saw this post at [AS]. if you don't mind
since ppl asked about it. i think you can only be signedup to AS to read it.

Cliche wrote:
Question, lets see:
Is there any reason why the boy with the golden bat is called "Lil' Slugger" rather than the "Shonen Bat"?

JKNGP replied:
I was wondering how soon this question would pop up.

Short answer, the Japanese producers wanted it that way.

Longer answer: I think that there were/are great hopes for Paranoia Agent to be able to reach a more mainstream adult audience. "Shonen Bat" may be undertstood by fans of anime, but not by the casual viewer of anime (or somebody who's never seen anime). We had asked at first to keep it as both Shonen Bat in both the sub and dub (even possibly Bat Boy as a 2nd choice), the Japanese wanted it to be Little Slugger for both sub & dub. Eventually a compromise was worked out where it was kept Little Slugger in the dub, but Shonen Bat for the sub.

There was a lot of negative reaction at first by anime fans who complained, before seeing the dub, that Little Slugger didn't sound intimidating. But the truth is that Satoshi Kon wanted Shonen Bat not to sound intimidating at all either. "Shonen Bat" translates as "Young Bat" or "Boy Bat". The wholesome image of a kid holding a baseball bat is not typically supposed to inspire terror. But it's that juxtaposition of a common image turned into a threat that makes it more creepy/disconcerting. IMHO Little Slugger also cannotes that more wholesome image of a boy with his bat a lot more than "Bat Boy" does. Looking back on it, I don't think it was the wrong choice.

Regards,

JK
_____________________________________

hmmm...two minds think alike? 0_o

KingDead TZ
EDIT: Actually, PA is remininding me more of Twin Peaks more than anything. Lil' Slugger is a kind of a Killer Bob.

JKNGP AS
This show reminded me a lot of "Twin Peaks", the bizzare David Lynch TV series of the early 90's. I loved Twin Peaks, and this just had that feeling. I always wanted to ask Satoshi Kon if he had seen Twin Peaks (it was very popular in Japan) and if it might have had any influence on Paranoia Agent. Sadly I haven't had the opportunity yet.