First Impressions – Kekkai Sensen
Oh, look at what Bones has done now!
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I feel like I’ve become a fan of “style over substance” anime where it’s all about being weird or flashy and not much about having a solid plot. I originally thought Kekkai Sensen might be along the same lines as that. But no, it’s got both style and substance! |
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Well, I am feeling somewhat torn by the show. So, I would like to introduce Mr. F.K. YA in the Style corner, and his brother from another mother, Mr. Grouchy Pants, to represent the Substance side of things. I wonder if these two will get along? |
Rolling the Bones…
All a good diner needs is coffee. Walls are optional.
Overcooled// Yasuhiro Nightow is the creator of both Trigun and Kekkai Sensen, so I can’t help but draw similarities between the two. The latter opens with the same bang as Trigun, leaving quite the lasting impression that “man, this is gonna be good”. I think it’s a promising sign for the future of Kekkai Sensen that the protagonist is such a likeable guy. Leon’s not a bland, self-insert that might as well be replaced by a bowl of oatmeal for all their lack of a personality (like most harem anime leads). Leon reminds me of another version of Vash – a kind-hearted pacifist who has been through hell.
It’s easy to have a pacifistic character accidentally come off as a wimp or a whiny teenager. But Leon is a brave kid who just has an aversion towards hurting people. He’s not afraid to chase down a monkey thief, infiltrate a secret agency, and get down and dirty when it comes to actual life-or-death battles. It’s possible to be strong and just not like the idea of senselessly killing people. It’s something that’s often used to show a character’s weak point in anime, but in this case, it’s his strength. By not killing the monkey, Leon actually saved everyone from having the two demons fuse together. He thwarted the mastermind’s evil plans just by being himself.
I like where things are going with this kid. It would be easy for a main character to be lost amongst this host of absolutely crazy cast members, but Leon holds up well. He doesn’t lose out to the burly orc-toothed man with brass knuckles or the tanned ruffian with his multiple assortments of magical blood powers. And hey, it’s hard to pop out next to those guys when your own power is just having really, really good eyesight. Somehow, Leon pulls it off and I think he’s going to be an excellent protagonist to lead us through this whole mess.
The Division Bell
Ahm Firin’ Mah Demon
skylion// First of all, this is Mr. F.K. YA, I have to agree that this is a glorious visual feast. Never a dull moment in Jerusalem’s Lot that is for sure. The Big Apple has seen easy days and it’s seen hard days, but it hardly ever excitement like this. Abnormal is now normal. Let that sink in. No matter where you go or what you do, there is always going go be some freak circumstance to deal with. You can go to your favorite diner, and BOOM, the next adventure is just waiting outside the door. Heck, it comes in after you…you don’t even need to leave a tip!
OMG LIKE I’M SOOOOO BORED!
Well, if you’ll allow Mr. Grouchy Pants a moment. Of course, glorious visual yadda yadda yadda. A string of brilliant sakuga is still just a string. Without any visual recognition or a piece of grounding, it’s just shapes and colors moving around; little better than visual mud. There was literally no symmetry to that creature in the end fight. Also, at the risk of running into tautology, normal is normal, and abnormal is abnormal. You can’t have both ways and call it a the best idea ever. How does anyone feel safe in this city? You kinda need that for a place as large as Jerusalem’s Lot to even function for a day. I mean, if it’s sealed off, how do they eat? What’s the supply chain? Are there any authorities besides this Libra that people can count on daily?
Twisting Storm
OK, Mr. YA is back, I’m pretty sure that Mr. Pants’ middle name is Tight. Am I right? Geez. Look you gotta grab people first. Show ’em you’re in it for the long haul with the pizzaz. Show ’em the monsters, show the shapes and sizes of things to come. This place is still in flux. It’s trying to find itself, see? The people and the monsters show us that! You can’t just expect a first episode to spill all the beans. Gotta leave room for the mysteries yet to come, right? Sure it was a busy day, but you followed along with it no problem. Sure, things got hairy, things got nuts. But that’s what this baby is all about. Besides that head Libra guy is BOSS. And the guy with the blood lighter? Kick…ass….
Blade of Flame
Well the Pants side of the family must disagree. If you’re building a contemporary urban fantasy there are tropes that have to be minded. It’s one thing if you have a mysterious fantasy world hidden along side our own real “status quo” world. There you can make the connections unique and original to your own narrative devices, characters, and plot. If you have a world were the fantastic bursts out of the wainscoting, then the work just get’s more challenging. It’s not just a matter of stating this happened at point A and it all changed and then toss us into point Z. Where is the rest of the alphabet? Need I ask again? How does this city function? It’s a basic narrative fiction question! All the fancy animation won’t cover that up!
This is the best sister ever!
Ya know, I think the YA’s just get this show a whole lot better. Don’t worry about it, man. It’s early days. Let it come to you. Lots of bang is gonna happen.
Kekkai Sensen is dripping with jazzy, New York style and dramatic shounen battle shenanigans. However, it doesn’t just throw blood and flailing limbs out in the hopes you’ll be content with just a mindless fight. It’s quite a competently put-together package that is able to harness all the crazy energy and direct it towards something meaningful. Yes, there’s a cast of odd characters with ridiculous fighting styles. But they’re used in such a way that they can go from serious one minute to BLOOD CIGARETTE LIGHTER YEAHHH BLOW UP EVERYTHING the other. The story never suffers at the expense of the director just wanting to put something in because it just sounds cool. It’s a great mix of fun-filled battles and a deeper issue that ties it all together. I think the appeal is very wide here and just about everyone should give Kekkai Sensen a shot, if they haven’t already.
Well I don’t know if I’ll ever get Mr. Pants and Mr. YA to agree. They seem quite opposed. But really, I do think that Mr. Pants could stand to lighten up. Seems a bit reactionary, doesn’t he? I mean, those are some salient points, and I’m hoping they answer them, cause that will make Jerusalem’s Lot that much more an interesting place. They don’t have to go into rich detail as it isn’t that kind of story. As it stands I like our MC and I like his motivations. OC spells it out exactly as I see it as well. And I love that it did start out in a quiet place, with the boy catching his sister up on things, a sister that pretty much gave him everything he needs. So, thanks for stopping by, Torn guys. I’m gonna be happy to watch this show from this point on…
Next Time
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Wolverine meets Inaho eh?
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
no.
just.
no.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Absolutely not…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
😛
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
No.
I don’t want to see the name Inaho again. -_-
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Welp. That’s official. He’s now in a hole. 6 feet deep. I suspect he was named for this specific reason.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That’s too convenient!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Ahahaha, that’s awesome. Now every time I see him, I’m going to think that. Although I was leaning towards Sabertooth with his facial beard.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
YES!!!!!!! A First Impression for one of my three anticipated this season finally arrives!
I’ve heard of Trigun yet never seen it myself. Apparently, it’s a greatly revered anime and Kekkai Sensen has the same author, then it should be a good time to be had watching this. Personally, I came across the manga and it found the setting to be interesting. A supernatural, post-apocalyptic world is always within my strike zone. It’s one thing to see everything through static print but another level when there’s movement and sound to it. Anything “style over substance” can work as long as the execution is done right. In my opinion, both are doing fine.
As an adaptation, Kekkai’s opening episode is very faithful to the manga. Though I only read the first chapter as the others weren’t available yet and it ended with the scene where the section of the Libra organization’s roof gets sliced off. The one difference to be noticed was that in the manga, the explanation to the rules of Femt’s twisted game was elaborated before the roof got sliced. I could’ve continued reading but after learning an anime original character will be joining the cast, I stopped there so as to keep my enjoyment of watching the show from being botched.
The blood based powers used for the fights was a nice added touch. I’ve taken a liking to that kind of ability and haven’t seen the likes of it since Deadman Wonderland that’s now exactly four years ago that it aired. On the chance this show ends well, I can find myself looking forward to a good English dub considering that Funimation grabbed the rights to simulcast it.
Verdict: This is an anime I’m easily sticking with. Not every series is obligated to be a masterpiece, you know.
Think of the Batman universe and ask that to every citizen in Gotham that has to deal with crazed super villains on a regular basis.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Uh, Gotham has been around for centuries, ‘Salem’s Lot has been around….not as long….But fair point…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
The hero gotham needs, not the one it deserves.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Trigun is AMAZING! Its a bit like Beebop as in a oldschool classic that is 50% western since it actually takes place in a wild wild west setting and it’s also somewhat post-apocalyptic world filled with crazy villains.
Oooh so you have read some of the manga? Interesting! I haven’t so this is all completely new.
Yeah my mind instantly thought Deadman Wonderland with their blood based powers like the sword? Yeah dam that was awesome and I guess this is more super power than supernatural or is it a mixture of both? That reminds me of Index.
I LOVEEEEEEEEE the style! It feels like Cowboy bebop+Trigun with the Jazz OST from Baccano.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I only ever got three eps into DmW. So, I think of Kyoukai no Kanta more…she’s cuter….
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
True, I had forgotten about that. But Mirai was the only character with blood manipulation powers so Kyoukai no Kanata didn’t come to mind. Deadman Wonderland had a whole assortment of people whose blood could be used in different ways. Plus, I couldn’t forget the names “Wretched Egg” and “Branch of Sin”. And there’s that smile Wretched Egg/Shiro makes that gives me chills.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Honestly, I kind of think of Trigun as a western variant of Trinity Blood. The plots are different, but there are a heck of a lot of similarities between the two. While Trigun came out first, I saw Trinity Blood first, and then Trigun, and the whole time while I was watching it, I kept thinking one was the rip off of the other. I know they’re not, but the thought never ceased going through my mind.
I would suggest that you might like Trigun, it’s old school now, with the animation and many of the themes that were pretty high in the 90s and early 2000s that have been scaled back in anime today. The bumbling otherworldly hero that is ultra-powerful, but an ultra-pacifist, and is haunted by dangerous secrets and figures from his past. If that sounds familiar, Trigun was one of the trailblazers for that.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Just popping in to second that Trigun is a wonderful show and if anyone hasn’t seen it…anyone…GO SEE IT!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’ll see it once the opportunity shows itself.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Seconded~ It’s a good classic show, with a very likeable main character.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Wouldn’t it be “thirded” in your case? 😉
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Oh hohoho, you are correct. Sorry Irenesharda~
I’ve never seen Trinity Blood. Actually,, the name sounds vaguely familiar but I don’t remember anything more about it. Wonder why I never bothered to check it out…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Maybe you’ll trust my judgment when I tell you Trinity Blood is a really awesome anime. Believe me, you should give this a good viewing.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Hmmm…. where to fit it in, my backlog is still massively horrible (I recently pruned it and dropped four shows, Infinite Stratos 2 (liked S1), Shirobako, Locodol, and Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san, they all started out ok, but didn’t go anywhere about 1/3 to 1/2 through and couldn’t be bothered to finish them)… I still have 300GB+ of backlogged shows though…
Plus I’m still going through my first impressions to see which shows I’ll follow. I’ll just have to see where I can slot this in. Hm hm.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, I only have the +/- 100 gigs.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I mean horribly massive. Unlike some people here who can enjoy shows that they consider horrible, I pound the the DROP button before I start to feel the bile rise. I’m not that M…
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I remember the days when I only had one backlogged series and was wondering what else I should watch… Reading and gaming are taking away my anime time~~~ bad PS, bad books!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…books are never bad…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I don’t know how memory the backlog has but if I add the series I have watched along with those on hold, I’ve rounded up total of 383 gigs on my external hard drive. With over 400 more to spare.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Books are evil. My shelf has an aptly named book trap. Whenever I clean my shelves, I always get sucked in, even though I warn myself before cleaning that I have other stuff to do. Next thing I know it’s 2 hours later and I’m only halfway through cleaning. My shelves can’t clean themselves you know! (At least, I don’t have self-cleaning shelves yet).
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I just found out there was a 2010 movie !!!
What, I must go find and watch this!!!
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
Hey skylion, why don’t you work out your bi polar posting by the next episode mkay?
As a proud citizen of the big apple let me assure everyone: if inter dimensional demons invaded nyc this is basically how things would end up. Bones must have done some great research, though I’ve never met any diner worker that friendly. Plus, I’m a sucker for jazz * animation so this series gets put in the fun category.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’ve seen a lot of shows where New York gets put through the wringer in various ways. The first “Avengers” movie is the most recent example on the table. You guys sure endure a lot. Upon saying that and seeing what happened in the episode, it makes me think of unnecessary scenarios. I have a cousin with her family who lives there and she works as a nurse.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Well, I do have bi-polar, thanks for being brute force against those that have to deal with it day by day…ass.
If you don’t like it, hit the back button on your browser twice…
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
TBH, I feel that the first episode for Kekkai Sensen wasn’t as awesome as SBR!! first episode. The pacing is too fast for my taste and I really have no idea what going on beyond what little that was told abt the setting. At some point I just gave up on trying to catch up with it and Kekkai sensen starting to bores me somewhere around the halfway point. Not to mention that the KlK style huge-ass red texts + CAPS SUBS is kinda getting in the way.
But then again, the show do have some potentials as well. The setting is up to my taste and the entire thing have an American comic book feel to it. The character designs looks better in animated form and its better than what I expected. I used to dislike Klaus goofy sideburns but throughout the episode it is slowly growing on me so its something? Leon back-story (or what little that has been shown anyway since I still don’t really get all the terms) interests me as well. The villain dude is…… LOL.
Will give this a few more episodes be4 I make my final decision.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Download vivid subs version of Kekkai it’s way better!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The first episode was rapid paced but the second takes care of that.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
About that. Klaus is the reason Kekkai Sensen is sporting the “vampire” tag.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Hm, they really should have made that more apparent. I had him pegged as a werewolf of some kind, or some kind of animal/human hybrid. I never liked the whole bottom fang vampire thing, it makes them seem too feral and animal-like rather than the more classical upper-class creature that I like more.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hmmm… really? To me, Klaus didn’t look like a werewolf in the slightest. Not even if he tried. Definitely didn’t get that vibe from him. But his mannerisms are along the lines of your description. Don’t you find it ironic? Considering the weapon he uses is a cross.
I accidently spoiled myself on something:
Show ▼
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Honestly, not really. All ironies were used up in Trinity Blood. 😛 Also, Nightow has crosses in basically all of his works, so It’s not surprising.
But yeah, like I said, because they always show him with an exposed bottom fang, that’s more the calling card of a werewolf rather than a vampire, who if they do expose their fangs while their lips are closed, their almost always the usual upper canine fangs. Also, the way he’s built, I guess I’m just used to vampires, especially anime ones, being pretty slender and lithe. Klaus is big and bulky, which is again more in line with the animal shapeshifters than the vamps, but this was all just my first impression.
Honestly, I thought lighter guy was the vampire since he seems to use blood weapons which has been a staple of other vampires before. But all the characters at least look interesting, I’d like to see where they go.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh, yeah. Abel Nightroad, of course.
I see… If that fails to surprise, stick to Seraph of the End. When you see what the humans use in fight against their vampires, you’re sure to be amazed.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, that was a chaotic as NYC itself. I can definitely tell this was done by the same writer as Trigun when I compare Leonard to Vash. I usually have a strong dislike for overly pacifist characters. The only reason I was tolerant of Vash was because I liked the presentation of his past and his relationship with Knives. And others like Vash’s vampiric doppelganger, Abel Nightroad, had other sides of themselves that makes them wholly entertaining.
However, Leonard doesn’t seem to be too bad, he seems like a kid who is just trying to do right, but often ends up way over his head. For some reason I get a lot of Jacuzzi from Baccano vibes from him as well, minus all the crying. I don’t know why but I do. 🙂
However, anyway, I felt this episode was doing a heck of a lot in one episode. We get the show’s framing device as letters to the MC’s sister. (What is up with Japan and having main characters with blind little sisters in wheelchairs?) He’s in NYC which is now called Jerusalem’s Lot (not really sure why they needed to change the name since despite the addition of otherworldly creatures, the city’s pretty much the same. )
We learn about the MC’s mission in the city, we learn about the group he joins and their powers, he learn about our main villain for now I guess? We also see the MCs powers as well and that of course he has an aversion to killing.
However, despite all that goes on, it’s still way too confusing and chaotic. I can barely connect with anything because it’s moving way too fast.
It looks pretty interesting though, like a weird X-men or something. But they have got to slow down. This breakneck pace does little for character development.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Having watched the second episode, I take back what I said. This show is awesome. It just had to find it’s pace. 😀
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’m downloading the second episode right now. Can’t wait to see it, then. I imagine you’ve already seen Seraph’s second episode?
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Yes, though I liked the first episode more and the change of setting was a bit jarring, I enjoyed it.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s necessary and appearances can be deceiving.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Yeah, that’s how the manga is. They’d be doing filler material/going the original route if they filled in the gap instead.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
There aren’t an awful lot of anime where I rewind the video just to watch the ending credits four more times with a stupid grin on my face.
This was one of them.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
The ending was as awesome as Death Parade opening. So happy they did it. I will be waiting for the OST for sure.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
And unlike Death Parade, I could actually see the cast doing a talent show this crazy. 😛
And the OST is excellent, I love the combination of jazz, swing, 50s rock n’ roll, etc.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
In my head, I always imagined them as quite funky. The only unrealistic thing was the Decim and Chiyuki dance off but it was soo goood! 😀
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Tell me about it! I honestly don’t know how many times I’ve watched it. The OP/ED for this and for Sidonia, I’ve had on repeat.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
*Loops Yurikuma ED8.5*
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
i don’t get it…but i love his sister and Masked Kamen they’re funny, on another note…
KILL ALL THE MONKEYS!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Until the next episode is covered, I’ll leave this here:
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
Until YouTube takes it down. They seem to be pretty aggressive on the copyright on this song. Kind of like the end song to Aoi no Exorcist where it’s impossible to find that song on YouTube and uploaders have resorted to running the song at 1.5x and calling it the “female version.”
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Yep. It’s something similar to when supercell released Utakata Hanabi and oh man, you just couldn’t find any youtube link of the song because of sony being too aggressive.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I like it! Not sure what I was expecting, but it had a dash of Baccano! in there. Add the talented VA cast and I’m sold! He reminds me of another character who’s eyes always appear closed. Can’t remember who though…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Darn it! You remind me of my backlog…looks forlornly at Baccano! folder…..
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Whenever you do get to see Baccano, make sure you watch it in English. The dub is so good, and there’s just something about hearing various American accents in a 30s era anime. I love the sort of Italian accents of the gangsters, and the slang they use for the time. It’s just not the same in Japanese. I love that series so much! 🙂
I’ve often found that anime set in America or Western settings, tend to be better in English, where the VAs can give it a little familiar cultural flavor.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s why it’s also a hit or miss affair when English voice actors speak in anime series set in Japanese territories.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
That’s true too. There’s a lot of things that sometimes don’t work or are lost in translation simply because our languages are different.
I was just watching the premiere of the second season of Knights of Sidonia (Note: because of Netflix there are no official subs for that series, and the usual fansub group’s translator is on vacation, so there are two sub group filling in the gap until the usual group comes back in a couple of weeks. I suggest the Mexibros sub over the Last-subs one. While both aren’t great, one is spades better over the other.) I totally forgot the character of Izana was both male and female, and there’s the issue of that in English we don’t really have a pronoun for a person that is unisex, where as, I think in Japanese there is a way to do it. I’ve been constantly calling Izana a her at this point because it’s easier in our language.
Another example would be in dubs that western VAs can rarely do the cute female voice thing right that Japan has down to an art. Japan prizes and like the cute kawaii voice of certain female characters, but that’s not something that the Western world prizes in girls above a certain age, and so there is a lot of trouble trying to convey that kind of voice, and many have failed at it.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
OK. Just gave that a whirl on youtube (I only have the subbed version on backlog). Nope. Sorry. Performances sound forced. And I mean no offense but the accents are not a selling point….
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Wow, really? Well, I guess to each his own. There are some series the I can only see in English, because the Japanese is grating to me, and there are other series that are vice versa. For example, I can only see Baccano, Fruits Basket, and FMA in English, but I can only see Ouran High School Host Club, Code Geass and Bleach in Japanese. And then there are others that I can see either way, like Naruto or Gundam (though I mostly watch Gundam in English).
Sometimes it depends on how I was introduced to it, and sometimes it’s how the characters are portrayed.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Back in the day, when you got most anime on VHS, you had to choice between subs or dubs. Dubs were more expensive, as you had to pay an ADR director and a cast. You very much got what you payed for, if you went that route. Today, there just seems to be…I don’t want to say less talent, cause that’s an area that I can’t really say much on. But it looks like the talent is stretched out since DVDs allowed for both tracks, English and Japanese, and the price point settled down (such as that is). The worst I’ve heard is little better than a book on tape narration that passed for performance, and the best I’ve heard so far is….well, it really eludes me.
I an see the point for a show that doesn’t take place in Japan; but these shows are produced by Japanese for Japanese, the exporting is just a happy bit of business that comes after the show runs.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, and I don’t want to apply a blanket of hate over dubs. I don’t prefer them, and those are my reasons. We have a great many fans in anime because of dubbed, localized shows, and honestly it’s far to tiring to be judgmental and…a dick about it. So I appreciate the dubs for the fans that like them.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I’m just completely subbed biased because here most of our imported shows have subs of various languages. I don’t thino I can bear watching a Hindi drama in English.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I was basically introduced to anime through dubs. When I first saw them it was episodes on TV, and that’s all I had for a few years. I soon discovered that these shows were being put on DVD (DVD was just beginning to boom) and I so I had to save my money and buy DVD after DVD of a show I wanted to watch, again all in dubs. In fact, I have to say that it wasn’t until really college when I had constant, rapid access to the internet that I started to regularly watch subs. It took time and practice to get used to subs and to be able to read while I watch, but I got the hang of it, and now practically all the anime I watch is subbed.
I can see both the flaws and merits of subs and dubs as I’ve spent so long with both. I know that many who are younger than me in my family have trouble with subtitles like I did, so dubs work better for them, and they can enjoy anime too. Eventually as they get older, like my little brothers did, they get the hang of subs and then can watch both, whichever they prefer. I think of dubs just as a communication tool, a way to get those who are unfamiliar a hand up in getting used too and enjoying the anime fandom. Especially those who are unfamiliar with subtitle and would get easily frustrated with them at first try.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I was in a brick and mortar video store in a mall about twenty years ago. This guy was giving the clerk a hard time. Seems he wanted to return a tape. It was for DBZ (in my memory that was the show, it could have been something else, but that’s stuck in my memory…coulda been Pokemon). But he got the cheaper subtitled tape, and his young son hated it. It took a bit of give and take for the clerk to find the reason for it, was because it was in Japanese. So said clerk offered the dubbed version. Ten bucks more. This guy got a bit taken aback. Its’ the same thing right, why is it ten bucks more. “Well, it’s dubbed, and you have to pay the voice actors”. The guy goes “Who would do a stupid thing like that?”
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The dubs were what paved the way to anime for me in the first place. When I was a kid and Toonami started, I stuck to practically every show they had to offer and couldn’t find myself recalling any I didn’t want to watch. Sometimes, the English dub is better depending on the series. Best examples for that are DBZ, Pokémon and Yu Yu Hakusho which I grew up with up to now. I dare say my ears were close to bleeding hearing them in Japanese.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…and truly for as much as I dislike dubs, I do like hearing how people came into the hobby with them by stark contrast. It’s great stuff.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
I actually almost always prefer subs over dubs because I’m a really fast reader, and I also lived in Japan for two years in my early twenties, and I’m – if not fluent – at least conversational in the language.
But even I can admit that Black Lagoon and Cowboy Bebop are better in the dub version than the sub version.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I remember that my first animes I got on DVD were DNAngel and Gundam Seed. I would painstakingly save my money and buy each ultra-expensive 5-episode DVD so I could continue the series. I didn’t have cable at the time, so no access to Toonami, Adult Swim, and Cartoon Network that aired anime, so I could only see it via DVD. I was sooo happy when they finally began making DVD box sets and collection sets. 🙂
I remember thinking that even then that DNAngel had a horrible dub since the voices sounded so unnatural (though it wasn’t until later that I found out that it actually had some pretty famous VAs), however I think that was really because it was early in my anime “career” and I was getting used to Japanese culture. I couldn’t understand why the MC would keep calling the two main girls at his high school, “Ms. Harada” and “Ms. Harada’s older sister”. I was in high school myself at the time, and it sounded so unnatural since American classmates usually call each other by their first name or a nickname or something, and while we do have sort of titles in the form of Mr. and Ms., it’s not the same as honorifics, and so the dub sounded very stilted in trying to convey this in English. However, other dubs were much better and new to change things up a bit to make them more familiar with the audience and so it wouldn’t sound so off in our tongue.
Now that I’m more versed in anime and in Japanese culture, I can usually judge if a dub is off because of acting or because of script. And I’m while I still like the dubs of many shows, I pretty much prefer subs now as I get more feeling and meaning out of them.
Some shows though, don’t sound good as either sub or dub. 😛 I can’t take DBZ or Sailor Moon in either form. The only way I can even watch DBZ at all is watching the abridged version.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I can watch DBZ on AMV Hell….
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I have a few DVD box sets and they’re all from Funimation:
Witchblade, Claymore, Burst Angel, Trinity Blood, Moon Phase and three DBZ movies featuring Broly.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
You really wouldn’t want to know how many anime series I have on DVD sets. I took to anime quite rapidly, and again with no internet or cable at home, I spent a lot of money on anime DVDs.
Just looking at my shelf right now, I have FMA, Baccano, OHSHC, Hetalia, Trinity Blood, Fruits Basket, Area 88, Gundam Seed, Gundam 0079, Gundam Zeta, Gundam zz, Gundam V, Gundam F-91, Gundam Seed Destiny, Pretear, Black Lagoon, Code Geass, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Romeo X Juliet, Les Miserables, and Steins; Gate all in DVD set. Some of them are domestic and some of them are imports. And that’s just the ones I can see right now. 😛
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I have this horrible aversion to dubs. I’ve yet to hear one that I’ve liked… they almost always ruin my experience with them, so I never bother listening to them anymore.
All the more power to those who like them, but they’re just not my thing. Just how I like honorifics, it’s a preference thing.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You’ve never watched any dubbed animes when Toonami first began on Cartoon Network?
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
No cable ƪ(‾ε‾“)ʃ
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I only had free channels, so I got started on anime over the internet, when someone told me to check out this show. I think I did see a couple of episodes of Pokemon in English and hated it (and in the theater). Def preferred the subbed version.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Honorifics are a very East/South-east Asian thingy.