CardCaptors

I have been in love with Cardcaptors since it's premiere on KidsWB last year. While I have read nothing but negative comments about the american version in the past, for kids in the US, Cardcaptors is more than passable. It offers an intriguing storyline, excellent writing, more than passable acting, and good action adventure.

Those who are familiar with the original Japanese version, which is called "Cardcaptor Sakura", often slam the american verson, and it is probably not without merit, since many excellent anime series are often completely watered down and revamped when brought to the US. However, on it's own, Cardcaptors provides more than enough entertainment for all ages.

I admit I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the original, which I recently ordered on video. But even so, the Americanised version provides me with great enjoyment, and was the first anime series I ever got into without prodding from my anime-fanatic fiancee.

3 out of 4 stars on my scale.

Back when this premiered on the WB, I loved it. I became obsessed, but then again, I was 9 or 10. About a year ago, I was web surfing and I came across something called "Card Captor Sakura". I had long forgotten about the dubbed version, but then it all came back to me. Now, Card Captor Sakura, for those of you who don't know, is the subdubbed version of "CardCaptors". I read about it and realized how horrible the dub really was. I mean, in some elements, it was ok, but the voice acting and the censoring is HORRIBLE! I mean, they cut out total story lines (like Li's crush on Julian or w/e his name is in the dub)and totally buchered the last 2 episodes (obviously they couldn't show us or even MENTION the word "love") and never even released the second movie (again for obvious reasons)! I agree with the comment above. Sailor Moon was BAD, Pokemon was even WORSE, and this....is just horrible!

When I first started watching CardCaptors, I thought it was cool, but then they started going slack on their episodes and flooding us with reruns and then they went off the air or something. The Japanese DVDs with English subtitles are really great. If you try to watch them on a playstation it'll want you to set Parental Control to level 8 but hey, there's NOTHING wrong with it; to me that's just the mark of a good strong show that hasn't been run over as if by a Mack truck from all those watering-downs! "Parental Control 8, enter your password" is just the mark of a good show that hasn't been babied down just to make toddlers watch it so they fuss to their parents "buy me cardcaptors cards! buy me this! buy me that!"

Not wishing to sound like a mad dub hater, I have to say that anime dubs are getting worse. Sailor moon was bad. Pokemon was bad. This is unforgivable.

It seems that this time the intention was to completely change the show, it was not just something that happened. The voices are nowhere near as good as the Japanese original, some characters (particularly Tomoyo, who incidentally is one of my favourite anime characters of all time) have completely new personalities, and most of them have the wrong names.

Add to this Sakura and Tomoyo's relationship has been severed, most episodes have been missed out, the rest have been butchered, and to cap it all off, Kero sounds like Rumble out of Transformers. (Not wishing to insult the great Frank Welker)

I'm sure there are some kids around who might like this, but the original is far superior. I'm just glad it's coming out on DVD subtitled.

This English-language anime dub was produced by Nelvana (this animation studio is based in Toronto), but voiced in Vancouver. However, all anime television series and films produced by Nelvana were voiced in Toronto. It's probably because this English-language anime dub starring Sakura Avalon was originally planned to be voiced in Toronto, like all anime television series and films produced by Nelvana. For reasons unknown, it was eventually decided that the adventures of Sakura Avalon should be dubbed in Vancouver. Were the adventures of Sakura Avalon originally planned to be voiced in Toronto and why this dubbing moved to Vancouver? Fortunately for me, there are some animated television series with the voices of Vancouver-based voice talent produced by Nelvana. The best example of it is "Class of the Titans" (2006). The decision that the adventures of Sakura Avalon should be dubbed in Vancouver caused Warner Bros. Animation to record the voices for some animated television series with voice actors associated with The Ocean Group. If the adventures of Sakura Avalon were dubbed in Toronto, Warner Bros. Animation could recorded the voices for these animated television series with Toronto-based voice actors.