The story behind the English dub of DYRL

[mitch]

Hey everyone,

While I'm home at Christmas I was looking through some old anime magazines and found a few articles about Macross. In issue 3 of Anime UK (the May issue from 1995) I found some information on the DYRL film that was dubbed and released as 'Clash Of The Bionoids' by Kiseki films here in the UK. I remember a while ago reading a thread here about the dub and having a chuckle about some of the dialogue and cheesy voice acting, and thought I would share what I found here.

* If this has already been posted somewhere before then I would humbly ask the site administrators to move the post or confine it to the limbo where all obsolete topics go. *

SUPER SPACE FORTRESS MACROSS

Japanese English-dubbed version of MACROSS THE MOVIE aka CHOJIKU YOSAI MACROSS : AI OBOETE IMASUKA (SUPER DIMENSIONAL FORTRESS MACROSS : DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE?). Dubbed in Hong Kong with British/Australian voice actors it was originally used (with Japanese subtitles)for education purposes. The unsubtitled version was used for overseas sales. Released in the UK on video by Kiseki, dubbed as CLASH OF THE BIONOIDS (see entry) and subbed as MACROSS : DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE.

The entry it refers to was in Anime UK issue #1 (March '95), and says;

'The movie was released in the UK in 1994 by Kiseki, but without the cuts mad efor US release'.

I'm not sure what they cut for other overseas markets, but I know for a fact that my VHS is without the concert footage before the end credits that was expanded on for the FLASHBACK 2012 video.

[TheLoneWolf]

Nice find, but that article contains some inaccuracies.

The movie was released in the UK in 1994 by Kiseki, but without the cuts mad efor US release.

The US did get an unedited version of DYRL, see the image below. I think most of us forget about it because Clash of the Bionoids is so much more memorable.

Dubbed in Hong Kong with British/Australian voice actors

It was indeed dubbed in Hong Kong, but not by British/Australian actors. I forgot who, but someone here explained that it was dubbed by the locals of Hong Kong. Their British/Australian sounding accents were explained by the fact that Hong Kong was a British territory for around 100 years.

[Gubaba]

Yeah, I've heard variously that it was done for educational purposes, or to show on a Japanese airline's international flights.

Whichever, the same people (I think...) also did a similarly terrible rendition of "Megazone 23 Part II."

[MisaForever]

CLASH OF THE BIONOIDS >>>>>>>>>>>>>> j00!!!!! No seriously though, it was the most humorous dub I had ever seen.

[Gubaba]

CLASH OF THE BIONOIDS >>>>>>>>>>>>>> j00!!!!! No seriously though, it was the most humorous dub I had ever seen.

Better than "What's Up, Tiger Lily"...? I find that hard to believe.

[mitch]

Cool, thanks guys. I'm kinda surprised that the article had inaccuracies, but we took what we could get in terms of anime and manga coverage in England in the early '90s (still, with about 3-4 different UK publications back then there was more info on new releases back then than now). A lot of character names in later issues misspelled character names from M7 in later issues, but this was back when it was still airing on Japanese TV, and that was the last a lot of people heard of it I imagine, since it has never been licensed in the west.

Bionoids was what got me hooked on Macross back in the day, and like the 'Warriors Of The Wind' release of Nausicaa that got me into Anime proper (albeit in a slightly mangled form) it opened my eyes to what animation was capable of, and now Nausicaa and DYRL remain two of my favourite films ever. Plus, the dialogue still cracks me up (Roy: 'you can still fight when you're drunk!' ). Hell, I would gladly watch Bionoids on my plane flight back in a few days! I've got to start booking my flights with Japanese airlines...

Speaking of Miyazaki films and 'plane flights, I think I remember reading that Porco Rosso's first dub was made for 'plane voyages, and I still prefer that version to the dub put out through Disney a few years ago (and Jean Reno played Marco in the French version if I'm not mistaken). Of course, please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this - we are a simple folk in England

[Kelsain]

Better than "What's Up, Tiger Lily"...? I find that hard to believe.

Do you like my snake? He's nervous, because it's his wedding day! He's going to marry A CHICKEN!!!

[MisaForever]

I can't help it, Misa's voice in the dub was sexy.

[Gubaba]

I can't help it, Misa's voice in the dub was sexy.

You're weird.

[Beltane70]

Whichever, the same people (I think...) also did a similarly terrible rendition of "Megazone 23 Part II."

Other than a few story and character name changes, I always thought that the dub Megazone 23 Part II dub was actually done quite well. This is coming from someone who usually cringes at dubs!

[Sdf Prime]

Bionoids was what got me hooked on Macross back in the day, and like the 'Warriors Of The Wind' release of Nausicaa that got me into Anime proper (albeit in a slightly mangled form) it opened my eyes to what animation was capable of, and now Nausicaa and DYRL remain two of my favourite films ever. Plus, the dialogue still cracks me up (Roy: 'you can still fight when you're drunk!' ). Hell, I would gladly watch Bionoids on my plane flight back in a few days! I've got to start booking my flights with Japanese airlines...

The Macross dub was my introduction to macross. I remember going to the video shop and renting it all the time.I don't recall if the dub I rented was the bionoids or the unedited vhs that was a long time ago. When I did purchase the movie it was the unedited version that TheLoneWolf posted above. I believe DYRL is probably one of my favorite movies as well.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Sdf Prime

[taksraven]

Dubbed in Hong Kong with British/Australian voice actors it was originally used (with Japanese subtitles)for education purposes.

Yeah, I remember reading an article in the 90's that said that Roys voice had been dubbed by Paul Hogan. Ha Ha. As if.

Taksraven

[AcroRay]

Other than a few story and character name changes, I always thought that the dub Megazone 23 Part II dub was actually done quite well. This is coming from someone who usually cringes at dubs!

Me too! I loved that dub! (Wish I could find a better copy than my 3rd generation, SLP mode VHS one from '87.)

"Johnny.... WINTERS, you say? Nooooo.... I don't think I've seen him!"

Good LA talent in that one. I heard that Carl Macek was involved in that one.

[MjrMisaHayase]

Good LA talent in that one. I heard that Carl Macek was involved in that one.

Yeah, but he chose MegaZone 23 Part 1 over DYRL, IIRC.

[Einherjar]

I heard about its educational purposes from the Anime World Order podcast. Production wise, it made sense, but back when I watched the edited U.S. version with its quirks, I was left really confused.

Yeah, but he chose MegaZone 23 Part 1 over DYRL, IIRC.

Either way, in his hands the end product would have begun and ended his movie making career.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Einherjar

[TheLoneWolf]

Cool, thanks guys. I'm kinda surprised that the article had inaccuracies, but we took what we could get in terms of anime and manga coverage in England in the early '90s (still, with about 3-4 different UK publications back then there was more info on new releases back then than now).

That's completely understandable, there was a severe dearth of English Macross material back then, so I have to commend you and Anime UK for having the ambition to publish Macross articles during that time You should give yourselves a pat on the back since the rest of the article has stood up remarkably well against the test of time.

[Graham]

It was indeed dubbed in Hong Kong, but not by British/Australian actors. I forgot who, but someone here explained that it was dubbed by the locals of Hong Kong. Their British/Australian sounding accents were explained by the fact that Hong Kong was a British territory for around 100 years.

Pretty sure it's not the case that it was local HK actors. Having lived in HK for 21 years I can safely say I can recognize a HK-English accent. The voices on Clash of the Bionoids sounds nothing like a HK-English accent.

More likely it was expat British/Australian actors living in HK at the time.

Despite being a British coloney for many years, and English being taught as a second language, the education system here did not and does not churn out students that speak with British or Australian accents......LOL!

The only way a local HK Chinese national is going to pick up a UK or Australian accent is if they go to live/study overseas for several years.

Haven't watched my Kiseki Clash VHS tape for a few years, but is the voice talent not credited at the end?

Graham

[TheLoneWolf]

The only way a local HK Chinese national is going to pick up a UK or Australian accent is if they go to live/study overseas for several years.

Which, however unlikely, could be the case.

Haven't watched my Kiseki Clash VHS tape for a few years, but is the voice talent not credited at the end?

They're not credited on the Best and Celebrity tapes, don't know about the Kiseki. But honestly, who would want to be publically credited for that.

[taksraven]

More likely it was expat British/Australian actors living in HK at the time.

Graham

I know that Australian English gets criticised a lot, but even Australian actors would not pronounce enemy as 'emeny'.

Taksraven

[Graham]

I know that Australian English gets criticised a lot, but even Australian actors would not pronounce enemy as 'emeny'.

Taksraven

Depends on how many beers they've had.

Graham

[taksraven]

Depends on how many beers they've had.

Graham

Well, I am an Australian and I hate beer AND football. (This makes me really popular)

A typical Aussie.

Taksraven

[kensei]

Depends on how many beers they've had.

Graham

And also what type.

VB is nasty.

[Graham]

Well, I am an Australian and I hate beer AND football. (This makes me really popular)

A typical Aussie.

Taksraven

On the subject of people who are opposite to cultural sterotypes, I recently met a Frenchman who hates cheese and wine.

Graham

[terry the lone wolf]

Yeah, I've heard variously that it was done for educational purposes, or to show on a Japanese airline's international flights.

Whichever, the same people (I think...) also did a similarly terrible rendition of "Megazone 23 Part II."

The dubs for MZ23 parts 1&2 were done by Carl Macek & the HG crew. If listen you can hear many familiar RT actors. I've only seen clips via you tube but I do own Robotech the Movie and many of the same cast did Megazone. On you tube now, you can check out clips of Manga Ent. UK's version of MZ23 part 3 and that's pretty good.

[Gubaba]

The dubs for MZ23 parts 1&2 were done by Carl Macek & the HG crew. If listen you can hear many familiar RT actors. I've only seen clips via you tube but I do own Robotech the Movie and many of the same cast did Megazone. On you tube now, you can check out clips of Manga Ent. UK's version of MZ23 part 3 and that's pretty good.

Are you talking about the Streamline dub? There was one before that, which I saw in...'87, I think. There was only Megazone Part II, and IIRC, it also had a lot of Aussie voice actors in it.

It never became as widespread as Clash of the Bionoids...I only knew one guy who had it, and his was a copy of a copy of a copy.

[Skull1986]

The dubs for MZ23 parts 1&2 were done by Carl Macek & the HG crew. If listen you can hear many familiar RT actors. I've only seen clips via you tube but I do own Robotech the Movie and many of the same cast did Megazone. On you tube now, you can check out clips of Manga Ent. UK's version of MZ23 part 3 and that's pretty good.

There was a laserdisc boxset of Megazone 23 put out years ago that Parts I and II in it. I still have this myself.

Anyhow, the English dub disc for Part II (there were two discs for Part II I believe in the set -- there are enough footage differences between the English-dubbed and Japanese audio Part II to warrant separate discs -- have to recheck this some day) had additional animation at the front of it that was in the style of Megazone Part I but was NOT footage from the original Megazone I OVA.

I've read that this footage is part of the additional animation created for Robotech: The Movie (aka "Robotech: The Untold Story").

Personally, I don't like the style character design in Megazone Part II and never cared for the original dub, either. The change in art style for Part II just doesn't make sense. It's very jarring and doesn't flow well from Part I. Megazone Part III adopted an art style closer to Part I. Megazone 23 Part III was never part of the laserdisc set of Parts I and II since it was owned by a different company at the time. I'm not sure what the situation of ownership with the Megazone OVAs is today.

One of the funny things about Megazone Part II is a little in-joke in the film. Look carefully at the scene where a character (the hero?) is playing pinball. The characters on the background of the pinball machine are from either Thundercats or Silverhawks! (It's been so long since I saw the animation that I forget which show characters appear on the pinball machine.) Obviously, somebody (or -bodies) working on Megazone 23 Part II worked on those Rankin-Bass shows. The production company for those TV series I believe was Sunrise, the same studio behind a lot of Gundam over the years.

[yellowlightman]

Anyhow, the English dub disc for Part II (there were two discs for Part II I believe in the set -- there are enough footage differences between the English-dubbed and Japanese audio Part II to warrant separate discs -- have to recheck this some day) had additional animation at the front of it that was in the style of Megazone Part I but was NOT footage from the original Megazone I OVA.

I've read that this footage is part of the additional animation created for Robotech: The Movie (aka "Robotech: The Untold Story").

Yeah, a new ending was commissioned so that the Robotech movie could have a "proper" ending. It looks different because it was not animated by the original staff, in fact up until recently Ishiguro didn't even know it existed.

[protogarland]

Me too! I loved that dub! (Wish I could find a better copy than my 3rd generation, SLP mode VHS one from '87.)

"Johnny.... WINTERS, you say? Nooooo.... I don't think I've seen him!"

Good LA talent in that one. I heard that Carl Macek was involved in that one.

Johnny Winters (aka Yahagi Shogo) was voiced by the same guy who did Sean Philips from the Robotech Masters segment.

Lightning sounds like he was voiced by the same guy who did Johnathan Wolf from Robotech New Generation.

Armstrong was voiced by the guy who did Khyron and Scott Bernard.

That's about as much as I can remember right now.

[Scream Man]

im also an Aussie who hates beer, though i do like me some Rugby League.

but i digress.

i always thought Clash HAD to have been done by people with Rnglish as a second language. It sounds to odd to be peoples real voices....

[AcroRay]

Are you talking about the Streamline dub? There was one before that, which I saw in...'87, I think. There was only Megazone Part II, and IIRC, it also had a lot of Aussie voice actors in it.

It never became as widespread as Clash of the Bionoids...I only knew one guy who had it, and his was a copy of a copy of a copy.

Mine was a copy of a copy. I made my copy from one borrow from another college student back in '87. And his was a copy from some other source. Lots of tape hiss & A-C hum in it. Painful....

I think I still have it, though. Now I'm gonna have to dig it out and try to put it on DVD.

Edited January 4, 2009 by AcroRay

[ruskiiVFaussie]

I know that Australian English gets criticised a lot, but even Australian actors would not pronounce enemy as 'emeny'.

Taksraven

Know what i hate? AMERICANS trying to fake being australian. ARRGG it infuriates me to no end!

I love Clash Of The Bionoids, love it so much i got it laced onto a dvd so i can hold precious memory that is the pro..to..cul..ture.

Also Clash has a nice little song when Minmay and Kaifun are captured and when Misa and Hikaru are on Earth. I love that song!

Edited January 6, 2009 by ruskiiVFaussie

[ruskiiVFaussie]

im also an Aussie who hates beer, though i do like me some Rugby League.

but i digress.

i always thought Clash HAD to have been done by people with Rnglish as a second language. It sounds to odd to be peoples real voices....

Alright Scream man a League fan!!! Which team, quick, quick.

I hate beer, but love my Bundy Rum... Yeah it's a secondary lanuage. Trying to match lip sync isn't an excuse.

Well, I am an Australian and I hate beer AND football. (This makes me really popular)

A typical Aussie.

Taksraven

lol i haven't seen Norm is ages, remember the adds?

Ahh, so your a cricket fan then? I like Cricket too, in fact i can watch any sport pretty much, except Union. Rugby Union is gay.

Edited January 6, 2009 by ruskiiVFaussie