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timepiececlockJust finished the dub of episode 34. Loved it. A few lines felt more or less emphasized than I remember, but overall it turned out great. Something I like about the FMA dub that I also liked about the Fruits Basket and Trigun dubs: all the actors seem to be acting rather than reading the lines. Anime dubs in general have improved in the last two years, with better translation, more creative script that better alludes to the original, and actual acting instead of reciting. I thought VAs of Edward, Greed, Izumi, and Greed's lackies were all really on their game here. Greed especially did well.
The only thing that confuses me: I thought there was a mention of Majahal in this episode? The guy Ed accidentally killed in episode 4. But I rewatched this episode in dub and sub and couldn't find any mention. Maybe it's later? I was *sure* there was a mention of it.
One major change in the dub of episode 33 that has to do with this, that I didn't care for: Greed needles Ed by suggesting Ed has never killed anyone before and thus doesn't have the guts to kill him.
In the Japanese, Ed completely side-steps the question without answering it: "What are you trying to say?"
In the English dub, he says "What's that got to do with it?", thereby giving the false impression that Edward thinks he hasn't killed anyone before.
EDIT: I loved these eps because it's just one more way in which Ed is so. damn. cool. (Though Greed is also, of course, extremely cool. Greed's like cool in a bottle. With leather pants.) And not shonenized. When Greed is doing the "I haven't lost yet!" determination thing, Ed's cool as a cucumber, saying "This is over, I've already won, now let's talk like mature adults and I won't have to kill you." I've said it a million times but I love that for how much this is an action/adventure series, the main character is so atypical for anime action heroes. He's an intellectual, for one thing. But he's also got mad ninja fighting skillz, but he does't seem them as L33T NINJA SKILZ, just as one more tool he has at his dispence. Sure he can be brash in a fight, but it's almost always played in moments of comic effect, not serious moments. For an anime teenage male action/adventure protagonist, Ed is remarkably cool-headed in most of his battles, and the moments where he's not are usually so emotionally charged that you can't expect a normal person not to overreact. But you feel like Ed spends his battles constantly assessing his opponent.
For all the hype Greed creates, once it's down to a real uninterrupted battle, where there are no hostages or distractions, it only takes Ed a few minutes to re-evaluate everything he's already learned about Greed from two meetings, and come up with the trick to beat him, beat a homunculous.
I wish all the protagonists in my favorite anime series could win by being the smartest cookie in the class instead of just the "bravest with the purest heart." Having a pure heart wouldn't save you if Edward Elric decided to come after you.
I don't squee about this show enough. Which is weird because I still squee a LOT about it.
EDIT #2: being the bravest and purest of heart would save Naruto, but only after Ed caught him and strung him up in a trap and learned by talking to him that he was pure of heart and thus should be let got after which Ed and Naruto would never really fight anyway, methinks.
The only thing that confuses me: I thought there was a mention of Majahal in this episode? The guy Ed accidentally killed in episode 4. But I rewatched this episode in dub and sub and couldn't find any mention. Maybe it's later? I was *sure* there was a mention of it.
One major change in the dub of episode 33 that has to do with this, that I didn't care for: Greed needles Ed by suggesting Ed has never killed anyone before and thus doesn't have the guts to kill him.
In the Japanese, Ed completely side-steps the question without answering it: "What are you trying to say?"
In the English dub, he says "What's that got to do with it?", thereby giving the false impression that Edward thinks he hasn't killed anyone before.
EDIT: I loved these eps because it's just one more way in which Ed is so. damn. cool. (Though Greed is also, of course, extremely cool. Greed's like cool in a bottle. With leather pants.) And not shonenized. When Greed is doing the "I haven't lost yet!" determination thing, Ed's cool as a cucumber, saying "This is over, I've already won, now let's talk like mature adults and I won't have to kill you." I've said it a million times but I love that for how much this is an action/adventure series, the main character is so atypical for anime action heroes. He's an intellectual, for one thing. But he's also got mad ninja fighting skillz, but he does't seem them as L33T NINJA SKILZ, just as one more tool he has at his dispence. Sure he can be brash in a fight, but it's almost always played in moments of comic effect, not serious moments. For an anime teenage male action/adventure protagonist, Ed is remarkably cool-headed in most of his battles, and the moments where he's not are usually so emotionally charged that you can't expect a normal person not to overreact. But you feel like Ed spends his battles constantly assessing his opponent.
For all the hype Greed creates, once it's down to a real uninterrupted battle, where there are no hostages or distractions, it only takes Ed a few minutes to re-evaluate everything he's already learned about Greed from two meetings, and come up with the trick to beat him, beat a homunculous.
I wish all the protagonists in my favorite anime series could win by being the smartest cookie in the class instead of just the "bravest with the purest heart." Having a pure heart wouldn't save you if Edward Elric decided to come after you.
I don't squee about this show enough. Which is weird because I still squee a LOT about it.
EDIT #2: being the bravest and purest of heart would save Naruto, but only after Ed caught him and strung him up in a trap and learned by talking to him that he was pure of heart and thus should be let got after which Ed and Naruto would never really fight anyway, methinks.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-10 11:26 pm (UTC)Oh that's great!
Ed is sometimes a bit too cocky for me, but you're right - it is a thinking show as much as it is action. Which is why I love it so.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-11 03:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-11 03:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-11 04:08 am (UTC)Naruto dub has so far been a large disappointment for me. Kakashi's voice was pretty good and so was Sasuke's, but Iruka's I hated, the Third's I hated, and Sakura and Naruto I wasn't really into after repeated watchings. And I really don't like the translations or the acting much. Except Kakashi. It is somehow fitting that in the mediocre dub he would still manage to be the coolest cat around.
Samurai Champloo is an alright dub, in my opinion. I love the translation/script writing, and I love Jin's voice. Fuu's alright, and Mugen... is barely passable. Not because he sounds bad or because the acting is bad, but because he was miscast. It should have gone to someone who could sound ruder, meaner, and more insane. Mugen is insane, but his dub VA does not make him sound insane. He just makes him obnoxious. The crazy-stupid-pirate-thug-gruffness isn't realy there as much as it should be. And I weep for episodes to come-- I know that in the few serious moments he's not going to sound like Mugen, he's going to sound like Spike.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-11 05:49 am (UTC)