Ever feel like it's difficult to return to the English dub?

[dprez]

I was over in the Kai section, in the thread about not using the word "ki" in the english dub, and decided to click on this link to youtube showing Ssj Goku give his speech to Freeza as he calls himself "Son" Goku.

Then I get an urge to watch this episode on my Dragon Box 3. So I go in my room, pop in disc 14, and go straight to that scene. I first watch it in english, and hear that "Nightmare to you" line. Then I watch in in Japanese. Man o man do I love Masako Nozawa over Sean Schemmel. It's not even a contest. Goku sounds so insanely cool. Voice is so smooth and fits in with his personality so well. I got chills man, no joke. (English version didn't even get me coming close to a feeling of amazement.) That shit was epic. The entire original dub is epic.

[Akumaito Beam]

Y'know I'm probably going to regret saying this but there's something about the dub that interests me WAY more than the Japanese version. I'm not saying the dub is better but there's this added appeal of watching the dub grow up that's enthralling to me. I also adore watching others play around with and write for characters they didn't create which is why I have a nerd boner for filler too. I find myself really hanging onto the dub episodes because it's not the same music, voices and scripts I've seen/heard 10,000 times over. That's probably also why dub Kai does nothing for me.When I hear Sabat's Piccolo or Sean's Goku I instinctively expect "Not-so-evil Piccolo" and "ALLY TO GOOD! Goku" Kind of like how I would have no interest in Adam West playing Dark Knight Batman. At best both cases just seem pretty goofy and mismatched. I enjoy the Funi dub because it's the Funi dub. I say the exact same thing about 4kid's One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dic's Sailor Moon etc. I just view it as someone else's take on the universe.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

Y'know I'm probably going to regret saying this but there's something about the dub that interests me WAY more than the Japanese version. I'm not saying the dub is better but there's this added appeal of watching the dub grow up that's enthralling to me. I also adore watching others play around with and write for characters they didn't create which is why I have a nerd boner for filler too. I find myself really hanging onto the dub episodes because it's not the same music, voices and scripts I've seen 10,000 times over. That's probably also why dub Kai does nothing for me.When I hear Sabat's Piccolo or Sean's Goku I instinctively expect "Not-so-evil Piccolo" and "ALLY TO GOOD! Goku" Kind of like how I would have no interest in Adam West playing Dark Knight Batman. At best both cases just seem pretty goofy and mismatched. I enjoy the Funi dub because it's the Funi dub. I say the exact same thing about 4kid's One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dic's Sailor Moon etc. I just view it as someone else's take on the universe.

It's called nostalgia. There's nothing wrong with liking the FUNimation dub. It's just that sometimes these dub fans will argue that pronunciation of things\places, dub names, or even certain lines, are right when they are actually way off. I think as long as you know the dub you're watching is wrong, but can admit you like it anyway, you're in good shape.

Hey, I really adore the 1997 dub and that was way, way less accurate than the 2000 dub. Well, except for the movies. That's just how nostalgia works.

[Akumaito Beam]

See, I don't know if you can simply dismiss it with the word nostalgia. I don't like it because I remember it from childhood I like it because I find stuff like wise cracking terrible gag Freeza and boy scout Goku genuinely endearing takes on the classic characters.

I don't even really take issue with dub fans not wanting to use sub terminology or thinking of the characters strictly by their dub personalities. How many people still associate Mikey with his rad, surfer, "COWABUNGA!" incarnation, y'know? I take issue with people being unnecessarily defensive about their adaptations but that's more a people thing.

[GS7X7]

"How many people still associate Mikey with his rad, surfer, "COWABUNGA!" incarnation, y'know?"


(Raises hand)

(really though, he was the funniest of the turtles! Raphael was always kind of annoying with his raspy voice, imo.... Okay, he wasn't annoying, but he was my least favorite turtle. Leo led, Mikey cracked jokes, Donatello invented stuff, and Raphael was kinda just arrogant.)

[Aoi]

See, I don't know if you can simply dismiss it with the word nostalgia. I don't like it because I remember it from childhood I like it because I find stuff like wise cracking terrible gag Freeza and boy scout Goku genuinely endearing takes on the classic characters.

I don't even really take issue with dub fans not wanting to use sub terminology or thinking of the characters strictly by their dub personalities. How many people still associate Mikey with his rad, surfer, "COWABUNGA!" incarnation, y'know? I take issue with people being unnecessarily defensive about their adaptations but that's more a people thing.

Haha, that's a great point about Mikey. I've seen the original Ninja Turtles comic and it was nothing like the show. It worked as a parody because the characters took themselves so seriously; yet most people remember the "real" Michelangelo from the tv series.

I totally get what you mean about the FUNI dub having its own charm. I agree. For me nostalgia makes certain things more forgivable, but it doesn't take away all merit from it. The thing that FUNI does for me is actually make me laugh out loud way more than when I watch it in Japanese. Like when Goku (during the Buu saga) tells Shenron to basically leave and come back in 6 months. Sean Schemmel is hilarious in that line delivery. I also appreciate when he basically keeps forgetting the "Grand Kai"'s name and refers him as "What's his name" to King Kai so casually. Brilliant.

As a kid, I used to just love the dorky humour and the action. As an adult, I find myself way more emotionally invested in the characters and the story. Thus, I find it a much more satisfying experience. When Piccolo dies in English, I sort of have to tell my brain: "this is a sad scene, so this sucks". The Japanese version actually provokes an emotional response from me. Recently, I saw the scene where the Native father gets killed by Tao Pai Pai in front of Korin's tower. I watched it in English first and basically felt nothing. The Japanese version was legitimately touching.

[Aoi]

Guess it's natural though. As a kid, I'd love shows like Goof Troop, Transformers. I can't watch them now. Now, I adore shows like Breaking Bad. I relate to films on a different level. Dragon Ball, for me, was a massive and pleasant shock. I never though the show that (in English) resembled POWER RANGERS (at times), was so much more in Japanese. It's what made me a fan for life to be honest.

An amazing scene for me is when Frieza attacks Goku after he is given some ki to heal when he's cut in half. As a kid, I just felt: "Wow, what a coward. What a typical villain thing to do". As an adult, I was really invested in Goku's stubborn innocence. I actually admired the character, because I felt it was well written and he was standing up for something that I still wished was possible (compassion overwhelming hate). It's a brilliant moment when Goku finally tries to kill him, a sort of coming of age moment.

[Akumaito Beam]

I think a lot of it has to do with what sort of prexisting knowledge you have about the different adaptations; I can totally understand feeling robbed if you were unaware that a version of this show was floating around out there that played things a lot more straight laced (by Dragonball standards anyway). I had the same recoil at first because there's absolutely a sense of misinformation. The same way I can see a man being raised on 70's Batman watching Dark Knight and getting adamantly frustrated that there was a more serious Batman all along. Like that hypothetical Batfan though once you've had your fill of both I think it's easier to step back and judge both on their own advantages and disadvantages. With my current mood there are 110 other shows out there that I'm more emotionally invested in and I'm not even caught up on, when I pop in fighting space monkeys I kinda have no problem with zoning out to something extremely goofy in every way. Again, I like both I just find it extremely easy to bounce around.

[Samwize78]

I returned for Kai, loved it, bought it, and now I don't want anything to do with the previous dub.

[Aoi]

I think playing the dub with the Kikuchi score is a clash of styles. It's unfair to it, because it was never meant to be taken in the same spirit as the original. Also, the voices were directed to compliment and be times with the Faulconer/Levy tracks. So, in itself, Dragon Ball Z North American dub is charming in its own way. It's only mediocre if you want it to compete with the Japanese original.

[AgitoZ]

@Akumatio Beam

But the thing is, those other interpretations of Mikey or Bats should be given more leniency since they're all separate entities from their original source material, which are also ever changing. Mikey the Party Dude didn't originate from some obscure dub that changed him from his self narrating, serious brethren.

The FUNi dub shouldn't have ever been an adaptation.

[Akumaito Beam]

Yeah, I hear ya. I'd totally understand why not everybody would give anime dubs as much wiggle room as I tend to do. I personally can see Sean Goku and equate him to West Batman with very little inner confliction even if by technical and/or artistic standards they're not fully comparable but by no means do I think everyone should. I was just kind of expanding upon why I have no issue returning to the dub.

[dprez]

As a kid, I used to just love the dorky humour and the action. As an adult, I find myself way more emotionally invested in the characters and the story. Thus, I find it a much more satisfying experience. When Piccolo dies in English, I sort of have to tell my brain: "this is a sad scene, so this sucks". The Japanese version actually provokes an emotional response from me. Recently, I saw the scene where the Native father gets killed by Tao Pai Pai in front of Karin's tower. I watched it in English first and basically felt nothing. The Japanese version was legitimately touching.

These are some of my thoughts as well. The original voice actors were simply much more talented than the american cast. I'd also have to think that a bit more thought went into selecting them for each character. The FUNi dub was severely aimed towards american children with all it's corny jokes and cheesy one liners that were not in the original. I loved it as a kid like the rest of us, but now the original hits me like that one never did.

[Saiyajin no Tatsujin]

Ever feel like it's difficult to return to the English dub?

Absolutely! I've felt this way ever since I finished collecting all of FUNi's first released DVD singles years back. I thought the original Japanese version was far superior, and I still do. I can't ever go and watch the entire series in English. But, there are some parts in the series, here and there, that I think were done exceptionally well in the English dub. And those are the only parts I will go back and watch.

Once you go Jap...it's a wrap!

[UnbiasedDBZfan]

Well I watch it every day and I would say the only thing about the English Funi Z dub that grates my nerves is Seasons 3-4. 5 is decent and 6-9 are quite cool. As for Ocean, I think 1-53 and the 3 movies are the best in terms of voice quality. 108-276 is awesome, but the 'veterans' were lacking I.E Peter Kelamis. He still was awesome though, but just stiffer than usual. I am also in the minority that think Drummond was better in the 108-276 dub because he refined his voice a bit, which is awesome. The script doesn't bother me as such as I'm a casual fan and I will admit that. The music is also a factor for me. From the Boo arc the Ocean music is awesome almost as good as Tokunaga IMO. The earlier Saban music was a decent-good at times for me. Bruce Faulconer is my fave dubbed composer as many of you know. So in a nutshell the Funi/Ocean dubs are awesome despite, flaws. My next post will do a 180° however.

For the Ocean Dub, I can still watch it no problem, but I now find it incredibly hard to watch FUNimation's dubs except Kai. I tried watching the 1999 Z dub via singles back in 2010 and I stopped after one episode, it was like watching an unfunny abridged episode. At times I randomly switched to the dub track on the Dragon Boxes for a few seconds and even that was hard to bear.

As much as the 1996-1998 Ocean dub is infinitely better in terms on voice quality, one could also make the argument that the original dub is an unfunny abridged series. As you know Funimation along with Saban did the script for the first 53 episodes and many fans consider the dialogue worse than the Season 3 dialogue. So if the first in house dub is a unfunny parody, then God knows what the original Ocean dub is. Not trying to defend Season 3 or anything but the first 2 seasons also has bad dialogue.

[VegettoEX]

There's no need to post multiple times in a row if you're responding to multiple things all at once -- I've edited your posts together.

[UnbiasedDBZfan]

If I sit back, turn my brain off regarding the differences between the two versions, and am open-minded, I guess the DBZ dub can be tolerable. I mean, there are some good scenes and cool lines in it but overall.... nah.... Even the guy doing Goku in it doesn't like it!

Don't use Sean Schemmel as proof to dislike something. If one of the seiyuu said that the Japanese version was pretty bad, then does that make that true? And VegettoEX sorry about that.

[The Time Traveller]

I couldn't watch the whole thing dubbed, I couldn't even make it past Raditz's death when I got the Orange Bricks. Kai is another story, I'm so used to the Japanese voices when they were in their prime, and the audio had that distinctive ancient sound to it, it was gritty, Kai was too fresh and the actors are too old to play their characters the same way, I've still only got 3 parts of Kai on DVD but I've only seen it in English so far, the writing still has its problems and there's a lot wrong with the characterisation but it's still fun to watch.

Kai was so well done that if I returned to the old dub it would probably seem far worse, but it doesn't matter anyway, I'll stick to Z in Japanese and Kai in English for now.

[GS7X7]

If I sit back, turn my brain off regarding the differences between the two versions, and am open-minded, I guess the DBZ dub can be tolerable. I mean, there are some good scenes and cool lines in it but overall.... nah.... Even the guy doing Goku in it doesn't like it!

Don't use Sean Schemmel as proof to dislike something. If one of the seiyuu said that the Japanese version was pretty bad, then does that make that true? And VegettoEX sorry about that.

If Masako Nozawa insisted that the Japanese dub was terrible, and cited several reason why she felt so, I probably would be more inclined to think it was bad actually simply because she embodied Goku for that version. But, she'd never say such a thing because she's proud of her work there and happily defends it. If she did say such a thing and was filled enough with doubts to publicly express them, it'd be another story though.

http://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/fans ... -are-real/

To be fair though, there are millions of fans who love his work and know as much about the original version as we know about splicing different genes together in a lab. So, out of respect for that, I'll stop bringing that up in every dub conversation no matter how tempting it may be to do so. (I still like that quote as sig though, it's just really freakishly epic for someone from my background)

[UnbiasedDBZfan]

If I sit back, turn my brain off regarding the differences between the two versions, and am open-minded, I guess the DBZ dub can be tolerable. I mean, there are some good scenes and cool lines in it but overall.... nah.... Even the guy doing Goku in it doesn't like it!

Don't use Sean Schemmel as proof to dislike something. If one of the seiyuu said that the Japanese version was pretty bad, then does that make that true? And VegettoEX sorry about that.

If Masako Nozawa insisted that the Japanese dub was terrible, and cited several reason why she felt so, I probably would be more inclined to think it was bad actually simply because she embodied Goku for that version. But, she'd never say such a thing because she's proud of her work there and happily defends it. If she did say such a thing and was filled enough with doubts to publicly express them, it'd be another story though.

http://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/fans ... -are-real/

To be fair though, there are millions of fans who love his work and know as much about the original version as we know about splicing different genes together in a lab. So, out of respect for that, I'll stop bringing that up in every dub conversation no matter how tempting it may be to do so. (I still like that quote as sig though, it's just really freakishly epic for someone from my background)

You're Chris Parsos right? I'm gonna be thinking of you when I pray today. God bless you! Yes, I'm an angry, angry Catholic boy who 'swears' and is rude, but only God can judge me.