A question about power levels

YouTube · Post by **Hujio** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:26 am

Tsukento wrote:Pretending the FUNi dub doesn't exist, I take it?

No (how can anyone pretend that never happened?!), the term "Power Level" has been around forever. In fact, it was used on the internet long before FUNi even started dubbing DragonBall Z. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's where they originally got the term from. Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that there's a difference; one's a made up term, like "Mystic Gohan", while the other isn't.

Tsukento · Post by **Tsukento** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:32 am

Oh I'm well aware that "Power Level" is a completely different term on its own. I was simply pointing out how Battle Power's meaning can be used compared to the mess that is "Power Level."

Post by **Herms** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:47 am

To clarify, the phrase "power level" (written just like that, in English) was used in the Super Battle series of DB Carddass games to indicate the power of each card (1-12, and then the strongest cards of all being labled "max"; there were also sub-levels 1-5 for each level except "max"). The term was used by English-speaking fans as a translation for sentou-ryoku/battle power, Freeza and co.'s method of measuring power, long before Funi's dub did the same thing. Fans might have adopted the term from its use in the Carddass series, or they might have came up with it independently, just because "power level" is a fairly straight-forward and obvious term for the concept, and Funi might have gotten it from fans. Viz's translation of the manga also uses "power level" for the most part, but they also use various other translations like "combat power", "power indice", or simply "power".

Chibi Mystic Gohan · Post by **Chibi Mystic Gohan** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:26 pm

I think "combat power" sounds the best, but I'm used to saying "battle power." I thought I picked that up from the VIZ translation, though. Didn't they ever say that? Also, I think I've seen cards that have said battle power, or just "BP."

Post by **Herms** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:45 pm

Chibi Mystic Gohan wrote:I think "combat power" sounds the best, but I'm used to saying "battle power." I thought I picked that up from the VIZ translation, though. Didn't they ever say that?

Yep:

Herms wrote: Viz's translation of the manga also uses "power level" for the most part, but they also use various other translations like "combat power", "power indice", or simply "power".

Also, I think I've seen cards that have said battle power, or just "BP."

The Carddass Half cards have that.

Chibi Mystic Gohan · Post by **Chibi Mystic Gohan** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:57 pm

I was asking if VIZ ever used "battle power," actually.

Post by **Herms** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:06 pm

Chibi Mystic Gohan wrote:I was asking if VIZ ever used "battle power," actually.

Whoops, sorry about that. Looking through my notes, it doesn't look like they ever do, but they do use "battle strength" a number of times. Maybe that was what you were thinking of?

Chibi Mystic Gohan · Post by **Chibi Mystic Gohan** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:10 pm

Ah, that's exactly what I was thinking of! Thanks.