FUNimation was actually instructed to change the names of the characters and the show itself by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, the show's original creators. My favorite is Hiroshi Agawa, whose name was changed to Herschel Agawa, but since everyone just calls him "Dr. Agawa," you'd never know it was different at all.

As for the show itself, I actually like the premise and the characters so much that I don't mind how formulaic most of the episodes are, and in a way, they make the occasional plot advancement that much more engaging. Of course, I've only seen a few dozen episodes; I don't know if my enthusiasm would hold over the course of the other four hundred.