still a better love story than twilight.... i can still say that right....i know its 2017 but it still works right?.....can i get a like so i don't hate myself....
You know... when I heard that joke, I started writing a novel based on that idea. Just that it's more introspection on the monomyth and the fate of a hero instead of poop jokes. Oh... and scaly-porn! Lots of scaly porn!
"Dragon chick is shrill, and probably unbearable for you" BITCH PLEASE I was raised in Excel Saga. I literally have this voice actress' screams drilled into my head from YOUTH. Shit's nostalgic.
Wait til you realize that the Japanese voice actress for Excel was also the VA for Sailor Moon. Which makes sense. What DOESN'T make sense is that she's also Captain Ramius on Gundam Seed.
An example of humour in Spain: "The spanish anthem does not have lyrics. Because an anthem has to sing about beautiful things of the land it talks about. Things like: our men are the bravest, our women the most beautiful, and our lands the more fertile. Do you see a spanish singing that with conviction?" We are the masters of self-deprecating humour.
The sorcerer enhancing his entrance with a bucket of dry ice and then having to pick it up and carry it off when he leaves is one of my favorite jokes in anything ever and a big reason why I remembered this one.
i feel like ghost stories is one of those elusive titles we won't get without a theme month or special reason, like excel saga. it's just too damn good to be a random episode.
probably too many episodes for him to review, plus alllllllllllllllllll the explanation of how the english dub came to be. but everyone reading this comment should definitely watch it if they havent lol
I have introduced all of my friends to this for the longest time. When I found it on dvd almost 10-11 years ago. Not sure, it's been reaaaally long ago.
I had never hated the "Read the manga" ending more than with this OVA. 'Course I'm confident the manga's actually just as good, if not better (and how awesome that it's gotten licensed out here), but I just liked how bouncy and stretchy the animation was and wanted more.
It was more a "we did what we could but there's no more money to finish the series" situation than "read the manga" in the end. Not enough interested in it, litterally abandoned half way. (but there's at least two video games)
Which one? There were two. Do you want the serious blond guy with his right arm draped across a happy pink haired girl's shoulder or the serious blond guy with his LEFT arm draped across a happy pink haired girl's shoulder... and some other person in the background.
OK, OK, I seriously thought Sage was joking about Dick Saucer's name. NOPE. THAT'S HIS ACTUAL NAME. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dragon_Half_characters
Rewatched this like a month ago, still sad the it only has a half done OVA to it's name. I was super stoked to see this on your review block. I really need to get off my ass and finish the Manga...I am a lazy fucker.
Did the manga ever get translated? I remember looking for it when I first saw the OVA waaaay back when I was younger but had trouble finding it at the time.
I love Dragon Half! Mink is the best dragongirl EVER! Fun fact: Dragon Half was originally supposed the have more episodes, but because it was somewhat unpopular upon first airing, they axed it. 😢 Also: so, you DO have Judge! Please review that soon. 😝
Woah, wait... You think Kotono Mitsuishi's Mink performance is anywhere NEAR as ear-splitting and frantic as the dub version? Excuse me, I need to have a good hard laugh.
Exactly, there is nothing even remotely as screeching and piercing in the original Japanese version. And I was watching "Dragon Half" in Japanese first. I mean, my god, I almost can't watch this review because of this horrible dub...
Eh, War in the Pocket and DBZ is good..I wanted to say Robotech is crap but then seeing the modern state of Macross...fuck it, Robotech is miles better. Hell, could even be as good as original Macross.
Damn Bennet, that introduction has to be the most insightful study on humor and language I´ve seen online... to then go into dragon half. that has to be the greatest punchline ever.
The whole thing about sentence structure does not make English perfect for jokes, it makes English perfect for jokes created and given in English. A Japanese person would argue English is horrible for jokes because of its relative sparsity of pun-ability.
THANK YOU. I had to skip this segment, it was giving me a headache. He's made other comments about language that got on my nerves a bit but I just ignored, but this was just bad.
I LOVE this OVA :D Thank you for taking a look at it!! I wish they finished up the last two remaining unanimated episodes that they originally planned.
japanese sentence structure isn't really like what you say it is bennett. in japanese particles dictate the meaning and structure of the sentence not the words, the only thing that is true and consistent is that to make a complete sentence in japanese all you need is a verb because of how verbs are modified. but someone who doesn't really study the language to learn it, wouldn't know that. there are times when the joke(japanese) is ruined because of how the english(subtitles) sentence is structured. this is the （why the long face） part translated in japanese and its completely right(all 3 are right) なんで長い顔 (why the long face) 顔がなんで長い(the face why is it long) 長い顔かなんで(long face why is it) great video by the way
Oh my god, yes! I've waited for quite some time for this review, and Bennett does not disappoint! I've loved this anime for quite a while, I've even hunted down unofficial fan translations of the manga, and now I finally got to see my favorite anime critic talk about it! I'm also very excited at the news that the manga is getting an official translation, I'm so excited!
I find it so funny that you found Mink’s voice annoying considering it’s literally just Cutie Honey if she’d sucked half a dozen balloons’ worth of helium 😂
Dragon Half was one of the earliest anime I watched when I joined the college anime club. I had no idea what it was about, but all of the other members of the club were really enthusiastic about it, admiring it as a special treat opening the vault to get a rare glimpse hidden gem. I remember chuckling at the slapstick at the time, but the regard it was held in and the attitude towards it from the others was probably my first introduction to anime as a subculture for those 'in the know'.Of course nowadays it's all /a/nons telling you to lurk moar...
God I'm glad you reviewed Dragon Half. I personally love the little two episode series because its so endearing. I always recommend the anime to anyone I know that loves anime because how short and funny it be. Its not perfect but still, you nailed everything I love about it and why it's worth checking out.
Well... I am certain that the structure of Engish declarative sentences does work in favor of telling the kinds of jokes that English speakers love to tell, but: (a) dozens of other languages have the same basic structure and thus are equally good at telling the same kinds of jokes; and (b) there are other possible joke structures that English is bad at telling e.g., by virtue of not allowing sufficient freedom in word order and in stress placement (and no, I'm not talking puns only either). To sum, structured arts like jokes and poetry are usually done in a way that maximizes their impact, which means using the linguistic structures at their disposal to the maximum advantage. That English would be great for telling jokes that were imagined by English speakers is no more surprising than finding out animal species are adapted to the environments where they live and thrive. Speaking as a Brazilian, I can say that the "English" kind of jokes works fine in Portuguese (the linguistic structures are similar enough). There are, however, semantic kinds of jokes -- let's say, English simplistic puns like knock-knock jokes -- that don't work well in Portuguese because, in a sense, they aren't "smart" enough (the 'unexpected element' isn't all that unexpected). And there are Portuguese style jokes -- like jokes about cuckolded men, a thriving style in Brazil -- that don't work well in English for cultural reasons (you usually don't see the situation of being betrayed by your wife as 'funny' in English, not as much as Brazilians do). Again on the other hand, fart jokes don't work well in Brazil (because they tend to cause disgust rather than hilairty; in Portuguese, farts aren't inherently funny, as Louis C.K. once famously claimed they are). And so on and so forth -- a plethora of problems that don't much relate to structure. When language structures are remarkably different, as in the case of English and Japanese, the kinds of jokes that 'work' in each language will also be remarkably different -- to the point, sometimes, of not seeming to be jokes at all. I would love to hear the opinion of a Japanese speaker (who also understands English) about the English-language jokes that simply "don't work" because they don't have the right rhythm in Japanese -- I bet they do exist. Ben is here concerned with the other side of the equation -- the Japanese jokes that don't work in English -- and rightfully so, since he is a native speaker of English speaking to a largely native English-speaking audience. But don't forget that animē was and is even today made with a Japanese-speaking audience in mind, so the kinds of funny moments and jokes that appear in animē are not supposed to work in English. When they do, it's a bonus, but if they don't, nobody cares -- English speakers are not the target audience.
I was thinking exactly the same. Many jokes that land in English won't land in my native tongue, not because we don't understand them, but because the rythm of English humour is different from the rythm of Spanish humour. The same could be said the other way. I couldn't see an act such as Les Luthiers working in English, not because they work a lot with puns (they do it), but because I think their tone will be seen as silly and overexagerated (But for a Spnaish speaker, it's not)
You're probably right (I don't know Les Luthiers, so I can't judge), but I can guess that a group like the Trapalhões from Brazil has many jokes that wouldn't work in English, also because of different rhythms. In fact, the question is even more complicated than differences in rhythm: I remember hearing discussions among Americans about why 'British humor' (e.g., Monty Python) just 'doesn't work' for Americans -- and certainly that's not because of linguistic rhythms or different grammatical structures. The reasons, even the linguistic reasons, why certain kinds of humor work or don't work in English (or any given language) are complicated. All I can say is that the humor in every developed culture works well with the means at its disposal -- including the linguistic means. It's trying to translate them that creates problems like the ones Ben mentions.
Not to mention cultural references. I'd like to hear from a Japanese native about some movies/shows that would be considered classic Japanese comedy. It would probably reference a *lot* of Japanese cultural minutia just as you have to have watched some Hammer horror films to really get Young Frankenstein.
Yes, I agree. Humor is no simple issue, and claiming English to be better suited for humor is simply a way of privileging the kinds of humor that English happens to be good at, not humor in its totality. Any foreigner who ever wondered why Americans find certain things funny (say, fart jokes, or why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road jokes), and why they don't find certain other things funny, feels like Ben here feels with respect to Japanese humor.
I'd like to take this moment to give appreciation to Bennett for doing something barely anyone else could do come close to doing on CA. He can actually make a skit that knows not to drag on and is actually funny. Good work, dude.
While your analysis of how English humor is pretty good, it's ignoring that different languages have different types of jokes. Language affects our thought processes so much we immediately see our native one as "superior" for something because "it can do X." Saying English can do jokes better because of its structure is like saying it can do pronunciation better because they have the "th" sound.
About the languages which are fit for the jokes, I could say that it is one in particulary as same as english in terms of using syllabus or the ideas,and that language is ROMANIAN! Many romanian jokes has the structure of english or american jokes, and also, in many cases, have subtle finals or wacky ideas! And we have, unfortunately, many jokes in which we could use the jokes about "dick" into a special way, using the intonation or funny contexts!
I'm so happy you actually like this anime as well. I loved it ever since I first watched when I was younger and was pleased to find the manga online. And speaking of the manga, there are so many references. For example, Legend of Zelda. You've got my fangirl drool engaged for the manga coming out in english now. Oh and a random fyi: Mink is the sole reason I have a love of dragons.
Anyone else have a flash of rage when the Auction House music started up at 10 mins in? All those hours trying to get specific items from that place! The magecite came easy, but the others? Gods dang it!
I remember when this anime first came to the US. Originally it was slated to become a full series, but it didn't go over well in Japan so it was canceled after two episodes. It came to the US and became a huge cult hit, but we never did get the end of the story.
The man puts down on Kefka every chance he gets, yet no one can resist the charm that is the Spinach Rag! *cuts to a sepiatone vaudeville reenactment of Kefka sacking Figaro Castle*
+BennettTheSage Joke-struture in german, french, spanish and english is so similar, because they are all part of the same language-family. Especially german and english (since spanish and french have considerable latin influences and thus deviate quite a bit, but are still close enough especially since latin, which spanish and french and italian are partially based one, english and german are part of the indo-european language family themselves).
Oh, I remember this one. Had the video when I was a kid. Was years later before I realized the manga actually finished the story, so I tracked it down and read it through. Kind of a flop ending with the big villain, but it was worth it for the final punchline. I laughed my ass off. "Oh no! A horrible, disfigured draconic monster has appeared! ...on Mink's butt." Yeah, the whole second half of the manga was about Mink turning into a world-destroying horrific monster, and then it just appeared as a tattoo on her butt.
I've been waiting for this review for so long. I wonder how Sage is going to be able to review an anime that's designed specifically to be a parody of anime. This is going to be fun.
I'm not disappointed at all. Love this little comedy. It makes me so happy. But he is wrong about how comedy works in the way that he only discusses verbal comedy. He doesn't at all mention slapstick and how it works. Oh well. Can't be a scholar about all things, I guess.
I hate this type of anime, but I still stuck around because, well, it's interesting to see it analyzed. And I'd never thought about humor the way your points early in the video made me. Very well done, Sage; very interesting stuff.
Dragon Half is one of my all time favourites. I actually find the weird blend of high fantasy and modern day appliances pretty endearing, and as it never asks to be taken seriously it works very well.
I watched this first in the Japanese version. Have never seen the English and after watching this review, the subbed is so much better. I love this anime and I'm excited for this to be translated into English.
![The moment we stopped understanding AI [AlexNet]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UZDiGooFs54/mqdefault.jpg)
"GODDAMMIT RUTH! I said SLAY the dragon, not LAY the dragon!"
Sorry, I had to.
Kyman102
Its okay. That joke hadn't been used in a while :)
Kyman102: Considering the age of this anime, totally acceptable. Besides, the scenes with her parents are priceless.
Kyman102 I don't get it
still a better love story than twilight....
i can still say that right....i know its 2017 but it still works right?.....can i get a like so i don't hate myself....
You know... when I heard that joke, I started writing a novel based on that idea. Just that it's more introspection on the monomyth and the fate of a hero instead of poop jokes. Oh... and scaly-porn! Lots of scaly porn!
"Dragon chick is shrill, and probably unbearable for you"
BITCH PLEASE I was raised in Excel Saga. I literally have this voice actress' screams drilled into my head from YOUTH. Shit's nostalgic.
Ahh brings back found memories... ears bleeding, rocking back and forth in the corner begging for it to stop. But it doesnt stop. It never ends.
JacksonJin Funnily enough, both languages have the actress for Mink being the same actress for Excel.
Wait til you realize that the Japanese voice actress for Excel was also the VA for Sailor Moon. Which makes sense. What DOESN'T make sense is that she's also Captain Ramius on Gundam Seed.
An example of humour in Spain:
"The spanish anthem does not have lyrics. Because an anthem has to sing about beautiful things of the land it talks about. Things like: our men are the bravest, our women the most beautiful, and our lands the more fertile.
Do you see a spanish singing that with conviction?"
We are the masters of self-deprecating humour.
JohnnyElRed heh.
The sorcerer enhancing his entrance with a bucket of dry ice and then having to pick it up and carry it off when he leaves is one of my favorite jokes in anything ever and a big reason why I remembered this one.
For a second there I thought he was going to pick Ghost Stories. lol
I would have ACTUALLY shit my pants, so thank Sage he didn't. I like these pants.
i feel like ghost stories is one of those elusive titles we won't get without a theme month or special reason, like excel saga. it's just too damn good to be a random episode.
probably too many episodes for him to review, plus alllllllllllllllllll the explanation of how the english dub came to be. but everyone reading this comment should definitely watch it if they havent lol
man your not the only one I thought so too loool hope he has time to review it one day
I was hoping he was for a second there
That Japanese actor is the VA of Usagi Tsukino. Recognise that 'won't forgive you!' anywhere.
I THOUGHT it sounded like her. Thanks for confirming it!
Kai Sea THAT'S SAILOR MOON?
Yup. Anime America mentioned it as well.
Also the voice actress of Excel from Excel Saga.
She's also Misato from "Evangelion".
I have introduced all of my friends to this for the longest time. When I found it on dvd almost 10-11 years ago. Not sure, it's been reaaaally long ago.
With all the Excel Saga references, it's surprising Sage didn't mention Mink sharing Excel's english voice
The only way you wouldn't notice is if you were deaf... probably self inflicted to never hear Excel talk again.
They have the same Japanese voice actor too :-)
Kotono Mitsuishi played both as well as Sailor Moon
Misato, Ebichu and many others
Pretty sure she played half the female roles in the early 90s.
+PissedGrunty
Gross over exaggeration...
I had never hated the "Read the manga" ending more than with this OVA. 'Course I'm confident the manga's actually just as good, if not better (and how awesome that it's gotten licensed out here), but I just liked how bouncy and stretchy the animation was and wanted more.
It was more a "we did what we could but there's no more money to finish the series" situation than "read the manga" in the end. Not enough interested in it, litterally abandoned half way. (but there's at least two video games)
Omg Dragon Half, really you reviewing that!!? xD
Gosh, this OVA is sooooo adorable! xDDDD
Quast your profile pic confused me at first, I thought it had a horse head, with a reptile tail,
I was so wrong
dang it!!! i saw him about to grab ghost stories and then boom wishes and dreams dashed curse you suave!!
Yozora KisekiKokoro
So close yet sooo far.
Damnit Suave, go back and pick up that Gravitation DVD right now!
Which one? There were two. Do you want the serious blond guy with his right arm draped across a happy pink haired girl's shoulder or the serious blond guy with his LEFT arm draped across a happy pink haired girl's shoulder... and some other person in the background.
Pink haired GIRL? Your innocence makes me laugh.
It makes me cry T-T
Has Bennet lost some weight? Or is it the lighting or something...
I'm pretty sure he has. I've been going back and watching some of his earlier videos, he definitely looks thinner now.
Jackson Dean he has
Code Blaze Fate Hey, I think you're on the wrong comment chain.
Definitely. Check out his Love Hina reviews. He's lost a lot since then.
Jackson Dean
He's been discussing weight loss efforts on his Twitter.
Good on him, certainly.
OK, OK, I seriously thought Sage was joking about Dick Saucer's name.
NOPE. THAT'S HIS ACTUAL NAME. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dragon_Half_characters
14:00 TOOOUUUUURNAMENT AAAARRRRRCCC
did you just say tournament arc?
Is that a [TOURNAMENT ARC] reference?
👊💪🔂
"Anime is trash, and so am I."-Gigguk
HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE
Rewatched this like a month ago, still sad the it only has a half done OVA to it's name. I was super stoked to see this on your review block. I really need to get off my ass and finish the Manga...I am a lazy fucker.
Did the manga ever get translated? I remember looking for it when I first saw the OVA waaaay back when I was younger but had trouble finding it at the time.
I love Dragon Half! Mink is the best dragongirl EVER!
Fun fact: Dragon Half was originally supposed the have more episodes, but because it was somewhat unpopular upon first airing, they axed it. 😢
Also: so, you DO have Judge! Please review that soon. 😝
Yup I loved the show when I first saw it. I looked for more episodes for a while before sadly finding out there wasn't any.
I will only agree if they put Mink in a maid outfit.
well at least we have the Manga, which is getting an omnimobus in by the end of the year.
Wait, Judge! the manga?
Sheridan Mann No, Judge the OVA.
Sage needs to see Mystical Ninja Goemon anime and play Ganbare Goemon
Woah, wait...
You think Kotono Mitsuishi's Mink performance is anywhere NEAR as ear-splitting and frantic as the dub version?
Excuse me, I need to have a good hard laugh.
Yeah, seriously. The Japanese dub was so much more bearable that my ears were crying in relief.
@Manji Ranger Kiavala stfu
Exactly, there is nothing even remotely as screeching and piercing in the original Japanese version. And I was watching "Dragon Half" in Japanese first. I mean, my god, I almost can't watch this review because of this horrible dub...
Bennett you did not just tease Robotech, War in the Pocket and DBZ in ten seconds, did you?
He also teased Ghost Stories at the end too!
Eh, War in the Pocket and DBZ is good..I wanted to say Robotech is crap but then seeing the modern state of Macross...fuck it, Robotech is miles better. Hell, could even be as good as original Macross.
John Cole
Don't forget teasing Ghost Stories.
His cruelty knows no bounds....
And Gravitation
Damn Bennet, that introduction has to be the most insightful study on humor and language I´ve seen online... to then go into dragon half. that has to be the greatest punchline ever.
The whole thing about sentence structure does not make English perfect for jokes, it makes English perfect for jokes created and given in English.
A Japanese person would argue English is horrible for jokes because of its relative sparsity of pun-ability.
Yeah but puns are the worst. I think Bennet is on to something :P
The sheer amount of egoism and snobbishness when he talked about English was painful...
Thomas Diehl also what's up with the many times in Japanese where we clearly hear a joke in Japanese that's given in a certain tone.
THANK YOU. I had to skip this segment, it was giving me a headache. He's made other comments about language that got on my nerves a bit but I just ignored, but this was just bad.
Thomas Diehl i mean it is not that bad of a segment. Just think what ya will
I didn't grow up with Dragon Half. But when I came across it on DVD years ago, I instantly loved it.
I've tried to turn captions on to understand what the heroine is saying.
Speech to text algorithm was like: "Sorry bro"
Was just looking for a good TH-cam video to watch actually. Thanks man, much appreciated 😄
YES!!! I'm so happy you finally reviewed this! I've been waiting so long!
So glad you reviewed this! I watched it forever ago and always thought it was so cute and funny.
This video made me laugh so much! I love your breakdown of the humor!
I LOVE this OVA :D
Thank you for taking a look at it!! I wish they finished up the last two remaining unanimated episodes that they originally planned.
You know seeing how Sage said his cutoff date was a decade I want to see him review Cromartie High or Air Gear
japanese sentence structure isn't really like what you say it is bennett. in japanese particles dictate the meaning and structure of the sentence not the words, the only thing that is true and consistent is that to make a complete sentence in japanese all you need is a verb because of how verbs are modified. but someone who doesn't really study the language to learn it, wouldn't know that. there are times when the joke(japanese) is ruined because of how the english(subtitles) sentence is structured.
this is the （why the long face） part translated in japanese and its completely right(all 3 are right)
なんで長い顔 (why the long face)
顔がなんで長い(the face why is it long)
長い顔かなんで(long face why is it)
great video by the way
I found the manga years ago, I had no idea there was an ova for it!
It certainly captures the feel of the mangas humor.
Oh my god, yes! I've waited for quite some time for this review, and Bennett does not disappoint! I've loved this anime for quite a while, I've even hunted down unofficial fan translations of the manga, and now I finally got to see my favorite anime critic talk about it! I'm also very excited at the news that the manga is getting an official translation, I'm so excited!
I find it so funny that you found Mink’s voice annoying considering it’s literally just Cutie Honey if she’d sucked half a dozen balloons’ worth of helium 😂
Oh not the eggs, they're mine!
Happily surprised you rated this well as it's a good bit of fun.
Dragon Half was one of the earliest anime I watched when I joined the college anime club. I had no idea what it was about, but all of the other members of the club were really enthusiastic about it, admiring it as a special treat opening the vault to get a rare glimpse hidden gem. I remember chuckling at the slapstick at the time, but the regard it was held in and the attitude towards it from the others was probably my first introduction to anime as a subculture for those 'in the know'.Of course nowadays it's all /a/nons telling you to lurk moar...
Always good when a video opens with a discussion on linguistics.
God I'm glad you reviewed Dragon Half. I personally love the little two episode series because its so endearing. I always recommend the anime to anyone I know that loves anime because how short and funny it be. Its not perfect but still, you nailed everything I love about it and why it's worth checking out.
Wow man you're really starting to thin out, looking good!
Great episode!!!
This is a classic just because of how much fun it pokes at fantasy and anime tropes. I love it!
Well... I am certain that the structure of Engish declarative sentences does work in favor of telling the kinds of jokes that English speakers love to tell, but: (a) dozens of other languages have the same basic structure and thus are equally good at telling the same kinds of jokes; and (b) there are other possible joke structures that English is bad at telling e.g., by virtue of not allowing sufficient freedom in word order and in stress placement (and no, I'm not talking puns only either).
To sum, structured arts like jokes and poetry are usually done in a way that maximizes their impact, which means using the linguistic structures at their disposal to the maximum advantage. That English would be great for telling jokes that were imagined by English speakers is no more surprising than finding out animal species are adapted to the environments where they live and thrive.
Speaking as a Brazilian, I can say that the "English" kind of jokes works fine in Portuguese (the linguistic structures are similar enough). There are, however, semantic kinds of jokes -- let's say, English simplistic puns like knock-knock jokes -- that don't work well in Portuguese because, in a sense, they aren't "smart" enough (the 'unexpected element' isn't all that unexpected). And there are Portuguese style jokes -- like jokes about cuckolded men, a thriving style in Brazil -- that don't work well in English for cultural reasons (you usually don't see the situation of being betrayed by your wife as 'funny' in English, not as much as Brazilians do). Again on the other hand, fart jokes don't work well in Brazil (because they tend to cause disgust rather than hilairty; in Portuguese, farts aren't inherently funny, as Louis C.K. once famously claimed they are). And so on and so forth -- a plethora of problems that don't much relate to structure.
When language structures are remarkably different, as in the case of English and Japanese, the kinds of jokes that 'work' in each language will also be remarkably different -- to the point, sometimes, of not seeming to be jokes at all. I would love to hear the opinion of a Japanese speaker (who also understands English) about the English-language jokes that simply "don't work" because they don't have the right rhythm in Japanese -- I bet they do exist. Ben is here concerned with the other side of the equation -- the Japanese jokes that don't work in English -- and rightfully so, since he is a native speaker of English speaking to a largely native English-speaking audience. But don't forget that animē was and is even today made with a Japanese-speaking audience in mind, so the kinds of funny moments and jokes that appear in animē are not supposed to work in English. When they do, it's a bonus, but if they don't, nobody cares -- English speakers are not the target audience.
I was thinking exactly the same. Many jokes that land in English won't land in my native tongue, not because we don't understand them, but because the rythm of English humour is different from the rythm of Spanish humour. The same could be said the other way. I couldn't see an act such as Les Luthiers working in English, not because they work a lot with puns (they do it), but because I think their tone will be seen as silly and overexagerated (But for a Spnaish speaker, it's not)
You're probably right (I don't know Les Luthiers, so I can't judge), but I can guess that a group like the Trapalhões from Brazil has many jokes that wouldn't work in English, also because of different rhythms. In fact, the question is even more complicated than differences in rhythm: I remember hearing discussions among Americans about why 'British humor' (e.g., Monty Python) just 'doesn't work' for Americans -- and certainly that's not because of linguistic rhythms or different grammatical structures.
The reasons, even the linguistic reasons, why certain kinds of humor work or don't work in English (or any given language) are complicated. All I can say is that the humor in every developed culture works well with the means at its disposal -- including the linguistic means. It's trying to translate them that creates problems like the ones Ben mentions.
Not to mention cultural references. I'd like to hear from a Japanese native about some movies/shows that would be considered classic Japanese comedy. It would probably reference a *lot* of Japanese cultural minutia just as you have to have watched some Hammer horror films to really get Young Frankenstein.
Yes, I agree. Humor is no simple issue, and claiming English to be better suited for humor is simply a way of privileging the kinds of humor that English happens to be good at, not humor in its totality. Any foreigner who ever wondered why Americans find certain things funny (say, fart jokes, or why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road jokes), and why they don't find certain other things funny, feels like Ben here feels with respect to Japanese humor.
I'd like to take this moment to give appreciation to Bennett for doing something barely anyone else could do come close to doing on CA. He can actually make a skit that knows not to drag on and is actually funny. Good work, dude.
When I first started watching anime I loved Dragon Half, and still do.This reminds me I need to go watch it again.
12:02
Nice Yugi-Oh reference. I liked that episode.
now I wanna see this more than ever. this humor is right up my alley.
also grew up with this and i'm glad to hear the manga's coming out! yay!
This is legit one of my fav shows and I LOVE it.
I still say after all these years this is one of my favorite anime. The manga takes it even further.
While your analysis of how English humor is pretty good, it's ignoring that different languages have different types of jokes.
Language affects our thought processes so much we immediately see our native one as "superior" for something because "it can do X."
Saying English can do jokes better because of its structure is like saying it can do pronunciation better because they have the "th" sound.
About the languages which are fit for the jokes, I could say that it is one in particulary as same as english in terms of using syllabus or the ideas,and that language is ROMANIAN! Many romanian jokes has the structure of english or american jokes, and also, in many cases, have subtle finals or wacky ideas! And we have, unfortunately, many jokes in which we could use the jokes about "dick" into a special way, using the intonation or funny contexts!
I'm so happy you actually like this anime as well.
I loved it ever since I first watched when I was younger and was pleased to find the manga online. And speaking of the manga, there are so many references. For example, Legend of Zelda.
You've got my fangirl drool engaged for the manga coming out in english now.
Oh and a random fyi: Mink is the sole reason I have a love of dragons.
oooh I've been waiting for this one
I'm glad Bennett didn't change at all. It gives me hope, and joy.
Buttobi!! CPU, best described as "Gates vs Jobs as hentai"
I Dream of Mimi. I've never been so apprehensive yet excited to see a video review on something.
Dragon Half is one of the more endearing comedy OVAs I've seen.
You REALLY need to review Basilisk!I can't WAIT to laugh my ass off of that!!
Anyone else have a flash of rage when the Auction House music started up at 10 mins in? All those hours trying to get specific items from that place! The magecite came easy, but the others? Gods dang it!
I remember when this anime first came to the US. Originally it was slated to become a full series, but it didn't go over well in Japan so it was canceled after two episodes. It came to the US and became a huge cult hit, but we never did get the end of the story.
Omfg. Finding out the manga is being translated has completely made my day.
The man puts down on Kefka every chance he gets, yet no one can resist the charm that is the Spinach Rag! *cuts to a sepiatone vaudeville reenactment of Kefka sacking Figaro Castle*
This looks awesome, I may check this anime out.
+BennettTheSage Joke-struture in german, french, spanish and english is so similar, because they are all part of the same language-family. Especially german and english (since spanish and french have considerable latin influences and thus deviate quite a bit, but are still close enough especially since latin, which spanish and french and italian are partially based one, english and german are part of the indo-european language family themselves).
Dragon Half was one of my fav anime as a kid and along with Project A-Ko is the reason I love comedy anime even if the humour doesn't always land. :)
a very good video I never knew this existed
As a Vegas local and native, I just wanna say to all you Raiders fans...you can have them back.
Reeeeedu Dragunu! Man, this was the funniest thing I ever saw back in the day when it was being passed around as a bootleg VHS at cons
I need to watch this, it looks super fun
Old anime was so crazy and hilarious. I love it.
god I love this show. I have it proudly in my collection. the trailer for is perfect. Such a shame it didn't get more episodes.
I would have had him review Those Who Hunt Elves. The premise might have convinced him it WAS porno, but the content is actually pure comedy.
Jesus! That opening! That was magical!
super glad I'm not the only one that remembers this was things
Yes! We're getting another episode of the always awesome Sauve. XD
Also this episode's review was cool too and everything.
-Respectfully, Sonofccn
I've kind of been hoping you'd cover this one at some point, and I'm looking forward to your look at "I Dream of Mimi." :)
Oh, I remember this one. Had the video when I was a kid. Was years later before I realized the manga actually finished the story, so I tracked it down and read it through.
Kind of a flop ending with the big villain, but it was worth it for the final punchline. I laughed my ass off.
"Oh no! A horrible, disfigured draconic monster has appeared! ...on Mink's butt."
Yeah, the whole second half of the manga was about Mink turning into a world-destroying horrific monster, and then it just appeared as a tattoo on her butt.
Darn that shrew is the cutest thing...
New Anime Abandon? My night is complete!
11:46 Vena clearly trained and studied to achieve her human form from the flashback, Mink was born looking more or less human save the tail and horns.
I've been waiting for this review for so long. I wonder how Sage is going to be able to review an anime that's designed specifically to be a parody of anime. This is going to be fun.
I'm not disappointed at all. Love this little comedy. It makes me so happy. But he is wrong about how comedy works in the way that he only discusses verbal comedy. He doesn't at all mention slapstick and how it works. Oh well. Can't be a scholar about all things, I guess.
Your looking good buddy, your perfect just the way you are but whatever your doing keep it up
I would actually like to see a full series of this. Do something like alacard or FMA.
So good to hear all the Martian Successor Nadesico VAs again. ;D
This show is both educational and entertaining!
WOW that first box at the end. Would love to see Suave's live reactions to that little gem.
oh my gosh I used to own this one on vhs and met one of the voice actors last year!! so getting a crunchyroll account to watch this again!! ☺☺
HOLD ON. I watched this video WHEN IT AIRED. I'm just now realizing 6 years later that this show has a manga series. HOW did i forgor.
there's something about older anime that newer ones can't mimic
Imoral juptorion so painfully truth
Imoral juptorion yeah the budget
I don't know. I think I recall Inferno Cop being this insane and that's done by Studio Trigger, a new kid on the block
Imoral juptorion not that I'm complaining about some of that (maybe we probably don't need to see a woman raped with a pocessed finger)
Man...Ive NEVER enjoyed a talking point like that, EVER! Love that first 5 min!
Sage, I really liked the essay on comedy and linguistic influences.
To this day I still use the line "A demon doesn't care about story continuity!"
I can get enough of Bennett o man this channel rocks !
Damn this brings back memories
I hate this type of anime, but I still stuck around because, well, it's interesting to see it analyzed. And I'd never thought about humor the way your points early in the video made me. Very well done, Sage; very interesting stuff.
I remember my friends and I getting a copy of this in high school. The rumor was it stopped after 2 episodes because the creator went insane.
I always the unique style this ova had. Really adds a lot of personality to the show.
Seeing that Gravitation DVD cover gave me melanoma
Love it! It looks so damn cute!
Dragon Half is one of my all time favourites. I actually find the weird blend of high fantasy and modern day appliances pretty endearing, and as it never asks to be taken seriously it works very well.
I watched this first in the Japanese version. Have never seen the English and after watching this review, the subbed is so much better. I love this anime and I'm excited for this to be translated into English.
Good job Sage, you got me to laugh at a "Guy go crazy so we need a break" joke.