CardCaptor Sakura: The Movie

I find the CardCaptor Sakura: The Movie DVD to be a very good DVD, Especially considering the unpleasant modifications done to the CardCaptors part of it.  There is little realization of the modifications unless you choose to see them.  

Menus
The menus for the disk are good looking, though not very complex they look good, and that's all that maters, isn't it?

Japanese Language Track
No complaints that I can think of (To put it lightly, this is my preferred track)

English Language Track
It's evil, look below (Dubb Opinions).

Video
I don't have any complaints.  There (as far as I can tell) are no modifications to the video track that can't be deselected.  If you select the dubb as your viewing choice, there are two known video changes, the title screen for the movie (after the first fight scene it shows the name of the movie) is changed to "The Movie CardCaptors" on a dreary looking background.  And the end credits are in English.  If you select the Japanese version you get a completely unmodified video track including the Japanese end credits.  The video looks very good, no noticeable pixelation or anything.  

Outline

Pros
-Reversible Cover
-Neat Pencil Board
-Good Menus
-Trailers
-Commercial Spots
-Unmodified video track (or ability to disable modifications)

Cons
-Dubb is horrible
-No on disk Graphics

 

Dubb Opinions
I bought the CardCaptor Sakura Movie Dvd and of course I watched the sub multiple times, then I decided to check how bad the dubb was.  While not as bad as the series, the dubb of "CardCaptor Sakura The Movie" is still out there.  Of course the dubb still has the name changes and voice actors, and with that comes the awkward moments in voice acting.  At moments their are amazing synchronizations between the CCS (CardCaptor Sakura) and the CC (Card Captors) language tracks but then of course the movie comes to a point where Nelvana didn't like the cuteness or kindness and the dialog was completely revamped.  For the most part the dubb is ok (assuming you have no prior knowledge of CardCaptor Sakura), as the series is, but the "CardCaptor Sakura Movie" is of course MUCH, MUCH better than "The Movie Card Captors".  The change that majorly annoyed me was that Madoushi's background story and personality were completely butchered, we can't have the "Villain" of the story trying to confess their feelings, they have to be heartless psychopaths, bent on revenge and bloodshed.

SOME! of the Changes
-Music is added in and changed to generic CardCaptors music (at least none of it was as bad  as the Card Captors opening song *shuddering*).
-Most of the sound effects are changed or just left out.
-Just after the Arrow card capture scene Tomoyo's dialog is changed from "Sakura-chan is so cute" to "you've got a fan" directed toward Li.
-On the ferry to Hong Kong lots of dialog is changed.
-When Sakura and Tomoyo are getting ready to go to sleep at Li's house Tomoyo's dialog is changed from talk about costumes and videotaping to talk about shopping and food.
-The whole plotline behind Madoushi is changed from she wanted to tell Clow that she loved him, to Clow had imprisoned her and she was seeking revenge.
-On the fiery ride back at the end of the movie ALL of the dialog is changed.  Touya and Yukito's conversation is changed from what to get Fujitaka to why they can't remember what happened the day before.  Sakura and Tomoyo's conversation is changed from Sakura talking about her feelings for Yukito, to how they haven't seen the last of Hong Kong.

I'm kinda curious how badly they mutilated the Movie in the "The Movie CardCaptors" version disk, I fear that I would cry upon seeing all of the cut video and overlay stuff over the EVIL Japanese and Chinese writing.  And the removal of scenes that seem to overly cute or kind.

 

General Opinions on the Series

Ok, you probably have all heard it before, across the many CardCaptor Sakura sites across the Net, but hear is my weigh in on the issue anyways (for those of you who care).  CardCaptors is an "OK" show (Assuming you haven't seen CardCaptor Sakura), but compared CardCaptor Sakura, the show from which CardCaptors got its animation and BASIC plotline, well there is no comparison CardCaptor Sakura is a far better show by leaps and bounds.  For those of you that don't know, Nelvana (commonly known as Nelbaka in CCS circles), the company which dubbed CardCaptor Sakura  into CardCaptors basically just took the animation (video) from CardCaptor Sakura and rewrote the script to suit their wishes.  Many episodes were removed because they were not seen as "necessary", and the episodes that were used have been heavily modified, changing many of the characters names, personalities, and many other things.  While I do understand that for United States Television Network viewing !SOME! of the episodes would need to be slightly edited, but what they did to the show was just insane.  In closing while I would have liked a English Language version of CardCaptor Sakura, if it isn't done correctly, its worthless and to consider CardCaptors worthless is an understatement.  I plan to eventually buy the subtitled CardCaptor Sakura, and you couldn't GIVE me a copy of CardCaptors (except maybe for use as skeet).

Examples of edits
-small tea party at Sakura's house with some friends changed to some type of spelling test review?
-Yukito invites Sakura to go get something to eat at a restaurant is changed to they just happen to meet at the same place at the same time.
-All traces of anything not American is erased, text is removed and not replaced, and much, much more.

-Its not really an edit but in the CardCaptors episodes they're always trying to make up for their removing of episodes by incorporating flashbacks, sometimes there are so many of them it takes up 25% of the entire episode. 

 

Name Changes
Sakura - (pronunciation of name changed)
CardCaptor Sakura: Sakura is very kind, though a little underconfident.  
CardCaptors:

 

Sakura is much less kind, she is also changed to be more confident.
Tomoyo - Madison
CardCaptor Sakura: Tomoyo is very kind, she is also a little weird but this often provides for some good laughs at times.  
CardCaptors:

 

Tomoyo is quite a bit more stuck up in CardCaptors, and her weirdness is removed.
Touya - Tori
CardCaptor Sakura:
CardCaptors:

 

Kero - (pronunciation of name changed)
CardCaptor Sakura:

 
 

Kero is kind and try's helping Sakura out very often, the two often get into disagreements but often patch it up very quickly.
CardCaptors:

 

Kero is quite a bit more unpleasant and impatient in CardCaptors.
-This is but a small sample of the edits done to CardCaptor Sakura, more detailed information is available at these sites.
CardCaptors Uncensored: This site is the ultimate anti-CardCaptors site.




 

 

Last Updated:  September 28, 2002

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