If the dub change didn't happen, do you think the show would have had higher ratings?

[CyberCubed]

I was looking up the ratings of the last few seasons 4kids dubbed, and the 3 Hoenn seasons were usually tied with Yu-gi-oh at the time for being KidsWb's top rated show. When they aired the Deoxys movie on KidsWb back in 2005, the movie got the highest ratings of anything on their block for around 5 years. It's amazing that even with the fad completely dead at the time, (it died back in mid-Johto when the Johto movies failed in theaters), the Hoenn saga was one of KidsWB's highest rated shows.

After we made the transition from Hoenn into Battle Frontier, the ratings started to fall most likely also because of the switch to Cartoon Networks. DP's ratings after that were then usually the same as Battle Frontier's and never really any better. BW again...pretty much the same.

Now let's think for a second had the dub switch not had happened, but the rest of the show play out the same as it always was. Would the ratings be any different as we made the transition into DP?

 

[Haunter ゴースト]

Without a doubt. But ontop of this you're forgetting the vital voice acting switch too which happened during BF. It's unfortunate that such a good season (episode wise, so many references etc.) was spoiled because of it being messed around so much.

I'm only saying this because I remember exactly how I felt when I heard the voices for the first time, and just how much I despised them. It genuinely caused me to stop watching for nearly two years.

 

[JennaJayfeather]

Yeah I think it would have. :/ Like I know many people who quit watching when the voices changed. Sure, people will grow out of it, but sometimes people do check in to see how a show's doing, and with changed voices people don't even want to.

 

[cg19293]

I think so. Certainly I was put off by the voices and thus didn't much care for the episodes at first, eventually though I cared more about the plot and got used to the voices.

 

[(P.O.K.E.M.O.N)]

NO! not at all, not in a million years, i'm guessing all of you are forgetting that the CW4kids slot is a death zone, their highest rated show which is dragon ball z struggles to get over a 0.6

YES!! a 0.FLIpPPin 6, tpci leaving 4 kids was the best thing they ever done, because atleast on Cartoon network they get a 2.0 constantly.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

It would definitely have higher ratings. There is a reason why ratings suddenly became lower compared to Hoenn days with voice changing marking end of show for many viewers which grew up with original voice cast getting used to them. Pretty poor debut of new VA's not portraying Ash and other characters in natural way taking some time for them to adjust to character roles and put more emotion into their voicing didn't helped either. It only accelerated people decision of abandoning anime altogether.

I still remember how much of complaining and anger dub change caused, it was basically hell on poke sites back than.

That being said drop of infamous GS ball and original trio disband were badly accepted too with some of writer decisions along with change of VA being probably most controversial things which took away good chunk of viewers.

Which resulted in each new sagas after Johto having generally less viewers .

Its unfortunate, but what can you do. Pokemon still has pretty good following considering its been airing for 15 years, even though today ratings are much lower compared to back than.

 

[the1stpkmnfan]

You know, that kind of surprises me, because Cartoon Network is a 24/7 channel for kids (and adults); claimed to be one of the biggest cartoon channels. Although, that's changed in today's current era, with the amount of "new" shows we get. Pokemon is all I really watch on the current CN channel; if it weren't there, I likely wouldn't be watching Cartoon Network anymore (Except for the 20th anniversary day coming up).

I suppose the show would have been different if they stayed on Kids WB. However, Kids WB changed not too long after Pokemon left the program. It's good enough that CN picked up the show for continuity (of course, any TV channel would).

And looking at it now, we're nearly close to another 8 season mark since the change from 4Kids to PUSA. (4Kids: 1998-2006, Seasons 1-8; PUSA: 2006-2012+, Seasons 9-15+) Both companies have given a full halfway mark with one another. Makes you think how the shows been doing between the two. Personally, I think the show is still going strong, especially with the good movies from DP.

 

[(P.O.K.E.M.O.N)]

Without a doubt. But ontop of this you're forgetting the vital voice acting switch too which happened during BF. It's unfortunate that such a good season (episode wise, so many references etc.) was spoiled because of it being messed around so much.

I'm only saying this because I remember exactly how I felt when I heard the voices for the first time, and just how much I despised them. It genuinely caused me to stop watching for nearly two years.

You do know pokemon's largest audience is children right?

Yeah I think it would have. :/ Like I know many people who quit watching when the voices changed. Sure, people will grow out of it, but sometimes people do check in to see how a show's doing, and with changed voices people don't even want to.

You do know when the weekly ratings are released for children shows it's rated between 6-11 year olds meaning you or your friends had no impact on the show what so ever, and them leaving along with the other older audience did nothing to tarnish the show..

It would definitely have higher ratings. There is a reason why ratings suddenly became lower compared to Hoenn days with voice changing marking end of show for many viewers which grew up with original voice cast getting used to them. Pretty poor debut of new VA's not portraying Ash and other characters in natural way taking some time for them to adjust to character roles and put more emotion into their voicing didn't helped either. It only accelerated people decision of abandoning anime altogether.

I still remember how much of complaining and anger dub change caused, it was basically hell on poke sites back than.

That being said drop of infamous GS ball and original trio disband were badly accepted too with some of writer decisions along with change of VA being probably most controversial things which took away good chunk of viewers.

Which resulted in each new sagas after Johto having generally less viewers .

Its unfortunate, but what can you do. Pokemon still has pretty good following considering its been airing for 15 years, even though today ratings are much lower compared to back than.

Once again, people need to realise that 90% if not more of pokemon's audience is children, this is why tpci didn't care when there was a public backlash against the dub, because they aren't trying to appeal to you, they are trying to appeal to children.

 

[LizardonX]

The only really bad dub change was ash in BF but the actor got better.

 

[JennaJayfeather]

I have just won won this thread, with basic logic [/I]

-.- Ugh.

Many people took the voice actor change to stop watching (that could be any age. I was always upset to hear any VA change when I was younger). Little kids (who are unknown to the VA switch) would be here regardless whether it changed or not.

 

[gohan5]

Yes I think the show would have higher ratings, but not solely based on the voice change. As was also pointed out there were many other changes in the Pokemon franchise, such as the move from an analog network (WB) to a cable network (CN). Promotions and such were also changed as a result of the franchise moving in a different direction. So I think it's possible that had things stayed the same that ratings could have been better there's no way of knowing and we can't definitively say the voice actor change is to blame.

 

[JennaJayfeather]

^ Good point at it being promoted differently. I didn't think of that, but I saw less commercials about Pokemon and stuff.

 

[An00bis]

I think the switch from KidsWB to CN hurt it more then the change in Voice Actors. Cartoon Network is a private channel you can only get by subscribing to a TV Service while the WB was not.

As surprising as it sounds a growing number of Americans are not subscribing to a TV Provider. Even more are dropping their Providers in favor of cheaper (and often free) Internet Services. It's not just Pokemon that's suffering from the drop of subscribers. Everything from cult following shows (American Idol) to even the News (CNN/NBC/ABC) are seeing declines in ratings compared to a few years ago, and they are on more accessible channels.

 

[the1stpkmnfan]

I think the switch from KidsWB to CN hurt it more then the change in Voice Actors. Cartoon Network is a private channel you can only get by subscribing to a TV Service while the WB was not.

As surprising as it sounds a growing number of Americans are not subscribing to a TV Provider. Even more are dropping their Providers in favor of cheaper (and often free) Internet Services. It's not just Pokemon that's suffering from the drop of subscribers. Everything from cult following shows (American Idol) to even the News (CNN/NBC/ABC) are seeing declines in ratings compared to a few years ago, and they are on more accessible channels.

Huh, I guess that explains it. Mind me, I never understood completely how many channels were available on what network; figuring that most of the popular channels were on any network (DirectTV, Dish Network, even Comcast back in the day). Still, that's quite a shame though. When you see CN (a widely known channel) and the word "private", makes you wonder. Perhaps a lot changed between the earlier years and now.

 

[Caseydia]

I don't know if it would have had higher ratings sicne the writing sucks, but I and I'm sure some others would have loved it if Ash, James, Jessie and Meowth kept their old voices.

 

[PokeRhymeBeat]

I doubt the voices had as much as an impact compared to the switch over to cable. A bunch of people don't have cable even in 2012.

 

[BurningSociety12345543210]

No.

And you're just waiting for Dwail8023 to come and rant.

 

[Dragalge]

To me no, I don't see why it would get higher ratings just of that

 

[An00bis]

Mind me, I never understood completely how many channels were available on what network

Years ago before the switch to Digital you could get about the first 20 channels and some special local access channels if you do not have a TV Package over an antenna. You can still get a good number of channels for free over a Digital Antenna.

Cartoon Network comes with almost every basic TV Package, but it's still a matter of not as many people having TV Packages in general.

 

[(P.O.K.E.M.O.N)]

OMG seriously, the cw time slot is dead, no show rates on there anymore, pokemon leaving it was the best thing tpci has ever done.