Question for Original JP Fans: Any Good Dub Voices?

[Duo]

Ian Corlett was incredible as Goku, and Scott McNeil's Piccolo was also great. Brian Drummond did well as Vegeta by way of performance but I can't say it truly matched the character.

Eric Vale is quite notable as Trunks, and Dameon Clarke's Cell was awesome.

No others are really coming to mind...maybe the guy who did Cooler? That would have been decent on Freeza, even. Infinitely better than whom they chose.

I'm certain one of the early Podcasts went crazy into detail with this. Maybe someone posted it already in this thread and I didn't see it. It's worth listening to.

[penguintruth]

Dub actors aren't there to imitate the Japanese cast. Plenty of dubs have proven that they can be good and bring faithful but uniqie performances. If you want to hear Wakamoto, Horikawa, Nozawa, et cetera...watch the original Japanese version.

The dub actors have to at least suit the personalities of the characters, otherwise they really aren't the characters they're portraying.

I don't think any of the English dub VAs for Goku even understood the character. The scripting was only part of the problem.

[JulieYBM]

Dub actors aren't there to imitate the Japanese cast. Plenty of dubs have proven that they can be good and bring faithful but uniqie performances. If you want to hear Wakamoto, Horikawa, Nozawa, et cetera...watch the original Japanese version.

The dub actors have to at least suit the personalities of the characters, otherwise they really aren't the characters they're portraying.

I don't think any of the English dub VAs for Goku even understood the character. The scripting was only part of the problem.

I agree that they have to understand the characters, but all I am implying is that that does not mean copying another actors performance exactly.

[Kendamu]

Brian Drummond did well as Vegeta by way of performance but I can't say it truly matched the character.

Brian Drummond does have the talent and vocal range to voice Vegeta in a way that matches the character, though. Maybe something with less rasp like his Zechs but a little higher like his Vegeta. That way he can talk halfway normally and sound cool, but when he yells you can get that "MY WRATH!!!" style of yelling.

[.:PoetikaL:.]

I feel like Sabat's Vegeta would be good if he didn't have that "arrogant raspy" tone, for example: There is a video of someone playing SSJ3 Vegeta in story mode fighting Goku, Gotenks and SSJ3 Broly. When he talks to Goku in the beginning of that fight I feel is his best, but even still I would like something like the original Japanese seiyu.

[caejones]

Reading this thread has made me realize...

Goku is the Michael Jackson of Martial Arts.

[Super Sonic]

Dub actors aren't there to imitate the Japanese cast. Plenty of dubs have proven that they can be good and bring faithful but uniqie performances. If you want to hear Wakamoto, Horikawa, Nozawa, et cetera...watch the original Japanese version.

Agreed. The thing about acting is your job is to make the character your own, and not simply imitate someone else. Unfortunately with anime series, many want imitation, but that's not how it works. Now while I admit I've never seen the Japanese dub of Doug, if any of you did, would you have wanted Ms. Nozawa to imitates Billy West's voice, or have her own take?

[Reckoner]

I don't understand why people have such a big problem with King Kai. Everyone says he doesn't sound like a god... but does he LOOK like a god to you? He reminds me of some sort of fish with ears and a lack of fins. (don't know why but he does).

This is actually why I don't like the majority of the casting choices for the dub. The voices are fitted to how they LOOK, not how the characters are. King Kai is the worst of them of the main cast, but what really drives me up the wall is the voices of all the characters in the crowd. It's like fifteen stereotypes going off at once.

But, I digress.

As far as dub voices I LIKE, there's actually quite a few. First off, Sonny Strait's Kuririn - from the last chuck of the series through the redub of the Saiyan/Freeza arc - is actually pretty awesome. Ditto goes to Mr. Satan, and Sabat's Piccolo is not bad either (though it has nothing on Scott McNeil's).

But my favorite dub voice is probably Saffron Henderson's Gohan - if only because in the Ocean dub's of the first three movies, she absolutely nailed it.

[Thanos]

Dub actors aren't there to imitate the Japanese cast. Plenty of dubs have proven that they can be good and bring faithful but uniqie performances. If you want to hear Wakamoto, Horikawa, Nozawa, et cetera...watch the original Japanese version.

Agreed. The thing about acting is your job is to make the character your own, and not simply imitate someone else. Unfortunately with anime series, many want imitation, but that's not how it works. Now while I admit I've never seen the Japanese dub of Doug, if any of you did, would you have wanted Ms. Nozawa to imitates Billy West's voice, or have her own take?

I happen to disagree with all you "English actors shouldn't imitate the originals" people. Obviously, they shouldn't be hired merely for imitation, but for also having the talent. I think when you all are saying, "It's not their job to recreate the voices, but to make them their own", it makes me feel like that's what is wrong with the FUNimation Dragon Ball Z dub to begin with.

My interest is watching a faithful dub, not a new experience. That's not really any business of the dubbers. It's like when GT was first brought to America. It was completely chopped up and made something different... I mean, it really isn't their business to do something like that.

Take a dub like, Ranma 1/2 for instance. Most, if not all, of the voices were accurate representations of their Japanese counterparts. When I watch a dub, I want to feel like I'm watching the exact same thing, but in English, and with DBZ, I don't get that like I do with Ranma 1/2.

[B]

Dub actors aren't there to imitate the Japanese cast. Plenty of dubs have proven that they can be good and bring faithful but uniqie performances. If you want to hear Wakamoto, Horikawa, Nozawa, et cetera...watch the original Japanese version.

Agreed. The thing about acting is your job is to make the character your own, and not simply imitate someone else. Unfortunately with anime series, many want imitation, but that's not how it works. Now while I admit I've never seen the Japanese dub of Doug, if any of you did, would you have wanted Ms. Nozawa to imitates Billy West's voice, or have her own take?

I happen to disagree with all you "English actors shouldn't imitate the originals" people. Obviously, they shouldn't be hired merely for imitation, but for also having the talent. I think when you all are saying, "It's not their job to recreate the voices, but to make them their own", it makes me feel like that's what is wrong with the FUNimation Dragon Ball Z dub to begin with.

My interest is watching a faithful dub, not a new experience. That's not really any business of the dubbers. It's like when GT was first brought to America. It was completely chopped up and made something different... I mean, it really isn't their business to do something like that.

Take a dub like, Ranma 1/2 for instance. Most, if not all, of the voices were accurate representations of their Japanese counterparts. When I watch a dub, I want to feel like I'm watching the exact same thing, but in English, and with DBZ, I don't get that like I do with Ranma 1/2.

You are misunderstanding us. Of course they're supposed to "imitate" the seiyuu's take on a character, such as the personality, but they shouldn't(well, shouldn't be trying to) sound like them.

[NeptuneKai]

Tenkaichi Budokai Announcer
Kaioshin
Dabra
Kibito
Piccolo (new voice)
18
17
Perfect Cell
Super Boo
Kuririn
Mr.Satan

That's more or less all I can think of.

[JulieYBM]

Imitation does not mean faithful to the character. A handful of men have played James Bond over the years, but they each have their own spin. Again, I bring to the table Chris Sabat's Roronoa Zoro. Sabat sounds nothing like Kazuya Nakai but he still brings to the table the same crude, rude, honor-bound aloof tough guy that Zoro is.

[DBZfan29]

Imitation does not mean faithful to the character. A handful of men have played James Bond over the years, but they each have their own spin. Again, I bring to the table Chris Sabat's Roronoa Zoro. Sabat sounds nothing like Kazuya Nakai but he still brings to the table the same crude, rude, honor-bound aloof tough guy that Zoro is.

I'm simply asking if any one of the voice actors sound like the Japanese ones. Regardless if they mimic, imitate, ect., I want to know if people see any similarities in them.

[Super Sonic]

Imitation does not mean faithful to the character. A handful of men have played James Bond over the years, but they each have their own spin. Again, I bring to the table Chris Sabat's Roronoa Zoro. Sabat sounds nothing like Kazuya Nakai but he still brings to the table the same crude, rude, honor-bound aloof tough guy that Zoro is.

Another example is from your avatar. Michael Ironside's Darkseid sounds different from Frank Welker's Darkseid. Still the rather evil menacing character. And he did get away with things that Mr. Welker's couldn't.

Not trying to derail things DBZfan29. Just mentioning on imitating and whatnot. That and while I haven't seen the episodes in Japanese yet, I'm assuming Ninja Murasaki's voices are similar, as they both speak with Japanese accents, but will get back when see the ep.

[JulieYBM]

Imitation does not mean faithful to the character. A handful of men have played James Bond over the years, but they each have their own spin. Again, I bring to the table Chris Sabat's Roronoa Zoro. Sabat sounds nothing like Kazuya Nakai but he still brings to the table the same crude, rude, honor-bound aloof tough guy that Zoro is.

Another example is from your avatar. Michael Ironside's Darkseid sounds different from Frank Welker's Darkseid. Still the rather evil menacing character. And he did get away with things that Mr. Welker's couldn't.

Welker did Darkseid? Holy cow!!

But yeah, dubs don't need to 'vocally mimic' the Japanese version to be good, respectful adaptations.


Some more DC trivia: Takeshi Aono (Daimaô/Kami-sama) voices The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.

[Super Sonic]

Imitation does not mean faithful to the character. A handful of men have played James Bond over the years, but they each have their own spin. Again, I bring to the table Chris Sabat's Roronoa Zoro. Sabat sounds nothing like Kazuya Nakai but he still brings to the table the same crude, rude, honor-bound aloof tough guy that Zoro is.

Another example is from your avatar. Michael Ironside's Darkseid sounds different from Frank Welker's Darkseid. Still the rather evil menacing character. And he did get away with things that Mr. Welker's couldn't.

Welker did Darkseid? Holy cow!!

He was the main big bad on Super Powers Team. The last season of Super Friends. He also did Kalibak and Odo from DS9 was Desaad.

And on topic, you guys who've seen the Red Ribbon eps, how similar was Murasaki's Japanese voice to his dub, aside from the accent.

[Raki]

Imitation does not mean faithful to the character. A handful of men have played James Bond over the years, but they each have their own spin. Again, I bring to the table Chris Sabat's Roronoa Zoro. Sabat sounds nothing like Kazuya Nakai but he still brings to the table the same crude, rude, honor-bound aloof tough guy that Zoro is.

Another example is from your avatar. Michael Ironside's Darkseid sounds different from Frank Welker's Darkseid. Still the rather evil menacing character. And he did get away with things that Mr. Welker's couldn't.

Welker did Darkseid? Holy cow!!

But yeah, dubs don't need to 'vocally mimic' the Japanese version to be good, respectful adaptations.


Some more DC trivia: Takeshi Aono (Daimaô/Kami-sama) voices The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.

I might have to import the Japanese dub then.

[Puto]

Take a dub like, Ranma 1/2 for instance. Most, if not all, of the voices were accurate representations of their Japanese counterparts.

Uhm, sorry, I'm gonna have to disagree here. The voices are the ONE reason I can't bring myself to watch the english dub of Ranma.

[Herms]

That and while I haven't seen the episodes in Japanese yet, I'm assuming Ninja Murasaki's voices are similar, as they both speak with Japanese accents, but will get back when see the ep.

That...makes no sense.

[Jon Jon]

I also love FUNI's Vegeta voice. The mixture of the scripting and the voice makes me laugh at nearly everything he says, I love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il69KI0GOlk

^^ XD