Post by Danieru on Sept 19, 2003 18:04:34 GMT -5
The first 3 episodes of the first season was released on DVD last Tuesday and after watching the dubbed version I felt like asking for my money back. TokyoPop has taken a great series and hacked it up into something that is mediocre at best. One of the worst things they did in the dubbed version was to replace the opening and closing songs by Move with some hip-hop wannabe garage band. Anime on DVD wrote 2 scathing reviews on it and their words are better than anything I could write so here are some excerpts:
www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/alt_reviews/923.php
Last year or so, word got out that TOKYOPOP was editing Initial D to make it more “Americanized” and friendly for all us non-Japanese fans. They started by cutting and editing the manga graphic novels, editing out the sex scenes, panty shots, and changing all the names of the characters in the story to “American hip names” like Cole, Iggy, etc. Then, fans wondered if the anime would suffer the same fate. They decided to give us 2 “versions” of Initial D on this one DVD –“Classic” (which is supposedly uncut), and “Tricked Out” which is some modified version maybe for TV? But there are problems: There are edits on BOTH versions –
· All references to Natsuki’s relationship to her “lover/sugar daddy” have been toned down or removed (in all versions). Natsuki is a high school girl selling herself for prostitution (enjou kousai(?) – it was a real life controversy in Japan) to get money and gifts back. She calls her benefactor “Papa-san” in the original Japanese version, but that is completely removed here. Also, when she’s sitting in the Benz w/ her rich Papa-san, she says in Japanese that “you’ve seen ALL of me already” (i.e., naked), but in the English Subtitles, it was changed to “you’ve seen me in a swimsuit.” The problem is that Natsuki’s relationship is a BIG issue later in the series, and if TOKYOPOP is changing this around now, how are they going to explain it later?
· English Dub fans are S.O.L. There is only one English Dub track and it is some badly written “I’m trying to be hip an’ street an’ down wit’ it” script. The English Dub uses the Americanized names for the cast like Iggy, Cole, Natalie, etc.
· The Dub lines, when compared with the English Subtitle track are totally different at times seemingly to make the dub more cool for kids? The problem is that the actors come across as “we’re a bunch of actors trying to sound really ‘hip’ and we got ‘street cred’ and Bling Bling.”
· There are new video edits to insert bad, 1980’s music video “effects” thrown all over the screen for the races. Cheeseball mirror effects, negative effects, wipes, stuff you can do in an Aftereffects demo. It comes across as pretty annoying.
· English Dub Track’s Music is 100% totally edited, cut and new American music is put instead! There are some terrible wanna-be R&B and Hip Hop tracks, some American grunge tracks, and other songs from bands that no one’s ever heard of. All the cool Avex Trax Japanese music is cut. Also the Opening and End Songs are also cut, and replaced with that bad rap song remixed, they used on the Initial D trailer found in various TOKYOPOP DVDs earlier this year.
· The English Dub’s sound effects are also changed. The authentic car engine sounds in the original Japanese version (they sampled real race car engines from the actual Toyotas, Hondas, etc.) have been modified and “tricked out” with some annoying fake car sounds.
Initial D is a solid series that’s pretty enjoyable about street racing. What’s weird and cool is that even though I hate street racing, I found it to be really fun and addicting. The problem is that this U.S. R1 DVD by TOKYOPOP has quite a few problems with it like I said earlier, so it is bad U.S. release. With so many years of anime companies in the U.S. doing it right, how did they screw this one up so badly? Also, with only 3 episodes per DVD (and this being a long series – over 2 seasons long in Japan), this is not a good way to collect the series. I guess if you’re an 8-10 year old kid who doesn’t know anime, the hip changes might be fun, but for everyone else... skip it.
(end of article)
My advice to anyone who is considering buying this DVD, don't waste your money, I'm sorry I did. I never thought I would say this but you are better off buying the HK Import from Anime Cartoon.
www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/alt_reviews/923.php
Last year or so, word got out that TOKYOPOP was editing Initial D to make it more “Americanized” and friendly for all us non-Japanese fans. They started by cutting and editing the manga graphic novels, editing out the sex scenes, panty shots, and changing all the names of the characters in the story to “American hip names” like Cole, Iggy, etc. Then, fans wondered if the anime would suffer the same fate. They decided to give us 2 “versions” of Initial D on this one DVD –“Classic” (which is supposedly uncut), and “Tricked Out” which is some modified version maybe for TV? But there are problems: There are edits on BOTH versions –
· All references to Natsuki’s relationship to her “lover/sugar daddy” have been toned down or removed (in all versions). Natsuki is a high school girl selling herself for prostitution (enjou kousai(?) – it was a real life controversy in Japan) to get money and gifts back. She calls her benefactor “Papa-san” in the original Japanese version, but that is completely removed here. Also, when she’s sitting in the Benz w/ her rich Papa-san, she says in Japanese that “you’ve seen ALL of me already” (i.e., naked), but in the English Subtitles, it was changed to “you’ve seen me in a swimsuit.” The problem is that Natsuki’s relationship is a BIG issue later in the series, and if TOKYOPOP is changing this around now, how are they going to explain it later?
· English Dub fans are S.O.L. There is only one English Dub track and it is some badly written “I’m trying to be hip an’ street an’ down wit’ it” script. The English Dub uses the Americanized names for the cast like Iggy, Cole, Natalie, etc.
· The Dub lines, when compared with the English Subtitle track are totally different at times seemingly to make the dub more cool for kids? The problem is that the actors come across as “we’re a bunch of actors trying to sound really ‘hip’ and we got ‘street cred’ and Bling Bling.”
· There are new video edits to insert bad, 1980’s music video “effects” thrown all over the screen for the races. Cheeseball mirror effects, negative effects, wipes, stuff you can do in an Aftereffects demo. It comes across as pretty annoying.
· English Dub Track’s Music is 100% totally edited, cut and new American music is put instead! There are some terrible wanna-be R&B and Hip Hop tracks, some American grunge tracks, and other songs from bands that no one’s ever heard of. All the cool Avex Trax Japanese music is cut. Also the Opening and End Songs are also cut, and replaced with that bad rap song remixed, they used on the Initial D trailer found in various TOKYOPOP DVDs earlier this year.
· The English Dub’s sound effects are also changed. The authentic car engine sounds in the original Japanese version (they sampled real race car engines from the actual Toyotas, Hondas, etc.) have been modified and “tricked out” with some annoying fake car sounds.
Initial D is a solid series that’s pretty enjoyable about street racing. What’s weird and cool is that even though I hate street racing, I found it to be really fun and addicting. The problem is that this U.S. R1 DVD by TOKYOPOP has quite a few problems with it like I said earlier, so it is bad U.S. release. With so many years of anime companies in the U.S. doing it right, how did they screw this one up so badly? Also, with only 3 episodes per DVD (and this being a long series – over 2 seasons long in Japan), this is not a good way to collect the series. I guess if you’re an 8-10 year old kid who doesn’t know anime, the hip changes might be fun, but for everyone else... skip it.
(end of article)
My advice to anyone who is considering buying this DVD, don't waste your money, I'm sorry I did. I never thought I would say this but you are better off buying the HK Import from Anime Cartoon.
!!WTH!?!?!?!?!?!
It takes me 5 bucks to rent a DVD, and then I pay my friend for the DVD blank. It's comes to a total of 7 bucks compared to 30-50 bucks CDN stores charge for a one or two-disc set. Plus he gets to make his own copy. For a DVD such as Initial D though...it's asking to be copied IMO... 
