4Kids vs. The State of New York

[Pepperidge]

How many people here are from the New York area? Do you think that, in the event that 4Kids gets the rights to One Piece or Naruto, they organize some kind of demonstration outside of the 4Kids Entertainment offices?

I know it sounds a bit off-the-wall, but it would certainly be a great way for the anime community to get their message across if someone were to start organizing something now as a precaution. It could probably gain some publicity as well.

[Nimbleness]

4kids seem to have profites a bigger priority than satisfying fans. I doubt they would care if something like that did happen. All they need to do lisence something, edit it and adapt it through a pit of rabid weasels, ready a plethora of merchendise, and present it to the younger generation. Then before they know it their profits will be soaring another 140%

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Yes they want money, and they want everything they dubbed to become and hit so they'll hype it with merchandise up the yin yang. However, 4kids does respect anime in general. The only thing that they need to really work on is releasing uncut dubs (or at least subbed episodes with warnings or something...) of the properties that they have control of like YGO, Shaman King, Sonic X, Ultimate Muscle, etc. So at this point I want they to stay as far away from Naruto and One Piece as possible. They should leave them to their big brother Funimation or one of it's peers. Naruto and One Piece have to have uncut versions available because we all know they will get edits on TV and some will be more painful than others... but that doesn't mean they should go to AS to air uncut (as we've been over a million times it seems).

From what I've seen from interviews... 4kids loves all their properites and wants to take good care of all of them. Most of their biggest problems have to do with Pokemon and YGO which air on KWB (which is NOTORIOUS for stupid and unnessesary edits on shows like Mega Man and Card Captors... I fear for Astroboy...). However, most of the changes they make (on their own) are far less horrendous. They always change the music (which is sadly a given) and often the diologue but their characters are mostly true to form and only a few here and there get a name change (and usually for a comedic purpose). Oh and the extra accents thrown in are annoying, but that's just how it goes with "kids" anime in the US.

So as far as it goes I say 4kids is excellent at handeling the lighter hearted Shonen animes. Stuff like Shaman King (though it has its serious parts) and Ultimate Muscle fit them nicely. So maybe... I don't know... in the future they could dub Hikaru no Go and still keep it true to form, but shows with extensive ammounts of physical violence are a no no. I think they know to at least stay away from Naruto because of all the blood and heavy themes that don't fit a saturday morning cartoon at all, but One Piece they might try for (I hope Funi truely does have it) because it's light hearted, not as violent, and is incredibly popular.

Anyway, all I want from they is to make uncut DVD's and I hope they never get their hands on Naruto or One Piece. Those shows are just too great to americanize. 4kids does care about pleasing the fans. Only problem is, often the younger fans vote outweighs the older fans and until we start seeing middle ground blocks for animated programing... there will only be two kinds of cartoons. Kids cartoons and adults cartoons and 4kids most obviously makes and dubs kids cartoons.

[DianaGohan]

How many people here are from the New York area? Do you think that, in the event that 4Kids gets the rights to One Piece or Naruto, they organize some kind of demonstration outside of the 4Kids Entertainment offices?

To answer your questions.

1. Yes I do

2. No they shouldn't (too extreme and doubtful it would work even if it did happen).

[Andrew T. Hingson]

There has to be some way to get them to release uncut DVD's or at least subbed DVD's (preferably in larger sets like Ultraman Tiga). They could release their cash cow DVD's like the YGO ones and release uncut subbed ones for the fans of the mangas. Then they'd get the sales from both kids and otakus. They wouldn't even have to stamp their name on the front if they don't want to hurt their business. Just have Funimation do it. If there is no uncut One Piece or Naruto availble then there will be a great unrest and a lot of angry Shonen Jump fans.

[Master Moron]

However, 4kids does respect anime in general.

They always change the music (which is sadly a given) and often the diologue

You contradicted yourself.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

They keep the story intact most of the time, but everyone should understand by now. The only channel that airs anime with all it's original music is CN. You can never expect KWB and the Fox Box to do this.

[Animation Otaku]

They keep the story intact most of the time, but everyone should understand by now. The only channel that airs anime with all it's original music is CN. You can never expect KWB and the Fox Box to do this.

Hyper Luigi, meet seasons 1-5 of Pokemon, seasons 1-5 of Pokemon, Hyper Luigi.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

ALL the original music. Pokemon only gets to use it's original music most of the time because its music from the games. They've yet to use the op or end of any Japanese season of Pokemon (but they do use clips from them).

[Animation Otaku]

ALL the original music. Pokemon only gets to use it's original music most of the time because its music from the games. They've yet to use the op or end of any Japanese season of Pokemon (but they do use clips from them).

But it still invalidates the arguement that 4Kids has to change the music to get it on Saturday Mornings.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

True, they DON'T have to change it. But then again there hasn't been a SINGLE song on Pokemon with Japanese lyrics that they haven't cut out. So that's the real issue. They wont allow the shows to keep their Japanese themes and bg because some of it has Japanese in it, and mix and match doesn't work all that well. It's stupid yes, but Pokemon is the ONLY Saturday morning or syndicated anime that retained any of it's original music.

[shogunthethird]

I love what they did for TMNT but they'd better stay the hell away from OP or Naruto, let'em go into domestic animation for future projects

[Vidfreak]

True, they DON'T have to change it. But then again there hasn't been a SINGLE song on Pokemon with Japanese lyrics that they haven't cut out. So that's the real issue. They wont allow the shows to keep their Japanese themes and bg because some of it has Japanese in it, and mix and match doesn't work all that well. It's stupid yes, but Pokemon is the ONLY Saturday morning or syndicated anime that retained any of it's original music.

Yeah but 4kids could dub that particluar song into english if they are "scared" of japanese lyrics and vocals.

[MrBananagrabber]

But then again there hasn't been a SINGLE song on Pokemon with Japanese lyrics that they haven't cut out.

Just playing Devil's Advocate, but they played "Meowth's Party" in Japanese during one of the Pokemon Jukebox things back during the Orange Island.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Just playing Devil's Advocate, but they played "Meowth's Party" in Japanese during one of the Pokemon Jukebox things back during the Orange Island.

Really? I had not notice.

[lostrune]

True, they DON'T have to change it. But then again there hasn't been a SINGLE song on Pokemon with Japanese lyrics that they haven't cut out. So that's the real issue. They wont allow the shows to keep their Japanese themes and bg because some of it has Japanese in it, and mix and match doesn't work all that well. It's stupid yes, but Pokemon is the ONLY Saturday morning or syndicated anime that retained any of it's original music.

Heh, I just mentioned this 10 days ago before my vacation:

http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=95228

Teen Titans on Sat 11/22 KidsWB and Thanksgiving

Just wanted to say a couple of things before I go:

1. Talking about Teen Titans' 11/22 Sat morning's ep "Mad Mod," I was a bit surprised that KidsWB kept the Japanese songs, both the theme song and the BGM during the chase scenes. Y'know how KidsWB tends to hide foreign stuff, pretending it's all American about their shows. I'd guess CN gave KidsWB the whole thing in one master tape, so KidsWB couldn't do anything about it without going the dreaded extra effort. :D

[RockItShipper]

The US version of Pokemon's got pretty much the same b/g music... and the voice recordings for some of the Pokemon. Bringing in songs and human characters' VAs puts a whole new negotiating angle for TV TOKYO. But subs are inevitable because you've got a generation growing up on this stuff and an older fanbase already.