Defective or Disappointing UK Anime Discs

Rui said:
Following the recent litany of buggy releases, I think we need a single place to collate reports.
Click to expand...

I've been working on these for a little while, but here are some additions for @Rui's master list at the start of this thread.

DVD List
  • Akira (Manga UK): Subtitle track contains two misspellings of character names. *Does not apply to BD in Manga UK's 2016 Collector's Edition Triple Play, but is repeated on DVD *Cannot verify Manga's 2011 BD version
  • Buso Renkin (Manga UK): Part 2 Disc 1 has mistimed subtitles in episode 16.
  • Cat Returns, The (Studio Canal): Numerous spelling and punctuation mistakes in subtitles. *Cannot verify BD version
  • Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Manga UK): Numerous translation errors in subtitles. *Cannot verify BD version
  • Golgo 13: The Professional (Special Agent Edition) (Manga UK): Distorted sound effects on all 5.1 and DTS audio tracks across both discs (both Japanese and English); Stereo 2.0 tracks are unaffected (both Japanese and English).
  • Harlock: Space Pirate (Manga UK): Bonus disc: subtitles on Japanese extended cut of film are "semi-dubtitles" with one distracting typing error in punctuation. *Same bonus disc included with BD version
  • Kill la Kill Part 1 (Anime Limited): Disc 2 has missing subtitle in episode 7 and mistake in burned-in caption (8.30pm instead of 8.30am) in episode 8. *Cannot verify BD version
  • Metropolis (Sony): Various mistakes in US Theatrical subtitle track; Original Japanese Translation subtitle track is unaffected. Post-credits end card is missing. *2017 Eureka Films BD version includes end card
  • Millennium Actress (Manga UK): Subtitles are hearing-impaired version only.
  • Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (Manga): Occasional poor translation in subtitles. No Japanese audio for the extra "Panty & Stocking in Sanitary Box" *Cannot verify BD version
  • Steins;Gate (Manga UK): Occasional poor translation in subtitles. *Cannot verify BD version
  • Voices of a Distant Star (ADV): Main Japanese audio out of sync with picture; Alternate (Shinkai scratch vocal) audio track is unaffected. Subtitles are out of sync with picture. Short film She and Her Cat included in extras has mistake in a chapter number shown in on-screen caption.
Blu-ray List
  • 009 Re:Cyborg (Anime Limited): Film has one minor distracting subtitle error (the character Jet is first introduced as "Jet.a") on BD; DVD is unaffected. Bonus DVD includes a series of commercials, but the burned-in subtitles on two of these are switched with each other.
  • Danganronpa (Manga UK): Disc 1 has missing subtitle in episode 5. *Cannot verify DVD version
  • Journey to Agartha (Collector's Edition) (Kaze): Bonus DVD feature looking at director Makoto Shinkai's previous films has echoing audio on the clips of 5 Centimeters per Second.
  • Place Promised in Our Early Days, The / Voices of a distant Star (Anime Limited): Voices of a Distant Star (DVD disc): Error in audio options: selecting "English 5.1 with song subtitles" plays film with Japanese audio and SIGN-ONLY subtitles, as song subs only appear on the full-subtitles track. Also, the short film "She and Her Cat" included in extras has error in on-screen caption (shifted to bottom of screen in tiny font size) on BD only; DVD is unaffected. Also has mistake in a chapter number shown in on-screen caption from ADV DVD version; applies to both BD and DVD).
 
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Blimey, you've been busy! Have added it all to the list but just want to query Steins;Gate - is it both halves or throughout and do you have any examples (as poor translation can be subjective)?

R
 
Rui said:
Blimey, you've been busy! Have added it all to the list but just want to query Steins;Gate - is it both halves or throughout and do you have any examples (as poor translation can be subjective)?
Click to expand...

@Rui: Re: Steins;Gate, I have the 4-disc DVD boxset rather than the original half-series sets, but I'm sure it was in the second half of the series. It was something in the Luka storyline that contradicted the storyline itself. Leave it off just now if you prefer, and I can get back to you when I get round to rewatching it.

Also, is there any chance you could replace the entry for 009 Re:Cyborg with this:
  • 009 Re:Cyborg (Anime Limited): Film has one minor distracting subtitle error (the character Jet is first introduced as "Jet.a") on BD; DVD is unaffected. Bonus DVD includes a series of commercials, but the burned-in subtitles on two of these are switched with each other.
I added that one from memory in my original post as I went along and got it wrong. My apologies for the misleading post.

Edit: I've corrected it in my original post as well for consistency. Apologies again.
 
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Talking about ADV's Voices of a Distant Star, I recall that there was no separate signs subtitles and, given that email forms a major part of the story, it meant you had to manually enable the full subtitles when watching dubbed if you didn't want to miss stuff.
 
Wow, really? That makes it even worse. ADV made an utter mess of that release.

@Just Passing Through's Steins;Gate review is really interesting and points out that the BD and DVD versions use different scripts for the subtitles.

In an earlier post of mine, I'd automatically assumed that the BD and DVD of 009 Re:Cyborg had identical subtitles, especially since they're part of the same set. But the mistake is only present on the BD and not the DVD.

How do these things happen, I wonder.
 
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Thanks for fixing my mistake, @Rui. :)

Shiroi Hane said:
Talking about ADV's Voices of a Distant Star, I recall that there was no separate signs subtitles and, given that email forms a major part of the story, it meant you had to manually enable the full subtitles when watching dubbed if you didn't want to miss stuff.
Click to expand...

I took a look using my copy, and it's interesting to note that the disc does actually have two separate subtitle tracks: it's just that the one that's supposed to be the signs-only one is completely blank! I also found a quirk on Anime Limited's DVD version of the film.

I'm currently working on some more entries for the list. There's also some corrections based on info brought to light by @Just Passing Through and @Shiroi Hane, and some other bits due to oversights on my part. I'd like to take the time to get the specifics right this time, then I'll put them into one post to hopefully make it easier to deal with.

Sorry for the extra work, @Rui!
 
Rui said:
Have added it all to the list but just want to query Steins;Gate - is it both halves or throughout and do you have any examples (as poor translation can be subjective)?
Click to expand...

@Rui: You gave me a good excuse to rewatch Steins;Gate. :D

I'm only four episodes in, but there are already plenty of instances of poor translation in the DVD subtitles. To give just a couple of examples:

In episode 1, Mayuri remarks that the so-called "gel bananas" have no flavour, and Okabe responds Tabeta no ka? In this case, that should be something along the lines of Don't tell me you tried one?! or even just Did you eat one? But the subtitle has Okabe asking Mayuri Have you eaten?, as if he's offering her something to eat.

There's a good one in episode 4. Okabe hasn't seen his "assistant" Kurisu for a while but then runs into her in the street by coincidence. Standing facing her, he says Joshu ka. Again, in this context, he's saying something like Oh, look, it's the assistant or Well, well, if it isn't my assistant. The subtitle, though, has him ask her Are you an assistant?

This is the problem. Because of the way the Japanese works as a language, elements of a sentence that are thought to be already understood in context are omitted. The subtitles often just transliterate the dialogue without a proper understanding of the context, giving the impression that the translation was a rushed job.
 
Thanks; wow, those are pretty terrible subs. Did they work from a pre-QC script or pay someone to retranslate the whole thing, I wonder?

R
 
CORRECTIONS

Here is one of the posts I promised before, with suggestions for some corrections to the existing entries in our main list. This adds info provided by @Just Passing Through and @Shiroi Hane, and fixes some oversights on my part. Here we go.

DVD list:

Akira (Manga UK): Subtitle track contains two misspellings of character names. *Does not apply to BD in Manga UK's 2016 Collector's Edition Triple Play, but is repeated on DVD *Cannot verify Manga's 2011 BD version

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Manga UK): Numerous translation errors in subtitles. *Cannot verify BD version

Girls Und Panzer (MVM): Recaps aren't dubbed or fully subbed and a song is replaced. Recaps also have video issues. *BD version recap subs are unaffected

Harlock: Space Pirate (Manga UK): Bonus disc: subtitles on Japanese extended cut of film are "semi-dubtitles" with one distracting typing error in punctuation. *Same bonus disc included with BD version

Metropolis (Sony): Various mistakes in US Theatrical subtitle track; Original Japanese Translation subtitle track is unaffected. Post-credits end card is missing. *Eureka Films BD version includes end card [links to review by @Just Passing Through]

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (Manga UK): Missing footage. Manga is running a recall. Occasional poor translation in subtitles. No Japanese audio for the extra "Panty & Stocking in Sanitary Box" *Cannot verify BD version

Steins;Gate (Manga UK): One commentary track missing. The subtitle script is different on DVD and BD. The DVD version has a poorer, contradictory translation. More examples of poor translation on the DVD. Some sign subs omitted. DVD has sparsity of chapter markers: only found at start and mid-point of episodes.

The Tatami Galaxy (Beez): Distorted opening music for one episode, possibly related to the House Of Five Leaves issue. Final subtitle on episode 11 (disc 3) does not clear, leaving it displayed throughout end credits. Dubious translation on OVA mini-episode 3? (Applies only to Beez DVD version as OVAs not included in Anime Limited BD release). Also, consistent spelling, grammar and puncuation mistakes in subtitles for extra feature "Screenwriter's interview", presumably translated from German (eg "Herr Morimi" instead of Mr Morimi or Morimi-san). *Cannot verify Anime Limited's BD version for this

Voices of a Distant Star (ADV):No signs-only subtitle track; especially problematic given the plot. Main Japanese audio out of sync with picture; Alternate (Shinkai scratch vocal) audio track is unaffected. Subtitles are out of sync with picture. Short film "She and Her Cat" included in extras has mistake in a chapter number shown in on-screen caption.

Blu-ray list:

Harlock: Space Pirate (Manga UK): Bonus disc: subtitles on Japanese extended cut of film are "semi-dubtitles" with one distracting typing error in punctuation. *Same bonus disc included with DVD version

Journey to Agartha (Collector's Edition) (Kaze): Bonus DVD extra "The journey of Makoto Shinkai" has echoing audio on the clips of 5 Centimeters per Second.

Lucky Star (Anime Limited): Video transfer not great and a possible player glitch with one feature. Textless Opening (TV) and Textless Ending (OVA) are missing. Single missing subtitle on two episodes.

Place Promised in Our Early Days, The / Voices of a distant Star (Anime Limited): Voices of a Distant Star (DVD disc): Error in audio options: selecting "English 5.1 with song subtitles" plays film with Japanese audio and SIGN-ONLY subtitles, as song subs only appear on the full-subtitles track. The short film "She and Her Cat" included in extras has error in on-screen caption (shifted to bottom of screen in tiny font size) on BD only; DVD is unaffected. Also has mistake in a chapter number shown in on-screen caption from ADV DVD version; applies to both BD and DVD).

Steins;Gate part 1 (Manga UK): Minor audio issue in the Japanese soundtrack. Also, some sign subs omitted, no textless credits (all BD only). Minor audio issue in the Japanese soundtrack.
 
ADDITIONS

I also have some new entries to offer for the list.

DVD list:

Blood: The Last Vampire (Manga UK): One missing subtitle.

End of Evangelion (Manga UK): One piece of bad translation in important explanatory dialogue (applies to subtitles and dub).

Evangelion 1.11 (Manga UK): One faulty subtitle reads "The remains unchanged" instead of "The plan remains unchanged" [source: Evangelion 1.01 bonus DVD included in Manga's DVD Collector's Edition has correct subtitle]. *Cannot verify Manga's BD version

Blu-ray list:

Patema Inverted (Anime Limited): Shifting, flickering subtitles during end credits on both the BD and DVD.
 
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