Depending on who you ask, localisation is a very dirty word amongst anime fans as it can make or break a franchise, with some of these decisions having consequences that still affect the series to this day.
Not all of this is censorship, keep that in mind.
10. Jelly Filled Donuts
A classic anime meme, as Pokemon's Brock calls rice balls, donuts; this is not an isolated case as other food gets edited around in Pokemon. Pretty low on the list as it's the official meme of Lost Pause.
9. Allowing Central Park Media to License MD Geist
I've brought up this story before, so I'll keep it brief. CPM liked this anime too much and kick started the ultra violent era of anime, this has always given older fans a bitter pill to swallow compared to younger generations of fans.
8. Next Dimension/Shadow Realm
Death was hard to sell for any network, especially when it had to be on TV. This was more the Ocean dub of Dragonballz as Funimation played it more straight seeing as death is merely a slap on the wrist anyway, Yu-Gi-Oh was much worse for it, particularly in Season 1.
7. Painted Bikinis
Tenchi Muyo's run on Toonami came with some strange forms of censorship, the weirdest one being the clearly MS paint job bikinis, although this had a more beneficial effect as early internet otaku sought out the uncut version, I know I did.
6. Naming HoroHoro Trey Racer
Shaman King despite being localised by 4Kids kept a fairly unchanged cast naming until you get to the whole Trey Racer moment, the funny thing about it is, it's used as a nickname as his actual name is kept, wouldn't mind digging up a back story for this.
5. Making Big Cheese a Rat
Tell me, what animal this is below.
If you said fox, you are right, if you say rat, you are as blind as the people at Saban. I know they had very little to work with but seriously?
4. Making Uranus and Neptune Cousins
A classic bit of early censorship, only it just made the whole thing creepier in context when it was more obvious that these two were much closer to the point it couldn't be ignored.
3. Giving One Piece to 4Kids
How and why this decision was made is still a mystery, the aftermath has caused it to slip behind other Shonen Jump powerhouses over the years but on the other side it made the series more adult back in Japan to avoid a repeat of it happening ever again.
2. Renaming Pretty Cure, Glitter Force
The sad thing about this one, it was already in English as Pretty Cure is the English translated title anyway, the Canadians got it right why didn't Netflix? Glitter Force is a stupid name and because of this disaster, Precure may never see localisation ever again.
1. Inserting American Political Commentary
This is an uncomfortable trend that started in the height of the Trump administration, Funimation were the main culprits for this. Within a few of their dubs, first noted in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, the dubbing team would go off script to bring up a political subject or something woke which has no context in the anime at all and was never referenced in the original script. Basically they've taken Japan's property and inserted political propaganda that has nothing to do with Japan, this is the type of bullshit I expect from Russia!
This is also why I don't watch dubs anymore.
This one feels surprisingly forgotten, let's fix that.
Yoh Asakura is a Shaman, someone who can communicate with spirits, but as fate would have it, Yoh is destined to fight for the right to be Shaman King against his evil twin Hao, joined by his spirit ally Amidamaru, best friend Manta, fiancee Anna and a host of allies, rivals and former enemies, Yoh sets out to defeat his brother although his laid back nature doesn't always leave that impression.
For a time, this was easily the most unique among Shonen Jump's properties, with Yu Yu Hakusho finished and Bleach still finding it's stride, it filled a void for a couple of years.
It's memorable for a couple reasons, it took alot more risks with it's content using some quite brutal scenes, particularly in the manga; it's host of characters felt unique and colourful, the action was colossal and it's ending really came out of left field.
It's biggest issues seem to stem from being dragged into Shonen tropes which ultimately made the anime finish on a cheesy power of love and friendship ending not helped by 4kids dubbing which comes to another baffling decision as to why 4kids of all companies picked up Shaman King in the first place; keep in mind just Faust VIII alone cut open Manta's chest cavity and in the same battle drugged up on pain killers cuts open his own leg, rips out his leg bone and asks for a replacement, before Joco even became a hero, he was a violent gang leader who murdered in cold blood, in fact listing all the deaths in the show would make Light Yagami blush, although it does make the 4kids dub hilarious at times especially when they forgot to censor blood in a couple of scenes and don't get me started on HoroHoro.
I didn't mind the dub too much but some of 4kids choices were atrocious.
Ultimately what killed the franchise was the fear of being written off as another wannabe Shonen Jump title competing for scraps left by the big three with only a handful allowed to sit with them. This is probably why the creator pulled the plug before the finale and has spent the last 15 years piecing together the finale and epilogue.
Final Verdict: An original Shonen title among a sea of regulars in it's day, let down by how it's anime ended and who it was dubbed by, ultimately leaving it's actual ending to be released long after the franchise ceased production.
Inspired by this weeks discussion topic, I've gotten into thinking of other anime I've given up on so here are my top 10 Anime I've Given Up On.
Rules This Time: Has to be a series I once liked, it's no good putting a series I hate on this list because I'll be here all day otherwise; also I can't use lack of licensing as an excuse either, so let us begin.
10. Little Snow Fairy Sugar
I ended up quitting this series just over halfway when I discovered that the ending was so predictable that it wasn't worth the effort.
9. Digimon
Later series kept spiraling into obscurity to the point where the original concept has been lost along the way.
8. Beyblade
Beyblade had great characters (some even too good for it's own show) during it's first three runs then it decided to come back and ruin itself for good with the Metal series; it's not been healthy since.
7. Yu-Gi-Oh
Another show with a severe decay problem caused by frequent changing of protagonists; I don't even know what Zexal is about.
6. Bleach
Lost it's identity when it couldn't hold itself after hundreds of chapters, they've toyed too much with their universe rules and paid the price for stupid ideas.
5. Fruits Basket
Gave up when the art style became obscure in the manga, a lot of characters looked the same and being told spoilers also sealed the fate of Fruits Basket for good.
4. Shaman King
Had the same problem as Bleach only weirder, Shaman King didn't know how to end itself, it didn't seem satisfied with the Victory Script the anime gave it, so it tried something complicated and ended up cancelled for the trouble.
3. Tenchi Muyo
The Tenchi Muyo extended universe is a joke, the story was already complicated enough in it's original incarnation and yet the creators seem intend on ruining it.
2. Spirited Away
Every time I try and watch Spirited Away, I just can't seem to follow what's going on, I've tried numerous times but nothing, I just can't seem to conquer it.
1. Saiyuki
I gave up when the set pieces were rotating more often than Team Rocket's sad attempts at catching Pikachu, it got to the point where I didn't believe they were really going to India and as of now I doubt they've made it there yet as Minekura has released a prequel as well.
Bonus: Pokemon
X&Y might save it, so it's on hiatus rather than giving up on it.
To move on from unique art styles and considering I covered a Samurai in the Walk of Fame, lets move on to Sword Styles. Rules this time that I'm sticking with just swords not other kinds of blades or light sabers.
Of course Erza earns extra points for style
10. Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin
It seems weird to begin with such a common looking style but considering the fact that he began as a cold hearted killer and became a no killing badass with a reverse bladed sword does turn a few heads especially from the likes of his enemies.
9. Yoh Asakura from Shaman King
At it's strongest, Yoh's oversoul can turn into a giant Samurai Sword which seems to have rocket boosters. It's so big that you can threaten giants with it.
8. InuYasha from InuYasha
Although InuYasha is better at the whole bigger is better argument with Tessaiga, a sword that would make the Bleach cast jealous, this sword comes in many textures including Dragon Scales and Diamond.
7. Mifune from Soul Eater
One of my personal favorite styles is Mifune's, using several swords stuck in the ground and a deep understanding for spacial awareness, Mifune can attack with all the swords in any battle situation.
6. Kuchiki Byakuya from Bleach
Choosing just one of the hundreds of sword styles in Bleach was a job in itself but Senbonzakura wins due to it's execution, style and the fact that you're essentially being killed by cherry blossom petals.
5. Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail
One look at the above picture tells you that "you are going to die" in a very awesome way. But out of all of Erza's armory the Heaven's Wheel wins hands down. Just look at it!
4. Roronoa Zoro from One Piece
For a show that redefines the term "Pirate" it's unusual that the only pirate looking character Zoro is not even a pirate to begin with. Come on, he wields three swords one of which is between his teeth and he certainly makes the most of it.
3. Saber from Fate/Stay Night
For a while we don't actually see her sword until she goes full power and uncovers Excalibur, that's not to say it's bad, to be able to fight with an invisible sword is very useful until you stab yourself with it by accident.
2. Masamune Date from Sengoku Basara
Three swords are cool, six swords made to look like claws is epic and Masamune makes a point of going all out against any opponent, who says the Sengoku period has to be accurate, why can't he ride a horse with motorcycle handle bars and tail pipes.
1. Killer Bee from Naruto
But I have to say, I still can't work out how Killer Bee's sword style works but after using it in the games and seeing it in action, it's easily the most impressive sword style I've ever seen. Pity his rapping needs work.
