FUNimation Announces "Kai" License ("DBZ Kai")

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

Some people are just too picky.

And some people are too easy to impress.

Or its just a 30 second clip of a guy yelling, it's not going to be the greatest thing on the planet. Your casting harsh judgment based on personal biases. Your entitled to your opinion, but you should at least wait until we get more than just a scream before tearing his performance apart.

Here's a good question: will this recast be carried into other future dubbing of dragon ball media? If they do decide to dub 'Yo! Son Goku and Friends Return' or 'Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans,' will they use the new dubbing cast from Kai??

That is a tough call, but I would assume so. Brina Palencia has apparently been doing the voice of Puar in non-TV roles prior to kai. I'd imagine that if they like the new voices then they will stick to them for continuity purposes.

[Amigo Ten]

I just don't see a problem with it, I don't see how Schemmel could do it better, and I don't see how it's any different from Nozawa shouting Kamehameha (discounting the different voices obviously).

[Captain Awesome]

Now if only they'd throw Linda Young out on her ass.

While I agree with the general "recast Freeza" message... isn't this a bit harsh? I mean, as much as we may not like certain casting choices, there's no reason to get so hateful about it.

Do I really actually have to clarify that I didn't actually mean that they physically pick up Linda Young and throw her out of the door onto the street?. I don't bear her any ill will, I'm just of the opinion that putting her infront of a microphone is an unforgiveable crime against humanity.

[TheMajinRedComet]

Are people really judging and arguing a 10 sec clip? It sounded normal to me.

[Kaboom]

Do I really actually have to clarify that I didn't actually mean that they physically pick up Linda Young and throw her out of the door onto the street?. I don't bear her any ill will, I'm just of the opinion that putting her in front of a microphone is an unforgivable crime against humanity.

Oh, of course not. I understand that. I was just saying that the particularly spiteful tone behind it all is really unnecessary. We get too much of members emanating that towards each other as it is.

[Greenman]

Perhaps I should clarify my comment on his voice breaking up. What I was referring to was what sounded to me like his voice faltering a bit during the second "me" It's not a big deal or anything. It was just an observation.

Are people really judging and arguing a 10 sec clip? It sounded normal to me.

I think that's entirely the problem for penguintruth. It was normal Schemmel Goku, which obviously he hates.

Personally, I'm mostly apathetic towards Schemmel staying as Goku. I'd rather have someone better, but I'm fine with him staying. He's just 'OK' to me the majority of the time and sometimes even good.

[Gozar]

Are people really judging and arguing a 10 sec clip? It sounded normal to me.

It's the DragonBall fan base in the faceless internet world. What did you expect? -_-

[sangofe]

What was wrong with it?

Same overly-rough constipation sound to it.

In addition to wrong pronunciation...

[Gozar]

I'm sorry but this has to be said. It just dawned on me. I've been debating DragonBall related matters online since 2004. So 6 years now. I've debated these very same voice related things year after year. And I know many people hear have been doing the same for longer.

Hasn't this gotten out of hand?

Isn't it kind of pathetic?

And don't say "This is a Forum meant for discussing DragonBall things" because that's obvious.

What I wanna ask is...How long can people hold such resentment for the Dub? This goes beyond difference in opinion. Some people are just downright nasty. Not only to their fellow fan. But to the actors as people.

Is it really necesarry for the EXACT SAME DISCUSSIONS to come up time and time again.

Whether people choose to believe it or not. This is all purely opinion. Which voice is more suiting on a character will never be a fact. Masako Nozawa will never be the best Goku. Sean Schemmel will never be the best Goku. All that will even be certain is what each induvidual feels. Yet still after all this time. Bickering and pure idiocy over what? Freeza sounds like a lizard? Goku's voiced by a woman?

I realize these debates will never cease. But does everything have to be taken to the extreme? Must every post that has a differing opinion be met by either flame or sarcasm? Because it always gets to that. What may start out as a civil and lively discussion always winds up like that once each side said everything it has to say.

Well...I don't really know what's gonna come my way after saying this. But regardless, I'm glad I did.

[DemonRin]

Do I really actually have to clarify that I didn't actually mean that they physically pick up Linda Young and throw her out of the door onto the street?. I don't bear her any ill will, I'm just of the opinion that putting her infront of a microphone is an unforgiveable crime against humanity.

Now hey, that's not right.

Putting her in front of a mic with a Script that says "Linda Young plays Frieza" is an unforgivable crime against humanity.

Conversely, when FUNi gets the rights to redub Yu Yu Hakusho the movie 2, It would be a crime against humanity to NOT put her in front of that Mic to play Genkai.

[DemonRin]

I don't think its right to judge this one 10 second clip that has obviously had voice filters applied to it to make it sound echoey.

[penguintruth]

How long can people hold such resentment for the Dub?

For as long as it sucks, I guess. What's it been, a decade?

But it's not like I wake up every day and shake my fist at the sky, cursing Funimation. I just don't understand how people can seriously consider a dub that actively insults the intelligence of its viewers, and the work it mangles, a good one. Few other fandoms would put up with this, but for some reason, Funimation can spit in some DBZ fans' faces over and over again and be praised for it.

Is this Toonami nostalgia trip so many folks are on going to end at some point?

I'm hostile because even after a decade, they don't seem to be on the right track. I'm finding it difficult to place my confidence in decade-long failures.

[G1Ravage]

I'm highly disappointed that most of the cast is returning. I was hoping for months that the eventual dub of Dragon Ball Kai would mark a new beginning for dubbed Dragon Ball, and that FUNimation would do a recast from the ground up, and dub it with accurate scripts, like they do with just about every other anime they dub. Seems we're just getting better scripts.

There's still a small chance, I suppose, that they'll again alter their performances somewhat to make them more serious/less grating/more appropriate. Sonny Strait's Kuririn during the early Namek episodes was the best he'd ever done. Sean Schemmel may still voice Kaiou, but there could always be a slim chance he's going to do a completely different voice.

[Metalwario64]

Is this Toonami nostalgia trip so many folks are on going to end at some point?

What, so we aren't entitled to like the dub cast now? It's only nostalgia and nothing more? Wow...

I'm hostile because even after a decade, they don't seem to be on the right track. I'm finding it difficult to place my confidence in decade-long failures.

An accurate script isn't a step in the right direction?

[VegettoEX]

Is this Toonami nostalgia trip so many folks are on going to end at some point?

What, so we aren't entitled to like the dub cast now? It's only nostalgia and nothing more? Wow...

To a lot of folks, the dub of DragonBall Z still sits in the same mind region as things like the dubs of Cardcaptor Sakura and the first dub of One Piece, at least in terms of acting and directing. Those who had enough familiarity at the time with the original source material to be able to see it for what it was continue to ask fans who "grew up with it" to take a step back and... well... see it for what it was.

It was a meticulous, calculated, and intentional insult at your intelligence. And you ate it up. Hook, line, and sinker.

I do not necessarily agree with everything penguintruth says or especially the way he puts it, but there are some underlying bits of wisdom there. You dub fans can stop playing the victim whenever you want -- you're the bigger audience in North America (according to FUNimation's own surveys), and you are the ones they will constantly cater toward (with the exception of the occasional Dragon Box release!). You "won". You always get what you want. Even better, FUNimation has moved on to THE position of power in the industry, and all of their other products benefit from it greatly!

And yet they still fall back on decisions for DBZ, usually made a decade prior, that treat you like the perpetual nine-year-old. Even with Barry Watson gone.

FUNimation's had their chances to win over fans of the Japanese version, at least on a curiosity factor, several times. They had a full chance in 1999 with "season three", and that bombed with anyone that wasn't fresh to the series right then and there. They had minor chances along the way with things like the "Ultimate Uncut Edition" (falling back on 1996 scripts), and adjustments made in the orange bricks (take one step forward for the JP score, take two steps back for everything else). Fans of the Japanese version see Z Kai as one last attempt at even being remotely interested in watching what we see as an accurate and faithful dub of the series ('cuz, hey... wouldn't that be neat?!)... and yet many of the decisions so far, at least in the eyes of these fans, fly right in the face of that opportunity.

Sure, it's "minor". We're talking a few actor roles here and there. For some of us, though, that might be enough to keep us at bay. It all depends on how important those casting decisions are to you.

[Blue]

Few other fandoms would put up with this, but for some reason, Funimation can spit in some DBZ fans' faces over and over again and be praised for it.

I just find it funny how some people will resent say David Moo's Sanji then spin right around and go "THE DUB OF DBZ IS AMAZING I ESPECIALLY LOVE KING KAI'S VOICE!" Funimation's Dragonball dub was made in the day and age where people didn't care about accuracy or paying respect to the original intention of the show. This is why they get away with it. The kiddies growing up nowadays hate inaccuracy when it comes to dubbed anime because it's common place to follow the original script and cast accurate voices. Even decent dubs like Naruto's get spit on for not being accurate enough. If Dragon Ball was being dubbed nowadays using the same voices,music and script from long ago I guarantee it would be just as hated as 4kid's One Piece.

I honestly dare anyone to say an Australian Jheese is any better then say a French Hawk Eye. When it comes down to it the love for the dub's voice cast and script really is just bull headed nostalgia more or less.

That being said I don't think it's fair going "RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE SEAN IS GOING TO SUCK RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE" because you heard a 10 second voice clip of him shouting an attack.

[DemonRin]

I just find it funny how some people will resent say David Moo's Sanji then spin right around and go "THE DUB OF DBZ IS AMAZING I ESPECIALLY LOVE KING KAI'S VOICE!" Funimation's Dragonball dub was made in the day and age where people didn't care about accuracy or paying respect to the original intention of the show. This is why they get away with it. The kiddies growing up nowadays hate inaccuracy when it comes to dubbed anime because it's common place to follow the original script and cast accurate voices. Even decent dubs like Naruto's get spit on for not being accurate enough. If Dragon Ball was being dubbed nowadays using the same voices,music and script from long ago I guarantee it would be just as hated as 4kid's One Piece.

I honestly dare anyone to say an Australian Jheese is any better then say a French Hawk Eye. When it comes down to it the love for the dub's voice cast and script really is just bull headed nostalgia more or less.

That being said I don't think it's fair going "RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE SEAN IS GOING TO SUCK RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE" because you heard a 10 second voice clip of him shouting an attack.

AGREED ENTIRELY! This post is a really good post!

Australian Jheese is pretty much the exact same as all of the RANDOM accents given to characters in 4kids One Piece.

And it also irritates me how DBZ gets special treatment, seemingly entirely on the nostalgia factor. I've actually spoken to people on other forms who will give the One Piece or Naruto dubs flac for something, and then turn around and heap praise on the DBZ Dub.

Like, once someone complained about Arlong's "Shark On Darts" from One Piece being changed into "Shark Darts". (IE, they just removed the Engrishy part) And later, in a DB related thread, said he couldn't stand the Japanese version of DBZ.

It just goes to show you, double standards are everywhere...

[Kirbopher]

I think I can understand and get behind some of the things Mike's referring to that would "keep people at bay" from instantly accepting the dub for Kai to be the be-all-end-all solution to the dub vs sub issue. From my experiences with a lotta the folks at FUNimation though, they have real senses of production value on what they do and I genuinely think Sabat has an appreciation for what made Dragonball so great to begin with, regardless of it being a hit in the US because of the changes made to it, even before he was involved with the production. That said, at least with what info we have so far, I think a little more confidence should be placed in their hands now.

For myself anyway, even though I'm usually a walking-talking voiceover database who's obsessed with casting-related shit, I'm actually MUCH more excited about the dialogue and scripting being more faithful to what it was originally. If anything I'm ready to buy this stuff without hesitation right now just because of that.

[obiwan23s]

There was never going to be wholesale voice actor replacements on any potential Kai dub. If you thought Sean, Chris, and pals wouldn't be back to provide voices for the main characters, then you weren't looking at the situation realistically. The problem with the Z dub is mostly rooted in a bad script that kicked proper characterization to the curb, altered names and terminology and in a few rare instances changed the actual content of the story. All of these problems can be corrected with a proper script and someone directing actors who shares the same vision of what Z should be as we do (or as close to possible to that). At the end of the day it's still FUNimation producing a Z dub, so I have little faith they can substantially improve their product until it's actually on the market and available for us to buy and watch.

There aren't a whole lot of voices that are necessarily bad. Some posters here do go a little overboard on their criticism of certain actors but I think most of the current cast could pull off a good, convincing dub with the right script. In my opinion apart from Freeza and #19, most of FUNi's actor talent was fine, especially after Season 3. I'm just bummed Freeza didn't get a recast because I've never particularly agreed with FUNi's take on the character.

[Blue]

Voices do affect the characterizations of the Dragon Ball cast though. I don't really have an issue with the majority of voices to be honest. With proper voice direction voices like Eric Vale's Trunks or Sabat's Yamcha will be absolutely fine. It's voices like Recoome's and North Kai's I'm worried about. The script can be as accurate as it wants but if Sabat is delivering every single line with his "HURF DERF" Recoome voice he's going to come off as a mentally challenged moron. If whomever voices Boo delivers his lines with that stupid accent he's going to come off twice as childish and stupid then what was originally intended.If Kaio talks like a fused Cartman and Droopy he's not going to be able to deliver a lot of the serious lines well.Again I don't have an issue with a lot of the voices but some are just irredeemable and that worries me.