Hmm....  Was anyone else a bit disappointed in the "lost episode" shown on WB?  Out of the three cut episodes, I must say that (despite the Brock exposure in this one) I was hoping they'd show the legend of dratini episode instead.  I was curious how they would've handled the whole "Team Rocket with life-like guns" issue, but I think this episode proves something that I (and practically everyone else) believed about the WB (and dubbing as well)-- that basically WB is chickenshit.  Tsk tsk *shakes head* I hate to resort to such language, but anyone who has seen the Japanese "Holiday in Aolpuruco"   episode that Saturday's dub was based from knows exactly what I was talking about.   Perhaps I should go over a few things that were altered (mostly for the worse):

== Lech here, lech... not there? -- The old man in both episodes was noticeably different  In the Japanese episode, he blushes when first meeting Misty because, well, he's a perverted old man that likes women.  This is not unlike the old lechs found in Ranma 1/2 (Happosai), Sailor Moon (Rei's grandfather), and several other animes where dubbers may choose to tone down the old men's immense hormonal conditions.   The old man in the English version has been altered to seem like some normal old guy.

== Various altered lines -- Ok, I admit that this is done with EVERY episode, but it was odd to see that some lines were altered for no real reason.  For example, when Misty is backstage while Brock is complementing Gary's squad, she comments on Brock's taste in women in the japanese dub, and yet in the english dub she's complaining about her poor chances in the contest.  This is what she says in the Japanese version, along with Takeshi's line:
        [Takeshi]: It's my impression that, by the appearance of this beautiful troupe, the beauty contest has finally come to an end.
        [Kasumi]: Ah! *sweatdrop* Takeshi has a weakness for older women!
Why?  Also, when Jessie raspberried Ash and Brock, taunting them in her waitress garb, Brock commented on how she looked good in that outfit?!  But that wasn't what he said in the Japanese version!  When she stuck out her tongue, Takeshi said only this:
        [Takeshi]: "Why are they working part-time?"
That's a very big change!  Anyway, what I'm saying is that it seems rather pointless to make script changes... why not just keep the same dialogue?  ... Either that, or they're making an attempt to imply that Brock finds Jessie *ahem* attractive!!!

== James' cleavage! -- Ok, so this is the most obvious deletion from the English dub.  As many of you could probably tell, there was an awkward moment in the english episode where a costumed Koffing and Ekans came out, but without the human counterparts!  I mean, what's a swimsuit contest without HUMAN participants?  Any and all scenes revealing James' bodysuit were stripped from existence. 


Here is the dialogue from the "offending" cut scene:
(the two "women" come onstage in a rather explosive fashion)
[Musashi]: Victory is ours!
[Kasumi]: What nerve! Kojiro, you are a GUY!!!
[Kojiro]: No problem. My beauty transcends gender.
[Musashi]: Shut up, Brat!! Go away!
[Kojiro]: Well, service, service! (pumps up his fake boobs)
[Kasumi]: Eeeeeek!!
[Takeshi]: Suddenly, two adult women have burst into the stage!  Personally... I don't know WHAT to think but... but the audience's response is...?
(crowd cheers enthusiastically)
[Takeshi]: It's well received! Everyone seems to be HAPPY!!
[Musashi]: Of course!
[Kojiro]: (to Kasumi) You participated 10 years too early! (Kasumi cries)
[Takeshi]:  They ...in the materials, call themselves "The Rocket Ladies"... what kind of a performance do they do?

== Nastina's cousin from the "Who's that Pokemon?" -- Once again, in the japanese version, instead of the Pidgeotto shown in the english dub, Nastina's cousin (sorry, forgot her name already) herself appears in the pokemon window for the "Who's that Pokemon?" eyecatch.  This was rather humorous, consisting of her sticking her tongue out and taunting the audience, who in reponse chucked items at her and knocked her out.  I guess the dubbers were too lazy to attempt putting this part in.

== The trophy -- For some reason or other, the dubbers didn't want Ash's mom to seem attractive or something, because the trophy she holds is renamed "First Place in our Hearts, Ash Ketcham," when it used to be his mother's trophy for winning the contest. 

But even with these changes, the only thing that REALLY disappoints me is the way the WB went about hyping up this episode.  The reason WHY it was "lost" was because of James' boobs, and their faulty decision to remove it shows that they're chickenshit-- too afraid to take a chance and show something in its entirety for once.   They were probably too afraid to risk showing the fixed Polygon episode, and the gun scene from the Dratini episode probably wouldn't have worked without the gun scene, which they wouldn't have dared trying.  How times have changed.  I don't remember people editing the hell out of G.I. Joe because people were pointing guns to their heads.  In fact, if you tried to edit the guns out of G.I. Joe, you'd have less than 5 minutes showtime remaining!  But I think the big problem here is that anime tends to be placed onto the dubber's butcher's block far more often than an American-made cartoon.  Why? Who knows?  But this is exactly what makes me writhe in fear at the idea of Fox Kids showing Vision of Escaflowne this fall.  If any of you dubbers are reading this (and I doubt you are), LEAVE OUR ANIME ALONE!!  Show it the way it should be shown!  Have the balls to take a chance and do it RIGHT!

Very special thanks to ITOMARU for the line translations. ^_^