The Lemures Files
  Guest Article: April 25th, 2000

I Won't Be Watching

By: Papillon

I am writing this Lemures article because at this point in time, I am very very very steamed. I am sure that by now everyone has probably heard the news that DiC is going to dub both S and SS. VKLL, a fansubbing group, is closing all sales of fansubs on April 3rd. A site where I have downloaded many episodes, SenshiTV, is also deleting all of its Sailormoon episodes except for Stars on April 3rd. This means, at least for me, that my last hopes of getting fansubs are gone. I am going to try to find another distributor, but chances are I will end up having to read episode synopses instead. I was planning to build a screen captures gallery, but, although I have a few good ones, I was counting on being able to get more episodes.

Many people, especially those who, for some strange reason, support SOS, may now be cheering. Those people will be saying how they working together, have finally achieved their goal. I am certainly not cheering. As a matter of fact, I dislike DiC more than ever and I am starting to develop a grudge against SOS (though I doubt they had anything to do with the company's decision).

Back when I first started watching the DiC Sailormoon, I heard about the original version but did not care. I was just obsessed with Serena, Darien, and their little friends. I watched it and taped every single day, and threw a fit if I missed even one episode. But I got on the web, and I had heard about the other series. I just assumed they would start them after the current series was over. I wanted to see it dubbed but had no desire to see the original. When DiC did not show S, I quickly became sick of watching reruns. So I went online, and discovered places to download episodes.

From the very first Japanese episode I ever saw, I was hooked. I downloaded as many as I could, although the ones I found then were un- subtitled. I still loved to watch them. Then I found subtitled ones, and filled up all my hard drive with them. I started going to actual good Sailormoon sites on the web, and started learning more about what DiC had done. I really started to hate them, though not as much as I hate them now.

Do you want to know why I hate them soooooooooooooo much now? I never thought that the first two series were the best, even after I saw some of the original. I have always liked the last three series the best. The original versions I saw of those never interfered with the DiC versions I had seen. I loved watching fansubs on my computer more than watching them on the videos. However, DiC has now ruined my chances at ever seeing many of the original episodes which I very much wanted to see.

I don't understand why anyone who is not a fan of DiC would want to see the other episodes dubbed. If you hate what they have done than why want them to do more? Why is this considered your ultimate goal? The only possible way DiC could be redeemed in my eyes is to show the 200 original episodes and the specials, uncut, and un-dubbed. If they subtitled them and aired them like that, they would not expect to get a lot of viewers. However, judging by the popularity of fansubs and the preference to the original version that is everywhere on the net, they would get a lot of viewers.

I wish DiC would do this. But I know that they never will. I know this as surely as I know that people will never stop stealing and copying from websites. I know this as surely as I know that no matter what DiC does, they will still bring more fans to Sailormoon. I guess this is a good thing, but sometimes I really doubt whether this is not a bad thing.

Go ahead, DiC, dub the other episodes. I, for one, will not be watching. I will be sitting on my computer, trying desperately to find a fansubber that still operates. Or maybe I will be on my school volleyball team. All I know is that I am going to make a point to not watch it. I have no desire to see them horribly butcher some of my favorite characters. I don't want to see "Sailor Reenymoon" or the "sisters" Haruka-who will become Corinne, and Michiru-who will become Nerissa. I don't want to even know what they will do with Helios. I can honestly say I really have no curiosity about this. I only have horror. Destroy them, rip them apart DiC. I won't be watching. Will you?


Comments on this article can be sent to: Papillon.

Comments made on this page are opinions of the author. They are not necessarily shared by Tripod and the Amazoness Quartet.


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