Do you think that the gap between the Japanese and US episodes is too big?

[Queen Cynthia]

Dear friends of the American DUB episodes!


The following question has been on my mind for quite a while now and gradually it is really troubling me:

Don't you also think that the gap between the Japanese and the US episodes is far too big?

To be honest, a difference of more than 20 episode is quite considerable and too big in my view.


Let me explain why:

Although people like me try hard to avoid spoilers from Japan, you simply can't ingnore them entirely in the end, because there's just too much information at the different fansites which you can't overlook.
So, watchers of the US episodes are almost tempted to check the latest news from the "land of the rising sun" and can't simply disregard it. ( I dare say they can't help staying informed)

That wouldn't be a problem if the difference between Japan and the USA were only 10 episodes at the most, but 21 somehow destroy a bit of the anticipation and excitement of the DUB watchers, if you ask me. And that's what saddens me more and more, as I'm just not able to cope with that fact :bawling:

And perhaps, it'll get even worse, if Pokemon USA decides to make a break after season 11. In this case the gap between both countries would even increase!

Now, I'd like to hear your opinion!
Should Pokemon USA speed up or should Japan slow down? Or are you content with the present situation? Is there a need to be worried at all?

 

[Dogasu]

Twenty episodes is nothing. That's not even half a year.

Japanese shows don't just dub themselves, y'know.

 

[Neko Godot]

Considering most viewers only watch the dub and prolly don't even bother reading about the Japanese spoilers, I'd find it silly for PUSA to close the gap between episodes for just the more than likely tiny portion of the fanbase that keeps up with the Japanese show.

 

[AtoMan]

I doubt that's the reason. They just do it because they can.

 

[Musashi]

I've been an anime fan since Sailor Moon came to America all those years ago. To me, 20 episodes is nothing. It reminds me of how lucky Digimon fans were that we got the show dubbed so quickly.

But, when I was younger the internet wasn't as big a thing as it is now, so it is much easier to get spoiled if you don't want to. But I think the 20 episode gap is just fine and there's no real reason to speed up.

 

[oddball walking]

This is nothing Naruto is way behind, even though I watch both 'versions' the gap doesn't bother me, If the episode was fresh in my mind it would be like watching a repeat the day after (If you get what I mean).

Also how would you close the gap on a weekly program?

 

[Queen Cynthia]

That's not even half a year.

That's the point!
We have to wait about 5 months until we finally get to watch the DUB. I'm no expert, but I neverthless doubt that translating takes SO long. Even if they only managed to translate one episode a week, it would be fine.
You consider 5 months as nothing? Well, I think it's a terribly long time :-|

 

[Duckgon Z]

Yeah, like other people said, this 20 episode gap is nothing compared to previous gaps of like, 50 or so episodes. Mixing, recording, all that stuff, takes a little longer than a week. Then there's other things like post production, music insertion/deletion, voice actor schedules, stuff like that. The master copy of the episodes also might take a while to get to America, since it's by snail mail.

And remember, even though they're translators, they're just translators. They have to go back and make sure that they get most of the script as accurate as possible.

 

[dman_dustin]

It wasn't until Munchlax that I really started to spoil myself about all things Pokemon (well just the games and anime). Personally I don't mind, it's not like we have to wait long.

Five months really isn't that long, I can still remember when the summer school arc was announced, with the magazine images. And how Monferno could be Ash's. So I'm not that bothered by the 20 episode gap.

I honestly think that's better than if we were really close to the Japanese episodes. Because there might be a time where we have to slow down just to allow the Japanese to air their episodes because they don't air every single week of the year. The Japanese do take breaks.

Just be glad we're not that far behind. I mean we're really close to Hearthome gym, and that was only a month or two ago.

 

[Jukain]

If you're arguing because you're being spoiled, then you're going to be spoiled anyway since these eps originally air in Japan, and therefore we are going to hear about from them before anyone else. You can't win. I like this gap because it allows me time to forget the subtleties of the eps before they get to us and I can react to it with a fresh impression. True, I still know what happens, but I don't know the details. This gap is more than satisfactory. I think it's perfect, and if we get closer, that's just gravy.

 

[Snake Bandage]

My god, what's with kids these days? A gap of 20 episodes is "too much"? Didn't you Americans use to have gaps of about 50 episodes when 4Kids was still dubbing the show?

Wonder what you think of the 50-something episodes gap we have in Israel right now. We were always about 100 episodes behind Japan! Do you know how amazing 50 is?!

Jeez, I'd expect this behavior from a spoiled brat.

 

[PDL]

If anything, the 20 episode gap we have currently is too small.

Not that I'm complaining... but still, it's nothing compared to the 50 episode gaps the anime used to have.

 

[ShinyAeon]

...We have to wait about 5 months until we finally get to watch the DUB. I'm no expert, but I neverthless doubt that translating takes SO long.

How many scripts have you translated? Have ever worked in a recording studio? Laid a soundtrack? Done any professional editing? Do you have ANY idea of how much work is involved in something like that?

Obviously not. Sheesh.

 

[Lil Brother]

I'm trying to remember: when exactly did the U.S. suddenly jump from being 50 episodes behind to 20 episdoes behind, anyway? I know it was after the switch to Cartoon Network, but can't remember when exactly. Was it when they spammed the second half or so of BF over a few weeks?

Anyway, yeah, it's nothing short of amazing that they manage to put out a quality dub (music and opening/ending issues aside) in such a short amount of time. I'm just hoping we won't have to suffer any huge breaks in the future. CN thankfully seems to be sticking to a one-episode-per-week schedule for the last several months, though.

 

[Cybersai]

I'm trying to remember: when exactly did the U.S. suddenly jump from being 50 episodes behind to 20 episdoes behind, anyway? I know it was after the switch to Cartoon Network, but can't remember when exactly. Was it when they spammed the second half or so of BF over a few weeks?

BF started in September 2006 and was rushed with DP starting in April 2007.

 

[Duckgon Z]

I'm trying to remember: when exactly did the U.S. suddenly jump from being 50 episodes behind to 20 episdoes behind, anyway? I know it was after the switch to Cartoon Network, but can't remember when exactly. Was it when they spammed the second half or so of BF over a few weeks?

There was "speeding" through the Battle Frontier, but it really picked up when Cartoon Network went through the first 24 episodes of DP in a month. So when DP in America was on the terrible cake making Raichu episode, DP in Japan had Cynthia, a mere 16 episode difference.

 

[Lethal Carnivine]

If you're arguing because you're being spoiled, then you're going to be spoiled anyway since these eps originally air in Japan, and therefore we are going to hear about from them before anyone else. You can't win. I like this gap because it allows me time to forget the subtleties of the eps before they get to us and I can react to it with a fresh impression. True, I still know what happens, but I don't know the details. This gap is more than satisfactory. I think it's perfect, and if we get closer, that's just gravy.

Basically what you said. I could watch a Japanese episode and say 'Wow the animation is pretty/sucks/God-Takada-awful and listen to some of the music. But since I don't speak Japanese, I really wouldn't understand some of the plot points which is just fine to me. I'm quite happy at the pace we are at now. And like others say, I'm sure it takes a long time to dub these episodes completely. Besides, if you know a thread might have spoilers, then just. Don't. Read. It.

And reall, quality or quantity?

 

[domesticshorthair]

Well, I don't think Japan should slow down. They're doing great. If they slowed down, we might get less episodes!

 

[Lil Brother]

There was "speeding" through the Battle Frontier, but it really picked up when Cartoon Network went through the first 24 episodes of DP in a month. So when DP in America was on the terrible cake making Raichu episode, DP in Japan had Cynthia, a mere 16 episode difference.

Ah, totally forgot about that.

 

[PAK Man]

Does anybody here remember the year 2000? Well, that was the year the Pokémon anime hit its peak, and KidsWB! was airing multiple episodes every weekend. I can remember they aired Fit To Be Tide/Pikachu Re-Volts/The Crystal Onix and Stack Attack/A Shipful of Shivers/Meowth Rules all on one weekend alone. Everybody loved it.

Then, a little thing called the season package ended. All 52 episodes ordered by KidsWB! had been aired. They had not yet ordered the next set, and they were stuck with reruns for months. Why do you think so many people stopped watching the anime? I can say for certain that at least one person did. He LOVED the anime before they ran out of episodes. By the time Johto rolled around, he couldn't care less about the anime. I stuck with it because I had the Internet and knew there were a bunch of exciting changes coming up.

So, to answer your question, no, the gap between episodes is not too big. You have to realize that the show was never meant to be caught up with the Japanese episodes. The producers of the show don't ship episodes out one-by-one. Once the dubbers receive an episode, they have to translate it, adapt it for an American audience, record the voices, edit the voices, set the music, and then send it out to all the affiliates. The show has enough on its platter as it is. If anything, the show should do what KidsWB did in 2003, and air all the episodes one at a time. The one time they did that, they actually had one new episode per week for the entire year. By the time their package was done, the new season was all ready to go.

If you want the new episodes quicker, then you're going to have to put up with long gaps without any new episodes.