Thoughts on FUNimation's treatment of Dragon Ball

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:56 pm

RyujiOtogi wrote:The only problem I really had with the Dragon Ball dub was that all of the perverted jokes were changed. No more Puff Puff, or anything like that. The pervy jokes were still kept, but they were toned down a lot. There was no swearing(which isn't really a big deal I guess) and some of the voices were off. But I like the vocies for the most part.

To my knowledge, Japanese people don't really have "swear" words anyway. Just polite and rude ways of using the exact same words. So, don't worry about swearing.

Someone with more Japanese skill should help me out on this.

Vekurotto · Post by **Vekurotto** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:16 pm

Kendamu wrote:To my knowledge, Japanese people don't really have "swear" words anyway. Just polite and rude ways of using the exact same words. So, don't worry about swearing.

Japanese isn't devoid of swearing though.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:27 pm

Vekurotto wrote:
Kendamu wrote:To my knowledge, Japanese people don't really have "swear" words anyway. Just polite and rude ways of using the exact same words. So, don't worry about swearing.
Japanese isn't devoid of swearing though.

Examples?

Vekurotto · Post by **Vekurotto** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:56 pm

Kendamu wrote:
Vekurotto wrote:
Kendamu wrote:To my knowledge, Japanese people don't really have "swear" words anyway. Just polite and rude ways of using the exact same words. So, don't worry about swearing.
Japanese isn't devoid of swearing though.
Examples?

Well I was busy so I didn't write a well thought out post

.

Most of the translations choices that Daimao uses that involves swearing and bad language for the Japanese version's subs are fair game and are acceptable. The main examples that I can think of that happen in Dragon Ball a lot are,

'Kuso' = 'Dammit' (I kinda agree with this one but not really because it can mean 'shit' too since 'kuso' literally means "feces")

Yaro, Temae, Kisama=Bastard (depending on tone. Those words literally mean "you" however depending on the tone it could translate into something like bastard just fine and dandy).

I mean I really don't think there's a word for something like the English fuck but I will say that there is swearing in Dragon Ball. PG level stuff people

but there's still swearing.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:02 am

From what I understand, those are words children can use. They don't count as "swearing" in my book if children can say them like it's no big deal. It just doesn't carry the same weight as it does over here without that kind of rule.

Because of this, I think that the same words can be translated out to other exclamations that get the point across but children can say them. Seems more accurate to me.

Of course, that's part of the problem with translating Japanese to English. Being literal when translating can hurt you a lot.

I can agree that you can translate those into curse words or whatever and it doesn't offend me in the least if they do get translated that way, but it's not necessary at all and sometimes feels a bit "artificial" depending on what I'm watching.

Bussani · Post by **Bussani** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:06 am

I think what Kendamu means is they're not really the same as swears are in the west. They're not...how can you put it, taboo? Just rude. More like calling someone a jerkface than real swearing, you know? There's not much you'd have to beep out on TV.

I think it's because it's the context that matters. 'Yaro' itself isn't overly rude or anything, it just means 'this guy' or something like that I think. It's the context and how you say it that matters, which makes it quite different to western swearing I guess.

But I'm not expert. Maybe someone else can explain it better.

I can agree that you can translate those into curse words or whatever and it doesn't offend me in the least if they do get translated that way, but it's not necessary at all and sometimes feels a bit "artificial" depending on what I'm watching.

I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.

Super Ghost Kamikaze · Post by **Super Ghost Kamikaze** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:14 am

"Come out, you candy-ass faggot!"

NeptuneKai · Post by **NeptuneKai** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:19 am

First of all I need to get something off my chest. I want to say Dragonball had a good dub...I really do but there is this ONE moment in the dub that parallels the Saban days of DBZ as far as utterly stupid script changes go.

Originally Roshi told Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Kurririn that if they stuck around the Kame house and did the same ol' training regiment over and over and over again they would never catch up to Goku. This made them depart and go on their own little mini-adventure together around the world.

Now in the dub this is completely ruined and literally for that entire long emotional speech we get a REALLY long dragged out "HA HA MASTER ROSHI IS OLD!" joke. What really gets me is that they redubbed this scene when they flashed back to it ONE episode later. After all having a "HA HA MASTER ROSHI IS OLD!!!" joke isn't really motivation to go out and explore the world.

That one moment really made me cringe and made it seem like the script writers were just dubbing blindly as they had done with Z. After watching a season or two it did seem like the Dragonball dub's quality varied from writer to writer. Overall it was a MUCH more pleasurable experience then Z but it still wasn't that close translation I was looking for.

Despite that I struggle not to gouge out my ear drums every time I hear the dub Kurririn, Goku and Roshi among a few other's voices. (Especially the extra's yeesh!)

As for Z everyone knows how I feel, no more need to get into that.

Vekurotto · Post by **Vekurotto** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:19 am

Bussani wrote:I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.

Yeah well that is true however on the reverse side if every time somebody said Kuso and the translators decided to put something like "poopy" or "fiddlesticks", then I'd assume that there might be a problem.

Oh yeah and with what Kendamu said. Yeah I can agree with you and that's why I put it all depends on a bunch of factors like tone, and who's saying it, and how they're saying it, and a bunch of things that make you want to slap yourself because it's just complicated.

Tsukento · Post by **Tsukento** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:13 am

Bussani wrote:I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.

One Piece fansubbers and scanlators tend to be particularly guilty of this. It's rather annoying.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:52 am

Vekurotto wrote:
Bussani wrote:I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.
Yeah well that is true however on the reverse side if every time somebody said Kuso and the translators decided to put something like "poopy" or "fiddlesticks", then I'd assume that there might be a problem.

Oh yeah and with what Kendamu said. Yeah I can agree with you and that's why I put it all depends on a bunch of factors like tone, and who's saying it, and how they're saying it, and a bunch of things that make you want to slap yourself because it's just complicated.

That's why I had mentioned that in my earlier post. "Poop," doesn't seem weird being said by Goku or Bulma in Dragonball, but it sounds kinda childish coming out of Spike or Jet in Cowboy Bebop.

Captain Awesome · Post by **Captain Awesome** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:51 am

Super Ghost Kamikaze wrote: One thing I hate is Dub Roshi. His voice is completely goofy, with no range. The "serious martial arts master" moments are hurt by the voice alone, and the dub seems to like to toss jokes into them, which really hurts that dramatic contrast.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, his dub VA can't act, he's nothing short of awful throughout all of Dragonball, he just sounds like a young guy pretending to be an old man, struggling to read the lines from his script.

I remember the scene where Muten Roshi is explaining to Namu exactly why he dressed up as Jackie Chun in the tournament, in the original it's a great speech and one of the first times we really get to see that contrast between both sides of Roshi's character, in the dub however it sounds terrible, the actors limited emotional range really shows as he croaks and crackles trying to keep in character.

Adamant · Post by **Adamant** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 4:00 am

Bussani wrote:I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.

I thought it worked pretty well. Ikkitousen is very goofy and tounge-in-cheek, and the translation takes quite a lot of liberties to expand on that. The ridiculously over-the-top swearing where you can barely go a single page without seeing the word "fuck" just adds to that. Kind of like Jay and Silent Bob, really.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 4:51 am

Adamant wrote:
Bussani wrote:I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.
I thought it worked pretty well. Ikkitousen is very goofy and tounge-in-cheek, and the translation takes quite a lot of liberties to expand on that. The ridiculously over-the-top swearing where you can barely go a single page without seeing the word "fuck" just adds to that. Kind of like Jay and Silent Bob, really.

Jay and Silent Bob aren't sexually appealing to me, though.

The Tori-bot · Post by **The Tori-bot** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:39 am

Vekurotto wrote:Most of the translations choices that Daimao uses that involves swearing and bad language for the Japanese version's subs are fair game and are acceptable. The main examples that I can think of that happen in Dragon Ball a lot are,

'Kuso' = 'Dammit' (I kinda agree with this one but not really because it can mean 'shit' too since 'kuso' literally means "feces")
Yaro, Temae, Kisama=Bastard (depending on tone. Those words literally mean "you" however depending on the tone it could translate into something like bastard just fine and dandy).

I mean I really don't think there's a word for something like the English fuck but I will say that there is swearing in Dragon Ball. PG level stuff people but there's still swearing.

In the 2001 redub of Akira, Tetsuo's "Kuso!" was translated as "Fuck!" and it also appears this way in the JP subtitles. In the original dub I think it was something along the lines of "Guauahhh".

Though this is probably an acceptable translation (for a 15-rated mocie, anyway...), I (and most other 1337 p33pz) rend to go for "Damn it" or "Shit".

So, uh, yeah... Shit! Bitch! Piss!

B · Post by B » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:15 am

Goku to Frieza: I offered you a chance to leave, you piece of shit!

JulieYBM · Post by **JulieYBM** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:39 pm

Vekurotto wrote:
Bussani wrote:I do dislike it when the translators feel it necessary to translate every kuso, yaro and kisama into the most intense swearing possible. Ikkitousen's manga is a good example of this, I just couldn't read it. It was ridiculous.
Yeah well that is true however on the reverse side if every time somebody said Kuso and the translators decided to put something like "poopy" or "fiddlesticks", then I'd assume that there might be a problem.

Oh yeah and with what Kendamu said. Yeah I can agree with you and that's why I put it all depends on a bunch of factors like tone, and who's saying it, and how they're saying it, and a bunch of things that make you want to slap yourself because it's just complicated.

I think you'rre thinking 'kuzo'. Kuso is typically translated as 'damn', ala pretty much any occasion in Dragonball.

Bussani · Post by **Bussani** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:14 pm

JulieYBM wrote:I think you'rre thinking 'kuzo'. Kuso is typically translated as 'damn', ala pretty much any occasion in Dragonball.

You're probably right, my mistake.

The Time Traveller · Post by **The Time Traveller** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:18 pm

The Tori-bot wrote:In the 2001 redub of Akira, Tetsuo's "Kuso!" was translated as "Fuck!"

Isn't that the DVD with the Dubtitles that everyone was kinda pissed about? Manga always fuck up with Subtitles...

RyujiOtogi · Post by **RyujiOtogi** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:37 pm

Did I start this ?

I feel so special...

Well, just to clarify: I don't like excessive swearing either, in subtitles or dubs. But I think occasional swearing is okay. I don't really even mind if there isn't cursing at all. There are swears in the subtitles, and VIZ's older manga translations. So I was just saying that I thought it would be nice if FUNimations Dragon Ball dub had a little bit of that too.