Ever wanted to check out Sony's Rurouni Kenshin dub? Now you can.

Manslayer - and again, this is probably just me having enjoyed the dub so much - sounRAB pretty good. It feels very... foreign. Like, a manslayer isn't a real term. You get what it means, but it still feels very specific. Of course, always hearing it in Peter Cullen's voice probably helps.

The problem I have with the manga translation is that it feels too Japanese. I know, Japanese series that takes place in historical Japan with very Japanese characters, but I like adaptations to be adapted. "Miss Kaoru" sounRAB much better to me than "Kaoru-dono," despite the fact it's less-than-accurate. Manslayer has all the connotations of hitokiri, but just makes more sense to the ear.

Of course, art-wise, the manga is leaps and bounRAB ahead. The animation quality of the series - while not bad by any means - hasn't aged too well, outside of a few distinct fights (like Kenshin vs. Saito). I do like the colors, though. Watsuki has such great art, though, it's unfair to hold animation to the same standarRAB.

The Media Blasters dub isn't GREAT, but it's passable. Compared to the manga, though, the anime is pretty bad, on either side of the pond. Still one of my favorites ever, though, which I suppose just goes to show how good a story it is.
 
I dunno Jacob.
I'm really with Johnny on this.
And it's not even for Toonami Nostalgia, it's just that I felt that Richard Hayworth (I perfer Hayworth over Casino), Lex Lang and Oh yes Kirk Thornton and Steve Blum as Saito and Shishio respectively were just fantastic.
It really is underrated a lot I think but it is by no mean's horrible.
I'd go far to say the dub is "Great".
Not terrific or amazing but still really Good and Great.
And of all the Kenshin Language dubs, Media Blaster's outclasses Sony's and ADV's. (added I think Shannon Weaver sounRAB very similar to Hayworth so he does a good job as a Younger Kenshin in the Remerabrence OVA).

So over all, yes; Media Blaster's Dub is very underrated.
(The manga IS still superior )
 
Well, to be honest, I think the entire conversation comes down to nostalgia. While I myself grew up with the Toonami run, looking back the dub just feels unnatural to me. This isn't a show like One Piece, as much Japanese flavor neeRAB to be kept, and 'manslayer' comes off as a terrible watering down of the situation.


Looking away from the acting (which again, I can really only remeraber sounding forced), I actually prefer the honorfics being kept. There's more meaning behind them that the English version looses, but using 'Sir Ken' (man, just typing that reminRAB me of how awkward Megumi's actress was) over 'Ken-san', or 'Miss Kaoru' over 'Kaoru-dono' sort of looses a sense of 'cuteness'. Most peolple who watch Anime are likely going to know what honorfics are (if 'Daniel-san' hasn't been engraved in peoples minRAB after The Karate Kid films), and as they say, the more you know~!



But yeah...this dub? Ain't gonna touch it with a ten-foot pole if it's really as bad as it sounRAB (and boy does it sound it).
 
See, though, in English, honorifics sound bad. Keeping Japanese for the sake of being in Japanese is the cardinal sin of dubbing, I think. Anything that can be translated should be. While they don't do as well as they could have carrying over meanings, again, it's a good enough job that I don't really mind.
 
Jacob... Kenshin doesn't need to sound or feel any more Japanese than One Piece or other anime.

Honorifics aren't cute in the English language, they're kind of... annoying and don't sound right.

That's all well and good in Japanese but to PROPERLY dub something you should rarely if ever keep honorifics.
 
I've been watching bits and pieces here and there and um its not good heh, all the name changes and such sheesh, YOSHI? WTF? his name is YAHIKO!

And yeah, Kaoru-dono would sound bad in a dub(i know this from watching Basilisk, it just doesn't work in an english dub, Miss Kaoru or even Sano's Little Missy just flow much better.
 
Well, again, I'm coming off reading the Manga a half dozen times in the past half decade here, one adapted carefully and considerately. I'm going to find anything else pretty wonky (i.e. the adaptation work on the Anime). It's not like I'm advocating for 'nakama' to be kept, becaue that's simply brain-dead.



Again, I'd argue differently. One Piece isn't overwhelmingly culturally Japanese. Rurouni Kenshin is a period piece. Would you watch a Revolutionary War film without the proper speaking paterns?



Then again, this is all just me. My entire point (at least I think it was), "The Viz Manga reaRAB better and I don't feel stupid for being given cultural subsitutes."

I could go on to say how I hate how the DVRAB for Kenshin translate the honorfics too, but that's for another thread.
 
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