If you were watching anime in English in the 1990s and 2000s, chances are you've heard a dub recorded by Les Claypool III. Some of the films and series that passed through Claypool's studio, Magnitude 8 Post, include "Macross Plus," "Ghost in the Shell" and "Cowboy Bebop." In 2001, Pioneer Entertainment came to Claypool with an intriguing project: assemble a new English dub (the dub sampled on Bwana's "Capsule's Pride," in fact) and 5.1 surround soundtrack for its remastered rerelease of "Akira." Claypool shares some memories of the project:
Redubbing a classic
"With many shows we did over the years, there was a certain amount of 'It's simply another job on the calendar.' But 'Akira' was already legendary when it showed up on my doorstep. More than once I would find myself thinking, 'Damn, I'm working on 'Akira!'"