"DragonBall Z Kai" TV Broadcast Talkback

[MR.Mark]

I agree, incredibly similar voices but much better delivery of their lines.

Indeed, that can make all the difference in the world. I used to downright despise Sabat in his past Dragon Ball related roles, but In Kai It's night and day. Inconsistent character voice Vegeta or not, I cannot deny that Chris Sabat has become a seasoned VA in his own right. Same can be said for Sean, I mean listen to his Nail now compared to when he first started in "season 3", he has improved tremendously.

But of course, a part of me will always wonder just how much better the Kai dub could of been if it had been recast from the ground up. As most every recast has been phenomenal, Like Bulma, but especially Freeza and Gohan.

[batistabus]

For lines taken out of context, this episode had the most sexual innuendos.

"Here we go Gohan, just try to swallow"
"So you've had it pretty rough here, huh?"
"You dont need to explain, I'll feel it out"
"You did just leave yourself wide open there"
"By the time he sees me coming he'll already be a grass stain"
"No one brushes off my Crusher Ball like that! And nobody puts the moves on Burter!"

...ignore all that. I blame puberty.

Anyway I've grown to like Jeice and Burter more. I like Recoome less. You can never judge voices by the next episode preview so I'm still unsure about Ginyu. And I wouldn't be surprised if Reccome's Ultra Fighting Miracle Attack was a censorship.

Also...this is why alien warriors shouldn't wear Speedos.


And I'll stop now.

[penguintruth]

I really haven't heard a big improvement in Sabat's and Schemmel's performances as Gokū and Vegeta from the more later video games, like Tenkaichi 3 and Raging Blast. Maybe it's the accurate script? Or maybe it's the fact that few people play DBZ games here with the FUNimation cast? To each his own, I guess.

Shit, to me, the only voice I've actually seen an improvement in is Piccolo and possibly Vegeta. Other characters, like Goku, sound just as good to me as they sounded in the UUC episodes/movies and video games. The redubbed characters are hit-or-miss, because they're either really good (Zarbon, Jeice, Ginyu, Dende), inconsistent (Fr­ieza), or EPIC FAIL (Gohan and Bulma).

Stop trying to create the impression of "Schemmel's Goku has been this good for a long time but none of you were paying attention". It feels like an attempt to try to convince us we were too harsh on the DBZ dub. I've noticed some of the people here trying to do this, and I don't buy it.

I've been switching over to the dub on my Dragon Boxes now and then, and in the Saiyan arc, Schemmel's Goku still sounds unnatural and forced. Even in clips of the latest video games with his voice, still garbage. In Kai he sounds much better. It's absolutely the wrong voice for Goku, but at least he isn't forcing himself into a character voice.

I hate to have to defend a voice actor I dislike intensely, but Schemmel's definitely improved.

Also, Gohan and Bulma's new voices are clearly the best voices in Kai.

[batistabus]

I really haven't heard a big improvement in Sabat's and Schemmel's performances as Gokū and Vegeta from the more later video games, like Tenkaichi 3 and Raging Blast. Maybe it's the accurate script? Or maybe it's the fact that few people play DBZ games here with the FUNimation cast? To each his own, I guess.

Shit, to me, the only voice I've actually seen an improvement in is Piccolo and possibly Vegeta. Other characters, like Goku, sound just as good to me as they sounded in the UUC episodes/movies and video games. The redubbed characters are hit-or-miss, because they're either really good (Zarbon, Jeice, Ginyu, Dende), inconsistent (Fr­ieza), or EPIC FAIL (Gohan and Bulma).

I've noticed improvements (of varying degrees) in just about everyone reprising a role. Goku is definitely MUCH better than he was in the UUC era of dubbing.

Everyone already knows your stance on Freeza well. I don't know what to tell you about voice acting if you think Gohan and Bulma are epic fails.

[MR.Mark]

In Kai he sounds much better. It's absolutely the wrong voice for Goku, but at least he isn't forcing himself into a character voice.

I just don't get some of this, just how should Goku sound? Other than the writing and direction, which isn't Sean's fault, what's really wrong with his actual voice itself? Funny you should bring up character voices, because that's what I think of when I hear MasakoX do Goku, a person putting on a voice.

I agree Son should never be a baritone, but the other extreme of sounding like he's a prepubescent boy in English just because he was voiced by a women in the original? A happy medium can be made and Son Goku as a grown man can still sound like a grown man. If the hick/slang writing was more consistent in the Kai dub, I'm sure Sean could nail Goku much more closely than Sabat's raspy take on Vegeta.

[penguintruth]

By your reasoning, any male voice actor could be Son Goku with an accurate script. Sean just has this very masculine roughness to his voice that ill suits Son Goku. They would have been better off finding a voice actor who has a lighter-sounding voice actor with some understanding the character. It needn't necessarily be a female, but it can't be somebody who sounds like Sean Schemmel.

I'm not even saying not to do a character voice. I'm saying that when Sean Schemmel tries to, it fails, because he's not talented enough to pull off a character voice, and certainly not one that fits Son Goku. It might not even be a lack of talent, it could just be that his voice isn't naturally suited for the role.

[MR.Mark]

By your reasoning, any male voice actor could be Son Goku with an accurate script.

"Come magic cloud" guy comes to mind, I don't think he could be Goku with an accurate script. I clearly said in my last post that Goku should never be a baritone vocal type, but newsflash, neither is Sean.

Ian Corlet, Petter Kelemis and Sean Schemmel all have a similar vocal type, so by your reasoning, all three were completely wrong for Goku. Seems to me like ever since Sean called you out for criticizing him, you've been extremely biased in your opinions of his work.

[batistabus]

By your reasoning, any male voice actor could be Son Goku with an accurate script.

"come magic cloud" guy comes to mind, I don't think he could be Goku with an accurate script.

Ian Corlet, Petter Kelemis and Sean Schemmel all have a similar vocal type, so by your reasoning, all three were completely wrong for Goku. Seems to me like ever since Sean called you out for criticizing him, you've been extremely biased on your opinions of his work. Comes off as childish and just plain annoying every time you bring him up.

I don't think that's fair to say. I'd say he's become less critical of his work.

However, I do agree that Sean adds the childish playfulness while still sounding like a man. It doesn't come off forced like it did when he first attempted doing this.

[jjgp1112]

By your reasoning, any male voice actor could be Son Goku with an accurate script.

"Come magic cloud" guy comes to mind, I don't think he could be Goku with an accurate script. I clearly said in my last post that Goku should never be a baritone vocal type, but newsflash, neither is Sean.

Ian Corlet, Petter Kelemis and Sean Schemmel all have a similar vocal type, so by your reasoning, all three were completely wrong for Goku. Seems to me like ever since Sean called you out for criticizing him, you've been extremely biased in your opinions of his work.

I'd agree that the three all have extremely similar voices, especially Corlett and Schemmel. I think Kelamis' real problem was just his really cheesy delivery. His voice was just fine.

[MR.Mark]

I think some of Kelamis's deliveries were just plain awesome and very Goku like, mainly the attack stuff. Problem is when he'd talk his vocal inflection was just plain annoying to listen to. I'd rather listen to Sean's "KameHameHa-dump" then hear Peter's Goku have a conversation with someone.

[jjgp1112]

I think some of Kelamis's deliveries were just plain awesome and very Goku like, mainly the attack stuff. Problem is when he'd talk his vocal inflection was just plain annoying to listen to. I'd rather listen to Sean's "KameHameHa-dump" then hear Peter's Goku have a conversation with someone.

Yeah, I like his screams and such, but when he's talking, he talks in this really forced sounding voice that's really annoying. He keeps talking as if he's gonna take action or something.

[batistabus]

I think some of Kelamis's deliveries were just plain awesome and very Goku like, mainly the attack stuff. Problem is when he'd talk his vocal inflection was just plain annoying to listen to. I'd rather listen to Sean's "KameHameHa-dump" then hear Peter's Goku have a conversation with someone.

Yeah, I like his screams and such, but when he's talking, he talks in this really forced sounding voice that's really annoying. He keeps talking as if he's gonna take action or something.

Personally, he reminds me of young Chris Kringle from those old Santa Clause claymation-esque Christmas movies.

[MR.Mark]

Personally, he reminds me of young Chris Kringle from those old Santa Clause claymation-esque Christmas movies.

Mickey Rooney as Son Goku, that's so crazy it just might work!

[penguintruth]

Ian Corlet, Petter Kelemis and Sean Schemmel all have a similar vocal type, so by your reasoning, all three were completely wrong for Goku. Seems to me like ever since Sean called you out for criticizing him, you've been extremely biased in your opinions of his work.

Kelamis has a much more naturally lighter-sounding voice than Schemmel's, first of all, and second, while I've said I prefer Kelamis to Schemmel, I don't think he was an amazing Goku, either, except at times in the movies. He was clearly the best of the three thus far, though.

Also, I've always been gunning for Schemmel, and that's why he "called me out", not the opposite. If anything, I've been more positive about him in Kai.

Schemmel's current Goku voice is a fine voice in itself. Just not for the character he's playing. Maybe it would fit any number of characters out there in anime, but it's not Son Goku.

[Kunzait_83]

b

[MR.Mark]

Seems to me that your putting acting on the back burner, with emphasis on whether Goku has a "light" voice at the expense of actual acting. Again, what's wrong with Goku sounding rough at times? Nozawa can and does too, especially now a days. You make it come off like Sean talks all macho at all times as Goku. That clearly is not the case, it's only when he is angered or fighting, which makes sense to me.

Sure Peter had a lighter voice somewhat, and he imitated Nozawa well afew times, but a caricature of the Japanese voice is not enough to make a good English Son Goku. Especially with his annoying as hell vocal inflection.

Stop trying to create the impression of "Schemmel's Goku has been this good for a long time but none of you were paying attention". It feels like an attempt to try to convince us we were too harsh on the DBZ dub. I've noticed some of the people here trying to do this, and I don't buy it.

I forgot to bring this up, I'm definitely in agreement with you here though.

[penguintruth]

Seems to me that your putting acting on the back burner, with emphasis on whether Goku has a "light" voice at the expense of actual acting. Again, what's wrong with Goku sounding rough at times? Nozawa can and does too, especially now a days. You make it come off like Sean talks all macho at all times as Goku. That clearly is not the case, it's only when he is angered or fighting, which makes sense to me.

Sure Peter had a lighter voice somewhat, and he imitated Nozawa well afew times, but a caricature of the Japanese voice is not enough to make a good English Son Goku. Especially with his annoying as hell vocal inflection.

I'm not putting acting on the back burner. I don't think Schemmel is any better at acting than Kelamis is, or even that Kelamis is a better actor than Schemmel. But Kelamis was a better Goku because he sounded more like him. Clearly acting cannot be the only standard by which to choose a good VA to play Goku, otherwise they could just cast any number of great VAs to do Goku. I don't think Chuck Huber or Aaron Dismuke would be any better at Goku. It doesn't matter how good at acting you are if you don't sound like the character. Schemmel's Goku just doesn't sound "Goku" to me. He sounds a little too serious, even when he's trying to act light-hearted. As for his acting, I just don't buy that this character is a big kid the way Schemmel attempts to sell it. Maybe he's a perfectly good actor, but he's just not right for that role, because he's not selling his characteristics.

And before I'm accused of hypocracy for wanting sort of a "character voice" for Goku but shunning that for other characters, it's because of the type of character Goku is when compared to the others. Goku is about personality overcoming physicality. If he sounded the way he looked, he would sound somewhat like Sean Schemmel, maybe, but that isn't how Goku should sound, because he's Goku, not some ordinary character. His very nature is out of bounds, is off-putting, is strange, and even unsettling. He's even a little annoying. But that's what makes him a great character. Because he's so out of tune with everyone else, he comes off as charmingly off-beat.

If Goku really was the way Schemmel voices him, I'm not sure I would be interested in the character.

[MR.Mark]

I'm just as guilty as most die-hards for criticizing Sabat for using a character voice for Vegeta, but like you, I also feel that character voices can infact work if the talent is there and if it fits the character. Because let's face it, Nozawa's voice for adult Goku is a character voice, there is not much about it that's natural in anyway, but her talent makes it work.

I just don't get what is completely wrong about Sean's voice for Goku. It gets tough when he fights or gets mad, Nozawa's gets tough when Goku fights or gets mad. Sean is too serious? You kiddin me? If anything, he's not serious enough and at times over acts and talks too loudly and childish. Nozawa gets deadly quiet in tone at times when Goku is seriously thinking of strategy or assessing the situation. For example, I hope Sean can pull this off in Kai when Goku is in the healing tank thinking to himself, because in the Z dub, it was pathetic.

I think some fans are just so used to hearing Nozawa's Goku. Do you honestly think a grown man trying to imitate a elderly woman who is herself putting on a voice to sound like a grown man, is a good idea for a English voice for adult Son Goku?

[penguintruth]

Do you honestly think a grown man trying to imitate a elderly woman who is herself putting on a voice to sound like a grown man, is a good idea for a English voice for adult Son Goku?

Maybe, maybe not. All I know is, Schemmel's not a good idea. For all we know, an amazing MALE voice actor out there is perfect for Goku. But it's not Sean Schemmel. He just doesn't have a lot of personality in his Goku. Most of what makes his Goku bearable now is the script itself.

[Mountain]

I'll always stand by my statement that Schemmel isn't Goku, but it's hardly a problem compared to some of the other voices in the dub. I do think, however, that Schemmel is a lot better with getting the point of the character across in Kai. Then again, the script still isn't quite "Goku-accurate", yet. He still doesn't even have his full name in the dub, unfortunately.