[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goseigold

**blows some dust off my account**

Okay wow I haven't commented here on Tokunation in a LONG time!
Nice to see this thread is still alive so much time later

AHH Star Driver what a ride that show was, it still blows me away that Star Driver, Captain Earth and Eureka Seven supposedly all take place in the same universe

Anyway, what's next?

Hey there! Good to see you again!

So, I knew about the Captain Earth connection, but Eureka Seven? Really?

As for what I plan to do next, it's gonna be a live-action show. As for after that, I dunno. We'll see.

[goseigold]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

So, I knew about the Captain Earth connection, but Eureka Seven? Really?

Just like the captain earth connection- it's mostly a fan theory
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/CaptainEarth

[DreamSword]

Smile Pretty Cure!

I won't lie, I'm sort of struggling to think about how to about this one.

It's ironic, too, because by design, Smile Precure is a very simple and straightforward show designed to make its audience feel good.

And the reason for that is that it aired during the same year as Kamen Rider Fourze, with both shows having their design philosophies in response to the earthquake that rocked Japan at the time.

Now, while that in itself is a decent starting angle, as my thoughts continue to dive deeper, I find myself essentially repeating alot of what I said about Healin' Good, which took a similar approach to its storytelling due to the COVID-19 Pandemic taking place at the time.

So, to sum that up: While Smile can certainly leave you wanting more, I think it overall works. Sure, the show could definitely dive deeper into certain aspects like the backstories of the Bad End Generals, which is really sad and definitely worth examining, the show itself is so fun and its characters so likable that I find it hard to hold too much against it in that regard.

You could also make the argument that it makes the few times the show does peak a bit deeper or darker all the more impactful. My personal favorite example being with Yayoi, the Yellow Cure for the season, and the episode wherein she deals with the lingering feelings and memories she has of her dad who passed away when she was very young. That episode was all around wonderful in the way it was done, with its stark contrast to the rest of the show being one aspect as to why.

But unfortunately it also means that, outside of maybe talking about specific episodes or moments at length, there's no real way for me to go super deep into this show with a one-off post. It just is what it is: Fun, charming, and comforting. There's nothing at all wrong with that, obviously. But outside of just the general idea of holding onto hope and happiness, Smile doesn't exactly have alot in terms of an overarching plot or theme, you know?

I could see alot of people taking that as a big negative, but frankly, I don't. Is this show the best TV you'll ever see, or one of the best seasons of Precure besides? I mean, no, probably not. Atleast not for me. But I don't regret watching it and it's alot of fun from start to finish. Thus, I'd say that it's worth watching, and honestly probably works as a solid gateway show into the franchise(another thing I said about HG, natch). While the Saban dub has its issues, I can see why this show was chosen as the one to get dubbed.

Overall, I give this season of Pretty Cure a 4/6. Great fun, but nothing mind-blowing.

[Mesnick]

Speaking of Smile Pretty Cure, are there many changes in the English dub? I mean, does it make sense to watch both versions or is the difference between them insignificant?

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Speaking of Smile Pretty Cure, are there many changes in the English dub? I mean, does it make sense to watch both versions or is the difference between them insignificant?

The dub cuts out a handful of episodes so that way it could fit into US syndication. A few of them aren't that big of a deal, but there are a couple that I felt were very important in terms of developing the core cast.

Other than that, the dub also inserts alot more humor into the show, which isn't totally out of place since Smile is a rather light-hearted show anyway, but it could be seen as too much by some.

[Name]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Great fun, but nothing mind-blowing.

On rewatch, this show actually held up better than I remembered. Easy 8.5/10 for me. Would comfortably get that last .5 if we had an epilogue or an extra episode for the main show. It really felt a little rushed at the end. That said, it's very fun and I'll take a lot of good gags and decent action over a moody show that fails to say anything meaningfull any day.

(you know which show i'm talking about)

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Name

(you know which show i'm talking about)

The legendary awfulness of Blassreiter will never die.

[Mesnick]

I just started watching Smile Precure. I chose the show at random, but the fact that it coincided with the one recently discussed is an amazing coincidence (and this has already happened to me with Sentai). And now, under the impression, I would like to talk about the fan dubbing in which I watch it. In my native language, so, unfortunately, you will not be able to appreciate it and have to trust my words. Cure Happy didn't leave Happy and didn't even translate literally - Shastye. She was named Smeyana and this is truly brilliant, because it is not only sweet and familiar to the viewer from my place, but also coincides with Miyuki’s love for fairy tales. With Cure Peace and Cure March it turned out not so impressive, but still not bad. They were named Mira and Marta, which is similar to Mir (Peace) and Mart (March), but are also real names. At the same time, everything concerns only nicknames, and the real names of the heroines were left untouched, even if they are quite difficult to pronounce for my compatriots. Also, the cultural details were not changed, and the speech was made perhaps a little closer to the one adopted here, but without the impossible references and own inventions, which was the fault of the subtitles for the GaoGaiGar I recently completed. Which I am ready to forgive, in contrast to the jokes that are clearly not intended for the age audience of GaoGaiGar.
But I digress. It seems to me that this is exactly what every dubbing, and translation in general, should strive for. Making the original closer to the viewer, while maintaining its authenticity, rather than pretending that the action is taking place on a neighboring street.
It’s wrong to judge the anime itself after watching three episodes, but based on my impressions, I’m inclined to agree with Dreamsword’s review. I like how quickly the team assembles, but this is the rule rather than the exception. Just remembering a fun, upbeat show from another franchise, I remember the Kamen Rider Club creation in Fourze as being very drawn out. Maybe it would be different now, but if you look at it in ongoing...I think it was still not worth showing all the future participants in the opening and creating at least a hint of intrigue. But I digress again.
P.S. Later I’ll write how Cure Beauty was translated.

[DreamSword]

Happy to hear that the dubbing in your native region was done well! Hoping you continue to enjoy the show as you go through it.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Happy to hear that the dubbing in your native region was done well! Hoping you continue to enjoy the show as you go through it.

Thank you.