Goku's dub personality

[Sin]

So I've seen quite a few posts about Goku being portrayed as a 'hick' (man I hate that word) or some kind of hillbilly in the original Japanese manga/anime. Now looking back on my childhood a lot of the things I liked about Goku almost seem invalidated by learning that in the source material he was never intended to be a Superman type character, but as a kid I loved his 'ally to good' speech (admittedly it doesn't make much sense now) and I loved his portrayal as a hero of justice. In fact I can't imagine how I would've felt about Goku being this low-IQ guy with a lack of eloquence, I'm certain I wouldn't have enjoyed his character as much.

Maybe it's because I'm a bad fan, and I'm sure a lot of people would say it was disrespectful to the source material, but I think I'd always prefer a Funi Goku (not the voice actor, just the personality) over the source Goku. Am I alone in this? Does it make me a terrible fan?

[TheBlackPaladin]

Am I alone in this? Does it make me a terrible fan?

I wouldn't be surprised if there are elitist jerks out there who would say it does--in any franchise, there will always be a group of people who try to tout some odd sense of superiority by claiming, "I'm a more hardcore fan than you!"--but rest assured, it does not make you a terrible fan. It simply makes you a fan of the English "reversion" rather than the original source material, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. The only thing I consider "wrong" within fandom is when people start to look down on others for having preferences (and in the case of "Dragon Ball," that goes both ways...I'm not fond of fans of the dub who look down on fans who like the original Japanese version, and vice versa).

Here's something I will say to your credit, though. I don't think Goku is quite as selfish as some people make him out to be. He has traits of heroism and selflessness in him. I mean, in the scene right before where he does a Times-20 Kaioken to fight Freeza, Freeza was drowning him and he was fading into unconsciousness...and the thing that gave him his "second wind" was the thoughts he had of his friends and loved ones being killed and harmed by Freeza. Immediately before he uses the Kaioken, he says to Freeza (not an exact quote), "For Gohan, Chichi, the people of Earth and the people of Namek...."

If you're completely selfish, that's an odd thing to say!

So he certainly has traits of heroism in him. Enough that I wouldn't hesitate to call him a hero. Ultimately, though, it would only be fair to say that FUNimation tried to give him a "Superman" persona, by toning up his heroic traits and toning down his hillbilly/selfish traits, which is not particularly accurate to the character. He's a low-IQ hillbilly who, thanks to his racial heritage, loves to fight, and felt that subconscious urge to fight ever since he was young. An urge that never truly left him.

[InfernalVegito]

The only thing I consider "wrong" within fandom is when people start to look down on others for having preferences

QFT. Too bad there are a lot of people who are like this.

[DBZ Mick]

It up to you and your opinion.

Personally, I never liked that side to Goku even younger especially the Ally to Good speech. It made him more generic and boring.

[penguintruth]

You can prefer what you want, but what you prefer isn't Goku.

Super stalwart, pillars of justice are a dime a dozen. I like Goku because, while he usually has good intentions, he's kind of selfish and quirky. He doesn't speak well, but he has a brain for combat. He has his own sense of intelligence, just not a very conventional kind. He enjoys fighting. He wants to be challenged. It means everything to him to have something to test his skills on, to improve himself. He'll still be a hero, right wrongs, fight the bad guys, just not in any kind of self-propelled heroism. He doesn't aspire to be a hero and will even push the consequences of his actions aside for the thrill of fulfilling his own desires. He's not your run-of-the-mill white knight type, and that's what makes him an interesting character. He's a charming manchild, a sort of Gomer Pyle meets Bruce Lee. He still loves his family and doesn't want to see people suffer, but he also has a sense of unintentional rashness I find refreshing. He just has a very different way of thinking.

[Sin]

You can prefer what you want, but what you prefer isn't Goku.

Super stalwart, pillars of justice are a dime a dozen. I like Goku because, while he usually has good intentions, he's kind of selfish and quirky. He doesn't speak well, but he has a brain for combat. He has his own sense of intelligence, just not a very conventional kind. He enjoys fighting. He wants to be challenged. It means everything to him to have something to test his skills on, to improve himself. He'll still be a hero, right wrongs, fight the bad guys, just not in any kind of self-propelled heroism. He doesn't aspire to be a hero and will even push the consequences of his actions aside for the thrill of fulfilling his own desires. He's not your run-of-the-mill white knight type, and that's what makes him an interesting character. He's a charming manchild, a sort of Gomer Pyle meets Bruce Lee. He still loves his family and doesn't want to see people suffer, but he also has a sense of unintentional rashness I find refreshing. He just has a very different way of thinking.

I agree with what you're saying, it's strange really, I find the Japanese Goku more interesting for all the reasons you specify, but maybe that's only at the age I am now, I was never really interested in any kind of depth to characters as a kid. I'm going to pin it down to pure nostalgia as being why I prefer the Goku that stands for 'truth, justice and the American way!' because nowadays my taste in anime hungers for more flawed characters and Funi Goku would never fit my criteria these days. That being said I never grew up with Funi's Goku, well not really, I grew up with the Westwood Dub and have never liked Sean Schemmel.

[Ringworm128]

I've never seen dub Goku as a "Superhero" except for maybe a couple of his speeches, I just see him as a nice likable guy. And really I hate the whole "you're a bad fan and you don't respect the series if you prefer anything but the original" thing. I respect the source material I just don't let it turn into an obsession/let it dictate how I enjoy something.

[Metalwario64]

People say that by the Cell or Boo-arcs that Goku's personality was accurately, but in the Cell arc, he talks about bringing the "sword of justice" down on Cell, and in the Boo-arc, he tells Gotenks-Boo that he's going to finally "make him pay for his crimes".

[Super Sonic]

Question. Why is it whenever they say they made Goku a "Superhero" they only refer to Silver Age DC and never to Bronze Age-onwards or Marvel, etc?

[Gaffer Tape]

What I find interesting about FUNi's and fans' interpretations of Goku is that both tend to swing the pendulum too far. FUNimation made him much more into a white knight, a selfless superhero who stands for great justice, etc. But in their understandable zeal to combat that, the fans of the original, I feel, touted him way too far the other way. Granted, the latter portions of the series somewhat corrupted his character a bit by randomly and jarringly infusing him with a bunch of Saiyan characteristics he never had before, but I still don't feel it's near to the level of selfish, battle-hungry savagery some fans peg him with.

He's simple, yes. He's naive, of course. He loves to fight. But, as much as I love MasakoX's, "Are you that Freezer guy? I'ma punch you in the schnozz!" a never-ending thirst for battle for its own sake is not his only driving force. Blooma didn't convince him to join her by talking about all the skulls he'd get to bash in but for the thrill of adventure and seeing the world. Goku didn't decimate the Red Ribbon Army because he was salivating with blood lust. It was because they attacked him or were harming innocent people. And where was the enticement of battle when he carried Umigame on his back all the way to the ocean? There was no prospect of fighting or even any kind of a reward at all. He simply did the right thing for its own sake. And this was all from the young Goku, the one most people claim was much more willing to use lethal force than his adult counterpart.

So, yeah, to peg Goku as a Superman-esque valiant defender against evil isn't accurate, but he certainly does defend people against evil... just in his own, naive, bumpkin way.

[Thanos]

I'm not trying to be elitist here, but as penguintruth says, that just isn't Goku.

If an amateur group of fans got together and dubbed the series and made Goku a super-genius, would that be a legitimate source of how to take the character? Of course not. What makes FUNimation's dub any different? Just because they're "official" and "licensed"? Nah, that doesn't fit.

You, however, can like whatever you want. If you want Chatku to be your de facto Goku, that's your prerogative... hasn't got shit to do with me. Your opinion, I don't fault you for, and it's a legitimate reason (that's how you know the character) but I stand by my opinion. Not to mention, Goku's sort of apathy toward his family, lack of intelligence and eloquence is what makes Goku, Goku. It's very unique, and the dubs always seem to turn him into a 100% benevolent character. Goku is extremely good-natured and polite, but he isn't the White Knight moralist he's made out to be in the dubs.

[TheMightyOzaru]

I liked Funimation's portrayal of the low class wonder when I was little but now?, I certainly feel the Japanese Goku is far superior. His child-like innocence and sense of wonder is so charming. That's not to say the Superman clone, that's the best comparison I can draw here, is bad but it's just very generic. Goku doesn't need the sense of being that unstoppable force that saves the day no matter what whom also has perfect morals. In fact I feel that Funimation is partly responsible for the fans that idolize Goku as the strongest in all of fiction. Goku is just a kid in a mans body in the Japanese version of the show and I find that far more appealing that a traditional super hero. Now Sean Schemmel has redeemed himself through Kai by actually portraying him correctly which is a plus. The question at this point is which voice do you prefer. I have hard time with this myself. Sean is better at making Goku a badass when he needs to be but Masako does a better job making Goku feel like a child. I tend to lean toward Masako but Sean is definitely my second favorite voice for Goku.

[Super Sonic]

Again I ask, when you guys say "Superman clone" when do you mean exactly? There have been many different incarnations of Supes over the past 75 years. And he's been played by several actors, none of whom I'd say Schemmel sounds like. And even back then, Goku doesn't live in a world of cardboard. (Though it would've been friggin' awesome had something like that been said to Buu or Omega, then commence @$$ kicking).

[AnimeMaakuo]

I've always felt that Goku's dub personality came off as a sophisticated, moralizing speech-giver.

[Ketchup_Revenge]

No English voice actor has ever captured Goku correctly. The problem with the search for an actor to voice the character is not only to find one who can give a believable voice to the character, but also do the character justice. Sean Schemmel in my opinion, does neither. That's why I'm dreading a FUNI dub of Battle of Gods.

[RandomGuy96]

Please don't degrade Superman by comparing him to any version of Goku.

[Chuquita]

TFS spoiled me with MasakoX's Goku and now I can't listen to Funi's Goku at all anymore. XD
*Hopes TFS eventually abridges BOG*.

But yeah, the childish/quirky/selfish/occasionally-pronounces-words-wrong/martial-arts-challenge-loving Goku from the original Japanese version is my fave. X3

[Ringworm128]

I honestly think people stretch Goku's dub personality way to far just like how they over exaggerate manga Goku as being some heartless fighting machine who only cares for fighting and getting stronger and nothing else. Goku gave a few speeches but most of the time he was just a good guy that didn't like people harming other people for no good reason. He wasn't mentioning day in day out how he wanted to rid the universe of evil, he wasn't trying to form the Justice Leage with Vegeta and the others and not everything he said sounded like it was taken from a clip of "Sonic Says". I feel the same way for Sean Schemmel's earlier portrayal of Goku, it didn't sound like some superhero voice, it was just a happy go lucky nice guy voice.

In fact I feel that Funimation is partly responsible for the fans that idolize Goku as the strongest in all of fiction.

I've always thought that came more from Goku being able to take out entire armies as a kid and being millions of times stronger then that as an adult to the point where he could beat the crap out of being that could wipe out civilisations and destroy planets.

[DoomieDoomie911]

I don't think it makes you a terrible fan at all. You have a right to your own opinion. Although I think that his "original" personality is best. I like his lack of knowledge and his country accent.

[ABED]

No English voice actor has ever captured Goku correctly. The problem with the search for an actor to voice the character is not only to find one who can give a believable voice to the character, but also do the character justice. Sean Schemmel in my opinion, does neither. That's why I'm dreading a FUNI dub of Battle of Gods.

What exactly are you looking for with Goku's voice?