My Thoughts on the GX Season 3 Dub

[Habunake]

It started Saturday, so I decided why not talk about it here?
Oh, and spoilers!

Anyway, in terms of 4kids Dubbing, GX is pretty good...better then how DM was handled. The first season had not much in the way of edits, Season 2 had slightly more with one character's backstory becoming changed...and now to Season 3, where it actually goes into a comparatively deep plot. While the GX dub is known for it's somewhat over-the-top cheesiness, moreso then the RAW GX was (which was already pretty cheesy), it hasn't had to deal with much seriousness as the third season brings to the table.

Too start, I'll give my thoughts on how the returning dub characters who appear in Season 3 have been handled.




First off, we have Judai Yuki the hero. His name was pretty Japanese, so no surprise they changed it into the simmilar sounding Jaden Yuki (err...Yuki wasn't as Japanese I guess)?

Matthew Charles does his voice, and I rather like it. I've never heard of Charles prior to Jaden though...the only problem is when it calls for Jaden's rare sad moments, sadly Charles is pretty flat.

The main problem is Jaden's abundance of outdated slang. "Get your game on!" to be precise, which has become the dubs catchphrase. Thankfully, his lingo isn't as overused as certain characters...

Jaden has some pretty emotional scenes this season, so Charles needs to work harder on that. Overall, pretty good job with the main character.




Next is Sho Marufuji, who gets the somewhat okay name of Syrus Truesdale. I kinda wondered if they were going for a Harry Potter vibe with some of these names...

His voice is Wayne Grayson...aka...Joey Wheeler! Thankfully, Syrus ditches the accent and sounds pretty good...he's a little over-the-top emo in the dub, but he has the best lines.




Manjyome Jun is now Chazz Princeton. And instead of the nickname of Manjyome Thunder, he's The Chazz, Chazz It Up, ect.

His voice is pretty good, stuck up and obnoxious. And he's pretty close to the original, except slightly more of an idiot. But...err...his voice got really raspy all of a sudden and now doesn't sound as good.




Asuka Tenjoin is next, and being the only female in the past two seasons, I was rather dissapointed when Alexis Rhodes became a bitch.

Her voice changed mid Season-1, and the new one was like Wheel of Frontier Sarah-level. And it hasn't got much better.

She also is made extremely PMS-y in the dub, such as in Episode 10 when she snaps at one character for no real reason. So...yeah, atleast she generally is close to the original.




Ah...Daichi Misawa, or Bastion Misawa as he's known in the dub (unlike the original, they don't call him Misawa all the time...and once again, is Misawa more English then Daichi to 4kids?).

Being the genius of the series, Eric Stuart blesses him with a english accent. The voice is good...but the accent...well, I think he's used every stereotypical phrase in the book. Ah Eric...you did so well in the old days...what happened?

Anyway...besides that, he's still the somewhat idiotic dude he's always been...and thankfully, he seems to have gained his air time back after being horrible mistreated by the original and dub in the past.

With Bastion is his mentor, Zweinstein who is now Eisenstein who in both versions was a joke off Einstein. No prob.



We now have Tyranno Kenzan, now "Sargeant Tyranno Hassleberry". Yes, a teenage boy is a sargeant...and speaks sargeant lingo at every turn. His voice, done by Schemmel, is decent...kinda southern...but his lingo quickly grows on my nerves.

Now...first off, nothing in the original gives the impression of a military man (who the dub says his father was a Sargeant...which is a bad idea in case he DOES appear), so it's weird 4kids did this yet when we get an actual solider....they don't.

Anyway...er...I kinda do like his lines, and I admit even the lingo has become more bearable...and the constant mistaking Hassleberry for different names is cute...





Chronos Mediz, or Vellian Crowler is a anomally...the Japanese version GIVES HIM a sterotypical Italian voice, yet 4kids makes him posh...hello? You give people accents all the time when they didn't have one, yet you won't use ones that are given to you?

Crowler is pretty funny, voiced by Sean Schemmel in a very femme tone...which makes sense, since Crowler is very womanly-looking (the dub plays on this ALOT), so despite the lack of "Audrey Hepburn is-a very pretty na no ne", he's pretty good.

I also like the nice BMG the dub uses in his scenes.



Napoleon, who is Bonaparte in the dub (okay...and the reason was?) speaks French, in both versions, meaning I love him.

Mike Pollock provides him with a ugly sounding Drag Queen New Yorker voice...while the original has a refined tone. This isn't a problem, as Bonaparte was pretty rude in Season 2...but in Season 3, they'll have to make his voice show alot of emotion...so...




Sameshima, or Sheppard is the Principal...or Chancellor in the dub. His dub voice is pretty dang corny, and I now hear his voice when the Judge in Phoenix Wright talks...cuz they look the same. >.>

He's okay...I guess...but I mean, his lines...ick.





Zane Truesdale, Syrus's older brother, or Ryo Marufuji as in the dub came out good. He's voiced by the voice of Usopp...but sounds GOOD.

In fact, I actually like his voice better then the Japanese one (especially when he becomes Hell Kaiser...or Dark Zane). He's kinda rude as normal Zane in the dub, which is quite different...but he's an ass as Dark Zane, just like in the original.




Edo Phoenix is Aster Phoenix...atleast they kept one name (Ed could've been used...since Edo seems just to be the Japanese romanization of Ed, since he seems to be English). In fact, surprisingly he doesn't have a British Voice (since he's seems pretty British), but sounds like a surfer dude.

Yeah...his voice is kinda bad, but his lines are okay. Unfortunately, his Dad was killed in the original, so that means he was "kidnapped" in the dub...meaning alot of Edo's backstory was cut...and then they never explained why Aster's dad never came back, after he defeated what "kidnapped" him. But it's pretty damn obvious he's dead, even if 4kids didn't say it outright.




Finnaly, there is Blair Flannigan, who was Rei Saotome in the original.

Okay, first off she was made as a Second Grader in her first appearance in Season 1, 5 or so years younger then the Japanese version which was around 12.

After returning around 2 or so years later in Season 2, she has...err...developed, AND got into a High School.

As well as developed a Brooklyn Accent.

Whoa. And we're forced to belive she's only 9 or so, instead of 14.




Now with the returning crew outta the way, it's on to the new characters...


First off, is Johan Andersen. I've known Johans, and it makes sense since his hometown is very dutch-like. Keeping his last name, the dub gives him the name "Jesse". And...like his namesake, he's southern.

Yes, Jessie Andersen from NORTH ACADEMY is Southern.


EDIT: More later...need to finish watching the episode.

 

[pkmn Trainer Zach]

4Kids is a slut. That makes me mad that they didn't give Crowler an Italian accent, because in that one episode where they were deciding on a class trip, Bonapatre wanted to go to France, and Crowler wanted to go to Italy, I was at a bit of a loss as to why.

Sometimes I wish I never even found out what the real plots are, like Aster's father being killed, because that makes me really mad that 4Kids has to sensor something that doesn't need to be sensored at all. This is the first I've ever learned of the Jap. GX version, btw.

 

[The Outrage]

Asuka Tenjoin is next, and being the only female in the past two seasons, I was rather dissapointed when Alexis Rhodes became a bitch.

Her voice changed mid Season-1, and the new one was like Wheel of Frontier Sarah-level. And it hasn't got much better.

She also is made extremely PMS-y in the dub, such as in Episode 10 when she snaps at one character for no real reason. So...yeah, atleast she generally is close to the original.

I knew I wasnt insane when I thought her voice changed. I prefer her old voice

 

[bell02+]

You know, I don't think 4Kids even thinks about the things you are talking about when they make a character for the dub. They probably take things one ep at a time, and if the work their way into a big hole... they ignore it like it never happened.

I mean, they've done that with all of their other series, I can't believe they are something that will ever change (if it'll still be around when GX ends)

 

[Habunake]

After watching the newest episode, I am actually pretty impressed with the dub voice of Axel Brody...despite the fact his name in the original was Austin O'Brien, a perfectly okay name.

He actually sounds like a black person, didn't use any stereotypical slang, and most of his lines about the battlefield and war was kept very close. Impressive.

 

[Yamato-san]

hey, I thought you were gonna edit your first post. Meanie! T_T

if it'll still be around when GX ends

at which point, they're almost completely fucked regardless, assuming there isn't another new series. Yu-gi-oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are about the only worthwhile licenses they have left, and considering Toei finally got it through their heads that they should've never had One Piece, even the Japanese companies are getting word that they're not to be trusted. Thus, it's gotten to a point where there's almost no way in hell they'll get any more (major) anime licenses in the future.

It's funny, these guys seriously had a chance to go the way of Funimation back in like mid-2004 or so, when they announced uncut DVDs and that English version of the first One Piece opening... but then they turned their backs on all the fans, said "screw you!" before shitting in all of their faces, and started ignoring them once again. Now I can't help but laugh at the hole they've dug themselves into. XD

 

[Austichar]

It
Finnaly, there is Blair Flannigan, who was Rei Saotome in the original.

Okay, first off she was made as a Second Grader in her first appearance in Season 1, 5 or so years younger then the Japanese version which was around 12.

After returning around 2 or so years later in Season 2, she has...err...developed, AND got into a High School.

As well as developed a Brooklyn Accent.

Whoa. And we're forced to belive she's only 9 or so, instead of 14.

In the original version, she was in 5th grade, and not 2nd grade, so it's understandable about her development. But I still don't get why 4Kids decided to make her a 2nd grader.

 

[Habunake]

This week was Jim's duel (he gets one episode, yet the other three School Champions get 2-parters?).

Jim came out good, he kept his full name, Jim Crocodile Cook (yet...his crocodile, Karen, is now Shirley) and he has a decent Australian accent, which was expected. He does lack the charm his original had a bit, due to the loss of english.

And then we have Tyranno.

Jesses puts it nicely when he debates whats more annoying, a guy who thinks he's a dinosaur (when Tyranno talked like a caveman when under the influence of waves) or a guy who thinks he's an obnoxious drill seargeant (most of the time). Thank god Axel, the actual military man uses his jargon sparsely and less annoying.

Besides that, the line Jaden said, "Stop Speaking Australian!" when Jim used "big" words made me laugh, as did Tyranno growling "Get Croc Man!".

And real laughs.

 

[baltor85]

That was the one episode I did catch (I stopped watching Yu-Gi-Oh after the three god card saga ended.) and I must say, "Get Croc Man!" was a great line. I burst out laughing.