Petition for Uncut DVD release!!!

[sgupta]

hehe - I don't mind 4:3 when something is originally created in that format, but it does bug me when they have the original source and intentionally cut it. Granted this was a few years ago, so it's a bit more forgivable than it would be now.

The 1980's uncut version is an AVI downloadable copy - should be a bit higher quality than Youtube though maybe not quite DVD quality (but pretty close IMO). I just started a torrent - might be slow going as it's still seeding:

Astro Boy 1980 Uncut
(As always, mods - if this is a violation at all, please remove - I figure this is hopefully okay since to my knowledge there is no US release of this).

I can also provide a direct download link to a server copy via PM if desired; I have to limit the number of downloads a bit as I don't have unlimited bandwidth usage on my hosting account. ^.^

[Dragonrider1227]

SWEET!

Astro's voice was great, and I know of the voice actress who plays Naruto, she's very good too actually. She played Piggly Winks in the kid's show Jakers! I find raspy voices cute and it's better than the high pitched squealing of the 1980's (apologies to what's-her-name who did Astro then, but it was eardrum piercing at times).

I can find raspy voices cute myself (Rootie Tabootie in Chalk Zone for example) but it just seemed inapproriate for Astro to me. I just couldn't picture that voice for Astro. Maybe I'd think differently if I hadn't seen the Japanese version first

[animegirlalways]

I think the version you see first can make a difference on which language/voice you tend to prefer to watch for an anime.

Many of my animes I like to watch in Japanese with subtitles most of the time, but ones I saw in English first (i.e., Gundam Wing) I prefer to watch in English most of the time (sometimes with the subtitles on to compare the dialogue).

[MegaAstroFan75]

I saw the english first and only. I'm an english speaking person, therefore I want to see the english dubbing. I already said I don't like to read anime, I want to hear it. That's why it's a visual and oral medium. In fact I always see the english and simply not bother with finding it in Japanese. Why should I? The series as a whole isn't THAT much different with the same story. The only reasons for the Japanese is for nitpicks (except 1980 Astro Boy).

[jeffbert]

I saw the english first and only. I'm an english speaking person, therefore I want to see the english dubbing. I already said I don't like to read anime, I want to hear it. That's why it's a visual and oral medium. In fact I always see the english and simply not bother with finding it in Japanese. Why should I? The series as a whole isn't THAT much different with the same story. The only reasons for the Japanese is for nitpicks (except 1980 Astro Boy).

When things are edited the same in both sub & dub, ok; but when the story itself is altered, it becomes necessary to use the original language. The 2003 Astro Boy is a prime example of the latter. They tried to make Hamegg, who was CLEARLY dressed as a showman into a reporter, despite the fact that he was there to MAKE the news, rather than merely cover the story. I can forgive them for making Atlas a robot from the very start, but this was going too far, & for what possible reason? In this case, it goes well beyond the voices!

Even though the 1980s Astro Boy chopped out nearly all of #2, rearranged the episodes, cut the U & U song & dance from the Robotting episode, it still was far more faithful to the original Tetsuwan Atom than the 2003 was to its original, even disregarding the lack of #20.

I do prefer the English voices on the Lupin III TV, & for good reason. The wise cracks & jokes are relevant to my own culture, That & the fact that I 1st saw the show with the dubbed voices. But when the Lupin III movies used completely different voices for the dubbing, I prefer the Japanese. For Excel Saga, the dub is almost always required, as the dialogue is too fast for subs.

I would love to see Speed Racer in its original form, even w/o English subs, as I would Kimba, Ultraman, Johnny Sokko, etc. But until I do, I cannot say if they were decent adaptations.

[sgupta]

I used to prefer watching English only, but as I've seen more, my opinion's changed.

Now I prefer whichever is truest to the original intent first, with the most appealing sounding voices second. Sometimes if an English dub is really bad (either inaccurate or with poorly chosen voices), the Japanese version just gets the emotion and feeling across better even if you can't understand without reading a bit (in my opinion of course). So it's worth it to me in that case. (Often times I find I like to watch both versions if it's something I really dig.)

My chief reason for wanting to see the Japanese version of Astro 2003 with good subtitles is simply to get the uncut, intended story, without changes. I love the English voices, but I also feel it was chopped too badly.

Now we know they already have the uncompromised video for all the episodes, uncompromised Japanese audio, and good subs for at LEAST half the episodes (and if I had to guess, I'd imagine they did them for all eps and the final sets just never got produced). So it would be relatively cheap to do a rerelease with the content they already have. I think it'd be significantly more expensive if they wanted to "finish" the English dub (assuming they didn't do the extra scenes originally). I see a chance of the the former happening, but I sincerely doubt they'd spend the money to get the voice actors back to generate new content for a 2004 series frankly (and it hurts to say this) deemed a failure in the US. This isn't the series fault - I'd say most of it was marketing, a confusing lineup with many changes, and just a botched release in general, but in television money speaks louder than quality unfortunately. (I suppose if enough interest is generated because of the movie, it's a slim possibility, but I wouldn't hold my breath).

Still, you never know. Maybe they have all this audio lying around already. Or maybe enough interest will be generated. Either way, I'll take what I can get - if not an official release, the fansub route sounds good to me.

[sgupta]

Even though the 1980s Astro Boy chopped out nearly all of #2, rearranged the episodes, cut the U & U song & dance from the Robotting episode, it still was far more faithful to the original Tetsuwan Atom than the 2003 was to its original, even disregarding the lack of #20.

Hmmm - I knew about #2 being cut (see above) and the episode rearranging, but I wasn't aware about the U & U song & dance. Can you elaborate and is this available out there? I take it it is *not* on the US DVD release?

[Dragonrider1227]

I think the version you see first can make a difference on which language/voice you tend to prefer to watch for an anime.

Many of my animes I like to watch in Japanese with subtitles most of the time, but ones I saw in English first (i.e., Gundam Wing) I prefer to watch in English most of the time (sometimes with the subtitles on to compare the dialogue).

Yeah, I think you're right. Because most of the animes I DON'T mind the dubs of and actually like I saw the dubbed versions of before the Japanese. The only one I saw the Japanese version of first but still liked the dubbed version of just as much was Oroan High School Host Club (I know I misspelled that ><)

[Kirben]

The 2003 series was recently re-released on DVD in the USA, due to the recent movie. So I don't see this petition making any difference to Sony Pictures (USA). A sub-license (unlikely) or license expiring (does it even expire?) would be only chances, of an uncut DVD release in the USA.

I really doubt an uncut English version even exists, or it would have been released on DVD already. The Japanese version with English subtitles, would be the only option, for an uncut DVD release.

The Australia DVD releases of the 2003 series are in widescreen at least, which is a slightly better option for the English version.

A better idea would be to try to contact the Korean branch/distributor of Sony Pictures, which offered their DVD releases with English subtitles. If only they could be convinced to re-release their DVD sets, and complete the series (with English subtitles included).

I wonder why the Korean DVD releases of the 2003 series were never completed in the first place. Was the complete series translated to Korean, or maybe poor sales?

The 1980's uncut version is an AVI downloadable copy

Could you please remove that link, they clearly ripped those two episodes off the extras disc of the Australian Deluxe DVD set of the 1980s series, which anyone can buy online!

[sgupta]

I would guess poor sales as to the Korean DVD release, but that's only a guess. It's clear the first 3 DVD's are a slightly higher production quality than the next 3, and they stop after that, so that suggests to me they might have been trying to cut costs. It's a shame and I'd be completely happy if they did finish the set. It's a beautiful set and really deserves to be complete, and I'd encourage everyone I know to buy it if it were available.

(Re the link, that post is past the editing period, so a mod would have to do it [which is fine with me if the mods decide it's necessary]. At any rate, I own the US Deluxe Set which is very similar to the Australian set [and in my region] minus this uncut episode [and possibly a few other extras; I'm not sure], which is why I provided it - I certainly support buying the box sets, but it doesn't make sense for me or others to buy a second box set in another region of the same thing for this special feature. As far as I know, here in the US, no licensed version of that episode exists).