4Kids termination
For those that keep up with anime news, you probably heard about TV Tokyo terminating 4Kids deal with Yugioh and suing them. This makes me sad. Their deal with FUNimation to distribute the DVDs ended a while ago, hence all the DVDs going out of print. I've wondered how the 3D movie was going to be released on DVD. Now it looks like someone else will have to pick up the rights. Or no movie release at all. And little hope for re-release of the 224 episodes on DVD again.
Fandom seems to be more on the side of "They got what the deserved!" "Down with 4Kids!" "They ruined Yu-Gi-Oh! to begin with!" Hmm, well isn't this interesting. Without 4Kids, I'd say about 90% of fandom (well, those that aren't in Japan) wouldn't have known of YGO and come to appreciate it after all these years. Not only that, but The Abridged Series likely wouldn't exist. Maybe it could, but the voices and characterizations Little Kuriboh uses would not be the same. The jokes would be played out totally different, as well. Bless LK for his comments in defense of the loss of 4Kids on his post to the newest YGOTAS episode. It just makes me want to punch people. And I'd say the BOOM of YGO fandom these days is thanks to LK. But of course, everyone forgets where the material comes from.
It's the whole dub/sub debate thing over and over again. Yes, I know YGO wasn't the most fantastic dub in the world, but it did what it needed to: Introduce it to an audience. I've watched a lot of the subbed version of the series and things like language, violence, risque cards are censored, themes that be too dark for the children are omitted from the dub, but it doesn't take anything from the general story. It's not like "Cardcaptors" where episodes were cut/pasted every which way and you are left wondering what you missed. FUNimation even tried to do an UNCUT version and the sales bombed. Maybe cause they used the same cast? I watched those episodes and it just felt awkward that it was so serious all the sudden. (This would be my problem if Digimon was ever re-dubbed as well.)
Oh, and lets not forget that 4Kids brought us Pokemon, too. Although, they lost Pokemon a few years ago.
I know I'm biased. I love my goofy dubs. Chances are I wouldn't have bothered with the series if all I had was the subbed version, of which is impossible to find aside from Hong Kong bootlegs (yes I have a set). I also realize that the show itself is pretty ridiculous, but I'm proud to be a fan of this series. It's much more than a show trying to sell you card games.
Farewell, 4Kids. Thank you for bringing this series into my life. Where would I be without this silly series with silly characters with crazy hair, mystic wind, friendship speeches, and epic-ness.
I shall close with this quote from someone's review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuimya (yes this is relevant): "When we can finally pass Haruhi, we will be able to rid ourselves of the K-ON!s and the Lucky Stars of today and hopefully move back into a simpler time, when good anime, hell, even stupid anime, reigned supreme, and anime like this were relegated to their own specific niches. I know that if the choice was between Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters and Angel Beats, I'd pick that spiky haired, card game peddling abortion any day."
No, no lj-cut for you.
Edit: Oh and 5D's ended yesterday with 154 episodes. I want my subs like now T^T No more CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLESSSSSSSSS
Fandom seems to be more on the side of "They got what the deserved!" "Down with 4Kids!" "They ruined Yu-Gi-Oh! to begin with!" Hmm, well isn't this interesting. Without 4Kids, I'd say about 90% of fandom (well, those that aren't in Japan) wouldn't have known of YGO and come to appreciate it after all these years. Not only that, but The Abridged Series likely wouldn't exist. Maybe it could, but the voices and characterizations Little Kuriboh uses would not be the same. The jokes would be played out totally different, as well. Bless LK for his comments in defense of the loss of 4Kids on his post to the newest YGOTAS episode. It just makes me want to punch people. And I'd say the BOOM of YGO fandom these days is thanks to LK. But of course, everyone forgets where the material comes from.
It's the whole dub/sub debate thing over and over again. Yes, I know YGO wasn't the most fantastic dub in the world, but it did what it needed to: Introduce it to an audience. I've watched a lot of the subbed version of the series and things like language, violence, risque cards are censored, themes that be too dark for the children are omitted from the dub, but it doesn't take anything from the general story. It's not like "Cardcaptors" where episodes were cut/pasted every which way and you are left wondering what you missed. FUNimation even tried to do an UNCUT version and the sales bombed. Maybe cause they used the same cast? I watched those episodes and it just felt awkward that it was so serious all the sudden. (This would be my problem if Digimon was ever re-dubbed as well.)
Oh, and lets not forget that 4Kids brought us Pokemon, too. Although, they lost Pokemon a few years ago.
I know I'm biased. I love my goofy dubs. Chances are I wouldn't have bothered with the series if all I had was the subbed version, of which is impossible to find aside from Hong Kong bootlegs (yes I have a set). I also realize that the show itself is pretty ridiculous, but I'm proud to be a fan of this series. It's much more than a show trying to sell you card games.
Farewell, 4Kids. Thank you for bringing this series into my life. Where would I be without this silly series with silly characters with crazy hair, mystic wind, friendship speeches, and epic-ness.
I shall close with this quote from someone's review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuimya (yes this is relevant): "When we can finally pass Haruhi, we will be able to rid ourselves of the K-ON!s and the Lucky Stars of today and hopefully move back into a simpler time, when good anime, hell, even stupid anime, reigned supreme, and anime like this were relegated to their own specific niches. I know that if the choice was between Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters and Angel Beats, I'd pick that spiky haired, card game peddling abortion any day."
No, no lj-cut for you.
Edit: Oh and 5D's ended yesterday with 154 episodes. I want my subs like now T^T No more CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLESSSSSSSSS