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Subs for the Original Japanese production of Pacific Overtures!

I love this version of the show. However, due to the language barrier, the closest thing people had to watching this production is the later, subjectively inferior Broadway revival. So, I edited English subtitles made by @weareallangry to fit this recording!

Click here for the zip file!

This contains a specifically made video including recorded footage and more professional clips. It won't sync to any other version.

To watch the video:

Download and open the zip file.

Open the video in any video player that includes subtitles. I suggest VLC Media Player since its free, open source, and you can scale the subtitles down.

Apply the subtitles file to the video. In VLC, for example, click "Add Subtitle File" is under the "Subtitle" option.

Watch Pacific Overtures.

DISCLAIMER: This is based on the 2004 Broadway revival script. Anything not found in the script needed to be interpreted. However, my understanding of Japanese isn't good. So please don't take anything with an asterisk (*) as entirely accurate.

I've made these subtitles partly to fuel interest in making a real Japanese-to-English fan translation. With my limited understanding, I probably can't be involved in such a process. At the very least, the fun facts section of "Next" needs translation:

If you can translate this, please message me!

Don't know about this version of Pacific Overtures? Want some clearer visuals? Read below!

Original Japanese Production of Pacific Overtures at the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall

This version of Pacific Overtures was made and performed by Japanese talent, a part of the National Theatre of Tokyo. Directed by Amon Miyamoto, this production was made to bring the show up to then-modern Japanese standards. After its original run, the production was then brought to and performed only twice more in the US.

2004 Broadway Revival of Pacific Overtures

This version was then adapted back into English for a Broadway revival. However, the revival brought a drastically reduced orchestration and altered costumes that ignored the original's minimalistic and meaningful direction. The singing wasn't the greatest either.

The Broadway production disappointed many who had seen the Japanese version and the original Broadway version. Overall, people felt like something was missing.

It was then revived in Japan in 2011 with a new cast, added effects, and reverted all the changes made for the American version:

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Erika is Rika!! (Dropout to Pokemon)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erika Ishii (@erikaishii)

They've been cast as the English dub voice for the gender Pokemon character! Let's go!!

From their Instagram:

The very first game I ever owned was Pokémon Red on GBC. Now I’m absolutely blown away to join the Pokémon world in this season of Netflix’s Pokémon Horizons as my favorite Elite 4 member, Rika!! LET’S DO THIS, KIDDOS!

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The line isn't referring to Shizuka's Karane hair or appearance. It's more-so her behavior. And yeah, it's something that doesn't really have a solid English translation.

The line in Japanese, from what I can tell, was "小動物唐音" or "Shōdōbutsu Karane". The former word meaning "small animal", referring specifically to tiny prey animals like rabbits, which Shizuka has been akin to before.

I guess it was translated to "smol floof" since "small animal" doesn't convey as much adorableness or the kind of animals being referred to. Like, technically, insects are often small animals too and those are far from the right animal.

YOU CANNOT GRASP THE TRUE POWER OF GAP MOE SHIZU-KARANE

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East West Players' Pacific Overtures 2024

(Pictures, video, and personal notes)

Poster featuring Jon Jon Briones and Gede Watanabe. Briones plays The Reciter while Watanabe here is the Shogun's Mother. The latter is Pacific Overtures alumni, having played the original Boy during "Someone in a Tree".

Another look at John John Briones as The Reciter.

The Shogun's court. Interesting things to note here:

There are several on-stage musicians at the left balcony. They're dressed in traditional wear, akin to musicians found in Kabuki. They seem to have taiko drums and a koto. The percussionist likely has other instruments on-hand.

The top half of the set is used to project images. Here, it displays the palace setting.

Here, Manjiro is wearing makeup. In later scenes, we see him without. Perhaps this is to better show the ongoing westernization? This production is also the first in a long while to have actors wear Kabuki makeup. No, all-white productions do not count.

The visual design is uses traditional motifs like screens and traditional patterns. The set resembles a sunrise over the ocean. However, it is relatively modern, compared to other Pacific Overtures sets. Sometimes, they use various high-saturated colors, colored lights, and projections. This is pehaps to keep interesting visuals and help bridge the gap between the past and present Japan. Of course, there are other reasons...

The Shogun's chambers.

His wife is seen playing her koto. In some productions, they have her with a servant who plays the koto for her singing.

Kayama Izaemon (Right) and John Manjiro (Left) during "Poems".

I'm assuming this is during Poems since Manjiro holds what appears to be Tanzaku, japanese cardstock often used to write wishes or poetry.

Manjiro is also wearing a haori over his old western outfit, showing his budding re-assimilation into Japanese society and culture.

Madam and the Girls during the song "Welcome to Kanagawa".

Here, the Girls are portrayed by both men and women equally. Previous productions have done all men (Original), most women with one guy as the most chastised one (Original Japanese & Broadway Revival), and all women (2nd Japanese and West End revival). This is the first recorded time when there's an equal amount of men and women for the Girls.

The girls have distinctly cartoonishly extravagant outfits and wigs. Other outfits have been much more grounded. Recent productions have made the Girls' appearances intentionally silly, as to better convey their comedic and over-the-top personalities.

Also I choose to call them "The Girls", as written in the script. The official page lists them as "Geisha". I'm against this, as these characters are clearly prostitutes and Geisha are commonly misidentified as such, leading to misinformation and misbehavior towards the profession.

The Reciter and the Old Man at the start of "Someone in a Tree".

The old man here wears a flat cap with his kimono. Prior versions have the hat be a bowler or a boater hat. This is to show that the man grew up long enough to see the early 20th century Japan.

In the 1st Japanese production and Broadway revival, the old man instead held a wooden stick staff and a long head of hair and beard. I guess the idea was to give the man an otherworldly feel, since there, he's more heavily implied to be a ghost.

The projection displays a wooden house on a beach, with a cliffside tree looming over it.

This was a preview performance of Someone in a Tree by East West Players, featuring Gede Watanabe. Interestingly, none of the other actors are in the production. Perhaps they were brought in just for this performance or they ended up dropping out.

Commodore Mathew Calbraith Perry during "The Lion Dance".

Well, he has a long, wild, lion-like wig. Otherwise, his outfit is completely different from anything prior.

Perry usually wears an navy officer's jacket, commonly with kimono-like sleeves. But here, he's in a body stocking with a painted-on torso. His bottom half has a fringe...something barbaric, probably. He's wearing some more modern shoes. Am I forgetting anything...?

Oh yeah. His freaking BUSTER SWORD!?! Like, that's just straight-up Final Fantasy's Cloud Strife's giant ass sword!! He also seems to have leather straps around his arms. I guess a holder for the sword???

My guess is that they're not only showcasing Japan's westernization but also its modernization and future, our modern day. They will create Final Fantasy and everything we have today!!

...Insane new direction and I'm all for it, for as weird as it is!

The Imperial Court in Kyoto. Going from left to right, Manjiro, Kayama, the priests, the Emperor, and Lord Abe.

It took me a while to figure out which of the two guys was Kayama and Manjiro, due to the lighting and that they're both dressed in samurai dress. But I figured out that Manjiro's wearing a more torn and wrinkled outfit. It's not as smooth and the shoulder's are more droopy.

Now with a decently closer look, Lord Abe is played by a woman, Kerry K. Carnahan! This falls in line with the recent Japanese and West End production.

The stage projects an painting of the sun goddess Amaterasu, referencing the imperial family claiming her as their ancestor.

The Emperor puppet has no face, only two indents for eyes. He's also on a pedestal, I suppose so the actors don't have to sit down and to give room for The Reciter's reveal as the grown-up Emperor Meiji.

The fencing master's daughter during "Pretty Lady".

She's played by Ashley En-Fu Matthews, the same actress as Tamate and the Merchant's son.

Ensemble during the final song "Next", all dressed in modern clothing. We have a whole bunch of references here! Going from left to right:

Ash Ketchum or Satoshi from the Pokemon anime, complete with a Pikachu doll.

Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. I'm assuming the two are meant to be cosplayers and not the actual anime characters.

Gede Watanabe as Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese contemporary artist known for her dot motif and signature bright red hair.

A race car driver, wearing a jumpsuit displaying the motorsport division "Toyota Gazoo Racing" and several sponsers. Can't identify a specific driver.

Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese player for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. Either that or a big fan of the player.

I'm assuming that's Kayama and Tamate projected above, in place of the common ending of them coming on-stage to fish.

Got any photos or additional changes you've seen of the actual proudction? Any additional observations? Please share them with me!

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Closest she has gotten, a probably non-canon art piece and a cookbook lore blurb.

It's time for Princess Elise to return in the games

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Immediately thought of this dropout bit.

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Cook w/ Shiv!

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its honestly kind of impressive how we all collectively had zero brain cells

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The style of glasses Auchi wears are way too modern, glasses back then were almost always circle or oval frame and NEVER had thick frames, those didn't become popular until the late 40s

I think it’s so that the entire Payne family has a central and recognizable identity. That being their stupid ass glasses

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Freaking Pomni expression 🤣

Also, the shading here's great!

Everyone was so kind... 💕

My first time going in... I was so nervous, but I didn't have any reason to be. 💕

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Menier Chocolate Factory's doing Pacific Overtures, an English version of that recent Japanese production. Which I think is based on the one-act version??

Right now, there's only footage of the Japanese one:

Gotta say, it's nice to see a British Pacific Overtures with Asians, instead of...

...Whatever the hell that was going on here.

Really wish someone records this, at least the audio! Curious to see this reduced script, even if it's not the best way to see Pacific Overtures.

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purposefully picked tumblr-like social media along with some really bit ones although nothing is really like this tbh

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Just saw Tick Tick Boom. For me, the songs before Louder Than Words f*cked me up more: Come To Your Senses, Real Life, and Why.

Overall, Tick Tick Boom the musical f*cked me up more since it's based on a real person. But, when it comes to songs, Hadestown's "Doubt Comes In" wins.

Especially with the old goodbye: "You're early." "I missed you."

Doubt Comes In (Hadestown)

Who am I?/Where do I think I'm goin'?/(Doubt comes in)/Who am I?/Why am I all alone?/(Doubt comes in)/Who do I think I am?/Who am I to think that she would follow me into the cold and dark again?

"Hadestown is a retelling of the myth Orpheus and Eurydice and this is the song where Orpheus begins to doubt that Eurydice is behind him and ultimately he turns around. This song fucks me up because it’s like the ultimate climax of Orpheus character arc over the musical, how he has become so jaded by the world, gone from “seeing the world as it could be” to “seeing the world as it is” whereas every other character around him has become less jaded and hopeful and it’s like the epitome of the ultimate tragedy of the musical: that the one character responsible for giving everyone else hope and belief in the world again is the one who has lost his own hope. He feels both that he can’t trust the word of Hades that Eurydice is behind him and also insecurity in himself, he can’t understand why Eurydice would come back with him/follow him when she was the one that left him in the first place because she could not wait for him. And most of all, the lyrics “Who am I?/ Where do I think I'm goin'?…” etc. echo lyrics sung by the Fates earlier in the musical which show the inevitability of this ending, that this is how the story was always going to end: in a tragedy and in loss"

Louder Than Words (Tick Tick Boom)

Why do we follow leaders who never lead?/Why does it take catastrophe to start a revolution?/If we're so free, tell me why/Someone tell me why so many people bleed?

"JONATHAN LARSON HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT HE NEVER GOT THE ANSWERS TO BECAUSE HE DIED RIGHT BEFORE OPENING NIGHT OF RENT AKA THE MUSICAL HE WROTE"

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kinda late on this one, but I had to draw it

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I can hear the sisters singing The Ladies Who Lunch from Company, more-so Marie:

Small hater moment but I don’t really care for any of the ships in involving the either of squid sisters. Idk they just seem pointless. Callie and Marie need martinis and expensive clothing, not romantic relationships

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Don't forget Assassins with Unworthy of Your Love.

John Hinckley Jr and Squeaky Fromme, two would-be killers who clearly hate each other, singing a love ballad duet. Not to each other but their respective "loves" or obsessions, one being an underaged Jodi Foster and the other being an unhinged Charles Manson. Two people who blatantly don't love these fanatics back.

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I'd also put Johanna and Kiss Me in this category since they're lovely but have some creepy and intentionally questionable lyrics, hinting at a no-so-pure relationship between the young couple.

Getting even looser, the entirety of Company is Bobby being heavily hesitant with marriage and relationships. Though the show doesn't usually get as menacing as some of these other Sondheim songs.

Between Pacific Overtures and Sweeny Todd, I can see Sondheim really loves his ironic, menacing love songs.

I forget if the Big Bad Wolf calls Red Riding Hood "pretty" too but if so I think that means every time Sondheim uses it he means "this character is a (possibly literal) predator"

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Sweeney Todd

Assassins

Company

Pacific Overtures

Into The Woods

Keep in mind, these are the only ones I've seen. With Sweeney and Assassins, I don't skip a song. Also watch Sweeney recordings more than Assassins. But Assassins has a more important message.

Pacific Overtures tells a more interesting story than Into The Woods. Also love the Japanese themes. But Company has better dialogue scenes.

Need to see Sunday In The Park. Only seen the opening and Sunday.

i sincerely apologise if your personal favorite is passion, saturday night, anyone can whistle, the frogs, bounce/road show. i was going for broader appeal... it was sophie's choice.