ANIMATED SHORTS: SHIN CHAN

[MattBrady]

IT’S A POTTY PARTY WITH SHIN CHAN
OSCAR NOMINEES AND MORE….

by Steve Fritz

Here’s a little known fact about the series Shin Chan.

The show actually started way back in 1992. According to the American version of the series’ head writer, Jared Hedges, there’s actually been over 500 episodes produced as well as over a dozen movies.

That doesn’t mean the work for Hedges and his crew is any easier. After all, he has to make sure the show stays funny while keeping the spirit of the series intact. Considering that means translating Japanese, that’s not as easy as it sounds.

“It’s something we’ve been working on from the start,” says Hedges. “We generally stay true to the overall plot of the episode since we can’t change the animation. While we keep the plot, we’re kind of forced to throw out pretty much all of the (literal) dialogue and start from scratch. For instance, a lot of the puns just don’t translate.”

“There’s also pop culture references to Japanese things like pop stars, politicians or even sumo wrestlers that just don’t work over here,” adds fellow writer Joel Bergen.

U.S. producer FUNimation employs six different writers to work on the show. Hedges and Bergen’s past experience includes such other FUNimation imports as the Dragon Ball franchise, Full Metal Alchemist, Case Closed, Speed Grapher and Samurai 7. Joining me for this session was also Alex Muniz, whose work includes a number of American productions, among them Back To the Barnyard, The Emperor’s New School and The Replacements (the latter two with Bergen). Missing from the session, but worthy of note for putting up with these three, were writers Michael B. Steinberg, Ben Arntz, and Laura Moran (who probably needed the break from the other three anyway).

The word has come down that Adult Swim, who airs the series on weekday nights at 12:30 a.m., has purchased another 52 episodes of the series. FUNimation has also announced it will be releasing a Season One set of DVDs sometime this spring. As I liked the potty-mouthed boy with a penchant of dropping his pants anyway, why not sit down and talk to Hedges, Bergen and Muniz about working on the series anyway.

“Working on it is fun,” says Hedges. “The hardest part of that episode was sitting back and wondering how we were going to make it work.

“With the Japanese, the thing is how they do their phrasings,” says Bergen. “Phrasing in Japanese is very different than it is over here. It’s what makes harder to do an American version of Shin Chan than it is a Japanese version of The Simpsons.

“Another thing is American humor is more a joke a minute. Shin Chan has a lot of what we would call dead beats, scenes of people not talking or just doing things like walking across the street. That’s our big area where we really have to message the story. It’s where we’ll have a lot more inner dialogue with a character or add narration. We found that’s the best area to broaden the characterization or that sort of thing.

“When we mean joke a minute, it really is more like a joke every ten seconds,” says Hedges. “In the original Japanese it really would be more like every 30 seconds between jokes. Thanks to The Simpsons, Family Guy and shows like that Americans aren’t accustomed to this.”

That isn’t all when it comes to scripting either. The writers actually also have to consider what the business calls lip flaps, aka the number of times a character’s mouth moves when it is talking. While Shin Chan’s crude animation allows some leeway, when all is said and done if it doesn’t work right it ends up looking like the original Astro Boy.

“We’re not in a typical writing job where we are all in one room together working on the same script,” says Hedges. “We just don’t work on a script, then have a table read and then go back and fix whatever we find in the read. What we do is come up with 3 to 9 options for the actors to read and find out which works. Then we’ll leave it to the director to decide which way to go.

“There will also be times where they will look at the animation and come up with a tenth version or use one of our lines to springboard into something else,” says Bergen. “Shin Chan is definitely a very interactive production.

“It’s really hard when you get a joke that you like and then it has to be thrown out because it doesn’t fit within the flaps,” says Hedges. “Joel and I have worked on a number of animes where you have to be a lot more flap-literal. While we try to be pretty true to the flaps with Shin Chan, we can be a little looser.”

Still, what is it like working on a character like little Chan? As Muniz points out, it’s also somewhat tricky.

“Shin Chan has what I call a lot of little degrees,” says Muniz. “A lot of it depends upon the circumstances. Some times he’s very childlike and nice. Sometimes he’s like a kid from South Park. Other times he’s an adult in a kid’s body. I kind of write him like he’s Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes, a Calvin who is really intense and really into boobs…

“…and fecal matter,” Bergen jumps in.

“Yeah,” Muniz concurs, “but he’s also the protagonist. He’s the hero of the show. He always gets the last joke. The instructions we got from the creators in Japan are the humor comes from an innocent place. Shin doesn’t intentionally try to be bad, although there are exceptions. Also, we got instructions that all the humor comes from him. I think ‘innocently bad’ is kind of a good way to describe him.”

“Or a streetwise idiot,” says Bergen, “who likes to flash his butt a lot.”

In other words, sort of like Bart Simpson.

“I would even say he’s more innocent than Bart,” says Bergen.

“I would say that Shin started doing full frontal nudity before Bart did,” says Hedges, “only because he thinks less about it. In fact, when we first started on the show we were told by the creators that we were making him a lot meaner than they wanted. We had to tone it down but still keep the potty jokes in there.”

And as said before, the show is catching on. If being on the air in Japan for 25 years isn’t enough, Shin Chan is a huge hit in countries like India (a gigantic TV market when you think about it). So the creators must know something about what they’re doing. Also, being Hedges and company have the previously announced 500+ episodes to work from, this gives them a lot to play with for the upcoming season.

“It’s kind of a show that grows on people,” says Hedges. “Most people tell us when they first saw it they didn’t watch it, then one day they left the TV on while waiting for something else, and it grew on them. It seems the longer it’s on, the more people it attracts.”

“I think what people are realizing that after watching 52 episodes on Adult Swim,” says Muniz, “it’s a lot more sophisticated than it first appeared.

“Also, when you look at the first few episodes, it was pretty clear we were still figuring out the direction of the show,” says Hedges. “Now, when I look at those [early] episodes, there are times when I now say, ‘Oh. That kid wouldn’t say that.’ A lot of that is we hadn’t seen as many episodes as we’ve seen now.”

More important, the writers made the pilgrimage to Japan to meet with the creators and get their blessings and some inside tips. That means, in return, they will be starting the second season off with one heck of a bang.

“Well, Robot Chicken and Family Guy had their take on Star Wars,” says Hedges, “we thought we might as well jump on the bandwagon with our own parody.”

“They had done a parody a number of years ago, before either Robot Chicken or Family Guy,” adds Bergen. “Make sure to point that out. Besides, ours is much better.”

“I think because of our smaller audience, we really wrote for the fanatic,” says Muniz, “I mean guys who would ace the Trivial Pursuit game. We actually went and researched out a lot of stuff. We actually went through the FUNimation lawyers before we went through some of the stuff. As it turns out, it went over with them pretty well. Still, because the guys at Robot Chicken and Family Guy actually got licenses to do their parodies, we go more for the jugular. I mean we decided that Jake Lloyd was ten times more annoying than Jar Jar, so we took a few shots at him. I mean I hate to harp on a kid, but it was really painful watching him.”

Then again, if there is any kid in filmdom that deserves to be seen with his pants down, it’s the young Anakin Skywalker…and we know Shin Chan is just the kid to pull’em.

OSCAR NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

In a move that’s sure to upset a lot of people, and surprise a bunch of others, the Academy of Motion Pictures and Science announced its nominees for best animated feature films was announced. As with previous years, only three films were honored, but not what many of the pundits thought they would be.

The list for best feature films is:

• Persepolis (Sony)
• Ratatouille (Disney/Pixar)
• Surf’s Up (Sony)

This is an incredibly interesting selection considering. Blockbusters such as Shrek III and The Simpsons Movie were totally ignored. So was the overall critically acclaimed Beowulf. Also of note is Persepolis was originally introduced as a nominee for Best Foreign Film by its sponsoring country, France.

The list of nominees for Best Short Film, Animated include a number of independent works, including:

• Même les pigeons vont au paradis: Samuel Tourneux, Vanesse Simon
• I Met the Walrus: Josh Raskin
• Madame Tutli-Putli: Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski
• Moya lyubov: Aleksandr Petrov
• Peter & the Wolf : Suzie Templeton, Hugh Welchman

The awards will be handed out on February 24th. Let the controversy begin.

SHREK THE MUSICAL TO DEBUT IN SEATTLE

So will it have critics screaming ‘I’m a Believer!’ or making jumping in the Sound? We won’t know until August, but Dreamworks announced the theatrical production of Shrek The Musical will make its world debut on August 14 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. It will run until September 21st, prior to opening on Broadway in the Fall of 2008.

The play features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner, David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole ), music by Jeanine Tesori (Olivier Award-winner for Caroline, or Change and three-time Tony Award nominee), and is directed by Jason Moore, who staged the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Avenue Q.

It’s DreamWorks Animation’s first venture in legitimate theater. The production was initiated by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sam Mendes, who has a long-term relationship with DreamWorks. Mendes, a big fan of the first film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is being produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).

“Without a doubt this will be the major event of Seattle’s theatrical season,” said 5th Avenue Theatre Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong, continuing, “What I am most excited about is the first class creative team that has been assembled for this production. These are some of the most talented and exciting artists working in the musical theater today. Once again our audience will have the opportunity to experience the creation of a new Broadway musical.”

“We are delighted that SHREK THE MUSICAL will play in Seattle prior to Broadway,” said Bill Damaschke, President of DreamWorks Theatricals. “Seattle audiences are well known for their enthusiastic support of new work and their discerning taste. This, in addition to the experience and expertise of The 5th Avenue Theatre team, provides us with a fantastic environment for the creation of our show.”

All we can think is we think we’d rather see the Ice Capades.

NEXT COLUMN: Speaking of Persepolis, I finally got to see the film today. Expect my review this Thursday. .

[Poolman]

Shin Chan is one of the funniest characters ever. I've watched at least a hundred chapters on Spanish, and will check this one out in the Adult Swim.

I love the way he speaks...

Shin Chan is in a street with a small mail package, and then his kinder garden teacher comes in and says:
-Hey Shin Chan, going to the mail office?
-Hey teacher, yes, how did you knew?
-I saw your little package there.
-Hey baby, you aren't THAT bad as well.

he is far worse than Bart Simpson

[paptschik]

I love Shin-chan, it's hilarious. To bad they stopped releasing German DVDs...also, once it wasn't a big success at later times they redid the dialogue and made it a kids show...it was terrible...the only thing that still worked was the principal, mainly because his Mafia shtick he had instead of the Yakuza stuff was hilariously well dubbed.

[Hobowatcher]

How the hell did Surf's Up beat Tekkon Kinkreet?!

[CodeGuy]

I really enjoy Shin Chan. Some of the running gags are getting a little creepy, though. Like the little girl who beats the bunny. As they show has gone on, they've made it more and more clear that her father beats her and her mother. That's not so good.

[JLAJRC]

I'm also kinda suprised The Simpsons Movie didn't get a nomination. But even if it was, it still had no chance of beating Ratatoulle. Unless that Persepolis one scores an upset.

[CodeGuy]

I can't imagine the Simpsons movie getting a nomination. No matter how good it is, movie people are going to look at it as just an extension of the show.

[tangata manu]

I always thought that doing Shin Chan in the US would be extremely difficult.

but man, that is one great show and i believe that`s a really good asset to go to the US with.

and it`s true, with time the show just keeps getting more fun for the viewer.

[beta-ray]

I just can't get into Shin Chan. I watched the show a long time ago when it was running on NGN. The subtitles were pretty close to what they were saying (as far as my poor Japanese can tell)... and I didn't mind having to research for something I didn't understand.

The changes just seem too much for me. And some so random. "Action Bastard"? What the heck is that? In the original, it's "Action Kamen". Kamen meaning "mask"... It's a lot cruder in the language here.

Oh well...

[AbacusComics]

I have the Japanese version of Shin-chan, which my son loves. I watched one episode of the English version, and there's no way I'd let him watch that.

Hey Beta-Ray, awesome Kamen Rider icon!

[sfritz]

Originally Posted by beta-ray

I just can't get into Shin Chan. I watched the show a long time ago when it was running on NGN. The subtitles were pretty close to what they were saying (as far as my poor Japanese can tell)... and I didn't mind having to research for something I didn't understand.

The changes just seem too much for me. And some so random. "Action Bastard"? What the heck is that? In the original, it's "Action Kamen". Kamen meaning "mask"... It's a lot cruder in the language here.

Oh well...

I understand where you're coming from. The way I got hooked on the show was one of those nights where I just kept it on waiting for another series, and the Bunny episode happened. It literally made me do a double take...I couldn't believe what I had just heard more than what I saw. Now I'm looking forward to the season set so I can review the show more at my liesure than from a sleep-induced state. -s

[Scavenger]

I'm hoping Ratatoulle takes it.

Be nice after it's less than Incredibles box office had Pixar critics jumping with glee. (of course it's unbelivable numbers in Europe pretty much shut them up). I thought it's one of the best Pixar films...just beautiful to watch.

[elio]

I love Shin Chan, easily one of my favorite shows on TV right now. Great animation and great laughs. When it's over, I know it's time for bed!

[beta-ray]

Originally Posted by AbacusComics

I have the Japanese version of Shin-chan, which my son loves. I watched one episode of the English version, and there's no way I'd let him watch that.

Hey Beta-Ray, awesome Kamen Rider icon!

Dunno if since it is in Japanese it seems tamer, but it just did to me. Not that Crayon was a role model, but it was more funny that really shocking. Was kinda shocked at the US version.

Thanks about the icon. It's a sketch I found from Kamen Rider the Next movie.

[beta-ray]

Originally Posted by sfritz

I understand where you're coming from. The way I got hooked on the show was one of those nights where I just kept it on waiting for another series, and the Bunny episode happened. It literally made me do a double take...I couldn't believe what I had just heard more than what I saw. Now I'm looking forward to the season set so I can review the show more at my liesure than from a sleep-induced state. -s

Sorry if I missed this in the articles... Will the DVDs have the Japanese track with more literal translations?

[Megagents]

Originally Posted by beta-ray

I just can't get into Shin Chan. I watched the show a long time ago when it was running on NGN. The subtitles were pretty close to what they were saying (as far as my poor Japanese can tell)... and I didn't mind having to research for something I didn't understand.

The changes just seem too much for me. And some so random. "Action Bastard"? What the heck is that? In the original, it's "Action Kamen". Kamen meaning "mask"... It's a lot cruder in the language here.

Oh well...

Like the article says, tings had to change for certain reasons. Nevermind...

[Illustr8r]

Aren't these the same dolts who ruined the US version of Lupin III?

[bkbirge]

Shin Chan is the best thing on TV now. I can watch this with my wife after the baby is in bed and we love it.