Why did FUNimation spell Freeza with an "i"?

[DoomieDoomie911]

Why wouldn't they just spell it the way it's supposed to be spelled? Was it a mistake? I've never really stopped and wondered what the reason was behind it.

[VegettoEX]

We'll never know.

Perhaps for easier trademarking, perhaps just to be 90s X-treme about it, perhaps for no reason at all.

For what it's worth, Bandai used the proper "Freeza" spelling on their North American release of the Super Battle Collection figures prior to FUNimation establishing their new spelling, as did the closed captioning authors.

[thomas1up]

Who knows? But for some damn reason they love it.

It doesn't even make sense since you don't say "fry-za" or "fry-eza".

[Fizzer]

I've never thought it looked it should be "fry-za", because that isn't how we read thief, brief, belief, shriek, and loads of other words like that. I think they chose that spelling to get away from "freezer" and have him taken more seriously.

[VegettoEX]

I think they chose that spelling to get away from "freezer" and have him taken more seriously.

By casting Pauline Newstone as his voice and re-writing his entire character. Of course!

[samuraix123]

As a Dub fan....I HAVE NO FREAKING IDEA! hahaha I always hated the way that was spelled. I have to admit though most of the time I do spell things the way the dub does. I'm still not use to spelling Majin B uu ''Boo'' hahaha but I'm getting it. lol when you've spelled something the same for over 15 years it's hard to suddenly change haha like how I would spell Paikuhan ''Pi kkon(I put a space in the middle because If I don't then the site will catch it and change it.)
I do like Kor-in better than I do Kairin. I just think it sounds better. 1 thing I know I won't ever be able to break is the dubs way of saying Saiyan. because when I hear CYON or however you would say it(you guys know what I'm talking about dang it lol) it just sounds so odd to me. lol

[thomas1up]

1 thing I know I won't ever be able to break is the dubs way of saying Saiyan. because when I hear CYON or however you would say it(you guys know what I'm talking about dang it lol) it just sounds so odd to me. lol

Depends which one I use.

If I say Saiyan I always use the dub way of saying it because... it just sounds better and rolls on the tongue easier.

If I saw Saiya-jin I use the CYO pronunciation because "say-ah-jin" sounds weird

Also I didn't think the Buu spelling was corrected to Boo? Guess I'll see when this is posted

[VegettoEX]

Also I didn't think the Buu spelling was corrected to Boo? Guess I'll see when this is posted

Both of those are perfectly valid and sensical adaptations of the name that had precedents long before FUNimation.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I've never thought it looked it should be "fry-za", because that isn't how we read thief, brief, belief, shriek, and loads of other words like that.

I agree with this part at least - I've never gotten the argument that the i suddenly makes it where you would pronounce it differently, not when we have tons of words that don't do it.

As far as why they did it though...I'd guess the easier brand recognition thing (not really sure the 'EXTREME' thing would come into play here though), kind of the same reason that they've now chosen to go with 'Beerus' over 'Beers'. Course, I understand the decision with Beerus more than I do with Fr-i-eza over Freeza, simply because Freeza already looks pretty recognizable...but eh, this was old-time FUNi we're talking about.

[ABED]

I think they chose that spelling to get away from "freezer" and have him taken more seriously.

By casting Pauline Newstone as his voice and re-writing his entire character. Of course!

I don't hate her voice, there's a creepy quality to it, but the writing is what was really wrong, and only got worse in season 3.

[thomas1up]

This is my biggest issue with the "i" spelling


Anyway it seems like such a completely pointless change. I mean why? A good portion of people watching the show most likely won't even read his name until some time later, and what they're gonna think "GOOD GRIEF! HIS NAME SOUNDS LOVE TO A FREEZER! THIS MAKES HIM IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE SERIOUSLY!!" and if they would bother to change the spelling so it's more "srs bzniss" then for what reason do they keep the pronunciation the same?

No matter what I can't wrap my head around this pointless change for any other reason than "just cuz"

I think they chose that spelling to get away from "freezer" and have him taken more seriously.

By casting Pauline Newstone as his voice and re-writing his entire character. Of course!

I don't hate her voice, there's a creepy quality to it, but the writing is what was really wrong, and only got worse in season 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBrAgJmjVjk

Bad writing is an understatement

[Cetra]

I don't know a Frieza, only a Freezer, just as a Boo or a Saiyajin.

And his name is Freezer. The katakana could be translated to Freezer, Frieza or Freeza but in the end on and the same word is meant with one and the same Pronounciation.

[linkdude20002001]

It doesn't even make sense since you don't say "fry-za" or "fry-eza".

"Frieza" would be pronounced free-zuh... Now if it were spelt "Freiza", then it would be frahy-zuh. There are exceptions, but mostly in pluralized forms of short, single-syllable words (such as "fry" to "fries"), but that's a case of "y" becoming "i" and adding "es" to pluralize, and not a case of "ie" being pronounced ahy (that ahy sound is just from the "i" all by itself).

So, Funimation's spelling is correct pronunciation-wise, however it is not correct as a pun on "freezer". Most likely, the spelling is most likely not Funimation's fault. I believe they saw it written that way in the terribly translated scrips they received (Hey, look! An example of an exception on the "ei" rule!) from Toei. Looking at the copyright information they submitted to the Copyright Database, I can tell that Toei is probably to blame for "Master Roshi", "Tien Shinhan", "Kami", "Shenron", "Krillin", and the "Nimbus Cloud" (which FUNi changed slightly). Oddly, though, Toei at least had Kaio's name right, and Funimation went and changed it.

[dbzfan7]

I think they chose that spelling to get away from "freezer" and have him taken more seriously.

By casting Pauline Newstone as his voice and re-writing his entire character. Of course!

I still think Newstone is better than Linda Young Fr(i)eza

[El Diabeetus]

I think they chose that spelling to get away from "freezer" and have him taken more seriously.

By casting Pauline Newstone as his voice and re-writing his entire character. Of course!

I still think Newstone is better than Linda Young Fr(i)eza

Ayres/Nakao are definitely my prefferred Freeza voices. But between Young and Newstone, I agree. Newstone is more fitting that Young was.

[Valerius Dover]

A good portion of people watching the show most likely won't even read his name until some time later, and what they're gonna think "GOOD GRIEF! HIS NAME SOUNDS LOVE TO A FREEZER! THIS MAKES HIM IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE SERIOUSLY!!" and if they would bother to change the spelling so it's more "srs bzniss" then for what reason do they keep the pronunciation the same?

Episode 45 of Z is titled Frieza Strikes!

It is the second episode he appears in. So, people would catch the spelling quickly unless they can't read. Personally, I usually use the Funimation spellings and names, simply because I'm used to them more. I use the original names if I am specifically referring to the original version.

[ABED]

I don't see

It doesn't even make sense since you don't say "fry-za" or "fry-eza".

"Frieza" would be pronounced free-zuh... Now if it were spelt "Freiza", then it would be frahy-zuh. There are exceptions, but mostly in pluralized forms of short, single-syllable words (such as "fry" to "fries"), but that's a case of "y" becoming "i" and adding "es" to pluralize, and not a case of "ie" being pronounced ahy (that ahy sound is just from the "i" all by itself).

So, Funimation's spelling is correct pronunciation-wise, however it is not correct as a pun on "freezer". Most likely, the spelling is most likely not Funimation's fault. I believe they saw it written that way in the terribly translated scrips they received (Hey, look! An example of an exception on the "ei" rule!) from Toei. Looking at the copyright information they submitted to the Copyright Database, I can tell that Toei is probably to blame for "Master Roshi", "Tien Shinhan", "Kami", "Shenron", "Krillin", and the "Nimbus Cloud" (which FUNi changed slightly). Oddly, though, Toei at least had Kaio's name right, and Funimation went and changed it.

I know you're trying to be consistent linguistically, but English is a weird language, with a million exceptions. If Freeza was written "Freeza" and still pronounced the same as Freeza, it would still be pronounced right because that's how we roll.

I don't see anything wrong with not translating Kami. It's a proper noun. Yeah, I know it's the word for god, but I don't think they did anything wrong.

[VegettoEX]

It is the second episode he appears in.

Yeah, but he had been mentioned by name for MANY episodes before that. "Season Two" begins with edited/dubbed episode 27, and you start hearing about him pretty early on. Thus my comment about the folks doing the closed captioning always writing it as "Freeza" up until the point FUNimation tossed a different spelling in the title card.

[ABED]

My guess is the closed caption people wrote what they heard.

[VegettoEX]

My guess is the closed caption people wrote what they heard.

Yes, that's been my whole point this entire time (I guess it wasn't clear...?). If you hear the name, there's absolutely nothing that would make you think, "Hey, I should stick the letter 'i' in there somewhere!"