It's just so weird hearing Goku curse.

[Majin Steve]

I really like the cursing in the new dub, it makes things much more realistic, more dramatic, and as others have said it makes Goku more like he's meant to be. "You ruthless, heartless bastard, I am going to make you suffer" is a brilliant line for Kuririn's death. Doesn't someone say "son of a bitch" at one point? I might have mis-remembered that...

It really ups the realiasm/gravitas.

[theoriginalbilis]

They should curse more. I mean, the characters in DBZ are either athletes, thugs, psychopaths, or just testosterone-fueled dudes in general. They're prone to some strong emotional outbursts, so cursing is only natural...

I think they've struck a good balance where there's a kid-friendly version available on TV, and a uncut, mature-language version available on DVD... one of the things that always irked me about the original Z dub is that even the uncut dub had "darn" and "gosh" and all that nonsense in it.

[DBZ Mick]

I think the problem is Schemmel's delivery. Whenever Gokuu drops 'kuso', 'chikushou', 'yarou', et cetera she plays it straight. Schemmel's delivery a lot of the time is just too heavy-handed.

I think it was mainly this and not having heard Schemmel's voice for years.

[GiruData]

The FCC is the reason for heavy censorship on television. You can imply it and you can show breasts but god forbid you ever say "fuck".

Also I've gotten so used to the Japanese voices that I can't bear to watch the dub anymore. The English voice actors that I grew up, to me, sound like they are over-exerting when they are doing the voices for their characters. Sometimes I feel like they are trying to sound like super heros instead. It ends up sounding corny to me. When I watched Dragonball Z in japanese it felt like a real anime for once.

Also the fact that I watched both Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT a second time in Japanese makes it hard for me to go back to English.

[AgitoZ]

The FCC is the reason for heavy censorship on television. You can imply it and you can show breasts but god forbid you ever say "fuck".

I'm pretty sure sponsors have a bigger sway on censorship, at least on cable television. And I'm pretty sure breasts are just as hard to get on basic television as f-bombs.

But in the case of Dragon Ball, the biggest filter on the characters' mouths is FUNimation itself.

When I watched Dragonball Z in japanese it felt like a real anime for once.

What is a "real anime"? I can understand that the acting can feel more genuine, but I'm having a hard time understanding this mindset.

[Majin Steve]

Yeah, when Buffy portrayed a killer KFC parody I think loads of the sponsors either threatened to drop out or actually did. It was one of the most controversial things the show did, despite all the fighting and deaths.

[Mewzard]

The FCC is the reason for heavy censorship on television. You can imply it and you can show breasts but god forbid you ever say "fuck".

Also I've gotten so used to the Japanese voices that I can't bear to watch the dub anymore. The English voice actors that I grew up, to me, sound like they are over-exerting when they are doing the voices for their characters. Sometimes I feel like they are trying to sound like super heros instead. It ends up sounding corny to me. When I watched Dragonball Z in japanese it felt like a real anime for once.

Also the fact that I watched both Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT a second time in Japanese makes it hard for me to go back to English.

On basic Cable? No. Even with Standards and Practices, swearing will sooner be let through than nudity (unless it's something educational).

As for the dubbing, I disagree in terms of Kai, but can see where you're coming from with Z. It was a flawed dub: Inexperienced actors, replaced scored, inaccurate script, that sort of thing. But Kai fixes all of that, so I feel the Kai Dub is an enjoyable way to watch the series, despite having watched a great majority of Z in Japanese (and soon to be all).

[LiamKav]

I've never got the "they are in a life and death situation, so they will start dropping f-bombs" argument. It implies that people WANT to swear all the time, and it's only society with it's rules (man) that's holding us back, and if we were in a situation where we were allowed to relax those rules, then we'd be fucking you up shit style for killing my bastard friend you tit.

Some people swear. Some people don't. It's appropriate for some characters, and for others it isn't. Arguing about "realism" is always a tricky thing in a show about people with tails who turn into apes and get golden hair sometimes, but I'd say that hearing Vegeta say "you candy-assed faggots" would be more jarring than having "you've killed my son. Darn you, good sir." Bruce Timm's Batman wouldn't swear, even if the show allowed it, because it doesn't match his character. Freeza would never swear unless he was having a breakdown, then I can see the swear words creeping in. Goku would lightly swear, but more because he wouldn't quite understand social etiquettes than because he's trying to sound bad-ass. Some characters would show anger by saying "fuck you!", others would show it by saying nothing at all and just staring.

Or, to put it another way, if you think that saying "fuck" shows maturity, you don't understand maturity.

[Majin Steve]

*slow clap that escalates into a building applause*

[Mewzard]

I've never got the "they are in a life and death situation, so they will start dropping f-bombs" argument. It implies that people WANT to swear all the time, and it's only society with it's rules (man) that's holding us back, and if we were in a situation where we were allowed to relax those rules, then we'd be fucking you up shit style for killing my bastard friend you tit.

Some people swear. Some people don't. It's appropriate for some characters, and for others it isn't. Arguing about "realism" is always a tricky thing in a show about people with tails who turn into apes and get golden hair sometimes, but I'd say that hearing Vegeta say "you candy-assed faggots" would be more jarring than having "you've killed my son. Darn you, good sir." Bruce Timm's Batman wouldn't swear, even if the show allowed it, because it doesn't match his character. Freeza would never swear unless he was having a breakdown, then I can see the swear words creeping in. Goku would lightly swear, but more because he wouldn't quite understand social etiquettes than because he's trying to sound bad-ass. Some characters would show anger by saying "fuck you!", others would show it by saying nothing at all and just staring.

Or, to put it another way, if you think that saying "fuck" shows maturity, you don't understand maturity.

One doesn't have to go from "Darn you!" straight to "Fuck off!". It's not either absolute every single curse word ever said at a George Carlin comedy special vs a perfectly clean motuhed saint. An angry Goku, I could see saying "Damn you!" or, in the case of Freeza killing Krillin, angrily calling him a bastard. But I don't think Goku would go all that worse (definitely not using "fuck", maybe "shit", but only because he might have heard it used in the same context as crap or poop). Now Vegeta? I'm sure had the trip back from Earth been with him conscious, it would have sounded like a rap song with the level of swearing due to his defeat, but not Goku, Gohan, Krillin, etc.

[matt0044]

I've never got the "they are in a life and death situation, so they will start dropping f-bombs" argument. It implies that people WANT to swear all the time, and it's only society with it's rules (man) that's holding us back, and if we were in a situation where we were allowed to relax those rules, then we'd be fucking you up shit style for killing my bastard friend you tit.

Some people swear. Some people don't. It's appropriate for some characters, and for others it isn't. Arguing about "realism" is always a tricky thing in a show about people with tails who turn into apes and get golden hair sometimes, but I'd say that hearing Vegeta say "you candy-assed faggots" would be more jarring than having "you've killed my son. Darn you, good sir." Bruce Timm's Batman wouldn't swear, even if the show allowed it, because it doesn't match his character. Freeza would never swear unless he was having a breakdown, then I can see the swear words creeping in. Goku would lightly swear, but more because he wouldn't quite understand social etiquettes than because he's trying to sound bad-ass. Some characters would show anger by saying "fuck you!", others would show it by saying nothing at all and just staring.

Or, to put it another way, if you think that saying "fuck" shows maturity, you don't understand maturity.

They don't want to swear (all the time) but the situations like with a powerful foe causes them to swear. Like it slips. And I don't think saying "fuck" = maturity but I don't think that's the point of it.

[Adamant]

I'd say that hearing Vegeta say "you candy-assed faggots" would be more jarring than having "you've killed my son. Darn you, good sir."

During the scene where Animelabs used the "candy-ass faggot" line, were Vegeta is just frustrated with his opponent trying to hide from him instead of coming out and fight? Yeah, it's pretty out-of-character and bizarre there.

During those scenes where he's exploding with insane, vein-popping rage, like after Goku smashes him into a cliff at the beginning of their first fight, however? You better believe he'd be screaming every curse word he knew at the top of his lungs.

[theoriginalbilis]

The original Japanese dialogue used somewhat harsh language. A proper dub should translate the Japanese dialogue into English. Therefore, the Kai was more faithful by having characters swear.

[Flamzeron]

I kind of like the sound of Goku cursing. I feel like it adds an interesting flavor to his performance in English. I grew up with the FUNimation dub so I had never heard any swears in the series until much later.

[Super Sonic]

Like LiamKev said cursing doesn't always mean maturity or better. For example back in 1999 a song came out called Back That Azz Up. Most folks I know prefer its radio version Back That Thang Up that doesn't have so much language, and I agree wih them.

[SSJ4_Zankuto]

Goku's cursing response to Frieza for killing his best friend he grew up with since the beginning was stunning to hear. I doubt Zarbon, Dodoria or any members of the Ginyu Force, would have the guts to say cursing words towards Frieza-sama himself or be killed by him.

[matt0044]

Goku's cursing response to Freeza for killing his best friend he grew up with since the beginning was stunning to hear.

It's a good indication that he's being pushed over the edge.

[DBZAOTA482]

It's not like everyone's swearing every two minutes like the Cyber City Oedo dub.

It's not so such that they are swearing every goddamn minute it's just the damned repetition. Hell, Uncut Yu Yu Hakusho had more variety.

[CaBrPi]

It's not like everyone's swearing every two minutes like the Cyber City Oedo dub.

It's not so such that they are swearing every goddamn minute it's just the damned repetition. Hell, Uncut Yu Yu Hakusho had more variety.

I dunno, "damn" and "hell" are pretty (for lack of a better term) popular curse words.