As a sometimes-viewer of the Food Network, I occasionally watched the Japanese cooking show, Iron Chef, a kind-of reality game show that pits the contestant master chef against one of the three master "iron chefs" in pan-to-pan competition. Because the show had to be dubbed for American audiences, I rarely watched. But it has now been Americanized in Iron Chef America and I find that I watch more often.
What is it about foreign shows that they are (usually) better when they are Americanized? With the Iron Chef show the answer was easy: un-dubbed English speakers. But I’ve found that this is the case in other imported shows as well.
For example, I love the American version of the Antiques Roadshow — even appeared on it once, but that’s another story — but the British version left me cold. In that case, I think the difference was two-fold: one, the British show usually only appraised paintings and furniture while the American show features more diverse antiques; and, two, the Americans are more excited about their stuff. A Brit can be told that his great-great-great grandmother’s whatchamacallit is a national treasure and barely blink; an American will jump up and down and hug the appraiser.
It’s interesting how the cultural differences between two different countries — and ones that are relatively similar in many respects — can completely change the texture of a show.
I disagree. The Japanese version is much better. Part of the hilarilty was the ridiculous dubbing.
Iron Chef America is much better, but in my opinion that it’s entirely because of Alton Brown (the emcee). His show, Good Eats (also on Food Network), is cooking for geeks — think Bill Nye the Science Guy in the kitchen.
I do occasionally like the surreal Japanese version, and solely because of the hilarious dubbing.
‘thann
P.S. Michelle, you have teased us and now you must produce — what is your Antiques Road Show experience?
American versions are NOT always better. Look at the dismal failure of The Office, the British version of which is absolutely brilliant. The American version was STUPID. Also, What Not To Wear. The American version is just plain annoying. The Brit gals are great.
I enjoy the Japanese version of Iron Chef because it’s so strange. The judges say odd things… but then I find that sort of thing entertaining.
Yes, as a confirmed Alton Brown fan I LOVE Iron Chef America. Also, I’m more likely to actually think the stuff they cook looks good.
I actually think the original, Japanese show was much better than “Iron Chef America.”
Interesting, because I would say that British versions of shows tend to be much better than the American copycats. I like both Antique Roadshows, but I do like the British one better. You get older stuff on that one, and none of those embarassing moments when the appraiser has to tell the boasting owner that his item didn’t belong to Geronimo/Abe Lincoln/George Washington. But then there are the Kinos, and I am a British History major.
What not to wear, Changing rooms, The office – all better British IMHO. But hey, it’s a free country, and it would be cheaper for my cable bill if my tastes were the same as yours. 🙂
Americanized versions of foreign shows are almost always inferior to the originals. Most such shows are based on British ones, and here the complete creative bankruptcy becomes apparent. Men Behaving Badly, the Office, and Coupling are just some recent excellent British shows that had simply awful American versions.
But the real test is cinema as there are far more examples of adaptions from many more countries.
Seven Samurai (Japan) much better than Magnificent Seven. Insomnia (Norway) much better than American Insomnia. La Femme Nikita (French)is better than Point of No Return. Wings of Desire (German) superior to City of Angels. Day of the Jackal (British) is much more suspensful than the Gere/Willis remake.
This does not mean that all such remakes are inferior. The Birdcage is a very funny movie, but La Cage aux Folles was 18 years ahead of the curve. And that’s the usual pattern: either the American remake is forgettable and has nothing close to the status the original has in its own country, or is an enjoyable movie that comes many, many years after the groundbreaking original.
This is not surpising. Generally the foreign shows or movies that get picked to be remade are already proven as the best of the best while their American versions are simply yet one more product in a pipeline subject to Sturgeon’s Law.
I can’t think of one remake that is clearly superior to the foreign original. But the same thing can be said for modern remakes of American classic movies.
Aside from Alton Brown, the Japanese version of “Iron Chef” was much better than the American. Far more entertaining and inventive. The American version seems to go slower for some reason. Also, the contestants don’t get to pick which chef they go up against, which was a great source of drama.
Iron Chef America is okay, but the chefs just aren’t as imaginative as in the Japanese version. The Japanese version always has me either drooling or aghast, or maybe both; the American version is just sorta eh. Even _with_ the Good Eats guy.
The English Antiques Roadshow is actually much more emotional than the American one. That blinking look is actually the English person feeling intensely stunned. Gobsmacked.
Some people are actually happy, though they don’t like to show it. Immodesty over their antiquing eye just wouldn’t do. Others suddenly realize that they’ve been cooking on something worth zillions, and they _can’t deal_. They are living above their station. They are going to have to pay beaucoup moolah to the Inland Revenue. It is not necessarily a happy day.
I find this a lot more stressful than the American version, frankly. If I’m in the mood, I love it. If not, I pass. Certainly the random stuff tends to be older and more interesting than US random stuff.
I love Alton Brown, but no way Iron Chef American compares to the original. No Chairman Kaga with his totally freaky awesome shirts to bite into a pepper and shout ‘ALLEZ CUISINE!’
No Rokusaburo Michiba with his unique dental profile! I love the dubbing (the most animated dubbers I’ve ever heard), I love hearing food critiques from astrologers, and I love that they have Japanese parliament people on all the time.
I love the very very fast-paced, never stop talking, take-it-all-so-seriously, sports casting type of announcing, with all the emotion!
Iron Chef American just doesn’t do it. And their creations are also boring. Bobby Flay’s whole southwest use corn and guacamole in every dish has filtered down to mainstream chain restaurants by now — chipotle butter? Think of something new!
Hiroyuki Sakai and Chen Kenichi knew how to totally confuse me with the ingredients they’d put to together to make something. . . . edible, sort of. But fascinating.
Did I mention, no Chairman Kaga? No Kaga, no dubbed narrated backstory with dramatized black and white clips for the challenger chefs. No fake old Japanese tradition stories. Oh man, it’s not the same. The only plus is Alton Brown. Very knowledgeable.
I LOVE Iron Chef Japan. The dubbing is hilarious!
I’m with Dev on this one.
It just doesn’t work for me without Fukui-san, Dr. Yukio Hattori, Ohta, and Chairman Kaga.
I liked the original better. The comments that the dubbers had the japanese making were priceless!!!
I have to weigh in with lovers of the original Japanese version of Iron Chef. In fact, we purchased a board game of the show! I am ordering a T-shirt, also. Michiba-san rules!
All your spice are belong to us!!!
I actually work for one of Food’s sister channels. Would you believe I have no idea what you guys are talking about? 😉
“My mouth is happy!” My wife and I still quote the show (Japanese version) a lot.
50/50 for me.
“Iron Chef” is a sillier in the dubbed Japanese version. The focus seems less practical – who cares about edibility as long as it’s creative?
I think that “Coupling” is a much funnier version of “Friends”, upon which it was based. I’ve seen absolutely hideous Canadian knock-offs of popular US teen shows, but those have declined as more US shows are filmed in Vancouver anyway (e.g. “Smallville”).
I find that style plays an important role in whether I like a show or not. “What Not to Wear” is a bit more applicable in the US version than the original. Frankly, the fashion in the latter runs to the hideous or cheap-looking fads – although I laugh at how unaffected the British ladies are when the hosts grab their breasts and so forth.
I like “Changing Rooms” best because it’s SHORT – only 30 minutes. “Trading Spaces” is too long for my liking.
I vote for the Japanese version.
Who could forget the standard line from the tasters:
“It’s quite good… (long pause)I think!”
The original Japanese version of Iron Chef is far superior to the American version. There simply is no comparison between the complexity and brilliance of Chairman Kaga and the predictability of gameshow host Alton Brown. In addition, the American version lacks Fukui-san, Dr. Yukio Hattori, and Ohta. The American show also lacks interesting recurring challengers, such as Kandegawa and his followers. Michiba-san has spoken.
The appeal of the Japanese version to me is the fact that the ingredients are so much more unique than those for Iron Chef America. ICA chefs are absolutely wonderful, but it’s the fact that I could probably never have the skill to make any of the dishes on ICJ makes it entertaining…it’s like fantasy food 😉
Also, I’ve been looking all over for a Hiroyuki Sakai t-shirt for a present for my boyfriend and have had no luck on my online searches…does anyone have a clue where I could find one?
The Iron Chef in its original format is probably the most entertaining piece of TV available today. To think that 60 years ago we were bombing these people back to the stone age is truly incredible. Anyway, the comments by “Cui-san” and his colleagues along with the actress of the week just blow me away as the contestants prepare dishes with ingredients that I do not think would fly at your local sea food store but drive Japanese people crazy with delight. Some of this stuff goes for thousands of dollars a pound. No wonder the former Chairman went broke putting this show on only to be ultimately rewarded with American syndication.