(Article) What Japanese Fans think of Super Mario Bros.

[KoopaBro64]

This article has been around for a little bit, but I'm surprised it hasn't been posted here. So here it is for anyone who has not viewed it yet:

http://legendsoflocalization.com/what-d ... ros-movie/

This article was put together by Clyde Mandelin, an active video-game translator who has worked in both industrial and independent projects. He is widely known for independently translating the sequel to the Super Nintendo game "Earthbound", titled "Mother 3". This has gained him much praise through the gaming community as well as industry professionals.

It seems this article was put together to acknowledge the passing of good ol' Bob, and I'm not too surprised that Japanese fans actually seem to appreciate the film more than the West. In general, Japan has a more laid-back, masculine culture. They've always been less concerned over the boundaries of entertainment, allowing much freedom to Japanese film and anime directors. There have been many unfaithful anime and novel adaptations that have done phenomenally well in Japan, and I suppose due to their accessibility ,"Super Mario Bros." had a little bit more of a gratifying welcome.

This really intrigues me, as we've never had much information about the film's release overseas. Japan is Mario's home country after all, I wonder how the film was advertised there? I remember seeing a hardcover "Making of" book on some website a little over a decade ago, but other than that, I wonder how Nintendo and the Japanese distributors marketed the film through advertisement and merchandising.

[Serum]

Damn good article. Damn good post. Serum approves.

It is odd that the movie is more popular everywhere other than the States. Even former Nintendo CEO Shigeru Miyamoto has gone on record as being a fan of our favorite film!

[Mario500]

^Shigeru Miyamoto was never a CEO at Nintendo. You probably had him confused with someone else.

[Serum]

^Shigeru Miyamoto was never a CEO at Nintendo. You probably had him confused with someone else.

Well, you know what I mean-- he was the guy who was in charge of a lot of stuff there for a very long time, including aiding the creation of the Mario character in a huge way. Let's not argue semantics.

The point is that virtually everyone who isn't American appreciates finer films, even if they're underrated North American films like Super Mario Bros..

[Redstar]

Yeah, Phlibbit and I discussed this article some time ago. I'm surprised as well that we hadn't re-posted it here; I believe I contacted the author and wanted to wait on a response before doing so.

I've always had a theory that the Japanese and Swedish were more considerate with the film. This article only confirms that the Japanese at least have a bit more patience and curiosity.

[KoopaBro64]

Did you ever get a reply from him, Redstar? He is a very busy fellow, so I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't gotten to it yet.

I suppose the matter of international opinions of the film really accounts to the advertising and cultural differences. I'm sure many will agree with me when I say Super Mario Bros. marketing campaign was defective in America. The ERTL figurine line was fantastic, but the commercials and trailers didn't sell the film well as they came across as biased and forced. I suppose this would be Hollywood Pictures/Disney's fault, but I think the film's failure was set in place to begin with.
It's really hard to tell exactly why Japan welcomes it more, as all I can really say is it's perhaps due to their different entertainment values. I really would love to see some Japanese commercials of the movie, but even more, it would be great if someone could compare the Japanese dub to the original. It would be awesome to see if they revised or changed any dialogue and jokes, or even reinterpreted any background information.

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

This really intrigues me, as we've never had much information about the film's release overseas. Japan is Mario's home country after all, I wonder how the film was advertised there?

With the release of the Super Scope, in one instance.

I remember seeing a hardcover "Making of" book on some website a little over a decade ago, but other than that, I wonder how Nintendo and the Japanese distributors marketed the film through advertisement and merchandising.

Hardcover? I've only ever seen soft.

[Phlibbit]

I've only seen (and own) the softcover version also. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a hardcover existed from some sort of book club or order incentive or something.