jjgp1112 wrote:Meh, I always prefered the dub music (not Peter Cunt's score for the Saiyan and Namek saga, Falcouner's music) over the original. I agree with Schemmel about Head-Cha-La: while it sounds catchy, it wouldn't appeal to kids at al. What you guys fail to realize is that Funi was aiming for kids. It's like advertising smoking: hook 'em young and hook 'em good. I first started watching Dragon Ball when I was 9 years old, and most of the kids I know watched it too. I'd say that only one of them knew or cared to know that it was originally Japanese - me included. While Funi shouldn't have made the dialogue changes, their target audience could care less about whether or not the music is what was originally there or if the dialogue is accurate.
Let's see... DB first started here in '95, when I was 12 (yes I watched the Pilaf Saga). I actually did like the music then. But if you think about it, the dub music then actually had a similar vibe to the original's, so I wonder if this was coincidence.
The score for the first two seasons was just noise to me. It was...there. Nothing more, nothing less. Music has always been an important part of my enjoyment process. I consider the package to be the sum of ALL its parts. And it kind of showed that the DBZ dubs really didnt get proper treatment to their musical score. Argue all you want for a demographical need for re-scored music, but we still have to account for quality.
Faulconer's score is NOT high quality stuff. So, some people like it? That's all well and good. I liked the Street Sharks. But I'm not gonna sit here and try to convince anyone that it was shining example of American television. Not everything we like has to be oscar/grammy/emmy quality.
And just a note- my biggest gripe in general with FUNi's treatment is that it splits the fanbase. I watch, for example, Death Note, Naruto, and Guyver in japanese. And I watch, say, Haruhi, Gundam Wing, and Yu Yu Hakusho in english. And you know what? Outside of the occasional super-purist or really off the wall dubbie, these types of debates are few and far between. Sometimes an "I dont like the voices" convo may erupt, but otherwise you're generally on the same page no matter which version you discuss. It is, as it should be, simply a choice of which language you prefer, which group of actors. Even when things arent the exact same its along the same lines (Like in Yu Yu where instead of Immolating Black Dragon Wave the dub has Dragon of the Darkness Flame- some get nitpicky, but its not that far off).
UltimateDBZ was talking earlier about how good it is for FUNi to have dual language DVDs so that we can have "our version." And as a hardcore Tekkaman Blade fan who only just recently got a decent non-Teknoman set, I am highly appreciative. But I still consider it a case of poor dubbing when people have to resort to "well you have your version and we have ours." It is ONE show. FUNimation did not make Dragon Ball. They simply distributed it to english-speaking audiences. Yet whenever you hear them talk about it, they are very proud of the whole "we made our own version" thing. Come on, people... we are talking about the show that turned Freeza, one of the most recognizable villains in the series, from a spoiled ruler voiced by one of the best actors in the cast into a 2 season long gay joke with emphysema.
A friend of mine watches the japanese version, but before the season sets had only seen mostly the dub. He said to me the other day "You know, I always hated Vegeta, and it wasn't until I started watching the season sets in Japanese that I started to like him. In english he's too blunt and loud, and Chris Sabat's voice is grating. Ryo Horikawa plays him smoother and is probably one of the best actors in the cast. And it helps that his lines arent as comical and ridiculous."
To show my appreciation, I'll only beat them half to death.
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