Ponyo, Kiki, Totoro, and CitS Special Edition DVD Discussion

[slave2moonlight]

Does anyone know if the new Totoro release is as good as the previous DVD release? I need to know if I should get it or avoid it, as I currently don't own this film at all and have always wanted to see it.

I bought it and will get back to you on that! So far I've only watched the bonus features and the storyboard film (from old dvd) is there PLUS new stuff.

Thanks. I'm particularly curious if the complaints folks have about the new Kiki release will find matches in the Totoro one as well.

[Super Aurora]

Just brought Castle in the Sky and Kiki Delivery Service.[as well as Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone....]

[azul017]

Just purchased the Ponyo BD combo pack. It's very nice to see full-blown color artwork on both the DVD and Blu-ray disc, as opposed to grayish-silver or transclucent coloring artwork.

My guess is that Disney is contractually obligated to not include the DMR symbol on the DVD package and keep full-color disc artwork for the Ghibli releases. Nice, I might have to purchase My Neighbor Totoro too.

[Little Red Henski]

A poster on animeondvd.com posted this.

I just received my copy of the new release of Kiki's Delivery Service, and I can confirm that the English ending animation is in much better quality than on the older DVD release. It looks as good as the Japanese angle now. Disney must have gotten a better copy of the clean ending animation and re-did the credits.

In regards to the changes done to the English dub on this new 2010 release:

It's not just Jiji's last line in the movie that is removed, but a lot of Phil Hartman's ad-libbing is gone as well. He only speaks onscreen as much as Rei Sakuma did when she voiced Jiji in the Japanese version.

Take for example in the scene early in the movie right after Kiki first takes off (before the opening song and title screen come up):
Kiki: Jiji, could you turn on the radio?
Jiji: Oh, great. Now I'm suddenly the flight attendent.

On the English track on the new DVD, Jiji doesn't say anything in this scene. He just turns on the radio and Yume Arai's song starts playing.

The voices are all the same as was heard on older releases of Disney's dub, but extra dialog that wasn't originally present in the Japanese version has been eliminated. And at the same time, nothing has been redubbed. Phil Hartman's witty dialog is still present in the scenes where Jiji's mouth is moving.

I also noticed that all the instrumental music from the Japanese version has been restored into the dub now. On the older DVD, Disney replaced music in some scenes with their own or added music where there was originally silence.
For example, in the scene where Kiki and Jiji are delivering a package and they notice flying geese which later give them trouble. Older versions of the dub had soft piano music playing. The dub on the new DVD uses a Mediterranean-sounding string piece, which is exactly what the Japanese version used.

The packaging claims that the English dub is "digitally remastered". It sounds like Disney still had the voice-only tracks to their dub and overlaid that on top of a clean Music & Effects track from Japan. Don't know why they removed the extra dialog the dub once had, but I don't mind the changes and actually prefer them.

So Disney has changed more than one line. I think John Lasseter probably had something to do with the script improvements.

[ajmrowland]

This is a bit off topic, but wasn't another version of Kiki's made that isn't Ghibli?

[Super Aurora]

One thing that always annoyed me is when people and advertisement making out that Castle of Caglieostro is a Miyazki creation when he never created Lupin 3rd to begin with. He was just assign or hired to make a lupin film.

[Little Red Henski]

There is the original Kiki book series.

Disney is supposedly making a live action version based on the books.

[magicalwands]

This is a bit off topic, but wasn't another version of Kiki's made that isn't Ghibli?

That would be Totoro which was dubbed by Fox before Disney made a new dub.

So Disney has changed more than one line. I think John Lasseter probably had something to do with the script improvements.

Wasn't he on board overseeing all the dubs? I wonder why he's changing his mind now. Maybe he'll get rid of the last lines from Spirited Away when Chihiro says, "I think I'll be okay." which aren't in the Japanese version.

[Little Red Henski]

Kiki, Castle in the Sky and Mononoke were dubbed by Disney before Lasseter came on board.

Fox just distributed the old Totoro dub. Castle in the Sky, Totoro, Kiki, and Porco were dubbed by Streamline pictures for JAL flights.

links to clips from the JAL Kiki dub.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEMJcFYQOkA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQvBVKM4tJs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7LYbCP_U4

[ajmrowland]

This is a bit off topic, but wasn't another version of Kiki's made that isn't Ghibli?

That would be Totoro which was dubbed by Fox before Disney made a new dub.

No, I think there was another adaptation altogether. I'm not talking about dubbing.

[magicalwands]

Thanks. I'm particularly curious if the complaints folks have about the new Kiki release will find matches in the Totoro one as well.

The english dubbed songs are kept in. The transfer looks exactly like the old dvd. You can also toggle between English/Japanese without needing to go back to the menu. So overall, I'd say this one is worth it. Plus, you also get a pretty lithograph of the dvd cover (without the blue border and title "My Neighbor Totoro")

I would also like to comment on all the menus Disney is now using for their Ghibli releases because if you look closely, the background is textured to look like a canvas with the characters from their respective movies painted on them. Simply wonderful.

[slave2moonlight]

Thanks. I'm particularly curious if the complaints folks have about the new Kiki release will find matches in the Totoro one as well.

The english dubbed songs are kept in. The transfer looks exactly like the old dvd. You can also toggle between English/Japanese without needing to go back to the menu. So overall, I'd say this one is worth it. Plus, you also get a pretty lithograph of the dvd cover (without the blue border and title "My Neighbor Totoro")

I would also like to comment on all the menus Disney is now using for their Ghibli releases because if you look closely, the background is textured to look like a canvas with the characters from their respective movies painted on them. Simply wonderful.

Thanks, I'll definitely pick up Totoro next time I get the chance. I currently own the old releases of Kiki, Castle in the Sky, and Mononoke, which I bought in a package deal at Best Buy when Spirited Away came out (which I also got in the deal). And I picked up Ponyo on Blu the day it came out. Great stuff!

[yamiiguy]

No CitS love? It's easily the best one of the four

[Sky Syndrome]

I haven't found the Ponyo DVD and plush toy set yet. I've checked a Wal-mart and a Best Buy so far.

[magicalwands]

Sky Syndrome, I checked four Targets near me, two Best Buys, and a Fry's. There is no sign of them anywhere! I am afraid to learn if they are only available online.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I haven't found the Ponyo DVD and plush toy set yet. I've checked a Wal-mart and a Best Buy so far.

Check Toys R Us. When I was there, there were at least 5 or 6 of the Plush/DVD sets.

[kenai3000]

I agree with some of your points for dubs, kenai3000. For your Dragonball Z releases and rereleases, it is not at all similar to what Disney does. Yes Disney dubs them, but their dvds also include the original Japanese tracks as well along with a literal english translation sub. I used to love dubs, then I hated them, but now I am okay with them because they HAVE to be done. These films are so wonderful, imagine being very little and not having learned how to read yet.

So, I believe dubs should be made but, the right voices must be chosen. The dvd release should also include the original Japanese track with a literal translation sub. And finally, if there are any modifications in the picture for the english version, the Japanese track should be played with the original images.

Whew! I never would have thought I would turn into a dub snob!

Wow I didn't answer this before, but actually you would be pleased to hear that every Season Set of the 3 Dragon Ball series are bilingual in both Japanese & English as are the Dragon Box sets that default to the Japanese track, and all of these releases have literal English translated subtitles.

[Little Red Henski]

The new Castle in the Sky dvd is dubtitled and the new Kiki dvd has the same dubtitles from the last DVD. Oh, well I still have my bootleg versions with accurate subtitles.

[Pasta67]

I was just about to post that. It's a real shame, especially since the old Disney DVD of Laputa actually had a correct translation of the Japanese script. Wouldn't you know it, I went out and bought the new CitS DVD just today, then I get back, open it, and find that it's dubtitled. Now I've gotta go out and completely rebuy the old disc just to have a proper translation of the original screenplay (and the old subs were mistimed, to boot).

At least with the Kiki disc, we were already kind of expecting the dubtitles.

[magicalwands]

I haven't found the Ponyo DVD and plush toy set yet. I've checked a Wal-mart and a Best Buy so far.

Check Toys R Us. When I was there, there were at least 5 or 6 of the Plush/DVD sets.

Oh! Did you happen to see how much they cost? I'll check my Toys R Us again (closely) tomorrow because I really, really want a Ponyo plush!