2014-12-05 07:38:22

No, unfortunately there isn't... the support for tts isn't nearly that advanced though I wish it was. Haven't tried contacting the team... but from what I see of their website, they probably wouldn't be that receptive to anything like that. But I hear your frustration... I'm not a fan of having the subtitles uncontrolably read. But such is life, I guess. a little support is better than none. and if you turn the subtitles volume down, or just up the volume of the episode, that helps some since you'll always hear more of the japanese.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-05 08:15:30

Hmm ok makes sense. Yeah just having a function to send it to the clipboard would be awesome.

2014-12-05 08:16:41

Yes it would. But I like I said, doubt the team would consider it given what I've seen of their site. But if you want to email them, I may just do that as well...

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-05 14:17:49

All this talk of yugioh makes me wish that I had known people back in the day who played  it.I would have probably brailled  out my cards back then if possible. I think I still love the blue eyes white dragon. I remember getting one back when Pegasis still had a somewhat broken deck, for back then relinquished was pretty much an instant win. Haha.
Thank you for the alchemist recommendation.I plan on indulging in that over Christmas. :d

2014-12-05 22:46:06

Trust me, brailling cards is a very long, teedious process. lol and since cards are tradable, brailling directly on them is a hanus crime... lol. I put all the cards in sleeves and then just labelled them. Truth be told though, there's way too much to braille other than the name, attack and defense stats. It was fun though... but one could never trade for another deck or set of cards because that would mean brailling a fresh card. hahaha.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-07 07:53:53

Wow, this topic really took off. I'm glad to know that I should start with Brotherhood. I didn't know which one to start with actually, so thanks for that.
Also, I really hope the Blazblue animes get dubbed at some point using the same cast and voices in the games. They cast the dubbed game mostly right, except Bang's voice sounds a bit scratchy, even for a guy who's supposed to be old. His voice in CS was better. Same with Hazama/Tarami
.

2014-12-07 08:13:41

The dubs weren't bad, and Bang's voice is still scratchy in CP the latest game. Japanese Bang doesn't sound like that though, odly enough.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-07 14:30:22

yeah, I always thought Bang sounded a bit off.
I'm currently trying to find a decent place to watch some of this stuff. 
Anyone know if most of this is on netflicks?  or will I have to search elsewhere?  I've not got an account yet but am considering it for house of cards and the like.

2014-12-07 19:18:25

Downloading is the best way, personally. Torrents are everywhere, and some of the anime you can find have dual audio meaning that they have both English and Japanese voice options. Netflicks probably has a lot, but not as much as can be found on the open web I'm guessing.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-09 23:21:06

Alright I managed to download some anime in .mkv format. But I've got two questions. How do I switch from English to Japanese? they seem to have both but I prefer the Japanese voice acting. Also, it tends to repeat itself several times when it reads the subtitles, do any of you know what to do about that?

2014-12-09 23:33:12

As far as I know, that's a glitch with the international subtitle reading function that just seems to be there. Nothing I've found to do about it, and the forums of the site haven't been very helpful. To switch audio tracks, press control x or use the menu by hitting applications.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-10 08:43:34

Hello.

I don't watch much anime, as a matter of fact I don't watch any anymore, but this has been bugging me.

I can't remember the name ofthe anime, but what happens as far as I can remember is, a woman? almost gets shot, ends up falling onto a beach, two people see her, one boy and one girl and she can't talk, but in the end all she does say one word, niou ? I think it is. Does anyone know what this anime is called?

I'm gone for real :)

2014-12-12 18:54:06

I've been an anime fan off and on for the last ten years or so. Currently getting back into it.
I disagree on Full Metal Alchemist, though I know it's an unpopular opinion. I think the first anime is better, even though I know it doesn't follow the original story. I liked the more consistently serious tone, prefer how the main villain came out, and thought the comedy that's so prevalent in the original broke the tension. Regardless, I'm not an FMA fan personally, both versions have a ton of flaws to me.
I'm pretty happy Sailor Moon's gotten a boost in popularity with Viz's new re-dub of the series. It's actually really good. So I'm getting back into that franchise as a fan.
As for the most off the wall weird anime, I think that title goes to Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt. It's one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time, and the dub's so good people are actively doing themselves a disservice by watching it in Japanese. I say this because I beleive dubs can and sometimes do beat the original actors. Not often mind you, but it's been done. But I say so here because the anime was made as a tribute and homage to Western cartoons and culture, and that Gainax themselves specifically asked the dubbing team to make their scripts even raunchier and over the top, which Funimation did with gusto. An English cast just makes the intention of parodying and exaggerating western pop culture closer to the studio's spirit than the Japanese, good as it is.
Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-Ne was great, just finished watching it. The dub's great, equal to in Japanese personally. The cast are all relatable, it's a rare girls love series to get any American release, and the tone and mecha designs look a lot like they came out of Eureka Seven, an anime very close to my heart.

2014-12-12 19:03:15

Haven't watched Panty and stockings, but I think one can't truly compare the two unless one actually speaks both languages. I personally believe that a dub only beats the original Japanese voice acting when it's meant to take place in western society and so is more translatable. So far, I haven't found one dub I actually think is better, so I'm curious to know examples... Bobobo-bo bo-bobo's dub is good only because of how well the humor comes across, but a lot of the specific references and puns in the Japanese are obviously dropped, but it makes up for it by repeatedly making fun of the japanese versions. But anime like Devil May Cry based on the games is better in English, simply because the original universe and games were all done in English with Japanese subtitles. But personally, as a purist and someone who speaks Japanese, I have yet to find a dub which I think actually beats the Japanese originals.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-12 22:11:07

At risk of sounding cliche, I'll agree with the assessment that Cowboy Bebop sounds better in English. There's more emotion between the characters, the dialogue feels more natural, and many members of the staff themselves have praised and say it's the version they prefer to watch.
Another similar example is the creator of El-Hazard: the Magnificent World saying that the Japanese dub was good, but that when he saw it in English, it was simply the version he wanted and goes so far to say it's the true voice of the story that he envisioned.
CodeGeass has a more engaging dub cast. The characters are more distinct and emotive. It's been said that even Japanese viewers commonly find Johny Yongbosh's performance as Lelouch more sympathetic and expressive.
In the case of Panty and Stocking, it definitely fits your criteria of having a western feel. heck the animation and references have so many homages and jokes about American culture some that have only seen the English dub claim they didn't know it was an anime at first. It says something that the Japanese script has about a quarter of it's banter between the leads in heavily accented English.
Personally I'm a critic of literal translation and purism. Nothing will quite be the same as the original language script, but unless you're deeply familiar with Japanese culture, history, and the complicated social component to the language, as you yourself seem to be, it's just not going to make much sense. After all, there is a difference between translation and localization, and sometimes both are equally important at conveying the spirit of what was meant, rather than things too tied to the culture of origin to be understood.
It also depends on personal preference. I know many friends that prefer dubs, or at the least like them equally as subs, some of whom have been watching anime since the early 90s. So I don't think it's just casual fans that prefer subs, though there is a significant overlap between those new to the medium.

TLDR, a dub is only as good as it's script and acting, but has no inherent disadvantages compared with subs.

2014-12-12 23:20:46

Definitely agree with everything you're saying. I don't doubt there are good dubs... I just haven't personally found any I like as someone who speaks both languages and understands both cultures. and I don't know how much Japanese you know if any, but I feel sometimes that fans tend to side with one or the other without really knowing what they're supposed to be listening for. People who leap on the Japanese voice bandwagon always say that characters are more expressive in the origianal, but I think a lot of them don't have enough knowledge of the language to say... they just like the sound of it. I haven't actually watched any of the examples that you gave, but I won't like... I'm curious. lol It definitely doesn't surprise me that some Japanese viewers would find the English more expressive than the original, considering that they have the same debates about this that we do over here... which again I don't think a lot of western anime fans don't realize. there are just as many Japanese people who prefer dubs where they feel appropriate. And you're right. Unless one is familiar with the language and culture... whether something is properly translated probably doesn't matter. And about panty and stockings, it isn't unique in that much of the dialog consists of English... much of the Japanese language itself consists of words borrowed from English. lol but to sum up, I definitely agree that dubs themselves are not bad... it's all about the translated script and how good the actors are. I just don't think there are things that get acted as well in the west... Kiai for example. Dubs of anime always make it sound like people are grunting and groaning when they're fighting... and it sounds like they're trying really hard to take a crap. tongue But that's one thing I was refering to when I said that there are some things that just don't translate well. hahaha.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-12 23:32:25

Didn't know sailor moon got a redub. I love that show.

2014-12-13 00:40:07 (edited by darkabomination 2014-12-13 01:34:59)

It was announced back in August. They're redubbing everything related to the anime. All 200 episodes, the movies, specials, etc. They're also using the same English cast for Sailor Moon Crystal.
So far they've just finished the first season. If you know anything on English va work, this one's practically an allstar cast.
@Assault Freak. Very true. What people not into Japanese media, and even some that are, don't realize is the Japanese are about as obsessed with American culture as the reverse. There's tons of English words and phrases transliterated to fit the grammar, and it's pretty easy to figure out what they're saying if it's transliterated back. That, and you can't even count how many random English words are sprinkled throughout popular series and music.
As for the tendency for dubs to have some awkward grunts and incidental vocalizations, that's gotten much better over the years as dubbing practices have improved and directing has gotten better.
Since you've not heard of those examples I've listed, I have to wonder what was the last chronological dub you have heard? These things can vary from the year and company they were produced.
Also speaking of subs, I've tried configuring KM to read them, with little luck.

2014-12-13 02:52:15

The latest chronological dub I've watched is probably Naruto shippuden which is still ongoing in the west, but almost over in Japan I think. Where fighting and such sounds are concerned, that is one category of acting I can say I have never found a satisfactory dub for to match the Japanese. It's probably because of how much Kiai figure into martial arts and martial arts have a much firmer place in Japanese culture. As a martial artist myself I can appreciate that in dubs, all the so-called kiai are horribly executed... hahaha. With regards to the KM player, what seems to be the problem? Also Darkabomination, I'm curious... do you know any Japanese at all? smile

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-13 05:37:58

That does make sense, martial arts are still a bit foreign for the west. Still, Naruto has about as much in common with realistic martial arts as Sailor Moon does with astrophysics.
As for knowing Japanese, I don't know much aside from probably picking out 1 word out of 10. I'm more knowledgeable about culture and history.
As for KM, I've tried using f2 and generally trying any key combination I could think of to go into preferences so it'll have the text to speech working, but haven't gotten anything even with the review cursor. I use nvda for the record.
On a previous point, it is indeed amusing that Japanese viewers act the same way when it comes to subbing western cartoons. For instance in the MLP FIM fandom, the Japanese fanbase has been critical of their dub, along with the standard anime practice of making Jpop tracks for opening and closing sequences, they'd prefer to have the original English theme, since it's iconic not to mention shorter so they wouldn't have to edit out 2 minutes of each episode to fit the new songs.

2014-12-13 10:28:43

Well, I wasn't just speaking about Naruto. lol Watch any anime with action, and you'll hear that during fight scenes, kiai in Japanese is always much more convincing due to the martial arts thing. And I think that Japanese and other Asian languages as a rule are much more expressive in that aspect, again because of how integrated martial arts and combat have been for those cultures. And martial arts there aren't just a physical thing, study of them goes way beyond anything out here, and things like Kiai go so far beyond a simple shout, and it's all connected to breathing and whatnot. one of the reasons why it's so easy to tell whether a fighter in a movie or even real life has studied oriental fighting arts, or more western combat styles because Kiai from Asian practicioners tend to be from the belly and are very explosive, whereas western fighters shout a lot with their throats and sometimes just let it go no further than an explosive release of breath, which I think fulfills the same purpose as a typical kiai without the intent to use the yell itself as a psychological way of intimidation. But I digress. Martial arts are a thing of mine. haha.

Ah cool. I have an interest in history and culture too, as well as knowing the language. Regarding KM player, press f2 then use screen review to find the tab that says subtitle processing and click on it. Focus should then switch to the tree view where all the settings are, then go down to multisub etc and tab until you find the list of tabs. Go to text to speech and they should work there.
Yeah, it's definitely very interesting to see the opposite reaction in Japan than here, but I don't think a lot of anime fans realize that is the case. It's like when a game comes out in both Japan and the states and is made by the American company, the Japanese crowd 90% of the time will prefer the English dub. Take Injustice by NRS for example. That fighting game was released in Japan with somewhat of a Japanese dub, but even I as someone who knows the language found it weird... and prefer the English. My only gripe is that for this game at least, NRS only dubbed certain things... story cutseens and ingame dialog, but they don't actually have the Japanese actors record different combat sounds, which bothers me as a voiceacting enthusiast. lol Especially because Japanese companies dub 100% of the games they localize.

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-13 10:46:53

Here's a side by side comparison between the two for an anime. This is a fight scene from Fate / Stay Night, another one of my favorites. It's a short anime, but as you can tell from this clip, the music and sound are awesome. The English dub is second, so you get a translation of all the dialog which is actually a little off. The grunts and kiai of the English dub are actually not too bad compared to other anime that I've watched, buut still a good example of the difference and why I personally find the Japanese superior. The original acting doesn't sound like both of them are trying to ruin their vocal cords or force something unpleasant on each other. lol
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/339 … 20clip.mp3

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-13 18:19:30

Unfortunately it doesn't look like I won't get this to work. F2 seems to do nothing, and or NVDA just can't find any text or tab with the review cursor.

2014-12-13 18:26:02

Huh. Bizarre... It works just fine for me. Not sure what the problem could be... but I'll keep looking. Try using the context menu, I know for a fact that works because I made the recording that way by using the menu to switch tracks. lol

Discord: clemchowder633

2014-12-13 21:03:18

Which key is that again?