Who should sing the English version of "Dragon Soul" next?

[Adamant]

Shows with random rock/pop songs that change every 15 episodes (like in most newer shows), however, should just be left in Japanese.

Definitely. They're just generic pop songs with piss generic lyrics that tell the same story as five million other songs. Normal people listening to music listen to them for the rhythm, not for the message - they just hear the vocals, they don't process them. You can know a generic pop song by heart, but if a guy stopped you on the street and gave you 10 seconds to summarize the plot, you'd most likely come up short. The words are just that - words. There's no meaning to be had. Having some random cheap schmoe do a bad cover of the song so the piss generic non-English lyrics can be turned into equally piss generic English lyrics no one are going to process anyway is ridiculous.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Shows with random rock/pop songs that change every 15 episodes (like in most newer shows), however, should just be left in Japanese.

Definitely. They're just generic pop songs with piss generic lyrics that tell the same story as five million other songs. Normal people listening to music listen to them for the rhythm, not for the message - they just hear the vocals, they don't process them. You can know a generic pop song by heart, but if a guy stopped you on the street and gave you 10 seconds to summarize the plot, you'd most likely come up short. The words are just that - words. There's no meaning to be had. Having some random cheap schmoe do a bad cover of the song so the piss generic non-English lyrics can be turned into equally piss generic English lyrics no one are going to process anyway is ridiculous.

Depending on who's listening. I can see how that wouldn't bother some people but, for me, it would take me out of the moment. I'm not a fan of "partial dubbing"--if any words are dubbed, then they all have to be dubbed (in my opinion, of course).

Think of it this way. There are several dubs that only do "partial dubbing," which is to say that they will only dub something...um........partially. For example, they will dub dialogue, but vocal effects like grunts and screams will be left undubbed (French dubs are notorious for this). For me, when something like that happens, a little part of my brain shouts, "Oh, they didn't dub that--wait, dub? Oh right, I'm watching a dub." That's an annoyance for me. Real-world reminders like that take me out of the experience, and that extends to songs. Even if the English covers of those generic j-pop opening songs are not good, I still want them done in English for the sake of remaining in the moment with a story. If the singing is good, that's an awesome bonus, and often times they are good (I've got an entire playlist on my iPod devoted to English remakes of Japanese songs). Even if they're bad, though, at least I'm not taken out of the moment.

[Ringworm128]

I think they should get REAL AMURRRICAN ROCK BAAANDS LIKE...DISTURBED AND DROWNING POOL AND PANTERA. BUY THE BROLY MOVIE.

Even though you're joking I do think they should have gotten a professional band to do Only a Chilling Elegy. (I know it's a bit OT but I just thought I should bring it up.)

[linkdude20002001]

Depending on who's listening. I can see how that wouldn't bother some people but, for me, it would take me out of the moment. I'm not a fan of "partial dubbing"--if any words are dubbed, then they all have to be dubbed (in my opinion, of course).

Think of it this way. There are several dubs that only do "partial dubbing," which is to say that they will only dub something...um........partially. For example, they will dub dialogue, but vocal effects like grunts and screams will be left undubbed (French dubs are notorious for this). For me, when something like that happens, a little part of my brain shouts, "Oh, they didn't dub that--wait, dub? Oh right, I'm watching a dub." That's an annoyance for me. Real-world reminders like that take me out of the experience, and that extends to songs. Even if the English covers of those generic j-pop opening songs are not good, I still want them done in English for the sake of remaining in the moment with a story. If the singing is good, that's an awesome bonus, and often times they are good (I've got an entire playlist on my iPod devoted to English remakes of Japanese songs). Even if they're bad, though, at least I'm not taken out of the moment.

Ah, well for me, when the generic rock and pop songs start playing, I am reminded that I'm watching a cartoon (and the songs being in Japanese remind me that I'm watching a Japanese cartoon). Though for some reason, when a show like Dragon Ball starts up with Makafushigi Adventure!, I probably still should be reminded that I'm watching a cartoon, but for some reason I'm not. It just feels like part of the story...somehow.