What do you guys think of Masako Nozawa as Bardock?

[8000 Saiyan]

As we all know, Nozawa tends to get criticized for voicing Goku and Gohan as adults, as well as Bardock and Turles.

What's your opinion on her as Bardock? Do you like her or dislike her? If you dislike her, who would have you chosen for Bardock? Personally, I never had a problem with her performance.

[Vijay]

Seriously whats da difference between Bardock, Tullece & Black?

All 3 voiced by Nozawa, dark/negative shade, Goku-esque look.

Bardock's got this edgy, daring persona.

Tullece is more like calculative, manipulative dude

Black is supremely laid back, desperate for power

Voice is nothin by an extension of their characters. Nozawa is a legend period. No 1 has the qualification to even judge her performance.

Her performance as Bardock was fine. Wouldnt say as memorable as Goku/Gohan/Goten but certainly has the charm

[Trickster]

Seriously whats da difference between Bardock, Tullece & Black?

All 3 voiced by Nozawa, dark/negative shade, Goku-esque look.

Bardock's got this edgy, daring persona.

Tullece is more like calculative, manipulative dude

Black is supremely laid back, desperate for power

Voice is nothin by an extension of their characters. Nozawa is a legend period. No 1 has the qualification to even judge her performance.

Her performance as Bardock was fine. Wouldnt say as memorable as Goku/Gohan/Goten but certainly has the charm

It's just my impression or her performance as Goten is very different than the 90's one?

[Saikyo no Senshi]

Nozawa Masako's Bardock performance in my opinion is outstanding. Gives me the chills. After Gokuu, it is my favorite. The reasoning behind her casting is very much to keep it in familiar territory and not alienate the viewers.

A different actor could've done a good job, but it was not needed. I don't like what-if scenarios in these matters anyways. Whatever happened, happened. The director or whoever decided to have Nozawa voice Bardock made a good choice and it worked.

[TheGreatness25]

I like all of her performances. It's a little hard on the ears when she's doing a yell or power-up scene, but it's okay, it makes sense. You can tell that she really tries to distinguish her voice between kids, adults, and "edgy" adults. I have no problem with any of her portrayals.

[Lord Beerus]

She works extrmely well as Bardock. Far better than you would expect. I've made this comment before, but I feel like it needs to be restated: Despite voicing several male characters in the series, Nozawa always seems to bring a distinctive tone with each different male character she voices, whether it be Goku, Goten, Gohan, Bardock and Turles.

[Metalwario64]

What annoys me is that so many people showed surprise at the fact that Nozawa was able to perform well as a villain when Black was revealed, when she'd already given performances that were just as good, if not better through Bardock and Tullece.

It's a little hard on the ears when she's doing a yell or power-up scene, but it's okay, it makes sense.

I never used to feel that way, but in the recent episode of Super with Gohan vs Goku, it felt too shrill for my ears. I know she can't help it, but it's such a damn shame too.

[Vijay]

Seriously whats da difference between Bardock, Tullece & Black?

All 3 voiced by Nozawa, dark/negative shade, Goku-esque look.

Bardock's got this edgy, daring persona.

Tullece is more like calculative, manipulative dude

Black is supremely laid back, desperate for power

Voice is nothin by an extension of their characters. Nozawa is a legend period. No 1 has the qualification to even judge her performance.

Her performance as Bardock was fine. Wouldnt say as memorable as Goku/Gohan/Goten but certainly has the charm

It's just my impression or her performance as Goten is very different than the 90's one?

Yup. Maybe age has gotten to her or the series/voice director requested a much childish approach to the character, in line with Super's kiddish tone.

[huzaifa_ahmed]

I have similar thoughts on how I view a lot of characters who are voiced by the same person for connections' sake. I don't think her performance is bad, but I feel Goku & Bardock are so diametrically opposite characters (with Bardock being largely a typical gruff male soldier type) that I can't reasonably see the connection. Sure, Bardock is Goku's father, but Goku is just such an anomalous character & I feel another actor would be better suited towards the more "average manly man" Bardock. (This may sound like blasphemy, but I think I'd prefer more of a baritone, someone like Toshiyuki Morikawa or especially Nobuyuki Hiyama).

Another point I'd like to make is that I feel Banjo Ginga's bass sounds weirdly deep compared to Vegeta's tenor, seeing as Vegeta is pretty much his father's age by late Z. There's this tendency to drastically deepen voices for older versions of a character, even though voices don't deepen that much after young adulthood. Actually I think I'd like Horikawa-san himself to voice King Vegeta nowadays; he'd be pretty solid in the role.

What annoys me is that so many people showed surprise at the fact that Nozawa was able to perform well as a villain when Black was revealed, when she'd already given performances that were just as good, if not better through Bardock and Tullece.

It's a little hard on the ears when she's doing a yell or power-up scene, but it's okay, it makes sense.

I've never used to feel that way, but in the recent episode of Super with Gohan vs Goku, it felt too shrill for my ears. I know she can't help it, but it's such a damn shame too.

Call me Captain Obvious, but the thing here is of course that people are watching Super in Japanese because it's intentionally set up as "the default way to view anime" now. Whereas those movies got localized ages ago, plus they're more obscure than the series I think.

Also: Goku Black is Goku's body, so naturally the tone & weight of the voice will be the same. If one can accept Goku sounding like that to accentuate his personality, it can reasonably follow that because it's the same body, it'll have the same weight to the voice. With Bardock, there isn't any reason to start off with a childish voice, because he's very much a typical brutish Saiyan.

[8000 Saiyan]

I have similar thoughts on how I view a lot of characters who are voiced by the same person for connections' sake. I don't think her performance is bad, but I feel Goku & Bardock are so diametrically opposite characters (with Bardock being largely a typical gruff male soldier type) that I can't reasonably see the connection. Sure, Bardock is Goku's father, but Goku is just such an anomalous character & I feel another actor would be better suited towards the more "average manly man" Bardock. (This may sound like blasphemy, but I think I'd prefer more of a baritone, someone like Toshiyuki Morikawa or especially Nobuyuki Hiyama).

Another point I'd like to make is that I feel Banjo Ginga's bass sounds weirdly deep compared to Vegeta's tenor, seeing as Vegeta is pretty much his father's age by late Z. There's this tendency to drastically deepen voices for older versions of a character, even though voices don't deepen that much after young adulthood. Actually I think I'd like Horikawa-san himself to voice King Vegeta nowadays; he'd be pretty solid in the role.

What annoys me is that so many people showed surprise at the fact that Nozawa was able to perform well as a villain when Black was revealed, when she'd already given performances that were just as good, if not better through Bardock and Tullece.

It's a little hard on the ears when she's doing a yell or power-up scene, but it's okay, it makes sense.

I've never used to feel that way, but in the recent episode of Super with Gohan vs Goku, it felt too shrill for my ears. I know she can't help it, but it's such a damn shame too.

Call me Captain Obvious, but the thing here is of course that people are watching Super in Japanese because it's intentionally set up as "the default way to view anime" now. Whereas those movies got localized ages ago, plus they're more obscure than the series I think.

Also: Goku Black is Goku's body, so naturally the tone & weight of the voice will be the same. If one can accept Goku sounding like that to accentuate his personality, it can reasonably follow that because it's the same body, it'll have the same weight to the voice. With Bardock, there isn't any reason to start off with a childish voice, because he's very much a typical brutish Saiyan.

They would have been too young for Bardock at the time of the special. Had they gone with a male actor, I think Akira Kamiya, Shigeru Chiba or Akio Otsuka would have been great choices IMO.

I don't think Nozawa's Bardock sounds childish. While Goku and Bardock, she's able to differentiate the deliveries.

[Dragon Ball Gus]

To be honest, this is the only voice I don't like from her. I really wish he was voiced by a man, like Raditz's voice actor, that would've made him even more unique from Goku.

[DB_Fan1991]

I'm mixed on it. I love Nozawa a lot, but Bardock is her weakest role for certain. She does good and all as she always done, but on the other hand I don't think her voice matches his personality. Like the person above me stated Shigeru Chiba would have been a better choice.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Easily Nozawa's weakest performance in Dragon Ball, but Nozawa doesn't deliver bad performances, so naturally, it doesn't disappoint. Every last thought and emotion, she absolutely nailed it. I don't think I'm alone in saying that I felt Bardock when I watched that first TV Special, that's not something just anyone can do.

[Soppa Saia People]

I'm fine with it, it wouldn't be my first choice, but I get why it was done.

[cheddarsword]

I think she makes a great Goku, but she's not a good Gohan.

As for Bardock, it only makes sense because Children sometimes sound like their parents. I don't like seeing "Badass Bardock" with her voice. It just takes away from everything the character is.

As for Turles, it's the same thing as Bardock really.

Black gets a pass though. It's Goku's body after all. Just because someone else is in control of it doesn't mean that the larynx and vocal chords have changed.

Frankly, I don't blame her though. I blame the casting directors. "Oh, they look like Goku? Better use Masako."

It kinda takes away from her portrayal of Goku as well. It makes it less unique.

[GreatSaiyaJeff]

The only version I have seen in subbed of Bardock was Episode of Bardock and I think she did ok. Still prefer her Goku, Gohan and Black performances over that one. Then again I never watched the original special subbed, so maybe I could change opinion once I watch that original.

[Ripper 30]

I am one of those people in this thread who didn't really had much problem with Nozawa voicing Bardock. I mean Bardock looks like goku so why shouldn't he sound like one, he is just a little tanned version of goku but with a scar that's it but Nozawa actually differentiates her voice from goku as she doesn't use Hick Tone but more of a Serious Arrogant tone and it sounded more like "Edgy" Angry Goku without hick tone and I have to say her screams were awesome in the Special though it's not like someone else couldn't have done it but Nozawa did great Job.

[Super_Divine_Genki]

What annoys me is that so many people showed surprise at the fact that Nozawa was able to perform well as a villain when Black was revealed, when she'd already given performances that were just as good, if not better through Bardock and Tullece.

This. While Nozawa's Goku Black was distinguishable enough, her previous Tullece performance (in 1990!) was so good too. It gave me the impression that not many commenters had seen DBZ Movie 3 (perhaps too young), or some had forgotten about it. It was only natural to me that she'd deliver the goods with G.Black.

It's a little hard on the ears when she's doing a yell or power-up scene, but it's okay, it makes sense.

I never used to feel that way, but in the recent episode of Super with Gohan vs Goku, it felt too shrill for my ears. I know she can't help it, but it's such a damn shame too.

Something that I'd noted in that episode thread was that it seemed that they are overlaying a stock Nozawa recording over some of the "datdatdatdat" scenes in Super. Having both Goku and Gohan effectively sounding exactly in the same way, at the same time, was too much even for me that episode. Compare that to her Goku/Gohan stuff from RoSaT training during the Cell arc of Z, or Goku VS Cell (with spamming ki blasts into forcing "Perfect Barrier") from Z, and it really does seem like stock recordings had been done for Super (understandably, we can't expect her at this time to go "Full Power" on every recording).That's just going on my impressions though.


As for her Burdock/Bardock, it was another good performance. It also works well with the TV Special being a one-off thing -- it made more sense to assign her to that role than to find another actor to portray "Kakarotto's" father (a Goku look-a-like).

[Metalwario64]

Something that I'd noted in that episode thread was that it seemed that they are overlaying a stock Nozawa recording over some of the "datdatdatdat" scenes in Super. Having both Goku and Gohan effectively sounding exactly in the same way, at the same time, was too much even for me that episode. Compare that to her Goku/Gohan stuff from RoSaT training during the Cell arc of Z, or Goku VS Cell (with spamming ki blasts into forcing "Perfect Barrier") from Z, and it really does seem like stock recordings had been done for Super (understandably, we can't expect her at this time to go "Full Power" on every recording).That's just going on my impressions though.

You know... I was watching Goku vs Cell in Kai in Japanese recently, and when Goku was barraging Cell with ki blasts toward the end of the fight, they kept looping the same "DADADADADADADADADADADADA" clip over and over again. I thought she just did one take and they looped it so she wouldn't have to keep doing it.

Then I was watching Z in Japanese and when Goku was training in his ship during the Namek arc (it was a scene done by Shida, so it was probably the Bulma episode), I noticed an extremely similar sounding "DADADADADADADADADADADA" clip, that also just cuts out as the scene cuts to showing the gravity machine.

I still haven't compared them side by side, but to my ears they sounded almost identical (since it was like didididididDEDEDADADADADADADADADADA), and it would be hilarious if Toei had that recording of Nozawa from Z and have been reusing it throughout the years.

[TheGreatness25]

What annoys me is that so many people showed surprise at the fact that Nozawa was able to perform well as a villain when Black was revealed, when she'd already given performances that were just as good, if not better through Bardock and Tullece.

This. While Nozawa's Goku Black was distinguishable enough, her previous Tullece performance (in 1990!) was so good too. It gave me the impression that not many commenters had seen DBZ Movie 3 (perhaps too young), or some had forgotten about it. It was only natural to me that she'd deliver the goods with G.Black.

It's a little hard on the ears when she's doing a yell or power-up scene, but it's okay, it makes sense.

I never used to feel that way, but in the recent episode of Super with Gohan vs Goku, it felt too shrill for my ears. I know she can't help it, but it's such a damn shame too.

Something that I'd noted in that episode thread was that it seemed that they are overlaying a stock Nozawa recording over some of the "datdatdatdat" scenes in Super. Having both Goku and Gohan effectively sounding exactly in the same way, at the same time, was too much even for me that episode. Compare that to her Goku/Gohan stuff from RoSaT training during the Cell arc of Z, or Goku VS Cell (with spamming ki blasts into forcing "Perfect Barrier") from Z, and it really does seem like stock recordings had been done for Super (understandably, we can't expect her at this time to go "Full Power" on every recording).That's just going on my impressions though.


As for her Burdock/Bardock, it was another good performance. It also works well with the TV Special being a one-off thing -- it made more sense to assign her to that role than to find another actor to portray "Kakarotto's" father (a Goku look-a-like).

When I said that it could be a little hard on the ears, I didn't mean in that particular episode -- I never even saw it. I meant in general.