Funimation's Top 10 Dragon Ball Z Moments

[Kingdom Heartless]

But the version of DBZ played on Toonami was the "HARDCORE EXTREME" version.

But if there's one thing in the world that is impossible to argue with, it's nostalgia.

[Cipher]

But the version of DBZ played on Toonami was the "HARDCORE EXTREME" version.

Er, sure. Maybe. If you want to label it that way. (It's actually not much more over-the-top than, say, the previously mentioned Batman Beyond, plus or minus a little dragon-rocking.)

The point is, nostalgic fans (the group FUNimation has been desperately after for years) don't view it as something hardcore and extreme. They don't take it seriously anymore. They don't remember, "ROCK MUSIC FACE-PUNCHES RAAAAH." They just remember that Cell was a cool villain. They remember that someone fought someone else in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber as a subplot. They remember that watching Toonami used to be really cool.

That's a whole different audience, and a whole different aesthetic, than what FUNimation seemed to be going for just a few years back with the Season Sets. Or Hell, even what they tried to do with GT when it first aired. Go watch one of the Season Set trailers; they're all about, "LOOK FUCKING ROCK MUSIC HARDCORE PUNCHES, UNGH, AMERICAN. EXPLOSIVE." Very few people still enjoy the series for those aspects. But they remember DBZ being kind of serious for a cartoon (not "hardcore;" just serious in the vein of many '90s cartoons), and they remember Toonami. They even remember some of the quirky filler highlights, like the driving episode. This list, like the rest of the Blu-Ray campaign, does an excellent job of capturing that.

Basically, even if they version they watched was "hardcore," their interest isn't in that side of it. It's just nostalgia for the basic plot of the series and the after-school Toonami experience. It's taken FUNimation a decade to get it right.

[Levlik]

Y'knew, it's funny. Back in the late 90s it was the Japanese version that was seen by the fanbase as hardcore. From DBZ Uncensored revealing all the blood and gore we were missing out on in the English version combined with Anime Labs' fansubs cursing left and right.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

Basically, even if they version they watched was "hardcore," their interest isn't in that side of it. It's just nostalgia for the basic plot of the series and the after-school Toonami experience. It's taken FUNimation a decade to get it right.

This. I've brought up a friend or two on the forums as Funi's releases have been coming out over the years; they don't be them Youtube commenters. They have their nostalgia, realize how acceptable-to-horrid the original dub is, and just want a decent release of the series so they can buy it and be done with it already. Fortunately, the inevitable Blu-Ray season packs should finally scratch that itch.

[Kid Buu]

I bet OVER 9000 is #1.

[KiddoCabbusses]

I hope not. That'd basically totally fail the Toonami-marketing in favor of cheap internet memes. Very few Toonami faithfuls even had a chance to see that specific episode, either Ocean-dub or UUE.

That being said, they are running out of great moments. Buu's defeat? Piccolo's sacrifice? Probably not the finale...

[Michsi]

Now, I don't have any acces to this site at all. I can't remeber, was Vegeta's sacrifice already mentioned?If not, I'm almost sure it's going to be this.

[Gonstead]

Now, I don't have any acces to this site at all. I can't remeber, was Vegeta's sacrifice already mentioned?If not, I'm almost sure it's going to be this.

Yes, it was already mentioned. #6 to be exact.

[funrush]

So, Father-Son Kamehameha is #2, what will be #1?

[SonMatthew]

I think number 1 will be Vegeta acknowledging Goku as number 1 and the defeat of Buu.

[Gonstead]

Or the arrival of Raditz, where we learn Goku is a Saiyan.

[dbboxkaifan]

Let me guess, the first one will be the extremely annoying "it's over 9000".

When I read reviews/comments on the Dragon Ball Z Kai, the FUNimation Z dub fans name them just as "true DBZ fans" without realizing there's a whole lot more than just the English dub from FUNimation and Ocean Dub.

"Extremely hardcore" with the US replacement music?

[Kingdom Heartless]

It could be the Super Genki Dama.

[Michsi]

Or the arrival of Raditz, where we learn Goku is a Saiyan.

I was thinking about that too.
As I've seen it described on TVTropes (I think?), that point of the story was full of wtf moments: Goku has son, Goku has a brother, Goku is an alien, Goku was supposed to destroy the earth, Piccolo and Goku team-up,Goku dies, Piccolo takes Gohan to train... I don't think there is any other part of the story where so many twists happen one after the other.

But I think that only applies to those who watched DB before and already knew the charcters. I thimk most of the people who voted there started with DBZ, so all those twists might not have left that much of an impact.

[TheBlackPaladin]

So, Father-Son Kamehameha is #2, what will be #1?

Well, we'll know later today, so I could be totally wrong. I'm going to make a prediction that it's the "Hope of the Universe" speech, though. As much as I can't stand that speech, the audience that FUNimation is after LOVES that speech with a burning passion. I think it would be appropriate, too. I can't think of any other moment in the DBZ dub that was as blatantly re-written as that one with the intention of appealing to a different fanbase.

[dbboxkaifan]

Well, we'll know later today, so I could be totally wrong. I'm going to make a prediction that it's the "Hope of the Universe" speech, though. As much as I can't stand that speech, the audience that FUNimation is after LOVES that speech with a burning passion. I think it would be appropriate, too. I can't think of any other moment in the DBZ dub that was as blatantly re-written as that one with the intention of appealing to a different fanbase.

FUNimation made Goku sound like an American Hero with that speech, which he isn't, he's a Super Saiyan, for god's sake.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Well, we'll know later today, so I could be totally wrong. I'm going to make a prediction that it's the "Hope of the Universe" speech, though. As much as I can't stand that speech, the audience that FUNimation is after LOVES that speech with a burning passion. I think it would be appropriate, too. I can't think of any other moment in the DBZ dub that was as blatantly re-written as that one with the intention of appealing to a different fanbase.

FUNimation made Goku sound like an American Hero with that speech, which he isn't, he's a Super Saiyan, for god's sake.

Oh believe me, I know. Like I said, I despise it. That doesn't change the fact that the target audience that FUNimation is going after loves that speech. I've softened up on the speech in light of the Kai dub, though. Now I can look at that speech as an unfortunate change meant to cater to a different fanbase. The fanbase that I'm in, who values a loyal dub over a reversioned one, now have the beautifully-written and acted, "I Am The Super Saiyan, Son Goku!" speech.

[perucho1990]

I believe the choices for number 1 are:
Piccolo's Sacrifice.
Buu's death.
Goku's arrival for the fight against the Saiyans.
Goku's "death" in Namek.
Trunks beating up Future 17,18 and Cell.
Vegeta going ASSJ.
Vegeta's Final Flash against Cell.
Gohan becoming Mystic Gohan.

[dbboxkaifan]

Vegeta going ASSJ.

Ascended SSJ?

The terms that exist are: SSJ / SSJ2 / SSJ3 / SSJ4 / Majin Vegeta / Super Vegeta / Bebi Vegeta

SSJ3 Vegeta is only part of the Raging Blast series for Xbox 360 and PS3.

So I guess you're referring to Super Vegeta (during the Artificial Humans/Cell saga).

[Beji]

[The terms that exist are: SSJ / SSJ2 / SSJ3 / SSJ4 / Majin Vegeta / Super Vegeta / Bebi Vegeta
So I guess you're referring to Super Vegeta (during the Artificial Humans/Cell saga).

I'm sure everyone got What ASSJ means since the term "exists".