Brief Summary
In this episode of Dub Talk, the hosts discuss the English dub of Digimon Adventure 2020, a reboot of the original Digimon Adventure series. They analyze the ADR direction, script writing, and voice acting, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the dub in comparison to the original Japanese version and the original English dub. Despite praising the voice actors' performances and the script's faithfulness to the source material, they critique the show's soullessness, weak character development, and reliance on plot escalation over character-driven storytelling.
- The dub has solid direction and talented voice actors.
- The script is faithful to the original Japanese.
- The show suffers from weak character development and plot.
Intro
The hosts introduce the episode's topic: the English dub of Digimon Adventure 2020. One of the hosts expresses initial disappointment with the series but committed to covering the dub if it ever materialized. They are joined by a co-host who shares a deep love for Digimon. They acknowledge the opinions surrounding the reboot and promise to share their own.
Plot Description and Initial Impressions
The hosts provide a plot summary of Digimon Adventure 2020, noting its differences from the original series, such as the accelerated introduction of dangers and nuclear warfare in episode 2. They express strong negative opinions about the show, describing it as soulless and lacking the charm of the original Digimon Adventure. One host even considers it their most hated anime. They criticize the show for not caring about the source material and relying on "jingly keys" (shiny new power-ups) instead of earned character development and plot progression.
ADR Direction and Script Writing
The hosts discuss the ADR director, Ryan Johnson, and the script writers, including Rd Chamberlain, Henry Mason, Wag Chang, Mark Ryan, Seth Walther, and Steve Krebber. They note the writers' experience with children's shows and praise the dub's solid direction and casting, particularly the believable kid voices. They acknowledge the recasting of roles due to the original cast not returning and the passing of some cast members. They appreciate Ryan's direction but note that some character actors sound like they're emulating the old Original Adventure dub, which may not work well with the weaker material.
Localization and Humor
The hosts compliment the writing for being more modern and faithful to the original Japanese, with attempts at humor and levity. They appreciate the seamlessness of the script despite having multiple writers. They also note the interesting localization choice of retaining the old dub names while integrating them more naturally as nicknames. They contrast this approach with the more heavy-handed name changes in older dubs like those by 4Kids Entertainment.
Character Analysis: Kari, T.K., and Patamon
The hosts discuss the characters Kari, T.K., and Patamon, noting their roles and voice actors. Ryan Bartley voices Kari, Karina Boder voices T.K., and Lizzy Freeman voices Patamon. They critique the show's handling of Kari and T.K., who they feel lack personality and are primarily used for plot motivation. They also lament Patamon's limited screen time.
Character Analysis: Izzy, Sora, Joe, and Mimi
The hosts discuss Izzy, Sora, Joe, and Mimi, along with their Digimon partners. They note that Izzy's character remains relatively unchanged, while Sora is now Tai's childhood friend, a decision they find amusing due to the shipping wars in the original series. They criticize the show's portrayal of Joe, who is overly obsessed with his family's expectations and comes across as obnoxious. However, they praise Mimi's character, who they believe is the best in the show.
Voice Actors and Performances
The hosts discuss the voice actors for Izzy, Tentomon, Sora, Biyomon, Joe, Gomamon, Mimi, and Palmon. They praise Ando Ites for his Izzy, Christopher Swindle for Tentomon, Jery Le for Sora, Terese Edwards for Biyomon, Damon Mills for Joe, Alex Cazares for Gomamon, Suzie Yeung for Mimi, and Karina Boder again for Palmon. They highlight the actors' versatility and range, particularly Suzie Yeung's performance as Mimi.
Sora and Biyomon
The hosts discuss Sora and Biyomon, noting that they are the least developed characters in the show. They praise Jeremy Le's voice acting for Sora but lament the lack of character work. They also appreciate Tera Sands' performance as Biyomon and the vocal evolution of the Digimon.
Joe and Gomamon
The hosts discuss Joe and Gomamon, criticizing the show's bastardization of Joe's character. They praise Damon Mills' performance as Joe but note that the character is often unlikeable. However, they love Alex Cazares' portrayal of Gomamon, describing it as extremely adorable and invoking the original performance.
Mimi and Palmon
The hosts discuss Mimi and Palmon, praising Suzie Yeung's performance as Mimi and Karina Boder's portrayal of Palmon. They highlight the comedic moments and the chemistry between the two characters. They also appreciate the contrast in the Digimon's evolution line and Karina's range in voicing the different forms.
Izzy and Tentomon
The hosts discuss Izzy and Tentomon, praising Ando Ites' Izzy voice as their favorite performance in the dub. However, they find Christopher Swindle's Tentomon lacking charm compared to the original. They note that Tentomon has a consistent dialect, but it doesn't translate as charmingly as in the original Adventure.
Tai, Matt, Agumon, and Gabumon
The hosts discuss Tai, Matt, Agumon, and Gabumon, the final four characters of the evening. They criticize the show's focus on Tai, who they believe is a poorly written Mary Sue. They praise Zeno Robinson's acting as Tai but lament the character's lack of flaws and the show's reliance on plot escalation over character development. They also discuss the voice actors for Agumon, Matt, and Gabumon, noting that Ben Diskin does a good job as Agumon, while Dave B Mitchell's Gabumon is unremarkable.
Matt and Gabumon
The hosts continue their discussion of Matt and Gabumon, criticizing the show's handling of Matt's character and the lack of warmth and energy in Gabumon's portrayal. They share a humorous moment about Gabumon being crucified in the show.
Agumon and Tai
The hosts discuss Agumon and Tai, praising Ben Diskin's performance as Agumon but noting that he doesn't have as much charm as the original. They reiterate their criticism of Tai's character, describing him as a flat Mary Sue and lamenting the show's lack of nuance.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
The hosts share their final thoughts on the dub, praising the talented cast but lamenting the inferior material. They recommend watching the show in the dub for sanity's sake but caution against supporting Toei Animation by purchasing it on Blu-ray. They discuss the show's misguided attempt to be action-oriented rather than character-driven and its lack of nuance.
Outro and Where to Find the Hosts
The hosts provide information on where to watch the dub and subbed versions of the show. They also share their social media handles and promote their other projects. They thank their patrons and express their appreciation for each other's work.
