Reviewing Patlabor's (Almost) Lost English Dub

[@sandman45]

Things i got wrong: 1. You really don't need the 23fps version for the first movie, the 25fps should be the same length 2. I got the dates wrong, Patlabor 2 was released in 1993 and the Bandai dub came out in 2006 3. changing the audio from 25fps to 23 is not stretching, it's slowing down

[@garaschneider4808]

The opening to Patlabor 2 was originally silent in the original Japanese audio as well in 1993. They added the music to it in the 1998 "remixed" version (which included a remastered soundtrack and different takes with the voices) that later became the basis for the mediocre 2006 Bandai Visual dub. So in addition to the movies having two English dubs, they also have two Japanese versions as well. You can find the original Japanese versions on the old ratty Manga Video DVDs from the early 00s.

[@neilworms2]

Weirdly the version screening on VRV/Hidive right now has the correct audio. This change drove me crazy because the original had such good use of music and silence.

[@garaschneider4808]

@@neilworms2 Wait, so it's the original Japanese version with no music in the cold opening? That's bizarre. Both this and Patlabor 1 need a comprehensive release on blu-ray.

[@neilworms2]

@@garaschneider4808 Yes the original Japanese version (I have a DVD that Manga Ent put out in the early 2000s). Story was that the Japanese lost the original audio for their special edition release and had to redo it, and the Bandai Visual release of the mid 00s used this audio. You can also hear a higher fidelity version of the original edit of the audio here (I don't know the story of how this came to be): vrv.co/watch/GY7922JKR/Patlabor-2-The-Movie-Subtitled

[@va818]

Sorry to necro an old video but I wanted to chime in with a bit of context that I think you're (through no fault of your own) missing - one of the reasons the dub sounds the way it does and is written the way it is, is simply because it was a British translation. To me, a lot of what you/most of the world may feel is stunted and weird turns of phrases are actually just how some people speak here, and it actually feels far more natural in that regard to me at least. It also, to me is why the Just War, Unjust Peace speech hits so hard (it's one of my very favourite moments in all media) and, I think, is so well done in that dub. A lot of people on the other side of the Atlantic may forget or simply not even know that we were very poor after WW2, with rationing continuing for years after the fall of Berlin. The scars of that war were very real to us for decades and in some small ways still are now - unlike in the US where yes some people will have lost loved ones who fought in Europe or the pacific but it was still a far away problem for almost all Americans. Japan and the UK may have been on opposite sides of the war, but we both had to live with the scars and we both had to accept a degree of subservience to the US (the UK still owes a LOT of money to uncle Sam). So even though we are literally a world apart, I think whoever did the dub empathised with that. Regardless though, great video and thanks for digging this out for people, who didn't have the good fortune to see it (I taped it off the TV when I was 16, bought the VHS a year later, and still have my DVD copy from 2004).

[@sandman45]

I have thought of the same thing, both Japan and UK being being island nations destroyed after ww2 then dragged into a cold war by America, there's definitely a cultural aspect to the dub.

[@neves5083]

My favorite moment of the VHS dub is when the tanks are rolling in Tokyo there's this radom npc type guy talking with someone in the foreground. In the original Japanese version hes just part of the crowd, but in the English dub they gave him an line: "Its easy to order the troops in but try to order them out"

[@mattwhite6868]

This is the dub they played on Teletoon in Canada in the 90s and is by far my favourite dub of any anime ever. There are flaws with the translations, but the characterization is so much better. That being said, I have this dub on DVDs from Manga, so im not too sure what version I have, but it is a Manga DVD.

[@Cragnous]

Same here, both Patlabor movies, The Wings of Honehamese and Ninja Scroll where the anime that started it all for me. I got those DVDs as well they sure look old but I love that translation.

[@ardenjacobs4519]

The manga dub was released on DVd before manga UK got bought out. It's the 2 films as a boxes set. Image then released limited collector ed (with making of a a manga and arr book pack) versions around 2006 on DVD of the newer dubs

[@Cragnous]

It got those, they rock. Bought them when I was visiting the UK.

[@caleblayne]

This is great! Always loved this dub. I tracked down Manga Entertainment DVDs of these movies and have wondered if you could take the dub audio and fit it to a blu-ray version of something. Thanks for all this work.

[@AllBreaksLoose]

I recently came across the new dub on Patlabor 2. I was genuinely surprised they spent the $$ to redo the dub. I prefer the original dubs I have on my manga dvds. They sound so much better. Great video!

[@eesxela]

I remember hearing the dubbed detective and thinking ‘its the guy who plays the captain in Red Dwarf’, but he was credited as Mac MacDougall. I wrote a rambling letter to imdb swearing it was him - I checked today and he’s credited correctly. I had no idea this dub was lost, but its the one I fell in love with, and thank you for reminding me. I was rewatching it and something felt...wrong? and you showed me that the dub was not the one I remembered :). Thank you so much!

[@kagex6116]

He was also murdered by David Cronenburg in Nightbreed!

[@jerrodhall1]

The Manga UK dubs came out on DVD in 2000. I bought both at Suncost Motion Picture Company back in the early 2000's, and I still have them.

[@profo4544]

Patlabor 2 people say predicted 9/11.

[@mipmapp5207]

I found your video after looking at patlabor 2 clips, but I didn’t care for the voice acting. I watched the heck out of the Patlabors years ago, and I have managed to find my old VHS tapes of both movies. Now I just need a VCR and a TV that accepts the RGB cables. Hopefully the tape is still okay. I loved the old voice acting in the Manga dub, even Noah’s cringey attempts at voicing dialogue.

[@robholmes5459]

I’ve still got Patlabor 1+2 on VHS somewhere in the loft, but sadly no VHS player to play them on. I’ve always loved the original English dub, to me it’s how it should be watched.

[@madskillz808]

The manga uk dub will always be MY Patlabour. Just as my Space Adventure Cobra will always be the manga uk dub, with the Yello soundtrack.

[@AmbroseCadwell]

FYI The recent "hydes" fan releases of the 2 movies, which came out on Nyaa since this was uploaded, are pretty definitive and contain both dubs.

[@eely225]

This is well edited and informative. I’d heard of this dub, but never heard it. Keep up the good work!

[@kagex6116]

Peter Marinker as Goto is so good, there is a good version for download with the Manga dub restred to the new blu ray, if you own the dvd and bluray, go for it! (Marinker was also the first captain of the event horison.....Liberate Mei Exi Ferris!)

[@leggocrewtv2052]

Best english dub ever made. Facts. EDIT:whoa , YT algo giving me flashbacks

[@thebritishengineer8027]

I have both Pat Labor 1&2 origianl Manga Dubs on VHS. When I get some time I will get these converted to digital.

[@TotallySearch]

It's a violation of human rights how both of us are underrated as heck

[@daydaviddunn]

Don't treat me like an old withering snake

[@distantj]

Manga UK were the best! Their all time great IMO is Dominion Tank Police. The dub completes it. Plus the first Project A-Ko (the sequels were dubbed in Canada and were nowhere near as good). And, of course, the amazing Cyber City OEDO 808. I think somebody already mentioned it, but this dub did get a DVD release here in the UK, in a box set of the two films. I have it.

[@sterlingnorthum3911]

I agree with you completely these two manga are two of my favorite of all time I do have the original UK translations on UHF and I still own my cassette player just so I could watch the these two and my other favorite classic anime are amazing and I wish that modern anime would be this thoughtful and introspective and make us question the way we look at things and the way that we live in the cultures that we do.

[@lonelywolf23786]

i still have my Manga UK DVD set of Patlabor 1 and 2 movies. their Eng dub does have some swearing despite it being rated PG lol

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Up until the first useful broadband connections in the 2000s, all our anime was manga UK VHS cassettes. And other companies. We'd collect them, often from second hand video stores. That or the big stores like Virgin or tower records. I personally have all of neon genesis on VHS, slowly collected from the basement of tower records. At about £20 a pop. For two episodes. Back when DVDs were £20 to £30. I had a 56k modern shared over a 10base2 network in our flat and a 100mbit connection at uni. But we only had floppys to transfer data home. Ladies and gents, I give you 1999.

[@XardionZ]

I remember this dub! I was wondering why some dubbed scenes I've been finding on YT sounded so different than what I remember, and now I know why.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

If you want a _really_ lost dub, try finding the original dub for the 3x3 eyes OVAs. I've got then on VHS and the one torrent I found was unplayable due to errors. Must get me a multi head VHS one day

[@sandman45]

i remember seeing a torrent for that with laser disc rip on nyaa a while back, didn't know it was that rare

[@Cragnous]

Wow never knew there was a new dub. I still have my DVD copies and they are VHS remastered with the old dub. The quality is very much VHS and there's some synch issue but it's very watchable and hearing this new dub I'm gald I have these DVDs, love Gato's voice and the whole cast.

[@TotoChad]

As a diehard Patlabor fan, I really enjoyed this video, especially because I've never seen the original dub and I've been wondering how to find it. However, I see a lot of people in the comments smack-talking the Bandai dub! I personally thought it was decent. Sure, there's a lot of "acting" and not very much real emotion in the lines, but I think the voices they chose actually sound very similar to the Japanese voices. (Maybe with the exception of Asuma, I don't know lol.) Matsui and Goto in particular sounded super close to their Japanese counterparts. Anyways, I find the Bandai dub really enjoyable because of the little things. I'm not sure how to describe it, the only simile I can think of is: it's like a live action actor, whose character doesn't show emotions very much, thus shows what they're feeling through microexpressions

[@TotoChad]

Oh yeah, and one more thing. The Bandai dub makes it seem like a meme sometimes. Which is very funny imo!

[@sammerritt730]

I have a box set of both films with the manga uk dub on them so I’ve been watching the films with a rare version of the dub without even knowing it

[@Spudtron98]

I think it would've been neat if they used British accents for the dub.

[@rasubosu355]

The loans in Japan during the 80s sounds like what is happening now here in the US

[@lilkey_tzexyd5115]

It happened in us in 2007-2009

[@leggocrewtv2052]

Love the original dub from patlabor2😭😭🔥

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Oh, another fun thing, I recognise Captain Gotou's voice from _many_ things from the 80s and 90s. Several of those story cassettes we'd get in the 80s. It's Peter Marinker, who's English but grew up and worked extensively on both sides of the Atlantic. Also: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIarpoaepdt2bMU

[@cammyboy011]

I got rid of my Blu-ray remasters both for the poor attempt at sharpening and the dull as dishwater dub. It ruined the whole film for me to the point I would gladly put up with the old VHS quality DVDs

[@GreenituIjo]

I was dragged into the patlabor franchise with that coup d'etat scene

[@Mrlongname]

found a version with both dubs online

[@eldritchmorgasm4018]

Glad I got the old DVDs. Wanted to check the BRs, remastered quality, but the new dub gives me bad vibes.

[@gollumei]

Orrrrr just watch in Japanese with English subtitles?

[@ardentarmsarmours4222]

I love the manga entertainment dub. i had an old vhs of the patlabour film i watched as a kid during the 90s and this film always felt more grown up. the slightly newer dub sounds so .... bad in comparison. the delivery of the lines was much better in the manga entertainment version imo.

[@bluemeriadoc]

make english great again

[@soulsurvivor8293]

Manga Entertainment dubs are the best. Especially with AD Police and Akira, the later dubs fail so hard by comparison!

[@user-zr1gl5fn2t]

2:23 Hard disagree I'm tired of people saying this misinformation all the time Just because there was some bad dubs like streamline's entire catalouge,manga entertainment's uk in house dubs except for some hidden gems like the first project a-ko and the not too many of edited tv dubs from saban,4kids,harmony gold and dic that we don't count because they always have been bad with no exception no matter the time they were made in Doesn't mean they were plenty and plenty that outnumber them like slayers,lodoss war,all of project a-ko,the old nge dub (the new ones suck imo btw),gundam war in the pocket,street fighter 2 the animated movie,all of tenchi muyo,macross plus,fushigi yuugi,perfect blue,cowboy bebop,they were 11,ninja scroll,arnitage the third (the original ova),black magic m 66,the old here is greenwood dub (the newer one from 2006 is still good),iria zeriam the animation,sorcrer hunters (the first half of the tv series anyway since the second half was handled by the awful steven foster),street fighter 2 v (the animaze/manga dub since the adv dub was handeled by the awful steven foster too),battle athletes and a lot more too

[@mr.smith45]

Streamline had some great dubs what shit are you on