(L) Pani Poni Dash!

[Shinmeiryuu]

There seems to be a Chalkboard Recognition Contest being held by ADV:

Champions of the Chalkboard

Something tells me a lot of people will easily win and have the same identical answers thanks to bittorrent and fansub translation notes. X:

Oh by the way, here's what one of the voice actors said in an interview (Also avaliable on the website)

Interviewr: Were you excited about starring in a show so adored by fans?

Hilary Haag: Excited? Ha! Ecstatic! I went psycho on Steven Foster! I have never done an audition before that made me want a show more. As soon as I heard the Japanese actress, I just knew that I HAD to do the show! I think that I sound like the Japanese Actress (that could just be wishful thinking though), and I thought that it looked like a really cute project. When I found out how popular it is, I got SUPER stressed out. I don't want to suck!!! I just hope I live up to the fan expectations of the show! Please love it because we are having so much fun recording it! AND, fans will be happy to know that we are staying very true to the Japanese, and I am not cursing!!

[Vexx]

I guess the response to her hopes is that "we shall see" --- if they can pull off a dub translation that matches the *spirit* of the show I'll be amazed and it'll be something *almost* unique in dub history

[FatPianoBoy]

It's always good to see a cast member so enthusiastic about her work. Her "I don't want it to suck" shows that she's probably aware of the popular opinion of dubs. Combine this with the trailer I saw on YouTube and my hopes are slowly rising.

[VanGosroth]

Hilary Hagg....... MY TESSSA?!

It will rule! You have my seal of approval.

[rooboy]

Oh man, I thought someone had received their volume one early. Mine has been filled at DVDpacific, but it's held up by some stuff (Case Closed) I was getting my son that is apparently back-ordered.

[xris]

My DVD was shipped by DVDPacific on the 24th, it usually takes 10-14 days for it to get shipped across to the U.K so I'm expecting it next week I hope. (Edit: this is using Surface Mail delivery, Air Mail usually takes 5-10 days if I remember).

[rooboy]

That's probably about the time I'll be getting mine as well - unless Case Closed is back-ordered significantly farther back than I expect.

[GHDpro]

Mine shipped the 25th from DVDPacific. I haven't ordered from them lately so I'm not entirely sure how long it takes to the Netherlands these days, but afaik it's about a week. So with any luck I'll have it sometime (early) next week.

[Shiroth]

I'm ordering from a UK place.. they don't get the first volume in-stick until the 5th of December.. ;_____;

[Vexx]

Just got and cracked open "Lethal Lesson" (vol 1) ....

I have to say the dub doesn't suck and they worked really hard at it. Yes, I'm the hater of most dubs. I could waffle about a few of the voice selections but in general the VAs seemed to put out more than usual in trying to catch the character personalities.
About the only complaint I'll lodge is that there's a lot of shouting when the original was in normal voice tone (as if they thought amplitude substituted for frenetic). There is something about the original japanese VAs that just doesn't come across but for most people who watch with dubs I think they'll think this is a seriously wacky series. So an unusual thumbs up from me on the ADV translation/dub team.

The subtitles are interesting, they chose a wobble font for the blackboard (to look like chalk I suppose). I'll watch it in JP to check the sound track and english subs later.

[rooboy]

Punk. Mine finally shipped today
j/k Vexx

I'll probably listen to the dub voices once, but for once that's not much of a concern for me. My wife can't stand shows like this and Hare + Guu, so I always get to watch in Japanese.

[Vexx]

well... I missed the first run on Tsukuyomi Moon Phase volume 2 so I'm stuck in the "on order" queue. Hopefully that is only a transitory panic for me.

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by Vexx

The subtitles are interesting, they chose a wobble font for the blackboard (to look like chalk I suppose). I'll watch it in JP to check the sound track and english subs later.

I think you missed the best part - turn to track 5. It's English subs and ADVNotes on - pop ups come on explaining as many of the in jokes and references as they can get. When I turned it on my screen was exploding with them in several parts so fast I couldn't even read them.

From a frequent dub listener's perspective I thought the dub was okay. It had several of my favorite English VA's and I thought they did a good job translating the feel of the characters into English. I don't think PPD! is a good series to listen to dubbed though - really I don't think any series where lots of characters have idiosyncratic meaningless words attached to their sentences sounds good in English. If you leave the word out (because, frankly, we never do that in English), it leaves part of the character out, but if you leave it in, it sounds strange (since, again, that would never happen in English). While Himeko's "maho" is the most famous example, PPD! has tons of those little idiosyncratic nonsense words in the dialogue, so after listening to the first two episodes with the dub, I switched back to the original language (which was how I stumbled across the sub setting to turn on ADVnotes, if you didn't do it from the options at the beginning).

Also, the ADV chalkboard contest is not for the chalkboards in the show, but for a special chalkboard the English VA's set up with 21 quotes in the extras (the only ones I spotted at first glance were movies, but they might have other things in there as well). Similar to the ones in PPD, but English references. I remember there was one from the Big Lebowski, and I spotted a couple of others, but I can't remember them right off the top of my head.

[Forbin]

Gah...I don't know about you guys since you seem to like it but that dub was very grating.

I'll keep watching and I'll remember to turn vid notes on but honestly this series wasn't the 'make you laugh a lot' that I remember all my friends telling me it was.

[loli_demon]

I love the series but I wouldn't classify it as something that makes you laugh a bunch. It's more like an amusing ride, if you will. I'm really interested in watching the American dub, which I have yet to see for sale in stores

[Forbin]

I bet your Best Buy has it now.

Mine had it out since 12/8.

[techiet]

I had the chance to watch it the first time yesterday. It was also dubbed and I was watching it with my HS's anime club (which still isn't technically a club...). I don't normally watch stuff dubbed, and I really didn't like the English voices for the students. Becky was alright, and I think it worked.

The ADVnotes or whatever they're called got out of hand a few times. They sometimes almost covered the entire screen, and that irritated almost everyone in the club. But then again, they irritated me when they complained about it. I managed to catch references to Clannad and Air, I think? All in all, I really want to watch the series with the Japanese voice actors. I might pick up the first DVD with my Christmas money.

[Vexx]

Agreed ... this is one series best served in the original Japanese but to each their own.

[GHDpro]

Also, you shouldn't overload yourself when watching this series. If you watch it the first time, then just do it with normal subtitles on (or none if you watch the dub). Then watch it again with everything turned on and with the remote in your hand so that you can pause easily. This way you understand the story the first time and get all details and references the second time.

[Vexx]

Volume 2 (boxed set or not) is available for pre-order at DVDpacific (and I suppose elsewhere).