The Better Dub

[ParaChomp]

If they can be hired to dub animés like Gurren Lagann, they must have tallent.

 

[blob]

I haven't watched many episodes (probably around 10-ish), but have you heard Gliscor's voice? For such an awesome-looking Pokemon, it has such an...un-fitting voice.

Example: GLI GLISCOR GLI

Actually, Glion (Japanese) sounds quite similar, but a bit higher pitched. TPCI is good at getting Pokémon vocal Characteristics right. I like how they made Ambipom make Monkey noises now and then, while 4-Kids would of just made it say "Ambipom".


4-Kids

Pros-
The Openings were much better back then.
The human voices overall were better.
Better range for voices, though some CoD sound too similar.

Cons-
The puns were just... ugh! It felt like I walked into Hanna-Barbera hour. (Kelloggs; the best for you each morning.)
Riceballs.
Paint edits.
Sometimes the dub got carried away, and added their own little stories/explanations for things. (Pokémon Heroes).
Music edits.


TPCI

Pros-
I like how they kind of imitated the Japanese voices.
Better at keeping up with the Japanese.
I think more Japanese music is kept. (Though, not the title sequence).
I think they only paint edited twice. (One was necessary).

Cons-
Much worse opening songs.
Re-used Animation footage outside of the openings.
Less vocal range. (Tell me the difference between Chimchar and Bonsly).
Some Jarring voices. (Brock).


You could just compare the worst with the worst, and see which one is worse.
Legend of Thunder Vs. Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon.


I don't like how TPCI kind of coppied the name of a song; I want to be a Hero (4-Kids) We will be Heroes (TPCI). IMO, I want to be a Hero was the worst 4-Kids opening, and I'm upset that they chose such a drowzy tune instead of the fantastic Advance Adventure theme.



XD I just watched that "Wish on a Team Rocket" video. It's too funny!

 

[Lorde]

TPCI has done several paint edits. Not as much as 4Kids of course, but enough to talk about. They haven't kept much of the Japanese music either which is still a great shame. TPCI didn't imitate the Japanese voices either. I've watched both versions of the anime and all of the characters sound different in the English dub than they do in the Japanese dub so I'm a bit confused about that part. I like TPCI's dub, but it's still flawed.

 

[blob]

TPCI has done several paint edits. Not as much as 4Kids of course, but enough to talk about. They haven't kept much of the Japanese music either which is still a great shame. TPCI didn't imitate the Japanese voices either. I've watched both versions of the anime and all of the characters sound different in the English dub than they do in the Japanese dub so I'm a bit confused about that part. I like TPCI's dub, but it's still flawed.

I meant that Japanese Hikozaru makes monkey noises, and so does Chimchar. I know that the voices sound different, but the characteristics are similar.

I just think that TPCI tries to imitate the voices more than 4-Kids did.

 

[PokemonTrainerLisa]

*copied/pasted from another thread*

Go back, and watch a Hoenn episode, then watch BF/Sinnoh, it's clear which cast was better. To me, the new cast just doesn't speak properly, as said above.

Yes, I agree. There is definitely a huge difference in the voice quality. It's blatantly obvious to anyone who grew up watching the first 8 seasons of Pokemon.

Although, which voice cast is "better" completely depends on the viewer's preference, and how much of the 4Kids dub and TPCi dub they've seen.

Anyway, as for the characters not speaking properly in the TPCi dub, well, I've only noticed the weird speech pattern with Sarah's portrayal of Ash. So I don't know if the other characters speak that way. To be honest, it seems like Sarah's Ash is the only character who talks like that (though I could be wrong)... =O

Plus, I hate how Ash says "a-course" in like every other sentence...

Me too.

Ugh, I hate how Sarah's Ash likes to say "a-course" and "kay" all the time. It's terrible! That makes me cringe every time! >_<

In comparison, Veronica's Ash never talks that way in the 4Kids dub.

Therefore, I'd say that Ash's odd, unnatural speech pattern in D/P is because of the new script writing and Sarah's acting. It's because of both these things that Ash sounds so weird in the Battle Frontier and D/P episodes.

Overall, as far as I'm concerned, they have completely changed Ash's personality in seasons 9-13, considering how different the voice acting and the script is. It's a completely different experience from watching the 4Kids dub... =/

Basically, this is how I feel about the new voices. To me, new voices = different characters = and that equals no nostalgia = meaning that D/P and the current season of the dub is NOT the same show that I grew up watching. And that isn't a good thing, because I miss Pokemon. I miss the awesome show I grew up watching, and I wish TPCi would bring back that great feeling of nostalgia. I believe that, amongst all the changes, the least they could do is give us some sense of familiarity with Best Wishes.

Also, with the Best Wishes season, it looks like the show is going back to its original roots. And that's awesome!! But, if TPCi doesn't do something to make the show more familiar for us older fans, then I don't see how it's going to work. I mean, with Ash turning his hat backwards and acting exactly the same way he did back in season one, I can only imagine Veronica Taylor voicing him. To me, it just wouldn't make sense to see these season one Ash scenes and personality traits, and hear Sarah's voice there instead of Veronica's... In my opinion, Veronica was amazing as Ash. And if TPCi changes their minds and does bring her back, that would make the Best Wishes dub pefect for me. <3

 

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

pokemon doesnt care about the older fans they dont care at all they only care about the age demographic between ages 8-12 people older then that can go jump of a building and they still wouldn't care tpci will sound different in best wishes i suspect jimmy zoppi if he still remains as meowth and james and maybe dento will give a deeper james in best wishes because there all serious and ash will sound a lot higher pitch sounding like a kanto 2.0 and moewth will sound the same maybe cringier

 

[PokemonTrainerLisa]

Yeah, I agree. I think a high-pitched voice fits Ash perfectly. However, Sarah Natochenny seems unable to do a high-pitched Ash voice...

I mean, I've been watching all the D/P episodes. And I've seen all the recent ones that have aired so far. And trust me, Sarah has never used a high-pitched Ash voice, like the one Veronica used back in Kanto and Johto.
If anything, Sarah's current pitch in Sinnoh League Victors sounds similar to the pitch Veronica used during the Hoenn/Advanced seasons.

That's why I've been worried about Best Wishes. I have no clue what TPCi is planning to do with Ash's new look and how that will affect the show. Because Ash looks younger, with his new eyes, you'd think they would give him a high-pitched voice (it makes sense for a young-boy to have a high pitched voice). But unfortunately, I can only see this happening if they bring back Veronica Taylor. And if TPCi actually decides to do that, I'd love them forever. <3

 

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

i know alot of people will if sarah has been giving ash a softer toned voice because of how he is portrayed in dp and then give ash a higher pitches voice in best wishes she will be a genious or because sarah is known for her inconsistency she can voice one ep but then sound deeper in another ep she goes all places but when she hits her best she sounds basically a late johto early hoenn ash

 

[Lorde]

pokemon doesnt care about the older fans they dont care at all they only care about the age demographic between ages 8-12 people older then that can go jump of a building and they still wouldn't care tpci will sound different in best wishes i suspect jimmy zoppi if he still remains as meowth and james and maybe dento will give a deeper james in best wishes because there all serious and ash will sound a lot higher pitch sounding like a kanto 2.0 and moewth will sound the same maybe cringier

What? That's some interesting stuff there, especially the part in bold, but I'll respond to this further in a spoiler.

Spoiler: BW spoilers

Really? TPCI's version of Ash has to sound like the old 4Kids' version of Ash, just because Best Wishes shares similarities with Kanto? That's ridiculous. Ash's voice in the Japanese version of the Best Wishes anime has remained the same as his voice in the other Pokemon series, so there is absolutely no need for Sarah to do a different type of voice for Ash, just to make it feel like the Original Series again. There's just no reason to appease fans who love to complain about everything; you can bet they'll complain about him sounding "too different" :[

 

[PokemonTrainerLisa]

Huh? Why shouldn't we be allowed to complain, though?

Personally, I feel that the VA change in the TPCi dub was unnecessary. I believe that shouldn't have happened, because it never happened in the Japanese version.

I mean, TPCi didn't have to make that decision, but they did it anyway, despite the fact that many people (including the original VAs and long time fans of the show) were hurt and upset by what happened. Also, you said so yourself, The 4th KIRA. Ash's voice has always been the same in the Japanese version. And knowing this makes me very sad, because Ash's voice and personality is no longer the same in the dub (I miss the Ash Ketchum I know and love)... =(

Also, the fact that Ash's voice is completely different now is a good enough reason for some dub fans to be upset with TPCi's version of the show. Although, whether or not people would be upset by the VA change, that depends on which voices they prefer, the old or new voices. So that part is subjective.

Anyway, to be honest, Sarah changed the pitch of her Ash voice all the time back in Battle Frontier. She was very inconsistent back then, and she's still somewhat inconsistent in D/P. And no one complains about that (except for us fans who love the 4Kids dub and prefer the original VAs). In fact, most people don't even notice when Sarah changes her pitch (except for fans who always pay close attention to the voice acting and stuff).

So, The 4th KIRA, what do you mean exactly? Sorry, your post confused me. ^^;

And I know this is just speculation on the Best Wishes dub. But given what I said here, why would anyone complain if Sarah used a high pitch for Best Wishes? Are you saying that, you like the fact that Ash sounds different in the TPCi dub and you don't miss his original voice at all? If so, then I'm assuming you prefer the TPCi dub over the 4Kids' dub.

I mean, it's fine if that is how you feel. I respect your opinion. I'm just confused by your post, that's all. XP

Anyway, just to let everyone know what I think, if Sarah actually used a high pitch for Best Wishes and if she sounded very similar to Veronica (like she has in certain D/P episodes), then her performance wouldn't bother me. I'd enjoy watching the Best Wishes episodes. And I might actually like Sarah's Ash voice, if she used a pitch like that. ^^

 

[CyberCubed]

\
Personally, I feel that the VA change in the TPCi dub was unnecessary. I believe that shouldn't have happened, because it never happened in the Japanese version.

In the U.S., Pokemon was a dubbed purchase. In Japan, the entire show is produced in-house, so they would never have to, "switch companies" with VA's changing, because that's not the way shows work in Japan.

And also, tons of Japanese VA's left the series when their characters left. Do you still see Misty or May's Japanese VA doing Pokemon? Of course not.

And now in Best Wishes with Brock gone, they also wrote off Wobbufett, since the Japanese Brock also voiced Wobbufett in the show.

The only ones left are Ash's VA and TR's, besides Oak/Giovanni.

 

[PokemonTrainerLisa]

No, you misunderstood me. =/

I wasn't referring to the "company switch" at all, that's why I said VA change. I was only referring to how TPCi replaced the original voices.

I'm just saying, this is something that Japan would never do, unless something forces them to replace the voice actor (like if the original VA becomes sick or they've passed away).

In my opinion, I say the VA switch was unnecessary for that very reason.

There wasn't any logical explanation for what happened. And that was my first point.

And also, tons of Japanese VA's left the series when their characters left. Do you still see Misty or May's Japanese VA doing Pokemon? Of course not.

And now in Best Wishes with Brock gone, they also wrote off Wobbufett, since the Japanese Brock also voiced Wobbufett in the show.

The only ones left are Ash's VA and TR's, besides Oak/Giovanni.

Oh wow, I didn't know that (about Wobbuffet). =o

And yes, I realize they won't keep voice actors on the show, if their characters have been written off. That's just obvious, lol. =P

But anyway, like I said, I was talking about the dub version. And I only mentioned Japan as an example of how much better they treat their VAs (they give them a lot more respect than US dubbing companies). Overall, with a long-running series like Pokemon, Japan has enough respect for the VAs to not replace them, unless the character is written off or the VA is sick. And that was my second point.

 

[CyberCubed]

Giovanni's VA in Japan changed, but that's also because the VA died.

 

[RageKaiser]

I don't mind the voices for TCPi's dub, except for James and Meowth (even if it's just the WAY he talks and not the voice), My only gripe is the music. The dub would be amazing if they just kept the japanese music intact, I don't understand why they can't, pokemon is popular, they can afford the japanese music, why don't they just buy it and use it? And whats the deal with the Togepi episode keeping it all?

 

[Lorde]

Huh? Why shouldn't we be allowed to complain, though?

It's pointless complaints by some of the fans that are the issue here though. Most of the old voices aren't going to return in the next season. There's no way TPCI would just fire all of the current VA's just to hire the old ones again. I understand that TPCI fired the old VA's in the past, but that was to save money and I believe rehiring the old VA's would cost them more money than they'd be willing to spend. In conclusion, it would just be a waste of money and a waste of time, just to please some of the nostalgic fans out there. The voices changed years ago, it's time to just let it go and move on.

Anyway back to my point about Ash's voice; it doesn't need to change. Sure, Sarah could try to change the pitch to match that of Ash back in Kanto for some of the nostalgic fans, but why do it? TPCI seems to believe that most of the original fans no longer watch the anime, and who can blame them? I've seen tons of people here and on other sites complain about how the new episodes "suck" and only a few of the original fans even watch the current episodes. If Sarah changed the pitch, the older fans wouldn't even be watching so the point would be missed, and the newer fans would complain that it would sound too different from the current voice that Ash has. It's a lose-lose situation for TPCI.

 

[CyberCubed]

You know what this whining reminds me of? It reminds me of the people who whine about Misty not being in the anime.

Despite the fact that its been 8 years and over 400+ episodes since Misty left, (essentially making the character very short-lived and minor in the shows overall run), some people think she was a major part of Pokemon.

4kids now hasn't dubbed Pokemon for years, and PUSA has dubbed almost half the total eps that 4kids did. Eventually PUSA is going to have dubbed an equal amount of eps to 4kids.

At that point you can say the old voices weren't even there for half its run

 

[munchlaxboy]

You know what this whining reminds me of? It reminds me of the people who whine about Misty not being in the anime.

Despite the fact that its been 8 years and over 400+ episodes since Misty left, (essentially making the character very short-lived and minor in the shows overall run), some people think she was a major part of Pokemon.

4kids now hasn't dubbed Pokemon for years, and PUSA has dubbed almost half the total eps that 4kids did. Eventually PUSA is going to have dubbed an equal amount of eps to 4kids.

At that point you can say the old voices weren't even there for half its run

Misty has appeared in about 42% of the episodes. How could you say she is not a major part of Pokemon?

By your standards, you think that the only major characters in Pokemon are Ash, Pikachu, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Brock.

 

[PokemonTrainerLisa]

How could you say she is not a major part of Pokemon?

It's obvious from his posts. CyberCubed hates Misty.

Wait, that's an understatement. He hates Misty more than any Pokemon fan I've ever seen!! And that's no lie!! O_O

I'd even say CyberCubed dislikes Misty more than I dislike Sarah's portrayal of Ash. XD Dang! So much hatred for Misty! How is that possible?

Most of the old voices aren't going to return in the next season.

Well, that's just speculation though. No one can predict the future of the TPCi dub unless they work for the company.

You can't prove that it won't happen. You can't prove that, anymore than I can prove it will happen. =P

And I hope the way I worded that makes sense. LOL. xD

I understand that TPCI fired the old VA's in the past, but that was to save money and I believe rehiring the old VA's would cost them more money than they'd be willing to spend.

But how do we know it was because of money?

Sure, that's the most logical explanation. But what if there's more to the story? I believe TPCi could be hiding something about the VA change.

What they're hiding, I don't know. But the whole thing seems Corphishy to me (yay, I made a pun XD).

That's another reason I like the 4Kids dub better. Their title puns are awesome!! =D

In conclusion, it would just be a waste of money and a waste of time, just to please some of the nostalgic fans out there. The voices changed years ago, it's time to just let it go and move on.

You wouldn't be saying that if you enjoyed watching the 4Kids dub and liked the original cast as much as I do.

This proves that you enjoy watching the TPCi dub more than the 4Kids dub, and you prefer the new voices as well. That's fine, of course. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the Pokemon dub and the voices.

And it doesn't matter if we disagree. That makes the discussion all the more fun, because we can all share different opinions. ^^

Anyway, I have to comment on another point you made. Now, you mentioned it being a waste of money to bring back some of the original voices. However, I doubt that money is even an issue here. Nor should it be a problem for TPCi. Like I said before, TPCi has been using many familiar VAs who have worked on the 4Kids dub before. I'm talking about people like Mike Pollock, Dan Green, Bella Hudson, Sean Schemmel, and Lisa Ortiz. These VAs are working on the TPCi dub right now and that's a fact.

Personally, I would understand this thing more, if TPCi was against hiring all VAs who had worked on the 4Kids dub. But clearly, that isn't the case. The company only seems biased against using the main cast, which consists of the big 3 (Veronica, Rachael, and Eric). And being the curious person that I am, I have to wonder why they don't want the main cast working on the show.

Of course, I know Rachael Lillis received a few minor roles on the show. But so far, she hasn't received any new roles from TPCi. That's weird...

And yes, I realize TPCi wouldn't just fire all of the new cast and rehire the original cast. That's highly unlikely to happen and I'm well aware of that. Anyway, I'm just saying TPCi needs to keep an open mind about the voices. They should be more open to giving the main cast a chance to work on the show. That's all I want, really. I grew up watching the 4Kids dub of Pokemon, and being a huge fan of the show ever since it started, I don't think it's a crime to wanna hear those familiar voices again. <3

Anyway back to my point about Ash's voice; it doesn't need to change. Sure, Sarah could try to change the pitch to match that of Ash back in Kanto for some of the nostalgic fans, but why do it? TPCI seems to believe that most of the original fans no longer watch the anime, and who can blame them? I've seen tons of people here and on other sites complain about how the new episodes "suck" and only a few of the original fans even watch the current episodes.

If Sarah changed the pitch, the older fans wouldn't even be watching so the point would be missed, and the newer fans would complain that it would sound too different from the current voice that Ash has. It's a lose-lose situation for TPCI.

What are you talking about? I've never heard the "new" fans complain about Sarah's Ash. Even though Sarah changes her pitch sometimes, I always hear people who watch the TPCi dub/new "fans" praise Sarah and the good work she does on the show.

Of course, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with people praising Sarah, lol. I am just saying that, I honestly don't think anyone would complain if Sarah decided to use a high pitched voice for Ash in Best Wishes. Whether or not Sarah changes the pitch of her Ash voice, it still sounds very much the same (because it's still the same voice actor).

Haha, that's like saying, when Veronica Taylor used a deep pitch for Ash in Hoenn/the Advanced seasons, that Veronica/Ash fans would complain because his voice sounds slightly different. LOL, I don't think they complained at all. XD

Also, about the original fans not watching the TPCi dub, that isn't true. I'm sure there are many nostalgic fans who still watch the TPCi dub, despite the new voices. Take me and my best friend for example. We're both huge fans of the 4Kids dub of Pokemon, and we both prefer the original voices. Yet, we both still watch the new episodes of Sinnoh League Victors every Saturday. You see, not everyone who can be considered a "nostalgic fan" has stopped watching Pokemon.

If original fans can tolerate the new voices enough to enjoy watching the show, then they will still watch the TPCi dub. At this point, the new VAs have greatly improved and the quality of the voice acting is much better than it used to be. In season 13, it is much easier for people to tolerate and like the new voices, than it was in say season 9 or season 10.

However, you have to keep in mind that, just because the new cast has improved, that doesn't mean fans are gonna forget all about the original voices. The original voice actors worked on the show for 8 years (the first 8 seasons of Pokemon), and no one can deny that, not even TPCi.

In fact, on pokemon.com, TPCi has been uploading episodes of the 4Kids dub. Currently, fans can watch episodes from late Master Quest. And I'm sure TPCi will be uploading Pokemon Advanced soon.

I have no clue why TPCi is doing this, but I like it. I think it's nice that the company is, at least, acknowledging the 4Kids dub of Pokemon.

 

[Lorde]

You make some really good points there, but there is too much there for me to fully quote, so I'll talk about this part since it's the one I noticed the most, if that's ok.

What are you talking about? I've never heard the "new" fans complain about Sarah's Ash. Even though Sarah changes the pitch sometimes, I always hear people who watch the TPCi dub/new "fans" praise Sarah and the good work she does on the show.

I said fans would complain if Sarah's voice changed from what it is now, to a different pitch if she were to do a Veronica-esque Ash voice. Anyway, of course most of the newer fans don't complain about Sarah; she's all they're used to. They don't have much to compare her with since many of them haven't watched the older 4Kids episodes, or if they did, it was only a few times. I know that it's the case here in my town where most kids don't even know who Misty is because they've never watched OS nor some of the AG episodes where she's featured.

Most of the other stuff I pointed out before was mostly speculation, but that's all we can really do at this point; speculate. I don't think there's any more point in me arguing this stuff since there aren't many facts to go by so I'm about done here. My final point though; both 4kids and TPCI have made their share of mistakes, despite what I've said in the past.

 

[Rex Kamex]

Right. That was the first pitch that Veronica used for her Ash voice. I remember it well. ^^

It was actually quite different from all the other pitches she used later on. But of course, this was because the engineers and directors were still figuring out how they wanted Ash to sound and where they wanted his voice to go

Also, at the time, all young-boy characters had voices that sounded like this, so in the beginning of the show, it made sense for Veronica to use that pitch.

And by the way, when I said "original voice" in my post, I was just referring to, you know, Ash's original voice in general, which is provided by Veronica Taylor. XD

But that's the thing... his voice changed over eight seasons... so to mean his voice in general doesn't really make much sense to me (no offense) because it changed significantly.

That's true. In fact, I've had to correct people lots of times, and explain to fans that Veronica actually changed the pitch of her Ash voice during the 8 seasons of the 4Kids dub. And I noticed this usually happens at the end of every season. It was very consistent whenever Veronica would change the pitch of her voice.

My observation: In the middle of season 1: Kanto, Ash's voice became high pitched, then in early season 2: Kanto, it's a little bit higher, and then finally, in the Orange Islands season his voice is VERY high pitched - but even with the voice being that high, you could still tell that Ash is a young boy. =)

Veronica also made more tweaks and changes to the pitch during the Johto seasons as well. The Johto Journeys Ash voice is high pitched, but not as high as the Orange Islands voice. While Master Quest Ash is deeper, but it's still a little bit high pitched. What I mean is, the Master Quest pitch falls in between the "high" Johto Journeys voice and the "deep" Pokemon Advanced/Advanced Challenge/Advanced Battle pitch.

Even I didn't know it was during those specific times... But also... even with the pitch going high and low, the actual voice of Ash changed. The mid-Kanto voice and I think the Master Quest voice is pretty much in the same pitch range, but the voice itself still sounds different.

Ah, yes. I know the pitch you're referring to. I do like how Ash sounded then. That was a good voice for him. =)

However, my favorite voice that Veronica used for Ash, is actually the pitch that she had during the Johto Journeys season. I love how that pitch sounded. <3 It was high pitched, but it wasn't quite as high as the Orange Islands voice for Ash. So yeah, The Johto Journeys pitch is awesome! In my opinion, that voice fits Ash's personality perfectly, because you can really hear the "energy" in his voice!

What I mean is that, Ash is a young-boy, so a high pitched voice fits his personality best. It sounds very natural (in my opinion). You can really hear Ash's "energy" and emotion come through with the high pitched voice! And this goes for any high-pitch Ash voice that Veronica used!

So overall, I feel that, all of the high pitches have more energy than the deep pitch of Ash's voice during the Hoenn seasons. Veronica's Hoenn Ash voice is great, don't get me wrong. Ash still sounds like himself in the Hoenn seasons, even though the voice is slightly different (with the pitch deeper). But all I'm saying is that, I think a high pitch (any high pitch) best fits Ash's personality in general.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess... although I think I like mid-Kanto Ash's voice best partially because it was the first one I listened to... not that I liked Ash's voice changing in Season 2 even back when I first saw episodes of it all those years ago.

To be honest, I think the fandom blew the riceball thing way out of proportion. I remember posting on old episode review threads (for the 4Kids dub), and seeing MANY fans complaining about how 4Kids had changed the name of the riceballs or painted over them.

I thought to myself, "Ugh, this is ridiculous. Why are these fans watching the Pokemon dub if they can't overlook this small thing and enjoy the show?". And it's really crazy how some fans are incredibly outraged over this thing.

I think some do blow it out of proportion, but I still think it's an annoyance. Still... 4Kids went from just changing the name of the rice ball (although still sometimes calling it a rice ball) to actually changing the food itself. Fans who cared wanted 4Kids to stop calling rice balls other names, and not only did 4Kids not do that at a certain point, they take their editing further than just name calling it (Sure, now they're consistent with what they call it, calling a sandwich a sandwich and all, but... yeah.)

And I think, "4Kids, is keeping it as a rice ball and calling it a rice ball really that big of a deal? What do you guys expect to happen if the rice balls are kept in?"

The edits are nothing to lose sleep over, but still...

LOL, you mean Grovyle and Swellow. xD

Oh yeah... whoops...

Also, with the Best Wishes season, it looks like the show is going back to its original roots. And that's awesome!! But, if TPCi doesn't do something to make the show more familiar for us older fans,

As fine as I would be for that happening (especially the mid-Kanto voice), they don't have to do anything like that for us older fans since we're not in the target audience.

then I don't see how it's going to work.

While Ash's Japanese voice actor has been voicing him from the beginning, the voice doesn't sound the same these current Japanese episodes as they did in the past. (He sounded somewhat younger.) That'd sorta be what'll be happening with the American version of Pokemon.

Personally, I feel that the VA change in the TPCi dub was unnecessary. I believe that shouldn't have happened, because it never happened in the Japanese version.

Just so you know, here's the background for where I'm coming from...

I also wish there wasn't a voice switch, but back when it was going on, I accepted the switch because I was hoping TPCI would leave the Japanese score in tact and possibly keep the Japanese openings and have the Japanese version on DVD and all that. (Which they weren't obligated to do, but... that's what I was hoping.) When I saw the first version of Mastermind, I didn't like the voices, but I found out that some of the voices would change for season 9, so I gave them a chance. Back during season 9, they kept some Japanese music (just like 4Kids), but they used some 4Kids music and made their own TPCI music.

Since then, the range of the amount of Japanese background music has differed greatly, but in any case... I think they might as well have kept the original voices and would've preferred that they did. But now I have no hope for it happening. I do believe that Pokemon hasn't been the same since the voice switch, but I'd been thinking Pokemon hasn't been the same as early as when I was watching Johto anyway...

I've watched some of the original Japanese episodes, just to get a feel for what they have to offer. I loved all of the Kanto stuff, since the music was amazing. I can't find those episodes anymore though, which sucks. I go on Dogasu's site and I read the episode comparisons, but there are some issues with that obviously. First off, he hasn't done them for all of the Kanto episodes so there's some stuff missing that I'm disappointed about.

He's redoing the Kanto ones. And he's said often that his comparisons from pre-2002(?) or so had been more whiny and unnecessary. (Not that they're labed as such, but... yeah.)

Not only is he redoing the Kanto ones (his recent was) "Showdown in Dark City", he's working on the recent D&P dub episodes. He'll be done eventually...

Second, he rants more about 4kids and TPCI than I do at times, which sort of gets annoying after a while.

What specifically do you mean? I don't know what specific complaints you're talking about that annoy you because in addition to edits he's really upset about, there are some edits that he doesn't really do much more than just question. And there are some edits where he prefers what goes on in the dub over the original). There are some where he doesn't really give an opinion on them.

Lastly, without the actual video footage, some of the changes between versions of the anime don't stick out as much and it doesn't feel the same, even with pictures present :s

Meh... I'm pretty sure there's some reason he isn't doing that. his DailyMotion (which is also on his site) has a bit of video, but that's it.

I understand that TPCI fired the old VA's in the past, but that was to save money and I believe rehiring the old VA's would cost them more money than they'd be willing to spend. In conclusion, it would just be a waste of money and a waste of time, just to please some of the nostalgic fans out there.

It wouldn't have even been just nostalgic fans who'd been watching since Kanto (since I assume that's what you've been talking about). There's also the people watching the show since Hoenn started or so, or even late-Hoenn. They had to get used to the new voices too. TPCI could've used the 4Kids voice actors since they were the ones who'd been voicing Pokemon before.

If it's cheaper to use new guys it's cheaper to use new guys, and it is a benefit for TPCI. But still... I don't think it was automatically necessary to change the voices just because of that.

If they find someone to do a poorer imitation of SpongeBob's voice to replace Tom Kenny (although SpongeBob's voice also changed greatly over time) for cheaper, I still don't think Tom Kenny should automatically get replaced.

I will say, though, that Pokemon's not the first series to have its dub voice actors (or most of them) replaced. Happened with DBZ and the Sailor Moon series.

I don't mind the voices for TCPi's dub, except for James and Meowth (even if it's just the WAY he talks and not the voice), My only gripe is the music. The dub would be amazing if they just kept the japanese music intact, I don't understand why they can't, pokemon is popular, they can afford the japanese music, why don't they just buy it and use it?

I'd prefer they use the original music, but it's cheaper for them to make their own music. And they want to use music that they feel is more "hip" and "modern." (There's an interview that says they replace the music "for artistic and commercial reasons", and eventually I will find it...)

I'm not saying to think that's okay, but that's... the reason.

And whats the deal with the Togepi episode keeping it all?

We may never know...

I'm grateful for what happened in that episode, though. But there's no blatantly obvious reason from our perspective, why that happened.