ADV's Sgt. Frog has... Overlays & Paintovers...?

[ChibiGoku]

Okay, yes it hasn't been released yet, and it probably won't at this rate. But given the news about a band being commisioned to do an opening for Keroro Gunsou, made some worries about the opening song being replaced. To be honest, I think the song being comissioned was restrictly for the broadcast release only. But something else has caught my worry, and I know it shouldn't.

Also, if this has been mentioned in the past, sorry about that.

I was just recently re-examining the english trailer for Keroro Gunsou, just out of curiosities sake, jtrying to see if I reconised any of the voices (speaking of which, did we ever get a cast listing for it...?) on it. Well, something caught my attention that has been bugging since yestorday. Provided if the show ever sees the day of light, it seems that ADV did something I don't particularly like.

Some of the text in the trailer was actually modified or removed, in show. Now, it doesn't mean the trailer actual reflects what ADV did with the actual show, but it still is worth mentioning and bugging me.

http://www.sonicfighters.com/IkaanuN...20Original.jpg - Japanese
http://www.sonicfighters.com/IkaanuN...%20-%20ADV.JPG - ADV

Sorry for the quality of the second one, since I don't have a full quality rip fo the trailer. (I also don't have any ADV dvds that would have it either, too...)

Basically, ADV removed the Japanese text on the magazine that Keroro was reading, and they also modified the sound effects on Keroro's "sleeping sounds", for a lack of a better word. Now, I'm probably jumping the gun, but this seriously is giving me bad vibes. With this, and that comissioned band, I'm suddenly getting bad ideas about Keroro Gunsou's US release from ADV. Again, I'm probably jumping the gun, and the trailer was probably done awhile back, but I suppose I could worry.

However... On the other hand, I wonder if the characters were painted over on the magazine due to copyright issues, but I'm somewhat doubting. Unless somewhere here is familiar with any of the japanese serialized magazines. If so, feel free to fill me in if this the actual name of a magazine.

[djanss]

Originally Posted by ChibiGoku

However... On the other hand, I wonder if the characters were painted over on the magazine due to copyright issues, but I'm somewhat doubting. Unless somewhere here is familiar with any of the japanese serialized magazines. If so, feel free to fill me in if this the actual name of a magazine.

It's possible:
Most corporate brands are "parodied" in anime--since Japanese companies are too stingy to afford plugs--but given the show's taste for otaku in-jokes, I'm guessing the magazine was a real in-house Sunrise or Gundam-connected issue, which couldn't be shown stateside for the same copyright reasons.

(The theme song, of course, had to be changed since "To March" was presumably sung by Keroro's "evil-cute" Japanese voice, which sounds nothing like Keroro's American "Cardcaptors" voice...)

[hikaru004]

It looks like a Newtype magazine parody from the cover layout if you ask me. Or maybe it was too close to comfort to Kero Kero Ace.

It doesn't bode well unless someone can verify that the R2 DVD kept the magazine in.

That does make you wonder how ADV manages to keep Sgt. Frog with Kadokawa USA being on good terms with Bandai Ent. and Sgt. Frog being heavily connected to Gundam and ADV not renewing Newtype USA. If I was Kadokawa, I would have yanked that license back so fast it would have made ADV's head spin.

[Legion]

It's a trailer, it shouldn't indicate the final release. Like the opening song you mentioned, these overlays may have only been planned for the broadcast.

[Lego]

Originally Posted by Legion

It's a trailer, it shouldn't indicate the final release. Like the opening song you mentioned, these overlays may have only been planned for the broadcast.

It seems like it, especially with the paintovers. Everyone including the Food Network does this to hide brand names, legit or not. I can't imagine ADV paying that much for this license and getting something like that in return.

[Quarkboy]

Putting aside whether Sgt. Frog would be better off somewhat more localized than your typical anime if it got a television deal (which is my opinion), this is not the thing one should be worried about with this show. We should be worried whether it'll ever see the light of day in R1.

Frankly, unless Bandai pulls this show out of their hat at AX with giant fanfare and then promotes the heck out of it, I don't see the frog ever coming here. Even if ADV did somehow release it, I'm not sure they'd have the energy to keep it going through the huge length of the show.

[Soufriere]

Originally Posted by ChibiGoku

snip

"ADV's Sergeant Frog has overlays and paintovers?"

The better question would be..."ADV has Sergeant Frog at all?" (I don't think they do)

To go with what others above have already said, whenever stuff is blurred or digitally painted out and it's more than just the logo/episode title or sounds/songs are changed, and the company's not 4Kids, then it's usually a copyright issue. Like with Code Geass where Bandai has to edit out all the Pizza Hut logos. Or with Beck where Funi could not get (afford) rights to two of the songs used in the show.

And no, we never got a cast list. Several months ago, folks on the English track were trying to match voices in ADV's trailer, and on one of the Chevalier commentaries, Foster let it slip that John Swasey was directing it. And Matt Greenfield said a couple months ago that release of Frog was dependent on getting a TV deal (and CN isn't taking the bait).

That's really all we know about it. The prognosis for Frog is grim (as with its licensor).

[hikaru004]

So Pizza Hut is not supporting the revolution? That's sad. That takes part of the fun out of Code Geass.

[james_039]

hmm, it's not code geass without Pizza Hut. Hopefully they just did that for the TV broadcast. Certainly most US brands aren't going to *pay* to be in the show, but I doubt many would refuse the free promotion, unless the logo was somehow used slanderously.

[Njr Scrawl]

ADV has merged with 4 Kids?