Arrietty’s US Release

Genkina Hito

Genkina Hito

映画男！！！
With the US release of  Studio Ghibli’s Arrietty nearing Walt Disney Pictures has pulled out all the stops to ensure that everyone is aware of it hence the collection of clips.


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Based on Mary Norton’s classic 1952 book, The Borrowers, the film follows a boy named Sho, who moves into his great aunt’s house in the Tokyo suburbs where a 14-year-old Borrower named Arrietty and her family live under the floorboards. Arrietty tries her best to prove her worth by helping her father “borrow” much-needed items from their human landlords but Sho discovers their existence. A relationship develops between Sho and Arrietty even though it puts the lives of the Borrowers’ in danger and they must work together to protect the existence of the Borrowers.

The film was originally released in Japan in July 2010 and the UK on July 29th, 2011, Studio Ghibli’s Karigurashi no Arrietty (The Borrowers Arrietty) will finally go on release in the US on the 27th of February. While UK dub contained great acting talent like Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, and Olivia Colman , the US dub has names familiar from US television including Bridgit Mendler as Arrietty, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, David Henrie and Carol Burnett.
 
Warmaster said:
Perhaps I have just got used to the British dub, but those voices sound really poor. :?
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Agreed, This is one Ghibli title I shall [not] be buying the US dub of. Usually Lassetter gets really good actors who have put their all into it. This lot sound like they're just doing it for beer money to fill the void until their next big thing, whatever that may be. Changing the script as well, what's that all about? :roll:
 
Mohawk52 said:
This lot sound like they're just doing it for beer money to fill the void until their next big thing, whatever that may be.
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Give me a break, until you actually have seen the US dub in its entirety I think that's a bit of a rude assumption. What makes you think the Anglo-Irish cast were more prepared and earnest to do the dub?
 
MidwestPride... if at all possible please don't take this as being as accusatory as it sounds, but did you sign up to a bunch of forums just to defend the US dub of this movie? Were you involved with the production, or do you just firmly believe that the quality of the dub stands up?
 
I'm going to be blunt in my assessment:

I first saw this movie at the Arts Picture House subbed. I watched the British dub when it was released on Blu-ray - both me and my Mum agreed that the sub was better (and my Mum isn't even an anime fan).

Judging from these clips, Arrietty's voice isn't too bad; in some scenes (like one of them posted) she sounds like an adult, but in others (Such as this one) she sounds like a normal teenage girl. I'd say all three performances are acceptable. I definitely prefer Japanese Sho though - the British dub made him sound rather pompous, while the American seems to be going for emphasising his physical health (which makes his voice really quiet).

I definitely prefer the British Haru (Or Hara as she's known in the American dub). From that brief clip, I can see that the American team did try and replicate the same type of creepy vibe the Japanese and UK voices have, but the voice sounds too husky for me. I prefer the UK English voice for her.

The British Pod was quite frankly, even better than the Japanese (shame he doesn't speak much); however, I do like how the US dub has gotten the same approach of him being the silent-but-strong type. Homily's UK voice is a lot better than her American voice in my opinion.

Also, what the hell is that "tey!"?!

So to sum up my opinion:
Original Japanese -> English Dub -> American Dub.
 
ilmaestro said:
MidwestPride... if at all possible please don't take this as being as accusatory as it sounds, but did you sign up to a bunch of forums just to defend the US dub of this movie? Were you involved with the production,
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Did I sign up to a bunch forums to defend this? :? Why would I do that? I don't sign up to forums to defend this particular work and I'm not part of the production team. (And what if I was? :eek: )

or do you just firmly believe that the quality of the dub stands up?
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This and I finally decided to expand my anime hobby and decided that this forum would be a useful tool to help in that. As I said before, I found the poster's jab at the actors who did the US dub as rude and I don't see why the same accusation can't be applied to the UK cast.
 
Well, you just seem to have recently registered on at least two or three forums, with only one or two posts specifically defending this dub is why I asked. It just looks a bit... something. Your first post was so out of nowhere it just got me wondering. If you were on the production staff, your opinion would obviously come from a very biased position.

Like I say, don't take it the wrong way, I was just curious. Welcome to the forum! It's always nice to see new people who are clearly enthusiastic towards the medium.
 
ilmaestro said:
Well, you just seem to have recently registered on at least two or three forums, with only one or two posts specifically defending this dub is why I asked. It just looks a bit... something. Your first post was so out of nowhere it just got me wondering. If you were on the production staff, your opinion would obviously come from a very biased position.

Like I say, don't take it the wrong way, I was just curious. Welcome to the forum! It's always nice to see new people who are clearly enthusiastic towards the medium.
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I only registered on this site and http://www.animenewsnetwork.com under the same name. You can say Ghibli's latest release has inspired me to become active on the internet 'community.' Also, the subtitle vs. dub debate has always rubbed me the wrong way, and I'll say I have enjoyed most of Disney's English dubs, so the two English dubs just adds more fuel against the US cast. This is unfair. I think you're familiar with various sites that are dedicated to anime more than I so you would know what I'm talking about.
 
Absolutely, whilst I prefer subs exclusively myself, I would never go out of my way to slight a dub without even listening to it properly! It does tend to be a touchy subject from many angles, though.
 
Oh dear I seem to have ruffled a few more feathers again, haven't I?

@MidwestPride:

I too welcome you to the forum.
I'll presume by your handle and your reaction to my critque of the US dub that you also live in the US, or Canada as well, am I correct in this presumption?
I have been an anime and manga fan since 1979 and I have always considered Disney's handling of Studio Ghibli's productions as a glowing example of how other dubbed anime deserve to be done, but sadly can not due to the calibre and therefore cost of the voice actors hired, which is why, after having heard several examples of the US dub for Arrietty, to me it fell far too short of what I have expected thereafter. If I had thought otherwise I would have said so just as glowingly in favour over the British dub, but sadly it did not for the reasons I so stated. If you have also heard the British dub and so still disagree with that in comparison, I hold no acrimony toward you for it personally as everyone has a right to their own opinion. To each their own I say.
 
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