The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Discussion regarding the entirety of the franchise in a general (meta) sense, including such aspects as: production, trends, merchandise, fan culture, and more.
User avatar
Gyt Kaliba
Kicks it Old-School
Posts: 8869
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:38 am
Location: Arkansas
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Gyt Kaliba » Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 am

I really can't remember the year, but I'm fairly sure that my first experience with the Japanese cast was playing Ultimate Battle 22, because I remember picking that up for my PS at the time because I lacked a PS2 to get Budokai at the time. I didn't really pay any mind to the voices there at the time, so it wasn't until later that the Japanese voices actually struck me.

That would have been with...hmm...I think it was when I borrowed movie 7 from my best friend, and for some reason that baffles me now, I loved the movie to pieces. So much so that after I watched the dubbed version a thousand times, I decided to watch that 'silly Japanese track' as well. The voices caught me off guard a little bit, but such things as Goku being played by a woman, I kind of just accepted as that's how it is in the Japanese version. Still struck me as odd to think if they'd done that in the dub, but I was able to just roll with it in the sub. What really caught me though was how good the music was in the Japanese version, though I still loved the dub music. I actually have those old movie dubs to thank for introducing me to Disturbed.

Anyway, I think I continued to check out the Japanese version in little snippets when I had DVDs of the series (most of my collection at the time were VHS singles though), mostly to check out the music. Fast forward quite a few years later, to the 'Season Set' releases, and the option to watch the show as 'dub with Japanese music'. I decided to go that route so that the music between all three series would be much more similar than how the dubs had them come off, so that it all felt more together to me.

It wasn't until semi-recently that I watched the entire franchise in subbed format, and I actually have this forum to blame/thank. :P I won't lie, part of my initial reasoning for watching it all that way was to see where some comments about changes were right and where they were also wrong.
AniManga Travelogue - Currently Reviewing: Dragon Ball (Z)
Twitter
Switch Friend Code: SW-0745-6427-7791 (let's play some Dragon Ball: The Breakers!)

User avatar
desirecampbell
Moderator
Posts: 4296
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:55 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by desirecampbell » Mon May 14, 2012 12:28 pm

When I was in highschool I watched a terrible fansub of movie 8. Before that, I hadn't heard Nozawa; I feel in love instantly her Goku. So good.

User avatar
dprez
Advanced Regular
Posts: 1381
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:52 pm

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by dprez » Mon May 14, 2012 12:48 pm

2001-2002 on the International Channel. First episode I saw was 207, and from then on every sunday night at 9 I would watch, without knowing what the hell they were saying, but enjoying it all the same. Those were some good times.

It's great because today when I watch the Boo saga in Japanese on my Dragon Boxes, it's actually nostalgic for me like the FUNi dub is. "We Gotta Power", especially, brings back those warm fuzzy memories of a more innocent time. It's a good feeling. :lol:

I feel very fortunate that the original version ( the latter part at least ) is nostalgic for me like the Toonami version surely is for just about every one of us here.

User avatar
sailorspazz
Advanced Regular
Posts: 1208
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2004 8:55 pm
Location: ZamaBlack love shack
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by sailorspazz » Mon May 14, 2012 1:47 pm

I believe it was the year 2000 (if someone has a list of airdates, I could figure out for sure), and my household's cable provider started showing the International Channel. I had read on various websites back in the day that the channel was airing DBZ uncut and in Japanese, so I excitedly tuned in to watch it. I remember listening to the characters and thinking, "who's that girl talking? There's only men in this scene. Wait, it's Gokuu?" It struck me as strange at first, but it didn't really bother me, and now I wouldn't have it any other way :D
A veteran fan-girl past her prime
Host of Fujoshi Trash Talk at Anibros Creative podcast network
Twitter | Tumblr | Fanfics at fanfiction.net and ao3 | DeviantArt | YouTube

User avatar
Rory
I Live Here
Posts: 2777
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:15 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Rory » Mon May 14, 2012 2:13 pm

I think it was a pirated copy of Ultimate Battle 22 which introduced me to the Japanese voices. I remember being very, very confused.

User avatar
VegettoEX
Kanzenshuu Co-Owner & Administrator
Posts: 17786
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by VegettoEX » Mon May 14, 2012 3:49 pm

Goddamn kids and your goddamn DVDs and your goddamn video games.

I don't even know if I can answer this question. I've told myself the story of my first fansub so many times that I'm pretty sure I believe that's how it went down, but as for actual first experience seeing any amount of animated Dragon Ball in Japanese...? I... don't... know?

I'm guessing it would had to have been an MPEG from SonGohan's site. I'm pretty sure I got my first fansubs in 1997, and I'm also pretty sure I saw some clips online before that. Did SonGohan's site exist in 1996? Early 1997?

Can someone please push my wheelchair over to the window? I like watching the birds.
:: [| Mike "VegettoEX" LaBrie |] ::
:: [| Kanzenshuu - Co-Founder/Administrator, Podcast Host, News Manager (note: our "job" titles are arbitrary and meaningless) |] ::
:: [| Website: January 1998 |] :: [| Podcast: November 2005 |] :: [| Fusion: April 2012 |] :: [| Wiki: 20XX |] ::

User avatar
Eire
Advanced Regular
Posts: 1042
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2010 5:58 pm
Location: The Promised Land
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Eire » Mon May 14, 2012 4:06 pm

Granddad, will you tell us again about your glorious deeds from the war with the Moonies and smuggling tapes, alongside Captain Harlock, from the Canada where you have seen the dragons, fairies and English edition of Lady Oscar?

I'm young and beautiful and I will always be, because woman past 18th birthday don't get older but wiser, but that story took the place when I was a little hedgehog with spiky spines. The channel airing Dragon Ball switched background dub in the middle of GT and past the reader I've heard Goku squeaking. That completely awesome, marvelous dissonance stuck deep in my head and I will recognize it on the end of the world.
Last edited by Eire on Wed May 16, 2012 7:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Per aspera ad astra, man!

Women belong in the kitchen.
Men belong in the kitchen.
Everyone belongs in the kitchen, the kitchen has food

User avatar
Saiga
Kicks it Old-School
Posts: 8311
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:36 pm
Location: Space Australia

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Saiga » Mon May 14, 2012 7:58 pm

$85 for DB RB2... sadly I thought that was a good deal until I realised how much cheaper it is to simply get it shipped from America or the UK. :oops:
I'm re-watching Dragon Ball GT in full on my blog. Check it out if you're interested in my thoughts on the series as I watch through it!

User avatar
Chuquita
Namekian Warrior
Posts: 15255
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:16 am
Location: Somewhere

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Chuquita » Mon May 14, 2012 10:38 pm

It was fansubs of episodes 273 and 274 I received through an old friend (and an episode of 275 another old friend lent; I've lost touch with both of them years back, however) back in (cheats through research) April of 2002. :shock:

It feels long ago, yet not. Time gets weird the farther you go, I've found. o_O
The very first short clips I ever saw though were probably a few years earlier on Planet Namek. Gohan fighting Buu I think; I was really interested in that arc because it wasn't available in English at the time.


Anyway! I remember my fangirl-ish reactions to the voices were that I thought Goku's voice was very cute. I think it's kind of interesting in retrospect how I'm in the minority on initial opinions on how Goku sounds. I also liked Vegeta's deep, smooth voice in Japanese compared to his English dub voice.
On hiatus.

RoarkVegeta
Patreon Supporter
Posts: 1635
Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 8:21 pm
Location: TX

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by RoarkVegeta » Mon May 14, 2012 10:50 pm

Back around 2005 or so, the first DVD I got was "Frieza - Transformation" and I watched the Japanese version out of morbid curiousity, then I believe the next DVDs I got was the last GT disc, Movie 10, and The Path To Power. I would always watch the dub, and then enjoy the Japanese version. I always liked both.

User avatar
son veku
Banned
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:24 pm
Location: AR

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by son veku » Mon May 14, 2012 11:55 pm

I started watching the Japanese Dub about a year a go with subs.
I have bad hearing (well it's only bad enough to have subtitle's), so I can watch it in any dub with english subs, and it's like I'm watching the Japanese dub, but I do like Nozawa's Voice for kid Goku. I dont know how I like Nozawa for Grown up Goku I never cared to rewatch my Ob's a secend time in Japanese.
I really Only have watched GT and some of DB with subed Japanese

User avatar
goku the krump dancer
I Live Here
Posts: 3675
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:34 pm

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by goku the krump dancer » Tue May 15, 2012 12:05 am

I was in 3rd grade so this was around 2001/2002. My brother who is 3 years younger than me had a teacher who was really into Dragon Ball and somehow found out that we were as well. One day he offered to let me and my bro borrow some DBZ movies, I didn't care about language just as long as I was watching "new" DBZ stuff, so he let us borrow all 3 Broly movies, Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, the entire fight with Kid Boo, The Super 17 saga and the Final battle with Yi Shenlong. Granted it was all at the same time but as you can guess I had an awsome 3rd grade year. that also was the year I got my very own piece of DBZ footage when my mom bought me the Lord Slug DVD in which I let that teacher borrow that movie because he hadn't seen it yet.

Also that teacher gave us a sign up slip which started our beckett subscription in January of 2002.
It's not too late. One day, it will be.
Peace And Power MF DOOM!
Peace and Power Kevin Samuels

Sithlord4
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 6:16 pm

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Sithlord4 » Tue May 15, 2012 1:46 am

2005, got Ultimate Battle 22 (the domestic release) I didn't even realize it was Japanese until I went to my friends house and watched him play Budokai 3 with the Japanese voices.

Then about 2 years ago, I went online and found Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return! and loved it, than after getting through 119 episodes Of Z dubbed via the dragon boxes, Vegeta's voice destroyed my ears, Episode 120 came next, swapped languages threw on sub's, and Fell in love. Afterwards I went back, and watched all of Dragon Ball and than Z in Japanese and am up to episode 35 of GT (after about 2 weeks straight and it ain't THAT bad). I have loved every minute of it!

User avatar
Jackal puFF
I'm, pretty, cozy, here...
Posts: 1684
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:24 pm
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Jackal puFF » Tue May 15, 2012 3:38 am

I remember renting Tree of Might at Hollywood Video and the whole thing was in Japanese. That was really the only time I've watched Dragonball in Japanese besides the specials and what not.

User avatar
Aoi
Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
Posts: 431
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:56 pm
Location: Now in Buenos Aires Argentina

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Aoi » Tue May 15, 2012 7:59 am

2002, Movie 9 in Japanese. Bought it from this East-Asian mall we have in the city. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. In retrospect, knowing how great Movie 9 is, I probably had the best introduction to the Japanese version I could have ever asked for. As for the music, it was Ocean's Movie 3 soundtrack. To say I adored Kikuchi's score was an understatement. I didn't even know it was the music from the series.

User avatar
son veku
Banned
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:24 pm
Location: AR

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by son veku » Tue May 15, 2012 8:17 am

Aoi wrote:2002, Movie 9 in Japanese. Bought it from this East-Asian mall we have in the city. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. In retrospect, knowing how great Movie 9 is, I probably had the best introduction to the Japanese version I could have ever asked for. As for the music, it was Ocean's Movie 3 soundtrack. To say I adored Kikuchi's score was an understatement. I didn't even know it was the music from the series.
Is that sarcasm because isn't movie 9 a Broli movie.

User avatar
VegettoEX
Kanzenshuu Co-Owner & Administrator
Posts: 17786
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by VegettoEX » Tue May 15, 2012 8:46 am

son veku wrote:Is that sarcasm because isn't movie 9 a Broli movie.
No, DBZ Movie 9 is the Bojack movie. Lots to enjoy about it, specifically from a sound design standpoint... oh hey, which I happened to talk about last podcast episode for those interested ^_~.
:: [| Mike "VegettoEX" LaBrie |] ::
:: [| Kanzenshuu - Co-Founder/Administrator, Podcast Host, News Manager (note: our "job" titles are arbitrary and meaningless) |] ::
:: [| Website: January 1998 |] :: [| Podcast: November 2005 |] :: [| Fusion: April 2012 |] :: [| Wiki: 20XX |] ::

User avatar
dragonballzkaifan
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:17 am

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by dragonballzkaifan » Tue May 15, 2012 9:06 am

Mine was watching my uncle (who) had a DBZ game. I don't know why but he gave it to me to play and I think that (it) was Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Dragon Ball Densetsu and man that was a fun game. I used to play that game all the time before I went to school. I remember waking up at 5:00 to play that game :lol:. Good times, good times. :)

User avatar
medama_oyaji
Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
Posts: 362
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:42 am

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by medama_oyaji » Tue May 15, 2012 10:01 am

VegettoEX wrote: Can someone please push my wheelchair over to the window? I like watching the birds.
I'm right there with you! Someone bring me my cane so I can yell at the youngsters on my lawn! :P

User avatar
Castor Troy
I Live Here
Posts: 2134
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:37 pm
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: The first time that you watched the Japanese version?

Post by Castor Troy » Tue May 15, 2012 2:41 pm

In 1999, a certain someone here sold me the Majin Vegeta episodes (228-239) and the rest is history after that. :)

I still managed to catch those episodes on their initial CN and IC runs, their VHS and DVD releases (except the orange bricks), and finally getting them on Dbox 6. It was always surreal watching them get better in quality every time.

Post Reply