How do you feel about the dialogue in the Anime?

Iteru

Iteru

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Just as the title says, how do you feel about the dialogue in the Anime? Does it interest you or bore you? Funny or groan worthy? Is one version's dialogue better in your opinion? Is TCPI's dialogue worse than 4Kids?
 
Dub-wise, both company's dialogues are pretty bad. Some dialogue isn't terrible, yet the voice actor's delivery of the dialogue is what makes it so cringe-worthy.
 
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TPCI tend to do a better job then 4Kid's ever did, but like stated above it depends a lot on the voice actors, I don't find the current season of Pokemon to be that bad dialogue wise, the only think I'm not keen on is Cilan's voice actor as he played Sonic in the Sonic X dubs.
 
The only thing that gets on my nerves about the dialogue is when they're too repetitive or try to "dumb it down" for the kids. I can think of no better example than when Ash gets his first glimpse of a Tepig.
Ash: Awesome! So you're called a Tepig!
Tepig sneezes embers
Ash: That's a Fire-type, all right! Nice and fiery!
 
I won't lie, the 4Kids version of the show certainly provided me with a decent amount of laughs. Whoever the writers were, they were definately capable of producing some funny dialogue. Granted, sometimes it could get a bit groan-worthy, but it was rarely to the extent where it'd render the show unwatchable.

To be perfectly honest, I don't mind certain dialogue rewrites if they don't intrude on anything, ie. they're true to the characters and don't muddle around with facts that could bite them in the arse later on.


TPrower said:
Ash: Awesome! So you're called a Tepig!
Tepig sneezes embers
Ash: That's a Fire-type, all right! Nice and fiery!
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Hmm? I don't get what's wrong with that one. I just assumed he meant 'firey' as in 'passionate' or...*bites lip*...'fired up'.
 
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True, some of the awful Johto fillers were saved by some witty banter of Team Rocket. I can't say the same for the trio though.

Pretty much the only reason to even watch through Johto now is just for some of the few funny moments 4kids added that weren't in the original. Otherwise the saga is just filler hell and is pretty much forgotten about entirely after it ends anyway. 4kids saved some parts of what was a very mediocre saga.
 
TPrower said:
Ash: Awesome! So you're called a Tepig!
Tepig sneezes embers
Ash: That's a Fire-type, all right! Nice and fiery!
Click to expand...
Hmm? I don't get what's wrong with that one. I just assumed he meant 'firey' as in 'passionate' or...*bites lip*...'fired up'.
Click to expand...

It just sounded so repetitive and cheesy to me. I dunno about anyone else, but it just bugged me. It's like trying to explain it to the little kids watching.
 
I hate how TPCI uses the same filler dialogue whenever a character orders a pokemon to attack. Seriously, writers, have Ash and his friends say something other than "Let's go!" at the end of every command.

I could write a novel on all the things wrong with the DP Rocket trio's dialogue.

Another thing I'm not too crazy on is how the writers often forget that these characters are just kids. Like, they'll have these ten year olds using outdated slang and basically write them like sarcastic adults instead of little kids. Ash and especially Brock are probably the worst offenders.
 
It doesnt matter to me that much really,because if voice actors are good enough thy will make conversation between characters sound enjoyable and natural regardless of dialogue.

However i have to admit that 4Kids were pretty good at puns and including some very witty and sneaky phrases.I especially remember Jessie,James and Meowth in early seasons saying things which werent appropriate for kids show passing under radar.
Touche,but such things we dont get anymore.

TCPI is decent,but not exactly something to write home about.Ash and other characters dialogues are being just mix of repeat and rehash of what we sen before. Whether its about commanding pokemon to attack, using some cynical comment or pointing out something its always same type of overused and done to death dialogues. It wouldnt kill them to inject some originality and change structure of sentence at times.

Thankfully with good voice actors which know how to breathe life into characters,more often than not they make you forget about dub imperfections with interaction still seeming entertaining.

Gliscor'd said:
True, some of the awful Johto fillers were saved by some witty banter of Team Rocket. I can't say the same for the trio though.

Pretty much the only reason to even watch through Johto now is just for some of the few funny moments 4kids added that weren't in the original. Otherwise the saga is just filler hell and is pretty much forgotten about entirely after it ends anyway. 4kids saved some parts of what was a very mediocre saga.
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I beg to differ,original trio also had some quite witty dialogues and enjoyable moments making good chunk of episodes watchable .Merit doesnt only go to TR.
Perhaps to you whole Johto was giant pile of garbage, but that doesnt apply to everyone.Yes Johto had many fillers(every saga has them) but many of them were actually enjoyable sometimes containing great development,it had some unique arcs and original trio had good chemistry.

This saga is popular among many fans, not overlooking good sides.
 
If I do watch it, I prefer the subbed version. I tend to stay away from most dubbed anime.
 
smalllady said:
If I do watch it, I prefer the subbed version. I tend to stay away from most dubbed anime.
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Honestly, when you know what they say, even the dialogue in the JPN version is barely engaging. It's just stock lines with repeating the last few words the other person said and more. VAs like Rica Matsumoto, Mamoru Miyano and others are great voice actors but the dialogue the deliver on Pokemon are just as bad as the TPCi dub since the latter is translated quite faithfully from the original.

Aside from 4kids, the dialogue for Pokemon is nothing special at all. I don't mind if TPCi were to take liberties with the dialogue and make it sound more lively while staying true to the story and NOT changing things that will likely come back to haunt them in the form of Dub Induced Plot Holes. FUNimation knows how to do this well like with Dragon Ball Z Kai where the dub is very accurately translated from the JPN version but not word for word. However, they make sure they don't create any plot holes.
 
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Of the two, the dialogue in the 4Kids version of the dub was much more enjoyable and funny to me. I absolutely cannot stand the TPCi dub, at all. It makes me feel dumber watching it. Especially the Rockets, ughhhhhhhh.
 
The dialogue needs more complex words, idioms, and in-depth details regarding how things work (Ex: why electric types have no affect on ground types) while having less simple/easy words.
 
I feel like it's suitable for a show suited at such a young demographic. More complex phrasing and metaphorical resonances don't really have a place in a show aimed at early grade-schoolers.
 
Aestivate said:
I feel like it's suitable for a show suited at such a young demographic. More complex phrasing and metaphorical resonances don't really have a place in a show aimed at early grade-schoolers.
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But the young must learn how to use complex phrases to give them a challenge in life and not end up speaking like the individuals you see on MTV. Saying "villains" is much more pleasing than saying "bad guys," which is much too simple.
 
Hmm, James being shown as a homesexual vs. Ursula's valley girl esque "What-everrr!"

"These jelly-filled doughnuts are great!" vs. some important little details being forgotten like how Ursula in JP dub calls Wallace by his name and a honorofic instead of "they" or how Harley calls his Pokémon his "cool buddies." Or Dawn's cheesy comeback line in DP162, which I sadly only read of.

Some bad VAs who don't give much of a f*** vs. some bad VAs who don't give much of f***.

Such an hard choice, but at least TPCi tries, with stuff like Dee Dee=> Diamond Dandruff.

Don't even get me started on Turkish Dubs(As Original Series has a different dub team than some movies released on VCD by Palermo, which also had a different though much less sucky team than Disney XD dub of new episodes), that is like a completely different beast on it's own.
 
Ghetsis-Dennis said:
Saying "villains" is much more pleasing than saying "bad guys," which is much too simple.
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Ash and his friends saying "villains" would only work if this show was set in 1920s America. Ash and his friends saying "bad guys" is, I think, an accurate reflection of how kids today actually talk.
 
To be honest it depends on the character. I find the rivals to usually have better written dialogue 90% of the time. I thought Paul, Gary, Drew, Harley and Barry all had very good and believeable lines for what their characters are.

One thing I don't understand is why the writers treat the main cast as if they're teenagers rather than 10 years old. Every time little kids like Max or filler kids show up, Ash's group are treated as if they're 13-14 year olds. Remember when AG started everyone was in disbelief that May was a 10 year old? Some people even though 4kids changed her age....it brings back "fandom memories" from 10 years ago.
 
The rivals are the ones who aren't total do-gooders like Ash and co. who sound like bland superheroes with line like "You won't get away" and such.

Ash is ten. Brock was definitely a teen, Misty was probably a pre-teen and Cilan is probably a teen too. May and Dawn are ten like Ash and Max is younger (eight, I think). Iris, I'm not sure but she's probably around Ash's age.
 
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