TLDR;
This video continues the discussion on the history of anime localization in America, focusing on the practices of Saban, Pioneer (specifically with Sailor Moon), and 4Kids (with Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!). It highlights the varying degrees of editing, recontextualization, and outright changes made to adapt anime for Western audiences, from altering plots and characters to removing sensitive content and even changing food items. The video concludes by noting the improvements in anime localization over time, driven by digital distribution, streaming services, and a greater understanding of Japanese culture in America.
- Saban's "Samurai Pizza Cats" is an example of extreme localization, where the script was largely rewritten due to missing or poorly translated materials.
- 4Kids' localization of "Pokémon" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!" involved bizarre food edits, removal of guns, and the introduction of the "Shadow Realm" to avoid depicting death.
- The Adult Swim era marked a shift towards more faithful localizations, reflecting a growing familiarity with Japanese culture in America.
Saban Entertainment and Samurai Pizza Cats [0:08]
Saban Entertainment was known for producing kids' content in the early 90s, including Marvel cartoons and, most famously, "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers." "Power Rangers" localized the Super Sentai franchise by focusing on fight scenes and adding teenage storylines. A more extreme example of localization is "Samurai Pizza Cats," where the team drastically altered the show due to missing or poorly translated scripts. The localization team watched the raw footage and created their own dialogue, filled with slapstick comedy, fourth-wall breaks, and 90s pop culture references. Despite these changes, the core framework of the show remained, and the dub was surprisingly successful, being exported to 32 countries and becoming a cult hit.
Pioneer and the Infamous Sailor Moon Dub [4:10]
Pioneer, initially an electronics company, entered anime distribution and released "Sailor Moon." The Dic dub of "Sailor Moon" is infamous for name changes, content edits, and a reduction in episode count. They removed scenes of Sailor Moon getting drunk, nudity, and LGBT content, such as changing Zoiste from a gay man to a straight woman and erasing the relationship with Malachite. The dub also cut the entire season about the Sailor Starlights and altered the relationship between Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, portraying them as cousins instead of a lesbian couple.
4Kids: Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Bizarre Edits [6:27]
4Kids, originally a merchandise company, became heavily involved in anime dubs, including "Pokémon," "Yu-Gi-Oh!," and "One Piece." The 4Kids localization of "Pokémon" is known for perplexing editing choices, such as changing onigiri into donuts and replacing noodles with pizza. The pizza was topped with anchovies, spinach, and pineapples. Several "Pokémon" episodes were banned, including "Beauty and the Beach" due to James' fake breasts and "Cyber Soldier Porygon" due to a flashing lights sequence that caused seizures. "Legend of Dratini" was banned because it featured a Safari Zone caretaker named Kaiser pulling a gun on Ash.
Yu-Gi-Oh! and the Shadow Realm [11:07]
"Yu-Gi-Oh!" also faced significant alterations by 4Kids, including the removal of guns from various scenes. The guns of Barrel Dragon were edited into futuristic gun barrels. The concept of being sent to the "Shadow Realm" was introduced by 4Kids to replace death. In the Japanese version, buzzsaws threatened to cut off the loser's legs, while the 4Kids version replaced them with "dark energy discs" that sent the loser to the Shadow Realm. The manga version of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" was even more violent, with Pegasus's eye being graphically removed from his head by Yami Bakura.
The Evolution of Anime Localization [14:08]
The Adult Swim era marked a shift towards more faithful anime localizations. "Cowboy Bebop's" dub was an early example of high-quality localization, and the director of "Fooly Cooly" preferred the English dub to the original Japanese. As anime became more mainstream, Japanese culture became more familiar to American audiences. Digital distribution and streaming services have led to simultaneous worldwide releases and improved localization practices, focusing on clarity rather than censorship.