Domenig then asked Michael Arias if Tekkon Kinkreet
is a Japanese film. Arias claimed that he doesn’t really think about the Japaneseness of his films. With regards to the discussion that proceded this question, he says that he doesn’t feel comfortable addressing the issue of historical Japanese films as it’s not his area of knowledge. On the subject of subs vs. dubs, however, he does make a number of interesting points.
is a Japanese film. Arias claimed that he doesn’t really think about the Japaneseness of his films. With regards to the discussion that proceded this question, he says that he doesn’t feel comfortable addressing the issue of historical Japanese films as it’s not his area of knowledge. On the subject of subs vs. dubs, however, he does make a number of interesting points.First, he describes his experience watching Steam Boy
(Katsuhiro Otomo, 2004). This he found difficult to watch in Japanese because of its ‘tortured katakana’ because of all the foreign words and place names. The dub, which used ‘the Queen’s English’ was a much more pleasant viewing experience.
(Katsuhiro Otomo, 2004). This he found difficult to watch in Japanese because of its ‘tortured katakana’ because of all the foreign words and place names. The dub, which used ‘the Queen’s English’ was a much more pleasant viewing experience.Arias also tells the story of Stanley Kubrick firing the Japanese subtitler for Full Metal Jacket
(1987) because her language wasn’t ‘dirty’ enough. Domenig and Asakawa are familiar with this story and say that it was the renowned Japanese translator Natsuko Toda. (The chapter “Loving Dubbing” in Abé Mark Nornes’ Cinema Babel: Translating Global Cinema 
describes what happened).
(1987) because her language wasn’t ‘dirty’ enough. Domenig and Asakawa are familiar with this story and say that it was the renowned Japanese translator Natsuko Toda. (The chapter “Loving Dubbing” in Abé Mark Nornes’ Cinema Babel: Translating Global Cinema describes what happened).With regards to Tekkon Kinkreet, Arias describes the translation process that they had with their scripts. They started with the Japanese manga, which was adapted into an English screenplay, then translated back into Japanese for the production staff, and so on. At each phase of filmmaking the screenplay had to be retranslated. A lot of tweaking was done on the dub in the studio.
[Here my notes become a bit scattered – Arias made some kind of a point about the number of syllables (related to lip movement in animation) and meaning (what can be matched to the lip movement?) There was also a reference to a film that was literally translated by Natsuko Toda that Arias was watching, where the expression “to drop acid” was rendered in Japanese as if the person had literally dropped acid on the floor rather than taking LSD. Someone also mentioned the fact that Coppola always insisted on using Toda for the Japanese subtitles on his films. For my blog readers, I should mention here that people who do subtitles have a very different relationship with the public than they do in English speaking countries. Most people I know do not stay to the very end of the credits and make a mental note of who the subititler was. In Japan, subitilers like Toda are celebrities themselves with fan clubs]
Returning to the topic of Tekkon Kinkreet, Michael Arias admitted that the translator and producer may have been a bit frustrated by his imput into the English version. As a native speaker of English he was concerned that the nuance of the piece would survive the translation process.
, Michael Arias admitted that the translator and producer may have been a bit frustrated by his imput into the English version. As a native speaker of English he was concerned that the nuance of the piece would survive the translation process.Taguchi mentioned that his next project will be a collaboration with Alex Cox (Sid and Nancy,
Straight to Hell
, Mike Hama Private Detective) will apparently be the main actor in the film. [Listening to what Taguchi said and how the translator interpreted it, I was confused as to who was starring and who was directing – especially seeing as both men act and director. I haven’t been able to find out any more information on this film. Alex Cox’s website lists a screenplay written in 2003 called Kawasaki karas to gaki which will star Tomorowo Taguchi, but it isn’t listed on imdb – let me know in the comments section if you know more about this Taguchi-Cox project. Taguchi did of course star In Mike Hama Must Die! in 2002 which Cox directed.] Taguchi spoke of his desire to understand the relationship between the different releases of his films and to know what works well. He also voiced a desire to speak English better.
Straight to Hell, Mike Hama Private Detective) will apparently be the main actor in the film. [Listening to what Taguchi said and how the translator interpreted it, I was confused as to who was starring and who was directing – especially seeing as both men act and director. I haven’t been able to find out any more information on this film. Alex Cox’s website lists a screenplay written in 2003 called Kawasaki karas to gaki which will star Tomorowo Taguchi, but it isn’t listed on imdb – let me know in the comments section if you know more about this Taguchi-Cox project. Taguchi did of course star In Mike Hama Must Die! in 2002 which Cox directed.] Taguchi spoke of his desire to understand the relationship between the different releases of his films and to know what works well. He also voiced a desire to speak English better.Roland Domenig spoke briefly about how in contrast to European film releases which prefer to dub into their own language to prevent the creep of English into their native tongues, the Japanese have historically preferred subtitled cinematic released that preserve the “foreignness” of the films
TV Drama
starring Kiefer Sutherland is a particular challenge to subtitlers because there are so many different characters and themes. It becomes a totally different show when it’s dubbed as opposed to subbed.
actually said that he liked the English dub better than the Japanese version. The role of Spike had been good in the original, but in the English dub he came off sexier. It worked because it was a futuristic, American-influenced story. However, the dubbing of historical dramas gets complicated.
(Hayao Miyazaki, 2004). The character is a boy who looks like a girl, yet is also a prince. As Freeman knew about bishōnen (美少年/beautiful youths) in Japanese culture, he was able to nail the role. It seems that Freeman often encounters dubbing producers who are ignorant of the cultural context of the anime they are dubbing. In the case of bishōnen, he was able to get a laugh out of the audience by explaining that the closest one comes to a bishōnen type in the States would be Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp. One of the biggest challenges in playing bishōnen in English is not to make them too campy [he gave another example of a cross-dressing priest that he played, but I didn’t catch the reference apart from the fact that he had to avoid making it too much like “
”].
), film subtitling expert Nami Asakawa (director of the Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy), voice actor Crispin Freeman (Itachi Uchiha in 
, Hideki Motosuwa in 
, Prince Turnip in 
, 
. In taking her first tentative steps of independence outside of her parents’ home, she finds herself swept up by forces that seem beyond her control. Suzuko’s inability to speak up for herself leads to her sharing an apartment with her friend’s dodgy boyfriend rather than the friend, but she does her best to put up with his strange behaviour. When he goes a step too far by destroying a stray kitten that she has rescued, Suzuko seeks revenge by throwing away all of his possessions.
) and finds herself dallying a little longer than before. The plot then concerns itself with the question of whether or not falling in love will end her journey or if she will move on again once she reaches one million yen.
, 
). Yanagijima has captured the beauty of the Japanese countryside with its vibrant colour palette. The framing takes in the rolling hills of the countryside during outdoor scenes, and inside Yanagijima uses a lot of close ups to pick up the important visual clues which reveal important character information about Dr. Ino and how the other characters interact with him. The splendor of the cinematography and the unhurried tempo of the editing is complemented by the bluesy music of the band 
), who plays his nurse assistant Ohtake, acts as a perfect comic foil for the doctor. The exchange of glances during home visits and emergency procedures speak volumes more than any of the dialogue. Ino’s character is further revealed through his relationship with his new intern Dr. Soma (Eita), and his complicated relationship with his beautiful elderly patient Torikai-san (Yachigusa). Rounding off this seasoned cast is Yutaka Mastuhige as the detective (he was hilarious in 
, 
