Studio Ghibli via GKIDS

[gwfb5]

I didn't even notice, until just now, that the site did a review for Castle in the Sky.
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Castl...184134/#Review

In this case, I think the reviewer may have made a mistake.

There are four audio options to choose from on the BD: the original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (2011 kbps, 24-bit), an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (4221 kbps, 24-bit), an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix (448 kbps, 48 kHz), and a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo dubbed in French. The Japanese sound track contains Joe Hisaishi's original score while the uncompressed English remix features a more recent recording of the symphonic music. Not included on the Disney release is the original synthesizer score, presented here as a lossy 5.1 track.

Now, if I have this right, the 2012 Disney BD had the edited English dub with the original 1986 synthesizer score only. Is that not correct?

Also, it seems that the edited dub with the original score has been downgraded on the GKIDS edition from DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 to Dolby Digital 5.1.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by trickle

Just received Howl's Moving Castle from Amazon and it came with a pristine slipcover.

Keeping my fingers crossed that Princess Kaguya, Marnie, Only Yesterday and Grave of the Fireflies get some sort of a discount soon.

Same thing happened with My Neighbor Totoro, it's quite a lovely release.

With Princess Kaguya I just got so impatient with waiting for a price drop that I ordered a cheap copy from eBay, brand new with a slipcover. I got lucky with Grave of the Fireflies and found it in shrink wrap at a pawn shop.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by gwfb5

Now, if I have this right, the 2012 Disney BD had the edited English dub with the original 1986 synthesizer score only. Is that not correct?

Also, it seems that the edited dub with the original score has been downgraded on the GKIDS edition from DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 to Dolby Digital 5.1.

To clear up the confusion, here's how the relevant audio tracks are presented in the 3 major BD releases:

Disney:
Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0
English DTS-HD MA 5.1 (revised dub, original 1986 synthesizer score)

GKIDS:
Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0
English DTS-HD MA 5.1 (revised dub, 1999 symphonic score)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (revised dub, original 1986 synthesizer score)

Japan:
Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (revised dub, 1999 symphonic score)

My speculation is that since Ghibli approved both revised dubs (1986 synthesizer and 1999 symphonic) for previous BDs, they left GKIDS the choice of which one would be their primary English dub and given the lossless treatment with the other getting the lossy secondary audio treatment like the French dub track also received. Personally I don't care which score was given lossless audio, as both dub tracks aren't part of the original work of art to begin with and as such are irrelevant.

[JTurner]

For the record I did update my post to acknowledge the occasional orchestral accompaniment in the original score regarding Laputa, but yes, I do have to agree that the reviewer is not correct regarding the release of the Disney BD of Laputa. It only offered the Japanese score for the dub track (albeit in DTS-HD 5.1). The GKids one offers the rescore in DTS-HD 5.1 while downgrading the original score for the Disney dub to a Dolby Digital 5.1. It's win-win in my book.

As for the dubs "not being part of the original work"... that's almost like saying that Miyazaki shouldn't have approved the French dub track of Porco Rosso by Jean Reno. I'm not saying you have to like the dubs -- you're free to prefer the original Japanese version if you like. But the director in question favored dubbing because he understands that there are audiences who would rather just watch the movies in a language they can understand instead of reading subtitles. There's nothing wrong with that. And for the record he has approved the Disney dubs (or at least Studio Ghibli has) -- and he even liked the new score, done incidentally by Joe Hisaishi himself. Yes, it was at Disney's request, but unlike Kiki's Delivery Service where they got Paul Chihara to do the occasional pieces of music for the first cut of the Disney dub, the same person was the one responsible for the new score, approved by Miyazaki himself. There's a reason he didn't dial the new score out of the dub for the Japanese, UK, and Australian releases, and why Gkids brought it back. If he thinks the new score works well for the film in its own right then he thinks it. It's his film, after all, and if he disapproved, he would have said so. The only dub he vocally disapproved of was the blasphemous re-edit of Nausicaa done over 30 years ago. But he hasn't said any such things about any of the other dubs.

[svenge]

Of course Miyazaki would approve dubs, as that would expand the viewership base for his films beyond the domestic Japanese audience and literate foreigners. Mouth-breathers' money spends just as well, after all...

[Shingster]

Didn't Miyazaki himself state in an interview once that he feels foreign audiences should watch his films with the relevant dub so they can concentrate 100% visually on the animation? I'm not a fan of english dubs and haven't watched an anime film dubbed voluntarily in almost 20yrs, but to say the English dubs for beloved Anime classics are "irrelevant" is just absurd. What do you do if you wanna buy Totoro for a five year old svenge? Force the poor kid to watch it in Japanese? Most of Miyazaki's output are kids films made primarily for a pretty damn young viewership!

[KMFDMvsEnya]

I have no issues with dubs, so long as the original language is included. Unlike the days of VHS, our beloved discs facilitate a simple toggle between the two when made available.

Also agree, young children are not keen on reading dialogue, they want to hear it.

Thank goodness for choice.

At least for me most of the newer Ghibli dubs are very good.

[Akibiyori]

Originally Posted by Shingster

not a fan of english dubs and haven't watched an anime film dubbed voluntarily in almost 20yrs, but to say the English dubs for beloved Anime classics are "irrelevant" is just absurd. What do you do if you wanna buy Totoro for a five year old svenge? Force the poor kid to watch it in Japanese?:

Screw those cool, nice people I saw who brought their kid to see the recent Studio Ghibli Fathom Events screenings! These movies are for basement dwelling Anime nerds! (Oops, sorry, I mean “literate foreigners”!)

[DRS]

whats the safest place to order these from in order to get the slipcovers?

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by DRS

whats the safest place to order these from in order to get the slipcovers?

Not Walmart!

[kevin87]

Originally Posted by Brian81

Not Walmart!

Anywhere is a coin toss really, one person could order this week and not get one and one could order next week and get one... it's too random to predict.

HOWEVER, it's easy to predict where you'll get one damaged.. and that's WM, Target, BB, and deepdiscount. They use the worst packaging possible. Amazon's the only place that will ship stuff in a bubble mailer these days, and they sometimes will use boxes. WM will also use boxes, but you have to buy a crap-ton of stuff to warrant that.

[arob]

Originally Posted by DRS

whats the safest place to order these from in order to get the slipcovers?

FWIW I ordered Arrietty on 12/4 from Amazon. Received it this week with mint slipcover.

As Kevin87 said though, it's a coin toss anytime you order by mail.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Shingster

Didn't Miyazaki himself state in an interview once that he feels foreign audiences should watch his films with the relevant dub so they can concentrate 100% visually on the animation? I'm not a fan of english dubs and haven't watched an anime film dubbed voluntarily in almost 20yrs, but to say the English dubs for beloved Anime classics are "irrelevant" is just absurd. What do you do if you wanna buy Totoro for a five year old svenge? Force the poor kid to watch it in Japanese? Most of Miyazaki's output are kids films made primarily for a pretty damn young viewership!

You got me there. I really should've prefaced my statement with the standard proviso that dubs are justifiable for three (and only three) classes of watchers: Young children, the visually-impaired, and people with dyslexia.

[Crispy Noodle]

Originally Posted by DRS

whats the safest place to order these from in order to get the slipcovers?

My $12.99 copy of Nausicaa that arrived from Amazon yesterday had a nice minty slip. With all the different distribution centers you never know, though.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by svenge

You got me there. I really should've prefaced my statement with the standard proviso that dubs are justifiable for three (and only three) classes of watchers: Young children, the visually-impaired, and people with dyslexia.

4, the people who can't watch a picture a read at the same time.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

4, the people who can't watch a picture a read at the same time.

It's not that difficult.

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by TheBoss062

It's not that difficult.

It might be for people with sensory processing issues.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

It might be for people with sensory processing issues.

But those people are also part of group #3.

[Taikero]

Originally Posted by svenge

But those people are also part of group #3.

I don't think all people with sensory processing challenges are dyslexic. I get what you're trying to express (which isn't anywhere near what you said), but it's better to be precise rather than force the reader to interpret your true meaning.

---------------------

As for the question of dubs vs. subs.....I enjoy the dubs a lot. I also watch with subs sometimes. The benefit of dubs is I get to listen in my native language, I don't have to have my eyes glued to the screen all the time, and others can enjoy as well (some don't like subtitles at all).

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Taikero

I don't think all people with sensory processing challenges are dyslexic. I get what you're trying to express (which isn't anywhere near what you said), but it's better to be precise rather than force the reader to interpret your true meaning.

Fair enough. I should have said that they also fit under the general concept of group number three.