Dragonball Kai (FUNimation English) Dub: General Discussion

[Mewzard]

Particularly Vegeta snapping back at Yamcha who asks him if he's sure it's Freeza ("Oh, I don't know! Maybe because I've fought him before?!") and Freeza's orders to his men ("The rest of you search for the Earthlings and...well, you know.")

It's likely that those, especially the latter one, are just forms of censorship for Nicktoons. I'm assuming that Vegeta would say "He killed me" to Yamcha, and Freeza would say "The rest of you search for the Earthlings and kill them."

I agree, those sound like blatant line edits to me. Might be wrong, but I think they are edits, especially the "And...well, you know."

[Tsukento]

It's likely that those, especially the latter one, are just forms of censorship for Nicktoons. I'm assuming that Vegeta would say "He killed me" to Yamcha, and Freeza would say "The rest of you search for the Earthlings and kill them."

The Freeza one I can understand if it were an edit. The Vegeta one...eh, not so much. Mainly because there wasn't anything within the original that could be deemed as inappropriate. His whole response to Yamcha made it seem like a sarcastic remark, when he originally is just agitated.

[batistabus]

The more I think about it...the worse I feel about it. I know nothing will be done about these episodes, but I really hope things change. FAST.

I'd say there's a 95% chance that we'll be getting "Android" instead of "Artificial Humans". I'd love to be proven wrong.




...and I still think the Freeza voice filter isn't even a problem.

[penguintruth]

"Android" really isn't bad at all. I mean, come on, with Funimation it could be SO much worse.

If the use of "android" is the biggest problem, we can count our lucky stars. I think at this point, if we're complaining about the use of "android", we need to take a step back and chill.

I'm more worried about entire lines being changed and/or added.

[Soul]

I'll wait until I see it on TV or later on down the road on the Blu-rays but I watched some the assorted clips.
The whole Mecha-Freeza filter thing is kinda blown outta proportion, I kinda liked it, similar to the effect used on Aaron Dismuke/Maxey Whitehead as Al in Fullmetal Alchemist but it was very low key in my opinion.

King Cold! Eh, I'm satisfied with it, as long as he doesn't sound like a British Homosexual, we're good.
Otherwise Trunks I didn't notice a overt change in but that may change if I watch the full episodes themselves, but as for some of these script changes... no one thinking they're TV Only scripts and the script for the home release will be a bit more akin to the Japanese?

[Innagadadavida]

If the use of "android" is the biggest problem, we can count our lucky stars. I think at this point, if we're complaining about the use of "android", we need to take a step back and chill.

I kind of feel like most of what you complain about is a "step back and chill" type of situation. It's all a matter of perspective. If "android" was indeed the biggest problem, you would be fucking irate. I'm picturing the same reaction as if right now you learned Sean Schemmel personally called Toei and, in King Kai's voice, informed them he was changing every line.

[batistabus]

If the use of "android" is the biggest problem, we can count our lucky stars. I think at this point, if we're complaining about the use of "android", we need to take a step back and chill.

I kind of feel like most of what you complain about is a "step back and chill" type of situation. It's all a matter of perspective. If "android" was indeed the biggest problem, you would be fucking irate. I'm picturing the same reaction as if right now you learned Sean Schemmel personally called Toei and, in King Kai's voice, informed them he was changing every line.

As fucking hilarious as I think that image you described sounds, I don't really think that's fair.

And for the record, Android isn't really important to me; I was just saying I believe they'll go with it but it would be a nice nod to the source material if it became AH.

[penguintruth]

If the use of "android" is the biggest problem, we can count our lucky stars. I think at this point, if we're complaining about the use of "android", we need to take a step back and chill.

I kind of feel like most of what you complain about is a "step back and chill" type of situation. It's all a matter of perspective. If "android" was indeed the biggest problem, you would be fucking irate. I'm picturing the same reaction as if right now you learned Sean Schemmel personally called Toei and, in King Kai's voice, informed them he was changing every line.

I happen to find changing lines into completely different ones is a lot more serious than making a judgement call on a term that can be translated several different ways.

I don't understand these stupid parallels some of you are making to my complaints. I'm complaining about changing the fucking intended dialogue, not alternate translations. If you can't see the huge, obvious difference between those things, the discussions here are a little above you.

"Complaining about changed dialogue is exactly the same as having a preference for how 'jinzoningen' is translated!"

It's not the same at all.

[Innagadadavida]

Its not above me, man. I'm just not really that concerned. I have faith in FUNimation that they wouldn't change important lines. So it's not even worth talking about. You're upset about something that hasn't and will never happen (with Kai).

Furthermore, if they did. Big deal. The world will keep turning.

[penguintruth]

There was no reason to replace Bulma's dialogue about Vegeta's clothing with dialogue about how he might take them hostage. Is it vital? No. But it's still changing the dialogue.

It's not their fucking job to put their creative input in the show. The show is already made. If you can't see the difference between that and "android", I don't know what to say to you.

[Innagadadavida]

I don't care about either. I see no difference because they are of equal importance. I will still watch the show, enjoy the dub, Rial's Bulma, vibrant colors, and halfway decent pace. There are so many good things to enjoy, but it seems you tend to hone in on one tiny, insignificant detail and dwell on it. I fear it's warping your view of the product overall. And as far as FUNimation's "job", their job is whatever they want. They payed for the show, they can do whatever the hell they want with it. Toei obviously isn't concerned.

[penguintruth]

The dialogue is not an insignificant detail! I'm convinced when you watch television, it's only for the pretty, pretty colors.

It's that same attitude that made the DBZ dub such garbage.

[TripleRach]

Let's calm down a little, friends.

But on the argument of accurate terminology, I think there are a few other things worth nothing that I haven't seen anyone bring up yet. "Cyborg" is used as a synonym for "Jinzouningen" in the manga. The machines in Terminator (an obvious inspiration for the arc) were also called "cyborgs" even though they don't really fall into the traditional sci-fi definition of it. And hell, Cell is also called "Jinzouningen" even though he's neither a cyborg nor an android (nor an artificial human, for that matter).

There's just no single term that will satisfy everyone or work perfectly in context.

[Ashy-kun]

Not to add fuel to the fire, but this is kinda why I just go with "Man-Made Being" for my all-over translation.

[dan2026]

Why doesn't the dub use 'cyborg', 'android' or 'artificial person' when appropriate.
In the original Trunks uses the english word 'Cyborg' and well as 'Jinzoningen'.
So why shouldn't the dub alternate?

You can hardly call Cell an android or a cyborg as he has no mechanical parts.
So what do they call him?

[ohaimynameiserik]

The dialogue is not an insignificant detail! I'm convinced when you watch television, it's only for the pretty, pretty colors.

It's that same attitude that made the DBZ dub such garbage.

In the Kai dub, a line in the dialogue being changed is a rare occurence indeed. So if they were going to do it few and far between, I'm glad they'd do it on a throwaway line involving Vegeta wearing Earth clothes.

I'm convinced that you are someone who likes to make a big deal out of something very small, and whenever someone dares remind you, you immediately make personal attacks. I would learn some more respect for other people, rather than being a condescending jerk.

[TripleRach]

Why does the dub use 'cyborg', 'android' or 'artificial person' when appropriate.
In the original Trunks uses the english word 'Cyborg' and well as 'Jinzoningen'.
So why shouldn't the dub alternate?

"Cyborg" is only used once in Japanese. They don't alternate.

[dan2026]

"Cyborg" is only used once in Japanese. They don't alternate.

Fair enough. But my point is that the dub doesn't really need to worry about one blanket term for all of Gero's creations.

[MetalMadness]

Honestly guys, when 90% of the people who purchase Kai and watch, they will not even notice, or give a shit for that matter, if 17 and 18 are referred to as "Androids," "Cyborgs," or "Artificial Humans."

Just sit back and enjoy the damn show, and don't criticize every little thing you can find just because that wasn't in the original. Shit I can't imagine watching Kai like this, basically grading it rather than actually WATCHING it.

[Herms]

"Jinzôningen" is a term that is used in Japan to describe pretty much the same thing as "Android". Yes, calling them "Androids" isn't 100% correct since some are human-based... but "Jinzôningen" has the exact same problem. Also, personally, I believe that Dr. Gero calls them "androids" because from his point of view, the human base is just another mechanical part, therefore making them his machines.

tldr; Toriyama was in the wrong, not FUNimation.

Yeah, even the Japanese Wikipedia page for No.18 notes that, being human-based, she is technically not a jinzou-ningen but a kaizou-ningen ("modified human"). It even refers to "android" as a direct translation of jinzou-ningen. "Android" is a pretty standard translation of jinzou-ningen; the Japanese Wikipedia page for jinzou-ningen is linked to the English Wikipedia page for "android", and refers to it as a general term for "humanoid robots, androids [here they use the actual English word], gynoids, and bioroids". Japanese DB merchandise like toys, books, and video games have always used "android" as the translation for jinzou-ningen. There's simply nothing wrong with Funi using the term, as long as they don't change dialogue to imply that No.17 and 18 are fully mechanical or anything like that.