Confusix

Ok seriously I think there is as much confusion about the various versions there are of Winx Club seasons as there are about the versions of Sailor Moon. So far I know there is the full series in the RAI English version, the original Italian version, the first 3 seasons from 4Kids, and what looks to be the third and fourth seasons only from Nickelodeon. There seem to be a bunch of different languages too including Bulgarian, Hindi, and Turkish.

Even the Winx Club Wiki isn't tons of help because just like Sailor Moon, the US versions were edited to an almost different plot line! WTH they don't all line up! When trying to watch season 3, apparently I think episode 23 for some reason isn't available in the 4Kids version anyplace so I had to watch the Nick version.. Except right at the beginning of the Nick version they mention Bloom's being told by Balltor/Valltor that he supposedly had absorbed her parents, yet they hadn't gotten to that yet in the 4Kids episode 22! I really don't get why they feel the need to edit and redo the stories. Like it changes anything that much??

So far I've watched the first 3 seasons in the 4Kids version, which is frankly the one I prefer. Best voices for sure. The rest all sound weird or worse yet they all sound like the same person! But it looks like I only have two real choices for season 4 - RAI or Nick. I'm gonna go with the Nick version. Hoping that it will ease me into the RAI ones. Also trying to find season 6 on YouTube has been really hard. All I can find for the most part are pieces. The Wiki has them all. I think, though they aren't in any order. I've going to have to search all of the Wiki's videos to find all 26 episodes it seems! I have found the two movies (and thanks to the Wiki for this) so I can watch them in the right places. 

Not interested in the PopPixie thing as I think they are rather annoying, only added to fill time in the show when the writers didn't know what else to do. I honestly skipped the whole Pixie episode in season 3. 

And can I ask wth is up with the Nick obsession with the sound of people walking? Click clack click click AHHHH! Annoying!!! We don't need to hear them walking! It's like they didn't trust the rest of their audio so they felt the need to fill. Dumb. 

Winx Club?

So...apparently I like this stuff (i.e. dubbed imported kinda anime magical girl cartoons) more than I thought.

I was seriously excited when I saw that Netflix had the Winx Club now as I LOVED it when it aired here in the US on Fox, but being a technical adult, it was hard to explain that I liked it and therefore didn't get to see much of it since I'd either be still asleep on Saturday mornings or doing something else.

But to my surprise, I find this isn't the Winx Club I know. Nor, does it seem, that I actually know anything about the show in general!

Turns out the version Netflix has is the "better" or other version of the original Italian show that was shown outside the US. Much like with Sailor Moon, there was and American dub but apparently that was edited with a different plot?

Of course, now seeing the 4Kids version vs the Rai version, I can see the edits - like when Stella wakes up and Bloom's pants are ripped but it's supposed to be like 20 hours later? And how does Bloom already know about the postcard portal?

But frankly the 4Kids version seems to make more sense...

I've found the 3 seasons of the 4Kids version on Youtube, as well as the Rai version, of which Netflix has the first two seasons and apparently some new movie - tho to watch the movie I'll have to watch the Rai version to understand where they are with their powers.

I do have one question tho - aren't Stella and the other girls Sophomores? Bloom is a newbie so how can she just be jumping right in?

Also, I think I'll just be watching straight thru and and not trying to blog every episode - there are too many. And I've made that decision as well with Sailor Moon. I'll post a blog when I'm moved to. That way it won't feel like a chore! That way I can just totally binge too :)

Punishment Awaits: The House Of Fortune Is The Monster Mansion (or Youma Mansion)

Episode versions:
original Japanese with subtitles
new English dubbed

In the future I will start each blog like above, listing what version I was able to watch. Since the Crystal eps don't completely line up, I will try to watch them when they seem, based on description, to fit in with the other versions. For instance, only the original Japanese subtitled and new English dubbed are available for this episode because it was never originally aired in the US and the story line in Crystal won't line up until I reach the subtitled/new dubbed episode 8/old dub episode 5. This means there may only eventually be the original Japanese version for me to watch. 

So here we have the first episode never picked up for English dubbing by DIC. And I understand cause this one is weird.

I have to say though, I wasn't aware that this had happened. It feels odd not knowing such a vital piece of information given that when I started in the Who fandom a year and a half ago, important info was easy to come by, or something I already knew. (This is totally just me rambling and it isn't anything really weird or whatever, it's just me LOL)

So we have a new villain working for Beryl - a fortune teller, who puts everyone under a spell and gives them a tarot card that will drain their energy for Beryl.

Now that they are acting out, this is the weird part. The voices even sound odd.

And Umi almost kisses her - now we know why this wasn't ever show here. Cause CREEP. Y.

And I now realize that the Crystal episodes are TOTALLY not the same thing as we have here. Reading the descriptions, the 2nd Crystal episode roughly corresponds with episode 8 of the original series/episode 5 of the English dub! This is apparently because the new version is going to be more faithful to the original manga version.

Again, my ignorance of all of this - seem like this would be a major topic?

Would be nice if someone goes along to the Wikipedia articles and notes when each Crystal episode corresponds to the originals...

(seriously 50 years of television episodes, books, audio dramas, and a movie in the Whoniverse is less confusing!)

Ok now that I'm properly hearing Umi, he sounds seriously dorky. And just weird. In general - this is before we even get to possessed weird Umi! (And I agree with others it's odd to hear the English speaker call him Umi and not Melvin)

OMG Matoki voice <3 <3

Oh boy. Possessed Umi sounds demented

Interesting - the subtitled version of the teacher's words while crying was "No one will ever marry me!" but the English dub has it as "I will never live this down!"

And the almost forced kiss is just as creepy.

Ok so wow how stereotypical of me - the dub version is easier to watch. HA! But I think it's good that I watch all the version that there are. I'll get better knowledge of the story that way. I may even take a break in watching once I reach all the sub/dub sets...we'll see.

That's all for me tonight kiddies. Things to do in the morning.

Moon Prism Power Make Up!

Moonlight Party!

So...I must be a fan if I'm a)still up right now to at least watch the first dub episode, and b)impatient and pissed that while it was supposed to be available at 8pm PDT (meaning 11pm EDT) it's already 1130p and I've got exactly...nada on Hulu...or on the Neon Alley thing...

Ok this makes no sense - I finally got the link from The Mary Sue Twitter account at 1135p but my Hulu still doesnt think it exists...

Weird that they didn't dub the theme song.

So ok the voices?

200% better. SERIOUSLY better. Not high pitched, the friend isn't the semi New Yorker but really weird voice any more! Not sure about the boy tho, his voice is a little too low.

Ok and now after seeing it 3 different ways, I know who Jadite is now *facepalm*

STUPID JERK AND HIS PURPLE PLEATED PANTS

Is it weird that the transformation sequence doesn't seem as over the top and weird? Think that's just me...getting used to it LOL

Tuxedo Mask sounds perfect!

Um...so they only dubbed the episode itself then? (and the tag for the next episode) No song? Bummer. That song it cool. Hearing it is what reminded me that I'm sure I saw an episode or two of this when it originally aired...

Ok. So I said I wasn't going to watch the other versions of this - the original subtitled Japanese version (that is uncut!) and the orignal dubbed English version and then eventually the Crystal version.

Yeeeeah. Changed my mind as the next episode started. I really want to see the others before I watch this. Let this new uncut English dub be the icing on the cake, for now anyways. I see myself getting well ahead of the Crystal version releases. They only have the first 4 released and by next week, the first 23 of this new dub will be available.

Hulu has fixed itself finally. So I'm off to another blog post!

Moon Prism Power Make-up!

Going Forward

So I was all set to go crazy with this and watch each episode in the original Japanese with the subtitles and the original US dub version. And then when they were out, watch the new Japanese versions and dubbed versions too, figuring at some point I'd watch each episode 4 different ways.

Um...that's a lot all at once. And I fear that each blog post would end up just my rantings on how awful the original dubs were vs the originals vs the new dubs.

So I've decided that, for now, I'm gonna stick to the new dubbed and non-dubbed episodes as they are released.

I might go back and watch the original versions but I think all four consistently will be just too overwhelming, given I have my two other blogs I want to keep up with. (Heck watching with and without the dub might be too much...)

I never want any of them to become a chore because then I won't want to write and the whole point of all of these blogs was to keep writing! To make sure that I get all the words out of my head! LOL

If you haven't seen it, Viz Media is hosting an online part for the release of the first four new dubbed episodes on Friday at midnight. (Much thanks to Alice for joining the FB event and to FB for telling me she had!)

Check it out here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1543132112567683/

As always I continue to post for the wonderful Doctor Who fansite Kasterborous.com and can be found at @BeckyinPhilly on Twitter!

Moon Prism Power!

The Crybaby Usagi's Beautiful Transformation or A Moon Star Is Born

Ok so here we go.

I'm insane. I must be. Three versions of basically the same thing?

Sailor Moon Crystal
Sailor Moon (dubbed)
Sailor Moon (subtitled)

So the old versions aren't straight up the same as the new version, Crystal, although it's the same story.

But my first reaction to watching the English dubbed version of the show?

OMG she's a twit.

And the copy of the animation is horrible compared to the non-dubbed version. Of course, the non-dub I'm watching is the remastered version that has just been released, so that's a big part of the difference.

But how on earth did any of you become fans of this show by watching THAT?

Seriously? What? And the way that the English dub version was cut, it looks like a totally different show. You get no mention real of any of the Scouts in the non-dubbed version aside from two of them being show in the opener yet there they all are in the opener of episode one of the dub showing the whole back story. Why? Why recut the show?

I pray that the dubbed version of Crystal that's supposed to be happening will be a LOT better. Pretty sure they won't do the same dumb changes like with the original and that it will likely be the same show, shot for shot, just with different voice actors. I just hope they've got someone good for Usagi.

And I now realize I totally had to have seen some of the show when it aired, because I know the theme song thing that plays over the credits. She's the one on whom we depend...

Story-wise, its not bad. What would be called the origin story - this young girl finds out that she isn't just an ordinary girl, struggling to make good grades and do well, but that she is a guardian charged with helping people and fighting evil and trying to find the Moon Princess.

Is it bad though that for as bad as the dub is, well, it kinda helped me in understanding what was going on in the non-dub version? Yes, they made some dialogue changes and Usagi is now Serena, but even for the irritating voices, there is just a difference in what a translation you are reading comes across as versus how spoken dialogue comes across. The words you'd use in translation aren't always the same as those you'd use if you were just speaking the language. Intonations and inflections and meanings are different.


Moon Prism Power!

Sailor Newbie

Ok

So I don't watch anime.

Like ever.

I didn't like the look of it, first off. I was raised on American cartoons, specifically the now classic 80s shows like Voltron, Thundercats, G.I.Joe, Jem, and others. I remember watching the cheesy Spiderman cartoon as a kid, heck I can even sorta sing the theme song...

Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can...

Second, the reactions the characters had well, kinda freaked me out. The bulging eyes, the wild hand movement, the times when the background just goes weird, that stuff is freaky. American animation style has characters reacting in more natural, human ways, not overdone because this is all a drawing ways.

 Third, and probably what I disliked the most, was having to read the subtitles. Anime - or I've heard it called Japanime - is of course, all done in Japanese, a language I have no comprehension of. So as a kid growing up, when such things began to air on American tv, I wouldn't watch.

As a adult, I've got a little more patience for the style - much of it is very artistic and painterly - and I can generally keep up with subtitles. And I realize that all of those many cartoons I loved as a kid, save for the shows like the truly classic Looney Tunes, have a great deal in common with anime - half of them were even drawn by the same animation companies. So yes, it's an irrational bias I have.

But I still really just don't care for it. Recently I tried watching a currently very popular show, Attack On Titan, and both times I tried, I couldn't get through the first 20 minutes of it.

But I've got a lot of friends, both in the fandom worlds and on the "real life" side that have been very excited for the new adaption of an anime that first aired here in the US in 1995 - Sailor Moon.

Up until now, I'm pretty sure off and on that I've seen bits of Sailor Moon here and there. I know enough to get by at a comic con - I can take a decently educated guess as to which Sailor Scout you're dressed as, or if a guy is rocking Tuxedo Mask. And I think Luna is cute.

But that's about it.

So for whatever reason, maybe because we have Hulu Plus (thanks dad!) I've decided to start watching the new version of it, Sailor Moon Crystal.

I intend to try and watch all of the episodes and blog about it here. Hulu has the new version as well as the non-dubbed original version, so I'm covered to see both. I've even gone and found a site that has a link for all of the English dubbed version too. So I'm gonna try to compare them all as I go.

Moon Prism Power Make-Up!