[FANDUB] The First 'Unbiased' Review ;)
Brad Lascelle
--
Okay... you've been sitting on the fence on this whole fandub
thing that seems to have stretched out longer than the O.J. Simpson
trial, and you've heard that the first tape featuring SMS Episodes
90 through 93 has finally been shipped off to distributors after 17
long months.
You stumble across glowing reviews from Jen and Mike on how the
fandub has turned out to be the best thing since sliced bread, but you
have second thoughts due to the fact that they've actually had
somewhat of a direct involvement with the project.
On the other hand, you see that cranky Xplo spitting venom that
such a project shouldn't even exist or be considered seriously and
that fandubs are just nightmarish monstrosities with third-rate
editing and voice actors who aren't fit to grace a Mentos commercial.
Stuck sitting on the fence and wondering whether or not this
thing is worth splurging on to enjoy or burn in effigy?
Well, look no further... what follows is the long-awaited
follow-up to my preview analysis from way back in December 1996 and
the ONLY unbiased take on the fandub around. So sit back, grab some
pop tarts, and read on...
======================================================================
THE OPENING SEQUENCE (quoted segments include previously stated
-------------------- comments from Jen Wand <epo...@ccs.neu.edu>
and Mike `Ultrace` <ult...@aol.com>)
Jen: I was blown away by the first opening sequence. It's the US
theme but with a whole new animation sequence with footage
from S... it looks *great.*
Mike: The openings: Very nice. Each one has a different song, as
Jen mentioned; the first is the DiC version [although sped up
just a tad], the second the original S Moon Lips Moonlight
Densetsu, the third the pair of girls singing and the fourth,
the "Peach Hips" version of Moonlight Densetsu, which many
have not heard.
* * *
This is actually one of the more technically impressive
elements of the overall fandub package. The initial modified SMS OP
sequence set to that tedious North American theme jingle from DIC
actually needs to be seen to be believed. It's rather jaw-dropping
and was a clever intro for the fandub package... in somewhat of a
'dazzle them so they'll ignore the glitches which follow' sort of way.
Truthfully, if DIC ever got around to dubbing SMS officially,
this would likely top any kind of opening they'd throw together on the
fly for the new run... although anyone who's been paying attention
knows full well that DIC would simply rehash the existing OP to save
cash and let Queen Beryl live through that OP until they bring out
their half-assed 'Meet The Deedles' sequel featuring Geena Davis in
the year 2017. ;)
The other OP sequences don't need much commentary... except for
the 3rd OP with the sung translated version of 'Moonlight Densetsu',
courtesy of Stephanie and Melissa Johnson. It only sounded average in
my books... probably as much due to some ineffective audio
accompaniment and shoddy recording as much as any inadequacy on the
singers' part.
Then again, I'm rather fussy about translated Japanese songs.
The only one that's ever struck me as exceptional that I've run across
would be the modified version of the OP theme from Key The Metal Idol
from Viz.
======================================================================
THE SCRIPTWORK
--------------
I'm not going to rehash many of my earlier comments here. The
scripting is the strongest point of the fandub and where it truly
shines ahead of DIC's adaptation.
That really shouldn't be much of a surprise given that Mark
Sprague didn't have a mere 8 hours to write each episode in... along
with scene edits to account for... a sub-par dubbing system that
handicaps dialogue with stringent dependence on on-screen animation...
along with the standard supply of DICified retooling. He also had
decent translations to work with and a vivid understanding and
appreciation of the series to fall back on.
As such, the scripts SHOULD be worlds beyond Lisa Lumby's
concoctions... and for the most part they don't disappoint. Kudos to
Mark, Crystal, Jen, and Nikki who did a fine job in this department.
======================================================================
SOUND QUALITY & SCORING
-----------------------
Despite the amount of time undertaken for this project, I'd sum
up the overall audio quality with one word: inconsistent.
The audio has moments where it truly shines and moments where
it falls flat on its face... although, the problem spots generally
seemed to diminish with each progressive episode.
Episode 90, in particular, had a number of instances where the
dialogue was accompanied by 'dead air'... where scoring obviously was
included in the original but was either immeasurably faint or
completely non-existent in the fandub.
That's a nasty little predicament and not an entirely
unexpected one considering that Mark didn't have all of the audio
instrumental tracks at his disposal.
He actually gets a little clever in some of the later episodes
plugging up these gaps with OTHER scoring tracks from SM to fill in
the blanks, but I can't help but feel this detracts from the
experience of an authentic port of an episode... although, it is still
a refreshing change of pace to enjoy a dub which actually incorporates
any of the original music at all. I guess I shouldn't gripe too much.
Mark also has a habit of inserting creative sound effects from
other series and walks of life into certain fandub scenes. Of course,
these are included more as in-jokes and easter eggs for fandub
listeners to discover and don't particularly bother me. That doesn't
mean I want to hear a Nelson Muntz 'ha ha' laugh in a future
episode. Just so long as they're kept brief and subtle, I won't mind.
As for the quality of the dialogue itself... well, it still has
some problems to overcome due to the unfortunate lack of mike
synchronization that is a recurring problem for any kind of fandub
project. Poor Allison Skwarlo sounded like she was trapped in a
bottle voicing Mina for the first two episodes.
Other inconsistencies aren't as glaring, however it's
admittedly somewhat of a jarring experience watching a one-on-one
conversation on-screen when it sounds like the characters are on
opposite ends of the planet.
======================================================================
THE CAST
--------
Time for the moment of reckoning... how do each of the vocal
performances stack up? Well, let's tackle each of the regular
characters one by one...
* * *
-- SAILOR MOON / SERENA --
Voiced By Jennifer Wand
Mike: Bingo. This voice, while not matching the DiC version, is
pretty darn close, and it takes little time to grow on you.
Jen's performance starts out fairly strong and gets better as
it goes on.
Let's not cut any corners here... Jen is the true shining light
of this cast and exudes a tremendous amount of talent and heart into
her role. She takes a character that has been voiced so tremendously
in the past by Mitsuishi Kotono and Terri Hawkes, gives it her own
personal spin, and comes away smelling like a rose.
For those of you who've missed out on the opportunity to catch
an earlier fandub preview or some of her recorded lines which have
made the rounds on the web, her delivery mirrors Terri while her pitch
and tone are closer to Kotono. Combined together you wind up with a
voice that approximates Tracey Moore which has a more natural flair
and endearment that really brings the character to life.
RATING: A
* * *
-- SAILOR MERCURY / AMY --
Voiced By Jennifer Wand (Episodes 90-91)
Dana Krawchuk (Episodes 92-93)
Jen: Please, please, forgive my Ami, I did it at the last minute &
didn't really get a chance to work on it.
Mike: Hmmm. Well, going into it, I figured Amy would be the hardest
of the girls to recreate, and that was true here. While the
voice in some instances sounds like the DiC Amy, it comes
across wooden most of the time.
Well, that chipmunk on helium voice of Mark's has finally been
done away with (predominantly due to my initial review of the fandub),
although I've gotten the impression that the casting for this role is
still in a great deal of flux.
Not to accuse Jen of being a one-hit wonder, but she doesn't
exactly have the range in performances that Mark does, and it
certainly shows. It did seem like a rushed lifeless last minute
performance in the first two episodes, and it's just torture to have
Jen's voice restrained in any way. She's a phenomenal Serena... but
her Amy could have used some polishing.
Jen: The new Ami is good, but she doesn't really get a chance to
shine.
Dana took over the reigns of the character in Episode 92, and I
pretty much have to echo Jen's comments. She came across as less
wooden and appeared quite comfortable with the role, however she
didn't exactly have any areas where she radiated brilliance.
It would be interesting to see how she'd tackle the range of
emotions for Amy in Episode 97, however it's quite possible this role
will have yet another VA when and if that episode ever materializes in
a fandubbed capacity.
RATING: C- for Jennifer Wand
B- for Dana Krawchuk
* * *
-- SAILOR MARS / RAYE --
Voiced By Carlen Lavigne
Jen: Rei's really improved her chanting, & I believe her ten times
more now.
Mike: Nicely done. She actually sounds considerably like Raye in the
DiC series, with the exception that she never seems to carry
nearly as much anger in her voice [especially when conflicting
with Serena]. A good match.
A conscious departure from DIC's take on the character towards
a deeper tone and pitch that borrows more from Tomizawa Michie's
performance than those of Katie Griffin or fandubber wannabe Emilie
Barlow. The delivery was closer to Katie's, however, and the
intensity of her voicework translated well to Episode 90... certainly
a difficult episode to jump out of the blocks with.
A convincing performance that might appeal to purists and turn
off dub fans who are used to Katie's vibrant high-pitched sarcasm.
Of course there are numerous inconsistencies in the area of dub
reliance throughout the fandub... certain performances (like Luna, for
instance) are deliberately imitated whereas others are consciously
avoided.
One more quick comment. Carlen's screaming as Raye had her
heart crystal removed seemed more akin to something out of a cheesy
1980s horror flick than something out of a cartoon. More convincing,
yes... a little overdone perhaps, too. ^_^;
RATING: B+
* * *
-- SAILOR JUPITER / LITA --
Voiced By Carlen Lavigne
Mike: Also well done. Some people will, no doubt, complain that her
voice is far too low, and indeed it does go lower than Susan
Roman's, but at the same time it fits the character like a
glove, and even Susan sometimes sounded like a full-blown
adult ["Nothing like the direct approach!" for example.]
The reason why this works is that even though the voice is as
low as Erica/Uranus' voice, in this case it is clearly
feminine, whereas the other is purposely androgenous.
Mike makes an interesting justification regarding the
suitability of Lita's fandub voice, however I didn't have any problem
with the fact that it was deep.
My complaints stem from the fact that the delivery that Carlen
used for the character is so close to the one she used for Raye that
it's quite often difficult to tell the two apart from one another. I
can detect some subtle differences in the way she stated dialogue for
the two characters... but they're far too subtle.
I know that some people have trouble telling Tomizawa Michie
and Shinohara Emi apart, but at least there you've got two different
seiyuus and their deliveries have enough distinctiveness to set them
apart. That's not exactly the case with the fandub.
Maybe with a full-scale episode like Episode 96, Carlen will be
able to take the time to distinguish her roles a little better. If
she plans on carrying on both roles for future fandub adaptations, I'd
stress that as a priority.
RATING: C
* * *
-- SAILOR VENUS / MINA --
Voiced By Allison Rose Skwarlo
Jen: The new Mina works too; I had a bit of trouble getting used to
her because I had seen the preview so many times, but she and
I echo each other well (in RL too... the actress is *such* a
kick, I adore her!!) and she's definitely a departure from
Potted Plant Morgenstern, whom I adore just for the halibut
(and because she's pretty.)
Mike: Alright, I admit it, I miss the other Mina, the one from the
preview. It has nothing to do with the actual VA [both of them
did splendid jobs!], but the way the character was written;
the almost-full-blown valley girl Mina of the preview came as
close to capturing the wacky nature of Minako as one can in
English, I think.
But I can see why this idea was abandoned--it doesn't mesh
with the DiCverse at all. However, the final incarnation of
Mina does capture more life than the potted-plant Mina of
yore, and makes some good use of her mood swaps.
Minakochanians should do everything in their power to acquire
a copy of Episode 3, if nothing else. This Mina can really
grow on you--she's actually superior to DiC's, except for the
hollow-effect left from her line recordings.
Okay, that should be plenty enough quoted material for you to
digest. Minako is my fave character and it so happens that Mina had
my fave North American VA (namely Stephanie Morgenstern), so that's a
lot of ammo to stack up against.
However, once getting freed from that bottle she was stuck in
for the first two episodes, Allison delivers splendidly with her
performance in Episode 92 with a natural ditziness and charm that
really suits the character and complements Jennifer Wand's voice for
their tandem bits marvelously well.
I can't see how Mike actually enjoyed that stereotypical blonde
bombshell delivery from the original fandub preview myself... which
was straight out of Clueless or Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Minako-chan
deserves plenty better than that, and Ali was more than up to the
task.
Of course she had a great script and a landmark episode to make
a great first impression with. The 'potted plant' Mina image that has
been forever ingrained into people thanks to someone who shall remain
nameless was more a fault of the dialogue and the less-ditzy pre-SMS
Mina fare than Stephanie Morgenstern.
It would have been fun to see her tackle this episode but Ali
does a pretty admirable job in her absence. Let's just hope her mike
equipment holds out down the road. ^_^;
RATING: A-
* * *
-- SAILOR URANUS / ERICA --
Voiced By Nikki Purvis
Jen: Erica is more subtle than her earlier performance in the
preview, and she *still* works.
Mike: Okay, warning, I'm biased here, but nonetheless this voice,
like Lita's, fit the character perfectly. Her voice was strong
enough for a man, yet made for a woman. [Sorry, couldn't
resist!] Her best bits, oddly enough, aren't in yelling or
attacking parts, but in the little snippets where that
superior or sarcastic tone pours through.
Despite the criticisms that have flooded forth regarding this
bit of casting over recent months, I'm actually warming to Nikki's
performance. I'm still not crazy about the name selection, though...
not that I'm terribly fond of what Irwin chose to call Haruka, either.
Whether you like the tone of voice or not (and I'll admit it
does take some getting used to), Nikki's delivery and acting ability
is as exemplary as anyone else in this cast. She has tremendous
composure, inflection, and comes through just as confidently when
she's cockily leading on Mina in Episode 92 as she does in the face of
battle.
Furthermore, despite the complaints, I can't see any other tone
of voice or delivery approach suiting the character this well in an
English format.
I'd say that the vast number of people who accused Mark of
casting a male VA for the role when the first preview tape headed out
back in 1996 simply reasserts how well Nikki has been able to carry
herself and yet maintain the aspect of 'gender ambiguity' that is such
a key plot point for Episode 92 to be played out effectively.
I can't see DIC handling a possible conversion just as well...
and sure, she's no Ogata Megumi but then what English VA is.
RATING: A-
* * *
-- SAILOR NEPTUNE / MICHELLE --
Voiced By Crystal Kearns
Jen: I think Michelle needs some work. I understand completely the
effect they were going for, but it wasn't right. I know
Mark's attached to the VA, but I'm not sure she's right for
this project. Gomen ne, Crystal-san...
Mike: With a surprisingly good contrast to Erica's sharp-edged tone,
the VA for Michelle captures that soft, yet definitely
dangerous feel. The actual volume on this voice seemed a bit
too low, though. I found myself not-quite-straining to hear it
while the others came through easily. Maybe it's just me...
While Crystal no longer sounds so much like a full-time chain
smoker as she did in the preview tape, it's still not exactly a
delivery that works.
I've gotten the impression she was shooting for something
similar to the infamous Jessica Rabbit voice that Kathleen Turner
punched out back in the late 1980s, or at least a similar kind of
effect. Unfortunately, Michelle just comes across as flat, wispy, and
emotionless (and Neptune's not much better). ^_^;
There's nothing wrong with a sultry, wispy voice... however,
like every other kind of delivery, it needs to have an emotional core
to it that brings the character to life on screen. Crystal doesn't
have that just yet.
From other audio samples I've heard, I'd tend to think that
Sasha Arnkoff's phone sex operator voice would suit the character
somewhat better. ^_^;
RATING: D+
* * *
-- TUXEDO MASK / DARIEN, PROFESSOR CHRONOS, KAOLINITE, LUNA, ARTEMIS --
*ALL* Voiced By Mark Sprague
Jen: Who or what ever happened to Darien, I approve. Nice
voice :-) Also, LOL moments with the Professor & Kaolinite...
he's sooooo good.
Mike: Darian/Cape-Boy: The only problem here is that the voice is
too gritty and old sounding. The actual acting is done very
well, even down to the cheesy speeches, which live up to the
great [?]tradition DiC set.
Luna & Artemis: Perfect. Short of getting the DiC VAs to do
these parts, you couldn't get any closer.
Professor Chronos: We've seen the clips on the page, and
nothing's changed, this voice still packs the punch, panache
and humor it did before. If you liked it then, you'll like it
now. If you hated it, there's nothing new to change your mind.
Kaolinite: Her voice is less "mechanical" than it was before,
but is otherwise fairly unchanged. She definitely sounds like
a woman now, and a very soft-voiced one at that.
Time to embark on the cavalcade of voices from the originator
of the fandub concept (at least where serious fandubs are concerned).
In my opinion, Mark's shortcomings at delivering a fandub
product to the public over such a long timeframe are counterbalanced
by his undeniable aptitude at handling voicework.
For starters, he's got five regular roles already in his
production which range from adequate (Artemis) to exemplary (Professor
Chronos). He's also quite good in the area of providing voices which
merit a doubletake when you find out who's voicing them... namely
Kaolinite and Luna. Even his Darien is fairly decent... or at least
no longer hindered by the delivery problems that plagued Vince Corazza
in the official dub's final production run.
Ultimately, Mark's strengths lie in the very area that Vince
had problems with. Vince's roles had a tendency of sounding the same.
One could make a similar claim about Carlen in the fandub. Mark has a
natural talent to disguise his voice in a number of clever ways to
diversify his performance. Then again, I suppose that's easier to do
when you're actually producing the darn thing. ^_^;
I suppose it's a good thing that Mark is so good at
diversifying his range and delivery as there is an absence of good
quality male fandub VAs out there. If these projects continue to
trickle out (even if it is once in a blue moon), here's hoping a
stronger contingent of male VAs emerges.
RATING: A+ (Professor Chronos)
B+ (Kaolinite)
B (Luna, Artemis, Darien)
* * *
-- EVERYONE ELSE --
Speaking of having an absence of good quality male fandub VAs,
that John Manna character who voiced Andrew in Episode 92 stunk up the
house, if I do say so myself. Could he sound any more lethargic and
disinterested? I mean, c'mon... ^_^;
RATING: F
On a contrasting note, Laura Vasilion did a terrific job
voicing Monica in Episode 91, and I look forward to hearing more
miscellaneous work from her in future productions.
RATING: B+
Finally, did Mark kidnap Steve Bednarski to voice Sparky in
Episode 92? Talk about sounding exactly like Chad. At least you
won't have to worry about anyone to voice him in Episode 99. ^_^;
======================================================================
THE ENDING SEQUENCE
-------------------
Jen: All 4 episodes have Tuxedo Mirage at the end with the original
animation sequence: twice in Japanese and twice in English
(me). I'm not gonna review myself ^_^
Tuxedo Mirage... one of the best songs in all of Sailor Moon
lore and one of the very few (outside of Moon Revenge and some
Christmas carols) which has been sung by the entire quintet of Inner
seiyuu.
That being said, I will take the liberty of reviewing Jen by
stating that she's actually quite good. She's no Celine Dion, but she
can carry the tune pretty nicely given the lack of professional
recording equipment she has at her disposal and 'Tuxedo Mirage'
doesn't sound all that bad in English.
It still loses a lot of magic in the translation, though... and
the absence of a full chorus certainly detracts from it. But then, we
get to enjoy that version on the fandub tape as well, so there's no
reason to gripe too much. :)
Those of you who pick up a copy of the fandub should take a few
minutes to check out the credits as well... they're rather amusing.
======================================================================
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
-------------------
As a whole, it's safe to say that this fandub (or any fandub
for that matter) isn't up everyone's alley. It's for those of you who
have seen the dub, experienced the original, and are interested in
seeing another spin on one of your favorite storylines.
It is NOT a presentation that should be considered as a
replacement or even an alternative to seeing the real deal on screen.
For those of you who have yet to experience SMS in all its glory,
track down some of Val Lam's fansubs before picking up the fandub. It
IS Sailor Moon at its finest and the best of the show's five seasons.
That being said, the fandub is certainly watchable and didn't
even cause my stomach to turn somersaults as the laughable 'Follow The
Leader' episode DIC churned out for the dub did.
So, if you've got a blank tape lying around and are somewhat
curious about it, it can't hurt to give the fandub a looksee. Just
don't make the mistake of ordering a tape PRIOR to its release again,
and you'll be fine. ^_^;
______________________________________________________________________
__ _ |
/_> / | Anime Express '98 {Daytona Beach, Florida}
/_>rad /__ascelle | Friday, March 27th - Sunday, March 29th
<pa...@journalist.com> | GUESTS: Stephen Bennett & Scott Frazier
UIN#: 3724914 | URL - america.com/~nikon/ae98/
Ultrace
Some "biased" comments on the latest fandub review.
Brad Lascelle <pa...@journalist.com> spake, but the law spake not:
> You stumble across glowing reviews from Jen and Mike on how the
> fandub has turned out to be the best thing since sliced bread, but you
> have second thoughts due to the fact that they've actually had
> somewhat of a direct involvement with the project.
While Jen is admittedly the star of the fandub, allow me to clarify
for those watching at home what "direct involvement" is in my case. I
auditioned for the part of Andrew in episode 3, was not accepted as
such, and was subsequently chucked from the voice staff. No
involvement there, really. Heck, if I had any sort of a bias on that front,
it would be a negative one, right? :)
I am the boyfriend of Erica/Uranus' VA, but then, I admitted bias to
this voice from the start. I really don't know any of the other VAs. Yeah,
I did meet Mark briefly at A-Kon, but I'm not the only one saying he does
a marvelous job.
Finally, I copy tapes to be sent out. Yup, I am 2nd-in-command of
the southeast distribution division's tape-copying center. I don't even
address envelopes, just copy the tapes. This has no impact on my
opinion of voices or the dub...
> THE SCRIPTWORK
> --------------
> I'm not going to rehash many of my earlier comments here. The
> scripting is the strongest point of the fandub and where it truly
> shines ahead of DIC's adaptation.
> That really shouldn't be much of a surprise given that Mark
> Sprague didn't have a mere 8 hours to write each episode in... along
> with scene edits to account for... a sub-par dubbing system that
> handicaps dialogue with stringent dependence on on-screen animation...
> along with the standard supply of DICified retooling. He also had
> decent translations to work with and a vivid understanding and
> appreciation of the series to fall back on.
> As such, the scripts SHOULD be worlds beyond Lisa Lumby's
> concoctions... and for the most part they don't disappoint. Kudos to
> Mark, Crystal, Jen, and Nikki who did a fine job in this department.
You give praise, yet say it's to be expected, and take the strides
almost for granted here. That's like saying, "Last year's `Titanic' was an
epic movie, but considering they went over budget by 100 million and
delayed the release schedule by half a year, it damn well should have
been an epic movie.' Again, I say that the plain fact is that the fandub
has better scriptwork [both in dialogue and lack of cuts] than the DiC
version; whether DiC shot themselves in the foot just because they look
better in red is a little beside the point. I'm not demanding everyone
cheer and applaud the efforts, but if the product put forth is superior
to DiC's, don't defend DiC in response.
On a different note altogether, allow me to retract a statement from
my earlier review. When I said that there was a glaring error about the
girls asking about "that woman" (Kaolinite) it turns out that Raye did
indeed see her and even spoke to her, so this part of the scripting was
quite accurate. Sigh. Good old eyes of an eagle, me.
> THE CAST
> --------
> -- SAILOR VENUS / MINA --
> Voiced By Allison Rose Skwarlo
>
> Mike: Alright, I admit it, I miss the other Mina, the one from the
> preview. It has nothing to do with the actual VA [both of them
> did splendid jobs!], but the way the character was written;
> the almost-full-blown valley girl Mina of the preview came as
> close to capturing the wacky nature of Minako as one can in
> English, I think.
<some snippage may have occurred during shipping>
> I can't see how Mike actually enjoyed that stereotypical blonde
> bombshell delivery from the original fandub preview myself... which
> was straight out of Clueless or Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Minako-chan
> deserves plenty better than that, and Ali was more than up to the
> task.
I have to admit that while Minako does deserve better than a mere
overblown valley-girl-ism, the only time it really showed was in the
third episode (the preview showed only the first and third episodes),
and, with that basis, I think of it this way. If I had only that third episode
in Japanese to base my belief of the character on, I'd say Minako would
deserve the valley-girl-ism pretty well. In that episode, she's a lovestruck,
egotistical, put-upon psychopath. I would assume that in "normal"
episodes she would lose most of the influence and become more like
the Minako of episode 4/93. So, to rephrase, no, I wouldn't want Mina to
run around like that all the time, but I think that instances where she
lapses into "looney" mode would suit it well. But then we're loaded with
inconsistency. Oh, well.
-------
> -- EVERYONE ELSE --
>
> On a contrasting note, Laura Vasilion did a terrific job
> voicing Monica in Episode 91, and I look forward to hearing more
> miscellaneous work from her in future productions.
>
> RATING: B+
That's odd. It may have been the directing, but I feel that several
of her lines lacked the right inflection--or rather, lacked the right
amount of force, oomph. A perfect example is her "Who's there?"
when accosted by Darien and Serena. Even for one who hasn't seen
the original episode, the expression of the character's face tells that
there should be a stronger delivery. While I'm not particularly Laura,
I don't see how you can give all the miscellaneous actors an F, yet
hold hers up as standing out. Of course, all is opinions...
----------------
NEW!
There is one aspect that I failed to mention in my first review and
which either Brad overlooked or decided not to mention as well, and
that is: video editing. In at least four different instances [apart from
the opening], actual video footage was altered from the original scenes.
No cuts were made, but on-screen pictures were modified. Put your
minds at ease, each case consisted only of changing text, not hiding
panty shots or removing lines from transformations. Looking at them,
I am envious of Mark's ability to "blend" the alterations in. They are all
incredibly smooth and innocuous. Most people won't even notice them,
except that two of them give themselves away right off the bat [the names
of characters; the names, of course, differ from what they were in the
Japanese version, so anyone who knows that will know they were
changed for the dub.]
This is not something that adds any weight to the recommendation to
go out and purchase your fandub tape, but it is an indicator of one of
the "little things" that went into the fandub, I think.
That's all I have to say. For now, at least...
--------
Mike - Now when I go reviewing on my own fandub, THEN
I can be called biased. :)
Current SM Project: "Under My Umbrella" AMG!-R1/2-SM crossover.
My Homepage: http://members.aol.com/ultrace/darkside/darkside.htm
"My theme is semi-gloomy alternate timeline fanfiction! And romance also
fills my heart! An Otaku of love and dashing adventure, I am Kaitou Ace!"
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PowerTux
Brad Lascelle wrote:
<SNIP!>
> ======================================================================
> THE CAST
> --------
>
<SNIP!>
> I suppose it's a good thing that Mark is so good at
> diversifying his range and delivery as there is an absence of good
> quality male fandub VAs out there. If these projects continue to
> trickle out (even if it is once in a blue moon), here's hoping a
> stronger contingent of male VAs emerges.
>
> RATING: A+ (Professor Chronos)
> B+ (Kaolinite)
> B (Luna, Artemis, Darien)
>
*piku*
Did he just say they needed male VAs?
James
--
The Tuxedoed Power Surge
http://www.renc.igs.net/~jameshelferty
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"You can't read Jawa script."
-- ZERO, OW-871