What's wrong with the FUNi grunting?

Lavender Saiyan · Post by **Lavender Saiyan** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:44 pm

OK, OK, I know I'm almost signing my death warrent by posting this topic. But I think it's a valid topic. Everyone complains about the powering up grunting in the FUNi Dub and says it sounds like your constipated. Well...have you ever tried powering up? In reality, that is what you will sound like. You don't make those crackling noises as in the Original JP format.

Thoughts? Comments? Flames? (Please let's stay civil)

BrollysKin · Post by **BrollysKin** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:25 am

Nothing, I didn't know people had a problem with it.

Personally I think it's better than a Goku that sounds like he had his balls cut off when he was 2.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:46 am

Grunting is in the Japanese version too but nobody makes a big deal out of it. It's a way Animes are set up. So...yeah.

caejones · Post by **caejones** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:17 am

Because my cousin goes around immitating Vegeta going "Aaagh! Aaaagh! Aaaaaaaaagggggggghhhhhh!!!!" for no specified reason. It'd be annoying in either version... but it's definitely an immitation of Funi's version. Hence, that one annoys me more.

laserkid · Post by **laserkid** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:44 am

Uhm, excuse me but HOW do you know what you'd ACTUALLY sound like powering up your Ki? Is there something you're not telling us?

NeptuneKai · Post by **NeptuneKai** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:05 am

Because Funi grunting sounds like I'm watching gay porn, and that's an image I don't want to set off....especially at the few rare instances when I'm NOT watching gay porn.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:43 am

It's like watching gay porn? Because the way someone grunts is different in either language? Now that's just funny. Next you would say that Goku's Kamehameha sounds like he's taking a dump in the FUNi version, but not Japanese version, right?

ssorcd · Post by **ssorcd** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:46 pm

Its not the sound effects that annoy me but the fact that they'll spend an entire episode powering up. Or 4 in the case of Trunks.

caejones · Post by **caejones** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:23 pm

TheGreatness25 wrote:It's like watching gay porn? Because the way someone grunts is different in either language? Now that's just funny. Next you would say that Goku's Kamehameha sounds like he's taking a dump in the FUNi version, but not Japanese version, right?

There is a very distinct difference between the Funi and Japanese kamehamehas, though. Though usually the Funi kamehamehas aren't _that_ bad...
It's like... umm... Funi Vegeta's battle sounds are like Toei Mr. Satan's, only rougher...
Actually, I had a friend that, while watching the Goku/Tenshinhan fight at the twenty-third tournament in the dub, at the point where they disappeared from sight but we could stillhear them, he pointed out that it sounded a lot like they were having sex. o_o
I haven't seen the japanese version of that episode to compare, though...

MajinVejitaXV · Post by **MajinVejitaXV** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:26 pm

I think my girlfriend stated it the best, since she's not biased. She said the English version just wasn't believable in terms of range, the actors seemed to be stuck on one "character" (i.e. - Piccolo the bear, Vejita the snob, etc.), whereas the Japanese had a better range. Same goes for their screams/yells.

Is it the same for all dubs? Hell no. Listen to Cowboy Bebop, especially the final fight in Knockin' on Heaven's Door (the movie). I remember seeing the premiere in NYC and going, "Wow, it really sounds like they're beating the crap out of eachother." Same for Gungrave, Samurai Champloo and other dubs that had a degree of believable acting involved.

Personally, I don't think it's the limitations of the actors so much as their lack of effort for the most part. DragonBall Z, in all things, is perceived as a kiddy show and not worth effort. This applies to the acting, the music, the actual DVD's, etc.

Just my $.02 after 12 years of watching nearly every incarnation of the show ;p

-Corey

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:26 pm

That's because when they did DBZ, they're not trying to merely copy the Japanese version, they're trying to make it their own. They figured that Vegeta sounds better with a deep voice. The Ocean dub Vegeta sounds pretty similar to the Japanese version of Vegeta...well...during battle sounds (during speech, Japanese Vegeta sounds like a normal guy, to me no different than Piccolo etc). FUNimation wanted to make distinctions. So now when I compare Ocean Dub and FUNi Dub, I like FUNimation Dub more. It's weird. The Ocean Dub has horrific music and the voice acting can be better, but I think a deep-voiced Prince of all Saiyans is better than a slithering-voiced one. Of course I was exposed to the Ocean Dub before the FUNimation Dub, as any other US fan, and I used to miss the voice work. But now when I compare them on Youtube, holy crap, I think US got lucky that we have the Dub we do. ESPECIALLY in the music department.

omegacwa · Post by **omegacwa** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:55 pm

I have never really had a problem with the english voice acting. I grew up watching it, both Ocean and Funi dubs, so I guess you can say I am conditioned to like it, but I really don't think it's that bad. My only real complaint has been the script. I just don't understand why so much was changed for seemingly no reason.

There are times were a change or something was good. Like Vegeta narrating his training sequence. But other times there are unnecessary changes made. I can understand slight changes in order to match mouth flaps, and to localize something, like when something distinctly Japanese is said that doesn't make sense in english, then fine, but otherwise there is no point in changing things.

But even so, I have done some fan dubs were I worked off of subtitles as opposed to english dialog, and I was able to fit the dialog to the mouth flaps just fine, with minor changes.

Now, on to the cast themselves.

Sean Schemmel (Goku): Pretty solid, sounds kinda like a cross between Ian Corlett and Peter Kelamis, which is fine, cause I think both of them were solid as Goku. What I don't understand is Peter Kelamis said Kaio Ken, yet Ian Corlett and Sean Schemmel say Kayo Ken. Ug. Sean's screams sound fairly good, but still sound a bit too cartoony to me.

Chris Sabat (Vegeta): I actually really like his Vegeta, well, the now vegeta, not the then vegeta. He really nails the attack screams, especially in the games. Brian Drummond was excellent, don't get me wrong, but something just seems off about his voice for later episodes beyond the saiyan and namek arcs. Especially the Majin era, he just sounds too young and high pitched for my taste. Ryo Horikawa though is the best, although I think Sabat has the edge up on the screaming part.

Anyway, I am not going to go through the whole cast. But I would like to say, when I think of Piccolo's voice, I always think of Scott McNeil.

Oh yeah, and back on topic, the grunting sounding weird, well, I just blame it on english speaking people. I mean, Japanese is a fairly soft spoken language, so of course the screaming is going to be softer and more "natural". Most English speaking people, especially in America, have "hard" voices. So naturally screaming and what not would come off rough.

Well, that my opinion.

SonEric84 · Post by **SonEric84** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 2:24 pm

I liked the Ocean voices for seasons 1 & 2 back before Funi took over...when the voices changed in season 3 I was disappointed, and while I admit it did get better over time, it still didn't compare to the original Japanese and (old) ocean version. I also thought the music for Ocean's Seasons 1 & 2 was pretty good.

Kunzait_83 · Post by **Kunzait_83** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:30 pm

DemonKingPiccolo · Post by **DemonKingPiccolo** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:04 pm

I had a serious issue with the Funi Goku first Super Saiyan transformation grunting. Not only was it really bad, but stupid Sean made him sound like he was trying to transform. The first Super Saiyan transformation simply happens, it doesn't happen by making it.

Tsukento · Post by **Tsukento** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:20 pm

Something I'd like to touch on.

There were times where grunting was present in the dub where it WASN'T in the original. Example? Goku's upside down pullups while on his way to Namek before the pod got kicked into 100x Earth's gravity.

Goku made simple, short and light straining noises when pulling himself up in the original. The dub, however, made it seem like Goku was using all of his might to pull himself up. It was especially worse when the grunts didn't even match Goku's facial expression.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:05 pm

He didn't make it sound like he was trying to transform, he made it sound like he was about to explode with anger.

ect5150 · Post by **ect5150** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:10 pm

Parody of the screaming vs. dumping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFgOrWTEmN4

Actual English clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKYTjSE3xgk

Compare the above clip to original. The amount of grunting is just randomly placed in (searching for an original clip of the same)

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:10 pm

TheGreatness25 wrote:He didn't make it sound like he was trying to transform, he made it sound like he was about to explode with anger.

I felt the same. Like he was super pissed off. Not as great, but he was just getting into the role.

SatoSky · Post by **SatoSky** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:14 pm

ect5150 wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFgOrWTEmN4

Damn you, that's 30 seconds of my life that I'll never get back.