Akira on LD: which version do I want

Dan Rudolph · 09-24-2003, 01:00 AM

I've been considering getting a laserdisc player and Akira. Mostly as I wax nostalgic for the Streamline dub. There seem to be several versions out there. The Streamline dub is a must. I don't care about features that are duplicated on the 2-disc DVD set as I already have it.

Jeffrey Nelson · 09-24-2003, 02:31 AM

I also love the original Streamline dub! I find the voices much more appealing, especially that of the girl, who sounds like a 30-40-something woman in the new dub. In the old dub, she sounds like a teen. The only thing I like about the new dub is that some of the plot points are clearer, such as when Kaneda destroys his dead friend's bike. In the original dub, there is no reason given for him to do this. In the new dub, he makes it clear that he's sending the bike back to his dead friend.

stan hiller · 09-24-2003, 08:16 AM

I've owned the gloriously packaged criterion 3 disc edition for some years now and rated it as on of my favourite LD's so a year or so back when the dvd version hit the street, I picked up a copy straight away and heres what my first impressions were.
DUBBING - the new dub is nowhere near as good as the origional streamline dub, its almost like watching a different movie, I found some of the new voices grated.
MUSIC - I was looking forward to the new dolby digital dvd but found that even though there were some half decent surround moments, the dvd lacked the 'oomph' of the laserdisc and really did'nt make much use of low frequency sound.
The laserdisc was much better - a good example is the motorbike chase sequence at the beginning of the film, when compared side to side, I found that the dvd sounded 'thin' and lacked punch.
I find I tend to watch the LD version over the dvd and is also the reason why I still use the bulk of my LD's.

alan halvorson · 09-24-2003, 09:36 AM

So - is the Criterion 3-disc (watch it - there is also a 2-disc that lacks the features of the 3-disc) the Streamline dub? As for versions, there are only the two Criterion LD releases in this country. There is, of course, at least one Japanese release. This occasionally shows up on Ebay.

JonZ · 09-24-2003, 10:22 AM

I was going to suggest Criterion LD, but would NEVER consider watching the dubbed version of this film.

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Enrique B Chamorro · 09-24-2003, 10:45 AM

My memory seems to think that the Aussie DVD
has both English dubs, does that sound right?

Christopher_J_F · 09-24-2003, 01:26 PM

I have the Japanese LD boxset, and it (suprise!) includes the English dub on the analoge tracks. (I've NEVER seen this on a Japanese release (of a Japanese production) before, and I have a lot of import discs!

Anyway, for the record, I cant stand the Streamline dub, but I thought the new one was really good! (Just my 2 cents...) In fact, two of MY main examples of bad English dubbing is in the streamline version of that film: When the terrorist realises his bomb isn't going to detonate and he says everything he's thinking like "HUHHHHH!" as he looks at it, and when Kenada fires a shot at the Police in the sewers, all of which duck, and the squad leader stands up and says "Look out, he's got a gun!"

Ahhhhh... makes me laugh just thinking about it!

And JonZ: The Criterion LD contains BOTH the dub and the original Japanese. Just fyi.

JonZ · 09-24-2003, 02:00 PM

Yes Chris I know.

That comment was aimed at Dans saying he was fond of the old dub,not that a Japanese track wasnt available.

I dont want to be a snob, but the Japanese track is just fantastic and both dubs IMHO are terrible.

Jeff Jacobson · 09-25-2003, 01:25 AM

The first time I saw Akira was the Streamline dub. I remember that Kaneda and a bunch of other characters sounded like Leonardo, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

After seeing the movie with the original Japanese audio track, I never wanted to see a dubbed version (of any foreign film) again.