Personal Thoughts on the Ocean Dub

[Metalwario64]

I love the youth and innocence Corlett brings to Goku, but the scripts he was dealt made his Goku seem too smart and heroic.

Kelams tapped into the martial artist and idiocy much better, and I overall prefer him, but I feel that if Corlett had stuck around, and the dub in general had been around long enough instead of being replaced, that he could have become a great English Goku.

As it is, I think Kelamis is my prefered Ocean voice for Goku, especially in the movies. I also love how warm his voice can sound, like when he's giving the Senzu to Gohan and Krillin on Namek. It's just super comforting, and he nails what I feel the be Goku's most important aspects. Morrow was basically a weaker Corlett. He's a fine actor too, but he was super bland.

[Rory]

The Vancouver cast are more capable than FUNi's in-house cast, they were just given fewer chances to prove it (the 3 movies are basically their shot at a 'Kai', and of course they knocked it out of the park).
If FUNi would've stuck with them, the dub/sub divide wouldn't be nearly as great as it is today, as they're clearly talented, trained actors and hit the ground running with the show, whereas the in-house cast had to go through so much to even get to a level of competency.
If that cast has decades to develop like the current cast do, I can't even imagine how good they'd be in their roles today.

As it is, I think Kelamis is my prefered Ocean voice for Goku, especially in the movies. I also love how warm his voice can sound, like when he's giving the Senzu to Gohan and Krillin on Namek. It's just super comforting, and he nails what I feel the be Goku's most important aspects. Morrow was basically a weaker Corlett. He's a fine actor too, but he was super bland.

He's my ideal voice for Gokuu. He really got robbed, the Westwood dub was a rushed, terribly directed affair and he was clearly phoning it in. Would've been great to see his performance evolve.

[ABED]

I'll never understand the love for Kelamis. he's a lousy actor as Goku. I've seen his live action work and he's fine as a day player, but he tries WAY too hard as Son Goku. The one thing I'll give him that he has over Corlette, he has more energy in his delivery which Goku needs.

[TheGreatness25]

I'll never understand the love for Kelamis. he's a lousy actor as Goku. I've seen his live action work and he's fine as a day player, but he tries WAY too hard as Son Goku. The one thing I'll give him that he has over Corlette, he has more energy in his delivery which Goku needs.

I kinda agree. It's not that I think he couldn't do a good Goku, I just think he was more miss than hit. I think that fans remember that his Kaio-ken in Movie 2 sounded a lot like Nozawa's, but the majority of his performance wasn't that great (in my opinion). He had this surfer dude kind of voice -- a lot like Sabat's Yamucha originally did.

And while Corlett's is the voice that I would associate Goku with the most (which is ironic because he was Goku for such a relatively short time), I do think that he had a lot of superhero speeches. When he was lighthearted, he was a great Goku, but then he gets that deep voice and sounds like he could seriously pound anyone into the ground... which Goku could, but it was maybe a little too threatening.

But I still think that both actors are talented enough to pull it off if directed more appropriately. The same with Drummond (who I've heard say that he gradually deepened his Vegeta voice as he got more familiar with the character).

And I even really like Kirby Morrow. I know that might not be a popular thing, but I do think he had a good voice for Goku. Though in recent years, when someone would ask him to do Goku, he would l wouldn't sound like his old portrayal at all (according to YouTube videos). He takes some getting used to, but I'm okay with his voice. A lot of the delivery just wasn't there, but I can't even hold that against him knowing their dubbing conditions.

[ABED]

I can't remember what Kirby Morrow's Goku sounds like. No matter how many times I listen to clips, his voice leaves no lasting impression. It's a bad sign that I don't remember anything about it other than it's bland and I don't remember it.

[Cursed Lemon]

I like Kelamis as Goku a lot, but I'll be the first to admit he gets a LOT of mileage with fans for trying to sound like Nozawa.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I would definitely agree with all of those who said the Vancouver cast had huge potential but they didn't have enough time to grow into their characters like the Texas cast did.

The one thing I'll give him that he has over Corlette, he has more energy in his delivery which Goku needs.

True, honestly though Schemmel was pretty flat and monotone when he started off, but nowadays he's full of energy playing Goku because he got so much practice. I'm sure if Corlett continued to play Goku for years the energy would have come. Even though Schemmel kills it now it's sad we will never see what could have been.

I like Kelamis as Goku a lot, but I'll be the first to admit he gets a LOT of mileage with fans for trying to sound like Nozawa.

Yeah, sounding like Nozawa is a plus, but it's not essential. I think given the time to develop his performance Corlett's more natural sounding delivery would have given him the edge.

[GhostEmperorX]

I'll also agree with what others have said about Ian James Corlett. He was a fantastic Goku. Really natural sounding delivery and just a pleasure to listen to. I even enjoy just listening to him in interviews, as he more or less sounds like Goku in them too, which is by no means a bad thing.

The only issue I have with Corlett as Goku is that it started the trend of giving Goku a "Superman"-type voice, which, while pleasant to listen to and well acted, makes Goku too "smart" a lot of the time. Kelamis does a good job of mixing in some goofy-ness with his Goku, especially in the Pioneer movies (the writing helps a lot, too).

Well Kelamis is Rolf so I’d expect no less from him on that front.

[ikaos]

I like Kelamis as Goku a lot, but I'll be the first to admit he gets a LOT of mileage with fans for trying to sound like Nozawa.

People like him mostly for the scream in movie 2, but his work on movie 1 is probably his peak. He's actually in the series for such a short time that he doesn't really stand out that much, although I agree with a previous poster about how calm he sounds when healing Gohan and Krillin on Namek being well done.

But then again he also delivered one of the cringiest lines in the Saban dub.

[ABED]

It really doesn't need to take that long to stand out.

[8000 Saiyan]

He never ever sounded like Nozawa at ALL aside from that Kaioken scream in Movie 2. You just can't replicate that kind of voice in English.

[Gaffer Tape]

But then again he also delivered one of the cringiest lines in the Saban dub.

I dunno. That's actually one of my favorite lines from the dub... and it's not all that inaccurate, both in regards to the original dialogue and simple truth... any sports drink has to taste better than beer.

[ikaos]

It really doesn't need to take that long to stand out.

Depends on the actor, but yeah the better the actor the quicker they "own" the role. It's more that Kelamis doesn't actually speak much in Z as he's mostly training on the ship by himself, then has a handful of lines on Namek before the recast. The bulk of his work is in the movies.

He never ever sounded like Nozawa at ALL aside from that Kaioken scream in Movie 2. You just can't replicate that kind of voice in English.

Also true, and I think fans project a bit at HOW Nozawa-sounding it is. But speaking as someone for whom the Pioneer movies were my first experience with uncut Z, the scream did immediately stand out.

But then again he also delivered one of the cringiest lines in the Saban dub.

I dunno. That's actually one of my favorite lines from the dub... and it's not all that inaccurate, both in regards to the original dialogue and simple truth... any sports drink has to taste better than beer.

Oh I know it's accurate, doesn't make it less cringy. It reads like a 90s PSA. Which it is.

[MyVisionity]

I never even noticed the scream until people started mentioning it. I just thought Kelamis resembled Nozawa's Goku in general.

He may not have had enough time to develop his Goku, but he definitely left an impression with the short time he had. I agree that Movie One is probably his best work. He killed it in that. I also remember his arrival to Namek. "I'm not afraid of dreams." Classic. Wish he could have continued with that arc.

[MasenkoHA]

just thought Kelamis resembled Nozawa's Goku in general.

Nozawa didn’t voice Goku like he was the 5th Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle...

He may not have had enough time to develop his Goku, but he definitely left an impression with the short time he had.

I agree but it’s mostly because all the other English Goku have a similar timbre. Both Kirby Morrow and Sean Schemmel seemed cast for sounding close enough to Ian Corlett. Kelamis’s higher register and surfer dude voice certainly allowed his Goku to stand out.

I agree that Movie One is probably his best work. He killed it in that. I also remember his arrival to Namek. "I'm not afraid of dreams." Classic. Wish he could have continued with that arc.

I do wish the Ocean cast had at least dubbed the rest of the Namek saga. Not sure if Kelamis could salvage “Hope of the universe” but it might have been interesting hearing a surfer bro making corny silver age era Superman speeches

[ABED]

I never even noticed the scream until people started mentioning it. I just thought Kelamis resembled Nozawa's Goku in general.

Beyond his high pitch, no he doesn't.

It's been my experience that no, actors don't need much time to leave an impression. It's the writing that usually needs time to find its footing. Kelamis leaves an impression, but not a good one.

I do wonder what it is about Terry Klassen as Kuririn that bothers anyone. I've always liked that voice and that performance.

[8000 Saiyan]

Some people find Klassen's Krillin to be too whiny and annoying.

[ABED]

I don't get it. What moments are they hearing that make HIS Kuririn sound whiny and not other actors'?

[WittyUsername]

As far as Ian James Corlett vs Peter Kelamis is concerned, the big thing Kelamis has over Corlett would probably be the screams. With that said, Corlett’s voice is definitely more natural sounding overall, but I guess some might argue that Goku should sound weird and wild.

Anyway, I do think it’s interesting that a fair amount of people prefer Corlett, not because I think Corlett is bad, but because Kelamis is the one who voiced Goku in the Pioneer movie dubs, which have always been held in pretty high regard.

[MasenkoHA]

Anyway, I do think it’s interesting that a fair amount of people prefer Corlett, not because I think Corlett is bad, but because Kelamis is the one who voiced Goku in the Pioneer movie dubs, which have always been held in pretty high regard.

People liked the Pioneer movie dubs because of the faithful scripts and until the remastered sets in 2007 was the only time the English Z dub was paired with the Japanese soundtrack. Kelamis being the Goku for those movies isn’t going to give him in edge.