Talk about nitpicky!

[Drtooth]

Really... you know how we have people complaining about Kermit living in a mansion and Fozzie's Fart Shoes?

Well, seems Latin America has us all beat in the game of supreme silliness...

In an effort to rebrand the Muppets with an international consistency, Mexican Kermit the Frog changes his name from La Rana Rene to Kermit La Rene...

And people are just as "OH COME ON!" ticked off about it as immature teenage anime fans.

If this wasn't a pet peeve of mine, I'd end the thread right here... but after years of seeing childish complaints by kids spoiled enough to see the uncut stuff, complaints about name changes drive me up the wall. To me, this is no different as people complaining that Zoro from One Piece got the name change "Zolo," even though that was a move to protect themselves from a litigious company that owns the copyright of the character that's one "R" away from that spelling. Not to mention Japanese R/L confusion. Seriously... how would they have lived with Battle of the Planets, where Jinpei Keyop spoke like Klunk from Dasdardly and Muttley and had a comic relief robot that wasn't there?

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well I mean, how would we feel if they changed a character name we grew up with, just to supposedly "fix" an "inconsistency?"

 

[Drtooth]

Well I mean, how would we feel if they changed a character name we grew up with, just to supposedly "fix" an "inconsistency?"

Like how Princess Toadstool is called "Peach?"

Well, like a mature rational adult, I'd say... "Huh?" say, these things happen, and not be bothered by it. Every video game company retconned their characters to have their original Japanese names in the past 10 or so years, and no one really flinched. Sure, I never liked the name Peach, but by that same tone, I never cared for the American localized name "Bowser" for King Koopa. Robotnik is Robotnik if he's American cartoon illustrations like AOSTH and SATAM, but it's Eggman if he has his Sonic Adventure and beyond look for me. Plus, in the cases of these characters, the localization and original name have mixed beautifully... Princess Peach Toadstool, King Bowser Koopa, Robotnik being Eggman's real name and Eggman being the nickname... Name changes and localization ALWAYS tends to flip flop. Especially if an anime is dubbed by another company... They had to change Lupin III to Edgar in France due to Maurice LaBlanc's estate... well... sucking and not having a sense of humor.

That said, if Mexico had its OWN version of Kermit (like the US had cartoons based on the video games or Italian Disney comics have special versions of Donald Duck) then I'd sorta see a problem... but I've never been big on localization name changes. That's STILL a change.

 

[dwmckim]

Even MORE controversial than the name change is K & P going down at the end of the video.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Every video game company retconned their characters to have their original Japanese names in the past 10 or so years, and no one really flinched

I do get what you're saying and there are times when it's nice to have a character's name changed back to what it should be, regarding its origins.

I just don't love companies taking it upon themselves to change something about a character just because they've decided it makes more sense. It reminds me too much of George Lucas' heavy handedness.

 

[Drtooth]

I just don't love companies taking it upon themselves to change something about a character just because they've decided it makes more sense. It reminds me too much of George Lucas' heavy handedness.

How is that different from companies in other countries taking it upon themselves to change something about the character's name to give it the illusion that they created it?

There's something to be said about brand conformity and uniformity going against some country changing the name of something and claiming it as their own. This is no different than an anime or TV series in general getting a new dub or switching dub companies.

I'd like to point out the famous and completely incorrect internet Meme based on the Dragonball quote "IT'S OVER 9000!!!" For years, the US and Canada have dubbed that scene so that 9000 fits in the mouth flaps. However, the REAL line is "It's over 8,000." Which, while that does sound nitpicky, it cauyses some factual error that I completely forgot the details of... something about if it really was over 9000, he could have beaten Vegeta easier... I forget... someone pointed that out somewhere... but as this video will show, The US and Canadian dubs are the ONLY ones to screw up that line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Uf1m3It0g&feature=related

Then came DB Kai, and a more accurate to the Japanese script American Dub. Though, to keep the internet meme's fame, they compromised... the television broadcast said the 9000 line, while the DVD's used the right one.

It's just the perils of dubbing. Name changes, localization, screwing up lines... other than Samurai Pizza Cats, I'm not a fan of that.

 

[CensoredAlso]

How is that different from companies in other countries taking it upon themselves to change something about the character's name to give it the illusion that they created it?

Well if it was done at the beginning that would be fine. But I guess it's the interfereing with people's nostalgia and memories that rubs me the wrong way.

But ultimately I guess it depends on the situation and your own preferences.

 

[Drtooth]

I've stopped caring about OTHER people's nostalgia when it became evident that when they slightly change something about a franchise they flip the heck out, but they cheer when they see Optimus Prime sniffing coke in a terrible internet cartoon. "Don't you dare change someone's voice because they died or retired, but isn't that internet fanart He-man slash porn AMAZING?!"

Plus, I also noticed that half the time the stuff they don't want altered ARE alterations. Batman TAS diehards refuse to give any OTHER animated form of Batman the time of day, and that was his third or fourth appearance in a cartoon show (if you count Filmation's 1960's and 70's shows separate... and Superfriends is added to the equation)... We remember Porky Pig being voiced by Mel Blanc, yet we don't remember the voice originated from Joe Dougherty (who HAD the stutter for realz). The Turtles NEVER said Cowabunga in the comics (though, I'd like to point out that fans of the original comic kept calling Eastman and Laird sell outs BECAUSE of the cartoon series). Most Muppet fans grew up with Sesame Street, the Show and the movies, and it took tribute documentaries and the internet age to see Sam and Friends and the commercials.

I really wouldn't put changing a name back to the true name for brand conformity in the same league of George Lucas screwing his movies up because HE thinks they look better that way. It's not even changing the characters to something else one way or another. That I'd understand. I understand people like sarcastic Rob Paulsen Raphael, even though that was the only time the character was like that (confused the heck out of me when I first saw the movie)... but Kermit's still Kermit if his name is Kermit or Tonto el Sapo or Cheezewazzle MacGoo the Frimfram.

I would also like to point out, It's only about 4 countries that even changed his name and according to that list, certain dubs called him Kermit anyway to begin with. On the other hand I don't see SW getting pressured by Disney to have Plaza Sesamo redub every Kermit skit to keep consistent.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I've stopped caring about OTHER people's nostalgia when it became evident that when they slightly change something about a franchise they flip the heck out

In my experience it usually isn't a slight change, lol.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

gotta agree with DRTOOTH on this one..ive grown to not really feel bad for people who complain about nostalgia being ruined, most of the time because that very nostalgia is made up of made up memories from whatever show or game people fondly love details here or there that didnt really happen but they swear to death happened.

now as for Kermits name change i dont mind it, what some people many not know is that Kermit has been know as La Rana Rene and Kermit, in Puerto Rico sometimes referred as both withen the same sesame street episode...in one Movie he is Kermit in another its Rene, so its very confusing..i grew up mostly here so to me he has always been Kermit. if kermit's name was always rene then fine i could see the issue at hand but there is nothing wrong with him officially being Kermit in all languages.