Well, here is the episode that was going to show us how far the dubbers were willing to go as far as offending people in the cut version...and they majorly wussed out. Honestly, do freedom of speech and freedom of religion mean anything in this country?

Dialogue Changes

• Relena: "There's no formality when it comes to killing men."--The evil "K" word (*sarcasm off*) was changed to "fighting."

• Zechs: "I'm Zechs Merquise, part of the organization responsible for this blood bath."--"Blood bath" became "tragedy." Ergh, not the "blood is a bad word" kick again. This just wasn't a good cut episode, as you'll see when I go off in the Cuts section...

• Heero, to Sylvia: "I'm the one who killed Marshall Noventa. I made a critical mistake and accidently shot down the shuttle that Marshall Noventa was on, killing him and other people who'd also been advocating peace."--Man, Heero just wouldn't stop talking! Anyway, the "killed" in the first sentence was changed to "destroyed", and the "killing" in the second became "silencing."

• Sylvia, to Heero: "Wars are nothing but repulsive killings!"--"Killings" became "violence." Oi oi, someone's starting to sound like Relena :P She kinda looks like her, too...Augh, it's Relena in disguise! Run for your life, Heero! (This interlude was brought to you by Crack™).

Edits

• The only edit was one of blood on a Federation soldier.

Cuts

• 6 sec.: Part of Treize's speech. This was a really odd cut as it was both a cut and a dialogue change, but I'm putting it in the Cuts section, anyway. This is the first sign of how wussy they're getting in the cut dub concerning a controversial topic: the existence of a God. Here's what Treize says in his speech in the uncut version: "God let people run free. People need to be ruled, and that can only be done if there's a system of rule and control that surpasses that of God's, since God lets them do what they want." I don't know exactly what he says in the cut version, but I know that there's no more talk about surpassing God. They do, however, keep Treize saying, "I'm sure God would understand the steps we're taking." I'll talk (*cough*rant*cough*) more about this after the next cut, which is a doozy...

• 16 sec.: Treize talking to himself concerning his earlier speech. This is the biggest cut in the series so far (but there are bigger ones after this episode), and this cut is the real proof of how wussy the cut version is being. This time, instead of trying to do a dialogue change on a controversial speech, they just cut it out completely. Here is what Treize said: "Perhaps I'll be punished as a criminal for my profanity toward God...in which case, an appropriate punishment must be planned. God's merely an imaginary figure created by humans." Yes, Treize's questioning of God is completely cut. Of course, just before this scene, Relena has the line, "God would never forgive me." which does air in the cut version. So basically, in the cut version, characters can only say positive, non-questioning, non-controversial things about God...which brings up the question I asked at the beginning of this episode review: In a country which encourages freedom of speech and freedom of religion, why is only one view of religion allowed in the show, and any questioning of that religious view cut out? The sad thing is that if they had aired that speech as it was in the uncut version, there almost certainly would have been complaints against it. That's something that just shouldn't be happening in a so-called "free" country. Hell, a "free" country shouldn't even have the need for a "cut" and "uncut" version of a show! Honestly, a lot of people in this country are very irrational when it comes to issues like this. What do they think will happen if their child hears Trieze talk about what he thinks about God? Do they think that their children would stop believing in God themselves just because a character on a TV show said it? "Oh no, children must be shielded from any belief different from our own because they'll believe it instead of us and they'll be headed straight down the path to Hell!" As pathetic as that is, there must be some parents who think that way if something like Treize's harmless speech can't be even be aired during the day due to the controversy it would cause. Argh, I need to end this...I'm getting too riled up :P

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