Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:27 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 7:45 pm
Majin Buu wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 9:22 am Remember, these are the types of fans that typically argue that the Kikuchi score fits pre-Z Dragon Ball but not Z.
They may have felt differently had they first experienced pre-Z with a Faulconer score instead of Kikuchi.
They also would have felt different had they experienced Z with Kikuchi. What’s your point?
Also, if Funi had gone with a Dale Kelly-type for Narrator instead of Armstrong I think that would have helped as well.
Helped the dub been shittier,yes.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:30 am

MasenkoHA wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:27 pm
Also, if Funi had gone with a Dale Kelly-type for Narrator instead of Armstrong I think that would have helped as well.
Helped the dub been shittier,yes.
I happen to think that Dale Kelly would have been a decent fit, but that's beside the point.

Regardless of how shitty or not shitty the dub would have been, the fans might have been more receptive towards a Kelly/Faulconer dub instead of an Armstrong/Kikuchi dub.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:29 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:30 am
MasenkoHA wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:27 pm
Also, if Funi had gone with a Dale Kelly-type for Narrator instead of Armstrong I think that would have helped as well.
Helped the dub been shittier,yes.
I happen to think that Dale Kelly would have been a decent fit, but that's beside the point.

Regardless of how shitty or not shitty the dub would have been, the fans might have been more receptive towards a Kelly/Faulconer dub instead of an Armstrong/Kikuchi dub.
Maybe he could have changed his narration style, because the over the top WWF/monster truck announcer impression he did in DBZ wasn't going to work for DB especially the earlier arcs.
DB collection related goals as of now:

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:42 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:30 am
MasenkoHA wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:27 pm
Also, if Funi had gone with a Dale Kelly-type for Narrator instead of Armstrong I think that would have helped as well.
Helped the dub been shittier,yes.
I happen to think that Dale Kelly would have been a decent fit, but that's beside the point.

Regardless of how shitty or not shitty the dub would have been, the fans might have been more receptive towards a Kelly/Faulconer dub instead of an Armstrong/Kikuchi dub.
You are severely over estimating the importance either of those elements had to Dragon Ball Z’s success.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by Shaddy » Tue Aug 10, 2021 4:41 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:30 am I happen to think that Dale Kelly would have been a decent fit, but that's beside the point.

Regardless of how shitty or not shitty the dub would have been, the fans might have been more receptive towards a Kelly/Faulconer dub instead of an Armstrong/Kikuchi dub.
They might have been more receptive to the show being 22-minute sessions of Vegeta getting fisted in the ass. You can make any wild accusation you want about hypothetical things people had a chance of enjoying. It's a completely empty statement. There's nothing to it.

This is not congruent with a discussion about accuracy and respecting the source material, which I think most people will agree should take precedent over completely arbitrary and mostly-unprovable ideas of what would make the show more popular overseas. Dragon Ball, in all likelihood, would have been just as successful if it had a good localization, because Dragon Ball was good in spite of its localization. If you want to argue that it was actually good because of it and that the rest of the franchise should have been altered to conform to that, then show some receipts.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:16 pm

SuperSaiyaManZ94 wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:29 pm Maybe he could have changed his narration style, because the over the top WWF/monster truck announcer impression he did in DBZ wasn't going to work for DB especially the earlier arcs.
Kelly was able to do it more low-key in many parts of DBZ. Those are some of my favorite instances of his narration. He could have done the same with DB. It's all about moderation.

The earlier arcs still have plenty of over the top moments fit for Kelly to really let loose. Such as Shenlong being summoned at Pilaf's castle and Oozaru Goku wrecking shit. Or the entire 21st Tenka-ichi Budoukai for that matter.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Wed Aug 11, 2021 12:03 am

MyVisionity wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:16 pm
SuperSaiyaManZ94 wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:29 pm Maybe he could have changed his narration style, because the over the top WWF/monster truck announcer impression he did in DBZ wasn't going to work for DB especially the earlier arcs.
Kelly was able to do it more low-key in many parts of DBZ. Those are some of my favorite instances of his narration. He could have done the same with DB. It's all about moderation.

The earlier arcs still have plenty of over the top moments fit for Kelly to really let loose. Such as Shenlong being summoned at Pilaf's castle and Oozaru Goku wrecking shit. Or the entire 21st Tenka-ichi Budoukai for that matter.
Just not to the level of "KRILLIN'S IN DA HOOOOOUSE!!!!!!!!!" or some of his other deliveries particularly during recaps and NEp's. That's the kind i'm talking. If he'd stuck around through DB maybe he could've found a way to alter it so that it would fit DB better as compared to the hardcore edgy vibe that they were going for with Z.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by 8000 Saiyan » Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:28 pm

When it comes to the DB dub, Brice Armstrong and Kent Williams are the best parts of it. But you still have to tolerate Nadolny, Sabat's Piccolo Daimao and Yamcha, Burgmeier, McFarland, Steele. I do like what Schemmel was trying to go for with his voice for Goku even if the direction was not the best.

Much better than the Z and GT dubs, though.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:52 am

8000 Saiyan wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:28 pm When it comes to the DB dub, Brice Armstrong and Kent Williams are the best parts of it. But you still have to tolerate Nadolny, Sabat's Piccolo Daimao and Yamcha, Burgmeier, McFarland, Steele. I do like what Schemmel was trying to go for with his voice for Goku even if the direction was not the best.

Much better than the Z and GT dubs, though.
I agree with large parts of this, but Sabat is good as Yamcha in the DB dub in large part because the delivery is much more natural. I've always liked Burgmeier and never saw an issue with him except in the first few episodes of DBZ that he dubbed. Even then he was a vast improvement over Matt Smith. And Steele's Kuririn was always a highlight for me.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:55 am

ABED wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:52 am
8000 Saiyan wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:28 pm When it comes to the DB dub, Brice Armstrong and Kent Williams are the best parts of it. But you still have to tolerate Nadolny, Sabat's Piccolo Daimao and Yamcha, Burgmeier, McFarland, Steele. I do like what Schemmel was trying to go for with his voice for Goku even if the direction was not the best.

Much better than the Z and GT dubs, though.
I agree with large parts of this, but Sabat is good as Yamcha in the DB dub in large part because the delivery is much more natural. I've always liked Burgmeier and never saw an issue with him except in the first few episodes of DBZ that he dubbed. Even then he was a vast improvement over Matt Smith. And Steele's Kuririn was always a highlight for me.


Yeah people keep mentioning a surfer boy thing for Sabat’s Yamcha but he largely dropped it after the Cell saga and went for a more natural sounding voice for Dragon Ball/The Buu saga onwards

Never cared for Burgmeier but yeah huge improvement over whatever the hell Matt Smith was doing

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:41 am

Burgmeier just doesn't fit the role of Tien. He's not a bad actor, but the sound of his voice combined with his delivery just doesn't work.

I actually prefer Matt Smith in the role. He's not really any better of a fit than Burgmeier, but he's way more entertaining and likeable to me.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:43 am

What about Burgmeier's performance doesn't fit Tenshinhan's character? Matt Smith sounds like he's trying WAY too hard.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:48 am

MyVisionity wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:41 am Burgmeier just doesn't fit the role of Tien. He's not a bad actor, but the sound of his voice combined with his delivery just doesn't work.

I actually prefer Matt Smith in the role. He's not really any better of a fit than Burgmeier, but he's way more entertaining and likeable to me.
I feel the exact opposite.

Burgmeier fits Tien fine: Serious, stoic, and tough. But the performance is awful. The voice feels very put upon and the delivery tries way too hard.


Matt Smith doing a vapid surfer boy voice for Tien was even more baffling than when Sabat did it for Yamcha in season 3 and 4. At least I guess I sort of understand the logic with Yamcha even if it is stupid and in direct contrast to how Ted Cole voiced him. It’s a take that doesn’t fit Tien at all and it’s just a horrendous performance by far the worst voice of the first two seasons.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun Aug 15, 2021 10:15 am

There's some put on raspiness, but otherwise, I think the delivery is fine. Once Kai rolls around, Burgmeier gives a very natural performance.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by 90sDBZ » Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:40 pm

Burgmeier is a great Tien all around, and easily the best English one. There were 2 other inhouse voices for him during Season 3, one being Chris Cason, but I barely remember them.

The first thing I think of with Matt Smith's Tien is "What luck! I'm back on the saddle! Looks like this 3-eyed cowboy is going for ONE LAST RIDE!!!!", or "You can tune a piano, but you can't TUNAFISH!. I don't mean that in a bad way. I love the cheesy direction of the Saban dub, and he nails it.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:48 pm

90sDBZ wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:40 pm Burgmeier is a great Tien all around, and easily the best English one. There were 2 other inhouse voices for him during Season 3, one being Chris Cason, but I barely remember them.

The first thing I think of with Matt Smith's Tien is "What luck! I'm back on the saddle! Looks like this 3-eyed cowboy is going for ONE LAST RIDE!!!!", or "You can tune a piano, but you can't TUNAFISH!. I don't mean that in a bad way. I love the cheesy direction of the Saban dub, and he nails it.
Burgmeier's Tien voice wasn't that great early on especially in Season 3/4, though over time and especially when Kai came around he was much improved. Same with Sabat's Yamcha, once the awful surfer dude accent was dropped after a time his take definitely sounded better.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by 8000 Saiyan » Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:04 pm

Honestly, all of the English Tenshinhans don't work for me. Smith is just unfitting and Burgmeier is just there. Nothing outstanding, just there. Besides, I just can't stand the sound of his voice.

On the bright side, another positive of the DB dub is no Linda Young as Frieza. Instead she plays Baba, a much more fitting part for her.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:41 pm

8000 Saiyan wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:04 pm Honestly, all of the English Tenshinhans don't work for me. Smith is just unfitting and Burgmeier is just there. Nothing outstanding, just there. Besides, I just can't stand the sound of his voice.

On the bright side, another positive of the DB dub is no Linda Young as Frieza. Instead she plays Baba, a much more fitting part for her.
You mean Burgmeier's perfectly normal sounding voice?

I agree about Young, though I find it funny that two actors you brought up are mother and son.
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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:50 pm

Burgmeier's voice sounds too whiny. Tenshinhan doesn't whine. He does okay with the arrogant stuff, but he can't do stoicism. Maybe he improved with Kai or Super, I don't know.

Matt Smith's voice is much easier to take, and he makes Tien sound like how a normal person would in those situations. He gives the character a real personality and attitude, and injects just the right amount of energy. It's a far more interesting performance than Burgmeier's.

I'm not a fan of Linda Young's Baba. She sounds too normal for the character.

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Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:01 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:50 pm Burgmeier's voice sounds too whiny.
I say this as someone who hates Burgmeier as Tien.

Huh? Nothing about his performance was whiny

Matt Smith's voice is much easier to take, and he makes Tien sound like how a normal person would in those situations. .
Nothing about Matt Smith’s performance sounds natural. The SoCal Surfer Bro voice was bizarre af

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