Were We Too Mean to the 4Kids Winx Dub?

INTRO:

Out of all the Winx dubs, 4Kids seems to be the one people either tend to adore… or ignore. As the first English dub of the show, as well as the one distributed in most English-speaking regions before Nickelodeon came along, the 4Kids version was what many old Winx fans grew up with. So when the Nickelodeon version came along, casual fans who hadn’t come across the Cinelume dub online went “Wait, why did they change Layla’s name? What do you mean Winx is just a word Bloom made up? What did you do to my childhood?!”

Since then, most of the confusion has largely been cleared up. So much so that when we talk about the older seasons with all the different dubs, the Cinelume and Nick versions are most people’s default. But what about the 4Kids dub? Well, a lot of clearing the initial confusion had to do with explaining the differences between versions, and how the 4Kids dub changed quite a bit during adaptation. However, sometimes making a good product isn’t about being faithful; it’s about making something enjoyable. So… are the changes good?

That’s immediately going to throw some folks into a rage, but it’s something worth asking. It’s another version of the show we love that people can experience, and it’s the one a lot of people - myself included - grew up with. As such, parts of the 4Kids dub always seem into my conceptions of the show and how I relate to these characters. I can’t just switch that shit off. So today, we’re gonna go over the 4Kids dub, and instead of explaining changes, go over how I feel about these changes. And surprisingly, I like a lot of them.

VOICE ACTING:

The most common praise of 4Kids is its voice acting, and… yeah that’s correct. 4Kids’ casts include a lot of voice acting legends we’re still familiar with to this day, and damn if these people don’t deliver on their job. To be able to get into a show, you have to be able to immerse yourself, and nothing breaks immersion faster than bad or just mediocre voice acting.

Though I do love a lot of the performances in the Cinelume dub, I have to admit it’s very much an acquired taste. Performances range from awkward to stilted at times, and the translations feel so direct at times that they almost sound robotic. That’s also not counting mistranslations like that one time Lucy called Mirta “Mista,” or Stella said she was her own best friend, or that time they just plain didn’t translate the original Italian script. In Italian, Bloom says “Fermi,” which means stop, but somehow this never got translated, and they just had Angela Galuppo say the Italian word and never noticed the issue? It’s wild.

4Kids’ performances aren’t perfect either, and can come off as cheesy, but there’s a stronger sense of charm and character in this dub. It feels like it has more personality, and thus is easier for a lot of people to get into. The dialogue I think is my main issue a lot of the time. Sometimes the slang they throw in is iconic, usually when it’s coming from the Trix. But other times it feels very, “How do you do, fellow kids.”

Liza Jacqueline just is Bloom. There’s no debating this, I’m sorry - actually, no I’m not. Liza’s performance captures the sweet, innocent cinnamon roll vibe of Bloom from the original, but more importantly, she has her fiery nature down to a science. Normally Bloom’s voices tend to run the gambit of… well, all kinds of bland. But with Liza, there’s always an underlying sassiness that lets you know that as nice as she can be, she can just as easily eviscerate your spirit with her temper. Some favorites are… any of her jabs at Icy, especially in the season 1 finale.

There’s also that episode with the undine… or junior league if we’re going by 4Kids plot. The rest of the Winx roast Flora given her messiness in preparing for her exam, and when she decides to exile herself to Blackmud Swamp, 4Kids Bloom immediately goes off on the other Winx in a way befitting of the Fairy of the Dragon Flame. Really sells how much she cares for her friends, but also that she won’t hesitate to drag them for their bullshit. And who could forgot her reading Riven for filth?

No other voice has truly captured the spirit of Bloom, and honestly, this is my Bloom to this day. I always associate her with a fiery temper, and that’s largely thanks to Liza’s performance. She doesn’t do it too much to the point of making Bloom a raging fireball, but it’s just enough to give the little marshmallow some edge.

Caren Manuel’s Stella admittedly fell out of my favor for a while. Which isn’t really fair, since after some reevaluations, she’s actually my second favorite voice for Stella, right behind Jennifer Seguin in the Cinelume dub. What can I say, I just live for Jennifer’s performance. The main difference for me is that Caren really plays up Stella’s dramatic flare and tendency towards early 2000s valley girl vibes, which is kinda what made Jennifer my favorite for a while.

But honestly, Caren’s performance is likewise rich, especially with how much you can tell she adores the other Winx, and her father in season 3. And the raging amount of “dawlings” in the script have stuck with me, to the point I’d kill for her to call Bloom dawling again.

Now Kerry Williams as Flora… I’m torn. Cuz on the one hand, she’s super sweet, and the Winx Forever Podcast along with some season 1 rewatches made me realize she isn’t super soft all the time. Actually, Kerry does a great job at letting Flora assert herself a bit, which works in tandem with season 1 Flora in general still having a backbone. I’ve always written her performance off as super soft and sweet, to the point it seemed annoying, but that’s more superficial than anything else. Honestly, Kerry might be my favorite Flora now. Alejandra would be up there if she kept her normal performance from the specials, but… what can ya do?

LISA ORTIZ. Need I say more? The woman is a voice acting legend. We’ll get to her performance as everyone’s favorite ice queen later, but she’s always been my top pick for Musa, tied with Romi Dames in the Nick dub. Lisa’s raspy voice lends well to Musa’s tomboyishness and aloofness. Chill, but always ready to cut a hoe. Out of everyone, Musa was given the most “cringe” lines, but I think they were so cringey that they wound up becoming iconic? Like, the omelette rap is everything I’ve never known I needed.

Not to mention Lisa knows how to bring you to tears with her voice. Though Romi’s version of the Crystal Labyrinth scene is my favorite, Lisa’s is very close behind, as you can almost hear her tearing up speaking to Musa’s mother - so close, yet still out of reach.

Tecna… oh god, here we go. Alright, imma be real, this is where I don’t know how to feel. And yes, it’s because of the accent. Look, I am just so sick of the trope of “If they’re a nerd in any way, they must be English.” I get it, it seems impressive to the Americans, but can we leave this in the 2000s and never resurrect it… oh wait. *cue clip from Fate where everyone is English cuz fuck me am I right*

I understand why people might love it, especially cuz [can’t remember her name fml] does a great job with Tecna’s emotionality. But that’s kindsa why I’m not keen on this performance. Tecna’s character arc is rooted in her learning to embrace and understand her emotions, so it makes sense for her voice to be monotone and emotionless, especially in the first couple seasons. My favorite voices for Tecna tend to grasp this, as well as provide a bit of raspiness, like her Cinelume voice, or even her DuArt voice. Like holy shit, go DuArt getting a casting choice right for once.

Vasthy Mompoint as Aisha is PERFECTION. For the longest time, Lucinda Davis from the Cinelume dub was my favorite Aisha, since I felt she did a great job with portraying Aisha’s initial loneliness and even anti-socialness before she fully became comfortable in the Winx Club. That, and her voice is just so not what I’d expect from Aisha that it made me love her even more. But VASTHY. Vasthy IS Aisha. Her performance is equally as captivating as Lucinda’s, but I’d argue she does so while fitting Aisha better with a deeper voice that sounds so rich and gorgeous. Not to mention, Vasthy can SING? Musa and Aisha duet please.

Now, Lisa Ortiz’s prime - Icy. Need I say more? Lisa Ortiz just IS Icy Cutthroat, mean, and having a great time as she seals you away in an Ice Coffin for a thousand years. What more can you ask for? So much of the last few weeks has been me binging compilations of the Trix’s most iconic mean girl moments from the 4Kids dub, and it’s EVE

Also, can we talk about the versatility of Lisa’s acting abilities? She plays both Musa and Icy flawlessly, and unless you’re listening closely, odds are you’d never notice they share a voice actress. Same for Digit.

Same goes for Caren Manuel, who voices not only Stella, but Darcy – huh, the fairy with light powers, and the witch of darkness. Impressive. Her voice is smooth, perfect for Darcy’s more laid-back yet manipulative nature, enticing you to your doom. But when she wants to, she can get real cruel, and to date, it’s probably my favorite voice for Darcy.

Suzy Myers for Stormy… again, I’m torn. On the one hand, she does a great job portraying Story’s thunderous temper. But on the other hand, it can feel quite… cartoony at times. But then again, that is the overall vibe of the 4Kids dub, so it’s kinda perfect for the cheese factor. I’d say Kimberly Brooks from the Nick dub is still my favorite Stormy, but Suzy’s a close second.

Dan Green is kinda the perfect choice for Sky. He literally sounds like Bloom’s idea of a prince charming, and he’s likewise a voice acting legend. He’s Yugi for Christ’s sake. That said, as much as I love him… my favorite Sky is still his Cinelume voice. Look, again, it’s a Lucinda situation, where the unexpectedly high-pitched, raspy voice weirdly fits him. But Dan’s a close second, so… there ya go, Dan stans.

Brandon’s 4Kids voice is tied for my favorite with Adam Gregory in the Nick dub… and his Cinelume voice. I don’t know what it is, but Brandon almost always gets a perfect voice. Maybe that’s just because he himself is perfect? But that’s my Brandon bias at it again. Michael Sinterniklaas is also tied for my favorite Riven voice with Sam Riegel. They’re very similar performances of the dimwitted bad boy who keeps ruining lives inadvertently, though I feel like Michael’s performance feels a bit more nuanced? Like there’s way more emotional turmoil to Michael’s Riven than Sam’s. No shade to Sam, as he’s one of my favorite voices, but I gotta give it to Michael.

And Timmy’s 4Kids voice? Quintessentially shy nerd. I think Charlie Schlatter is still my favorite Timmy, but this one’s a close second. I don’t know what it is, but Timmy also has a really good track record of voices.

Helia… I do not remember much of his voice. Maybe that’s because season 3 of the 4Kids dub is the one I’m most familiar with, and he was barely in season 3. Listening to his performance, it’s not bad, but it’s a bit off from how I’d envision Helia’s voice. And Nabu… yeah, he was hardly in season 3 either. But that said, still a good performance, but not my favorite.

Oh my god, 4Kids Darkar, voiced by Sonic the Meme-hog himself. It’s so easy to make fun of him, but at the very least, he’s hilarious to listen to with all the cringey dialogue they give him. This Darkar feels so foppish, but he’s also having a great time, which is more than I can say than the other Darkar performances which almost bore me to tears. I know people talk about his Italian voice being scary, but… I’m sorry, fam, are your ears working, cuz he just sounds like a grumpy grandpa. 4Kids Darkar all the way.

4Kids Valtor is so, so close to my top spot. Unfortunately, Josh Keaton’s voice is perfection, crafted by the Great Dragon herself, but at the very least, 4Kids Valtor sells you on both his charm and his danger. And it’s most definitely preferable to whatever the hell was going on with his Cinelume voice.

Some other performances worth noting are Rachel Lillis as Faragonda. Again, Faragonda getting all the great voices.

PLOT STUFF:

The most common critique of the 4Kids dub is how much it changed in the plot department, an idea which I admittedly reverberated back in my early days of YouTube. But sometimes, opinions change, and in this case… I actually don’t mind most of the changes they made. In fact, most of them are pretty superficial, boiling down to basic name changes. Like, Domino becoming Sparx, Melody becoming the Harmonic Nebula, just… I’m sorry, these are not as big a deal as you think they are, or as I used to think they are.

A lot of the name changes I even like. For example, changing the Vacuum to the Wispirian Crystals, which form the Wispirian Triangles. So superior compared to the idea of the Trix vacuuming up mystical powers, and makes me curious as to what Wispiria might be like.

The one name change that does bother me is Aisha becoming Layla, mostly because of the domino effect (lol) it had on literally every dub outside of Italy. It wasn’t until Nickelodeon came along she got her true name back, which… wow, Nick doing something right for once. I’m still not sure why they felt the need to change her name, and by no means Layla’s not a bad name, but… she is Aisha, end of story.

Still don’t get why Valtor became Baltor, though, especially when his sign is still a V. Not gonna lie, that made me see his symbol less as his initial, and more me seeing it as a weird Precursor Robot face from Jak and Daxter. Maybe because 4Kids got season 3 so early, it means at one point Valtor’s name was going to be Baltor? Who knows?

One of the best changes in this dub though has to be the removal of that awful racist joke in the “Miss Magix” episode. Like… tell me who in the writing room thought bullying a black girl for her natural hair was a good idea? White people, I just… ugh. In any case, 4Kids made a good call in changing it to the girl’s voice becoming squeaky like a mouse. Makes infinitely more sense, is funnier, and also isn’t gross. Thank you, 4Kids. Also, Bloom… you broke the number one rule of “Don’t touch the hair.” Sidenote: please do not touch other people’s hair without consent, no matter how “fascinating” you find it. Admire from afar, heathen.

A lot of the changes have to do with the fact 4Kids shortened the episodes to 16 to 18 minutes for commercials, which… wow, that is short. Lots of midrolls there, 4Kids. I mean I get it, gotta get that ad revenue somehow. Season 1 boasts the most changes in terms of pacing, like the first episode starting not with Bloom waking up in her bedroom, but beginning as she arrives at the park right before she encounters Knut and Stella. The former feels like the start of every first draft YA novel with the protagonist’s mundane, uninteresting routine, while the latter drops you right into the conflict. It really does feel like the 4Kids dub took the route of polishing the existing material.

Also, absolutely love the fact that Stella blew up the potion lab trying to create a new shade of pink. Adds a story to the incident that feels so aggressively Stella. Truly, she was ahead of her time, and I NEED this shade of pink stat.

Another change I really appreciate is in episode 14 during Bloom’s test. She has to retrieve a rose petal while avoiding several spotlights, and at the end, Faragonda attempts to murder her with a giant gelatin thingy. In the original, the rules aren’t really explained, so you have to intuit what she’s doing, and in the end, she destroys the blob and passes. But in the 4Kids dub, Faragonda says there’s only a certain number of times the spotlights can touch her before she fails, and Bloom just barely evades reaching that count when she gets the rose. But just before she can put the rose on the pedestal, she freezes up at the sight of the gelatin, and fails.

And that’s something I really appreciate. Protagonists shouldn’t always be winning their battles, especially towards the beginning of their journey. They’re still learning, still fumbling, and it’s just more relatable to the viewers who’ve likely felt that pain of being so close to achieving something, only to lose it because they just couldn’t cross the finish line. But with that said, still don’t know why they let Stella pass her test in the Miss Magix episode, like what? You were so close to having her learn some kinda lesson, and you let her pass? No. Just no. I love Stella, but that girl did not understand the assignment.

Then we have episode 16 – which, by the way, quick plug – not sure when it’ll be out, but I actually covered this episode with Lola on the Winx Forever Podcast, which you should absolutely check out. We had a wild time covering this and talking about the 4Kids dub as a whole. You can listen over on Spotify or wherever else you listen to your podcasts, but I’ll be sure to leave the Spotify link in the description.

At the start of the episode, the Winx are returning from Magix City after seeing a scary movie. It’s a nice acknowledgment that the girls are always enjoying their lives and doing things even when they’re offscreen, which makes them feel more like people than fictional characters, and makes their world feel more lived in. I especially love all their reactions, with Flora being scared shitless of the movie and annoyed when Bloom keeps describing the most horrifying scenes, or Musa taking jabs at Bloom for blaming Kiko for eating all the candy. Now these are Winx dynamics I stan.

There are even consequences for some of the girls’ actions, like… ya know, sneaking into Redfountain during the exhibition and Bloom assaulting Diaspro in public while also revealing the true identity of Eraklyon’s prince who’s always in constant threat of kidnapping. The fact the girls saw no consequences for this in the original made no sense, but in the 4Kids dub, they reuse a scene from when they return from their Cloudtower mission to show Faragonda lecturing them, even threatening to bar them from returning to Alfea next year. It’s such a dire consequence that fuels Bloom blaming herself even more. Also, love that they made it into the Day of the Royals, because that seems far more spectacle-worthy than just a generic “exhibition.”

Sidenote: I really appreciate that Bloom mentions how much of a pariah she becomes after the Day of the Royals. She says she’s become the laughing stock of Magix, and the Trix even joke about her powers being diluted “being all the over the chatrooms,” which is so aggressively early 2000s I adore it. In today’s world, she would absolutely be cancelled and memed into oblivion. #BloomIsOverParty.

One change I’m not fond of is the removal of Daphne being Bloom’s sister. I just… why? Especially given there’s a change here I LOVE: that Daphne gave Bloom the Dragon Flame. See, in the 4Kids dub, Daphne as a nymph was entrusted the power of the Dragon Flame. When Domino – or Sparx – was destroyed, she hid the power in Bloom before sending her to Earth, to protect both her and the flame, sacrificing herself. It adds so much depth to Bloom’s power in the fact she wasn’t even meant to wield it from birth, making her feel less like a special chosen one, and more like someone truly ordinary who just randomly was given this divine magic.

Keeping the sister angle would add even more drama to it. Imagine, Bloom viewing Daphne as this perfect older sister she never got to meet, idealizing her as a nymph and the one who should’ve wielded the Dragon Flame instead of her. It’d make Bloom’s imposter syndrome a thousand times worse, and I’d be here for every minute of that.

In short, you’re really not gonna lose much plot-wise if you go the 4Kids route. In fact, you’ll get a lot out of this dub that will complete your Winx knowledge, so I’d recommend watching both the Cinelume and 4Kids dub, and probably sticking with whichever one you prefer. But to write off 4Kids entirely is a disservice. Their reimagining of Winx is worth a watch, as it’s not only a fun time with more effort and thought put in than it’s given credit for, but it’s a cornerstone of Winx Club history for the majority of English-speaking fans. Legit, I lifted so much lore, jokes, and quirks from the 4Kids dub for my rewrites, and I have no regrets.

WORLDBUILDING:

Something I’ve come to really appreciate from the 4Kids dub is that Winx actually has a meaning now. I will admit, I did find it cute Bloom invented the word herself, but… it feels so awkward that it comes out of nowhere, especially when she uses it to form the club right after they all meet. Like… I feel you, confused Tecna. I feel you.

In the 4Kids dub, Winx – as described by Stella – is three things: your source of power; something that guides you; and your magical identity. It gives the word so much more meaning in the fact that everyone has it, and it’s unique to everyone. It’s something almost beyond words, and I appreciate the mysticism of that. You could argue then that the Winx Club is named for the concept because its members embody that word. They are fairies who fully embrace what makes them special, that know how to tap into their Winx, and honestly? I adore it.

I will say though that I’m torn on Alfea being called a high school now rather than a college. I mean, the girls are 16, so in American terms high school makes more sense. The education structure in Italy is much different, with different high schools dedicated to different trades, and then university. I’ll always call it Alfea College, but I suppose a high school structure would make it more relatable to the youngins.

The Trix still have their backstory of being descendants of the witches who destroyed Domino, though here, instead of the Ancestral Witches, they’re simply referred to as the Coven. In fact, the Coven is said to be made up of several generations of witches, which adds to the history behind their plan to steal the Dragon Flame, and even plants a seed for other potential members of this Coven down the road. Also, Coven is just easier to say than Ancestral Witches, and sounds more ominous.

Lord Darkar… once again, I am torn. In the original, he was boring as dirt, but you could argue it’s because of his nature as a cosmic evil. He is the Shadow Phoenix, the natural opposite of the Great Dragon, though the reason for his awakening in season 2 after a deep slumber is… unexplained? I assume it’s a reaction to Bloom’s power awakening at the end of season 1, but I shouldn’t be needing to explain things for the writers.

In the 4Kids dub meanwhile, Darkar is hypothesized by Faragonda to have once been a researcher by the name of Argulus who went into the Underrealm, seeking out the power of the Shadow Fire. The way Faragonda describes the Shadow Fire as a magical power that itself is alive and sentient, it gives me chills, and makes this power seem even more foreboding, along with its home, Shadowhaunt. And I just… Shadowhaunt is just a brilliant name for Darkar’s citadel, god bless. I especially appreciate the fact it’s something everyone knows about from stories they were told as kids. It’s basically hell. Like, if you’re bad, you’ll go to Shadowhaunt and be tortured by the Shadow Phoenix for eternity.

Basically, I think a fusion of the Argulus and Shadow Phoenix lore would be really interesting to see, especially how the Shadow Fire treats its hosts differently than the Dragon Flame. Like, the Dragon Flame coexists with its wielder, while the Shadow Fire acts like a parasite, twisting them into a monster and even sucking the life out of them.

Also, the Underrealm in the 4Kids dub? Way more threatening. The fact it even has a name at all is great, because it anchors this as a new location with its own history, versus… nameless underground caverns beneath the nameless-until-next-season mountains. My favorite part however is how dangerous the Underrealm is. The cave itself drains magic of those who enter, meaning the Winx are coming in at a disadvantage, and explaining why they run out of their magic faster here, when just last season they were able to stay transformed for extended periods of time no problem.

Some other cute additions I like are more quirky spells you’d expect from more orthodox fantasy shows. Things like mood spells, hair-changing spells we actually mention for Musa thank you, and punishing students with transformation magic, or just using them for inter-school pranks. Like, oh my god, has every director been kept in a jar at one point?

MISCELLANEOUS:

As much as I love the original score, I have to admit that the background music 4Kids created was equally iconic. So many of the melodies have stayed in my head for years, and that cheesy little sound effect mimicking the intro immediately gives me the visual of the tiny Bloom sprite floating around Alfea. The songs, though, cheesy, are likewise iconic. “Mean Girls” is a bop that’s so over-the-top you can’t not love it, “Searching” hits me in the soul, I still wonder why I got wings, “Magic in My Heart” is truly worthy of Musa’s love for her mother (and the fact her father wrote it for Wa-Nin? MY HEART), and “It Feels Like Magic” to this day is a Winx Club anthem.

Ironically, the only 4Kidss songs I’m not as fond of are the intro and transformation songs. Don’t get me wrong, the intro does its job as sticking with casual viewers, and I even appreciate  how it introduces you to all of the Winx and their powers. But the constant “We are the Winx” in the chorus is just insufferable, and the fact those are the only lyrics when they transform? No. Just no. “Under the Sign of Winx” and “Siamo Noi Le Winx” for life.

CONCLUSION & OUTRO:

So overall, I have a newfound appreciation for the 4Kids dub. I feel like I haven’t given it enough credit until now, which is odd considering it’s what got me into the show in the first place. If you’re a new Winx Club fan, or if you’ve just never seen this dub before and you’re hesitant, give it a try. It’s more magical than you might think.

Anyhow, if you enjoyed this video and would like to see more content like this from me, then be sure to subscribe and ring that bell for notifications because YouTube hate s creators. If you’d like to further support myself and the channel, you can pledge your support over on Patreon, give a one-time donations via the Thanks button down below, and/or check my urban fantasy novel De Cineribus: From the Ashes in the description below, and wherever books are sold. And remember to check out the Winx Forever Podcast episode – thank you Lola for having me, it was a real blast!

I’m the Unicorn of War, and it feels like magic… and also a shit show.