How accurate are Funimation's subtitles for DBZ

The S · Post by **The S** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:53 am

Raki wrote:During my break I want to rewatch the orange bricks i own with the subtitles. How accurate are the DBZ subtitles for the Japanese version?

Let us just put it thusly:

You will not find any better.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:33 pm

Thanks for the input folks. I find it odd that the subtitles are superior,but the dub is grossly inferior. Funimation is a weird company. I'll be watching the orange bricks later on.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:35 pm

Well I've started to watch the orange bricks again,and I've noticed that "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" is the opening song when i have the Japanese audio on,but not on English audio. What the fuck is up with that?

SonEric84 · Post by **SonEric84** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:50 pm

A stupid mistake that they don't seem to care about fixing.

Rocketman · Post by **Rocketman** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:51 pm

SonEric84 wrote:A stupid mistake that they don't seem to care about fixing.

How many people listening to the English audio will give a rat's ass about Head Cha-La?

SonEric84 · Post by **SonEric84** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:53 pm

Rocketman wrote:
SonEric84 wrote:A stupid mistake that they don't seem to care about fixing.
How many people listening to the English audio will give a rat's ass about Head Cha-La?

True...but if someone wants to watch the dub with the japanese music (which is one the of the new selling points) it's still wrong.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:11 pm

Rocketman wrote:
SonEric84 wrote:A stupid mistake that they don't seem to care about fixing.
How many people listening to the English audio will give a rat's ass about Head Cha-La?

How many will care about the ending,which is completely in Japanese and is the original ending?

PrincessVegeta · Post by **PrincessVegeta** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:50 pm

Raki wrote:
Rocketman wrote:
SonEric84 wrote:A stupid mistake that they don't seem to care about fixing.
How many people listening to the English audio will give a rat's ass about Head Cha-La?
How many will care about the ending,which is completely in Japanese and is the original ending?

Well I've always wondered why Funimation have decided to keep using Menza's music for the DBZ intro, since Faulconers music is now in the orange bricks near the end of Season 2 and the whole of Season 3 shouldn't they be using his version of the DBZ intro instead of Menza's. I mean like it sounded way better than his intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSEs5KZIVg

Or even better the movie one would sound nice aswell.

Incase anyone dosen't remember it here's a reminder of it in this youtube video I found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvnSHdfrlXs

Why didn't they change it, are Funi getting lazy or something :3

Captain Awesome · Post by **Captain Awesome** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:54 pm

I know I've sort of missed the boat for commenting on the subtitles for DBZ, but what the hell I figure I'll throw in my two cents anywho.

Mr. Simmon's subtitles are a delight to read, I really began to appreciate them after purchasing a few (non Dbz of course) dvds with uh, less than stellar translations (mistakes so bad even someone with only basic knowledge of Japanese could pick them out)

Very few translators seem interested in retaining anything other than the basic plot and basic dialog these days.. so to me the subtitles are a probably the best feature of the Orange brick.

Gyt Kaliba · Post by **Gyt Kaliba** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:24 pm

Quick question - Does Simmons do the subtitles for everything FUNi does, or just the DB franchise?

Lobster_Rage155 · Post by **Lobster_Rage155** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:26 pm

Gyt Kaliba wrote:Quick question - Does Simmons do the subtitles for everything FUNi does, or just the DB franchise?

Steve Simmons

Clyde Mandelin

Gyt Kaliba · Post by **Gyt Kaliba** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:32 pm

Ah. Thanks for those Lobster_Rage155.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:00 pm

Just finished the first Orange Brick. The Japanese version and the dub are like night and day to me. I'm still debating if i want to even watch the Dub on future Bricks that are released.

FindKenshi · Post by **FindKenshi** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:33 pm

Well, Simmons spells my favorite character's name as "Freeza", so that is good enough for me. I always spell his name Freeza, never as Frieza. So, he gets my vote. Although, even though I dont' know Japanese, I'm not sure I understand some of the things I notice about his subtitles.

Maybe it's just a "one word can have many meanings in Japanese" thing, sort of like English? Because sometimes I will hear this very recognizable Japanese phrase (There's no way I can type it out in romanized Japanese.. sounds too alien to my ears--but if I had to take a shot in the dark at it, I'd say "masaca?")

Sometimes Simmons will translate this as "Don't tell me" and sometimes it will be "can't be." and sometimes he'll even translate it as "Impossible"

Well, I guess "can't be" and "impossible" are alike, but how does "Dont' tell me" fit into there?

Although, he is a pretty damn good translator, when he actually explains Kaiosama's Nai vs Knife joke pun. And yet, didn't he botch Dodoria's joke to the three Namekians in his subtitle too? Like I said, I don't know Japanese from Jack--but I was told by more then a few people, that the subtitles Simmons has for Dodoria is missing some kind of joke or pun that went over his head?

Post by **Herms** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:58 pm

FindKenshi wrote: Maybe it's just a "one word can have many meanings in Japanese" thing, sort of like English? Because sometimes I will hear this very recognizable Japanese phrase (There's no way I can type it out in romanized Japanese.. sounds too alien to my ears--but if I had to take a shot in the dark at it, I'd say "masaca?")

Sometimes Simmons will translate this as "Don't tell me" and sometimes it will be "can't be." and sometimes he'll even translate it as "Impossible"

Well, I guess "can't be" and "impossible" are alike, but how does "Dont' tell me" fit into there?

Yeah, the word you're hearing is masaka, which means something like "Impossible!" or "It can't be!". Here are some examples of it being used in different sentences (unfortunately this website never writes anything out in romanji, so you kind of have to take my word that the word being defined is actually masaka) . As for translating it as "Don't tell me", I'd assume the idea was like "Don't tell me...she killed all of them!/the planet is going to explode!!/you ate the last jelly doughnut!!!", which in that sort of context has the same basic meaning as "It can't be" .

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:05 pm

Vekurotto wrote:I always considered them very accurate. The only two things that have ever bothered me was "Kakarrott" instead of "Kakarrotto" and 'Saiyan' instead of Saiya-jin. Even then those two are insignificantly minor.

Yeah, I'm kinda bothered that Torankusu is shown as Trunks.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:50 am

I was very surprised when I realized that the O in Kakarott(o) and in Kabit(o) was missing. But then I figured it has some explanation and maybe they're showing that maybe the dub name isn't so far from the original.

I find that their translations are really accurate because I found "scripts" on website about the show and they seem almost exactly the same. Some words that are different, but have the same meaning. In fact, makes me laugh once how someone who apparently knew all the ins and outs of DBZ was arguing with me that when Gohan became Ultimate/Mystic/Whatever you wanna call him, it's like his Super Saiyan energy was "uninstalled" and the Mystic power got "reinstalled" and that's why he couldn't turn Super Saiyan anymore. At the time, it made me laugh. Then he showed me some sub where it really did make it seem like that was the explanation. I showed him my Japanese subs on my DVDs, which don't say anything like that, but noo, they're from FUNimation, of course they don't know what they're talking about. Just looking back at it, it makes me laugh a bit.

Here's my problem... Their subs are so good and accurate almost to a tee. Then why is it that you get these sorts of things, where in the Japanese version, Goku could eat and say (very characteristically mind you), "That was great! When's seconds?" and in the dub say, "Whew that was good. I'm all full." Why does that happen if their translations are so well done?

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:13 am

TheGreatness25 wrote:I was very surprised when I realized that the O in Kakarott(o) and in Kabit(o) was missing. But then I figured it has some explanation and maybe they're showing that maybe the dub name isn't so far from the original.

I find that their translations are really accurate because I found "scripts" on website about the show and they seem almost exactly the same. Some words that are different, but have the same meaning. In fact, makes me laugh once how someone who apparently knew all the ins and outs of DBZ was arguing with me that when Gohan became Ultimate/Mystic/Whatever you wanna call him, it's like his Super Saiyan energy was "uninstalled" and the Mystic power got "reinstalled" and that's why he couldn't turn Super Saiyan anymore. At the time, it made me laugh. Then he showed me some sub where it really did make it seem like that was the explanation. I showed him my Japanese subs on my DVDs, which don't say anything like that, but noo, they're from FUNimation, of course they don't know what they're talking about. Just looking back at it, it makes me laugh a bit.

Here's my problem... Their subs are so good and accurate almost to a tee. Then why is it that you get these sorts of things, where in the Japanese version, Goku could eat and say (very characteristically mind you), "That was great! When's seconds?" and in the dub say, "Whew that was good. I'm all full." Why does that happen if their translations are so well done?

I think they feel they need to make Dragonball something it isn't in order to make the series appeal to American fans. Such sound decision making......

Jerseymilk · Post by **Jerseymilk** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:02 pm

I just want to point out that in many instances, the Japanese companies that NA companies buy licenses to series from are responsible a lot of times for changes too. Many pretty much tell the American licensor to do whatever they feel they need to to make the show sell here. So just solely blaming American companies for everything isn't always accurate.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:25 pm

I very much doubt that by changing around very mild dialog really matters. For example, it's no secret even to American fans that Goku is a hungry guy that would chew your arm off if you reached into his plate. Yet, there is an instance where the dub says that he's completely full and the original asks for seconds.

Kanzenshuu

How accurate are Funimation's subtitles for DBZ

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