Pokemon Sun and Moon Dub Prompts Outcry Thanks to Soundtrack Change
Ever since Pokemon's anime was first licensed for an English language release in the United States [...]
Ever since Pokemon's anime was first licensed for an English language release in the United States by 4KIDS Entertainment, there have been major changes to the original Japanese language release of the anime. This wasn't initially seen as a problem for many fans during the height of Pokemania, but as anime began to flourish online and more original Japanese language broadcasts began to simultaneously began to release alongside its original drop, fans have begun to want more from the English dub release of the Pokemon anime series.
Because while the English dub releases of the anime have been far better received than they have been in the last few years (especially following the notable voice actor shift early on in the anime), the soundtrack changes are still in effect as of the latest release of the series, Sun and Moon. And the latest episode of the dub certainly got fans' attention.
As the latest episode of the English dub brought the battle between Ash and Kukui to an end in a climactic fashion, fans have argued how the removal of the Japanese's "Type: Wild" song in the scene takes out some of the impact of those final moments. Check it out below and see if you feel those differences too:
Anipoke decoding the Japanese anime: uwu Type: Wild being used for all of Ash's greatest battles like vs Paul and vs Kukui, so thematic!!
The reality for Westerners:pic.twitter.com/OZApoy1UMF
— 108 Kitties キティ 🌈 (@108Kitties) February 23, 2020
While the English dub of the series continues to stir up debate among Pokemon fans, seeing the Sun and Moon anime near its end is a pretty good sign. With the latest iteration of the anime,Pokemon: The Series now airing new episodes weekly in Japan, fans have seen how Ash and new hero Go have been exploring past regions of the franchise along with the new region of Galar from Pokemon Sword and Shield. Unfortunately, it's still not officially licensed for an English language release as of this writing.
There's also a brand new film on the way to Japan this Summer, Pokemon the Movie: Coco, that fans in the West are waiting to see get confirmed for an English language release too. What do you think of Pokemon's English dub over the years? Does the change in soundtrack bother you? Or did you not even notice? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or talk to me directly about all things anime and other cool things @Valdezology on Twitter!