Ask John: Is There English Dubbed Anime Not Available in America?

Question:
I used to watch a series called Let’s Go: Jet and Joey, in English, that was about two brothers and mini 4 wheel drive racing using Tamiya model kits. Anyway, I’ve been looking for the series on DVD but can’t seem to find it, which brings me to my question, was it ever released in America? If not, then why was the series in English? Doesn’t English dubbing only occur to America-bound anime?

Answer:
English dubbing actually isn’t exclusively for American release anime. One of the major markets for English language anime outside the United States is the Philippines. As early as 1978 the Voltes V and Tosho Daimos anime TV series were dubbed into English and aired on Philippine television. Voltes V turned up on American television six years later, but Tosho Daimos has still never been released in America. Rurouni Kenshin was dubbed into English by Sony Pictures and aired in the Philippines in the late 1990s under the name “Samurai X,” years before it was ever licensed for American release. And in 2000 the Bakuso Kyodai Lets & Go anime TV series was dubbed and aired in the Philippines but never released in America.

The UK has also had a number of exclusive English language anime release. In 1994 Crusader Video released the first 3 episodes of Cat Girl Nuku-Nuku on dubbed VHS, years before the series was dubbed by AD Vision for American release. Likewise, Paradox Video released KO Century Beast Warriors in the UK years before the series was acquired for American release by Right Stuf International. And a number of anime series including Enemy is the Pirate, The Sensualist, Lupin the 3rd: Goodbye Lady Liberty, and Dolchinpira have had English dubbed versions released in the UK but never in America.

For reference, the UK’s now largely defunct anime industry also issued a number of subtitled anime releases that have never been officially released in America, including: Idol Defense Force Hummingbirds, Samurai Gold, Ladius, Salamander, Slow Step, and Hinotori (Phoenix, AKA: Space Firebird).

Coming back to Let’s Go, the Bakuso Kyodai Retsu & Go anime series produced by Xebec was relatively popular in Japan for a short time. The original TV series aired 51 episodes and one TV special between January 8, 1996 and December 30, 1996. The second 51 episode series, Bakuso Kyodai Retsu & Go WGP, picked up on January 6, 1997 and continued the series with episodes 52 through 102. The short Bakuso Kyodai Retsu & Go WGP movie hit Japanese theaters on July 5, 1997. The third TV series, Bakuso Kyodai Retsu & Go Max, aired between January 5 and December 21, 1998 and numbered its episodes 1-51.

The Retsu & Go anime has been released to VHS in Japan, but hasn’t yet been released to Japanese DVD.