[FigureFour]

I was interested in this show untill people started talking aboutthe dub . . .
Cowboy Bebop had about the worst dubbing job I have ever heard. I decided to give it a try once and flipped the language settings on the DVD, took maybe two minutes before I flipped back. EVERYONE sucked. EVERYONE. I mean, the main characters were all bad, but the extras were PAINFULL.

I can still hear that guy saying "Abdoool Hyyeeaaakeeeeem," in his expressionless drawl . . .

Ug.

[Hiltz]

You didn't think Ed or Faye's voice fit their character?

What about Ein? Were his barks good?

[Alucard1515]

Cowboy Bebop had about the worst dubbing job I have ever heard.
Now I think you're crazy.

Saying you didn't like it is one thing, saying the Japanese voice actors were better is one thing, but saying it is one of the worst dubbing jobs ever? You're insane.

[KempoKatt]

COWBOY BEEBOP - WORST DUBBING EVER?!

You've obviously never seen Armitage - Dual Matrix.

[Bloodstar]

Anyways, is it just me, or does the pacing of Samurai Champloo seem to go too fast? For some reason I felt like the first two episodes were over before they even started.

[chain2treechick]

Anyways, is it just me, or does the pacing of Samurai Champloo seem to go too fast? For some reason I felt like the first two episodes were over before they even started.

yup.
they honestly felt like only 15 minute clips. i don't get it...

[Hiltz]

I think the story isn't really that great but the music and characters are.

[Twitch]

the voice actor of Mugen (Steve Jay Blum), is Spike, and Jin (Kirk Thornton) is from that short-lived mini-series Immortal Grand Prix, and other things
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-16319
and Fuu (Kari Wahlgren) is from a lot too
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-205424

[FigureFour]

Now I think you're crazy.

Saying you didn't like it is one thing, saying the Japanese voice actors were better is one thing, but saying it is one of the worst dubbing jobs ever? You're insane.
I have never heard another dub where the very SOUND OF SOMEONE'S VOICE made me feel physicaly ill.

Litteraly, their voices caused me pain to listen too.

Not to mention all their lines were totally flat and emotionless.

[Twitch]

maybe it is the emotion, and feeling that is naturally placed into hte japanese language, that it would provoke more of an emotion-filled line....or maybe our voice actors where getting paid shit (just a thought ;) )

[Hiltz]

Immortal Grand Prix was meant to be short. There is allegedy a full anime series being developed for it last I heard.

I never knew anyone who didn't like voices from the english cast of Cowboy Bebop. I guess there is a first time for everything.

Completely and utterly shocked. :D

I felt the same way from watching a *Free On Demand* episode of the anime "Comic Party". The voice of one particularly extremely loud female character made my ears bleed and naturally as a reflex I turned the tv off shivering in fear and never dared myself to watch the show again.

[FigureFour]

Is it possible that the DVDs had different voice acting then the TV version?

[VTS_v2.0]

Hiltz: You haven't heard annoying till you've heard Puni Puni Poemi, but it's annoyingly funny.

[Hiltz]

Never even heard of that one before.

I think the voice cast for the DVD is the same as the tv series. Although, you'll probably be able to get the japanese language too with english subtitles.

[VTS_v2.0]

You should look into it. It's really good Hiltz, I mean if you like good laughs.

[Alucard1515]

I have never heard another dub where the very SOUND OF SOMEONE'S VOICE made me feel physicaly ill.

Litteraly, their voices caused me pain to listen too.

Not to mention all their lines were totally flat and emotionless.
I completely disagree. Did you actually only listen to it for a few minutes and then turn it off? Because if you did, I think that's your problem.

I'm not saying they're as good as the Japanese cast, but it is not even CLOSE to the worst dubbing job ever.

Is it possible that the DVDs had different voice acting then the TV version?
I have the first DVD, and everything is the same.

[Hiltz]

Stumbled upon some news.

Some clever editing techniques featured in Samurai Champloo. Did anyone notice it?

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/columns/edit-list.php?id=298

Also...

Gungrave Returns to G4 tv

Gungrave is scheduled to return to "Anime Unleashed" on tv channel G4 with episode 13, Betrayal, on June 8th at 1am (late night June 7th). 7 new episodes are scheduled to air before repeats begin again on June 10th. - Anime News Network

[chain2treechick]

the english dubbing for chobits made me physically ill. it was horrible. it literally made me sick.


...and zatch bell...
ohhh.......

[Twitch]

Never watched zatch bell...then-again, the entire "Toonami-Lineup" has turned into some queer shit...it used to be cool, and I really did like the IGPX miniseries....ohh well. *watches more Naruto*

[Hiltz]

Yeah, Toonami has turned into a dirty toilet bowl.

Long live Adult Swim! (All kids out of the pool!)

[FigureFour]

I completely disagree. Did you actually only listen to it for a few minutes and then turn it off? Because if you did, I think that's your problem.
I've watched one episode completly in english and bits of others.
Every line that I loved from the Japanese version was delivered differently (and sounded worse) in either delivery or wording or both.

Not to mention all the extras had PAINFULLY ANOYING VOICES.

[Phearun]

I like this anime. It's odd but still interesting.

[chain2treechick]

I like this anime. It's odd but still interesting.
i'll second that ^-^

[Jeanox]

I've watched one episode completly in english and bits of others.
Every line that I loved from the Japanese version was delivered differently (and sounded worse) in either delivery or wording or both.

Not to mention all the extras had PAINFULLY ANOYING VOICES.

Exactly why I'm never going to watch a dubbed ep again. Why settle for watered down garbage when I can have what the creators originally invisioned?

[IAAT17]

" I have never heard another dub where the very SOUND OF SOMEONE'S VOICE made me feel physicaly ill."

You have obviously never seen Excel Saga.

[VTS_v2.0]

Did anybody watch yesterday's ep? I thought the dubbing was really bad in that one. I also think that they changed the voices(except Mugen's) very subtley. What does anyone else think?

[Hiltz]

I saw it and it didn't bother me much. So it isn't the best of matched up voice acting but after watching prime examples of very bad matching up of voice acting in other anime series I can certainly look past Samurai Champloo's.

What I did notice was more editing out of cuss words that were replaced by well employed stylized record scratching sounds.

[slice]

Wow...I haven't really heard any problems with the dub...at all.

It's a lot better than some series. I mean...I've heard worse.

I noticed the scratching record sounds on the last episode too. That was...kinda lame..

I like this series a lot.
I wish you all could just watch it instead of worrying about the voice actors. You might enjoy it a little more.

[VTS_v2.0]

but the voice acting is what keeps the story movie...Good voices set the tone and mood for each scene in the anime, and when that voice is not portrayed, you lose interest. You should really watch it subtitled before you begin to defend the voice acting

[Tharrick]

Hah, I watched it fansubbed long before it was coming out on DVD. Thought it was great.

[Aires]

i was like meh

[slice]

Oh, yeah...I should watch it in a language that I can't understand at all.

Listen, I just don't get how people can say that the Japanese voice actors are better in a language that you can't understand. I mean, I 'm not trying to be rude or anything...but...really.

When you can't understand that language I have a hard time believing that you can really tell if the actor is good or not. The people may be over-acting...you can't really tell...in my opinion anyway... So what if the "voices don't match the characters?" You don't even know if the Japanese voice actors really match the part since you don't know Japanese voices. (no offense if you do, then MAYBE I'm wrong)
The actors are still good, and in my opinion they match the characters...I like the voice actors.

And some of us just don't like to have to sit and read subtitles...then I might miss something that's going on on the screen.

[Jeanox]

So what if the "voices don't match the characters?" You don't even know if the Japanese voice actors really match the part since you don't know Japanese voices.

Ermm...yeah, I do. Believe it or not, I have ears, and just because I'm not from Japan doesn't mean that after awhile of listening to their language, i can get some of the jists of how things are said. Language is tonal, and I can compare and contrast the voice acting quality of any two groups regaurdless of the language. True acting transcends the understood word.

And some of us just don't like to have to sit and read subtitles...then I might miss something that's going on on the screen.
In my opinion you miss a lot more watching dubbed. Small but definite changes in the script happen and those changes may drastically change how a person percieves a scene. I would rather watch a show the way the creators intended it to be than have a shoddy underpaid pack of dubbors and editors feed me their version of it.

It's really like comparing a delicious hot fresh pizza to one that has been sitting on the counter for 5 days with various toppings picked off and some canned tuna springled on top to try and compensate.

That's kinda how I look at it, anyway.

[Hiltz]

Personally, I'd rather stick to my own language unless the anime dub really does suck on all levels. I don't see that problem with Samurai Champloo though.

I don't like to worry about having to pay attention to scan the subtitles and read them compared to just watching the anime dub version.

There's good and bad japanese voice acting and vice versa for dubbed versions. Unfortunetly, there's a lot of bad dub out and that is where its reputation comes from.

The english voice acting for Ghost in the Shell:STA seemed to be better than the Japanese version in my opinion. The only thing I do have about the dub is the excluding of some scenes which really pissed me off.

[FallenAngel]

samurias,swords,mixed with hip hop and battles :squint: =effin awesome.

[chain2treechick]

these cus scratch outs are really getting annoying. i mean...touche adult swim...touche...

[miggie2099]

This story follows adventure plot number 7. Young teen girl loses mother, grandmother, or guardian. Finds out from caretaker on deathbed that her father is alive. She goes on a journey to find him with a crew of motley characters usually featuring her childhood best friend a boy sometimes a girl and one other person.

When they find dad:
1. He is dying
2. He is a king or wizard in hiding
3. He’s married with a new family who doesn’t know about the first one.

The point of the journey is that the girl because the adult she sought out to find to take care of her.

[Jeanox]

In the subbed version I saw, it didn't really swear at all. Seriously, i could count the instances on one hand. That's another thing that irks me about the dubbing.

[VTS_v2.0]

Really it was only Mugen doing the swearing, and the occasional thug...