Fruits Basket... Anime on free to air

[Jay-Tron]

Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club, while not really being the type of anime I normally watch does anyone else think it's cool that actual anime is being shown on free to air TV.
I think the last show on free to air was Ghost in the Shell a couple of years ago on SBS and that was on at like 2 in the morning, kinda difficult for most people to watch at that time, and before that it was Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 which was about 10 years ago.

[Lord_Zed]

Probably worth mentioning what time these shows are on.

I'm pretty sure there have been others since then too, but I don't tune in to much tv these days, but there usually on Saturday nights.

Fruits Basket, is an odd choice. it's not exactly new. I'm pretty sure I watched most of it near 10 years ago.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I saw the ad for Fruits basket and the missus wanted to check it out. But in Japanese, so I have been watching it in Japanese and damn it is one funny show!

High School Host club is one that I saw a bit, but it didn't grab me. Before that they had some show Called Vampire Knight, which was too freaky for me, due to massive character eyes (like really really big!!) but again, the wife liked it.

They are both on ABC3 at various times in the evening.

I think its cool, and have noticed that WTV (WA's local TV station) has a tendency to put on some anime as well. I think I saw some High School of the Dead, they used to run Gurren Lagann (YEAH!) and Gundam before as well.

So I guess recently there have been a few anime creeping up. I used to regularly watch Evangelion on SBS aaaages ago on saturday nights. But that was about it.

[GoktimusPrime]

Are they being shown in Japanese w/ English subs or dubbed? One thing that's turned me off from watching anime on SBS has been the screening of dubbed anime. Surely SBS, of all channels, is the one place where we can watch stuff in their original language. They show everything else undubbed... heck, overseas news is broadcast raw (e.g. NHK news).

[SuspectimusPrime]

What is the quality of the subs if they're subbed?

I used to prefer the fan-subbed free versions as opposed to the official DVDs back when I did watch anime (only watching One Piece now).

[Sam]

They also have the new Astroboy series on the same night. I am pretty it's dubbed. Can't be certain because only came across it while flicking through channels.

[GoktimusPrime]

What is the quality of the subs if they're subbed?

I used to prefer the fan-subbed free versions as opposed to the official DVDs back when I did watch anime (only watching One Piece now).
That's because fan subs are often better translations because a lot of official subtitles are what fans call "dubtitles" -- i.e. they simply type up the dub script and use it as subtitles. :rolleyes: Even with a limited understanding of Japanese you can sometimes hear when the subs are wrong, whereas you can't discern this with dubs.

Fan subbers shouldn't be distributing their stuff after the anime licence gets picked up by a Western distributor (like ADV). Some unscrupulous fansubbers do this, and I would encourage people not to support them. I used to be part of a fansubbing team, and we always tried to be ethical in our fansubbing - only ever fansubbed stuff that wasn't licensed by any Western company, but as soon as the licence was obtained, we'd cease and desist all work and distribution of that animé we were working on. The last one I worked on was actually Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex -- we were about half way through that series when the licence was picked up, and a LOT of translation work had to be completely scrapped. :( That was damn hard too cos the show uses a lot of very difficult technical jargon... I actually had a native Japanese speaker next to me and the two of us worked together translating the script -- and unlike some other animé we had NO copy of the script to read! We had to purely translate by ear! I've never translated anything harder than that... and so much of that effort went to waste because we were always translating several episodes ahead of what we'd released -- and when ADV picked up the licence, all the eps that we had already translated but hadn't been converted into subs and released yet were deleted.

So yeah... I don't access fan subs (I just watch my anime raw :D), but for those of you who do, I would encourage you to access the ones from more ethical fansubbers who don't touch stuff that's officially licensed in the West. I know there's always a lag time between when the licence is obtained and when it comes out officially in the West... but that's just the way it works.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Are they being shown in Japanese w/ English subs or dubbed? One thing that's turned me off from watching anime on SBS has been the screening of dubbed anime. Surely SBS, of all channels, is the one place where we can watch stuff in their original language. They show everything else undubbed... heck, overseas news is broadcast raw (e.g. NHK news).
They are dubbed. And the sbs ones I used to watch were dubbed too. I suspect the reason the NHK news is raw is too much of a pain to add subs/dubs for every day. Especially since most people that would watch them are most likely speakers of Japanese anyway. Although I do like watching the russian news...:o


They also have the new Astroboy series on the same night. I am pretty it's dubbed. Can't be certain because only came across it while flicking through channels.

Astro is dubbed as well (I can't stand this version of Astro). Fruits basket and that other one are dubbed too.

IMO if a dub is well done, then I don't mind watching it dubbed. I watched Gurren Lagann Dubbed and thought it was ace as Kamina was excellently done. I prefer the english dub of Space Ship Yamato (Starblazers) as the main bad guy (Desslar) sounds like a truly evil dandy in the English version, as opposed to 'generic evil powerful male leader' in Japanese.

[Tabias Prime]

I think its cool, and have noticed that WTV (WA's local TV station) has a tendency to put on some anime as well. I think I saw some High School of the Dead, they used to run Gurren Lagann (YEAH!) and Gundam before as well

WTV is also showing Oreimo and Star Driver on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but these are in Japanese with english sub-titles:mad::mad:

They did have on the full season of Full Metal Alchemist....one of my all time favourite anime, I just wish someone would pick up Bleach or Naruto or both.

[Jay-Tron]

I totally forgot about Vampire Knight. I've tried to watch it a couple of times but just can't seem to get into it. Also just remembered ABC2 used to air Code Geass.

I check out Fruits Basket and Ouran Host Club must Sunday nights when it's on. Starts around 8pm on ABC3 for those who don't know. At the moment on Saturday nights there's Vampire Knight, the Astro Boy anime from a couple of years ago and the 80's Voltron Vehicle Force.

From what I've seen all anime shows on SBS/ABC3 are the english dub. But anime movies are always Japanese with english subs.

[GoktimusPrime]

The thing is... it's SBS! Almost everything else they show is subbed... why not all their anime?? If kids want to watch anime dubbed, that's what Toasted TV or CheezTV etc. is for. I thought SBS was about celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity, not hegemonically crushing it with dubs. :mad:

In any case, I refuse to watch anything dubbed (unless it's purely for the novelty, and I will have always watched it in its original language first -- like I have The Fellowship of the Ring dubbed in German, which I've seen once or twice. Every other time I watch that film it's in (mostly) English). If SBS keep airing dub-monkeyed anime, I'll continue to not watch it. In the case of Furuba, I've had it on DVD for years anyway. :rolleyes:

[SuspectimusPrime]

So yeah... I don't access fan subs (I just watch my anime raw :D)

I would really like to know more Japanese by the next time I visit Japan :)


They are dubbed. And the sbs ones I used to watch were dubbed too. I suspect the reason the NHK news is raw is too much of a pain to add subs/dubs for every day. Especially since most people that would watch them are most likely speakers of Japanese anyway. Although I do like watching the russian news...:o

Russia Today rocks :):p Along with Keiser Report and most Cross Talks :p

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

The thing is... it's SBS! Almost everything else they show is subbed... why not all their anime?? If kids want to watch anime dubbed, that's what Toasted TV or CheezTV etc. is for. I thought SBS was about celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity, not hegemonically crushing it with dubs. :mad:

In any case, I refuse to watch anything dubbed (unless it's purely for the novelty, and I will have always watched it in its original language first -- like I have The Fellowship of the Ring dubbed in German, which I've seen once or twice. Every other time I watch that film it's in (mostly) English). If SBS keep airing dub-monkeyed anime, I'll continue to not watch it. In the case of Furuba, I've had it on DVD for years anyway. :rolleyes:

I'm not going to get drawn into this conversation yet again... I remember going to a lecture on anime and how the atom bomb had effected the creators thoughts of Japanese stories. The guy did a good lecture using the scene from Totoro when the tree grows and had a valid point.

the time came for questions and discussion and all too soon it deteriorated into the subbed vs dubbed argument. Whenever anime discussion comes up, it soon devolves into subbed vs dubbed and no discussion can be done. Which is why I avoid hard core anime watchers. All these people who refuse to watch dubbed anime...:rolleyes: Get over it.

I watched Wild Wild west in Japanese and it was more interesting than in English! At the time, I knew very little Japanese though!:p

[GoktimusPrime]

Alright, let's move away from the subs vs dubs argument.....

It's SBS -- a TV station which is, in their words, "Australia's multicultural and multilingual broadcaster." whose stated purpose is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society."

I find the idea of screening dubbed anime to go completely against the spirit of what SBS is supposed to represent as a TV station that is meant to endorse, support and encourage multiculturalism in Australia. I don't object to other TV channels showing shows dubbed (I don't like it, but I accept it). What I'm finding objectionable is how SBS - a station whose mission statement is the provision of multilingualism and multiculturalism - is happy to show anime dubbed. But almost everything else they show is subbed. In doing so they're not even consistently sticking to their own standards. :mad: When I flick to SBS I expect to watch films and shows broadcast in their original language(s)... yet for some reason, they've made an exemption for anime. :(

At any rate, we all vote with our remotes here... if you're happy to watch dubs on SBS, go for it. I refuse, so I won't be tuning in.

[Kazza]

Fruit basket was indeed a strange anime when i watched it.

Noticed people talking about subbed and dubbed, i enjoy each equally depending on the anime. DBZ for me needs to be english dubbed, as i find goku's voice irritating in japanese, where as anime such as GTO, bleach and naruto should be viewed in japanese with sub as to the translation of the dialogue does not differ too much when its dubbed. Also the japanese voices in those anime are more enjoyable.

Anime such as death note, code geass and full metal alchemist can be watched either way, (which i have). That is just my personal preference.

Honourable mention to Cowboy Bebop and Trigun:D

[Jay-Tron]

As for the whole subbed dubbed thing for anime I guess I prefer the english dub, probably because I only speak english lol. In the begining I think SBS used Evangelion and Bubblegum Crisis in English dubs to help boost ratings. But for the last couple of years all anime movies have been in Japanese with english subs. Even movies they once showed dubbed (Ghost in the Shell). I guess they're keeping it in Japanese these days to stick to the channels multicultural theme.

Anime sort of died off for a couple of years in the mainstream and it was only the more cartoon styled anime that was being aired on TV in the mornings. But now with ABC2 and ABC3 airing anime aimed at an older audience, teens and older... hell Voltron Vehicle is almost 30 years old, I'm hoping it'll reignite a lot of peoples interest in anime.

[GoktimusPrime]

I find kids are still into anime... they just don't watch it off TV but obtain it through "other means" i.e. similar to how many of us are watching the latest eps of TF Prime atm :p I don't have a problem with people downloading stuff to watch so long as that stuff isn't available in Australia, e.g. TF Prime Season 2. Once it becomes available then they should desist and consider purchasing. I watched TF Prime Season 1 off YouTube, then bought the DVD box set when that came out. And I'll buy Season 2 on DVD when that comes out. I see the ethical use of downloading as "try before you buy," but it shouldn't be abused to the point where you're just building a collection of anime through downloads without purchasing it. Having said that, it's what students often do because they can't afford to purchase every anime title out there that they want. :o

I do watch stuff dubbed sometimes, but it's for the novelty of it. Like watching the US G1 episodes or Transformers The Movie dubbed in Japanese. I actually prefer the voice of Japanese Starscream over Chris Latta's voice. He has a deeper and more menacing voice in Japanese and not all screechy like Latta's Starscream. Japanese Wheelie is less annoying (but still annoying) than Frank Welker's, simply because he doesn't speak in stupid rhymes all the time. :p But despite this, I still view the original Anglophone version of those episodes as superior to the Japanese dubs, and I usually watch it in English. Although I must say -- the best thing I like about the Japanese dubs of G1... Frenzy is blue and Rumble is red, just like the toys!! :D (thus one great thing about talking TFs with Japanese fans is that you NEVER have stupid FIRRIB debates*! :))

Btw, does anyone know if the new remastered G1 DVDs have subtitles? Cos I think sometimes people can underestimate one of the important roles that subtitles play, as best summed up by one IRC chat I witnessed between a TF fan and a Madman Entertainment rep:

TF-fan> Why don't your G1 Transformer DVDs have subtitles?

Madman> Transformers G1 was originally recorded in English. They don't need subtitles.

TF-fan> I'm deaf.

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*Because it doesn't matter which side of the debate you're on, we're _all_ sick to death of it!