Opinions on the original Funi Dragon Ball dub

[jjgp1112]

So sell your soul for a paycheck? To Hell with the future of Dragon Ball when you got bills to pay? Survival and success are understandably important, but I don't think that means you throw away your values and belief system so casually.

If it's actually the biggest did hard DB fans, then you do whatever is possible to find another way forward. Unless of course your life is truly at stake.

Sell your soul? It's fucking DRAGON BALL

How is that selling your soul? It's not a matter of integrity. No principles are being compromised, or at least, you need to decide on your hierarchy of values. I don't think changing the music for a dub compromises anything so important, especially noways where there's easy access to the original. But even in the late 90's when that wasn't the case, I don't think it's a matter of personal integrity. It's just a TV show. It's not a moral compromise.

That's literally what work is, dude. Otherwise we wouldn't demand money for it.

That's not what work is and that's not why we demand money for it.

Well yeah, that's what I meant. Like I said in my other reply, it's just a stupid cartoon. Who cares?

[MasenkoHA]

I feel that the Funimation DBZ gets a bad rap.

I mean, it was undeniably a garbage product of a time back in the late '90s/early 2000's when FUNi wasn't anywhere near where they've been over the last decade. The Z dub (Season 3 especially) was done on the cheap in every respect and the early days show how rough it was starting out after moving in house post Saban and Ocean. Many of the long time staff and veteran actors especially Chris Sabat will admit that they weren't too good voice wise back in 1999, it took quite a few years for them to really grow into the characters and a lot of shaking up in the script/production department over time before becoming one of the biggest dub production houses as they are now and have been the last ten plus years.

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

Not really. The Faulconer music is one thing. I despise it but I can’t say it’s objectively terrible. But the acting? Dialog? Faithfulness to the original intent? Yeah that’s all inarguably terrible. Especially in regards to broadcast season 3.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

I feel that the Funimation DBZ gets a bad rap.

I mean, it was undeniably a garbage product of a time back in the late '90s/early 2000's when FUNi wasn't anywhere near where they've been over the last decade. The Z dub (Season 3 especially) was done on the cheap in every respect and the early days show how rough it was starting out after moving in house post Saban and Ocean. Many of the long time staff and veteran actors especially Chris Sabat will admit that they weren't too good voice wise back in 1999, it took quite a few years for them to really grow into the characters and a lot of shaking up in the script/production department over time before becoming one of the biggest dub production houses as they are now and have been the last ten plus years.

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

[ABED]

I am a fan of a great many things, but in no way are my morals linked. I'm less entertained at worst.

Art is certainly important but it's not a matter of ethics unless it's somehings like choosing to insert a message you personally don't believe in

[MasenkoHA]

The person hired to do a replacement score would be messing with not only the integrity of the series itself, but also with the legacy that the dub leaves behind as well as the audiences who will consume it. That sort of thing should make a person stop and question what kind of choice they would be making.

Don't like it. Wish they had just done a replacement score, preferably Faulconer..

[jjgp1112]

How is that selling your soul? It's not a matter of integrity. No principles are being compromised, or at least, you need to decide on your hierarchy of values. I don't think changing the music for a dub compromises anything so important, especially noways where there's easy access to the original. But even in the late 90's when that wasn't the case, I don't think it's a matter of personal integrity. It's just a TV show. It's not a moral compromise.

When you become a fan of something, your personal morals and principles become inextricably linked to whatever that thing is. To compromise the standards of a show in that way means that you would be compromising your own personal standards and integrity. The person hired to do a replacement score would be messing with not only the integrity of the series itself, but also with the legacy that the dub leaves behind as well as the audiences who will consume it. That sort of thing should make a person stop and question what kind of choice they would be making.

I listen to rap about drug dealers, pimps, and gangsters. I have no moral investment in anything I enjoy.

[MyVisionity]

When I watch a movie for the first time, or a movie that I really appreciate, then I will watch the credits roll through until the end instead of shutting it off or leaving. It's about showing respect to both the movie itself and to the people who worked on the movie. At the same time, it's also about self-respect. I am allowing myself the opportunity to see the film in its entirety and get the complete and full experience. There's always a link there.

The person hired to do a replacement score would be messing with not only the integrity of the series itself, but also with the legacy that the dub leaves behind as well as the audiences who will consume it. That sort of thing should make a person stop and question what kind of choice they would be making.

Don't like it. Wish they had just done a replacement score, preferably Faulconer..

I said the person *hired*, not me the person watching. If I were actually offered a job like that then I would certainly be morally conflicted.

There's also a difference between doing a replacement score from the beginning and coming in halfway through to continue on with a replacement score. At that point you have a whole other vision and identity to consider.

I listen to rap about drug dealers, pimps, and gangsters. I have no moral investment in anything I enjoy.

I'm not so sure if we can truly separate what we consume from our own standards and morality. You don't think that you are possibly approving of or encouraging those things on some level when you listen to it?

Also, there's a difference between being a fan of something and consuming it and being a fan of something and then creating it. Presuming you're only listening to that music and not writing it.

[jjgp1112]

Weren't you the same guy who said you had no problem with Goku hitting Gohan?

It's almost like your opinion changes based on what would sufficiently annoy other users.

[MyVisionity]

Weren't you the same guy who said you had no problem with Goku hitting Gohan?

I'm not sure what your point is exactly. I never thought it was wrong in the first place, even though some were calling it child abuse.

And even if I did think it was wrong, I could still watch and enjoy it. Unfortunately that also means that I would be possibly approving of or encouraging child abuse on some level. I can admit it.

[ABED]

When I watch a movie for the first time, or a movie that I really appreciate, then I will watch the credits roll through until the end instead of shutting it off or leaving. It's about showing respect to both the movie itself and to the people who worked on the movie. At the same time, it's also about self-respect. I am allowing myself the opportunity to see the film in its entirety and get the complete and full experience. There's always a link there.

Good on ya, but that's not a matter of ethics. I appreciate the artists even if I don't pay attention to the credits. What's your basis for saying this is a matter of ethics?

[Android 50]

I mean, it was undeniably a garbage product of a time back in the late '90s/early 2000's when FUNi wasn't anywhere near where they've been over the last decade. The Z dub (Season 3 especially) was done on the cheap in every respect and the early days show how rough it was starting out after moving in house post Saban and Ocean. Many of the long time staff and veteran actors especially Chris Sabat will admit that they weren't too good voice wise back in 1999, it took quite a few years for them to really grow into the characters and a lot of shaking up in the script/production department over time before becoming one of the biggest dub production houses as they are now and have been the last ten plus years.

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

arguably has better acting at times than most dubs nowadays that just sound very monotone in comparison to scenes like vegeta's spazzing out in season 3.

[MasenkoHA]

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

arguably has better acting at times than most dubs nowadays that just sound very monotone in comparison to scenes like vegeta's spazzing out in season 3.

Arguably nothing. The acting in season 3’s original dub was absolutely bottom of the barrel. I’m sure there’s quite a number of equally crappy 80s and 90s dubs (as far as acting goes) and I’ll vouch the Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle dub is actually way worse. But all the business practices that lead to season 3’s quality really don’t exist anymore


But even in 1999 I don’t think laying off your cast of seasoned voice actors so you can replace all of them with cheaper amateurs with no acting experience to save a dime was a common practice.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

arguably has better acting at times than most dubs nowadays that just sound very monotone in comparison to scenes like vegeta's spazzing out in season 3.

Yeah, no. They were literally hired on the cheap by FUNi and many of them had little to no acting experience aside from a few doing community theater here and there. Just listen to most of their early stuff especially DB movie 2 and Season 3 and it's very clear that they weren't good starting out, that's on top of the awful scripts and everything else.

[Android 50]

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

arguably has better acting at times than most dubs nowadays that just sound very monotone in comparison to scenes like vegeta's spazzing out in season 3.

Arguably nothing. The acting in season 3’s original dub was absolutely bottom of the barrel. I’m sure there’s quite a number of equally crappy 80s and 90s dubs (as far as acting goes) and I’ll vouch the Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle dub is actually way worse. But all the business practices that lead to season 3’s quality really don’t exist anymore


But even in 1999 I don’t think laying off your cast of seasoned voice actors so you can replace all of them with cheaper amateurs with no acting experience to save a dime was a common practice.

most 80s and 90s dubs range from cheesy bad acting to halfway passable so you have quite a few that are actually below the funi dub for Z. enough of them to where the Z dub can be considered objectively to be decent by 90s and early 00s dubbing standards. Excluding exceptional dubs like 90s Evangelion or Slayers which were leaps and bounds above anything that was dubbed at the time.

[Android 50]

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

arguably has better acting at times than most dubs nowadays that just sound very monotone in comparison to scenes like vegeta's spazzing out in season 3.

Yeah, no. They were literally hired on the cheap by FUNi and many of them had little to no acting experience aside from a few doing community theater here and there. Just listen to most of their early stuff especially DB movie 2 and Season 3 and it's very clear that they weren't good starting out, that's on top of the awful scripts and everything else.

And yet they somehow seem to have more emotion going into their characters than most sentai filmworks dubs in the last decade.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

arguably has better acting at times than most dubs nowadays that just sound very monotone in comparison to scenes like vegeta's spazzing out in season 3.

Yeah, no. They were literally hired on the cheap by FUNi and many of them had little to no acting experience aside from a few doing community theater here and there. Just listen to most of their early stuff especially DB movie 2 and Season 3 and it's very clear that they weren't good starting out, that's on top of the awful scripts and everything else.

And yet they somehow seem to have more emotion going into their characters than most sentai filmworks dubs in the last decade.

I guess to some degree yes, but even then it definitely doesn't hold up as anything even remotely close to a good dub especially these days. For 1999/2000 standards it was indeed at about the level as a lot of concurrent dubs out there at the time, but nowadays the deep flaws especially show quite clearly when compared to their work in the last decade.

[Android 50]

Yeah, no. They were literally hired on the cheap by FUNi and many of them had little to no acting experience aside from a few doing community theater here and there. Just listen to most of their early stuff especially DB movie 2 and Season 3 and it's very clear that they weren't good starting out, that's on top of the awful scripts and everything else.

And yet they somehow seem to have more emotion going into their characters than most sentai filmworks dubs in the last decade.

I guess to some degree yes, but even then it definitely doesn't hold up as anything even remotely close to a good dub especially these days. For 1999/2000 standards it was indeed at about the level as a lot of concurrent dubs out there at the time, but nowadays the deep flaws especially show quite clearly when compared to their work in the last decade.

True, I just find a big kick out of just how badly its aged in a lot of ways so when I see people online constantly bash it I got defensive for it. Like the WWF voice in the next ep previews always put a smile on my face on my rewatch a year ago. I get it, Kai is the peak dub but I also actually have legitimate issues with Kai that go beyond anything with the dub. Like the edits for the fighting and the music placement of kikuchi's score. If only my boy Kenji hadn't plagiarised his music, I'd probably watch Kai way more often. Yes I also know there are tons of edits in the funi Z dub that aired on Toonami. I also understand its not the definitive way to watch Z too. I guess the best way for me to sum this up is that Funi's og db and Z dubs are my tfs that I find not-so-guilty pleasure out of. GT dub however I can't stand probably for the same reasons you guys can't stand the Z dub.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

And yet they somehow seem to have more emotion going into their characters than most sentai filmworks dubs in the last decade.

I guess to some degree yes, but even then it definitely doesn't hold up as anything even remotely close to a good dub especially these days. For 1999/2000 standards it was indeed at about the level as a lot of concurrent dubs out there at the time, but nowadays the deep flaws especially show quite clearly when compared to their work in the last decade.

True, I just find a big kick out of just how badly its aged in a lot of ways so when I see people online constantly bash it I got defensive for it. Like the WWF voice in the next ep previews always put a smile on my face on my rewatch a year ago. I get it, Kai is the peak dub but I also actually have legitimate issues with Kai that go beyond anything with the dub. Like the edits for the fighting and the music placement of kikuchi's score. If only my boy Kenji hadn't plagiarised his music, I'd probably watch Kai way more often. Yes I also know there are tons of edits in the funi Z dub that aired on Toonami. I also understand its not the definitive way to watch Z too. I guess the best way for me to sum this up is that Funi's og db and Z dubs are my tfs that I find not-so-guilty pleasure out of. GT dub however I can't stand probably for the same reasons you guys can't stand the Z dub.

I sometimes watch it on occasion every now and then much like the 4Kids dub of One Piece, as the latter is a laughable joke of a dub that is universally despised because of the awful editing and numerous mis castings of characters among other things save a few. While i obviously prefer the FUNi dub in pretty much every way 4Kids' version is a special kind of "so bad it's bad" that i can't help but go back and watch clips online, and even though i already know all the behind the scenes details on what happened there's a kind of cheese factor that gets me due to the ridiculous censorship and hilariously bad accents (Sanji's Stallone-esque Brooklyn voice, Robin's Southern cowgirl accent.etc) even though i know that it is in no way a faithful dub for what parts of the show they did adapt while snipping out chunks important to the plot as Oda is a meticulous planner and continuity freak.

Yeah, the FUNi GT dub really sucks. That's a case like a lot of the DB/Z movies where i watch in Japanese because it just isn't good.

[Hulk10]

I mean, it was undeniably a garbage product of a time back in the late '90s/early 2000's when FUNi wasn't anywhere near where they've been over the last decade. The Z dub (Season 3 especially) was done on the cheap in every respect and the early days show how rough it was starting out after moving in house post Saban and Ocean. Many of the long time staff and veteran actors especially Chris Sabat will admit that they weren't too good voice wise back in 1999, it took quite a few years for them to really grow into the characters and a lot of shaking up in the script/production department over time before becoming one of the biggest dub production houses as they are now and have been the last ten plus years.

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

Because this is a thread about opinions and people are stating their views on this. And I know for a fact that there are those that like DBZ. I personally agree that prior to the Buu arc the original was not good. However other people may like it. I personally like the Z Buu arc better than Kai Buu arc.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

I'd say the idea that Z dub is garbage is debatable.

How is this debatable exactly? It wasn't a remotely good dub by any means acting or script wise especially in Season 3, now by the Buu arc it got to a barely passable ok-ish level but early on...yeah not so much.

Because this is a thread about opinions and people are stating their views on this. And I know for a fact that there are those that like DBZ. I personally agree that prior to the Buu arc the original was not good. However other people may like it. I personally like the Z Buu arc better than Kai Buu arc.

I mean that is true, the Buu arc is a step up from Freeza and Cell as far as the DBZ dub goes even if not necessarily a huge one.