Les Miserables: Shoujo Cossette

[froggy01]

Bummer about the raws. Being new, I didn't realize they were a commodity that expired so quickly...well, I guess a month or so on the internet is like a second or two in real life.

I would have thought that the Masterpiece series would have been licensed, as it is more cross-overy, at least it sounds that way: Classic literature retold in cartoons. That's usually pretty popular, no need for getting people into anime. (There was a Les Mis cartoon movie from Japan made in the late 70s, actually that was released.) However, there are also lots of kiddie classics cartoons already available in the States, so why bother to compete bringing a subtitled or dubbed show when there are other kiddie cartoons not needing all that work?

Speaking as a non-anime person who comes to this program via Les Mis, I would say that with the subtitles it's perfectly accessible (though I have issues with the high-pitched girl laughter!), but also having seen some anime in college (an entire dorm lobby was converted into a media center by a group of computer science majors), Cosette is pretty different. Granted, though, I wouldn't be seeking episodes out if it weren't Les Mis (or perhaps another classic I like and would enjoy seeing a movie/TV interpretation of).

[Risaa]

Whoa, now here's something I never expected: seems another group decided to pick it up. Hooray!

Here's a quote from the Formula Subs site concerning Les Misé:

So... Everyone else dropped this project, huh? Well, we will give it a shot, though I'm personally not enthusiastic about getting tied up in a 52-episode series. As I noted in our recent Group Update, we'll be releasing episode 06 first, go back and do 01-05, then continue from there. In any case, if you'd like us to continue working on this series, please tell us. No thanks necessary, just pop into the forum or channel and express yourself.

[wizard55]

Originally Posted by FireChick

You might be right. Usually several popular anime take like 2-3 years to license. Some don't even get licensed at all! Since no other World Masterpiece Theather anime has been licensed, I sincerely hope that Les Mis finally gets the chance. Maybe Bandai should get this? Maybe Geneon or something?

Actually, a number of WMT series have indeed reached the US in the 80' and early 90's. Tom Sawyer, Swiss Family Robinson, Little Women (even the 2 versions not by nippon), Peter Pan, all had all the episodes dubbed by Saban/or other companies back in the day. VHS releases exist of a few episodes of each series but no full vhs/dvd releases.

[froggy01]

Hooray for the new group! Definitely need to visit their site to download and thank them for picking it up.

[FireChick]

YES!!! I'm happy to announce that Formula Sub is going to fansub Les Miserables from now on! Woohoo! I better spread the word! And post the episodes on places like CrunchyRoll or Veoh.

[XxKawaiiAngelxX]

Well i was so shocked to see that les mis was made into an anime ! I used 2 be obsessed with musicals and i auditioned many times with cossettes "Castle on cloud". Im really interested in watching this after listening 2 the music so many times!

[FireChick]

Great. The ever-so-slow Delicious Fansubs have episode 6 up.

[fdsafdsa]

Les Miserables is new to me, but I'm very interested in it. I would really love to watch this anime. What do you guys recommend? Should I be (very) patient for the anime to be translated? Or should I read the book? Are there any musicals in San Fransisco?

How many pages is the book? I heard that it's more than a thousand pages, and that it's more than one volume. But I saw an about 800-page version at Borders and I'm thinking of buying it. I hope it's not some shortened incomplete version.

What would you guys recommend?

[Ursula Lanoire]

Originally Posted by fdsafdsa

Les Miserables is new to me, but I'm very interested in it. I would really love to watch this anime. What do you guys recommend? Should I be (very) patient for the anime to be translated? Or should I read the book? Are there any musicals in San Fransisco?

How many pages is the book? I heard that it's more than a thousand pages, and that it's more than one volume. But I saw an about 800-page version at Borders and I'm thinking of buying it. I hope it's not some shortened incomplete version.

What would you guys recommend?

The musical is running in San Francisco (Curran Theater). As for the book - well, I have four copies (one French, two English, one Mandarin), and how many volumes it is in depends on the edition. I have the Modern Library edition, which is one volume, and which I recommend. I bought it at Barnes and Noble, but since it's not their house edition you can probably find it other places too.

[froggy01]

fdsafdsa:

First, the musical is running in New York on Broadway. There was a national tour which closed in 2006. Now the rights are being given to regional theaters, such as the Sacramento Music Circus which recently staged a production (it's over now though). So best thing is to hope a regional Bay Area theater produces it. There's a video also called the Dream Cast or Tenth Anniversary Concert, but it *is* a concert form, just the actors in costume singing at mikes, not actually the musical onstage. Also, the concert version doesn't have all the music--all the major songs, yes, but it is shortened.

Second, I would suggest reading the book. It's been such a bummer waiting for a group to get regular about releasing subtitled episodes. Even one a month or something. Anyway, waiting for sutbitles aside, I'd suggest reading the book because it's such a great story, and the book's of course the original (and the best IMHO). The unabridged version is usually around 1000 pages, depending on the binding. There is a Penguin Classics that mildly abridged, translated by Norman Denny I believe, and it doesn't cut out too too much (there are some looong digressions on things like life in convents). It's about 800 pages I think (I like reading different translations, so I bought it). The most common complete, unabridged version is the Wilbur translation, which is in hardcover from Modern Library. There are also abridged versions of the Wilbur translation which cut out more material, so if that is important to you, check the title pages and stuff.

Third, modern editions of Les Miserables are mostly all one volume long, so if you buy a book at Borders that says "Les Miserables" you'll get the whole thing!

[froggy01]

Alack. Formula Sub dropped Cosette down to "stalled."

http://evaforum.com/forums/index.php?topic=334.0

[Miko Miko]

I Can't wait for episode 7 to be subbed, Its such a nice series.

[fdsafdsa]

Originally Posted by Ursula Lanoire

The musical is running in San Francisco (Curran Theater). As for the book - well, I have four copies (one French, two English, one Mandarin), and how many volumes it is in depends on the edition. I have the Modern Library edition, which is one volume, and which I recommend. I bought it at Barnes and Noble, but since it's not their house edition you can probably find it other places too.

Originally Posted by froggy01

fdsafdsa:

First, the musical is running in New York on Broadway. There was a national tour which closed in 2006. Now the rights are being given to regional theaters, such as the Sacramento Music Circus which recently staged a production (it's over now though). So best thing is to hope a regional Bay Area theater produces it. There's a video also called the Dream Cast or Tenth Anniversary Concert, but it *is* a concert form, just the actors in costume singing at mikes, not actually the musical onstage. Also, the concert version doesn't have all the music--all the major songs, yes, but it is shortened.

Second, I would suggest reading the book. It's been such a bummer waiting for a group to get regular about releasing subtitled episodes. Even one a month or something. Anyway, waiting for sutbitles aside, I'd suggest reading the book because it's such a great story, and the book's of course the original (and the best IMHO). The unabridged version is usually around 1000 pages, depending on the binding. There is a Penguin Classics that mildly abridged, translated by Norman Denny I believe, and it doesn't cut out too too much (there are some looong digressions on things like life in convents). It's about 800 pages I think (I like reading different translations, so I bought it). The most common complete, unabridged version is the Wilbur translation, which is in hardcover from Modern Library. There are also abridged versions of the Wilbur translation which cut out more material, so if that is important to you, check the title pages and stuff.

Third, modern editions of Les Miserables are mostly all one volume long, so if you buy a book at Borders that says "Les Miserables" you'll get the whole thing!

Thanks a lot for the info, you guys. I think I will buy the book, although, I still wonder what my first experience of the story should be: the novel, the musical, or the near-hopeless anime? Anyways, after searching for quite some time, there doesn't seem to be a LesMiz musical in San Francisco anytime, and I'm not flying across the country just to see a musical.

By the way, sorry if this seems like a stupid question, since I'm not much on French literature or history, and I'm not as smart as a lot of people, but what exactly is everybody's problem with single mothers in France? Why wouldn't anybody give a job to Fantine just because she has a child?

[Ursula Lanoire]

It depends on the person. I'd generally recommend the book, but if you have a short attention span it may not be the best idea to start with the novel. The anime might be good if you're fine with unsubbed episodes; it's the most in-depth adaptation out there, and it takes fewer liberties, the bowdlerization aside. Don't start with the musical. It's good as far as it goes but it's not the best introduction.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by fdsafdsa

By the way, sorry if this seems like a stupid question, since I'm not much on French literature or history, and I'm not as smart as a lot of people, but what exactly is everybody's problem with single mothers in France? Why wouldn't anybody give a job to Fantine just because she has a child?

The story is set in the 1820s and back then women with a child outside of a proper marriage were pretty much screwed, everywhere in the world. And it would take about 150 more years for that to change.

[fdsafdsa]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

The story is set in the 1820s and back then women with a child outside of a proper marriage were pretty much screwed, everywhere in the world. And it would take about 150 more years for that to change.

But why is that? Is it easier for single fathers to be employed? How about married mothers?

[Ursula Lanoire]

Biologically, it's a lot easier for a man who fathers a child outside of marriage to hide that fact than for a woman to do so. In Fantine's case, she was living with her boyfriend in Paris but the man left with no notice, and there wasn't any way anyone in the country town he lived would have linked him to her and their daughter. In addition, he was from a wealthy family to start with, so he probably could have bribed anyone who might have known to keep silent.

In general it depends on the luck of the man. Sometimes the woman might not bother to name the father of her child; sometimes it might be obvious.

[froggy01]

I'd respectfully disagree about the musical being not the best introduction, as from conversations I've had many people go on from it to the book without the "book experience" being spoiled for them. I'm sure everyone's preference is simply a matter of personal taste, etc. etc. Considering the musical isn't available to people outside NYC, it seems a moot point, but in essence, the musical is a streamlined version of the book that covers most but not all of the major plot points and leaves out, of course, lots of stuff, including characters and subplots. Therefore, the musical won't spoil some of the coincidences and plot twists in the book, whereas the anime--and several long French-made movies of Les Miserables that are available on DVD--will.

Re: women and men and illegitimate children--there always has been a double standard when it comes to sexual mores. For a man to father a child out of wedlock just wasn't as big a deal, and premarital sex for men wasn't damaging because men were expected to act on their desires. On the other hand, a woman in the same situation would be considered "fallen," have a difficult time finding a husband, or being accepted in "moral" society with a child. Also, women's options were mostly marriage, marriage, and marriage. Working outside the home was much less common for women then than it is today.

[FireChick]

One more episode to go to officially close the series! but STILL NOBODY wants to sub it!

[golthin]

Originally Posted by FireChick

One more episode to go to officially close the series! but STILL NOBODY wants to sub it!

This show really pissed me off after certain character died, I finish watching the raws but I didn't burn the episodes to DVD. I wish the series had lived to its name and actually more people would have been "les Miserable"