I don't mean poorly translated subs - they're translated just fine. That actually wouldn't be a problem since I only glance at subs to get a sense of what the dialogue is, and mostly just concentrate on the image and emotions.

No, what's wrong here is much worse - and there's 3 problems - each one by itself wouldn't be a big deal, but combined, they're a big problem.

1. The subs are "hearing impaired" subs, so besides dialogue, you get subs like [footsteps], [singing in Japanese] or [crowd noises] - these are constant, and really distracting.

2. The subtitle font is HUGE (the biggest I've ever seen, and I watch a lot of foreign dvds), and covers up a lot of the image.

3. and the worst thing - the subs ride so high in the picture, that they're almost in the center of the screen - seriously. I'm watching it in anamorphic mode, so the subs are in the picture, not the black bars - but there's this huge space at the bottom of the picture, perfect for the subs, yet the subs are right above that space, and almost in the middle of the screen.

Put all of this together (constant subs due to sound effects + big font + riding up on the picture) and you get an unwatchable dvd.

I would have preferred an English dub, but there isn't one...

No english dub = no sale

I had this preordered and just cancelled it. I'll rent it with my moviepass sometime instead.

Thanks for the heads up.

Nice news that, Dreamworks can kiss my ass! total morons!

surley a BIG company like Dreamworks should get it right! do they do this for all films, no they dont so why treat a asian film like this! because they must think we are children with hearing problems!

A bummer indeed, but I'm still buying it. Are you sure you didn't look for an English dub track by bringing up your DVD players menu for subtitles as well? Sometimes they don't list it on the DVD menu. The only reason why I ask is DVDAnswers lists an English dub track.

Yeah theres usually two English sub tracks on foreign films. One for the hearing impaired and one with the actual dialogue translated. I think you clicked the wrong one. Usually if you just click the language (In this case Japanese?) it should automatically come up with the translated subs.

^ I wish!

I know my way around a dvd - especially foreign language ones (look at my collection below).

No, there's only 2 English subtitle tracks (the 2nd one just traslates the Japanese commentary). Then there are 2 French subs - one for the film and one for the commentary - and that's it.

Just for comparison, I put in another Dreamworks dvd (Minority Report), and it's subs are perfect - on the very bottom of the image, no sound effect subs, and normal sized font. But that film's already in English, so who cares? No, they have to screw up the subs on a foreign disc where you need them.

Is there a good foreign release?

Damn! I hope DreamWorks would do something about it. They should re-author it with a non-CC sub and put up an exchange program.

Many films are like this with descripive subs and no compay has ever recalled them, so the chances of it being fixed are none at all. maybe they will get the other regions right, fingers crossed as they have bought some big asian films and if they do this for all of them it will be bad, I want to see Casherna, but not with crappy subs

This sucks! This is one of my most expected films of the year! Loved the first. I really hope that it is still possible to watch wíth subs without it being to intrusive! The huge font have me worried! Can you do some screencaps? How is PQ and audio?

Damn, you just beat me, Kant. I'd like to see some screencaps also.

The subtitles are bad but I HIGHLY doubt the DVD is "unwatchable" as you say... a bit over dramatic.

This totally sucks. If the Japanese R2 disc had English subs, I would have bought that one.

I'd be curious to see screencaps as well. Also, just for comparisons sake, are the French subs just as bad (font, positioning, descriptions)?

This is a bummer man. I'm still buying it since I loved the film. I'll just have to learn Japanese now

From everything I've read about this release, it sounds like the normal English subtitle track was somehow accidentally left out. The back of the case states:

Captions: English
Subtitles: English, Francais

The disc has an English close caption track, English subtitles for the director's commentary, normal French subtitles (without all the CC stuff in brackets) and French subtitles for the commentary. What is missing is the track with the normal English subtitles.

This is a pretty big oversight for a disc that only has a Japanese audio track. My guess is that something went awry when the DVD was being mastered. Perhaps it was rushed to the market too quickly. The fact that the cover art looks hastily put together suggests this.

Dreamworks' previous releases of anime films such as Millennium Actress had normal English subtitles, so this looks like an error to me. The proper thing to do would be to issue a recall.

(Also, the DVD was never solicited with an English dub option. The limited theatrical release of the movie was subtitled-only, and Dreamworks has yet to produce a dub for any of their anime acquisitions.)

the cover artwork was ready for the disc announcement which was a couple of months ago or more, just after the cinema release : artwork like this (however bad) isnt rushed... i think they just missed off a subtitle track accidentally, which is just carelessness in the end.

expect a recall, i recon.

Most likely they pulled the subs in order to get you guys to double dip.

went and checked my disc just to look for myself.

there are 4 subs tracks on there :

1.english caption for the deaf (includes desc of sounds)
2.french
3. english subs for audio commentary
4.french subs for audio commentary

took some photos but theyre crap.

Wow this is dissappointing news! Given 99.9 percent of all dubs make Power Rangers oscar worthy they really need make sure in future to care for subtitling. I'll keep eye on this and hope for better version down the road.

its really not a case of waiting for a "better version" as the only improvement we are really hoping for is actually a correction of an error : so we are actually waiting for a "correct version" in the form of a recall, and a decent one (not like bandais eternal GITS SAC recall)...

Korean Region 3 has english subtitles,
but the extras are not subbed.....

Are you certain of that? According to this listing, it only has Korean and Japanese subtitles:

http://www.koreandvds.com/dvddetail.html?id=25351

Anyone going to put up some screencaps?

i did take some photos but theyre not too hot.

trust me on this though, theyve put the captions in english on there so all character names and noteable sounds are described in squre brackets, and theres french subs (plus english and french subs for the audio commentary) but whats is billed separately as "english subtitles" arent there...

they cocked it up!

toss up the screen caps you got.