Observation on Mayumi Tanaka's Krillin

[BootyCheeksJohnson]

It's common internet discourse for fans of the many foreign dubs of Dragon Ball to try the Japanese version as a curiosity and be put off by Masako Nozawa's voice portrayal of adult Goku. The reason for many being that the voice "doesn't fit a man" or "doesn't fit the body type". So that got me thinking about how many of those same people don't seem to have a problem with (or at the very least don't seem to mention) Mayumi Tanaka's voice performance as adult Krillin. I have heard the reasoning at least once that since Krillin doesn't have the same taller bulkier build that Goku does being voiced by a woman isn't the same for him. Or, as it was more crudly worded, that he doesn't need a man's voice since "he's a bald midget."
So what do you think the reason that people don't seem to take the level of issue with Tanaka's Krillin that other's do with Nozawa's Goku? Is it a reflection of the shallow way westerner's view masculinity, or is it something different?

[Cure Dragon 255]

It's common internet discourse for fans of the many foreign dubs of Dragon Ball to try the Japanese version as a curiosity and be put off by Masako Nozawa's voice portrayal of adult Goku. The reason for many being that the voice "doesn't fit a man" or "doesn't fit the body type". So that got me thinking about how many of those same people don't seem to have a problem with (or at the very least don't seem to mention) Mayumi Tanaka's voice performance as adult Krillin. I have heard the reasoning at least once that since Krillin doesn't have the same taller bulkier build that Goku does being voiced by a woman isn't the same for him. Or, as it was more crudly worded, that he doesn't need a man's voice since "he's a bald midget."
So what do you think the reason that people don't seem to take the level of issue with Tanaka's Krillin that other's do with Nozawa's Goku? Is it a reflection of the shallow way westerner's view masculinity, or is it something different?

I dont think these people are hypocrites because they if they already hate Nozawa enough to not give the Japanese version a chance why would they care about the other characters?

I would ask this question with One Piece. Because people HATE the dub and love the Japanese version. I guess they do because its harder to mantain the illusion that Luffy is a badass when its OBVIOUSLY a woman voicing him. And its less obvious in Japanese to a foreign audience.

[Scientist Fu]

If I had to speak for myself, I personally don't have any problem with Nozawa's voice, I'm used to it and it does not bother me that much because her voice sounds like a male who has a very high-pitched voice, it's not even too feminine. But I can understand why some people might not find it suitable for his "body-type" because he is tall and muscular while Krillin is smaller and less muscular, more childish looking, so that may be the reason why they don't say anything about Krillin. It's only a matter of their body-type and gender. In a realistic perspective it would be odd and absurd to have a character like Vegeta having Pan's voice and vice-versa.

[MasenkoHA]

I think a lot of it is honestly just people not watching the Japanese version to know Krillin is also voiced by a woman.

The Granny Goku comments betrays the fact that many of them have never watched the Japanese version and just based their judgments on seeing a photo of Masako Nozawa.

[WittyUsername]

Serious question; is making negative or derogatory comments about Masako Nozawa’s performance or generally being put off by it still a thing? People on these forums seem to talk about it as if it’s still a common thing that English speaking fans do, but that’s genuinely not the impression I’ve gotten post-DBS. It almost comes across like some people are stuck in 2010.

[MasenkoHA]

Serious question; is making negative or derogatory comments about Masako Nozawa’s performance or generally being put off by it still a thing? People on these forums seem to talk about it as if it’s still a common thing that English speaking fans do, but that’s genuinely not the impression I’ve gotten post-DBS. It almost comes across like some people are stuck in 2010.

It is still very much a common thing just look at Reddit or YouTube comments

[Cure Dragon 255]

Serious question; is making negative or derogatory comments about Masako Nozawa’s performance or generally being put off by it still a thing? People on these forums seem to talk about it as if it’s still a common thing that English speaking fans do, but that’s genuinely not the impression I’ve gotten post-DBS. It almost comes across like some people are stuck in 2010.

Most casual people still loathe Nozawa. Fans can stomach her but not casuals.

[WittyUsername]

Serious question; is making negative or derogatory comments about Masako Nozawa’s performance or generally being put off by it still a thing? People on these forums seem to talk about it as if it’s still a common thing that English speaking fans do, but that’s genuinely not the impression I’ve gotten post-DBS. It almost comes across like some people are stuck in 2010.

It is still very much a common thing just look at Reddit or YouTube comments

Just glancing through a bunch of Reddit threads about her, it seems like most of the comments are pretty positive, at least on the Dragon Ball subs. I’ve seen her receive particular praise as Goku Black, compared to Schemmel’s take.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Serious question; is making negative or derogatory comments about Masako Nozawa’s performance or generally being put off by it still a thing? People on these forums seem to talk about it as if it’s still a common thing that English speaking fans do, but that’s genuinely not the impression I’ve gotten post-DBS. It almost comes across like some people are stuck in 2010.

It is still very much a common thing just look at Reddit or YouTube comments

Just glancing through a bunch of Reddit threads about her, it seems like most of the comments are pretty positive, at least on the Dragon Ball subs. I’ve seen her receive particular praise as Goku Black, compared to Schemmel’s take.

Yeah that's true, people who do give Super a chance subbed loved her Goku Black. But there are many casuals who cant stand her.

[GhostEmperorX]

Tanaka in particular seems to get around a lot more in anime, and not only in One Piece either.
Haven't heard Nozawa in many other places or contexts, for example.
Not sure if that's got anything to do with it for sure, but it's probably something to think about too.

[BootyCheeksJohnson]

Serious question; is making negative or derogatory comments about Masako Nozawa’s performance or generally being put off by it still a thing? People on these forums seem to talk about it as if it’s still a common thing that English speaking fans do, but that’s genuinely not the impression I’ve gotten post-DBS. It almost comes across like some people are stuck in 2010.

Mainly on YouTube clips and comments sections. Through Super a lot more people have become accepting of the Japanese cast, but it still happens. I'm honestly glad that we finally got theatrical JP subbed showings for Super Hero. Wish we could have gotten that for Broly in the U.S. as well. (Though some people hace claimed that their theaters got sent Japanese voiced versions of Broly as well, but I don't think that was meant to be the case.)

[GhostEmperorX]

And yes, there's still people who call others "weebs" and other such pejoratives over their preference for the JP version, which is ironic because most who would actively describe themselves as such don't even like or are otherwise not into DB/Z in the first place.

[Zephyr]

Speaking for myself, back in 2010 when I had only been here for a month and a half and was still a dubbie, I once wrote:
"I strongly dislike the Japanese voices, due to both the feminine nature of some, and the lack of familiarity I have with them."

I don't really remember who all I had in mind when I wrote that, but I can assume that Kuririn was among them. If so, then at least I was consistent.

[BootyCheeksJohnson]

Tanaka in particular seems to get around a lot more in anime, and not only in One Piece either.
Haven't heard Nozawa in many other places or contexts, for example.
Not sure if that's got anything to do with it for sure, but it's probably something to think about too.

I think Nozawa's time as the leading man (see what I did there) in anime outside of Dragon Ball was probably during the earlier era of Japanese animation. I'm assuming before most of us forum users were even born. Now she seems to be mostly cast as a supporting actress or is brought on to mentor younger actors who could use her guidance. That last bit I mentioned was mentioned in an interview somewhere on this website about her work supporting JP theatre groups.

[GhostEmperorX]

I think Nozawa's time as the leading man (see what I did there) in anime outside of Dragon Ball was probably during the earlier era of Japanese animation. I'm assuming before most of us forum users were even born. Now she seems to be mostly cast as a supporting actress or is brought on to mentor younger actors who could use her guidance. That last bit I mentioned was mentioned in an interview somewhere on this website about her work supporting JP theatre groups.

Although one of the most prolific people in protagonist roles back then was Akira Kamiya, so I'm not even sure if that was the case for her.
Even when she was in 70's shows like Combattler V, it wasn't quite as the main role. So tbh idk if she's even in top roles for most anime outside of DB even back then (I haven't seen Galaxy Express 999 yet so that may be it).

She's been around for a long time as a professional for sure, but I can't really recall any claims to fame outside of DB/Z for her.

[Soppa Saia People]

Tanaka in particular seems to get around a lot more in anime, and not only in One Piece either.
Haven't heard Nozawa in many other places or contexts, for example.
Not sure if that's got anything to do with it for sure, but it's probably something to think about too.

Yeah I think this is the biggest thing with Nozawa as Goku, and why I understand some hesitancy that people have with her. Sure, there's always gonna be the whole, "Wtf!! Girl!!" type criticism, but even a lot of anime fans I know who have zero issue with people like Romi Park, Megumi Ogata, Mitsuki Saiga, etc, voicing men, tend to take a slight issue with Nozawa, and I think it's because it's a weird performance from someone who's voice you just don't hear in other anime. Tanaka doesn't have that issue, she's been pretty prominent in anime, and her vocal performance, isn't as out there I guess ?

[TheGreatness25]

I always found this kind of funny. Some vocal people made a big deal about Nozawa's portrayal of Goku as if it were such a crazy thing for a woman to voice a fully grown man, but nobody ever said a peep about Kuririn.

I still see the "I can't stand Japanese Goku!" stuff on other forums, but I think it died down since a lot of people watched Super in Japanese first.

My first exposure to Japanese Goku was honestly through the PS1 games when I was 11. And my reaction was: "That's what Goku sounds like!?" And then it wasn't "weird" to me after like a week. I never really thought of who was voicing him. Eventually, I obviously did find out that it was a woman, and I don't think it affected me one bit. It was kind of like, "Oh, yeah? Hm." And then I just moved on with my life.

But, I know that it's different strokes for different folks and it's not wrong to dislike Nozawa's performance. If presented in a respectful manner, even the reasoning isn't inherently wrong. I'm just happy that a lot of people do like her performance.

As for Kuririn--maybe because Mayumi Tanaka's voice for him is "boy-like" (for lack of a better expression), and he does kind of still seem young, maybe this flies under people's radars. Or maybe they just dislike Nozawa's take and use the excuse that she's a woman because they can't really put a finger on what they don't like. I don't know.

I found out at a young age that women typically voice kids in English-speaking cartoons, so, it all seems pretty normal to me. I was much more taken aback that Vegeta's attacks in Japanese sounded a lot like Brian Drummond's portrayal of Vegeta (even though their normal speaking voices are different). I feel like the was my biggest shock from playing those early PS1 games lol

[GhostEmperorX]

even a lot of anime fans I know who have zero issue with people like Romi Park, Megumi Ogata, Mitsuki Saiga, etc, voicing men

Don't forget people like Rica Matsumoto (Satoshi), Ai Orikasa, etc.

tend to take a slight issue with Nozawa, and I think it's because it's a weird performance from someone who's voice you just don't hear in other anime.

Guess it's yet another DB/Z peculiarity that barely exists anywhere else in anime, the franchise is full of them at this point.

As for Kuririn--maybe because Mayumi Tanaka's voice for him is "boy-like" (for lack of a better expression), and he does kind of still seem young, maybe this flies under people's radars.

She's also just done this type of acting for lots of other anime series (Jushin Liger, Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, Gaiking LODM, etc to name non-One Piece examples) for a long time, to the point that any female character roles she's had are actually in the minority.

[BootyCheeksJohnson]

Tanaka in particular seems to get around a lot more in anime, and not only in One Piece either.
Haven't heard Nozawa in many other places or contexts, for example.
Not sure if that's got anything to do with it for sure, but it's probably something to think about too.

Yeah I think this is the biggest thing with Nozawa as Goku, and why I understand some hesitancy that people have with her. Sure, there's always gonna be the whole, "Wtf!! Girl!!" type criticism, but even a lot of anime fans I know who have zero issue with people like Romi Park, Megumi Ogata, Mitsuki Saiga, etc, voicing men, tend to take a slight issue with Nozawa, and I think it's because it's a weird performance from someone who's voice you just don't hear in other anime. Tanaka doesn't have that issue, she's been pretty prominent in anime, and her vocal performance, isn't as out there I guess ?

Nozawa's Goku is a strange case even among other anime performances. Because yes she doesn't sound like any man I've heard before, but she also doesn't sound like any woman I've heard before either.
Maybe it's a familiarity thing too. Romi Park voices Ed Elrick as a child into a teen and adult, and Mayumi Tanaka voices Luffy as a teenager into adulthood. (I haven't watched either of those two anime, but it's what I gather from a glance.) And, most U.S. Dragon Ball fans skipped straight into Z so they don't get the familiarity of watching Nozawa voice Goku as a child into an adult. So seeing this adult with the same actor behind his child voice can be a shock.

[MasenkoHA]

[


Nozawa's Goku is a strange case even among other anime performances. Because yes she doesn't sound like any man I've heard before, but she also doesn't sound like any woman I've heard before either.

I just assumed its because Goku is a country bumpkin so he sounds a bit off

I dunno, he always sounded like your standard "woman doing a 10-12 year old boy voice" as an adult to me.

Maybe it's a familiarity thing too. Romi Park voices Ed Elrick as a child into a teen and adult, and Mayumi Tanaka voices Luffy as a teenager into adulthood. (I haven't watched either of those two anime, but it's what I gather from a glance.) And, most U.S. Dragon Ball fans skipped straight into Z so they don't get the familiarity of watching Nozawa voice Goku as a child into an adult. So seeing this adult with the same actor behind his child voice can be a shock.

,

I sort of understand this argument but at the same time all the complaints of Goku being voiced by a woman really didn't seem to exist until circa 2007, coinciding with the Toonami audience becoming old enough to vocalize their opinions(not coincidentally this was around the time the Faulconer score went from universally despised and mocked to revered as music composed by the Gods in online DBZ discourse).

And its not like sub fans necessarily got to see Goku as a kid first. To my understanding the big wave of Dragon Ball fans in America happened during the Cell saga. Chris Psaoros even said that was the first saga he watched. Plus, Dragon Ball Z saw a much sooner subtitle release than Dragon Ball did, first the Pioneer movies in 1998, then Funimation started releasing the episodes they had the home video rights to in 2000. I'm not sure how prolific fansubs of OG Dragon Ball were but the series didn't start seeing legal subtitle releases until 2003, by that point a decent chunk of Dragon Ball Z was legally available in subtitled form.


So, I don't know, feels less like fans not benefitting from seeing Goku as a kid grow up and more like fans who were used to Funimation's reversioned dub needing to vocalize their disdain for the Japanese version being so different. The music doesn't fit! I don't like Goku being voiced by a woman!