Which of FUNimation's Name Changes Bother You the Most?

[Anime Kitten]

While we certainly don't want to bash anyone, in this case, FUNimation, most of us acknowledge the objective inaccuracy​ (to the Japanese version) of a relatively large number of FUNi's character naming scheme. In this particular thread, I'd like to know which of their name changes have the most impact on you, whether it be in frustration​ at the change missing the point of the name, or simply in annoyance at seeing them written out or hearing them spoken in various media.

You may list as many as you like, but please be sure to specify which ones bother you most, rather than making a broad statement such as "all of them" or "most of them". Be respectful to the company and to those that personally prefer the names, of course!

As for myself, the ones off the top of my head are Frieza and Bulla. Yes, Freeza's change is by one letter, but it just bugs me intensely for some reason. Not entirely sure why, though. And Bra's seems to miss the point entirely. Her name isn't technically a "pun", it is a word. I may think of more along the way, and I'll likely find some agreements with you guys as well. But for now, what have you got?

[VegettoEX]

Obligatory-Mike-Hates-Frieza-Spelling Comment.

OK, good, THAT'S out of the way now.

What bugs me more than anything else is their "Gero" pronunciation. I just don't get it. I never have and never will. It's also one of my distinct fun memories from OTHER dub fans at the time who jumped ahead of the dub to the Japanese version, for the first time ever, all getting online to go "WHAT THE FUCK WHY ARE THEY SAYING IT THAT WAY?!??!"

[DrakenballP]

To me the Bulla one is understandable. Trunks, Bulma, Bra, Dr Brief, etc. Fits thematically.

I can't really think of a single thing. I even understand Boo being changed to Buu for FUNimation.

[TheGreatness25]

While they technically change many of the characters' names -- not the main ones anyway -- there are some examples. The Gero one is a good example, but at least if you're reading it, it's fine. "Frieza" isn't a name "change" per se because the pronunciation is still the same. Even the dreaded Hercule one isn't that bad because it was just used as a cover for TV while the DVDs still referred to him as Mr. Satan (they kind of had to because it was on his shirt). I can't stand that "Hercule" endured all these years even onto Kai and into the video games, but whatever. Shortening Tenshinhan to Tien? Eh... I mean Chaozu called him "Ten" in the Japanese version, so I can kind of see it. Changing Cyborgs into Androids? Well... eh. No, there is but one, but one that I can't stand more than anything because there's no going back from it. Forget the fact that it destroys the pun (I don't care much for the puns, just as long as they are within the ballpark of the Japanese name), but Bulla... Bulla... Bulla... It's just so different from "Bra." And yeah, it's a minor character whose name was spoken like twice in GT, but it still irks me that there's no recourse for this. At least they called him Mr. Satan on the DVDs, but "Bulla" will forever remain. Ugh, it's just terrible. I don't know why that's the one that gets me, but it is.

[Kaboom]

I'm going to cast my vote for the names of all Bardock's teammates as a collective whole. Saiyan names are so difficult to screw up with the obvious vegetable puns and all, yet somehow Funimation managed it. You'd think maybe they just had nothing to go by and had to guess, but they still got sorta close with "Tora" for Toma, so...

"Bulla" and "Hercule" and "Dabura" and "Frieza" all get honorable mentions too.

[The gr]

Hercule,bulla, frieza and dabura are the one that bugs me, especially Hercule

[Gaffer Tape]

This is a hard one for me, I guess partially because I'm so largely removed from the dub that I've largely banished the names from memory. I mean, I know them if I think about them, but I rarely do. I suppose that's why the subtitles for Super are such a punch to the gut for me. They literally take me by surprise. I mean, I suppose Tenshinhan to Tien gets on my nerves just because he's such a commonly-seen character. However, it's also those minor characters from mid to late Dragon Ball, long after I stopped watching the dub, that really throw me for a loop. And that's just because it honestly takes me forever to figure out just who they're talking about. I had a conversation with someone here earlier today where they brought up "Fangs," and I honestly had no idea who they were talking about for awhile. It was only through context I realized it was Dracula Man. The same thing with Spike. And Hero. Names that are so removed from the original that they're almost unrecognizable. But then again, small changes like Karin to Korin take me off guard too.

[TheBigBoy]

Another vote for "Frieza."

Some of the attack name changes bother me too. "Destructo Disc" is just the goofiest thing.

At least they pronounce Kaio Ken correctly now.

[8000 Saiyan]

Frieza. Was it really necessary to change just one letter?

[Danfun64]

Actual character names... the Crane Hermit to Master Shen and "Shen" to Hero. It's funny, with Funi dubbing DB Movie 3 before it touched the Piccolo Jr. Saga, it's the English equivalent of Piccolo/Satan's Little Heart and Mr. Satan/Hercule.

[DanielSSJ]

All of them annoy me to some extent, but the most baffling one for me is Master Shen. Master Roshi is already a pretty bad half-translation, but it is connected to the title Muten Roshi. Not only does Master Shen have absolutely nothing to do with Tsuru Sennin (unless if Master is supposed to be a very loose translation of Sennin), its very existence ruins another character's name. Shen is the alias that Kami/God takes on when he enters in the 23rd Tournament in disguise. The joke being that it's the same Shen from Shen Long, and is the Chinese word for god. Since that name was already taken, the dub just calls him Hero.

[Danfun64]

I just realized something. If Funi had to change "Shen" to something else, it should have been "Ronald" or similar.

Goku: Ronald... Shenron?!?

[Soppa Saia People]

Freeza, what was the point ? It's one letter, and it's not even pleasing to the eyes.

[Khin]

“Tien”, “Frieza”, and “Vegito”. What the hell is up with those “i”? They are utterly pointless and annoying. Just ugh.

The names of the gods (“Supreme Kai”, “King Kai”, etc.), “Bulla”, and “Pikkon” is up there as well.

“Master Roshi” doesn’t bug me that much, but how the official subs for Super use this name to refer to all of his alternate names/titles (e.g, Muten Roshi, Kame-sennin, etc.) just irks the hell out of me.

“Cooler” also doesn’t bother me as much compared to the ones I named above, but it’s inconsistent with Freeza. Then there’s names that totally ruins the pun, like “Turles”, “Guldo”, and the names of Bardock’s crew.

With attack names, the worst ones off top of my head are “Special Beam Cannon”, “Tri-Beam”, and “Destructo Disk”. Not only that they’re terribly inaccurate, but they also sound cheesy as hell. I’ve seen people point out that some of the original names (like Makankosappo) is just way too mouthful, but I don’t buy this excuse.

I’m no dub expert so I don’t know if FUNimation were the ones responsible for these changes, but these are the names that really bugs me in the dub.

[Nightmare Wheel]

King Kai still bugs the shit out of me. Why the half translation of all things? Either leave it untranslated entirely or translate the whole thing. This half baked crap is just bizarre.

Tien SPACE Shinhan also kinda gets to me.

[veggiechan]

Oh man, those reminders of Bardock's crew and their name changes...man that TV special badly needs a redub

Personally I'm most annoyed by the Engrish names like Giru. Seems like such an elementary mistake...I don't get how you can call a character Cell instead of "Seru" but can't call Giru "Gill". Especially when one of the episodes has a TV screen which writes out the name as GILL.

Also surprised no one has mentioned General Tao (chicken).

Tuffles is another crappy name change. Blue water did this one better calling them "tsufuls"

[Metalwario64]

Oh man, those reminders of Bardock's crew and their name changes...man that TV special badly needs a redub

I really hope that Sabat can finally get FUNimation to redub the specials, since he's wanted to for a long time apparently. We could also get new 4x3 releases of them with that hypothetical new dub.

Personally I'm most annoyed by the Engrish names like Giru. Seems like such an elementary mistake...I don't get how you can call a character Cell instead of "Seru" but can't call Giru "Gill". Especially when one of the episodes has a TV screen which writes out the name as GILL.

Not to mention Strait's Meatwad voice he uses for him. It makes him annoying, alongside Baughman's performance as Pan.

Also surprised no one has mentioned General Tao (chicken).

I think of that every time I eat Chinese food.

Tuffles is another crappy name change.

I hate that one. It just sounds stupid.

[Cipher]

"Tien" and "Korin" because what the fuck even.

But "Launch" is close behind, reasonable-ish approximation of the kana though it might be.

That said, it's been so long since I've interacted with the FUNimation version in any way other than seeing it brought up online occasionally that none of these "bother" me. I just find them kind of baffling when I remember they exist.

[Saikyo no Senshi]

I had totally forgotten about all of this and moved on until the DBS simulcast happened and brought back all of this nonsense. I don't like any of it, but if I have to go with one I'll go with "Frieza" cause its currently the most relevant and I see it everywhere on the internet. Y'know whats most annoying about that is even Google corrects me when I type Freeza and says "did you mean Frieza". Just ugh.

Oh, and "Bulla" can fuck off.

[TheGodfather93]

Tien Shinhan - What even is the point? Could've easily kept the name Tenshinhan and referred to him as Ten.

General Tao - I get that Funi hadn't dubbed DB at the time, but this still irks me. Thankfully it was changed later.

Bulla - I understand why they had to change the name Bra, but I don't like what they changed it to. Every time I hear the word Bulla I'm reminded of a cow.

Vegito - Why butcher the spelling? Vegetto makes a lot more sense than Vegito. Heck, even Vegerot (ugh) makes more sense than Vegito.

Shen and Hero - Still find these two baffling.