Unpopular DB opinions

[MCDaveG]

I personally view Funimation Dragon Ball dub as Americanized version of actual show, similar to Samurai Pizza Cats or 4Kids dub, as long as same people still hold license, USA will never get "true" dub of neither manga nor anime.

But that’s what it is, actually. Americanized version of actual show.

[Scsigs]

I personally view Funimation Dragon Ball dub as Americanized version of actual show, similar to Samurai Pizza Cats or 4Kids dub, as long as same people still hold license, USA will never get "true" dub of neither manga nor anime.

"Americanized..." "Bastardization..." Same difference.

[90sDBZ]

I find Kikuchi's score in Z to be overly repetitive and often bland compared to OG DB's more lively score.

His score worked better in the movies because many of the tracks were composed specifically for them first. Z's slower pacing and filler is sometimes made to feel worse, due to hearing the same tracks repeated so often. The movies don't have this issue, as they have short run times, faster pacing, and all have distinct tracks composed specifically for them.

Kikuchi's score actually gets better in the Buu arc, with some more lively sounding tracks similar to OG DB. The instrumentals for 'We Gotta Power' and 'We were angels' are good examples.

[KingVegetto]

I find Kikuchi's score in Z to be overly repetitive and often bland compared to OG DB's more lively score.

His score worked better in the movies because many of the tracks were composed specifically for them first. Z's slower pacing and filler is sometimes made to feel worse, due to hearing the same tracks repeated so often. The movies don't have this issue, as they have short run times, faster pacing, and all have distinct tracks composed specifically for them.

Kikuchi's score actually gets better in the Buu arc, with some more lively sounding tracks similar to OG DB. The instrumentals for 'We Gotta Power' and 'We were angels' are good examples.

Agreed, I prefer the Johnson and Faulconer scores myself for that reason. The Wasserman stuff is kinda eh as it feels like the score repeats itself way too often with too little variety.

[90sDBZ]

I've always felt one of the biggest strengths of Team Faulconer's score is the variety of tracks. Each arc introduces a bunch of new character themes, making it all feel very distinct. Even characters like Garlic Jr and Pikkon get their own unique themes. The only downside is the lack of silent moments, but the score really shines in the big moments to the point were it makes up for it.

Between Jonson and Wasserman I do lean towards preferring Wasserman overall. Part of that might be nostalgia, but there are some great tracks in there.

Goku's arrival theme is fantastic, and really conveys the uplifting sense of hope that comes with him showing up. The moment he arrives on Namek still gives me goosebumps from how perfectly that theme fits. And there's another great track that plays when Goku catches bubbles, and again right after Vegeta gets hit by the Spirit Bomb. Aside from those examples the score feels pretty dark, which fits the Saiyan Saga particularly well.

The Jonson score has some good tracks like Vegeta vs Zarbon, the recap theme, and Gogeta's theme from Fusion Reborn which might be his best track. Overall I struggle to remember a lot of it though. I'd definitely rank it over Menza's GT score.

[PowerPhantom245]

I still think we would be in a better fandom timeline had Pioneer got the rights and dub it long before Funimation exist. We would have gotten a better dub and it would be uncut. Chances are that it would still air on CN like Tenchi Muyo did. So both sides win.

How accurate was Pioneer when it comes to anime dub (not just for Dragon Ball), compared to Funimation, during late 90s and early 00s?

[Hellspawn28]

Their dubs for the titles that they did were usually spot on. They didn't dumb things down and Americanize things that's for sure.

[PowerPhantom245]

Their dubs for the titles that they did were usually spot on. They didn't dumb things down and Americanize things that's for sure.

Can you provide an examples for best dub by Pioneer?

[Hellspawn28]

Pioneer dub for Akira comes to mind. If the uncut dubs of DBZ Movie 1-3 are anything to go by, it would probably be much better.

[jjgp1112]

I find Kikuchi's score in Z to be overly repetitive and often bland compared to OG DB's more lively score.

His score worked better in the movies because many of the tracks were composed specifically for them first.

Eh, I never really bought this - it's possible to do both things at once. It's not exactly a coincidence that Movies 2 and 3's soundtracks are more low-key, creepy and atmospheric, movies 5 and (especially) 6 are sci-fi flavored, or that Movies 9-11 have a more dark, horror-esque vibe. The soundtracks are crafted fit the movie but also fit the segment of the series it's being rolled out for.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

A Pioneer dub of the entire Dragon Ball TV series (from original right up to GT, like what was originally planned) has to have been one of the biggest missed opportunities in anime history. Faithful scripts, Kikuchi score and the Ocean cast well directed? What more could we have asked for?

[MasenkoHA]

I find Kikuchi's score in Z to be overly repetitive and often bland compared to OG DB's more lively score.

His score worked better in the movies because many of the tracks were composed specifically for them first.

Eh, I never really bought this - it's possible to do both things at once. It's not exactly a coincidence that Movies 2 and 3's soundtracks are more low-key, creepy and atmospheric, movies 5 and (especially) 6 are sci-fi flavored, or that Movies 9-11 have a more dark, horror-esque vibe. The soundtracks are crafted fit the movie but also fit the segment of the series it's being rolled out for.

Also the Japanese soundtrack was only really repetitive in that it favored the new score composed for the current arc (or most recent movies) and used the older stuff more sparingly but then it would move on to the new stuff.
But it was like that with the original Dragon Ball too. If anything Z had more variety just because it had the entire back catalog of original Dragon Ball at its disposal. So while the Freeza arc leaned heavily on music from Z movies 1-3 (in particular the editor seemed to really like The Dead Zone opening, Goku dashing through the castle, Piccolo’s electronic guitar remix, and the Genki Dama theme) you would still get stuff like Murasaki’s theme, the Red Ribbon Army March being reused as the Ginyu leimotif, and the choral of doom from Sleeping Princess being used a couple times


The only time I really felt “damn this is getting repetitive” was when Vegeta and Nappa arrived and the editor was apparently so excited to use Z movie 1’s score he used almost nothing else for those 15 episodes.


As far as the movies vs show. Mmm. I somewhat agree the Kikuchi score for Z is best appreciated in the movies
but at the same time I think it works fine. It’s not like the score was Mickey Mousing the animation. Dr.Uiro’s theme works just as well as Freeza’s theme. I associate “Cells’s theme” more so with Cell than its original use in Z movie 6 as the 1,000,000,000 Metal Coolas theme

[jjgp1112]

I find Kikuchi's score in Z to be overly repetitive and often bland compared to OG DB's more lively score.

His score worked better in the movies because many of the tracks were composed specifically for them first.

Eh, I never really bought this - it's possible to do both things at once. It's not exactly a coincidence that Movies 2 and 3's soundtracks are more low-key, creepy and atmospheric, movies 5 and (especially) 6 are sci-fi flavored, or that Movies 9-11 have a more dark, horror-esque vibe. The soundtracks are crafted fit the movie but also fit the segment of the series it's being rolled out for.

Also the Japanese soundtrack was only really repetitive in that it favored the new score composed for the current arc (or most recent movies) and used the older stuff more sparingly but then it would move on to the new stuff.
But it was like that with the original Dragon Ball too. If anything Z had more variety just because it had the entire back catalog of original Dragon Ball at its disposal. So while the Freeza arc leaned heavily on music from Z movies 1-3 (in particular the editor seemed to really like The Dead Zone opening, Goku dashing through the castle, Piccolo’s electronic guitar remix, and the Genki Dama theme) you would still get stuff like Murasaki’s theme, the Red Ribbon Army March being reused as the Ginyu leimotif, and the choral of doom from Sleeping Princess being used a couple times


The only time I really felt “damn this is getting repetitive” was when Vegeta and Nappa arrived and the editor was apparently so excited to use Z movie 1’s score he used almost nothing else for those 15 episodes.


As far as the movies vs show. Mmm. I somewhat agree the Kikuchi score for Z is best appreciated in the movies
but at the same time I think it works fine. It’s not like the score was Mickey Mousing the animation. Dr.Uiro’s theme works just as well as Freeza’s theme. I associate “Cells’s theme” more so with Cell than its original use in Z movie 6 as the 1,000,000,000 Metal Coolas theme

One thing I don't like about the series is outside of the villains, they stopped paying attention to leitmotifs the way they did in DB. Like Gohan and Piccolo have their themes, but the Saiyan leitmotif (particularly the Movie 4 battle theme and the Movie 6 imperial march) was used willy nilly in the TV series when it should've just been reserved for Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks doing cool shit. That's the majority of the series after the Frieza saga anyway, so why am I hearing the Movie 4 fight song instead of Piccolo's fight theme when he's fighting Imperfect Cell???

I'm okay with the ones that use the melodies more vaguely having a wider application - Piccolo's battle themes from Movies 1, 4 and 6 are just broad enough to work, and the 1 and 6 versions are probably the best battle themes in the series.

[JulieYBM]

I think Kei once mentioned that the reason why the movie scores were used so often was in large part because there was limited space to keep music masters lying around in the studio, so they would cycle out older music masters to focus on the most recently composed music. Now that we live in the digital age, it's a heck of a lot easier to just keep music on a hard drive and have that on hand for selecting which track to add to the timeline on whatever software they use to edit the audio tracks.

[ABED]

I can appreciate great animation as much as the next person, but I'd rather TV be TV and not go for the best quality animation. I don't care about Super looking better. I'd rather have more episodes.

[90sDBZ]

Eh, I never really bought this - it's possible to do both things at once. It's not exactly a coincidence that Movies 2 and 3's soundtracks are more low-key, creepy and atmospheric, movies 5 and (especially) 6 are sci-fi flavored, or that Movies 9-11 have a more dark, horror-esque vibe. The soundtracks are crafted fit the movie but also fit the segment of the series it's being rolled out for.

I found it to be pretty hit and miss. There were times the movie tracks worked well, like that track from Movie 5 that gets used for the Androids, that track from Movie 9 that gets used for Dabura, and the Movie 7 Spirit Bomb theme being re-used vs Kid Buu.

But there's also examples of the movie OSTs being overused. The track from Movie 1 were Garlic Jr opens the Dead Zone gets used so much in the show, that by the time Goku goes SS1 it feels kind of underwhelming. Gohan going SS2 feels more impactful in Japanese because 'Spirit vs Spirit' was a brand new song at the time.

It's hard to put my finger on exactly why, but there's just something about Kikuchi in Z that feels more dull and less engaging than in OG DB. It's weird because I found his music in the Tien and Piccolo arcs in particular to be incredible. The stuff prior to that was also largely awesome.

Even when I was playing through DBZ Kakarot a few years back I found some of the remixed Kikuchi Z music to be boring.

[ABED]

Eh, I never really bought this - it's possible to do both things at once. It's not exactly a coincidence that Movies 2 and 3's soundtracks are more low-key, creepy and atmospheric, movies 5 and (especially) 6 are sci-fi flavored, or that Movies 9-11 have a more dark, horror-esque vibe. The soundtracks are crafted fit the movie but also fit the segment of the series it's being rolled out for.

I found it to be pretty hit and miss. There were times the movie tracks worked well, like that track from Movie 5 that gets used for the Androids, that track from Movie 9 that gets used for Dabura, and the Movie 7 Spirit Bomb theme being re-used vs Kid Buu.

But there's also examples of the movie OSTs being overused. The track from Movie 1 were Garlic Jr opens the Dead Zone gets used so much in the show, that by the time Goku goes SS1 it feels kind of underwhelming. Gohan going SS2 feels more impactful in Japanese because 'Spirit vs Spirit' was a brand new song at the time.

It's hard to put my finger on exactly why, but there's just something about Kikuchi in Z that feels more dull and less engaging than in OG DB. It's weird because I found his music in the Tien and Piccolo arcs in particular to be incredible. The stuff prior to that was also largely awesome.

Even when I was playing through DBZ Kakarot a few years back I found some of the remixed Kikuchi Z music to be boring.

I guess that's fair. Nozawa's incredible scream and Spirit Vs. Spirit most of the heavy lifting.

[BernardoCairo]

Daima is a good name. It’s easy to say in almost every language, I think. Still, for some reason I prefer the name Dragon Ball Magic, and I don’t even really know why. I remember not liking the final name back in 2023 because of that, even though it grew on me later.

[Yellow Flower King]

I am mega pro filler episodes. I know filler episodes can be annoying when you are waiting for canon episodes, but filler can be fun and even great and iconic. Mr Robot anyone? That's why I dont think Super:Beerus should have the bare minimum amount of episodes, it should have the amount needed to tell its story and present fun and unique tales and adventures, maybe slice of life even.

[PhantomSaiyan]

I am mega pro filler episodes. I know filler episodes can be annoying when you are waiting for canon episodes, but filler can be fun and even great and iconic. Mr Robot anyone? That's why I dont think Super:Beerus should have the bare minimum amount of episodes, it should have the amount needed to tell its story and present fun and unique tales and adventures, maybe slice of life even.

I havent watched Mr Robot but how can that show have filler? Isn't filler inherent from shows (animated ones) that adapt manga? How can a tv show like Mr Robot have filler? Isnt't it an original story?