Are English Speakers the Only Ones that Have a Problem...

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

...with the Japanese voices. Is it common for, say, Spanish fans of Dragon Ball to complain about the Japanese voice actors or is it really just English speaking fans that do this?

I know I'm kinda generalizing the English speaking fan base. I apologize, but I'm just curious.

[dbboxkaifan]

Hm, no. The Portuguese (Portugal) fans from what I've read in the past they hate that the Original Goku doesn't sound manly as the Portuguese Songoku does. It's unfortunate to read fans of the same series disrespecting the original work.

[rereboy]

Hm, no. The Portuguese (Portugal) fans from what I've read in the past they hate that the Original Goku doesn't sound manly as the Portuguese Songoku does. It's unfortunate to read fans of the same series disrespecting the original work.

Its funny because the portuguese voice actor for Goku actually married another man... He married the voice actor for Vegeta (and for Freeza, since he voiced them both).

[dbboxkaifan]

Its funny because the portuguese voice actor for Goku actually married another man... He married the voice actor for Vegeta (and for Freeza, since he voiced them both).

Henrique Feist and Ricardo Spinola married? Wow this is news to me because it's the first time I've known about it, and somewhat of a shocker. Never thought he was gay, but everyone's got their choices.

Still, Henrique Feist is a great voice actor regardless of the crappy dialogue he was given on DBZ.

[rereboy]

Yes, he did: http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/moda-e-social/h ... -4061.html

On topic, no its not just an english thing. Goku's original adult voice is definitely weird at first.

[TheBlackPaladin]

I remember Kanzenshuuer Timo talking about how, when DBZ was released on DVD in Germany, it was announced that the DVDs would only contain the edited German dub as an audio option (for budget reasons), and that most German fans didn't seem to care.

It has generally been my experience that while the original Japanese version of an anime may be more globally popular, since it's the only version that can be enjoyed (and is enjoyed) worldwide, that's still only if you take the global fan community into account. Generally, no matter where you go, the local dub is more popular simply because of the fact that it received more exposure than the original Japanese version. So it's what most fans are familiar with.

That has become less true as time has gone on, of course. Back in "the day," if you wanted to see the original Japanese version of an anime with subtitles, that almost always meant getting a bootleg VHS tape from very shady stores, and often those tapes had atrocious video/sound quality. Thanks to the internet, and home video formats like DVD which can hold two audio tracks, the original Japanese versions of animes have become infinitely more accessible, and so we have seen a rise in demand (and a rise in popularity) of the original Japanese versions because more people can watch it. That does not change the fact, though, that in almost every case, the dub--of any given country--proves to be more accessible than the original Japanese version.

On topic, no its not just an english thing. Goku's original adult voice is definitely weird at first.

I have yet to see anybody who, when they hear adult Goku's Japanese voice for the first time, has not been surprised or taken aback. It's simply not a very normal voice (granted, Goku's not a very normal guy, but either way...it's not a voice one would expect, I think). It's also worth noting that literally every single dub ever made of the "Dragon Ball" animes cast an adult male voice as adult Goku. So no matter what dub you're familiar with, English or otherwise, I think it's only safe to assume that watching the original Japanese version is going to be an adjustment when you hear a woman's voice coming out of an adult male character.

[soulnova]

In Spanish they are also a little annoying about the voice actress of Goku.

I have to be honest and accept that while I knew about a woman voicing Son Goku, it still came as a shock the first time I watched The Tree of Might and a couple of the Majin Buu saga episodes in Japanese. Afterwards I kind got used to it. I do prefer Mario Castañeda's voice for Goku because he does gives him a young and naive feel, but can change to "shit got serious" very quickly.

More recently, I met young lad, 18 years old I believe, who heard Nozawa's interpretation for the first time in some of the Battle of God's trailers. He started to complain and whine about how un-manly Goku sounded, but I made the point that "That old lady has been screaming Kame Hame Ha since before you were even born". That kinda shut him up.

Congrats on the Portuguese voice actors.

[Storm]

Its funny because the portuguese voice actor for Goku actually married another man... He married the voice actor for Vegeta (and for Freeza, since he voiced them both).

The shipping community must've had a field day with that one.

[soulnova]

Its funny because the portuguese voice actor for Goku actually married another man... He married the voice actor for Vegeta (and for Freeza, since he voiced them both).

The shipping community must've had a field day with that one.

LOL There was a panel with the Latin Voice actors of Kid Goku/Gohan/Goten, Adult Krillin, Chi-Chi and Adult Goku a little while ago. Mario Castañeda started joking that Gohan was a disappointment because he became lazy with his training... and also for the "ugly rumors" of him and Piccolo.

Mario Castañeda (Goku): Let's be honest here. The gay ones were Piccoro and Gohan.

Laura Torres (Kid Goku/Gohan/Goten): Of course not!

Eduardo Garza (Krillin): Hey, You leave Gohan alone!

Paty Acevedo (Chi-Chi): No, no. They were Vegeta and Goku.

Laura Torres (Gohan): Exactly.

Paty Acevedo (Chi-Chi): True, isn't!? *turns to the audience*

Audience: *cheer*

Laura Torres (Gohan): There's a fine line between love... and hate.

*hilarity ensues*

[VyeRo]

Its funny because the portuguese voice actor for Goku actually married another man... He married the voice actor for Vegeta (and for Freeza, since he voiced them both).

That's one of the funniest things I've heard in a while.

[penguintruth]

The Japanese had the luxury of watching Dragon Ball first, and Nozawa's Goku voice evolves, albeit in a subtle fashion, as he grows up.

[IIMaxII]

I'm American and 17 years old. I belong to the most idiotic country, and I am an "ignorant" teenager. I have no problem with the Japanese voices...It's a known fact that there's tons of ignorant English speakers, but we're not all ignorant.

[dbzfan7]

Yes, he did: http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/moda-e-social/h ... -4061.html

On topic, no its not just an english thing. Goku's original adult voice is definitely weird at first.

Yeah I can't say I always liked Nozawa. Her take is like fine wine, you may not like it at first, but you may love it later.

[Storm]

The Japanese had the luxury of watching Dragon Ball first, and Nozawa's Goku voice evolves, albeit in a subtle fashion, as he grows up.

This. Not just Nozawa, but the whole consistency with the cast, writing and soundtrack throughout the series. Explaining the history of the Dragon Ball franchise in the United States to someone unfamiliar is a nightmare in comparison, and has basically turned the fandom into multiple camps.

[Cold Skin]

Goku's original adult voice is definitely weird at first.

Absolutely, I think anyone would be taken aback when hearing him in Japanese for the first time.
Despite the fact that the old French dub and video games used the original voices for screams and short sentences, I never really realized what his voice was like.
The first time me and my brother realized, it was starting Budokai 1's story mode: we first heard Raditz (normal voice), and then Goku screams in Japanese ("you know what we came for! I'll get my son back!") and... hearing that high-pitched voice, our first reaction was just to look at each other in surprise and laugh because there was just something ridiculously unexpected happening.
I've shown Kai to many roommates during my university years and they were always taken aback when discovering his voice, from "wow, the voice...!" to a more aggressive "what's that shitty voice they gave him?!".

But then, the truth quickly got to them all just like it did for me back then: it didn't take more than a couple hours hearing that voice for the first time to agree that Nozawa (even if they didn't know her name) WAS a perfect Goku.
That perfect voice that can be so innocent and childish, and yet be more badass than anyone else when Goku is getting serious while still corresponding to his gentle nature somewhere.
It has some kind of magic that makes most people taken aback actually end up agreeing that it's an absolutely great voice. That weird compelling magic of the voice is like that weird compelling magic of the character itself.

But of course, some people are just not used to foreign language or voices that don't match an adullt, well-shaped man, and those won't feel the magic of Nozawa's voice.
And it's a shame, but it's fine, there will always be things that we are not receptive to and that we'll just walk by, not realizing how great they are simply because our personnal preferences don't match with them.
I'm pretty sure that most people not liking the Japanese dub feel that way because they're not used to a language (or a hero's voice) that feels weird to them, and it's easy for people to go from thinking "weird", to thinking "ridiculous", to thinking "crappy".

[Super 17]

For me, I didn't complain when I first heard the Japanese version of Goku's Adult voice. It was just weird, but no complaining. As I watched more and more episodes and pretty much arcs and arcs in Japanese, I got used to the voice and I loved it. I still like Mario Castanada better, mainly because I grew up listening to him and not having to read subtitles because I understand Spanish.

[InfernalVegito]

I can only speak for myself and a few others, but yes it's pretty much deemed unfitting.

I don't care about it anymore, though and could watch the series with the voice as well if nothing else existed.

[OutlawTorn]

It's unfortunate to read fans of the same series disrespecting the original work.

It's not disrespecting the original work if you don't like certain aspects of it, as there is no such thing as a perfect product. If such criticisms are voiced in a disrespectful manner then, yes, they are obviously being disrespectful but we all have our own preferences and are not required to worship the same aspects as everybody else. There are those who love Nozawa's Goku and there are those who hate Nozawa's Goku, neither side has any right to tell the other side that they are "wrong" they simply have different tastes.

I don't think it can even be narrowed down to Goku being voiced by a woman as you can check out other English dubs to find male characters voiced by women, from Ash in Pokemon to Naruto. Even Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman. So, while Nozawa's speaking voice for Goku isn't all that bad, the screeching and other weird noises during battle scenes are a turn off. Of course, that's all personal taste. While I don't care for it, others may enjoy it. On the flip side, I don't particularly care for the high pitched squeaky voiced the dub gave to Puar.

[Saiga]

It's also not disrespecting the original work if it's not the original work.

[Fionordequester]

Well, I don't have a problem with Nozawa per say, so much as I think it was kind of a sketchy casting decision to cast her simply because "Goku is pure and innocent and all of that", just as it was kind of a sketchy decision to give Vegeta a Cobra Commander voice in the Saban dub because "he's all evil and sly and stuff". And while it worked out due to her sheer talent and charisma, I still don't think it was the right decision.

Plus, it is my humble opinion that, while she actually does a good job of sounding like a man in her regular speaking voice, her SCREAMING has a bad habit of taking me out of the moment...as does her voicing every single one of Goku's male family members.