Dragonball Kai (FUNimation English) Dub: General Discussion

[Kaboom]

Yeah, they'll probably just leave the attack names untranslated. I mean, can you imagine Goku or Krillin shouting out "Sun Fist" or Piccolo shouting out "Demonic Spiralling Light Ray of Death".

I could definitely imagine the Makankosappo with a more succinct translated name like, "Demon Drill Cannon" (note the same number of syllables) or something. But then we'd run into the problems from #3, where the audience would have a hard time adjusting to the new name.

I say the best option is what they seem to be doing. Use the Japanese names for some of the attacks which previously had inaccurate or just-plain-stupid names (like "Special Beam Cannon" and "Destructo Disc" and "Tri-Beam"), but keep the names that sound fine or are already decently-translated (such as "Spirit Bomb" and "Wolf Fang Fist"), and of course leave alone the ones that have been in Japanese all along (like "Kaio-Ken" and "Masenko" and of course, "Kamehameha").

[Commander_Red]

Hey baby. Sit back and watch my Screw Beam of the Devil. Maybe later I'll do some King Kai Fist.

I don't see the big deal of leaving it in Japanese. People learning karate count in Japanese. It'd be like that.

Do you think they'll say 'ki'? That sorta changes the whole feel of the show. Super hero sounding POWER LEVEL. To the natural spiritual Ki.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I could definitely imagine the Makankosappo with a more succinct translated name like, "Demon Drill Cannon" (note the same number of syllables) or something. But then we'd run into the problems from #3, where the audience would have a hard time adjusting to the new name.

The Makankosappo is used like 6 times in the whole series, dub fans aren't going to have too much trouble adjusting to the name.

I say the best option is what they seem to be doing. Use the Japanese names for some of the attacks which previously had inaccurate or just-plain-stupid names (like "Special Beam Cannon" and "Destructo Disc" and "Tri-Beam"), but leave alone the ones that sound fine or are already decently-translated (such as "Spirit Bomb" and "Wolf Fang Fist").

This is the most realistic thing we can hope for from FUNimation and frankly, I wouldn't mind it.

[Kaboom]

Do you think they'll say 'ki'? That sorta changes the whole feel of the show. Super hero sounding POWER LEVEL. To the natural spiritual Ki.

I certainly hope so. It's better than everyone just calling it "energy," when there's actually supposed to be a distinction in what it gets labeled and by whom.

[ohaimynameiserik]

Yeah, I can imagine that. I just don't see what's so special about attack names that people don't want them translated. Piccolo is yelling "Demon Light Piercing Death Gun!" (or some approximation). It's not gobbledygook, it's Japanese. The characters speak Japanese and give their attacks Japanese names. What's so bad about an English dub using English names, or a French dub using French names, etc? As far as I can see it only keeps it more in line with the original dub.

I suppose you'd have to change the techniques that have English names already to another language though, but I'd be fine with that too.

Well you keep striving for that if that's really what you want.

Find a way to fit "Demon Light Piercing Death Gun" into 5 syllables and have at it.
I think it'd sound forced and stupid.

Just say makankosappo. Fans of the show know it's not gibberish.

Hell, while we're at it, like Kaiser said, why don't we just call the kamehame-ha the turtle destructive wave?

No thanks.

Anyway, on the ki issue, in the leaked Makankosappo video, Raditz definitely says "power level".

Let's hope that "power level" is limited to the saiyans/freeza/anyone who uses scouters, and that our main characters refer to it as "ki".

I honestly doubt it, but hey, they said "ki" in Raging Blast, so who knows?

[Treklin]

today at 8.30 pm we will know more about the dub cause at sakuracon funi presenting the first 4 episodes ...

woul be the timeline so?:

8.30 - 9.00 episode 1
9.00 - 9.30 episode 2
9.30 - 10.00 epsiode 3
10.00 - 10.30 epsiode 4 ???

can anybody make a video or so ???

[Amigo Ten]

Find a way to fit "Demon Light Piercing Death Gun" into 5 syllables and have at it.
I think it'd sound forced and stupid.

Just say makankosappo. Fans of the show know it's not gibberish.

Fitting it to the mouth movements is a legitimate problem I'll grant, but I'd still rather have some kind of translation. I don't understand why it would be more silly or forced in English than it is in Japanese though. Like you said, you know that's what he's saying anyway. Why is it more credible just because it's in another language?

And again, Kamehameha is different. As far as I know it's not meant to have a translation. The sound of "Kame" is there, but it's not written the same as it is in Kame Sennin. Kamehameha is just a string of sounds.

[JulieYBM]

Why does translating it make it better? Makankôsappô is the universal word all fans can use an know exactly what the other speaks of.

[jjgp1112]

I kinda like it when stuff like attack and technique names are left in Japanese. It kinda gives the dub a sense of...authenticity, for lack of a better term.

Also, apparently ki is still translated to energy or power. It's no big deal, since that is an acceptable translation. It's no different from "Reiki" being changed to "Spirit Energy" in the Yu Yu Hakusho dub.

[Amigo Ten]

Why does translating it make it better? Makankôsappô is the universal word all fans can use an know exactly what the other speaks of.

I just don't see any reason not to do it. The Japanese audience is hearing those attack names in their native language, I'd like to as well. What fans use for ease of general discussion shouldn't really be a concern during the dubbing process, and it's not my concern either. People can call it what they want in discussion, but for the actual dub I'd like stuff translated appropriately.

I'm not particularly angry about it, it's just what I'd prefer.

[ohaimynameiserik]

I kinda like it when stuff like attack and technique names are left in Japanese. It kinda gives the dub a sense of...authenticity, for lack of a better term.

Also, apparently ki is still translated to energy or power. It's no big deal, since that is an acceptable translation. It's no different from "Reiki" being changed to "Spirit Energy" in the Yu Yu Hakusho dub.

Eh, well that stinks.

It isn't that big of a deal though, but I can't help but feel like it's a step backward since they were just saying it in Raging Blast.

But then again, in Raging Blast, we got Special Beam Cannon, Destructo Disc, and every other time kaioken was pronounced incorrectly... Lest we forget Nadolny. I could keep going, lol

[Amigo Ten]

I kinda like it when stuff like attack and technique names are left in Japanese. It kinda gives the dub a sense of...authenticity, for lack of a better term.

Also, apparently ki is still translated to energy or power. It's no big deal, since that is an acceptable translation. It's no different from "Reiki" being changed to "Spirit Energy" in the Yu Yu Hakusho dub.

Ki they could probably just leave. People, or at least the people who are watching DBZ in the first place, probably have some idea what ki is. It's pretty much entered the English language as a word, like "entrepreneur" or something.

[Velasa]

Why is it more credible just because it's in another language?

Because it's a proper noun? It's like calling Kintoun... Kintoun, instead of MAGIC CLOUD!

[Gozar]

I wana know why "Over 8000" vs. "Over 9000" is such a big deal?...

My problem is that 9000 causes a contradiction. With Vegeta's Battle Power on earth being 18,000. Goku at "Over 9000" with a Kaio-Ken x2 would make him even or superior to Vegeta. Which was clearly not the case.

First off, that's rather unneeded since Battle Powers stop being important REALLY goddamn quick.

That doesn't change the fact that it causes an inconsistency. It's incorrect and causes an unneeded contradiction. That's what's unneeded. Contradictions. Toriyama creates enough of them himself, lol.

[Treklin]

Why is it more credible just because it's in another language?

Because it's a proper noun? It's like calling Kintoun... Kintoun, instead of MAGIC CLOUD!

in german they say instead of kinto-un supersonic/ultrasonic cloud !

[Amigo Ten]

I'm all for magic cloud. People and place names, leave as is or appropriate accordingly (Gokuu/Goku, Furiiza/Freeza, Namekku sei/Planet Namek, etc). Everything else is up for grabs. That's my ideal.

[ohaimynameiserik]

I'm all for magic cloud. People and place names, leave as is or appropriate accordingly (Gokuu/Goku, Furiiza/Freeza, Namekku sei/Planet Namek, etc). Everything else is up for grabs. That's my ideal.

... Why?

[Amigo Ten]

...I dunno. It's just how I would like it.

[Timo]

Why is it more credible just because it's in another language?

Because it's a proper noun? It's like calling Kintoun... Kintoun, instead of MAGIC CLOUD!

in german they say instead of kinto-un supersonic/ultrasonic cloud !

Wrong. In the first 53 (or 52) German dubbed episodes of the original Dragon Ball they used indeed the term "Super Sonic Cloud" (Überschallwolke). Which isn't really far away from a proper translation.
However, after episode 53 they used the term "Jindujun" which is from the German Manga translation by Carlsen Comics. The German DBZ dub (which was made by a different studio in a different "dubbing area") has taken over the (later) term.

[DemonRin]

And again, Kamehameha is different. As far as I know it's not meant to have a translation. The sound of "Kame" is there, but it's not written the same as it is in Kame Sennin. Kamehameha is just a string of sounds.

Double standards are fun!

It's not just a "String of Sounds".

In Japanese it's written "かめはめ波". Notice there are Four Hiragana and one Kanji. No Katakana.
Kame means "Turtle"
Ha (Kanji) means "Wave".

It's the Turtle School's Signature "Wave" attack.

I don't see where there is argument for this attack being a meaningless "String of sounds". You just know "Kamehameha" and that's what you're used to, so anything else would sound silly to you.