Die-hard dub fans (why are you, if so?)

[penguintruth]

Have to also say another reason I like the dub is watching it led to events that influenced my life and nearly got me a girlfriend. That ever happen to anyone else, or with the latter part make my life seem like weird things can happen?

None of this makes it a good dub, unfortunately.

[Ultimate_DB_Fan]

Have to also say another reason I like the dub is watching it led to events that influenced my life and nearly got me a girlfriend. That ever happen to anyone else, or with the latter part make my life seem like weird things can happen?

None of this makes it a good dub, unfortunately.

While it isn't a good dub to you, it is for others.
You're the main reason why this thread has become derailed in the first place. With some users here specifically stating why they like the dub, all you've done is take what's been said and twist it the wrong way.
The thread's question asks, "If you watch all three series dubbed, why so?"
Why things needed to be turned upside down do in part to your participation I'll never understand. It's as if you enjoy pulling what you think are the right strings.
I also specifically posted for things to be civil, which meant that all users here who prefer the dub had to do is state why they go with their prefered preference, without things getting out of control.
I'm done responding to this thread.
Good day.

[penguintruth]

You're the main reason why this thread has become derailed in the first place.

Derailed from what? I don't see anything about dissenting opinions being disallowed in this thread. If any debate springs from it, then all the better. Debate is better than stagnation.

With some users here specifically stating why they like the dub, all you've done is take what's been said and twist it the wrong way.

The thread's question asks, "If you watch all three series dubbed, why so?"
Why things needed to be turned upside down do in part to your participation I'll never understand. It's as if you enjoy pulling what you think are the right strings.

Oh no, you've uncovered my dastardly plot to... have a discussion! DUN DUN DUNNNNN!

I also specifically posted for things to be civil, which meant that all users here who prefer the dub had to do is state why they go with their prefered preference, without things getting out of control.

It's been pretty civil. Nobody's name-called or attacked anybody personally. No threats have been made. The people who claim it's not civil are merely the ones who've run out of fuel for their opinions and want to pack it in. I'm fine with that, but don't come back to try to get the last word.

I'm done responding to this thread.
Good day.

And a good day to you, good sir.

[Thanos]

I loved the dub, I grew up on it... and I stayed loyal to it until I was able to get my hands on the whole series in Japanese. Which is always what I intended, but I was unsure if that would happen (I'm not sure DVD's existed when I got into DBZ... or if they were mainstream yet), but fortunately, it did, thanks to the DBZ Season Sets. Say what you want, but those things are awesome.

Needless to say, at this point I'm kind of a Japanese-exclusive sort of guy now, even though I grew up on the dub. Still, though. The transition wasn't so difficult, considering I was very, very familiar with the original dialogue (having downloaded emulators, and Japanese DBZ game ROMs for Super Nintendo and PSOne very early on), and I had heard the dub so long, played all the games and heard the same dialogue repeated... so it was a nice change of pace, and it's one I'm sticking with.

At this point I don't have anything against the dub per say, but I kind of resent its lack of authenticity regarding the original source material, as well as the robotic, unrealistic voices. I should point out, that I still have an appreciation for the original Dragon Ball dub. Which may actually have something to do with the fact that the original BGM score was kept.

[VegettoEX]

Here's a question:

For all of you that say you "grew up" with FUNimation's English dub... what exactly do you mean by "grew up"...? How old were you when you started watching it? If you moved away from it, how old were you when that transformation took place (and if not, saying how old you are now still makes sense, I suppose).

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

EDIT: To expand upon what I mean / am asking, how do you define "grew up"...? Is there a certain age where you are no longer "growing" in terms of your tastes? That probably differs person-to-person, but does it apply to you? Every year as I get older (not that 27 is any solid definition of "aged and wise"), I realize just how immature each and every previous year truly is compared to what comes next... so how do you figure out when that "growing up" period really is? Is it over when you're done with middle school? High school? College? Further? Does it depend upon when in your life you even started watching it in the first place?

[Pitzu]

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

96?
Holy crap.
I'm 17 now, 18 in december, so I must have been like, 4-5.
Wow.

[Kirbopher]

I started when I was around 11 got introduced to some aspects of the Japanese version from your site and the Spanish dub on Telemundo, various fansubbed episodes I'd see once in a blue moon, continued with the series dubbed up until the end of its release in the US and then started getting more aqquainted with the Japanese version from there on out.

As a kid, I just enjoyed keeping up with the series in general. For instance, I didn't give a shit about the voices changing when the Freeza saga tapes started coming out before they aired on CN. Like, I went "oh that's odd, their voices are different...OH WELL, MORE DBZ EPISODES WOO!!" and I always accepted the Japanese version as a seperate thing, never feeling any ill will towards it. I still have fond memories of karaoking the DBZ openings and endings with crappy MIDIs and Julian's translations.

I think Julian once mentioned on an oooold episode of the podcast about that there was something "magical" about being a kid and having a lot of mystery surrounding the series and always being surprised by stuff that happened. That was kind of how it was for me, it didn't matter really what language it was in, I just loved DBZ in general and happened to've been exposed to it in english more often than not.

[worldmonsters]

I'm not sure if "grew up with" is something that works in this context. Grew up with would seem to indicate you had a long extensive period of time watching Dragon Ball. I think it's more a thing of what did you see first? What are you expecting to see? What are you used to seeing? I saw the dub first and I guess I enjoy watching it, though sometimes, yeah I think that the script sucks or that it's a tad bit kiddiefied or whatever. And the music changes and voice changes are very annoying.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Bruce Faulconer stuff and the Shuki Levy stuff from the early seasons. Hell, I even like the new Ocean Dub music sort of. I think, because I live in Holland and we REALLY had a weird switch from Ocean to Funi to Ocean and back and back again, that I started just not caring anymore.

When I went back to it, I saw the Funi stuff again and thought... yeah it's okay, you know, I can still watch it enjoy it. But now I'm watching Dragon Ball Kai and I'm feeling that it's a bit more original. It's consistent. And the voices don't bother me at all.

Does that make me a die-hard fan? That I can enjoy every version of it? I've even followed some of the Funi stuff with the original back ground music and loved that as well.

I think it's bullshit to call someone who doesn't like the original not a die-hard fan. The essence of Dragon Ball can be found in ANY incarnation. Well... not Evolution... let's not get into that You can be a die-hard fan of the Funi dub, yeah of course, or a die-hard fan of the original. In my opinion if you are a TRUE die-hard fan you enjoy EVERYTHING, cause in essence it's all Dragon Ball and the core of the story is there, most of the characterization.

Sure, I also think the original is what it's supposed to look like, what Toriyama, the artist, the master mind WANTS it to look like, that doesn't mean you can't be a die-hard fan if you watch the Funi or Ocean dub only.

Also, you are NOT a die-hard fan if you criticize others for not enjoying the version you watch. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but don't bash others for having a different one than you.

btw, I'm not calling myself a better fan than anyone else for enjoying all versions, I haven't created a website for the series, I haven't gone out and bought every single DVD release. I'm not all THAT dedicated and therefore not a die-hard fan

(I forgot what my original point was )

[Kendamu]

In the case of "grew up with" I'd consider that to be maybe 'til about 12-ish in terms of animation I "grew up" on... in which that would be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Animated Series, and X-Men. After the prime of those shows, the context of "growing up on" changed completely for me. For me, those were shows that helped me discover things that inspired some of the most important aspects of my personality and how I choose to spend my life.

In terms of stuff I discovered after 12-ish (such as Dragonball), things like that inspired me to move further with the things I discovered as a child and got me to look at things I already knew under a new and/or more sophisticated light than before. By that point, "growing up" was a completely different thing.

So, when I read "grew up on" in terms of the FUNi dub I usually expect the people saying that to be about 15 to 18 years old now.

[Big Momma]

Here's a question:

For all of you that say you "grew up" with FUNimation's English dub... what exactly do you mean by "grew up"...? How old were you when you started watching it? If you moved away from it, how old were you when that transformation took place (and if not, saying how old you are now still makes sense, I suppose).

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

EDIT: To expand upon what I mean / am asking, how do you define "grew up"...? Is there a certain age where you are no longer "growing" in terms of your tastes? That probably differs person-to-person, but does it apply to you? Every year as I get older (not that 27 is any solid definition of "aged and wise"), I realize just how immature each and every previous year truly is compared to what comes next... so how do you figure out when that "growing up" period really is? Is it over when you're done with middle school? High school? College? Further? Does it depend upon when in your life you even started watching it in the first place?

I was 6 years old when DBZ first started airing (I actually saw the first episode by accident), and I watched the dub from then up until 8th grade. (Age 15 or so), so for the last half of my childhood/beginning of my teens I watched the dub. It was then that I bought a DBGT Uncut DVD and finally saw the original. Although I'm fairly certain that if it weren't for DAN DAN, I wouldn't have gotten past the opening credits.

I have nothing against the dub, and I do enjoy watching it sometimes, but I am mostly for the original nowadays. It's not that I dislike the cast or the music. In fact, I like most everything about the dub. The only thing that irks me is the script changes, mainly where parts of silence are given "quirky" dialogue. But I love the dub, for the most part. I watch it when I'm with others, but if I am alone, I'll watch the original.


As for the growing up period, I think that is up to the person. For me, it goes up to point where I discovered that I wasn't a child anymore, and that I had to grow up in many aspects of my life. This was around my senior year of high school.

I'm 19 now, and a freshman in college, but I know I'm still growing in many parts of my life; knowledge, maturity, faith, social aspects, etc. but for the most part, this is where the rest of my life (i.e, Adulthood) starts.

[TripleRach]

For all of you that say you "grew up" with FUNimation's English dub... what exactly do you mean by "grew up"...? How old were you when you started watching it? If you moved away from it, how old were you when that transformation took place (and if not, saying how old you are now still makes sense, I suppose).

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

I'm not in the "grew up with the dub" group (at least I don't call myself that, anyway), but I did get into the series at roughly the same ages that you just mentioned. I was 14 or 15 when I got into the series via Season 3 reruns in 2000, and at age 16, I had been fully converted to the original version via VHS fansubs of DB and FUNi's early DBZ DVDs. For a few years after that, I still watched the dub on Cartoon Network out of curiosity, but by the time I turned 20, I never wanted to hear it again.

Anywho, my story isn't terribly relevant to the current discussion, other than to say that the age thing may be the key factor. Are high school age people really just more prone to seeking out the original version without being hindered by nostalgia, or is it just a coincidence, here?

[Sebastian (SB)]

Goku is all about personality and how it contrasts with his physical nature. Aesthetics are meaningless with Goku, therefore it doesn't matter if the voice sounds like it belongs to the body.

I just want to say that I think this reasoning for Goku's JPN voice is pretty funny, given JPN Bardock and Tullece and US Freeza.

JPN Bardock was probably just another case of having all the Son family sound the same. As much as I liked her performance, it's not something I would think it's appropiate for a grim character like Bardock in contrast to the carefee and ignorant nature of Goku. I was thinking that Shigeru Chiba (Raditz) might've been a better candidate. Tullece was a reflection of Son Goku had he stayed with his memories of his original mission, so that I could totally see that. And Nozawa just makes a really creepy villain voice. I liked it a lot.

[B]

I was 9 when I started watching the show dubbed, during the summer of 2001. The voice change was already in fullswing, I barely had any exposure to the Ocean cast, or anything prior to the Ginyu Force's introduction. I may have caught the first couple of episodes during a Toonami New Year thing, but that was it. It would go on like this until... 2004(?) where I watched from that point all the way to the end of GT(with original DB along the way).

As for my transition into preferring the original... it wasn't necessarily hard. It was a concious choice I made to give it a fair shake after learning how much was cut or edited in the dub. And I ended up liking what I found. But I never loathed or held some sort of grudge against the dub. Hell, it hasn't been until recently(as in, the past year and a half) that I've really noticed how inexperienced most of them were. I guess... I felt it was important that I might as well know what exactly it is that I was watching, unleaded. The dub had become this anomaly. I felt no nostalgic high from watching it post-2007. It didn't do for me at age... 15, I guess, what it did for me from ages 9-13. Not because there was this better version out there; but because it's flaws were abundantly more noticeable now that my attention span had shot up beyond "HEY LOOK FIGHTING." 17-year-old B can't even watch things like Scooby-Doo, Thundercats, or The Flinstones anymore without cringing, three other pieces of his adolescence.

You could definately throw me in with the camp that "grew up" on the dub... but personally, my ever-changing tastes, which most likely will change sometime down the road in my lifetime, as I'm fairly young, completely outweigh nostalgia any day of the week.

[JulieYBM]

Here's a question:

For all of you that say you "grew up" with FUNimation's English dub... what exactly do you mean by "grew up"...? How old were you when you started watching it? If you moved away from it, how old were you when that transformation took place (and if not, saying how old you are now still makes sense, I suppose).

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

EDIT: To expand upon what I mean / am asking, how do you define "grew up"...? Is there a certain age where you are no longer "growing" in terms of your tastes? That probably differs person-to-person, but does it apply to you? Every year as I get older (not that 27 is any solid definition of "aged and wise"), I realize just how immature each and every previous year truly is compared to what comes next... so how do you figure out when that "growing up" period really is? Is it over when you're done with middle school? High school? College? Further? Does it depend upon when in your life you even started watching it in the first place?

I want to say I began watching Dragon Ball Z with the 39th episode of the Ocean dub (October 14, 1998)--which would make me eight years old. I didn't really notice the voice change and I kept on becoming more and more engrossed with the series, buying the new tapes the day FUNimation put them out each month. During GT (or more towards the later half of the 'Fusion arc') I fell out of the series for a while but pretty much started coming back when I joined the forums here. I began to learn more about the dub and it's changes and the like and because I was so vehemently against what 4Kids did to their anime I began to ask myself where or not what FUNimation did with Dragon Ball was really right. Now I've pretty much moved over to the original Japanese version, simply because I can't stand to listen to the dub acting and voices. FUNimation's done great work with those actors on different properties and I love those dubs...but I just can't stand to hear my favorite English voice actors suck so much, and be a part of a dub so unfaithful to the original.

[penguintruth]

That's a good point. "Grew up."

I never grew up that much. I started watching Dragon Ball Z, jeez, not even when I was a kid, really, but when I was already a teen, I think. I'm 26 and I'm still watching cartoons on a regular basis and have a room full of plush toys and collectibles from my childhood.

Fortunately, I have eclectic tastes, and have found a way to offset some of this, as to not look like a total manchild.

[Godo]

Really? I heard a lot more white sounding black men then I've heard black guys who speak like "HIBBIDIJIBBIDI HURBADURBA HOWYA DOIN!?"

Heh, heh.
I was more referring to how his voice was unappropriate for such a huge man. I mean, he should have had a more deep voice, not that he would speak like: "WE WANNA SUM FRIED CHICKIN DAAAAWG!".
I think that I should have explained myself further, in retrospect.

[saiyangerl]

Here's a question:

For all of you that say you "grew up" with FUNimation's English dub... what exactly do you mean by "grew up"...? How old were you when you started watching it? If you moved away from it, how old were you when that transformation took place (and if not, saying how old you are now still makes sense, I suppose).

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

EDIT: To expand upon what I mean / am asking, how do you define "grew up"...? Is there a certain age where you are no longer "growing" in terms of your tastes? That probably differs person-to-person, but does it apply to you? Every year as I get older (not that 27 is any solid definition of "aged and wise"), I realize just how immature each and every previous year truly is compared to what comes next... so how do you figure out when that "growing up" period really is? Is it over when you're done with middle school? High school? College? Further? Does it depend upon when in your life you even started watching it in the first place?

I believe I started watching DBZ back in 1998 or 1999 when I was 15 or 16. I had as short break from August 2001 through February 2002 because I went to Japan. Then started watching the Buu saga when I got back in 2002 so I was 18 almost 19. I don't think I even missed anything while I was gone. Anyways, I just was not really into the Buu saga or DBZ for that matter at that time. I started getting distracted with life... work... school... relationships... etc.

I watched most of the Buu saga but I feel like I was only half paying attention so I didn't really absorb it. I always had a love and nostalgia for DBZ and would sometimes think how those were some good times/memories but I was just too busy to get back into it. But I would mention that I loved it if anime was ever mentioned in conversation. Being a teenager or being in adolescence counts as "growing up" to me because I don't really believe you're an adult at that age. Even though you think you are and that you're so mature even though you're not. You don't realize how immature you were until later when you are older and reflect back lol.

So now I'm 26. Just got back into it early August of this year. I noticed Dragonball Evolution on the cable box and my fiance and I were bored so we watched it. Mostly for laughs. Well at least for me since my fiance had never been exposed to DB. I know such a crime that was the first thing he saw but I believe he has long forgotten DBE now. Pretty much right after I whipped out my old VHS tapes and showed him the real thing and we started watching DBZ from beginning to end. Finished in a month and a half or so. Then watched DBGT. Now we're working on DB.

I feel exactly the same as I did when I was 16-19 watching DBZ. Excitement, joy, giddiness, a little unhealthy obsession... I think there is always opportunity for your tastes to grow but you can also still maintain the same tastes but also expand your tastes at the same time. A little of the old and little of the new know what I mean?

[Dayspring]

Here's a question:

For all of you that say you "grew up" with FUNimation's English dub... what exactly do you mean by "grew up"...? How old were you when you started watching it? If you moved away from it, how old were you when that transformation took place (and if not, saying how old you are now still makes sense, I suppose).

When FUNimation's original dub of DBZ began in 1996, I was... what... 14? By 1997 and the second season's original TV airing, I had already shifted over entirely in terms of pure enjoyment and full-steam-ahead fandom (getting fansubs, preparing to make my website, etc.).

EDIT: To expand upon what I mean / am asking, how do you define "grew up"...? Is there a certain age where you are no longer "growing" in terms of your tastes? That probably differs person-to-person, but does it apply to you? Every year as I get older (not that 27 is any solid definition of "aged and wise"), I realize just how immature each and every previous year truly is compared to what comes next... so how do you figure out when that "growing up" period really is? Is it over when you're done with middle school? High school? College? Further? Does it depend upon when in your life you even started watching it in the first place?

In '95, when the Pilaf era came out, I was ten-years-old. Just old enough to understand moderately complex story plots that carry on from one episode to another. By "grow up with," I mean follow along throughout its hype as a kid. Even though I was well in my teens by the time the entire manga came out in a language I could read and buy copies of, I'm still refering to the fact that it debuted when I was 10.

[Lance Freeman]

I guess it's just a convenience factor. It would take more time and effort for me to learn Japanese than it would to just watch the dub.

[Adamant]

Yeah, it's not like the episodes are available subtitled or anything.