The Lemures Files
  Guest Article: July 1st, 2000

Adaptations

By: Tellu

Note the article is to be featured at the Witches4 as well to retract some of my old articles I've written.

Somebody older and wiser than myself told me a few things the other day that made me look at the 'dub' of Sailormoon. And when that person was finished talking to me, I essentially felt like I was an idiot who had been getting worked up and wasted a lot of brain cells over the past years on the issue.

No matter what older viewers of Sailormoon think, feel, or want to happen - The North American dub is not a dub for one thing. It's an adaptation of the original story. You can compare it to a Disney movie. They adapt the original story into something for children.

And no matter what you want to say. (Most likely, 'Sailormoon wasn't intended for children.') That doesn't matter. When it was sold to North America for their adaptation of it - it was sold as a children's show. It wasn't shown as something for teenagers or adults. It was sold as a children's show. And being this, it has to fit into a certain rating. And the production companies felt that their adaptation of it had to meet a certain level, one for children.

And this, mes amis, means changing names so that young children remember them more. This means, changing possible things in story lines that children might be upset by or might be confused by. Words like 'Heart Stealer' are much easier and simple for a small child to understand than 'Daimon.' Many children don't know what a 'Daimon' is. But they do know what a heart is. And they do know what stealer means. Yes, after some explaining and memorization children learn all sorts of things. But I can guarantee that a child will remember the name Lita before they remember the name Makoto for the fact that it's more of an English name. That is what DiC was trying to do.

When an older audience sees the original and then looks at the adaptation, they disapprove and don't like it. But that's just fine. The North American version wasn't supposed to be fore us older people. It was meant for children. And if parents want their children to see the original version, then they have the right to go find subtitles like the rest of us. But not all parents want their child to watch a show with lesbians and homosexuality, not to mention other things. It really isn't the televisions place to teach their children about it, nor is it televisions place to hide it. That is a judgment call. And yes, it is in our culture not to always open our children to such things on television (to no disrespect to anybody).

The dub is not a translation. This is VERY easy for anybody out there to see. It is an adaptation. It is a version of the story created for children. Would you take away and destroy something for children? What about Transformers or GI Joe? Would you dare torment those shows? I'm sure Jem, Rainbow Brite, and My Little Pony weren't a walk in the park either for some parents to watch. None of us really remember those shows being hokey when we were small. But I bet if we went and put those tapes in, we'll find lingo and dialogue that wrinkles our own noses to hear.

So think about it. Even if you don't like the change of story. This show isn't aimed at teenagers or adults. It's not supposed to be a translation. It's supposed to be a show for children to love.

To eliminate my dislike with the adaptation, I just don't watch it. I don't tape it. I don't look at it. My webpage writes all in terms of the Japanese versions of Sailormoon.

Personally, I like the name Amara. And since Haruka and Michiru don't make out on a couch, I don't have a problem with them being cousins anymore. Children like the characters, and what they like is what is most important. None of them are going to cry and complain about Amara and Michelle being cousins. Instead, they are going to run around pretending to be Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus fighting the bad guys.

And that is my point of view. Thank you to that certain someone who made me realize that it really is a waste of time spending so much time being annoyed with an adaptation. Life has many more grander things to look at.


Comments on this article can be sent to: Tellu.

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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