Kaiosama: I can sense Piccolo's power has increased since he left here. I wonder how that happened to him.
Vs.
Kaiosama: Piccolo's ki has increased considerably since he left his training here. What's going on?
Fair enough. Good translation right here.
Tenshinhan: Wait a second, are you saying you actually think he's strong enough now to defeat Freeza?
Vs.
Tenshinhan: In that case, Kaio-sama, are you saying Piccolo has the potential to win against Freeza?
Good, though not quite as accurate as the first. In the original, Tenshinhan's phrasing is respectful because he's speaking to someone reverent. In the dub, he sounds a bit rowdy and casual. Not that big a deal in itself, though. I think it's nice in a way, actually; their little group during the Namek Saga
is a cozy one.
Kaiosama: No... I'm just saying that for some strange reason he's stronger but he's still no match for Freeza.
Vs.
Kaiosama: No... They are touching that which should have remained untouched. Freeza's power is unmatched.
The same idea, though the original version is much more eloquent and well-written. The sense of Kaio being wise and well-spoken is lost with the cheaper dialogue. Minus one for characterization.
Yamcha: If Piccolo fails then we'll have to remain here forever. I knew he'd botch this up, if only I were there I'd take Freeza out myself.
Vs.
Yamcha: Is Piccolo is beaten then Kami-sama will also die. If that happens our chance at resurrection will probably be forever lost.
Wait, what? Not only does that have nothing to do with what was actually said, but it's a stupid quote in its own right. Yamcha knew Piccolo would botch things? Uh, why? He's consistently been the most powerful fighter after Son Goku as well as a helpful, reliable ally in the one year since Radditz arrived. There's nothing in his history to point towards failure. And what's with the random cocking of an attitude? Yamcha's not an arrogant punk. It's this sort of stuff which gives the dub its bad reputation.
Tenshinhan: Yamcha, have a little more faith in Piccolo, he'll come through for us.
Vs.
Tenshinhan: Piccolo, you have to stick it out until Goku has recovered!
Not a huge deal by itself, but that's just the thing. These minor tweaks and alteration eventually add up. If every scene is just a little bit off (And that's not the case, but let's be generous here), then things end up being a
lot off. For the record, I do prefer the Japanese version's dialogue, simply because a direct message to Piccolo is more meaningful to me than his indirect statement to Yamcha.
Kaiosama: I just hope you're right about that.
Vs.
Kaiosama: That is the issue, isn't it?
Not perfect, but good enough for me.
Final Grade: C. Not bad, but could definitely use some improvement.
. But I agree with you for the most part. While terminology is changed slightly the script isn't really that off. The only issue I have is the inconsistency between voices and script writing. Season 1 and 2 redubs have accurate scripts with great voice acting but season 3 is awfully inaccurate with terrible voice acting, the Cell games scripts are accurate and it has decent voice acting so on and so fourth. This is why I’m hoping they dub Kai so the quality is consistent throughout the series.
