Dragon Ball Dub- Random Removal of Insert Songs

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

This has always bothered me, but why were some insert songs in Funimation's Dragon Ball dub removed while others were kept in?

[Gonstead]

Speaking of insert songs, Funimation removed the choir piece from when Piccolo dies in the Saiyan Saga when you watch it in dub & Kikuchi.

As far as I'm aware, the only insert they kept in Z was Battle Point Unlimited but it would be kinda cool to see how that scene would play out with no music.

[kei17]

This has always bothered me, but why were some insert songs in Funimation's Dragon Ball dub removed while others were kept in?

Perhaps that's what given by Toei.

[Fizzer]

I always just thought it was because the songs were in Japanese, so they removed them as part of the Americanisation. They had no need to do it with Z or GT because they completely replaced the scores at first anyway.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

I always just thought it was because the songs were in Japanese, so they removed them as part of the Americanisation. They had no need to do it with Z or GT because they completely replaced the scores at first anyway.

I'd think that was the case, but some insert songs are kept in.

[dbboxkaifan]

For the Gohan SSJ2 scene on the FUNi dub without any insert music, it actually is decent, despite the pointless monologue (I wish they didn't include this crap), the scream is pretty awesome.

Nadolny may not be my cup of tea but her Gohan SSJ2 scream was stunning, and it probably is one of the very few scenes I liked with her Gohan.

[TripleRach]

I always just thought it was because the songs were in Japanese, so they removed them as part of the Americanisation. They had no need to do it with Z or GT because they completely replaced the scores at first anyway.

I'd think that was the case, but some insert songs are kept in.

The ones they did keep in were always obscured by characters talking. So even when the songs were there, they did their best to make sure you couldn't hear the Japanese vocals.

Even if it was just an issue with the audio materials they got from Toei, it gave me the impression they really didn't want the songs in the dub anyway.

I also find it interesting that the only songs they kept were during the third dub season.

[GotenDaisuki]

The Mexican dub has it worse. Early Dragon Ball had no insert songs up to the Red Ribbon arc, where Goku is just about to attack the base. From there it is consistent until the 22nd Budokai when Goku and Kuririn fight. In Z, the only insert song removed was "Shura-iro no Senshi", and from there everything was consistent up to GT when "Don't you see!" was removed (and GT is another story in itself; only the first ending was dubbed).

[theoriginalbilis]

Anime studios have often sent incomplete or subpar masters of their shows to foreign markets. I know Toei is especially guilty of this: ADV received subpar footage for their sub-only release of Sailor Moon (excessively shaky/grainy video with muffled audio), FUNimation's original masters for DBZ contained NEPs with no Japanese audio, so they were released dub-only.

Bandai Japan gave Bandai USA such poor masters for 80's anime SPT Layzner and Giant Gorg that Bandai decided to cancel their DVD releases of them. Zeta Gundam's release in non-Japanese countries have never had the original OP/ED songs, because Bandai Japan removed the songs from the international masters.

TMS (Tokyo Movie Shinsha) is probably the worst offender though: they edit everything that they send to America, either by blurring names or logos out with text boxes, or by removing frames entirely and replacing with black screens. See the American releases of Detective Conan, Lupin the 3rd TV, or The Castle of Cagliostro for examples...

[SilverPlaqueVII]

One song was removed on ep. 20 in the English dub with Japanese music on Orange brick 1 when Kaio told Goku about the Saiyan race. Pure skeptical.

[penguintruth]

Well, the Faulconer music is really for the English dub. There'd be no reason to leave in the Japanese songs, because the English version is a different vision of what DBZ is. Watching that dub with the Japanese music is just weird, in my opinion.

[Pokewhiz7]

Well, the Faulconer music is really for the English dub. There'd be no reason to leave in the Japanese songs, because the English version is a different vision of what DBZ is. Watching that dub with the Japanese music is just weird, in my opinion.

Slight nitpick, but episode 20 would actually be Nathan Johnson.

[eledoremassis02]

Wait....is the music missing on the English tracks or the Japanese tracks as well?

[Kendamu]

Wait....is the music missing on the English tracks or the Japanese tracks as well?

Just the English track. Everything's intact on the Japanese track.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

Well, the Faulconer music is really for the English dub. There'd be no reason to leave in the Japanese songs, because the English version is a different vision of what DBZ is. Watching that dub with the Japanese music is just weird, in my opinion.

Just to clarify, I'm talking about Dragon Ball, not 'Z'.

[OutlawTorn]

Watching that dub with the Japanese music is just weird, in my opinion.

I don't think so. Not being a fan of the Faulconer score, watching it with the Kikuchi score has always been the best way for me to enjoy it.

[Attitudefan]

The chanting music that sounds similar to O Fortuna has been removed. It first plays in the Piccolo arc if I'm not mistaken and never ever plays in the English dub (Vegeta's Death scene is silent in the English dub)

[DB_Fan1991]

The chanting music that sounds similar to O Fortuna has been removed. It first plays in the Piccolo arc if I'm not mistaken and never ever plays in the English dub (Vegeta's Death scene is silent in the English dub)

It was only removed when Piccolo died. During the sacrifice it was instrumental, and it was there when Vegeta died.

[Attitudefan]

Oh it was... well memory didn't serve me well here haha.

[Puto]

The chanting music that sounds similar to O Fortuna has been removed. It first plays in the Piccolo arc if I'm not mistaken and never ever plays in the English dub (Vegeta's Death scene is silent in the English dub)

It plays in Dragon Ball Movie 2's dub, which is where the song came from in the first place (the movie, I mean, not the dub).