Sonic X discussion

[VO.SUPER]

On 11/14/2016 at 1:17 AM, goku262002 said:

Yeah I know, which sucks because it would've got a greater appeal leading to better sales which we need in order for a consideration of a JP/subs release.

But everything from this boxset is just working against itself. from the change in packaging to the limited region release and the fact that this is restricted to just the English dub makes it really unappealing for anyone outside of fans of Sonic X in America. sales for this set are gonna be Niche at best, which makes a uncut JP/subs release very much impossible.

I think there is an understandable reason why it's only the English dub. Since 4kids went out of their way to chop episodes not just for edits, but for time restrictions and for the different openings, it becomes very complicated to put in the Japanese dub. At that point you're just putting in a new episode and that means there have to be more discs or more space in the discs, and that's not practical from a price standpoint.

Though I'd imagine if this does well, maybe a sub only release could come out. It wouldn't be the first time. 

[Hiki]

[removed]

[Fletch]

Well, we have an unboxing of the DVD box set since it has finally been released.

 

[MysteriousGirl 92]

At the end of the first or second season, Chris was willing to sacrifice both worlds just to kidnap and be with Sonic (as a friend), by turning off the portal machine. Something I excepted to happen from the START of the first season, but WITHOUT knowing why Sonic and friends had go to back.

[FantasticMrRobb]

Is the entire series on Blu-Ray yet? Or at least in seasons instead of volumes? I'd love a set of that.

[Hiki]

[removed]

[FantasticMrRobb]

10 hours ago, King of KFC said:

It's on DVD, but it's in two box sets: Collection 1, which has episodes 1-52, and Collection 2, which has episodes 53-78.

Well that's pretty good for the most part. I wonder what the chances of ever getting X on Blu-Ray would be.

[PaulyBFromDa303]

 

4 hours ago, FantasticMrRobb said:

Well that's pretty good for the most part. I wonder what the chances of ever getting X on Blu-Ray would be.

Really wish I had the box set myself. Hard to find. Of course there's online but I DO have the first four episodes on GBA Player

[FantasticMrRobb]

So...the Japanese version of Sonic X.

Always heard it was so much better than the English. I'm the kinda guy that loves all things Sonic, but for me to actually go and watch the entire series again but in Japanese all while reading the subs; it would have to be a major difference in story.

So tell me those who have watched the Japanese subbed version, is it worth it?

[Hiki]

[removed]

[Burning Finger]

9 hours ago, FantasticMrRobb said:

So...the Japanese version of Sonic X.

Always heard it was so much better than the English. I'm the kinda guy that loves all things Sonic, but for me to actually go and watch the entire series again but in Japanese all while reading the subs; it would have to be a major difference in story.

So tell me those who have watched the Japanese subbed version, is it worth it?

Eh, I've always felt the complaints and changes to the dub were highly exaggerated. Which is a shame because I feel Sonic X a long with Shaman King are hands down 4Kids' best dubs.

The changes and cuts 4Kids made are minor at best and are typical standards for Saturday morning programming. None of it drastically alters the story of the show to the point where the Japanese version and the dub are polar opposites of each other like so many fans like to claim. The biggest and most obvious change is the soundtrack, and while the Japanese soundtrack is better, I never found the 4Kids soundtrack to be terrible or unfitting, again highly exaggerated. The only negative thing I have to say about it is, the soundtrack never stops to take a breather. Otherwise both shows are exactly the same no matter what language you watch it in.

Oh and I think "Gotta Go Fast" is way cooler than "Sonic Drive". The phrase "Gotta Go Fast", is still used officially and by the fanbase 14 yrs later.

[Inkarnate]

9 hours ago, FantasticMrRobb said:

So...the Japanese version of Sonic X.

Always heard it was so much better than the English. I'm the kinda guy that loves all things Sonic, but for me to actually go and watch the entire series again but in Japanese all while reading the subs; it would have to be a major difference in story.

So tell me those who have watched the Japanese subbed version, is it worth it?

Yes— and that goes for every single show 4KID’s produced that was a localization as well. Shaman King, Tokyo Mew Mew, Sonic X, One Piece, and so on— they were terribly localized, cut, and edited; and I say that as someone who is generally favorable towards anime localizations (when they are done well). The changes 4KID’s did are not superficial or minor at best. Honestly, it doesn’t take much research to come to this conclusion on your own but much like Kyosuke said it is different enough for many people to create campaigns to getting the show released in its uncut format.

[Burning Finger]

56 minutes ago, Sen said:

Yes— and that goes for every single show 4KID’s produced that was a localization as well. Shaman King, Tokyo Mew Mew, Sonic X, One Piece, and so on— they were terribly localized, cut, and edited; and I say that as someone who is generally favorable towards anime localizations (when they are done well). The changes 4KID’s did are not superficial or minor at best. Honestly, it doesn’t take much research to come to this conclusion on your own but much like Kyosuke said it is different enough for many people to create campaigns to getting the show released in its uncut format.

I'm curious. Really, how are the Japanese and English versions so vastly different from each other? 

[Inkarnate]

11 minutes ago, Burning Finger said:

I'm curious. Really, how are the Japanese and English versions so vastly different from each other? 

Have you not seen them for yourself?

Not only were entire segments cut because they were deemed too profane, dark, or visceral for “their audience”— entire frames of dialogue were changed throughout the entirety of the series. This includes changing plot details, removing emotional points in dramatic moments, and the usual affair of change imagery to suit their production company’s agenda; though most enthusiasts of the show will frankly tell you they didn’t do these things as consistently and staunchly as they did to Tokyo Mew Mew or One Piece, but they still persist.

Spoiler

One of those many moments where they scrapped the entire tone of a scene, changed dialogue, and removed character development.
 

These kind of cuts and edits were dime a dozen with 4KID's, and not just with Sonic X.

 

[Burning Finger]

25 minutes ago, Sen said:

Have you not seen them for yourself?

Not only were entire segments cut because they were deemed too profane, dark, or visceral for “their audience”— entire frames of dialogue were changed throughout the entirety of the series. This includes changing plot details, removing emotional points in dramatic moments, and the usual affair of change imagery to suit their production company’s agenda; though most enthusiasts of the show will frankly tell you they didn’t do these things as consistently and staunchly as they did to Tokyo Mew Mew or One Piece, but they still persist.

  Hide contents

One of those many moments where they scrapped the entire tone of a scene, changed dialogue, and removed character development.
 

These kind of cuts and edits were dime a dozen with 4KID's, and not just with Sonic X.

 

I've been around a long time, and I remember full well when the dub came out. Saw it all go down in real time. Japanese and dub comparisons. I've seen a select few episodes in Japanese, mostly the episodes I deemed important. I realize 4Kids changed a few things that were deemed to dark for children and glossed over things such as death. But again all that stuff is typical in kids programming here. But none of that stuff is enough to make them count as two different shows.

4Kids for the most part is awful and thank god they're gone. But to say the Sonic X dub is on the level of the hack and slash dubs of Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece, is a bit unfair and isn't even close to the truth.

[Inkarnate]

11 minutes ago, Burning Finger said:

But to say the Sonic X dub is on the level of the hack and slash dubs of Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece, is a bit unfair and isn't even close to the truth.

 

Quote

they didn’t do these things as consistently and staunchly as they did to Tokyo Mew Mew or One Piece, but they still persist.

[Burning Finger]

2 minutes ago, Sen said:

 

lol That wasn't a jab at you. I just meant that thats where I see most people place it.

[Inkarnate]

18 minutes ago, Burning Finger said:

I've been around a long time, and I remember full well when the dub came out. Saw it all go down in real time. Japanese and dub comparisons. I've seen a select few episodes in Japanese, mostly the episodes I deemed important. I realize 4Kids changed a few things that were deemed to dark for children and glossed over things such as death. But again all that stuff is typical in kids programming here. But none of that stuff is enough to make them count as two different shows.

With that said, I don’t think it’s entirely fair to presume much if you’ve only seen a select few episodes— how can you know what is important if you only watch a small handful in a story-driven narrative? I also disagree with you that it is the “norm” here, many shows that were not handled by 4KID’s handled dark imagery, concepts like death, and so forth without issue. 4KID’s self-righteousness was not the norm nor were its obtuse cuts and poor localizations. I would also like to add to the argument that other production companies who specialized in localizing anime did so with a lot more tact, even for the youth market (ie: Funimation, ADV, etc). This is why 4KID’s is one of those unique cases of the Japanese creators rescinding their license due to their misappropriating and mistreatment. 

[Burning Finger]

4 hours ago, Sen said:

With that said, I don’t think it’s entirely fair to presume much if you’ve only seen a select few episodes— how can you know what is important if you only watch a small handful in a story-driven narrative? I also disagree with you that it is the “norm” here, many shows that were not handled by 4KID’s handled dark imagery, concepts like death, and so forth without issue. 4KID’s self-righteousness was not the norm nor were its obtuse cuts and poor localizations. I would also like to add to the argument that other production companies who specialized in localizing anime did so with a lot more tact, even for the youth market (ie: Funimation, ADV, etc). This is why 4KID’s is one of those unique cases of the Japanese creators rescinding their license due to their misappropriating and mistreatment. 

I've seen the majority of the episodes that progress the series forward because I hate filler, and Sonic X has some boring filler episodes. I also skip filler episodes any time I rewatch a series, and the dub is no different. Now to be fair I haven't seen a lot of the Metarex Saga in Japanese, but thats namely because I didn't really like the Metarex Saga, though I did read the comparison threads. 

I suppose 4Kids did take the censorship a little further than necessary, though I never said Western animation couldn't get dark. But to be fair even 4Kids can get dark, look no further than TMNT 2K3, which is arguably darker than the Nick series. I just don't think the dub is as bad everyone makes it out to be, when the core of the series is intact. 

I mean lets be honest, Sonic X isn't really a dark series and is very much a kids show. So they removed references to alcohol, removed the sexual inuendos, and sugar coated death. But those things were always going to be removed regardless of what studio was localizing the series, because Sega of America would never deem those things appropriate. As it was things had to go through Sega, thats why 4Kids had to go back and re-edit Tikal's dialouge on the end of Episode 17 after its original broadcast to be closer to the games.

My memory may be faulty, but aside from DBZ what else has Funimation marketed towards kids? And even then people complained about the cuts and edits done to DBZ Kai for Nicktoons and The CW4Kids, despite the fact that FUNi was never going to release the broadcast version on DVD anyway. And even then 4Kids was blamed for those edits when it was FUNi that was just following the BS&P of the respective networks.

I thought One Piece was the only series 4Kids had their license revoked. Which they never should have had in the first place.

[shadowfan94]

I remembering watching this show, had the first 5 VHS tapes, think they were 4 episodes each or something. HATED the humans, DESPISED Chris. The show needed more of the game characters and less humans, especially stupid whiny asshat Chris. 

Still, I might watch the show again at some point and give it another try. Might even buy the new DVD sets at some point.

[TwoTailedWonder]

I didn't like Chris either. I thought he was so whiny and useless, plus I genuinely hated how he stole Tails' role as Sonic's best friend and sidekick. I will always remember how Sonic was so comforting and thoughtful towards Chris when he had to say goodbye...But when Tails was completely broken and sobbing at Sonic's feet at the end, Sonic didn't even TRY to comfort him. He looked irritated even.

[E-122-Psi]

The 4Kids dub made a lot of pointless cuts and edits, especially during the third season (though in fairness that had such gratuitously dark moments in the original that I'm tempted to believe they just made it as a middle finger to their edits of the first two seasons). Even besides that, the soundtrack was blander (though not ear gratingly horrid), the voice acting was that studio's at it's worst (even Mike Pollock's performance is nothing to how good he is as Eggman now), and the dialogue was mostly altered to be less emotional or riddled with horrid puns or conversations that made no relation or sense to what was going on (eg. the first season finale, which had an 'Evil has standards' moment from Eggman when Sonic is beaten to a pulp, in the dub he's....well...you can't really tell what his stance is, it's just silly dialogue, they kept in Sonic's beating anyway, what was the problem?).

 

That's not to say the original was a work of art of course. Many issues with the series are just as prominent, if not worse in the original edit. Just that when the series is good, it sticks out a lot less in the dub in all it's puns and poor acting and atmosphere.

[Burning Finger]

Speaking of soundtracks, does anyone know if and where you can still get a copy of the Japanese soundtrack? I'm talking physical disc, not a download. 

I'm sure its long out of print, and I used to be able to find it on eBay pretty often back when the show was running. These days not so much. 

[Darth InVaders]

On 1/18/2017 at 11:40 AM, Burning Finger said:

I'm curious. Really, how are the Japanese and English versions so vastly different from each other? 

 

 

 

yea they are vastly different

On 1/24/2017 at 7:03 PM, TwoTailedWonder said:

I didn't like Chris either. I thought he was so whiny and useless, plus I genuinely hated how he stole Tails' role as Sonic's best friend and sidekick. I will always remember how Sonic was so comforting and thoughtful towards Chris when he had to say goodbye...But when Tails was completely broken and sobbing at Sonic's feet at the end, Sonic didn't even TRY to comfort him. He looked irritated even.

If you watch the Japanese version of Tails reaction to Cosmo's death (which I just posted above), you'll see Tails blaming Sonic for failing to save Cosmo, not much Sonic can do there

[Burning Finger]

7 hours ago, Darth InVaders said:

 

 

 

yea they are vastly different

If you watch the Japanese version of Tails reaction to Cosmo's death (which I just posted above), you'll see Tails blaming Sonic for failing to save Cosmo, not much Sonic can do there

We talked about that already. Kids shows that are broadcast on Saturday mornings due to FCC's BS&P are prohibited to show death. Cable networks like CN or Nick are able to get away with a little more though. But broadcast channels like Fox, CW, ABC, NBC or CBS have stricter guidelines to follow. Even with the changes made to those specific events in the dub, unless you're oblivious its still fairly obvious that Maria, Molly, and Cosmo died. Okay, maybe not so much with Molly. It does appear as if she ran away in the English version, I'll give you that. But Cosmo and Maria, theres really no way around it. They're dead and its obvious. But neither of those things make the dub vastly differen't from the Japanese version. Try again.