Dub Fans: What is wrong with the Sub Version?

[Rory]

My main problem with the original is, in a nutshell, Masako Nozawa. I hate how she plays Gokū, Gohan, Goten, Tules and Barduck. Why do Gokū's sons and father have to have the same voice as him? Not to mention Tules, who isn't even related to him. I really want to know what the hell was going through the casting crew's minds.

That does seem to be the biggest split with the dub/sub fanbase, yeah.
I personally can't blame someone for being a bit irked by Nozawa's Gokuu. It's clear that that simply isn't how a grown man sounds, and if that bothers someone.... well, it bothers someone. Even if they're not in it for realism, asking to accept that voice for an adult is a bit much for some. The same applies for her voicing the whole Son family, it just doesn't seem to sit well with everyone. Realism aside, it's just something you either can or can't accept.

I don't mind it though since I absolutely adore her voice, and whenever she puts on the 'Gokuu' I'm totally into it. The purr of the Kamehameha just doesn't sound the same without Nozawa chanting the words to Gokuu's signature attack.

[Mewzard]

To me, nothing's wrong with the sub version. I'm buying the Dragon Boxes solely to watch the Japanese version, just as I'm buying Kai solely to watch the English version. I've grown to really love both. English Kai has a slight edge with me over Japanese Z, but I still love both. Just a matter of preference. Like me liking Nozawa as Goku, but liking Schemmel as Goku more.

I don't see why something must be wrong with one version to like the other. I think there's more than enough room for fans of both current dub and original. I'm a satisfied fan that can get twice the entertainment out of a certain period of episodes, and that's good for me.

[Sketch]

I see a lot of people here who have said basically how I feel.

It's not that there is anything particularly wrong with the Japanese audio but I'm more likely to watch the dub.

I happen to have a few beefs with both versions but I'm more likely to watch the dub.

I prefer the English voices of some characters and the Japanese voices of other characters. I don't particularly like any of the voices of Goku. I appreciate Nozawa's talent but she's not Goku to me. I've been pretty happy with Schemmel's Goku in Kai but it's not without it's faults still. Nozawa was great for kid Goku, kid Gohan and Goten perhaps even for high school Gohan but I didn't like her voice for adult Goku, Bardock or Tullece. I understand that Goku is a man-child and thus a youthful voice but I'm just not enthused by that voice coming out of a muscle bound fighter. Perhaps that is short-sighted but I can't help how I feel. Sabat's voices have improved in Kai but he's still juggling too many characters and that's probably the worst part of Kai's casting. I absolutely adore Chris Ayres Freeza and have a new appreciation for the character because of it. I've heard plenty of complaints that various dub voices are too cartoony, well it is a cartoon but I would also argue that many of the Japanese voices are just as cartoony in comparison.

I don't like the inaccuracies in the dub script because they are inaccurate but they don't greatly bother me. However, I'm glad Kai has a lot less of them.

I like some of the original score but I also found it rather bland and ill-fitting especially in the various action scenes. Faulconer's music droned on quite often but I liked some of the licks. The dub's lack of silence was rather off-putting though. I'm enjoying the Kai OST much more than Z's but it's also repetitive and at times a bit bland but I appreciate the mix of styles presented. Having a few rock licks in there made all the difference to me but having the cheery music for comedic scenes was also important and that's something Faulcouner's music greatly lacked. Despite it's various faults I do like Faulconer's score more at least for action sequences.

I bought the Dragon Boxes to give the Japanese audio another chance to impress me so maybe these opinions will change but certainly at this point, I just prefer to watch the dub despite it's faults.

I also feel "I don't want to read shows" is an entirely valid argument. I've got a lot of stuff I like to do when I watch cartoons (such as post on forums) but watching subtitled shows makes that a bit more difficult. Supposedly there are advanced super-beings who are perfectly capable of watching subtitled shows and doing other activities but I guess I must humbly admit I am not one of those people. Furthermore I appreciate the medium of animation a great deal and to completely enjoy it I would rather not be reading the script of the show. I will do it if I have no other option or I can't stand listening to the dub and such has been the case for plenty of Japanese cartoons, but I generally prefer to watch shows dubbed in English. I feel I better appreciate the rest of the work when I'm not reading subtitles while watching it. I do like to hear the Japanese voices in order to experience that part of the production so sometimes I'll watch a show I like in either language in Japanese for that purpose. I do not tend to do that often though. Not for shows I could watch in English anyway. I have to really like a show to buy a subtitle only DVD. I have thus far only done that for GaoGaiGar and CLANNAD.

[Jitterbug]

I like Chris Sabat as Vegeta, it is the definitive Vegeta in my mind, but when I hear Piccolo and Vegeta's voice side by side I begin to realize that someone different should have played Piccolo. My nomination? Scott McNeil! I really like him a lot in the Ocean dub as Piccolo! Alas that will never happen without extensive editing...I wonder if anyone has tried this yet?

[Sketch]

I like Chris Sabat as Vegeta, it is the definitive Vegeta in my mind, but when I hear Piccolo and Vegeta's voice side by side I begin to realize that someone different should have played Piccolo. My nomination? Scott McNeil! I really like him a lot in the Ocean dub as Piccolo! Alas that will never happen without extensive editing...I wonder if anyone has tried this yet?

I've always been more of a fan of Sabat's Piccolo and if he retained one voice and the rest of his roles were recast I'd probably want it to be Piccolo. McNeil was a great Piccolo though.