A notable gap: Indonesian lacks the layered class distinctions of Victorian England. The Duchess’s moralizing (“Speak roughly to your little boy”) loses its satirical edge when translated literally, as Indonesian parenting proverbs do not map neatly to Carroll’s parody of didactic verse.
Dubbing Alice in Wonderland for Indonesia requires transforming logical absurdity into culturally coherent silliness. The 1951 and 2010 Indonesian dubs demonstrate that successful localization prioritizes laugh triggers over lexical loyalty. Future research should examine audience reception among Indonesian children: Do they perceive the dubbed Wonderland as “weird” in the same way English-speaking audiences do? And how do dubbing studios handle newer adaptations, such as the 2021 Alice’s Wonderland Bakery series, which introduces modern slang? alice in wonderland dubbing indonesia
The 1951 dub omits the character “Bill the Lizard” entirely in one scene where chimney-sweeping terminology is used. Instead, the dialogue refers simply to “kadal itu” (that lizard). Similarly, the 2010 dub replaces “treacle well” (unknown in Indonesian culinary context) with “sumur madu” (honey well), shifting from a molasses-based reference to a locally recognized sweetener. A notable gap: Indonesian lacks the layered class
The White Rabbit’s anxious “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” is rendered in the 1951 dub as: “Astaga! Astaga! Aku pasti terlambat lagi!” (Back-translation: “Oh my! Oh my! I’ll be late again!”) The English “dear” (Victorian mild exclamation) becomes Astaga – a common Indonesian interjection of surprise, closer to “Good grief!” This domestication removes Victorian gentility but increases emotional relatability for Indonesian children. The 1951 and 2010 Indonesian dubs demonstrate that