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Now Streaming: Sergeant Frog 1-4(d)


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bleachj0j



Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Posts: 926
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:21 am Reply with quote
it's okay but just not very funny. they put in jokes for the heck of it and I don't see funny doing this for the long run
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vtnwesley



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 171
Location: Natrona Heights, PA
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:42 am Reply with quote
I like this. I've always liked Pizza Cats for being kind of... "off." Nothing has ever really come about to fill that void with something new or more modern. Not everyone is going to enjoy this, but then again I think Funimation knows that this isn't for everyone.

On a side note, I rather enjoy the fact that not only do we have a wiseguy narrator but also the "incidental text subtitle" seems to be a character in and of itself. Very funny stuff.
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neocloud9



Joined: 06 Oct 2008
Posts: 1178
Location: Atlanta, GA
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:12 am Reply with quote
I think its hilarious! It reminds me of a Japanese version of Invader ZIM. Laughing
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Cyborg 009



Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 214
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:19 am Reply with quote
It's like they took Invader Zim, swapped out the cunning dark humor for puns and gag comedy, turned the human lead into a fanservice target, and included a male character for the logical comic relief. So in essence the plot revolves around a bubblegum fanservice-laden "teen comedy", slice-of-life with a twist. But why pile on the comic relief in a show that needs more substance in it's basic approach at being funny? Then again, why include a logical character in a show about space invasions. The opening theme was funny (albeit long). The music for the rest wasn't really anything I'd put on my iPod anytime soon, but it fit. No need for me to go in depth on that.

Here's a quick grade from my perspective. Take it as you like:

Art: A
Animation: B+
Music: -
Content: D+
Overall: As if I'd give a series an overall grade. That's just labeling. (Here's to you, ANN and your poor review style).
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Mario1234567



Joined: 05 Sep 2008
Posts: 614
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 am Reply with quote
Dub = Win I watched it at Otakon and on FUNimation's Video portal and is buying the DVD day 1.. What I don't like is that Crappy opening and ending theme and the Opening and ending Animation, but thats not FUNimation's fault... I like references to other things (Parody's) That is why I like Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Hayate the Combat butler (PARODY'S!!!!!) Hayate has a wise cracking Narrator and he makes Hayate even more epic than it already is. (Not the Bandai Disc)

FUNimation keep up the good work.
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kawaiibunny3



Joined: 10 Aug 2008
Posts: 534
Location: Houston, Texas
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:57 am Reply with quote
possibly coming from the forum's biggest Keroro Gunso fan (i haven't met anyone else here that talks about it)

I actually love this dub. I mean, I love the original and all. But its a comedy, and comedy is supposed to make people laugh, even if it means loosening up the script a bit to try and reach people with a different sense of humor.

while i admit some of the joke's are hit or miss, some of them are really funny. especially Momoka's. she really made episode 2 hilarious

plus, they're still giving me the original Japanese dialouge and subs on the DVD. so they can have as much fun with the dub as they want.

You won me over Funimation. expect a 35$ check from me on Sept. 22
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Jozoiscute



Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 252
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:10 am Reply with quote
(In my opinion anyway) One of the best anime TV show Dubs I've ever seen.
The voices are just as I imagined them to be! (I even like Keroro's voice a bit more in the english adaptation, then in the Japanese version)
....even though the Japanese version will always have a special place in my heart, yup!
Very Happy
The only thing that worries me is Kururu's (or Kululu's depending on which manga you stopped at) hilarious cry. I hope it sounds OK.....

I personally think it was smart of FUNimation to put up a test episode of Sgt Frog, and have the fans tell them what they wanted to be changed, instead of just releasing it in the market. They'll definitely spike sales this way.
I think they should try this on more anime. Tis a good technique it is!
Surprised
Been waiting 5 whole years to get my grubby paws on this show....so glad it's coming out on the 22nd, definitely worth the wait!
Laughing
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Mario1234567



Joined: 05 Sep 2008
Posts: 614
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 am Reply with quote
kawaiibunny3 wrote:
possibly coming from the forum's biggest Keroro Gunso fan (i haven't met anyone else here that talks about it)

I actually love this dub. I mean, I love the original and all. But its a comedy, and comedy is supposed to make people laugh, even if it means loosening up the script a bit to try and reach people with a different sense of humor.

while i admit some of the joke's are hit or miss, some of them are really funny. especially Momoka's. she really made episode 2 hilarious

plus, they're still giving me the original Japanese dialouge and subs on the DVD. so they can have as much fun with the dub as they want.

You won me over Funimation. expect a 35$ check from me on Sept. 22


I think it can get no better than this right here... kawaiibunny3 You have won this segment.
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Jedi General



Joined: 27 Nov 2006
Posts: 2485
Location: Tucson, AZ
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:25 am Reply with quote
At least they didn't go the Ghost Stories route and rewrite all the dialogue for the dub. That may not have been a bad thing, considering how hilarious Ghost Stories's dub was, but I think it's better that FUNimation did their best to maintain the humor of the original series. I like how they've spiced it up with Western-style jokes and references, but I'll be honest and say that I still prefer the original Japanese. FUNimation has done a respectable job with what they were given though, that's for certain.
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Otaking09



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 637
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:40 pm Reply with quote
I'll just explain in simple points.

1. First and foremost, I'm a dub fan. And even though I praise dubs for all the effort and artistic value put in I can't denounce talent when I see it.

2. However, I'm NOT a fan of US insert jokes (one of the reasons I never started Shin-chan...), and, while cleverly put in and still funny, I can't give it my 100% acceptance. (Batman, and Christian bale jokes, clever, but not necessary...)

3. This is the first time I have seen Sgt. Frog and I am impressed on how the first episode was made! Other parody animes I've seen have been improperly introduced (yet still good once I kept at it), Bobobo never hooked me until ep 7-10 and Gintama didn't hook me until 9-13.

Thus one of Sgt. Frog's saving graces, is it's EXCELLENT intro!

4. Another truth: I am a fan of Sunrise (but who isn't really?), and nearly all of their animes are fun to listen and watch artistically speaking.
The opening and closing perfectly match the fun-sprited and unique story (the pun of ep 3 says it all!!!).
So in that department no one can complain. I mean, it's not Code Geass, but it's still pleasing.

5. VA wise, the choices are obviously well picked: Who could be more of a B**** than Cherami Leigh? I just recently seen Kaze no Stigma. Leah Clark's submissive voice (a la One Piece's Koby) is very well picked.
Monica Rial's voice reminds me of Kodocha (with a very funny violent additive), and I'm already big fan of hers, so no complaints there.
R. Bruce voice sounds "very" similar to Brandon Potter (was currently watching School Rumble before this), so I couldn't tell... Probably the most HILARIOUS part of the show are his comments!!!

Overall, Sgt. Frog is a very promising Sunrise anime, and though Funimation can't possibly dub an ongoing series, (especially since the economy and streaming) I will buy every release they make! Guaranteed!

Just go easy on those insert US jokes/puns.

+ Well picked dub VA, funny cult references (from both countires), and a story that could be initially mistook for a PBS show.
- Insert jokes are a little much at times, and some of the caption comments aren't needed.

Dub = A-
Story = B
Art = B
Animation = B+
Music = B +
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JINROH



Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:52 pm Reply with quote
Loved it ! So much so I ordered the first two sets that are up for sale/pre order.

The dub is well done,the jokes quite funny.If they end up dubbing the whole series,I'll lay out the cash,NP.

Dub = A-
Story = B-
Art = B-
Animation = B+
Music = C+
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merr



Joined: 11 Dec 2004
Posts: 487
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:13 pm Reply with quote
I really enjoyed what I've seen so far. I'm definitely pre-ordering this.
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EricJ



Joined: 03 Sep 2009
Posts: 876
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:33 pm Reply with quote
For those who haven't been following AnimeonDVD's Forum, ALL-OUT WAR broke out over this dub when it first appeared... Shocked

The main talking points against the dub were:
1) CN's attempt to gloss over subtleties and keep their Shin-chan cable gravy train going has given the dub a vicious and unwatchable mean streak--
The original show is a silly afterschool kids' lark, but Funi is so determined to make it late-nite Adult Swim friendly, it humiliates the well-meaning Fuyuki as a "hopeless loser" (yes, no one joined his UFO Club, but does he have to make a Charles Manson joke to tell us this?), and ever-frustrated survivor Natsumi has now become an antagonistic bee-yatch dominatrix who seems to vicariously sling the writers' own "hip" geek-bashing jokes at the audience.
(And Aki?...ohh, don't ask. What happened to the savvy Supermom we knew and loved?)

2) There's no reason for most of the changes, outside of mercenary CN-wannabe cynicism--Having the characters suddenly ad-lib blather about the Dark Knight for the entire scene wasn't replacing any Inscrutable Japanese Pun or Obscure Anime Reference...It was simply a passage of character dialogue that just didn't happen to have any Wacky Random Pop-Refs in it.

3) What Cartoon Network Shin-chan sellout convinced them to not even translate the onscreen kanji?--And then, to pile insult on injury, make Swim-friendly "Huhuh, foreign stuff" slacker jokes in its place?
Some of the original kanji okes are funnier ("The most powerful vacuuming frog in the universe...THE LEGEND."), but there HAS to be some Geneva Convention about that.

4) We've had Samurai Pizza Cats jokes aplenty, but a more accurate comparison was raised to Geneon's "Lupin III TV":
Another show with a longtime fiercely-loyal niche audience and not too much mainstream exposure, that felt it had to "gag up" its dub for Adult Swim, became insufferably asinine, didn't attract much of a following and had first-timers wondering "what was the big deal about the show"...And which after being cancelled early, Geneon promised to "tone down" the Friggin' Crap, didn't, and the DVD volumes were dropped halfway.
We don't want to see that happen to the Frog. WE. DON'T.

5) The defenders keep retroactively spinning that "Well, a straight dub would be impossible, and it would baffle the audience and become a colossal flop!"
Well, yes, EXCEPT...Animax had already done a much better straight Fox Kids-style dub in English ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knEoLwzPKQM ) , it's already in its second season, and it's one of their most popular shows. In other straight forms, it's also become a kids' hit in Italy, Brazil, France, and at least fifteen other countries, without Charles Manson jokes.
Just why the dub apologists feel such a need to create fantasies of How Titanically It Would Flop If We Did It Right suggests a lot about how Funi is treating the series compared to how ADV was treating it.

By this point, though, it's become fairly post-mortem:
Funi.com has STOPPED updating the Dubs for Eps. 5-10 on their streaming site, and now seems to be featuring the Sub episodes instead, which fans have already said they'll be gritting their teeth and buying anyway.
Gee...Guess it must not have been good sales exposure for them. Confused
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doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2094
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:41 pm Reply with quote
I watched the first episode's dub, and thought it was pretty good. Definitely picking it up, especially since the cheap price makes it an easy buy.
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roesnail



Joined: 02 Aug 2005
Posts: 67
Location: San Diego
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:11 pm Reply with quote
i do like the dub. but srgnt frog is not the type of show that needs this in the first place. its not a horible anime like ghost stories.

its all good to me though. i can watch the sub by myself and enjoy that, then i can watch it with my friends in english that only likes AS comedy shows( they like cromartie, ghost stories, dmc, and shin chan but thats about it).

this must of worked well for shin-chan.
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