JelloApocalypse found himself in controversy and drama related to the anime series Lovely Complex, aka Love Com.
JelloApocalypse's Lovely Complex Controversy Explained
The Japanese romantic comedy manga Lovely Complex, also known as Love Com, was published in 17 volumes from 2001 to 2007. In its final year, it was finally adapted to screens with a 24-episode anime adaptation from Toei Animation.
The Love Com anime was licensed for distribution in North America by Discotek Media in April 2012, which opened the doors to the subtitled DVD box set that was released in July 2013.
A decade later in October 2023, the company announced an English dub to be in the works at Sound Cadence Studios, set to be released in a 2024 Blu-ray box set.
This is where Brendan Blaber, better known as JelloApocalypse, comes into the picture as, in a Patreon post, the YouTuber and voice actor confirmed he was hired as a freelance contractor to work on the English dub of Love Com.
In the now-deleted Patreon post - via X (formerly Twitter) user @Scratch_Point_Z - JelloApocalypse noted how he and Marissa Lenti both wrote the scripts for the English dubbed version and directed the actors.
Across the post, JelloApocalyse revealed presumably secret behind-the-scenes details on the production, including how Sound Cadence Studios looked to produce the English dub "while spending as little money as possible."
This went as far as the fact that "the leads both played their parts for free" and most of the production was conducted by "asking people to cash in favors," while Lenti also went unpaid for their writing and directing.
He added more details on how "the production was cursed," noting how he took over directing due to an injury suffered by Lenti, a major actor was deported, and "anything that could go wrong, at some point, did."
Going beyond revealing private production details, JelloApocalyse controversially criticized the series, telling how he "definitely hated Lovely Complex."
He was clear how, as a freelance contractor, he was free to speak on such matters, before continuing to pan it as a "bad show." He continued to call the main character, Risa Koizumi, an "inconsistently written, awful character."
Alongside plenty more criticism regarding pacing, problematic plotlines, and more, Brendan Blaber called the original creator a "very strange person."
This came before going on to praise his work on the Love Com dub and how they "turned an unremarkable and frustrating 3/10 show into a pretty funny and mostly watchable 7/10."
Discotek Responds to JelloApocalypse's Comments
Discotek Media's Justin Sevakis issued a statement on X in response to the situation. Initially, he defended the slight changes to the dialogue, noting how the dub was created with "the supervision and approval of the show's original producers" before explaining why this is common practice:
"We are aware of the comments made by a contractor that worked on 'Lovely Complex.' The English version was made with the supervision and approval of the show's original producers. Dubs commonly punch up comedy and smooth over rough patches so that the end product aligns with the show's intended audience and provokes the intended response, and there will always be shades of grey when adapting a work."
He added how those looking for "exact fealty to the Japanese dialogue" would be better experiencing Love Com with the subtitles:
"Anyone expecting exact fealty to the Japanese dialogue should be watching the subtitles, which Discotek has always presented with as little alteration as is possible when translating from a very different language."
Lastly, turning over to JelloApocalypse, Sevakis added how Discotek Media is "deeply disappointed" with his "lack of professional discretion" and as such will "not be working with him in the future:"
"We are deeply disappointed at this individual's lack of professional discretion and will not be working with him in the future. We will continue to work on future projects with an eye towards satisfying as many fans as possible. Thank you for your continued support."
The Lovely Complex Blu-ray box set that includes the controversial English dub is available now for purchase from Amazon and other retailers.
