Gekiretsukodan

[Kikoha Hater]

Toei titles the episode where Piccolo and #17 begins there fight "The Gekiretsukodan that Split the Heavens!! Piccolo vs. Artificial Human No. 17", past and present fans and game designers alike have connected this name to the attack that Piccolo fired at Cell one episode later (episode 150 I believe). I can't blame anyone, the charging of the attack itself is noticable in apperance. However I still have some lingering doubts has to rather the name is refering to this attack. It doesn't make any sense at all to refer to the attack prior to performance. I'm beginning to believe is possible that the title is refering Piccolo's to Kakusanyudo Kiko Ha technique?

Its not new that the DBZ anime make referances the technique for example "Showdown!! The Embodiment of Flame in a 20X Kaio-ken Kamehame-Ha" or "Direct Confrontation with Piccolo!! An Angry Masenko in Heaven". Unlike episode 148 the attacks were performed in the said episodes and not later. I think the Kakusanyudo Kiko Ha was a more "heaven splitting " attack then the one that blew up a piece of an island. Anyway what's your take on this fellow Daizenites.

Here's the video of the suppose Gekiretsukodan attack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbUTqUO6-XY

[Hero 004]

I only own the dub VHS tape of that episode (where Piccolo fires the attack, mind you). In the english dub it sounded like he yelled "Bikosen". I don't know if that means anything at all, but I thought I'd share my experiance with the matter. Very cool technique, by the way.

[Kikoha Hater]

Funimation's english script writer took it himself to label the attack "Makosen" for whatever reason. Not as odd as the "Special Beam Flare" change up though.

[Super Sonic]

Haven't watched the episode in years, but I think that's what the Budokai games called "Light Grenade".

[Hero 004]

Funimation's english script writer took it himself to label the attack "Makosen" for whatever reason. Not as odd as the "Special Beam Flare" change up though.

Interesting. That's "Masenko" with the last two syllables switched, but it certainly doesn't mean anything in that form. Wish it would have gotten a name in the manga.

[Kunzait_83]

b

[Kaboom]

...doesn't it translate as "Violent Rending Light Bullet"? Pretty sure it was something to that effect. That totally works for me.

Don't the games call it "Light Grenade?" If it's the same attack, that's not bad, and is probably the best we're going to get as an English name for it.

[Kunzait_83]

b

[Kikoha Hater]

The name appeared within the anime (albeit an episode title) so thats good enough for me to consider it "canon", but that not what this is about. What I was asking was if "Gekiretsukodan" was really refering Piccolo's ki attack that appeared in episode 150.

[Kunzait_83]

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[Kikoha Hater]

I think thats entirly possible, I mean Toei wasn't above making last minute artistic decision with Dragon Ball series. By the way Kunzait_83 what do think of Funimation's treatment of the attack and technique names as a whole.

[Kunzait_83]

b

[SaiyamanMS]

Oh yeah. Then there’s Kikoho. In spite of being one of the most important attacks in the series, it for the most part went totally unnamed all throughout the DBZ dub, which again was an unnecessarily boneheaded move by anyone’s opinion. They finally gave it a name in Dragon Ball, but I’ll be damned if I can remember exactly what it is. Something to the effect of “Blast Cannon” was it? If so, that’s not a bad translation. But that still doesn’t account for the fact that the official name for the attack throughout all of Z was pretty much “AAAAAAAARGH!!!!!”

Actually, if I recall correctly it was named in DBZ. It was the "Tri-Beam", which is also what DB called it. "Blast Cannon" was in some of the PS2 games though.

Oh but wait I forgot; we’d then have to use the word “demon”, and thus acknowledge that there are in fact mythological/religious entities within the Dragon Ball universe like gods and demons. Silly me.

Also, when he's first brought up, King Piccolo is most definately refered to as a "Devil". However, that soon changes to "Alien" after a few episodes... But he was a "Devil" for short period of time! >_>

Not that either of these points are really important, but still... Figured I'd might as well bring it up. ^^;;

[Kunzait_83]

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[FindKenshi]

The name itself translates to “Turtle Destruction Wave”.

I'm not pretending that I know Japanese here, but I was always told that Kamehameha = Turtle Destruction Wave is a misconception/inaccuracy spread around on the interwebs. Does "Hame" really mean destruction? Like I said I don't know Japanese at all, but there are online dictionaries and stuff, I'm just not seeing that hame means destruction or destructive or anything like that.

I read somewhere that Toriyama was talking about how his wife came up with the name, and it's mostly just a tribute to a historical figure named King Kamehameha (yeah, he actually exists) or that it could just be taken as an nonsensicle 'word' that rhymes with kame.. well, I'm not saying you're wrong or anything since I definitly don't know for sure--but I would like to seek further clarification on the matter.

[SaiyamanMS]

I'll have to give that a listen then. Regardless though are you sure they weren't just using "devil" in a metaphorical sense rather than a literal one? You know, like as in "oh he's so evil he's like a devil!". If so then that certainly doesn't count.

If I recall correctly, the very first thing mentioned when the piece of paper Tambourine left behind after Krillin's death is that is has "The mark of the Devil".

But either way, that doesn't account for the fact that demons are otherwise pretty much sterilized entirely from the FUNimation continuity of the series from then on, in spite of the fact that it causes many other plot points to not really make a whole lot of sense.

They were absolutely terrible with the introduction of Kami. It was like they were unable to decide whether "Kami" was his title or if it was just his name and his title being "Guardian of the Earth". I swear, they switched so many times between Korin's first mention of him and the beginning of Goku's training that it's not even funny. >_>;;

Thanks for the info and corrections just the same!

It's fine, glad to help. Despite the way the dub was handled, I still quite enjoy it and am relatively familiar to it's terminology as well as the original Japanese terms. So it's pretty easy for me to catch onto stuff like this.

[Kunzait_83]

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[TripleRach]

Actually, if I recall correctly it was named in DBZ. It was the "Tri-Beam", which is also what DB called it. "Blast Cannon" was in some of the PS2 games though.

It was also "Tri-Beam" in DBZ. I definitely remember Burgmeier screaming "TRI BEAM HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" during the Cell arc. Surely I'm not the only one person in the world that remembers that...? I think "Spirit Cannon" was one of the DB episode titles during his fight with Gokuu, though. Or maybe it was one of those ones that were listed as one thing in the TV listings/FUNi's website, but something else entirely on the actual title card (which happened for all of the last few episodes of the 22nd Budoukai).

One thing I found hilariously stupid in Sparking! NEO was how the normal Kikouhou was translated as "Blast Cannon" or "Spirit Cannon" or whichever, but Shinkikouhou (the "new" Kikouhou that he spammed against Cell) was "Neo Tri Beam."

I'm not pretending that I know Japanese here, but I was always told that Kamehameha = Turtle Destruction Wave is a misconception/inaccuracy spread around on the interwebs. Does "Hame" really mean destruction? Like I said I don't know Japanese at all, but there are online dictionaries and stuff, I'm just not seeing that hame means destruction or destructive or anything like that.

You are correct. The misconception comes from the word "hametsu," which does refer to destruction. The problem, though, is that it's made of two kanji, "ha" and "metsu." Taking the "ha" and combining it with only the "me" from "metsu" is just crazy, and very unlikely.

(Incidentally, the "ha" in "hametsu" is the same as the final "ha" in Kamehameha.)

[Kunzait_83]

b

[Rocketman]

Then there’s Kaioken. While spelled fine in FUNimation related print, it’s pronounced completely incorrectly (just like “Saiyan” is). I’ve seen a few dub fans try and argue this point. It’s inarguable. It’s an idiotic mistake that even a first year Japanese student wouldn’t make.

You mean words change pronunciation when they move between languages? WHAT MERCIFUL GOD WOULD ALLOW THIS?

Finally you have the single most important and most signature attack in the series; the Kamehameha. First off, when not actually being performed (that is when spoken of in conversation) it’s again pronounced COMPLETELY incorrectly.

Considering the word already existed in English....no, it isn't.

Makankosapo I often hear used as the main example of why translating the attack names into English wouldn’t work. And that’s true of one were to translate it too literally. My response? “Piercing Demon Beam”. There you go. It’s not a PERFECT translation, but it’s infinitely closer to the mark than Special Beam Canon ever was, and best of all it sounds so. Much. Fucking. Cooler.

Ahaha. "Piercing Demon Beam" sounding cool? You've been getting high off those JPN episode titles for too long, man.

Note: "Special Beam Cannon" does not sound cool either.

In simple truth you know what the ideal solution to this issue would be? To just cut the bullshit and just have the English actors yell the untranslated Japanese names.

You really could just replace any of your posts with this and just change the nouns. Hell, just type "NIPPONNIPPONNIPPON ". You don't even care how retarded it sounds, as long as it's in GLORIOUS JAPANESE.