Dragonball Kai (FUNimation English) Dub: General Discussion

[Ashy-kun]

He's sees only the past with his left...and only the present with his right...


Yeah, just finished Cowboy Bebop. Not the greatest anime ever, but the casting for the original was great.

You do realise you've just opened a whole can of worms, for some people?

[Cipher]

The difference there being that legitimate stand-alone bands do the music for that series. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't dub them without having to a pay a LOT. That's (one of the reasons) why the Fullmetal Alchemist songs have NEVER been dubbed.

This has nothing to do with Kai, but I'm too curious to not ask.

Wouldn't this have applied to the GT songs as well, which Funimation recently dubbed? I was under the impression that most of them were stand-alone pop songs as well, which used the series as a marketing vehicle. What made dubbing them so feasible? Is it just because they're over a decade old and were cheap? Were they actually commissioned by Toei?

[Mewzard]

The difference there being that legitimate stand-alone bands do the music for that series. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't dub them without having to a pay a LOT. That's (one of the reasons) why the Fullmetal Alchemist songs have NEVER been dubbed.

This has nothing to do with Kai, but I'm too curious to not ask.

Wouldn't this have applied to the GT songs as well, which Funimation recently dubbed? I was under the impression that most of them were stand-alone pop songs as well, which used the series as a marketing vehicle. What made dubbing them so feasible? Is it just because they're over a decade old and were cheap? Were they actually commissioned by Toei?

That's a great question. Aren't the Kai insert songs all based on the characters? They should be Toei's, by that extension.

[Kendamu]

He's sees only the past with his left...and only the present with his right...


Yeah, just finished Cowboy Bebop. Not the greatest anime ever, but the casting for the original was great.

You do realise you've just opened a whole can of worms, for some people?

If this forum weren't Dragonball exclusive, we'd pick through that entire can of worms... in a friendly manner. I can't give someone grief for honestly not finding it "the best ever" and being nice about it.

[JulieYBM]

With FUNimation's Part Three coming out in December, I have to wonder when they're going to plan on releasing Part Four. March? April? Hmm...

If this forum weren't Dragonball exclusive, we'd pick through that entire can of worms... in a friendly manner. I can't give someone grief for honestly not finding it "the best ever" and being nice about it.

If anything it proved to me there is no such thing as a 'greatest anime ever'. Honestly, all the praise I've heard about it over the years is really overblown.

[Kendamu]

With FUNimation's Part Three coming out in December, I have to wonder when they're going to plan on releasing Part Four. March? April? Hmm...

If this forum weren't Dragonball exclusive, we'd pick through that entire can of worms... in a friendly manner. I can't give someone grief for honestly not finding it "the best ever" and being nice about it.

If anything it proved to me there is no such thing as a 'greatest anime ever'. Honestly, all the praise I've heard about it over the years is really overblown.

I'm convinced you'd have thought more of it if you saw it when it first hit [AS] (where the "greatest anime" on TV before that was Gundam Wing or the DBZ dub or something) and knowing nothing of it as opposed to hearing the praise for years and years and then seeing it.

[JulieYBM]

I'm convinced you'd have thought more of it if you saw it when it first hit [AS] (where the "greatest anime" on TV before that was Gundam Wing or the DBZ dub or something) and knowing nothing of it as opposed to hearing the praise for years and years and then seeing it.

That kind of says something bad about the series then, I think. I watched it years after the sweeping rush of hype (and in Japanese) hoping I'd see the series with less rose-tinted glasses. Everything that people said made it so great (and "like it wasn't a Japanese show at all!!") was either typical anime clichés or non-existant. Speaking of which, I've heard claims that is was the westernization of the Dragon Ball Z dub and Cowboy Bebop's 'American feel' that made them both such huge hits in the US. It's certainly a claim worth looking over...but I'm inclined to think that's only religatable to the dubs. I certainly didn't think I was watching an American show when I watched Cowboy Bebop.

See how I tied that back into Dragon Ball? LOL.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

I'm convinced you'd have thought more of it if you saw it when it first hit [AS] (where the "greatest anime" on TV before that was Gundam Wing or the DBZ dub or something) and knowing nothing of it as opposed to hearing the praise for years and years and then seeing it.

That kind of says something bad about the series then, I think. I watched it years after the sweeping rush of hype (and in Japanese) hoping I'd see the series with less rose-tinted glasses. Everything that people said made it so great (and "like it wasn't a Japanese show at all!!") was either typical anime clichés or non-existant. Speaking of which, I've heard claims that is was the westernization of the Dragon Ball Z dub and Cowboy Bebop's 'American feel' that made them both such huge hits in the US. It's certainly a claim worth looking over...but I'm inclined to think that's only religatable to the dubs. I certainly didn't think I was watching an American show when I watched Cowboy Bebop.

See how I tied that back into Dragon Ball? LOL.

Cowboy Bebop translated well and the voices were fitting, just sad that it was a mere 28 episodes.. why is that anything good has to be so short><

[penguintruth]

26 episodes. And it was a perfect length. Rewatched it recently and it's still my favorite an---

Wait a minute. This... this is DaizenshuEX, right? The Dragon Ball website?

Er... Steven Blum played Goku in GT Final Bout! Connection! Relevant post!

[Super Sonic]

26 episodes. And it was a perfect length. Rewatched it recently and it's still my favorite an---

Wait a minute. This... this is DaizenshuEX, right? The Dragon Ball website?

Er... Steven Blum played Goku in GT Final Bout! Connection! Relevant post!

Are you sure that was him? He's a good actor, and the Final Bout cast made Funimation's during season 3 at their worst sound like classical Shakespearean actors. (Or guys just went, "Who cares about acting in a fighting game".)

[Kendamu]

I'm convinced you'd have thought more of it if you saw it when it first hit [AS] (where the "greatest anime" on TV before that was Gundam Wing or the DBZ dub or something) and knowing nothing of it as opposed to hearing the praise for years and years and then seeing it.

That kind of says something bad about the series then, I think. I watched it years after the sweeping rush of hype (and in Japanese) hoping I'd see the series with less rose-tinted glasses. Everything that people said made it so great (and "like it wasn't a Japanese show at all!!") was either typical anime clichés or non-existant. Speaking of which, I've heard claims that is was the westernization of the Dragon Ball Z dub and Cowboy Bebop's 'American feel' that made them both such huge hits in the US. It's certainly a claim worth looking over...but I'm inclined to think that's only religatable to the dubs. I certainly didn't think I was watching an American show when I watched Cowboy Bebop.

See how I tied that back into Dragon Ball? LOL.

I don't think it says anything bad about the series itself. It's a really great show, but it's still just a damn TV show. With all the praise it got, I think you walked into it expecting something else entirely. All I knew of it before I saw it was that it had a weird name, a couple of guys with some guns, and some space ships. I loved it upon first sight when I watched the first episode and the fifth episode cemented it in my mind as a keeper that I would never forget. You walked into it with tons of praise and got less than "best thing ever." It's like me walking into Samurai Champloo expecting another Bebop and getting something of a completely different tone once things were said and done.

Relating it back to Dragonball...

It's also like me walking into DBZ for the very first time. I happened upon the edited dub episode (Ocean cast) where Goku beats up Reacoome and dodges Jees and Baata's attacks so quickly that it looked like he was standing still. It was the coolest thing ever! Then I watched a couple more episodes before finally looking it up online. After a lot of online research, I learned of how much better the Japanese version was and what I was missing out on (thanks for not telling me where to get fansubs, oldtimers... ) and suddenly I wasn't seeing DBZ as the best show ever anymore. I was seeing it as a shell of what it was.

Had I kept being ignorant of the whole thing like most casual fans I know today, I'd have enjoyed myself a lot more. But the "look what you're missing!!!" angle everyone talked to me from (without giving me an opportunity to see what I was missing ) had the effect Bebop's "BEST SHOW EVAR!!!!1" praising had on you. Once you sat down and looked at it from that angle, it wasn't as amazing as the rest of us think it is.

Had I just watched DBZ without knowing what I was getting into (either version) I would've loved it to death the way I eventually loved the manga to death after the dub was ruined for me. Had you gotten to experience Bebop the way I did or the way I showed it to other people, I think you would've liked it better. This is how I normally did it:

Me: Ever seen Cowboy Bebop?
Them: Nope. What is it?
Me: It's an anime I like. I think you should give it a shot.
Them: What's it about?
Me: Don't worry about it. We'll just watch one episode and see what you think. You in?
Them: Sure. Sounds good.

I made a lot more Bebop fans out of friends that way than when I'd say, "ZOMG BEST SHOW EVAR!!!!11" to them. Same goes for DBZ fans. If I just showed them the manga, showed them one of the first three movies in English (Ocean Group cast), or showed them a portion of the series subbed they really liked it without me having to build it up. However, whenever I would build it up, they would come off with complaints about how it's "too slow" and whatnot.

Getting back to the point even more...

That's why I'm glad we're getting the Kai dub. It fixes a lot of the problems I have showing DBZ to people and I'm comfortable watching it in either language. It makes for a good time all around and I don't have to explain parts of the series that influenced parts of the movies (like what the Kaiouken is or who Kamesen'nin is). Give me 60 minutes and you have a dead Goku and a new fan.

I just have to make sure I don't build it up the way I see it as a hardcore fan before they even walk in or they're going to be disappointed because, most of the time, they're not going to be as into it as I am even if they still like it and watch regularly.

26 episodes. And it was a perfect length. Rewatched it recently and it's still my favorite an---

Wait a minute. This... this is DaizenshuEX, right? The Dragon Ball website?

Er... Steven Blum played Goku in GT Final Bout! Connection! Relevant post!

Are you sure that was him? He's a good actor, and the Final Bout cast made Funimation's during season 3 at their worst sound like classical Shakespearean actors. (Or guys just went, "Who cares about acting in a fighting game".)

It was him, alright. He was put into a role he's not so suited for in Final Bout. Steve Blum is a great actor, but he isn't fit for playing Goku. Him as Spike or Roger Smith are more what his voice and style fit the best.

[KaiserNeko]

26 episodes. And it was a perfect length. Rewatched it recently and it's still my favorite an---

Wait a minute. This... this is DaizenshuEX, right? The Dragon Ball website?

Er... Steven Blum played Goku in GT Final Bout! Connection! Relevant post!

Are you sure that was him? He's a good actor, and the Final Bout cast made Funimation's during season 3 at their worst sound like classical Shakespearean actors. (Or guys just went, "Who cares about acting in a fighting game".)

Yeah, it's him alright. It was by a bunch of LA actors from back in the day. Honestly, though, they aren't worse than some of that Season 3 drek we got. "YES, YES, YES, I CAN DO THIS." Yeah... k.

[penguintruth]

I had a feeling not a whole lot of thought was put into casting or acting in Final Bout's dub. It felt like they just sort of did it so that there'd be English voices for the characters. I doubt they even put much thought into who the characters were.

Blum, much like Kirby Morrow sounds too smooth and collected to be Goku. He's a spectacular talent, but Goku just isn't for him.

In fact, I really can't think of any DBZ character I'd give to Blum. Piccolo, maybe? Nail? Sauza?

[Mewzard]

It was him, alright. He was put into a role he's not so suited for in Final Bout. Steve Blum is a great actor, but he isn't fit for playing Goku. Him as Spike or Roger Smith are more what his voice and style fit the best.

Is it ironic that Blum voiced Guilmon in Digimon Tamers...and in the Japanese version, Masako Nozawa voiced him?

In any case, even the best actors can be screwed up if:

1. The script's bad

2. The voice direction's bad

3. The actor doesn't give a crap

Luckily, that's not the case with the Funi dub of Kai (spun it back into on-topic). A lot of improvements have come along, and can be clearly seen with the last few episodes. Goku vs Freeza, finally, in quality format (aka, actual quality work).

[Ishtar318]

I had a feeling not a whole lot of thought was put into casting or acting in Final Bout's dub. It felt like they just sort of did it so that there'd be English voices for the characters. I doubt they even put much thought into who the characters were.

Blum, much like Kirby Morrow sounds too smooth and collected to be Goku. He's a spectacular talent, but Goku just isn't for him.

In fact, I really can't think of any DBZ character I'd give to Blum. Piccolo, maybe? Nail? Sauza?

For some reason I always imagined Steve Blum as Piccolo, if he was given a DBZ role. I could just see it working.

[JulieYBM]

Steve Blum wasn't smooth as Gokû, though. He was playing up a generic teen hero voice. Not that there's much one can do with that dialogue, mind you.

As for casting him in other Dragon Ball roles...I can't really say there are any I think he'd fit in. Maybe Zarbon...?

[Metalwario64]

Is it ironic that Blum voiced Guilmon in Digimon Tamers...and in the Japanese version, Masako Nozawa voiced him?

How would that be ironic? Perhaps some stretched coincidence, but I fail to see any irony.

[Super Sonic]

It was him, alright. He was put into a role he's not so suited for in Final Bout. Steve Blum is a great actor, but he isn't fit for playing Goku. Him as Spike or Roger Smith are more what his voice and style fit the best.

Is it ironic that Blum voiced Guilmon in Digimon Tamers...and in the Japanese version, Masako Nozawa voiced him?

In any case, even the best actors can be screwed up if:

1. The script's bad

2. The voice direction's bad

3. The actor doesn't give a crap

Luckily, that's not the case with the Funi dub of Kai (spun it back into on-topic). A lot of improvements have come along, and can be clearly seen with the last few episodes. Goku vs Freeza, finally, in quality format (aka, actual quality work).

Definately. Compare 4Kids OP and Yu-Gi-Oh casts on said shows to their work on Slayers and His and Her Circumstances. Quite a difference. (Though some you can still spot actors, like many cartoons.)

[Deimos]

I'm loving Kai. Especially as a dub fan, I don't have to watch the DBZ Season 3 dub any longer. (Why didn't they have Sean Schemmel redub his Goku when they redubbed the first two seasons anyway?) I didn't really mind Linda Young, but after listening to Chris Ayres as Freeza, I could never go back. I'll be definitely buying this part of Kai for sure.

[jjgp1112]

Uh...they did have Schemmel redub Goku for the first two seasons.