Macross TV Dub

[Keith]

No, only Evangelion gets numerous box sets with content that rivals Evangelion

[HoveringCheesecake]

Last night I popped in my the first Robotech Macross DVD so I could see SK get killed by the VF-1D. I absolutely could not stand it. Everything seemed so stilted, and everytime they mentioned "robotech" I wanted to yell at the screen. Oh, and that narrator. :| And "Macross" Island. Eurgh.

Anyway... what is the consensus? Which is better: the ADV English dub or the subtitled set? Is it the Animego set for sale @ RT.com for $39.99 worth it? Is that the set that is prone to cracking on the DVDs?

How is the English dub? Subtitles have definitely grown on me, and they would actually be preferred, but if the subtitled set is the one with cracking issues I'm not sure if I want to go that route. However, with the sub costing a whopping $175 for all 7 volumes... yeah that's a little out there in terms of cost. Anyone know if there are plans to release the dub as a complete set at a reduced cost???

I'm sure these questions have been addressed in this thread but I don't have time to delve through 41 pages right now. Any help would be appreciated.

Edited January 27, 2007 by meh_cd

[Zinjo]

Last night I popped in my the first Robotech Macross DVD so I could see SK get killed by the VF-1D. I absolutely could not stand it. Everything seemed so stilted, and everytime they mentioned "robotech" I wanted to yell at the screen. Oh, and that narrator. :| And "Macross" Island. Eurgh.

Ah yes, another successful de-programming

Anyway... what is the consensus? Which is better: the ADV English dub or the subtitled set? Is it the Animego set for sale @ RT.com for $39.99 worth it? Is that the set that is prone to cracking on the DVDs?

How is the English dub? Subtitles have definitely grown on me, and they would actually be preferred, but if the subtitled set is the one with cracking issues I'm not sure if I want to go that route. However, with the sub costing a whopping $175 for all 7 volumes... yeah that's a little out there in terms of cost. Anyone know if there are plans to release the dub as a complete set at a reduced cost???

I'm sure these questions have been addressed in this thread but I don't have time to delve through 41 pages right now. Any help would be appreciated.

The animeigo subtitled release is the best and yes RT.com is selling a repackaged version of that set for $39.99.

It may be difficult to get the original Animeigo set as it's out of print, so dispite the packaging, the HG release of the subtitled set is the next best thing to the original Animeigo set.

ADV, essentially ruined a perfectly good opportunity to dub Macross by getting retrarded with the script and sound effects.

'nuff said

[HoveringCheesecake]

Oh, so they did mess with the sound effects in the ADV set. Laaame. I'll order the Animeigo set tomorrow then.

"deprogramming"... I like that. It's so true.

Which set is it that had the problem with the DVD's cracking?

[Keith]

The AnimEigo set is the one prone to cracking, but the ADV set does have the original Japanese audio & subtitles as well. The audio is from an inferior source than the one AnimEigo used, so the Japanese audio doesn't sound "as good," but it is still present in its original glory.

[HoveringCheesecake]

Great... was the cracking a huge problem? Anyone know if it was fixed?

[Hikuro]

I never saw it as a huge problem, mostly because my set never cracked and I've owned it now for over 2 years...but I do perfer the AnimEigo set mostly because it's a true remaster and no longer in production so it's got a sentimental value to me.

But I'm also on boycott of ADV because they continue to release crap dubs and continiously re-release their old work in different box sets promising lots of stupid boring crap not related to the japanese production of the certain show, just their relation to it being dubbed.

I mean honestly, how many box sets of Evangelion do you want?

It's the same thing with Macross/Robotech, they keep releasing box set after box set and soon they'll have a compact Macross boxset I bet with all these bonus goodies, then next year they'll release ANOTHER version with more crap, then the year after that you can probably get the original Macross with Robotech style editing! BLAH!

[HoveringCheesecake]

I never saw it as a huge problem, mostly because my set never cracked and I've owned it now for over 2 years...but I do perfer the AnimEigo set mostly because it's a true remaster and no longer in production so it's got a sentimental value to me.

But I'm also on boycott of ADV because they continue to release crap dubs and continiously re-release their old work in different box sets promising lots of stupid boring crap not related to the japanese production of the certain show, just their relation to it being dubbed.

I mean honestly, how many box sets of Evangelion do you want?

It's the same thing with Macross/Robotech, they keep releasing box set after box set and soon they'll have a compact Macross boxset I bet with all these bonus goodies, then next year they'll release ANOTHER version with more crap, then the year after that you can probably get the original Macross with Robotech style editing! BLAH!

lol ok. I'll order it soon then.

As for Robotech DVDs - I bought the Protoculture Collection. That's it for me. Now it's purely for nostalgia.

[promethuem5]

I just started watching the ADV episodes... disc 2 (was looking for some good Destroid episodes) I've got vol. 1 and 2 (got vol1 with the box) and really like them... the voice actors all seem really good except for Roy who's not nearly manly enough (like in DYRL?), and Minmei, who sounds clinically retarded (I don't understand it.) Other than that I really like it... I've only ever seen the first couple of Robotech episodes before (I'm a Mac+ and MacII guy more.) and these compare much better than the RT stuff!

[mister_e]

and Minmei, who sounds clinically retarded

Uh oh Better put your flame-retardant suit on

[promethuem5]

Flame nothing... who's the voice-actor? is it the original actor doing English (Maria there? I always forget her name) because I loved everything else, but everythime Minmei came on, I couldn't help thinking it was either a faked accent or some form of impediment... maybe that's just me. It's not that I can't handle accents, there just seems to be something wrong about how she says everything more than I've ever heard...

[mister_e]

I was only teasing about the flames. I've not heard ADV's English dub, but I've read numerous comments that suggest that Mari Iijima is the few good voice actors in the dub

[promethuem5]

Haha.... oh... maybe it's just me then. I was actually pretty impressed with most of the voice actors...

[The Flying Monkey]

Eek, I must say, almost all of them sound amateurish.

Claudia is the only one I can tolerate. Mari Iijima, while not sounding amateurish, sounds too old to be Minmay.

Needless to say, I watched the subs.

[promethuem5]

I really like the guy who did Alphonse in FMA as Hikaru... and Max and Kaz sound pretty good... Glovol (Global?)'s kinda goofy, but I think that's alright... Roy's the one who irks me as a total miscast tho...

[The Flying Monkey]

Global, Hikaru and Misa are just not happenin' IMO. In "Bye-Bye Mars," when Misa says "Riiiiiibeeeerrrrr!" as Hikaru is carrying her away, she sounds like Alice on "The Honeymooners" saying "Raaaaallllph!"

Edited February 13, 2007 by The Flying Monkey

[SuperSkylineGTR]

I finally got around to watching the first two discs, not too bad so far.

[Pat Payne]

Eek, I must say, almost all of them sound amateurish.

Claudia is the only one I can tolerate. Mari Iijima, while not sounding amateurish, sounds too old to be Minmay.

Needless to say, I watched the subs.

The only problem I had with Mari Iijima's acting was that they really needed to get a voice director who had worked a bit more with foreign-born talent, as Iijima, while a good actress, was too often stumbling over the grammar and pacing in some lines (an unavoidable pitfall of going between Japanese and English). They really needed someone who could have smoothed that over a bit more, to help her lines sound more natural. But in all, she did a great job in the role.

[The Flying Monkey]

The only problem I had with Mari Iijima's acting was that they really needed to get a voice director who had worked a bit more with foreign-born talent, as Iijima, while a good actress, was too often stumbling over the grammar and pacing in some lines (an unavoidable pitfall of going between Japanese and English). They really needed someone who could have smoothed that over a bit more, to help her lines sound more natural. But in all, she did a great job in the role.

She said in a commentary that she thought she did a better job acting this time 'round. Not being fluent in Japanese, I can't really tell how good or bad her acting was in Macross in Japanese.

Not to redundantly repeat myself in a repetitious fashion, but no matter how good a voice coach she had or could have had or should have had, she's still a 40-ish woman voicing a 16-year old girl. Maybe if I hadn't known that I wouldn't have noticed anything, but I did and I did.

[Ginrai]

I don't mean to be a jerk, but the issue is not just a 40 year old woman voicing a 16 year old girl, but a non-native English speaker with a seriously thick accent.

[The Flying Monkey]

I don't mean to be a jerk, but the issue is not just a 40 year old woman voicing a 16 year old girl, but a non-native English speaker with a seriously thick accent.

Uh, that doesn't sound the least bit jerkish to me.

I agree the accent thing was an issue as well.

Not to sound too jerkish myself, but I think if she were perfectly fluent in English, she'd still sound too old. No doubt her inclusion was more marketing ploy than anything.

That and the fact that Reba West was probably not available.

You know, if someone ever did a DYRL English dub, I'd take the Robotech actors over the ADV actors any day of the week. Although they'd all probably sound too old (Tony Oliver doesn't sound like "Rick" at all in "Shadow Chronicles"), they could use magic fairy dust to make them sound younger.

[Zinjo]

I don't mean to be a jerk, but the issue is not just a 40 year old woman voicing a 16 year old girl, but a non-native English speaker with a seriously thick accent.

Casting Mari was a great idea, but they waited till the last minute so the woman had no opportunity or was even advised to see a voice coach to help her with her accent.

It essentially became a marketing ploy instead of a genuine attempt to use her talent (as Flying Monkey already pointed out). If they truly wished to utilize her fully they would have struck a deal with Victor to remaster the Minmay songs for the show, but that wasn't even done.

I agree that the voice director was definitely inexperienced with foreign actors.

ADV dropped the ball with respect to altering the pitch of Mari's voice to bring back her youthful tones. One of many many dropped balls by ADV.

It is a shame that they paid the translator to do such a thorough job and then to essentially toss so much away because they "assumed" the audience wouldn't be able to follow the story without lame and retarded slang (isn't that was HG did too? You be the judge)...

I had hoped they would have put as much care into the Macross dub as they had with Evangelion. Oh well I suspect there aren't any Macross fans on their staff like the Evangelion ones...

There are only a few RT actors I'd like to see work on SDFM Macross the Roy Focker and Bretaii actors come to mind, both seemed best mached to their roles. The one thing the really pisses me off about the dub is that Max's voice is a baritone in the original not a wispy teenage voice. That was the thing that made Max so unique in SDFM was this deep voice coming out of this baby face...

Edited February 14, 2007 by Zinjo

[The Flying Monkey]

There are only a few RT actors I'd like to see work on SDFM Macross the Roy Focker and Bretaii actors come to mind, both seemed best mached to their roles. The one thing the really pisses me off about the dub is that Max's voice is a baritone in the original not a wispy teenage voice. That was the thing that made Max so unique in SDFM was this deep voice coming out of this baby face...

I certainly prefer the Japanese dialog in DYRL (and Macross). But if I had to pick between the ADV actors and the Robotech actors, I pick Robotech. Tony Oliver is a much better HIkaru/Rick than Vic Mignola. Mignola sounds too immature and silly. Oliver sounds young, but not too young. His voice (at least his 1984 voice) sounds much more like Arihiro Hase's than Mignola's does.

Akira Kamiya is hands-down the best Roy. He really puts some oomph into it when he says "Skull Leader!"

Max, well, I can deal with Cam Clarke as Max. Between Max and Lancer, I think Clarke does the best job overall of the Robotech actors.

Now Minmay. Well, I don't mind Reba West so much in Robotech. I prefer Mari Iijima in Japanese Macross, but I'd take Reba West 1984 over Mari Iijima 2003 in English for Minmay in a heartbeat.

[Keith]

I say get the HK DYRL dub cast + Mari! Far superior to both robotech & ADV's Macross.

NOW WATCH JET JOCKEY!

Seriously though, if I had to sit through a dub of Macross, it would definately be ADV's dub over robotech. I think you're all forgetting how melodramatic & hackneye'd those robotech actor's were. Original music + Mari + lack of way over-narration = superior dub.

Say what you will about her accent, but she was the only one ADV's dub cast who could pronunce the names correctly.

[Zinjo]

Say what you will about her accent, but she was the only one ADV's dub cast who could pronunce the names correctly.

AMEN BROTHER AMEN!!

[Ginrai]

Say what you will about her accent, but she was the only one ADV's dub cast who could pronunce the names correctly.

Yeah, it's great news when she can pronounce the names correctly, but not the rest of the dialogue.

[The Flying Monkey]

Seriously though, if I had to sit through a dub of Macross, it would definately be ADV's dub over robotech. I think you're all forgetting how melodramatic & hackneye'd those robotech actor's were. Original music + Mari + lack of way over-narration = superior dub.

You're comparing Robotech to Macross when you bring in the narration and the music. That's not what this is about.

If you think the Robotech actors were melodramatic compared to the ADV actors, all I can is, you have never hard Monica Rial's delivery of "Riiiiiiiiibeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr!"

[Keith]

The only robotech VA I can stomach is Richard Epcar, for some reason he doesn't annoy me as much as the rest.

And regardless of Mari's dialogue difficulties (i.e. her accent) she far outclasses the rest of ADV's stable of dub actors.

[The Flying Monkey]

And regardless of Mari's dialogue difficulties (i.e. her accent) she far outclasses the rest of ADV's stable of dub actors.

Sans question, mon ami.

[KingNor]

personally i thought the voices from robotech sounded pretty good, minus minmay of course. Roy, Hikaru, and Ben (kaki..zaki..ka??): the acting wasn't always so great, but i thought the voices fit the characters. Claudia, Misa and Global were spot on, imho, better than their asian counterparts.

Max i thought at the time sounded fine, but i've come to love his deep manly asian voice and think that fits the character better. Millia in both japanize and robotech was forgetable imho, and the rest of the cast didn't strike me much one way or the other.

so concludes a pointless breakdown of my opinions on the voice acting of macross and robotech.

[Alpha OTS]

personally i thought the voices from robotech sounded pretty good, minus minmay of course. Roy, Hikaru, and Ben (kaki..zaki..ka??): the acting wasn't always so great, but i thought the voices fit the characters.

Agreed. That was one of the strengths of Robotech's va cast, imo.

I just finished watching two discs of the new ADV english dub. I have two more on the way.

I don't like Hikaru's voice. It comes off as whiney.

I thought they were trying to emulate Robotech Fokker's va way too much. I was hoping for some of the bravado that you hear in DYRL's and Zero's Fokker. I laugh when I heard that voice because it's easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm and energy. You genuinely like the guy. This Fokker's just too dry in comparison. Dare I say, he's too Americanized. It doesn't have the same energy and it's just not the same. As a Robotech Fokker clone I guess it's ok, but that's not what I was hoping for.

Minmei is ok. I agree with the above posters that this was more of a marketing ploy than a true desire to do a good dub of this character. I think there are a couple of unintended consequences that do work towards the benefit of the storyline though. A small part of the awkwardness and miscommunication between Hikaru and Minmei can also be attributed to cultural differences; she's staying with relatives, she shops in Chinatown, and there's a more implied innocence as Minmei is consumed with the celebrity of being Miss Macross. I had no problem with the age of the va. To be honest, I couldn't tell. It's the accent I have an issue with. BUT, as the episodes went a long, I could tell the va was getting more comfortable and the accent became less of a distraction. I hope that continues to be the case.

Claudia, Ben(Kakizakika?) and Max sound a lot like the Robotech va's, and that's a good thing, imo. Global/Gloval's voice works. As a character his voice needs to carry authority and it does. Misa's ok. Although I think she sounds too young at times. The Robotech va's voice was perfect for her because she *can* sound old when she's being authoratitive, which makes the Rick/Hikaru "old lady" references all the more funny.

All said though, like Minmei's va, the lot of them do seem to get better as the episodes go on.

[promethuem5]

I thought they were trying to emulate Robotech Fokker's va way too much. I was hoping for some of the bravado that you hear in DYRL's and Zero's Fokker. I laugh when I heard that voice because it's easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm and energy. You genuinely like the guy. This Fokker's just too dry in comparison. Dare I say, he's too Americanized. It doesn't have the same energy and it's just not the same. As a Robotech Fokker clone I guess it's ok, but that's not what I was hoping for.

I feel the same way... the DYRL and Zero Fokker has alot of bravado and ultra-manliness, which the ADV VA lacks... a shame too, because for the time he's around, Roy is one of the most charismatic characters in the show...

I do like Hikaru tho... I thought that VA was great as Ed Elric, and I think it works here too I'm intersted to see how he handles late series Hikaru tho, as he matures and grows up ALOT during the series after becomming Skull Leader...

[KingNor]

Misa and Global's Robotech voices will always stick with me. They really hit those voices perfectly imho and i loved Global's Russian accent.

[Keith]

It's just too bad Global isn't russian

[Lonewolf]

I'm still not sure about that new dub. I kinda agree with KingNor.