(no subject)

[scottishfae.livejournal.com]

One of my friends told me something he had heard about the horrific dubbing being done to Naruto, and I was wondering if someone can confirm this for me.

 

He told me that he had heard that they are turning Haku into a girl (so as not to confuse the tiny tots that the English dubs are being marketted too). 

Has anyone else heard anything about this?  I really hope not, but knowing how things get dubbed, I'm afraid its the truth.

 

Comments

[superheroine]

I haven't heard that - but it wouldn't surprise me.

[lattebayo.livejournal.com]

Nobody knows for sure-- they haven't officially announced the voice actors, and the Toonami teaser only had a few grunts. =|

[officialbizness.livejournal.com]

We don't know anything about the dub, other than one voice actor. Tell your friend not to be paranoid - dubbing does not automatically equal OH GOD NO IT BURNS OH THE SANCTITY OF ANIME NOOOOOO.

And even if they did turn Haku into a girl for the oh-so-impressionable youth, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I would hope that subtitle fans could have the maturity to simply laugh it off.

[scottishfae.livejournal.com]

They have teasers out already? I don't watch toonami (I'm actually kind of against them) so I wouldn't know.

Anyone knwo where I can find them or must I suffer through toonami to see them?

~fae

[teknikat.livejournal.com]

We don't know for sure, but don't be surprised. See, our little kids can't handle some guy liking/loving another guy. *rolls eyes* So I wouldn't be surprised if Haku is made female. It'll suck big time...but I won't be surprised...

[superheroine]

However, just to point something out - he remained male in the manga. That might affect the desicion.

[abscido.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear.

[epicureal.livejournal.com]

I'd like to know where your friend heard about Haku changing gender, as no one has mentioned it before O.o

But if they're keeping the Oiroke no Jutsu and the japanese names for the techniques, I'm pretty sure they aren't going to change loads of the plot (plus Haku's being-a-man-ness is in no way offensive; since he does say that he's a guy at one point, so I'm not sure how it would confuse anyone O.O)

[scottishfae.livejournal.com]

I don't mind dubs, if they're good. Cowboy Bebop, is one of my favorite animes, subbed and dubbed. B.c they kept the series true to the original and they choose excellent voice actors that really suited the characters.

However, what Japanese children are allowed to see is vastly different from what American childrend are allowed to see and so when they bring a show that is marketted to children over to America, things must be bastardized so that they can see it.

That's why I despise what they're doing. They're changing everything to fit out culture, and that doesn't fit. They're having to change some of the names (as they have done in the past) so that American kids can say them. Why not just let the kids learn the Japanese names, oh no, can't do that, they're aiming for the $$$ they can make from this show. (Not a fan of capitalism, sorry for bringing that in)

So yeah, if they were going to keep the series true to its original self, then I dont' care, bring it over! I'll buy the dubbed ones then. But since they aren't, then I find it horrific and wish they would just stop the whole deal.

~fae

[confusedkain.livejournal.com]

Very true! Knowing the little kids of today, they'll watch the anime THEN find the manga and when they read the manga? "Mommy, is this person a faggot transsexual?"

Oh wait, now adays childern would never use the correct term as transsexual... Bah, I'm starting to rant about IRL @_@ Stop me!

[officialbizness.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, I agree with keeping things cultural. It'd be nice to teach the kids something and be able to create a dub all ages can enjoy.

On the other, they're kids, and it's just anime. And it's not like it'll hurt us fans, either. If anything, I'd hope it'd amuse us.

[officialbizness.livejournal.com]

Quite frankly, I think parents would find it more offensive if a girl too young to have breasts was the loving companion of an older gentleman, really. >D

[superheroine]

*nods* It's... just a mater of poor taste, too, to change Haku's gender. Though, I suppose, would they dull down the dialogue to make it much more friendly to kids? Probably.

The official DVD releases will probably be uncut, though, so I suppose we'd be fine there.

[epicureal.livejournal.com]

Yep, as a girl it would look a LOT weirder!

<3333 ing teh icon XD

[confusedkain.livejournal.com]

Tell you the truth I don't even know why I'm worrying myself about it. I have the bootleg DVDs and when it does come out in fall on cartoon network? I am NEVER going to watch it or it WILL kill my fandom.

[confusedkain.livejournal.com]

I agree with biztheinsane if it isn't the gender thing is the pedofile thing!

OMG! What do you think they're going to do when all those flashbacks with Orochimaru and the small childern?! XDDDD

[red-donkey.livejournal.com]

Damn... I know it's not that big of a deal but it will still suck if he's turned into a girl. What will they do about the part where Haku tells Naruto he's a guy?

[confusedkain.livejournal.com]

Hmmm you think they might cut out Naruto's SHOCKED face and just make it Haku walks away all pretty :D?

[epicureal.livejournal.com]

By the looks of how everyhing is going now, they're not changing anything like that - apparently they're not even changing the technique names, according to NarutoFan. A lot of time has passed since the times in which they changed everything about an anime... anime is much more mainstream now and as such, it's a lot more accepatble as is nowadays.

Japanese children are different from American children. America and Japan are two different places, and the culture is a lot different. Don't forget that the legal age for consent in Japan is 12-13, so have different views on adulthood.

Naruto is going ot be released on dual-audio, uncut DVDs when it is released. So just from that, we can tell that they're doing things a lot differently this time. By what we have heard so far, it looks a lot like they ARE keeping the show as it originally was - they're only cutting out scenes with tonnes of blood and stuff. So don't give up on the dub yet!

[borrowed-breath.livejournal.com]

From a fandom that's been practically eaten by dubbers (Yu-Gi-Oh), I would have to say that it is unlikely Naruto will be targeted for little kids i.e. as in ages 8-11. It has too much violence that simply cannot be avoided in lieu of destroying the plot.

Like for example, every single fight scene with a drop of blood would be gone/super-edited like they did in Kenshin, which didn't make much sense in English ;___;.

It will be dubbed, but assume it will be targeted for teens as it was meant to be.

And as for Haku, they had better keep him as a guy, because that's just plain wrong, changing his gender on him.

They can take out Jiraiya's comments and Kakashi's book but they can't take out the violence and angst. The show is based on it. Hell, they're all NINJAs. It's what they do.

Otherwise, there will be one pissy fandom to deal with. Narutards unite! SCARY! XD

[scottishfae.livejournal.com]

I love your icon, btw.

I just know that I come from a very, very conservative part of the US (and sadly a lot of those crazy activist women who have started all this censorship fits and calls for rating everything have come from the region I'm from) and if children around 12 were to watch Naruto unedited, it would be disapproved of.

My 13 year old lil bro told a dirty joke, a little kid dirty joke at that, and all the adults went ape shit on him for even knowing that joke. Hello?! He's going through puberty, and its everywhere, so of course he's going to know that joke and find it funny! I personally, thought it was great.

That's the type of environment a lot of families in the South find themselves in, where any type of sexuality is completely suppressed.

I also found that among a lot of my aged friends, they feel that cartoons should be made for kids, so if the US companies want Naruto to sell, they have to market it for children. I understand this, but like I've said, I just don't like it when they change things from its original.

~fae

[red-donkey.livejournal.com]

I know they could do it that easily but... I dunno. I just don't like how they change everything. It annoys me.

[scottishfae.livejournal.com]

great Gai Icon!

Yeah, I'll never watch it on Cartoon Network. Though I hate to think that the show will end up in the ranks of Pokemon and such in the US. Naruto is so much better than that!

~fae

[scottishfae.livejournal.com]

It's not unusual for dubs to change whole texts of dialogue. It's done all the time.

In Samurai Champloo there is a part where Mugen threatens to rape an unconscious Fyu (is that how you spell her name?)...of course they edited that out for the dubbed version. So yeah, it would be easy for them to make up something new to go where Haku says he's a guy.

~fae

[superheroine]

Yeah, that's my opinion on it. Even if I see it: who cares? I'm not going to sit there and watch it, so why bother wasting time complaining about it? I wrote this thing a while back on it, before we knew some of the stuff, and my opinion stays mostly the same on it.