"Dragon Ball Super" FUNimation Dub Official Discussion Thread

[Cure Dragon 255]

Maybe Lil' Zeno?

[precita]

Looks like FUNI is back to their old tricks again, the dub script is adding in (cheesy) jokes and stuff that the Japanese version didn't have. King Kai saying, "No Vegeta-ing?" Vegeta saying, "Sure let's go see Yamcha?"

I mean this is only episode 5, but this early having things changing is not a good sign.

[ParkerAL]

Looks like FUNI is back to their old tricks again, the dub script is adding in (cheesy) jokes and stuff that the Japanese version didn't have. King Kai saying, "No Vegeta-ing?" Vegeta saying, "Sure let's go see Yamcha?"

I mean this is only episode 5, but this early having things changing is not a good sign.

Funimation has always taken a more flamboyant approach to writing dubs, but I wouldn't call them out on it nowadays. The jokes from their old Z dub were bad jokes, but I've liked most of their funny lines I've heard in Super.

Humor tends to adapt poorly between languages, so Funimation arguably needs to add English-based humor to make up for the Japanese wordplay that gets lost in translation. Adding little things like Oolong saying "And I thought I was the hog!" when Kamesennin is hogging the binoculars make sense in that regard. Script accuracy is important, but it needn't be taken to draconian extremes.

Sure, the dub levity can get a tad out if hand at times, but I don't mind them having fun with a few lines as long as the adaptation is faithful overall.

[NintendoBlaze53]

Looks like FUNI is back to their old tricks again, the dub script is adding in (cheesy) jokes and stuff that the Japanese version didn't have. King Kai saying, "No Vegeta-ing?" Vegeta saying, "Sure let's go see Yamcha?"

I mean this is only episode 5, but this early having things changing is not a good sign.

Funimation has always taken a more flamboyant approach to writing dubs, but I wouldn't call them out on it nowadays. The jokes from their old Z dub were bad jokes, but I've liked most of their funny lines I've heard in Super.

Humor tends to adapt poorly between languages, so Funimation arguably needs to add English-based humor to make up for the Japanese wordplay that gets lost in translation. Adding little things like Oolong saying "And I thought I was the hog!" when Kamesennin is hogging the binoculars make sense in that regard. Script accuracy is important, but it needn't be taken to draconian extremes.

Sure, the dub levity can get a tad out if hand at times, but I don't mind them having fun with a few lines as long as the adaptation is faithful overall.

It ALL depends on the script writer at Funimation. Particularly J. Michael Tatum is infamous for his leeway with script adapting, where as others like Mike McFarland are the some of the best script adapters in the dubbing business. Do we know who is the script writer on this? I haven't been paying attention in the credits.

[DBZ_Lee]

Do we know who is the script writer on this? I haven't been paying attention in the credits.

Jared Hedges I believe. I am absolutely loving everything about the dub right now.
I enjoy the Funi dub much more than watching the Japanese.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

Looks like FUNI is back to their old tricks again, the dub script is adding in (cheesy) jokes and stuff that the Japanese version didn't have. King Kai saying, "No Vegeta-ing?" Vegeta saying, "Sure let's go see Yamcha?"

I mean this is only episode 5, but this early having things changing is not a good sign.

Not as bad as you're making it out to be. This isn't the mondo cool days. Pretty sure everyone expected FUNi to change or alter a few lines, what Vegeta says works equally as well.

Also Toei are approving of the scripts. If they don't have a problem then I don't think anyone else should.

[TheAldella]

Sabat wrote the Let's go see Yamcha line. Says so on his Twitter. If the Almighty voice director wishes it so, then it shall be so. He also wrote Battle of Gods' "HEY GUYS VEGETA HAS FRIENDS" line.

[OLKv3]

Looks like FUNI is back to their old tricks again, the dub script is adding in (cheesy) jokes and stuff that the Japanese version didn't have. King Kai saying, "No Vegeta-ing?" Vegeta saying, "Sure let's go see Yamcha?"

I mean this is only episode 5, but this early having things changing is not a good sign.

Sheesh don't be such a stickler. The added lines are great and don't ruin or mislead anything about the plot, jfc.

[Dbzfan94]

Jared Hedges I believe. I am absolutely loving everything about the dub right now.
I enjoy the Funi dub much more than watching the Japanese.

Same here. People that are getting pissy over the slightest little joke that changes nothing really are overreacting.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

Sabat wrote the Let's go see Yamcha line. Says so on his Twitter. If the Almighty voice director wishes it so, then it shall be so. He also wrote Battle of Gods' "HEY GUYS VEGETA HAS FRIENDS" line.

That's petty interesting actually. Honestly at this point I think I trust the cast enough for them to write or do specific things/lines. The scene still worked Vegeta being a dick but it was a lot funnier than the typical generic Vegeta response like in the JPN.

Edit- It is almost a week into Feb! So we should get to hear Champa and Vados's dub actors soon for the XV2 DLC! So far am pleased with Hit, Frost and Cabba especially the latter two they seem pretty nailed on choices!

[gohan_black]

Looks like FUNI is back to their old tricks again, the dub script is adding in (cheesy) jokes and stuff that the Japanese version didn't have. King Kai saying, "No Vegeta-ing?" Vegeta saying, "Sure let's go see Yamcha?"

I mean this is only episode 5, but this early having things changing is not a good sign.

those changes are so little they bearly even matter. the script is loyal enough

[TheBlackPaladin]

I think sometimes people get a little worried about small translation liberties only because it triggers unpleasant flashbacks of a time when FUNimation was not nearly as experienced as they are now with adapting scripts and were, between being new to the game and being provided horrible translations, basically re-writing entire scripts from the ground up. In other words, I think people are just worried that these minor translations are a prelude of even more liberal changes to come.

I can understand that, but I don't agree. Maybe this makes me a bad fan, but I think these minor changes were inconsequential and that they fit. Chris Sabat's delivery of that line about Yamcha in particular got a huge laugh out of me.

Also...gotta say, we've all known for a while now that Sean Schemmel knows his stuff when it comes to screaming, but I think he topped himself in this latest episode. Man were those intense screams!

[precita]

Sure, now people are fine with added jokes. Yet for years people harped on, "Mondo cool!" "Cat loves food, yeah, yeah yeah!" anything Freeza said on Namek, etc.

[Bansho64]

Sure, now people are fine with added jokes. Yet for years people harped on, "Mondo cool!" "Cat loves food, yeah, yeah yeah!" anything Freeza said on Namek, etc.

Because a lot of people personally felt that those were terribly lame and horrible The Yamcha line at least didn't feel bad and unbelievably forced to me. That's why I don't have a problem to me. Those old ones just make me uncomfortable because of how bad I think they are.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Sure, now people are fine with added jokes. Yet for years people harped on, "Mondo cool!" "Cat loves food, yeah, yeah yeah!" anything Freeza said on Namek, etc.

You raise a completely fair point, and this is where we get into subjective territory. I can't speak for the whole community, but here's my stance on "added jokes."

Yes, it's a well-known fact now that FUNimation took a lot of liberties with the original scripts in DBZ (partially due to bad translations and being new at adapting scripts, but still). Former producer Barry Watson even said in an interview that they had a writer whose sole job it was to come in and "punch up the comedy." In other words, they had a writer who was instructed to not only insert comedy into moments where there previously wasn't any, but also to insert comedy that would be OK for ages 3 and up.* Hence the many cringe-worthy lines that we wish never occurred, like the dreadful "mondo cool" bit.

However, here is where we come to the three key differences between "punching up" and what FUNimation's doing now.

1) They're not adding comedy where there previously wasn't any. At least not to a significant degree.

2) Even if it wasn't necessarily part of the original script, the characters are still saying things that are in-character for them. FUNimation's script-writing no longer extends to character re-writing. FUNimation knows the characters now, and they--by their own admission--did not understand the full extent of who their characters were during the Dark Ages of "Season 3."

3) Since FUNimation is no longer concerned with making the show accessible to ages 3 and up, and know that the typical Dragon Ball fan (at least on this side of the ocean) is typically a young adult or an adult, they don't have to worry about making the jokes kiddy. Put another way, they're actually funny now. "Mondo cool" was not--and never will be--funny. To anyone. At all.

Now, do they still go a little too far? On occasion, sure. I don't mean to suggest that I'm completely OK with every little bit of re-writing they do. "Occasionally going a little too far" is a far, far cry from "almost always re-writing the whole script," though. So, when it comes to how they write now, between how inconsequential the minor changes are, how relatively infrequent they are, how they still sound in-character, and the fact that now the lines that were intended to be funny actually are funny...these minor, inconsequential changes just don't get to me the way the changes of the "Season 3" era did.

*Age 3 is not a made-up number by the way, if you look at the VHS covers of their early Ocean dub releases, it says on the box that that's who the show is suitable for.

[Scsigs]

"Mondo cool" was not--and never will be--funny. To anyone. At all.

Um, MasakoX & Lanipator would beg to differ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3CoGGbPd3E

[Scsigs]

Must be a coincidence, since he's openly said in a interview, he takes no cues from Nozawa. Meaning, he doesn't try to replicate any of her voice acting, which is good, it should stay like that. His voice acting for serious and goofy Goku is just spectacular, his Black Goku needs some work though.

What I meant by "some" is just hearing her, & hearing what she's doing, then using that to influence how he does the voice that he takes in his own direction. Like, he probably took the note, "during SSG, it's just Goku's normal tone," then just did his normal Goku voice for it. Like I said, some, but not more than that.

[SaiyanGod117]

Must be a coincidence, since he's openly said in a interview, he takes no cues from Nozawa. Meaning, he doesn't try to replicate any of her voice acting, which is good, it should stay like that. His voice acting for serious and goofy Goku is just spectacular, his Black Goku needs some work though.

What I meant by "some" is just hearing her, & hearing what she's doing, then using that to influence how he does the voice that he takes in his own direction. Like, he probably took the note, "during SSG, it's just Goku's normal tone," then just did his normal Goku voice for it. Like I said, some, but not more than that.

He also said, he takes no influence from her either. He does it his own way.

[Scsigs]

Must be a coincidence, since he's openly said in a interview, he takes no cues from Nozawa. Meaning, he doesn't try to replicate any of her voice acting, which is good, it should stay like that. His voice acting for serious and goofy Goku is just spectacular, his Black Goku needs some work though.

What I meant by "some" is just hearing her, & hearing what she's doing, then using that to influence how he does the voice that he takes in his own direction. Like, he probably took the note, "during SSG, it's just Goku's normal tone," then just did his normal Goku voice for it. Like I said, some, but not more than that.

He also said, he takes no influence from her either. He does it his own way.

Hence my confirmation of that being what I meant...

[VejituhTheWarriorGuy]

While reading the posts about the subtle line changes, the commercial for this week's episode with that line came on TV in the background But yeah, they're small and they're actually funny and in character so it's not a big deal at all especially when basically all of FUNi's writers do it. For example, in their dub of One Piece Film: Gold, Franky says a line that's very different from how it was said in the Japanese version (he mentions that Dice, one of Gild Tesoro's employees, is a pervert like him) but it was still in character and very funny and that was written by Clint Bickham who has been one of the main writers for the One Piece dub since the Long Ring Long Land arc and he's caught up with the manga so he understands the characters and story which makes his scripts great. So yeah, it's not a big deal especially when Jared Hedges also wrote Battle of Gods and Resurrection F's dub scripts which were accurate and great