"Hmm? and "Huh?" The Official Dragonball Expression

[Booze Sama]

Does anyone else pretend to go "Hmm?" and "huh" when they find something weird, shocking, or in conversation with someone? I can't be the only one

[Chuquita]

I don't know about "hmm", but "huh" is actually a universal word; it exists and means the same thing in practically every language.

[Kamiccolo9]

I don't know about "hmm", but "huh" is actually a universal word; it exists and means the same thing in practically every language.

Oro?

[Chuquita]

I don't know about "hmm", but "huh" is actually a universal word; it exists and means the same thing in practically every language.

Oro?

Yup. Here's my source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-n ... 180949822/

[Booze Sama]

I don't know about "hmm", but "huh" is actually a universal word; it exists and means the same thing in practically every language.

I mean in relation to how many times they say it in Dragonball. Another one is "Nani!?"

I'll create a YouTube compilation of exactly what I mean lol

[TheGreatness25]

I don't think it's a Dragon Ball thing; I think it's an anime thing. Or maybe even a cartoon thing in general. "Hm?" "Huh?" "Ugh!" "Er!" "Gr!" These are all used as tools to give you insight into how the character is feeling, just in case the animation doesn't drive the point home.

Funny enough, the subtitles (and even dub subtitles) don't really have these included. But the old Pioneer DVDs of the movies and the dub subtitles on Funimation Now include all of these things. There isn't a moment when a character isn't making some noise that's expressed by, "[groans]," "[growls]," "[screams]," "[yells]." Or in Funimation Now's subtitles, they actually write everything out like, "Hahaha-ha!" or "Grrr! Huh?!"

No, I never do this in real life. The only audible expressive things that I do that don't include actual words are "Huh?," "Eh," and I sigh sometimes. But not cartoony.

[dario03]

I prefer to yell "Nani!?" in my best Piccolo impression.

[Cipher]

Now that you mention it, the "huhs," "hms" and "えっs" really are a trope of convenience in manga and especially anime. No one reacts with such audible shock in real life, at least not so consistently. But in mediums without real actors to provide subtle reactions, you need some way of communicating surprise or simply confirmation someone has received information. There isn't a whole lot of facial acting going on in most anime.

It's totally a bad dialogue thing, but one I tend to overlook in Dragon Ball.

It is part of a broader family of "No one speaks that way" tropes that bother me in anime as a whole though. Maybe I shouldn't be so forgiving.

On a related and slightly more embarrassing note, take a shot every time a character grunts just because the camera is on them in the original FUNimation dub. You'll be dead in fifteen minutes. You know -- that thing no one ever does in real life to communicate they've received information or are moderately surprised -- glottal grunting.

Kusao's Future Trunks actually raised my eyebrows a few times last arc with his constant surprised throaty gasps as well. Sooooo much "えっへ/e'he." No one does that. Listen for it sometime. It's ridiculous.

[floofychan333]

Doesn't everyone say Hmm and Huh?

I prefer to yell "Nani!?" in my best Piccolo impression.

Also, if we're saying our Dragon Ball-related speech habits, I'll admit I go around quoting DBZA like there's no tomorrow.

[NitroEX]

Now that you mention it, the "huhs," "hms" and "えっs" really are a trope of convenience in manga and especially anime. No one reacts with such audible shock in real life, at least not so consistently. But in mediums without real actors to provide subtle reactions, you need some way of communicating surprise or simply confirmation someone has received information. There isn't a whole lot of facial acting going on in most anime.

It's totally a bad dialogue thing, but one I tend to overlook in Dragon Ball.

It is part of a broader family of "No one speaks that way" tropes that bother me in anime as a whole though. Maybe I shouldn't be so forgiving.

You basically summed it up in the first half of your post. Although I want to add that just because "No one speaks that way" in real life, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be in voice over, or specifically anime. Dragon Ball in particular is a show with characters constantly expressing their emotions in very exaggerated and over dramatic ways. Gaping mouths, bulging eyes and gritting teeth are just a few common examples. To look at that over the top style of animation and think to yourself "these characters should sound realistic" is just flat out poor judgement as a voice director, it would be a total mismatch of styles and it just wouldn't compliment the images shown on screen.

I will say however that the English dubs did overdo this to an excessive amount quite frequently whilst the Japanese dub was perhaps a little too silent for my liking. Without any sound the characters often risk looking like ridiculous mimes.

[Cipher]

You basically summed it up in the first half of your post. Although I want to add that just because "No one speaks that way" in real life, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be in voice over, or specifically anime. Dragon Ball in particular is a show with characters constantly expressing their emotions in very exaggerated and over dramatic ways. Gaping mouths, bulging eyes and gritting teeth are just a few common examples. To look at that over the top style of animation and think to yourself "these characters should sound realistic" is just flat out poor judgement as a voice director, it would be a total mismatch of styles and it just wouldn't compliment the images shown on screen.

I mean, absolutely. I wasn't being completely series with that "Maybe I shouldn't be so forgiving." I understand the need for other methods of communicating reaction when subtle physical acting is prohibitively expensive in animation.

I don't think "these characters should sound realistic" would always be a mismatch, but I do think it's difficult to accomplish and Dragon Ball's whimsical style certainly allows for exaggerated acting without drawing attention to itself.

I will say however that the English dubs did overdo this to an excessive amount quite frequently whilst the Japanese dub was perhaps a little too silent for my liking. Without any sound the characters often risk looking like ridiculous mimes.

I will, however, always take silence over the hilarious extremes FUNimation used to go to.