Justin Sevakis, a producer at Discotek Media, put out a statement in regards to the company’s English dub of the anime series Lovely Complex, which is also known as Love Com. This is in reference to disparaging statements that Brendan “JelloApocalypse” Blaber had made about the source material.
To summarize it, it states that English dubs of anime usually “punch up comedy and smooth over rough patches” under the original producer’s supervision so that the end product provokes the intended response as the original work. Those who wish for a more accurate one-to-one translation of Japanese media should Discotek’s subtitled collection. That being said, Discotek is disappointed with Blaber’s “lack of professional discretion” and will no longer work with him in the future.
Blaber’s “lack of professional discretion” comes from a post that he made on his blog, which you can only access via archives. Blaber explains that Sound Cadence obtained the rights to work on Lovely Complex’s dub from Discotek, who did not want to dub it because it is an expensive process. As such, he and many other people who worked on the production were volunteers.
However, Blaber then went on to talk about how much he hates Lovely Complex. He states that since he is a freelance contractor and does not have an official relationship with any of the companies involved, he is speaking for himself. In his blog post, he talks about how much he hates the protagonist Risa, as well as lambasts inconsistencies in the narrative and characterization. He also states at the end that he and the other writers changed interactions between the main couple to improve their relationship.
Translators, localizers, and normal anime fans have responded with disappointment and irritation. Many of noted that this will set back the anti-localization discourse online. This discourse refers to an argument as to whether or not translators and localizers alter the original meaning of a work in order to better suit Western ideals or agendas.
You can purchase Discotek Media’s Blu-Rays of Lovely Complex via RightStuf or Amazon.
