Toon Zone Talkback - Shin-chan US writers interviewed, movie possiblities discussed

[Matt Hazuda]

This is the talkback thread for Shin-chan US writers interviewed, movie possiblities discussed (http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=16647).

I knew the script was altered for the US, but I never knew how much so. Very interesting insight into the process though.

I am hoping they are able to get the movies down the line though.

[Tay the Cat]

I knew the script was altered for the US, but I never knew how much so.

You didn't?

In some European countries, Shin-chan is aired on Jetix. And in Japan, it's on a kids' TV block.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

And in Japan, it's on a kids' TV block.

Shin-chan is aimed at adults in Japan, too. I've explained this several times. It doesn't air on a kids block. As mentioned in the link, it airs in prime-time.

[Tay the Cat]

Excuse me for being misinformed.

[livingfruitvirus]

Shin-chan is aimed at adults in Japan, too. I've explained this several times. It doesn't air on a kids block. As mentioned in the link, it airs in prime-time.

Next to shows like Doraemon and Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Kids' shows air in primetime as well.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Next to shows like Doraemon and Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Kids' shows air in primetime as well.

I'm well aware of that, although those shows are enjoyed by a wide age range.

I was simply pointing out that Shin-chan was always aimed at adults.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I'd put it this way. Shin Chan is targeted like The Simpsons. Yes kids watch it, yes it's not too much for kids (in Japan anyway) and yes there's probably merch for kids but overall it was intended for older viewers. Plenty of prime time anime are intended for children while some are also intended for older viewers. It's not like all adult targeting anime airs in the late hours in Japan like it typically does here. Plenty of shounen also air in the late hours in Japan but that's mostly due to the cost of the time slots. Shin Chan gets very good ratings so its in no danger of leaving prime time.

[ToonFan83]

So Shin-chan is a current show? I thought based on the animation style it was an older show.

[TnAdct1]

So Shin-chan is a current show? I thought based on the animation style it was an older show. It is an older show (it started in the early 1990's). It's just that the episodes that's airing on AS are from later in the run (as seen by the appearences of Shin-chan's younger sister, Ai, and the glasses-wearing teacher).

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Well the thing is that like the Simpsons, Shin Chan is a pretty long running show. It first began broadcasting on Japanese TV April 13th, 1991 so it is now over 15 years old. The thing is that AS is dubbing the series from it's first set of episodes so they're going to look a lot more old fashioned in comparision.

It is interesting though how much Shin-Chan has changed when compared to regular anime. For the better IMHO. Makes each episode even more appealing to watch despite the ugy and wavey character designs and basic animation.

[The Myst]

Are they gonna show anything from the earlier episodes then?

[Duke]

You can also tell it's from the later episodes since the early ones had everybody with more normal, rounded character designs.

I doubt FUNi will dub anything from before the character deisgn change unless Shin-chan is majorly successful.

[Classic Speedy]

You can also tell it's from the later episodes since the early ones had everybody with more normal, rounded character designs. Oh wow, that's interesting. Do you happen to know a link with pics of some of those earlier designs? :)

[Duke]

Oh wow, that's interesting. Do you happen to know a link with pics of some of those earlier designs? :)
There's a link in one of the Shin-Chan C&Cs from when the sneak peek aired.

[firecrouch]

Shin-Chan is basically a family show. It's funny how the manga was in an adult male magazine, then the anime was made to appeal more to kids, and then the American dub was adapted right back to the older audience. Common sense tells me the main reason it was targeted to adults instead of kids here is due to the limitations of our T.V. standards. I don't have a problem with altered dialogue if it still means we get to see Shin's Elephant Dance. And the DVDs with the original Japanese version and accurate subtitles. Even when I watch it on [adult swim] it still feels like an all-ages show to me. Sometimes I watch one of the un-dubbed episodes of "Shin-Chan" and wonder how FUNimation would adapt it.

To answer another question, the show came out in 1992 and it's still running. I think all the episodes FUNimation has done so far were made between 1996 and the present. In fact, t.v. asahi, which runs the anime in Japan, and has been making a big marketing campaign out of the show's 15th anniversary.

I also really hope FUNimation gets to do the movies too. I've heard nothing but good things about them, although it would be hard to "punch them up" for adults because they're more about the story and seemingly more family-friendly. Although I've seen "The Adult Empire Strikes Back" and that was a great movie I could see adults enjoying. Just not the college crowd that watches [adult swim].

[Animeforever'04]

can someone post the interview my space isn't working XD

[Matt Hazuda]

can someone post the interview my space isn't working XDThis is the main part of the posting, with the script change info.


Hey, Chad. Thanks for the question.

That's a tough one to encapsulate. It depends. We mostly try to keep the spirit of the original, and the basic plot of each episode intact. So most of the situational humor stays (i.e. Shin is collecting stickers to get his Action Kaman/Action Bastard belt). But most of the dialogue jokes from Japanese don't translate, either because they are Japanese puns or pop culture references.

Also, we are trying to appeal to a different group of viewers, so that means further changes to the jokes. In Japan this is aired during prime time and intended for all ages, and our dub is airing on Adult Swim. So, we try to alter the humor accordingly-- basically more jokes about poop, domestic violence, and eating homeless people.

Generally, we keep the storyline and throw out the dialogue itself. When writing a script, I read through the translation several times while watching the video, to get a handle on the plot and the conversations. After that, I put the translation away and write the dialogue fresh. Sometimes we end up staying fairly close to the original... And other times we stray pretty heavily.

Here's an example of where we stay fairly close to the translation in terms of content, and just change/add more jokes. This is from Episode 1, Shin's Allowance. Here's the original translation.

S=Shin G=Georgie (Kazama in Japanese) M=Maso

M: Say, how much is your allowance, Kazama-kun?
G: About 500 yen a month, I guess…
M: Wow, that’s a lot! I only get 100 yen a month…!
S: You could build a whole house...!
G: Get real! And pull your pants up!
M: Say, what about your allowance, Shin-chan?
S: I don’t have one…
G: Pull your pants up!
S: I get money from my mom when I want some.
But all she ever says is, “What’s it for?! Don’t you dare waste it!”
when she gives it to me…
G: Why don’t you have her set a monthly allowance, then?
S: Guess I will!
M: Yeah! It’s nice not having to ask for money all the time!
S: But she might not go for it.
G: Then why not go on strike?
S: A good pitcher’s throw?
G: Not that kind of strike!
S: So what do I do?
G: You refuse to help her until she gives you an allowance, for example.
S: I see…!

And our version (Joel wrote this one):

M: Hey Georgie, how much allowance are you getting these days?
G: A sweet 50 bills a week, plus stock options.
M: Wow. That's a lot. Are your parents doctors, lawyers, or Jews?
S: You could buy a whole monkey with that!
G: And you could buy a brain. Now pull up your damn pants already.
M: So Shin, what kind of allowance are your folks giving you?
S: A whole lotta nothing.
G: Pants! Pull up your freaking pants!
S: Whenever I need money I have to ask my mom for it. But she never gives me any. She thinks everything I want to buy is dumb. What's wrong with Viagra, and Action Bastard tighties?
G: You know how sad that makes you? You're an embarrassment to kids everywhere. She's playing you for a sucker!
S: (lands) Crowd goes wild!
M: Hey you know what? You should ask for a weekly allowance so you don't have to keep begging for money!
S: That'd be sweet, but what if she won't go for it?
G: Go on strike, like one of those lazy teamsters?
S: Throw a baseball at my mother?
G: Not that kind of strike, moron!
S: Okay, I'm confused.
G: Stop doing chores. That's what our Meximaid does whenever she wants a raise from my dad.
S: Oh, I get it!

And here's an example where we strayed pretty heavily from the translation. This is from episode 5, A Bootyful Day in the Neighborhood, where Shin meets a pervert on the street. As you'll see, in the original Japanese the man was not a pervert at all, just a man needing directions to someone's house.

Translation:

S=Shin M=Man

M: Little Boy.
S: Yeah, Mister?
M: I got a quick question for you…
S: You’re from Souka?
M: No, a place called Yashio right next to it.
S: Never heard of it.
M: Yashio has highways too, you know! No train stations, though.
Oh, anyways, do you know where I can find the Someya family?
S: Oh, the Someya-san that’s expecting to give birth to a wife this June?
M: Yes, the Someya-san whose wife is expecting to give birth this June.
S: This way! I’ll show you…!
M: Thanks, I appreciate it.
…
S: Someya-san! Someya-san! Souka rice crackers here!
S: Let’s see, I’m sure it was around here… Where was it, again?
M: It’s around here, right? I can look for it myself now…
S: Eh?! I’ll help you!
S: I’ll go ask a policeman, so hold on a minute!
M: No, you don’t need to go that far…!

And here's our version, thanks to the crazed mind of our other writing partner, Alex Muniz.

M: Hello, there.
S: What do you want?
M: Would you like to see inside this green bag? It’s full of cake and video games.
For the new GameStation Two?
S: Show me the cake, show me the game, show me the cake!
M: Sure, but first, you must answer me this one very important question.
S: Okay…
M: Would you prefer a Gigantic One-Eyed Monster with hair or without? I’m doing research on what kind of design little boys like you prefer, so if you could come back to my place for a few hours and tell me what you think that’d be super— there will be cake, of course, and surprises.
S: Oh… you’re one of those scums who wants to take my Action Bastard Action Figure!
M: No, I just want to see how much you enjoy playing with my “Gigantic One-Eyed Monster!”
S: Sorry, but I can’t talk to strangers unless they have candy.
M: I feel like I can change your mind.
...
S: Help! Police! This scum won’t stop following me. He wants me to play with his one- eyed monster!
S: This is just like that very special episode of Action Bastard. Attack of the Perverts.
M: Hey, little boy, cut that out! There really are video games in this green bag!
S: Really? And is there cake in there too?
S: Wait, that’s just another scum trick! I’m gonna get the police!
M: But you haven’t tested my new pink joystick!

Hope that sheds a little light on things.

[Chris Wood]

Those altered scripts are awful. Needlessly crude and not clever enough to be funny.

[The Myst]

Oh wow, that's interesting. Do you happen to know a link with pics of some of those earlier designs? :)

http://lavozdegalicia.laguiatv.com/img/galeria_imagenes/fotos/4-SHINCHAN.jpg

[Space Cadet]

http://lavozdegalicia.laguiatv.com/img/galeria_imagenes/fotos/4-SHINCHAN.jpg


Woah, Shin-Chan looks...almost normal.

[Sage Shinigami]

Those altered scripts are awful. Needlessly crude and not clever enough to be funny.

....See, I'm torn. I agree and kinda don't. (Though I'd never use the word "crude" unless I was talking about oil...) I thought it was hilarious, but I don't approve overall of altering a script. If you want to write your own script, make your own show. Oh well. They had to do something or, regardless of what a certain someone thinks, this wouldn't belong on AS.

BTW...I agree about that art. Shin looks like an actually NORMAL kid. Whoa. However now that I know that these aren't the early 90's eps two thoughts occur:

1.) Will I ever get to see the early 90's eps?

2.) I'm disappointed because I just knew once we got to the late-90's/early 2000's the art would improve.

[SpaceCowboy]

BTW...I agree about that art. Shin looks like an actually NORMAL kid. Whoa. However now that I know that these aren't the early 90's eps two thoughts occur:

1.) Will I ever get to see the early 90's eps?

2.) I'm disappointed because I just knew once we got to the late-90's/early 2000's the art would improve.

The series once ran for years on KIKU in Hawaii with subtitles. I think they may have run it since the early '90s or before the character design change. Some of their broadcasts were taped by people and have turned up on YouTube, so it's possible you may be able to find them there.

[Duke]

2.) I'm disappointed because I just knew once we got to the late-90's/early 2000's the art would improve.
Well, it was an editorial decision to make the character designs fugly as the show progressed. I guess the director or character designer or creator or whatever figured having purposefully ugly character designs would help the series stand out a bit. Hey, worked for Rugrats.

[Desensitized]

Those altered scripts are awful. Needlessly crude and not clever enough to be funny.
I disagree, I thought they were hilarious. The first one was very close to the original and I thought it worked just as well, however the second one really had no way of working as well in English as it did in Japanese.

[ClockStomper]

It would be different if Funi refused to release a subtitled japanese language track. As far as I'm concerned, they can be as inaccurate as they want because people who want to watch the original will get to.

It's much different than a 4Kids situation.

[J.E.Smith]

Jared and Alex also have a Q&A thread over at the AS forums. For example, here Jared explains the process of how he chooses which vignettes to use:
http://boards.adultswim.com/adultswim/board/message?board.id=5&message.id=1149996#M1149996