Being a Brief Discussion of Anime Dubs: The Super Milk-Chan Show

By: Way Jeng
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Sometimes a show comes along that defies all of the rules. There are shows that make any sane person's head spin. The Super Milk-Chan Show (hereafter simply Milk-Chan), released by ADV Films, might not go quite that far, but it's been a long time since I've seen anything that comes this close. In fact, it's difficult to know where to start with Milk-Chan. It's also difficult to know where to stop, or what to put in the middle. This is a show that defies all of the usual methods of description. However, it's for that very reason that it's an interesting show to discuss.



A lot can be said about Milk-Chan, but it all has to start with the show's unique format. The show has been released in two related but distinctly different formats. The first is a relatively straightforward production. It's been translated and dubbed, and there are no surprises except what Milk-Chan brings to the table as an unusual show. I'll be referring to this version as Original Milk-Chan for the rest of this article. The other version is 100% Whole, which is a significantly altered version of the show. There's a significant amount of localization in this version. The biggest change, however, is a complete overhaul of the show's format. The individual episodes are shown, but the opening and closing animation sequences are replaced by live-action material produced specifically for 100% Whole. This live-action material tells a story all its own as it recounts a fictional day in the life of ADV Films. It stars several of the actors who provide voices on the show, most of whom play themselves (though they are in character as they play themselves).



The obvious issue raised by the two versions is why the 100% whole version exists. In order to understand the situation we first have to consider Original Milk-Chan. The main problem the show has is that it offers an exceptionally deadpan humor. Many of the jokes rely on references to obscure elements of Japanese history and culture, most of which I did not understand. It's true that I'm no expert on Japanese culture by any means, but I do have a passing familiarity with many aspects of the culture after years of watching anime. The references made in Original Milk-Chan are relatively specific. Rather than referring to yearly events or common customs, the jokes refer to specific people or events. At several points in the show I would listen to the characters talk and wonder if the reference they were making was a funny one. Not having any idea what they were talking about, it was impossible to tell. If all of that weren't enough, Milk has an extremely monotone voice. That takes away a lot of the punctuation that gives humor its punch, and makes the identification of the jokes even more problematic. If any show ever needed a laugh track, it's Original Milk-Chan.




Readers might be thinking that Milk-Chan might be doomed to fail with American audiences, and that might not be far from the truth. 100% Whole was created in order to address the problems Original Milk-Chan has. There are significant differences between the two versions, the most noticeable change being the dramatic re-structuring of the show. As was mentioned earlier, 100% whole includes several parallel-running live-action scenes starring the actors who worked on the show. The material also replaces the introduction and closing animation sequences. Once each episode ends the show goes back to the live-action material. These scenes sometimes serve as brief segues into the episodes, particularly with the Vintage Milk episodes.



Naturally, the dialog for 100% Whole is also changed. For the most part these changes are localizations, meaning that they replace Japanese references with ones that will make sense an American audience. Sometimes the jokes are almost completely re-written, and other times a substitution is made. However, there are other changes. In general these can be described as filling out the show. Some of the jokes, such as when the characters complain, are given more detail. The characters of 100% Whole might refer to specifics about what makes them angry when the Original Milk dialog is vague, for example. A great deal of swearing is also added to the show, again mostly exaggerating elements that were already present in the Original Milk dialog. In some cases swearing is also added for emotional punctuation.



At this point readers are probably thinking that there aren't any other aspects of the show that can be changed. The dialog is different, parts of the show have been replaced, and even the overall structure has been altered from its original. What's left? 100% Whole takes on that challenge by going so far as to replace one of the VA's. Tetsuko is played by Monica Rial in Original Milk-Chan and is played by Marcy Bannor in 100% Whole. It's not entirely clear why this change was made between the two versions, but they are significantly different. Monica Rial's character sounds significantly younger than Ms. Bannor's performance, and feels like a more hopeful character.



The question we have to answer as an audience is whether or not the changes made in the creation of 100% Whole are justified. It's clear to me that sometimes it is. For example, consider when still frames of Japanese people are replaced with stills of Americans. I can find no reason to believe that the original creators would have included photos of Japanese people other than the fact that they wanted to show people. Some people may argue on the grounds that Milk-Chan is obviously a show made about Japan, citing the extremely specific cultural and societal references, but from what I've seen I disagree. There's nothing about this show that feels like it chose any of the people, places, or events that it references to advance an agenda about that person, place, or event. It's not a period piece, and despite the obscure references it doesn't appear to be a cultural piece, either. I think Milk-Chan is a show that simply wanted to be specific and detailed. Insofar as that is true, I think that localizing the jokes is fully justified.



Furthermore, I think that providing notes to explain the various references would not have perfectly captured the spirit of the show. Milk-Chan, in both the Original and 100% Whole, relies heavily on visceral reactions from the audience. A great deal of the humor is based on instinctual reactions to violations of expectations, such as a young child like Milk being so rude. Those visceral reactions can't be replicated by explaining a reference to somebody because it's not part of their cultural experience. There's a term called assimilation used to describe how people learning a foreign language first start by translating the two languages, but they eventually adopt the new language as part of their natural thinking. A person is said to have assimilated a word, phrase, or grammar when it becomes natural and instinctive. The jokes in Original Milk-Chan would not work the way they're supposed to because they would lack that knee-jerk funny quality. Rather than finding the jokes funny, the audience would simply recognize that the joke is supposed to be funny. It's a subtle difference in many respects, but I think it's one that is important.



On the other hand, there are a number of changes in 100% Whole that don't clearly continue the spirit of the original material. The most obvious argument to make is that the live-action material isn't appropriate to the show. In a sense that's not true because the show did include live-action segments interwoven into the episodes, specifically in the form of occasional poetry breaks, but to say that the live-action material accurately re-creates these moments is sorely in question. The live-action portions of 100% Whole are especially problematic because the actors in the live-action play character versions of themselves. It's a fairly specialized joke that will make sense to dub fans but probably not to people new to anime. In terms of being humorous it works, but the connection to the original material is tenuous at best. The precedent for live-action segments has surely been set, but it's an open question whether or not the intent of those segments has been honored. On the most elemental level the segments are intended to be humorous and entertaining, and insofar as this is true it could be argued that the 100% Whole material follows that intent. However, this is such an abstraction and generalization of the intent of the material that the argument is extraordinarily weak.



In the end, I'm not sure if I can make a qualified evaluation of whether or not 100% Whole stays true to the original intent of the jokes in Original Milk-Chan. The references are so obscure, and the jokes so hit-or-miss, that I'm not sure what the intent of the show is half of the time. It's a problem I'm not sure I've ever run into before, and I sincerely hope it's one I don't have to deal with again.



Looking at the dub performances specifically, there's a lot to enjoy in the show. Each and every part was enjoyable, with no weak roles to be heard. Hilary Haag takes the lead as the foul-mouthed Milk. As usual, she offers a solid performance in both versions. Her Original Milk-Chan performance is monotone and under-acted, and would ordinarily be considered a terrible performance. However, when I compared it to the Japanese recording I found if anything it had more emotion than the Japanese appeared to. Of course, readers are advised to exercise their own judgment as I am not fluent in the Japanese language and am not qualified to make evaluations of that language track.



In the role of Tetsuko is Marcy Bannor in the 100% Whole version and Monica Rial in Original Milk-Chan. Both of these actresses do a fine job, and both performances are enjoyable. Ms. Bannor's take on the character is a little older and a little more bedraggled. She captures the spirit of a run-down robot very nicely. Monica Rial imparts the role with more energy, and she delivers one of the best performances in Original Milk-Chan.



Ben Pronsky plays the slug, Hanage, quite well. The voicing is well controlled and smooth. There's not a lot of dialog for this character, but what little there was sounded good.



Last of the major characters is Mike MacRae, who plays the President. This is another funny performance. Mr. MacRae does an excellent job of showing the president's absent-minded nature and has an excellent sense of timing.



In terms of minor characters Milk-Chan also does well. As noted earlier, all of the actors offer excellent performances. My two favorites were Dr. Eyepatch, performed by Tommy Drake, and Shelley Calene-Black's narration of Dr. Eyepatch's promotional videos. Mr. Drake does an excellent job with his character, and sounds suitably sinister. Ms. Calene-Black is hilarious as she describes the various functions and features of the devices built by Dr. Eyepatch. She's particularly funny in her description of the Punishment Missile, one of the highlights of the entire show.



Overall, I'm not sure what to say that can adequately describe Milk-Chan. I found myself laughing whole-heartedly some of the time, then other times I wondered whether or not I was supposed to be finding the material funny. In several instances I realized the jokes were supposed to be funny, but they didn't work for me. I am glad that I gave the show a try, however. If nothing else, viewers can expect a lot of anime for their dollars. With the 100% and Original Milk-Chan versions, which are different enough to garner some replay value, and the Japanese vocal recordings there's a lot to watch. Add to that a running commentary for the entirety of 100% whole and you've got a lot of material. The live-action segments produced for the show are entertaining, especially for fans of these actors and actresses. There is one feature missing from 100% Whole, however. There are no subtitles available for this version. This might not be a big deal for most, but it would have been a welcome addition for the hearing impaired and people who want to watch 100% Whole with low volume.



Given the bizarre nature of Milk-Chan, it's impossible to give this show an unqualified recommendation, but the show is nonetheless an interesting look at how a show can be adapted and built-upon. As far as the material itself, it's difficult to guess who will find the jokes funny and who won't. Individual reactions to the show will assuredly range widely. The one thing I can say is that viewers looking for something different should try this show. If nothing else, Milk-Chan is different.



Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail me at BitRMann@aol.com



Copyright 2004 Way Jeng