The cutest world invader if there ever was one. |
Now as for the release itself. Media Blasters decided to go the "split" route with the release and break off the series into two six-episode installments. I would have preferred a complete series release, but for some odd reason I am OK with this, perhaps because of another R1 licensor whose releases I feel....well, they've been well documented. Oddly enough, they decided to put it into two discs instead of one. One disc holds four episodes, the other holds two. Curious choice if you ask me. Squid girl isn't exactly a visual masterpiece and doesn't require hi-definition to enjoy. Everything could have been crammed into one disc, but it takes up the same space so I guess a complaint would be moot.
Squids ralph ink. This isn't Panty and Stocking, you know. |
The dub cast comprises mostly of new talents. While it would have been nice to see a cast with more familiar voices, the job does get done. There are some rough patches and it takes a couple episodes to get used to the voices and...um...wordplay, but my ears weren't offended like they have in the past. The dub isn't great, but it works and does get better as the series progresses.
As for the script...here's the thing. As I mentioned earlier, the original Japanese script depends some on wordplay, and most jokes just don't translate well. Funimation responds to these challenges by making up their own jokes, ala Sgt. Frog and Oh! Edo Rocket, sometimes out and out saying "You know those jokes don't translate over here". With Squid Girl they try to do their own English puns which sometimes work and sometimes don't. Ink-vasion isn't bad, but "Con-squid-ilations" is more than a stretch. Also, it NEVER LETS UP. I don't think Squid Girl had more than a handful of lines that didn't involve some kind of attempt at wordplay. So in all honesty, this series is best taken in small doses. Its not bad, but it does get repetitive.
All that being said, I am looking forward to part two coming out soon. I wouldn't say I'm waiting for it with baited breath like I am for other series, like Hetalia and Sgt. Frog, but I can say I wasn't completely repulsed by it. It isn't the funniest (Or should I say 'fin'iest?) series out there, but it is cute and full of charm, so I would say at least check it out!