Lines that are better in the original dub than in Kai

[nickzambuto]

As great of a dub as Kai is, I think most of us would agree that it isn't perfect. Then again, nothing is perfect, but the problem with Kai in my opinion was that they had a tendency to make things overly-wordy. This scene is a perfect example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jaj1RBRgPQ&t (0:07 and 2:26)

One of Vegeta's most memorable lines just doesn't come across nearly as badass in Kai.

Any other examples?

Keep in mind, this thread is purely about scripts. Not actual performances, casting, music, or anything else.

[VegettoEX]

Having not actually watched that original FUNimation dub clip since 2000... that was... uhh... way worse then I remember.

If anything, I feel the opposite of you: there's too much yammering and extra words tossed into that first dub (what else is new?). What exactly do people find iconic about it? It's all just fluff words to fill up time. I mean, "pure evil" is the iconic line, and it's delivered in the right place at the right time with the right tone in the Kai dub.

[nickzambuto]

Having not actually watched that original FUNimation dub clip since 2000... that was... uhh... way worse then I remember.

If anything, I feel the opposite of you: there's too much yammering and extra words tossed into that first dub (what else is new?). What exactly do people find iconic about it? It's all just fluff words to fill up time. I mean, "pure evil" is the iconic line, and it's delivered in the right place at the right time with the right tone in the Kai dub.

Well in this case I was referring specifically to Vegeta's taunt at 19. "Let me ask you, does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?" vs "I am curious. Are androids capable of feeling anything akin to real fear?"

In this case, I don't understand why Vegeta needed to overcomplicate things. He sounds unnatural, nobody actually talks like that. Maybe they were trying to make him sound more royal and sophisticated, but it didn't work out, at least in this scene.

[Esfír Dedragón]

I'm waiting until I see how they handle Majin Vegeta's speeches and Vegeta's Respect Speech.

[Bansho64]

Well in this case I was referring specifically to Vegeta's taunt at 19. "Let me ask you, does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?" vs "I am curious. Are androids capable of feeling anything akin to real fear?"

In this case, I don't understand why Vegeta needed to overcomplicate things. He sounds unnatural, nobody actually talks like that. Maybe they were trying to make him sound more royal and sophisticated, but it didn't work out, at least in this scene.

I'd have to disagree. Besides the word "akin", I'm not anything unnatural or overcomplicated about it. And even then, I don't even agree with "akin" being that. I may not hear it everyday, but it shouldn't be deemed as "unnatural"

If people start saying that "curious" and "capable" are overcomplicated, then I'm gonna be completely baffled.

[Gaffer Tape]

Well in this case I was referring specifically to Vegeta's taunt at 19. "Let me ask you, does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?" vs "I am curious. Are androids capable of feeling anything akin to real fear?"

In this case, I don't understand why Vegeta needed to overcomplicate things. He sounds unnatural, nobody actually talks like that. Maybe they were trying to make him sound more royal and sophisticated, but it didn't work out, at least in this scene.

See, I thought you were referring to the same line that Mike was referring to because your link begins at the timestamp closest to that and skips entirely over the line you refer to. May I suggest you redo the link?

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Obviously the English Buu saga of Kai hasn't been fully released, but as of now - none, honestly, not even that clip.

Yes Kai isn't perfect, but the Funimation cast for the most part didn't know what they were doing back then, they did start to get their shit together by the time the Buu saga aired but even then it was early stages of getting the characters right in the scripting. The Kai dub is a far better product across the board.

[TheGreatness25]

The only thing I can award to the original dub is that a lot of time, the delivery was well-paced. This really started when they went back to do the Ultimate Uncut edition and continued into Kai, but a lot of the times, it feels like they're speed reading through the lines. They deliver the lines too fast or something. It's just a feelin that I have.

[ABED]

The only thing I can award to the original dub is that a lot of time, the delivery was well-paced. This really started when they went back to do the Ultimate Uncut edition and continued into Kai, but a lot of the times, it feels like they're speed reading through the lines. They deliver the lines too fast or something. It's just a feelin that I have.

It's a heightened delivery, but it's of infinitely better dialog. In cases for someone like Freeza, his quick verbose delivery works well.

[The Patrolman]

Where to begin

Ok Gohan SSJ2 transformation in the beginning of the next episode. I didn't like Colleen delivery when she is telling Cell to stop. Nadolny absolutely captures the rage and anger that Gohan has for Cell.

I also like the exchange that Goku and Cell had when Goku first saw Cells perfect form. I love the dialogue excluding the injustice BS. With Faulconer music I felt the intensity of this confrontation. Not to mention with Goku saying he came a long way to face Cell in his perfect form and Cell responding with so has he. It made you hype for their upcoming fight. In Kai however all of that intense atmosphere gets replace with dialogue that doesn't remotely catch my interest because its basically

Goku: Oh hey thats you Perfect Form, not bad

Cell: Thanks

(Cue Careless Whisper saxophone)

Also Goku second sacrifice was done so beautifully in the OG Dub. When he was speaking to his friends and especially Gohan its genuine and when he speaking to Gohan it feels like he is acting like an actual father. Unlike Kai which doesn't resonate at all to anything that is going on. Saying Goodbye my son than saying Goodbye Gohan is more emotional because even Gohan is totally the reason he is doing this he loves him with all of his heart.

There is more but I can't think of one right now

[DBZ Macky]

Just watched Kai 2.0 dubbed, and gotta say, this one line is definitely funnier in the original dub:
NOTE: might not be 100% accurate

DBZ Kai Final Chapters Episode 1
Videl: You know where the right field is?
Gohan: I don't know, but I'll figure it out.

DBZ Episode ?
Videl: You know where the right field is?
Gohan: Yeah, to the right, right?

But not a big deal either way

[sintzu]

That was a lot worse than I remember, the "acting" is so bad compared to Kai.

Say what you want about Kai's production but comparisons like this show how much it was needed.

[90sDBZ]

There were a few instances in Kai were stuff didn't quite make sense. Like when Vegeta says "Kakarot and Raditz were more or less equals", or when Trunks says that he and the Androids were "somewhat evenly matched" when we know that this is false in both cases.

Another line that sort of bugged me was Krillin's speech when they make plans to fight the Androids. He mentions that he used to hate Goku, but every time they faced an enemy they'd work together and put their differences aside. This just doesn't ring true to me. For one thing I don't think he ever truly hated Goku. Sure he felt jealous of his strength early on in training, but they were close friends before long. And the first time they fought side by side against and enemy was against that Pirate robot, by which time they were clearly best friends. This speech sounds like it would make more sense coming from Piccolo.

I've also noticed that the Kai dub tends to give lots of big words to certain characters, particularly Vegeta, Frieza, and Bulma. While these are some of the more intelligent characters and you could imagine them speaking like this, they actually don't speak like this in the Japanese version. It actually doesn't bother me much personally, but if I were a kid watching the show I'd be struggling to follow some of the things they talk about. Maybe it was an effort by Funimation to go to the other extreme after people complained about the old dub being "dumbed down". I've actually noticed that the more recent BoG and RoF dubs seem to have found a balance in staying true to the original but not going out of their way to make it seem more intelligent than it needs to be.

For example, in Resurrection F we actually get to hear Chis Ayers as Frieza speaking basic English pretty often, which was somewhat rare in Kai. It's the same with the videogames too in that they're not consciously trying to be as different from the old dub as possible.

Anyway I happen to love both takes on the series overall, and I'm looking forward to eventually seeing Buu Kai.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

That was a lot worse than I remember, the "acting" is so bad compared to Kai.

Say what you want about Kai's production but comparisons like this show how much it was needed.

Oh extremely! Sabat sounds soooooooo bad it is not funny. It is really hard to look past the acting in this instance.

[The gr]

That was a lot worse than I remember, the "acting" is so bad compared to Kai.

Say what you want about Kai's production but comparisons like this show how much it was needed.

Oh extremely! Sabat sounds soooooooo bad it is not funny. It is really hard to look past the acting in this instance.

Agreed in some scene he sounded like Brian Drummond and I remember he said something like that was a whooper of a lizard I can't believe I'm getting old or something like that

but seriously looking back at the dub it aged terribly is not as bad as the ocean dub or others dubs I encountered but still and in some scene sean schemmel sounded bland and emotionless and Chris sabat is clearly imitating Drummond Vegeta

[nickzambuto]

Everyone please keep in mind what I said in the OP. This isn't about acting or casting or music. This is simply the scripts themselves. Occasionally (and only occasionally) I just feel like the OG dub had a simpler, more efficient line. The lines in Kai are a lot longer for some reason which often requires the actors to speak at breakneck speeds.

Well in this case I was referring specifically to Vegeta's taunt at 19. "Let me ask you, does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?" vs "I am curious. Are androids capable of feeling anything akin to real fear?"

In this case, I don't understand why Vegeta needed to overcomplicate things. He sounds unnatural, nobody actually talks like that. Maybe they were trying to make him sound more royal and sophisticated, but it didn't work out, at least in this scene.

See, I thought you were referring to the same line that Mike was referring to because your link begins at the timestamp closest to that and skips entirely over the line you refer to. May I suggest you redo the link?

I don't know how that happened. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Bansho64]

I'm still not seeing how anything is overcomplicated or rushed.

[ABED]

Occasionally (and only occasionally) I just feel like the OG dub had a simpler, more efficient line. The lines in Kai are a lot longer for some reason which often requires the actors to speak at breakneck speeds.

Occasion being the operative word, but breakneck speeds is an exaggeration. It's not like they are speaking at Gilmore Girl level speed.

[FoolsGil]

I suppose you can say there is a nostalgic factor, but Kai's lines are far superior. Old School Funi were like VegettoEX said, more wordy, and more goofy as well.

Now, when it comes to the accompanying soundtrack, Faulconer/Old School Funi wins between the two, but that's another topic.

[Gog]

That was a lot worse than I remember, the "acting" is so bad compared to Kai.

Say what you want about Kai's production but comparisons like this show how much it was needed.

You watched it, I couldn't even get past when Vegeta spoke the first line. How did you do it???