Some neat tidbits

[linkdude20002001]

...I have war flashbacks to high school ten years ago trying to get my friends to understand that Kaio-ken was named after Kaio... and they just weren't buying it. After all, it's not exactly like Kamehameha has any etymological connection to the dub name of "Master Roshi," unlike Kamehameha to Kamesennin.

That's why I don't usually translate Kaio or Kame-Sen'nin. For one, Kaioh just doesn't sound good when you translate it, and if you do, you lose the connection to the attack. Unless you translate the attack too. But that doesn't work in Kamehame-Ha's case.

[Big Momma]

If they did change it I'm willing to bet it'd be to "King Kaio".

[Xyex]

So when they decide to translate "Kaio" a certain way, they should ALWAYS translate Kaio the SAME way.
So IMO, either Kaio teaches Son the "Kaioken", or King Kai teaches him the "King Kai Fist". Mixing and matching just seems shoddy to me.

I could see this complaint if the two instances of "Kaio" were used in the same fashion but... they're not. In the one, it's a stand alone word used as a title. In the other it's part of a compound word (er, sometimes, guess it really depends on who's writing it out XD) that's an attack name. Titles are fine for translation but names, including attack names, really should be left alone.

[bkev]

I always liked Lord over King, but I highly doubt they'd switch to that.

[Amigo Ten]

I'd prefer translated attack names, where appropriate (ie kamehameha remains as it is).

[DemonRin]

I could see this complaint if the two instances of "Kaio" were used in the same fashion but... they're not. In the one, it's a stand alone word used as a title. In the other it's part of a compound word (er, sometimes, guess it really depends on who's writing it out XD) that's an attack name. Titles are fine for translation but names, including attack names, really should be left alone.

Because the point of the attacks name is that it's "Kaio-Ken".

Ken is just "Fist". It's used to describe martial arts techniques usually, like the series "Hokuto No Ken". Most martial arts techniques in that series are "[Something]Ken" like "Hokuto Shinken" for example.

TONS of other attacks in Dragon Ball use it too

Rogafufu Ken - (Wolf Fang [Hurricane] Fist)
Taiyo Ken - (Dubbies know it as Solar Flare)
And even though it's a Movie attack
Ryu Ken - (Dragon Fist)

and really, if you sat and looked through a complete list of attacks, you'd probably find a big handful of them.
The correlation is:

Kaio is his name.
Ken means "Fist" and is often used to denote a technique

It's Kaio's signature Technique. That's the point. He named the attack after himself. But they don't even bother to PRONOUNCE the "Kai" part the same between the two... the correlation is entirely lost to the viewer.

Titles are fine for translation but names, including attack names, really should be left alone.

FUNimation was already VASTLY inconsistent about this.
Kamehameha, Kaioken, Masenko - Untranslated
Genki Dama, Taiyoken, Roga Fu Fu Ken - Adequately translated (Spirit Bomb, Solar Flare, Wolf Fang Fist)
Makankosappo, Kienzan, Kikoho - Threw out the translation and just made shit up (Special Beam Cannon, Destructo Disc, Tri-Beam)

And one thing I wonder if the dubbies even know, did you know that in the Japanese version, Just flat out flying is a named technique? When it first comes about in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, it was a big thing and was named. It's called "Bukujutsu" or "Flight Technique", and you Naruto fans might recognize the "Jutsu" part, it's the same thing. There are even times when characters remark when someone is or is not using Bukujutsu, at one point Piccolo mentions that his flight "isn't the same" as their Bukujutsu.

So where do you draw the line then? What dictates what does or does not get translated?

[jjgp1112]

They actually did call the Kaioken the King Kai Fist in the first two Budokai games.

[B]

And one thing I wonder if the dubbies even know, did you know that in the Japanese version, Just flat out flying is a named technique? When it first comes about in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, it was a big thing and was named. It's called "Bukujutsu" or "Flight Technique", and you Naruto fans might recognize the "Jutsu" part, it's the same thing. There are even times when characters remark when someone is or is not using Bukujutsu, at one point Piccolo mentions that his flight "isn't the same" as their Bukujutsu.

I'm 99% sure Ten called Bukujutsu "Sky Dancing" in the Dragon Ball dub. And then it was never referred to again, other than "Let's fly!"

[Herms]

I understand (but don't agree with) you guys wanting "Tenshinhan" and even "Freeza", but "Kaio"? Isn't King Kai a suitable translation? "O" is the honourific for kings and queens so I don't understand the problem...

It's like translating Piccolo Daimao as "King Piccolo Daima", or majin as "Ma-Man", or Tenkaichi Budoukai as "Tenka-#1 Martial Arts Kai". It’s arbitrarily translating half the name, so that the actual meaning of the name isn’t conveyed at all. Any Japanese viewer when watching the original could hear this guy referred to as “Kaio” and figure out that he’s supposed to be king of the worlds. Whereas no English speaker could watch the Funi dub, hear this guy referred to as “King Kai”, and have any clue what he’s supposed to be. I know, because I’ve been in that boat. So in that sense “King Kai” isn’t a translation of Kaio in any real way, and they should either give it an actual translation like “World King” or “Lord of Worlds” or what have you, or leave it fully in Japanese like they did with “Kaio-ken”.

[Piccolo Daimao]

If they did change it I'm willing to bet it'd be to "King Kaio".

Heh..."King World King".

Actually, that sounds like it would fit Kaioshin more than Kaio...

FUNimation should just go with "Kaio", or at least if they want it English-sounding, go with "Lord Of Worlds" like Viz did. For DBZ Kai, though, I think that they're going to stick "King Kai".

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

And one thing I wonder if the dubbies even know, did you know that in the Japanese version, Just flat out flying is a named technique? When it first comes about in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, it was a big thing and was named. It's called "Bukujutsu" or "Flight Technique", and you Naruto fans might recognize the "Jutsu" part, it's the same thing. There are even times when characters remark when someone is or is not using Bukujutsu, at one point Piccolo mentions that his flight "isn't the same" as their Bukujutsu.

Um no. "Bukujutsu" translates to "Sky Dance Art" or "Sky Dance Technique". I'm not sure if it was ever called this in the dub, but B seems to be pretty certain it was.

[Gaffer Tape]

Hmm. I didn't see a lot of the DB dub, and I don't think I saw any of it when Tenshinhan and Chaozu were first introduced. But I do remember seeing the episode where the four guys were saving the village from an exploding volcano. Kuririn nearly falls down a fissure, and Chaozu saves him through flying, leading Tenshinhan to say something to the effect of, "You and Yamucha really should learn the Flying Technique." So I remember them referring to it as the "Flying Technique" in that one instance.

[B]

Spot checked episode 101 of the DB dub, after Tenshinhan destroys the stadium with the Kikouhou.

Ten: "Like I said before, I didn't wanna kill you; just knock you out of bounds. As you plainly see, I was quite successful. There's no way you'll win! Nothing to do now but fall! And since there's no longer a stage to land on, whoever touches down first will lose. It's as simple and perfect as that! Lucky for me, I just happen to know Sky Dancing. I could stay up here for hours!"

So there's that one instance.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Spot checked episode 101 of the DB dub, after Tenshinhan destroys the stadium with the Kikouhou.

Ten: "Like I said before, I didn't wanna kill you; just knock you out of bounds. As you plainly see, I was quite successful. There's no way you'll win! Nothing to do now but fall! And since there's no longer a stage to land on, whoever touches down first will lose. It's as simple and perfect as that! Lucky for me, I just happen to know Sky Dancing. I could stay up here for hours!"

So there's that one instance.

I think that's the only time it's called that, every other time the characters just say "flying".