Does this seem a little off to anyone else?

[Gather_Wanderer]

Was just watching an episode of Dragonball Kai (horrible show now...why do I still watch it?) and going through the main show theme and...

Just read the translated lyrics. I thought it was a little off at first but the further I got into the song, the more I realized that I was likely reading a pre-rape confession of some lonely guy somewhere.

:35 to roughly 2:00

http://www.animecrazy.net/dragon-ball-kai-episode-80/#

So I guess it makes perfect sense then. Not off at all.

 

[Bird]

Yes.

 

[ApostateAbe]

A very common social trend I have seen is to perceive allusions to sex in more places than granted by closer examination. Granted, I can't make good sense of those lyrics, but you may want to ask a native Japanese person what to make of them. You can find such people online. In a lot of anime translated to English, the lyrics of a theme song are completely rewritten just so an English-speaking person can make sense of it and appreciate it. It is often impossible to appreciate the poetry written in a different language. Not that Dragonball Kai theme song lyrics are any more than the most banal poetry.

 

[Gather_Wanderer]

In a lot of anime translated to English, the lyrics of a theme song are completely rewritten just so an English-speaking person can make sense of it and appreciate it. It is often impossible to appreciate the poetry written in a different language. Not that Dragonball Kai theme song lyrics are any more than the most banal poetry.

I did forget this point. I remember years back when this show in particular was at it's height of popularity here in the U.S. and I came across a few people who I found arguing that the show in it's original Japanese context was best, arguing points about specific powers and events within the series...pretty much saying that the U.S. version did a poor job of translating and therefore left a different impression than was meant to be left. (U.S. version, Goku is best. Japanese version, Gohan is "best", rightful successor, etc.)

Still currently have a bad taste from that intro song though.

 

[ApostateAbe]

Here are the lyrics of the English-version Pokemon opening theme:

I wanna be the very best that no one ever was,
To catch them is my real test, and train them is my cause!
I will travel across the land, searching far and wide.
Train these Pokemon to understand the power that's inside!
POKEMON! Gotta catch 'em all!
It's you and me, I know it's my destiny,
POKEMON!
Ooooooohh you're my best friend, in a world we must defend,
POKEMON! Gotta catch 'em all!
Our hearts so true, our courage will pull us through,
You teach me and I'll teach you,
POKEMON!
Gotta catch 'em all,
Gotta catch 'em alll!
POKEMON!​

Here are the lyrics of the Japanese-version Pokemon opening theme, translated to English:

I'll go through flames, floods, weeds, forests,
The soil, clouds, and under the skirt of the girl (Scream!)
And through here, through there...
And through here, through there...
A long, long road to go...
To get pocket monsters....
Goodbye, my home....
I'm starting with the cute guy (Pikachu!)
Win and win with a trained ability,
Go to a new town with new friends
Success is not guaranteed
(A matter of course)
What's the matter?
You, monsters, always go all out
I'll go through flames, flood, weeds, forests
The soil, clouds, and under the skirt of the girl (Forget it!)
And through here, through there
And through here, through there
A long, long road to go
To get pocket monsters
Tired, I say good night
I close my eyes and am reminded (Pikachu?)
That through fanned flames and a storm,
Hearing you, monsters,
I battled.
Old days they said Yesterday's enemy is today's ally
But today's ally is an aeon ally,
I wanna be a great pocket-monster trainer!
...I should be!
I heard someone telling the dreams come true with the sound of music,
...A bud would bloom...
...I would see my dream be true.....​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nCh2QNVKsM

 

[Gather_Wanderer]

Wow. The japanese version is almost a different song. While this is fresh in my mind, I may have to ask a classmate i have in mind(native) about this sort of thing just to get a second opinion. I can't for the life of me understand why the line about looking under the girl's skirt was even put in there. The second song I think does do a better, more precise job of staying within the theme of what the series is about..traveling to new towns, meeting new people, etc....primarily the reason why I'm still left here, scratching my head.

I'm not sure if I can make a direct connection to this with my next "point", but also I've noticed from reading a bit of manga, watching late-night anime, a trend with some sort of dominance over innocent and "beautiful" female characters by "villainous" males. Sure, you can find that in other places, but it seems so rampant in these particular cases. Maybe I need to investigate this a bit more, but it's probably why I picked up on this in the first place.

 

[ApostateAbe]

The lines about going under the skirt of the girl, well, that really is sexual.

 

[Cognisant]

They invented the image board.

One can never underestimate how fucked up the Japanese are.

 

[Words]

The lines about going under the skirt of the girl, well, that really is sexual.

From what I understand, I think it's suppose to be more comical than sexual. Though there seems to be a relationship between humor and sexuality. It's not so surprising since it is only one "random" line.

 

[burtstanton]

Repression manifests in weird ways.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Hey hey let's go kenka suru
Taisetsu na mono protect my balls!
Boku ga warui so let's fighting...
Let's fighting love!

 

[SpaceYeti]

... That's hot.

 

[Anthile]

Repression manifests in weird ways.

I'd call Japan everything but sexually repressed.

 

[Gather_Wanderer]

I'd call Japan everything but sexually repressed.

Hey hey let's go kenka suru
Taisetsu na mono protect my balls!
Boku ga warui so let's fighting...
Let's fighting love!

Uhh, yeah.
Sexual frustration maybe? Possibly frustration in the lack of successful conquests; It often seems to translate to rapist undertones in writing.

 

[scorpiomover]

It's very off for Westerners. But the Japanese have an entirely different culture.

Apparently, you can do whatever you like, so long as it's in private. I've read that they are obsessed with bondage. No-one minds, as long as you do it in private.

FYI, there have been a LOT of risque manga. One that comes to mind, is Sailor Moon. That caught a lot of flack, because it was about lesbian schoolgirls.

But then again, I was up the whole night one night. At 6am, I had the TV on, and it was showing a kids' TV programme. I suddenly noticed that the female presenter was wearing a black-PVC French maid's uniform, the type people only wear in sexual role-play. Talk about references to sex.