> PRESIDENT: Hey, what are you doing? > NARUMI: I am chief of Techno Police.
> PRESIDENT: Techno Police?
> NARUMI: I want you to hand over the file
on the command system of that tank, and I want it now.
>> We suggest watching these series subtitled.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down
our picks for the "Top Ten Worst Anime English Dubs and Translations."
> EIRI: You didn't really want me to run you over tonight, now did you?
> SHUICHI: Well, I... It's just that--
>> For this list, we've considered series that are notorious
for their disappointing English voice acting,
in comparison to the original Japanese.
> WAPOL: I've thought up a new law to celebrate my return.
Write this down.
> CHESS: Right.
> WAPOL: Anyone who ignores the King will be executed!
>> We're including timing, emotion, translation,
as well as their general impact on the world of anime.
We're not saying these series are bad in their own right;
as a few of the shows you'll see on this list are actually considered masterpieces
with translations that just don't do them justice.
> AB KRILLIN: (awkward yelling)
> AB SON-GOKU: Krillin! [pronounced "Clearin'"]
> AB KRILLIN: Huh! I guess you're surprised to see me, huh?
>> NUMBER 10: One Piece
> Yo! ♪ Ya-yo-ya-yooo! ♪
♪ (Dreamin') Don't give it up, Luffy! ♪
♪ (Dreamin') Don't give it up, Zolo! ♪
♪ (Dreamin') Don't give it up, Nami! ♪
>> Even some of the longest franchises need to stay subbed.
Considered by many anime fans as a top-tier show,
it may come as a surprise that the series has a highly laughable English dub.
LUFFY: Heh heh heh...is that it?
ALVIDA: WHAT!?!?
ALVIDA: WHAT!?!? >> While villains and temporary characters
are the most affected by poor voice acting,
many of the MAIN character performances lack emotion.
NAMI: I'm sorry, Usopp. It's all over now; this is the end.
>> This results in many disappointing, emotionally-driven scenes,
as it comes across as plain and unpolished.
This breaks down most of the humor that "One Piece" is known for,
and it becomes a complete mess. PLENTY was lost in the translation.
> ♪ He's made of rubber! (How did that happen?) ♪
♪ Yo-ho-ho, he took a bite of Gum-Gum! ♪
♪ Ya-yo-ya-yooo... ♪
>> NUMBER 9: Beast Wars II: Super Life-Form Transformers
> KID: Well, how can morale not be low? We still haven't heard from Convoy!
> DIVER: Yeah, you're right.
> BIGHORN: Grr... I'm bored doing the same ol' things around here!
>> The original "Transformers" cartoon series is in an awkward place
in regards into whether or not it's considered anime.
As the English version is superior in every way,
many people have claimed that one for the West.
> OPTIMUS PRIME: I was wrong, my friends.
I admired Megatron merely because he was powerful;
I failed to see how he USED that power.
>> "Beast Wars II," however... Hmph, Japan can keep that one.
An already sub-par series, "Beast Wars II"'s English translation
and dubbing make the series completely unwatchable.
> MOON: Luckily, if the energy is used the wrong reasons,
we'll be alerted! They'd better not try anything. OWW!
> ARTEMIS: It must be the Predacons!
A suspicious spacecraft has landed on Gaea; it's probably them!
>> The voice acting is laughable, and the writing
does little more than translate the original scripts word-for-word,
resulting in a bunch of lines that make little to no sense.
> TASMANIA KID: You're awesome, Convoy!
You're gonna throw us a party with just a hint of an animal touch!
> SCUBA: I'd rather have a party with a robot touch:
oil and Energon cocktails. I don't see why we need an animal party.
>> NUMBER 8: Techno Police 21C
> PATROLLER A: Tell me, friend, you ever been to Centinel City?
> KYOSUKE: No, I haven't. What's special about it?
> PATROLLER B: Just the worst crime rate in the world.
>> Here come the Techno Police! Following a group of
advanced robot police trying to re-capture a hijacked tank.
There wasn't much to expect from this film.
Created as a cooperation between Studios Artmic and Nue,
the film suffered from financial problems from the start.
> THUG: (grunting)
> SODA MACHINE: (beeping) Take it easy; don't use force.
> THUG: Alright, I won't. Just give it to me!
>> Initially planned as a series, they couldn't afford
enough voice actors and animation, thus resulting in the movie we have now.
As the film has been re-released multiple times over the years,
the original English version has faded into obscurity,
as it's almost unwatchable.
> HAMILTON: We can't afford to let that tank get away!
> NARUMI: But you'll blow up the city! Call off your aeroplanes!
> HAMILTON: It's no longer my decision.
>> NUMBER 7: Card Captor Sakura
> KERO: Howdy, howdy, howdy!
Thank you sooo much for waking me up, little girl!
I have been stuffed in that book for, like, ever! Whoa!
>> If you nail a series your first time around,
there is no reason to re-dub it again.
While initially released by Nelvana in a heavily-edited run
of over 39 episodes--contrary to the original 70--
the rights were later issued to Geneon, now NBC.
> SAKURA: Morning!
> TOUYA: Sakura, you tried. Do you think you could be any louder?
> SAKURA: I wasn't that loud!
> TOUYA: You sounded like a small dinosaur up there.
>> While Geneon released the series with a full run,
many of the voices were re-dubbed in order to decrease their age.
> XIAOLAN: And why are you dressed like that!?
> SAKURA: What, this? Um... Well, uh, um...
> TOMOYO: It's her hobby.
>> Fans never want that.
The Western version also came heavily edited,
even to the point of removing many character backstories.
This rendered the plot difficult to understand,
ruining the series for most of the Western audience.
> SAKURA: Power of magic... power of light...
Surrender the wand... The force, ignite!
>> NUMBER 6: Negima! Magister Negi Magi
> ASUNA: Hut-tah! No one else is hot-tah! Be my homeroom teach-ah, hey!
> KONOKA: Don't forget: you have to repeat the chant exactly three times.
>> Now, our next entry just can't catch a break with its English dub,
no matter how many studios try their hand.
We aren't kidding, as big names like FUNimation, Xebec, and SHAFT
have all taken a turn with, shall we say, less than optimal results?
> SHIZUNA: I believe our new teacher has arrived.
He's waiting for us in the Dean's Office.
> TAKAHATA: Great, thank you.
>> Whatever they do, fans just couldn't be pleased.
This is also the result of heavy censorship, as "Negima!" creator
Ken Akamatsu is rather fond of fan-service and "risque activities."
> (girls reacting with awe)
> SAKURAKO: Wow!
> KAZUKI: Wow, they've gotta be DD's!
> EVANGELINE: It's...not possible! She...was flat!
>> Now, Western audiences couldn't have THAT!
Let's leave the series alone and let the fan-service exist
like it was originally intended.
> (Asuna screaming)
>> NUMBER 5: Astro Boy: the Original Series
> ASTRO BOY: What on Earth is the matter? Mechanically stuck?
> DOLL: No, just out of power. I'm being sold to a scrap dealer.
> (Astro Boy gasps)
>> This series set the standard for English voice acting in anime
for a very long time, only not in a good way.
> OCHANOMIZU: Hello, hello! Operator, this is an emergency!
Get me the chief of police! What's that?
You say the chief of police is busy and cannot be disturbed?!
>> This classic series, following the misadventures of robot Astro Boy,
was initially released in 1963, resulting in sub-par voice acting work
due to stereotypical views of different races during the period.
> CHANCELLOR: So, have fun.
> MORTIMER: There's someone here who was speaking against the state.
> CHANCELLOR: GET HIM!!! (drum roll)
>> If you were of pretty much any race watching this show,
there was a decent chance that you would be offended.
While we've come a long way in the 52 years since its initial release,
"Astro Boy" is still a dark stain on the voice-acting community.
> LODAR: Thank you very much, Astro Boy!
> ASTRO BOY: Now we've got to find a way to destroy these saucers.
> LODAR: Can't do it.
> ASTRO BOY: Why not?
>> NUMBER 4: Sailor Moon
> MELVIN: Hey, Serena! I heard 'bout your test.
Want me to be your tutor?
> SERENA: Not as much as a toothache...
> MOLLY: You're such a dweeb, Melvin! She doesn't need a tutor;
she needs a trip to the mall to get her mind off this.
>> Even the classics have some of the magic lost during translation.
This quintessential magical-girl anime of Usagi Tsukino
(sorry, that's "Serena Bunny" in English)
and her friends who can transform into super-heroines to protect the world.
> SAILOR MOON: Moon Tiara...MAGIC!!!
>> Sounds like an easy, popular premise, right?
Now, here lies the problem.
Now, herein lies the problem. > LUNA: We've got a problem.
> SERENA: MAJOR problem.
>> Originally translated by DIC Entertainment and Cloverway (CWI),
Sailor Moon widely underperformed in the West
due to poor voice-acting choices and a lack of emotion.
As the main cast was cycled out each season,
in an effort to fix the problem, it only made it worse.
> MOLLY: I don't get it. My mom's sure acting strange.
> SERENA: Yeah, what'd she put in her coffee this morning?
> MRS. BAKER: Today only, everything in the store is 90% off!
> NUMBER 3: Yu-Gi-Oh!
> TRISTAN: Isn't he cute when he's thinking?
> JOEY: Hey Tristan, Yugi here is teachin' me how to play Duel Monsters.
> TRISTAN: Drooling monsters?
> JOEY: Duel Monsters, ya nimrod!
>> It's time to duel! A fan-favorite childhood series for many a millennial,
"Yu-Gi-Oh!" is notorious for its incredibly bad dub,
courtesy of 4Kids Entertainment.
Accents from all around the world are completely butchered,
teetering on the edge of racism at best.
> DOX: You may have found a watery trail leading back to our guardian,
but you have yet to breach his defenses--defenses that we activate now!
>> It doesn't stop there, though,
as 4Kids severely changed many parts of the story
to limit the drama and violence.
> JOEY: Ooh, I'm shakin'! Maybe you'd like to settle this
with fists instead of cards?
> YUGI: Whoa, take it easy, Joey!
>> This happens all the time, but this time,
it also caused massive reprints of the Official Trading Card Game.
Maybe we just didn't realize it was this bad until we were older?
Nonetheless, we can all agree that this one is laughable at best.
> KAIBA: You're not faring any better than the old man did, Yugi!
Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your grandfather.
> YUGI: My grandpa is a great man,
and a better duelist than you'll ever be.
>> NUMBER 2: The Big Green "Dragon Ball" Dub
> AB SON-GOKU: What is it, Majesty?
> AB PARAGAS: You alone can defeat a certain warrior.
You could vanquish the Legendary Space Warrior!
>> "Dragon Ball"'s English dub came at a time
when anime was still very obscure in the West.
But the FUNimation dub is still a very respectable effort in its own right.
However, the French broadcasting company, AB Groupe,
did their own translation for European audiences.
Originally translated into French, the show was then
RE-translated from that into English.
> AB SON-GOKU: Yes, more! I'm taking all your power now!
Soon, I'll be able to destroy him! I'm ready!
>> Combine that mistake with the work of
some of the worst voice actors they could find,
and you've got yourself the series that fans often refer to
as "The Big Green Dub."
> (AB Trunks builds up energy,
while straining and screaming as if he was in pain)
>> Why Big Green? That's what the series inexplicably calls Piccolo
for reasons that we don't even want to think about.
> AB TURLESS: Who are you?!
> AB SON-GOHAN: Ah! It's Big Green!
> "BIG GREEN": Let that child alone.
>> Before we introduce our worst English dub,
here are a few Honorable Mentions:
> EIRI: Are you the one who...wrote this?
> SHUICHI: What? Oh. Uh, yes.
> EIRI: You know nothing. You call this a love song?
> YUI: What are you doing here inside this room?
A bird?
A bird? > MIAKA: Yes, I heard it--I mean, the flapping!
> YUI: Birds flapping in the National Library? Right.
> LEON: I'm telling you: something suspicious is going on in that pet shop.
> CAPTAIN: Leon, listen to me. You can't go off half-cocked.
What you need is some proof, Detective.
> LEON: So, then I guess you won't find any of this interesting, Captain?
>> NUMBER 1: Speed Racer
> SLICK: Too bad your father didn't take all that money
Mr. Fixer offered for you to join the Alpha Team.
Well, I'll see you after I win.
> SPEED: Good luck, Slick.
>> Here we have it, the king of bad English dubs.
Initially released by Tatsunoko Productions,
the "Speed Racer" that Western audiences received
was an extreme disappointment.
The voice acting, if you can call it that, failed in every aspect of the art.
> RACER X: You! What are you doing here, Speed?
> SPEED: Practicing.
> RACER X: You must not be in the race!
> SPEED: I will be! And I can beat you; I'll prove it!
>> From sarcastic emotions to poor delivery
and failure to adjust to any situation onscreen,
the complete lack of care the voice actors had for this series is appalling.
> TRIXIE: You're the Masked Racer, aren't you?
> RACER X: Stay there, Trixie! I'll go after Spridle and Speed!
>> Do you agree with our list?
> KRILLIN: Can you speak up? I'm having a hard time hearing you.
> BULMA: I'm talking as loud as I possibly can!
>> What's your least favorite English dub?
For more decently-voiced Top Tens published everyday,
be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
> OFFICER: Hey, where are you going? Hey, come back!
(Closed-captioned by Matthew Strittmatter)