Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Discussion regarding the entirety of the franchise in a general (meta) sense, including such aspects as: production, trends, merchandise, fan culture, and more.

Moderators: General Help, Kanzenshuu Staff

User avatar
The Iron Fjord
Beyond Newbie
Posts: 143
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:27 pm
Location: Videl's spats
Contact:

Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by The Iron Fjord » Sat May 29, 2021 11:14 pm

As someone who grew up with the Blue Water dub of Dragon Ball, I had no idea Funimation did Dragon Ball until like 2009, finding clips on YouTube of it. From what I saw, it seemed more accurate than Z, but with a lot more of the punch-up comedy that dub Z had. To anyone who watched both the Funi dub and the sub were there any noticeable differences like there were with Z, and what are your personal opinions on the dub itself? Was it an improvement on what they did for Z, or was it worse in your eye?
The Iron Fjord will kick you in the nuts!

User avatar
MasenkoHA
Born 'n Bred Here
Posts: 6201
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:38 pm

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Sat May 29, 2021 11:28 pm

It was....not good from a dubbing stand point but better? The main points in it’s favor is keeping the original music from the get go and dubbing all 153 episodes straight off (as opposed to Z’s reducing the episode count down to 291 to 276 originally and GT initially skipping the first 16 episodes)


The fact that both Z and GT’s dubs have the Japanese music now and a 1:1 dub for all episodes kind of lessens the margin.

As is the Tournament arc was the only portion Funimation seemed to put any effort in adapting the scripts somewhat faithfully before dropping the ball especially when Sean Michael Teague took over as main writer around the Baba episodes and wrote almost every episode in the second half of Dragon Ball

User avatar
SuperSaiyaManZ94
I Live Here
Posts: 2712
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: Alabama, USA

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun May 30, 2021 1:12 am

I mean the OG Dragon Ball dub is not a great dub by FUNi's dubbing standards of today and really over the last decade or so, though at the same time i'd still consider it much better than their early in house work like Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle and DBZ Season 3 which were absolutely awful hot garbage in every respect. It didn't have quite the same amount of all out over the top, facepalm inducing jokes and cringe tastic one liners that Z had on a regular basis though still not nearly to the level of where the more modern productions are in terms of faithfulness to the source.

That said, at least unlike Z and GT it was thankfully spared from an unfitting replacement score being pasted on (1995 version of eps 1-13 aside) so there's an advantage in that area for sure.
DB collection related goals as of now:

1.) Find decent priced copy of Dragon Box Z Vol. 4 (Done)

2.) Collect rest of manga

3.) Get rest of Daizenshuu (2-7)

MyVisionity
Banned
Posts: 1834
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:51 pm
Location: US

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Sun May 30, 2021 3:35 am

Don't like it. Wish they had just done a replacement score, preferably Faulconer. Don't like the narrator. Don't like the actors. Don't like the dialogue.

User avatar
PurestEvil
I'm, pretty, cozy, here...
Posts: 1948
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:34 pm
Location: Constantinopolee!

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by PurestEvil » Sun May 30, 2021 3:42 am

It was okay. Not exactly their best work, but it was better than their DBZ dub (probably due to more experience).
This post was brought to you by 魔族

Rest in Peace, Toriyama-san

User avatar
MasenkoHA
Born 'n Bred Here
Posts: 6201
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:38 pm

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MasenkoHA » Sun May 30, 2021 9:55 am

MyVisionity wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 3:35 am Don't like it. Wish they had just done a replacement score, preferably Faulconer. Don't like the narrator. Don't like the actors. Don't like the dialogue.
Lord help us all if Funimation had decided to have Team Faulconer replace Dragon Ball’s bgm. The “goofy” music in Z was painful and would have made up a majority of the music for early Dragon Ball
Last edited by MasenkoHA on Sun May 30, 2021 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
PurestEvil
I'm, pretty, cozy, here...
Posts: 1948
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:34 pm
Location: Constantinopolee!

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by PurestEvil » Sun May 30, 2021 10:06 am

MasenkoHA wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 9:55 am
MyVisionity wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 3:35 am Don't like it. Wish they had just done a replacement score, preferably Faulconer. Don't like the narrator. Don't like the actors. Don't like the dialogue.
Lord help us all if Funimation had decided to have Team Faulconer replace Dragon Ball’s bgm. The “goofy” music in Z was painful and would have made up a majority kf the music for early Dragon Ball
The fact that they kept the original score is a big factor for why it is better than the Z dub
This post was brought to you by 魔族

Rest in Peace, Toriyama-san

User avatar
SuperSaiyaManZ94
I Live Here
Posts: 2712
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: Alabama, USA

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun May 30, 2021 10:13 am

PurestEvil wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 10:06 am
MasenkoHA wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 9:55 am
MyVisionity wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 3:35 am Don't like it. Wish they had just done a replacement score, preferably Faulconer. Don't like the narrator. Don't like the actors. Don't like the dialogue.
Lord help us all if Funimation had decided to have Team Faulconer replace Dragon Ball’s bgm. The “goofy” music in Z was painful and would have made up a majority kf the music for early Dragon Ball
The fact that they kept the original score is a big factor for why it is better than the Z dub
Seriously, i'm really glad they didn't have Faulconer and co make another unfitting replacement score and just left the music for OG DB as is because given how most of the tracks they did for DBZ weren't really anything special or great. I shudder to think how bad that would've been, and say what you will about the Peter Berring score from the 1995 dub but at least it sort of fit that version, and wasn't some faux try hard "ZOMG HARDCORE EDGINESS!!!!!!!" thing like Team Faulconer and Mark Menza's GT scores.
DB collection related goals as of now:

1.) Find decent priced copy of Dragon Box Z Vol. 4 (Done)

2.) Collect rest of manga

3.) Get rest of Daizenshuu (2-7)

User avatar
ABED
Namekian Warrior
Posts: 20276
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 10:23 am
Location: Skippack, PA
Contact:

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun May 30, 2021 11:02 am

Not great but they were on their way. It helped that FUNi and the actors had more experience and resources. Also, the direction was clearly more in line with the original, and the actors were more natural. Sabat especially benefited. Even Vollmer is way better. The worst part though is the casting of Nadolny. The best part is the score and Armstrong's narration. I wish they had kept him for every DB series. Such an incredible voice.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
Happiness is climate, not weather.

User avatar
OmegaRockman
Patreon Supporter
Posts: 801
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:16 pm

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by OmegaRockman » Sun May 30, 2021 1:21 pm

It's not Z or GT bad, but it's still pretty bad. While the dub earns points for keeping the music for the most part (including really good covers of the OP and ED!), the script and cast are all over the place (though much less so than Z/GT).

To elaborate on the cast, Sabat has a mix of bad and good performances, with his Yamcha holding up surprisingly well while his Piccolo voices sound like he needs a lozenge half the time. Vollmer is fairly okay even if I prefer Rial. Armstrong, Steele, McFarland, Burgmeier, the Pilaf trio, and a few others all range from pretty decent to really good. However, the limited talent pool really shows with many actors popping up over and over, using accents to try and hide their reuse. The weak link of the cast is definitely Nadolny. While I'm sure a second shot from her might yield better results, the fact of the matter is that her performance as it stands is mostly awful. She isn't the worst when Goku is goofy, but she in no way carries any sort of dramatic weight during the serious moments. Please give me more Clinkenbeard Goku. Things don't get much better when Schemmel takes over, either. He's definitely got a leg up on his early Z stuff, but his acting is still pretty stiff. I do prefer him over the Blue Water actor (was it Jeffery Watson for DB?), but you won't catch me calling it a great performance. I watched the V2 of Milkman's DB Recut with some lines redubbed by Kal'sKingdom, and I just kinda wished Milkman had the ability to have Kal redo the entire arc.

Still, regardless of how hit and miss the cast is, the real kicker is the script. Had the dialogue been more faithful, even with toned down sexual humor, I'd probably give this dub a pass. Sadly, that isn't the case. They couldn't even get Piccolo Day right. And yet, some episodes are surprisingly well-written! So the writing constantly bobs between extremes of good and bad, much like the cast, unlike the Kai, Super, or BW GT dubs, which are mostly well-adapted with the occasional headscratcher of a line. If there were a that baseline of faithfulness to the show like we see in Kai or Super, I would've been much happier. As it stands, though, the worst part of the scripts bring this dub down way too much for me to approve. In conclusion, we really need a DB redub.
The self-proclaimed World's Biggest Dragon Ball Kai Fan™

My YouTube

User avatar
SuperSaiyaManZ94
I Live Here
Posts: 2712
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: Alabama, USA

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun May 30, 2021 1:36 pm

OmegaRockman wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 1:21 pm It's not Z or GT bad, but it's still pretty bad. While the dub earns points for keeping the music for the most part (including really good covers of the OP and ED!), the script and cast are all over the place (though much less so than Z/GT).

To elaborate on the cast, Sabat has a mix of bad and good performances, with his Yamcha holding up surprisingly well while his Piccolo voices sound like he needs a lozenge half the time. Vollmer is fairly okay even if I prefer Rial. Armstrong, Steele, McFarland, Burgmeier, the Pilaf trio, and a few others all range from pretty decent to really good. However, the limited talent pool really shows with many actors popping up over and over, using accents to try and hide their reuse. The weak link of the cast is definitely Nadolny. While I'm sure a second shot from her might yield better results, the fact of the matter is that her performance as it stands is mostly awful. She isn't the worst when Goku is goofy, but she in no way carries any sort of dramatic weight during the serious moments. Please give me more Clinkenbeard Goku. Things don't get much better when Schemmel takes over, either. He's definitely got a leg up on his early Z stuff, but his acting is still pretty stiff. I do prefer him over the Blue Water actor (was it Jeffery Watson for DB?), but you won't catch me calling it a great performance. I watched the V2 of Milkman's DB Recut with some lines redubbed by Kal'sKingdom, and I just kinda wished Milkman had the ability to have Kal redo the entire arc.

Still, regardless of how hit and miss the cast is, the real kicker is the script. Had the dialogue been more faithful, even with toned down sexual humor, I'd probably give this dub a pass. Sadly, that isn't the case. They couldn't even get Piccolo Day right. And yet, some episodes are surprisingly well-written! So the writing constantly bobs between extremes of good and bad, much like the cast, unlike the Kai, Super, or BW GT dubs, which are mostly well-adapted with the occasional headscratcher of a line. If there were a that baseline of faithfulness to the show like we see in Kai or Super, I would've been much happier. As it stands, though, the worst part of the scripts bring this dub down way too much for me to approve. In conclusion, we really need a DB redub.
I mean, Colleen's kid Goku isn't too bad overall but she hasn't had quite enough material over time to really grow into the role. It also more or less sounds exactly the same as her kid Gohan and Luffy in One Piece's dub, and honestly watching things like the 2010 redub of Curse of the Blood Rubies it's clear she was trying her best but didn't have enough of a variation in the voice there to make Goku sound distinct.
DB collection related goals as of now:

1.) Find decent priced copy of Dragon Box Z Vol. 4 (Done)

2.) Collect rest of manga

3.) Get rest of Daizenshuu (2-7)

User avatar
ABED
Namekian Warrior
Posts: 20276
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 10:23 am
Location: Skippack, PA
Contact:

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun May 30, 2021 2:19 pm

Colleen's performance as Gohan and Goku sound very different. Clearly it's the same actor but it's a different characterization and different energy.

Why does anyone remotely give a crap if her Luffy sounds similar to Goku? Her job is to act, not to make her voices sound as different as possible.

Omega's opinion is spot on.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
Happiness is climate, not weather.

User avatar
SuperSaiyaManZ94
I Live Here
Posts: 2712
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: Alabama, USA

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun May 30, 2021 2:32 pm

ABED wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 2:19 pm Colleen's performance as Gohan and Goku sound very different. Clearly it's the same actor but it's a different characterization and different energy.

Why does anyone remotely give a crap if her Luffy sounds similar to Goku? Her job is to act, not to make her voices sound as different as possible.

Omega's opinion is spot on.
Ok then, it has been a good while since i last watched the stuff with her so i forgot that both of them weren't the same voice wise. And yes, you are correct that just because her roles all sound sort of alike in one form or another it really isn't that big of a deal.
DB collection related goals as of now:

1.) Find decent priced copy of Dragon Box Z Vol. 4 (Done)

2.) Collect rest of manga

3.) Get rest of Daizenshuu (2-7)

MyVisionity
Banned
Posts: 1834
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:51 pm
Location: US

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Sun May 30, 2021 9:25 pm

Might as well have gone with Faulconer for consistency's sake. That way you pull in the DBZ audience that would just ignore the show otherwise. If not Faulconer, then someone else. If the scripts and acting had been better than they were, that would be one thing, but they were not. Also going from Kikuchi to Faulconer or whoever else is silly to me.

Brice Armstrong had a great voice and could be a good narrator, just not for DB.

User avatar
ABED
Namekian Warrior
Posts: 20276
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 10:23 am
Location: Skippack, PA
Contact:

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by ABED » Sun May 30, 2021 10:06 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 9:25 pm Might as well have gone with Faulconer for consistency's sake. That way you pull in the DBZ audience that would just ignore the show otherwise. If not Faulconer, then someone else. If the scripts and acting had been better than they were, that would be one thing, but they were not. Also going from Kikuchi to Faulconer or whoever else is silly to me.

Brice Armstrong had a great voice and could be a good narrator, just not for DB.
Consistency is not inherently good. The replacement score sucked. No reason to double down on a bad idea just to be consistent.

The DBZ audience aren't drawn to the music. That's not why they are going to tune in.

How the hell is Armstrong not a good narrator for DB? He has the perfect avuncular voice you need for a story like DB. It's very much a Joji Yanami-esque vibe.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
Happiness is climate, not weather.

User avatar
SuperSaiyaManZ94
I Live Here
Posts: 2712
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: Alabama, USA

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun May 30, 2021 11:01 pm

MyVisionity wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 9:25 pm Might as well have gone with Faulconer for consistency's sake. That way you pull in the DBZ audience that would just ignore the show otherwise. If not Faulconer, then someone else. If the scripts and acting had been better than they were, that would be one thing, but they were not. Also going from Kikuchi to Faulconer or whoever else is silly to me.

Brice Armstrong had a great voice and could be a good narrator, just not for DB.
Where do you get the notion that Armstrong wasn't good for the DB dub? He actually fit what they were doing there tone wise and didn't overdo it to absurd levels like Dale Kelly had in DBZ with his WWF/monster truck announcer impression and to a lesser extent Kyle Herbert when he replaced Kelly around the early Buu arc.

Also no, the Faulconer score on it's face was not good for the most part and in general it wouldn't have fit the lighter tone of DB especially the Pilaf arc though granted the series trends towards the Z direction of mostly action especially by the 22nd Budokai.
DB collection related goals as of now:

1.) Find decent priced copy of Dragon Box Z Vol. 4 (Done)

2.) Collect rest of manga

3.) Get rest of Daizenshuu (2-7)

User avatar
The Accountant
Not-So-Newbie
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:52 pm

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by The Accountant » Mon May 31, 2021 1:04 am

I am quite indifferent towards the original Dragon Ball English dub, it is just kind of in the middle of the road for me compared to the other Funimation dubs. Compared to the original Japanese the voice acting of characters outside the main cast leaves a lot to be desired. Most of these background personalities sound like they're voiced by the same couple budget actors who try differentiate themselves by performing with a stupid accent that make me want to jump out of the nearest window every time I hear it. This is not exclusive to original Dragon Ball but I personally am not too much of a fan of Christopher Sabat's Yamcha, makes him sound too much of a surfer dude or something, but what else can you expect when the guy already voice one million other Dragon Ball characters.

Unlike most of the people in this thread I surprisingly enjoy Stephanie Nadolny's casting as Goku. I think she emits a lot of energy during high intensity action sequences. For the longest time I didn't even know who voiced kid Goku in the English Dub. Nor did I care to learn, I just assumed they had hired an actual child actor to voice him, and had completely accepted that this was how Kid Goku was supposed to sound in English. It was kind of obvious but I was surprised to learn Nadolny was also the voice of Gohan upon researching. She got rid of most of the raspiness associated with that DBZ performance. That being said her enthusiastic performance in this was not consistent, with her falling flat during comedic portions. I'll just blame it on the scheduling and direction. Tiffany Vollmer's Bulma is perfect, can't say much else. Don't actually mind some of the dialogue changes, even in the second half of the series. What I am not a fan of is the direction:
- https://youtu.be/8VO5Y_wFJsg (DUB) (0:47 scream not fading out)
- https://youtu.be/ZRyVEqaYt8k (SUB) (0:26 scream fading out) (that fading out into silence really makes this scene)

The original Kikuchi score is a welcome edition. Unfortunately the lyrical songs that play occasionally during episodes are now missing (maybe due to copyright idk) which makes some fight scenes in which lyrical music was originally played seem noticeably awkward.

Example scene that I prefer in Dub:
- https://youtu.be/fy8TAhqSLME (SUB)
- https://youtu.be/28p9zcDkJHY (DUB)

User avatar
Hulk10
Advanced Regular
Posts: 1440
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2017 11:55 pm
Location: New Sadala

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by Hulk10 » Mon May 31, 2021 1:31 am

I prefer the original dub after the Cell Saga.
"We became like friends, we became like good friends." Broly to Cheelai and Lemo about his fur pelt.

MyVisionity
Banned
Posts: 1834
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:51 pm
Location: US

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by MyVisionity » Mon May 31, 2021 1:34 am

ABED wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 10:06 pm Consistency is not inherently good. The replacement score sucked. No reason to double down on a bad idea just to be consistent.
There is when that bad idea becomes a part of your show's identity. The Faulconer score helped to define what Funi's Z dub was. Not to mention that DB and DBZ are suppose to be two parts of a whole.

The DBZ audience aren't drawn to the music. That's not why they are going to tune in.
The music is still a factor. They might be more likely to tune in if they hear Faulconer's sounds over Kikuchi's.

How the hell is Armstrong not a good narrator for DB? He has the perfect avuncular voice you need for a story like DB. It's very much a Joji Yanami-esque vibe.
It's too avuncular. He sounds like he's reading a bedtime story or teaching schoolchildren or something. And his voice is too straight-laced and upstanding to me. I don't really get so much of that from Yanami.

SuperSaiyaManZ94 wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 11:01 pm Where do you get the notion that Armstrong wasn't good for the DB dub? He actually fit what they were doing there tone wise and didn't overdo it to absurd levels like Dale Kelly had in DBZ with his WWF/monster truck announcer impression and to a lesser extent Kyle Herbert when he replaced Kelly around the early Buu arc.

Also no, the Faulconer score on it's face was not good for the most part and in general it wouldn't have fit the lighter tone of DB especially the Pilaf arc though granted the series trends towards the Z direction of mostly action especially by the 22nd Budokai.
I actually would have preferred more of a Dale Kelly type over Armstrong. Not necessarily as over-the-top though. Someone who can come off slightly unhinged, but subdued when necessary. And someone you might find in the streets, not in the classroom.

Lighter tone or not Faulconer could have gotten creative with early DB. There was action since the very beginning, just about any of his tracks in Z would have worked in Pilaf. Plus they would have come up with some all new tracks as well. It's about preserving the Faulconer style and energy.

User avatar
Shaddy
I'm, pretty, cozy, here...
Posts: 1612
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:38 pm
Contact:

Re: Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

Post by Shaddy » Mon May 31, 2021 4:31 am

MyVisionity wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 1:34 am The Faulconer score helped to define what Funi's Z dub was.
...Bad?

Post Reply