How did the re-cast characters turn out (in your opinion)?

[dbzfan7]

Freeza: Young played Genkai in Yu Yu Hakusho with the same voice she used for Freeza. That is mind-breakingly terrible. Ayers, on the other hand, is like coming out of a freezing storm, nearly frostbitten and about to pass out, into a warm, welcoming cabin with hot cocoa, blankets, and a supermodel of your preferred gender asking to help you get comfortable.

This is beautiful.

Agreed. This is the best way to describe Ayres as Freeza when coming off from Genkai/Young as Freeza. I need that as a signature.

[Ringworm128]

Ginyu: I like R. Bruce Eliot as Ginyu but to me Brice Armstrong is simply the better Ginyu. He sounded more commanding, more funny, more threatening more cocky and just overall more memorable.

Freeza: Now onto the most talked about recast, Freeza. I've never had a problem with Linda Young as Freeza in fact it's one of my favorite villain voices of all time but I actually like Chris Ayers just as much he did such a great job that he deserves to win an award.

[ABED]

I'm so happy with not only the recasts, but the returning cast as well. They benefitted greatly from good scripts, and directors who now know what they are doing. The returning cast improved by leaps and bounds, and some changes have been made over the years that made the dub not just passable but excellent. For instance Piccolo went from gravelly sounding to a smooth deep sounding voice, and Sonny Straight no longer sounds like Popeye on helium.

It's funny, when I first heard about Kai, I was hoping FUNi would recast certain key roles and got my wish. In fact, I think my wishes were exceeded. The three that I most wanted changed were Freeza, Bulma and Gohan. To this day I can't stand Vollmer's Bulma. No offense to the actress, but her voice doesn't fit at all. Lalainia Lindbjerg is still my favorite voice for Bulma, but Monica Rial is a very close second.

Last but certainly not least, Chris Ayres. What can I say that hasn't already be said? His Freeza is everything I hoped for

[TheGreatness25]

I know that a lot of people love the fact that Stephanie Nadolny was recasted for Kai, but I think it's weird. The new VA (I always forget her name) sounds a bit like Nadolny, it's not like the new voice actor is phenomenal, not like she's a million times better. Now it's kind of like the entire series was done with Nadolny and it's okay for Kai that the voice changed, but for Curse of the Blood Rubies (for example) it just creates inconsistency.

[CaBrPi]

I know that a lot of people love the fact that Stephanie Nadolny was recasted for Kai, but I think it's weird. The new VA (I always forget her name) sounds a bit like Nadolny, it's not like the new voice actor is phenomenal, not like she's a million times better. Now it's kind of like the entire series was done with Nadolny and it's okay for Kai that the voice changed, but for Curse of the Blood Rubies (for example) it just creates inconsistency.

I disagree. Colleen Clinkenbeard hardly sounds anything like Stephanie Nadolny. I also do think she's much more suited to the role than Nadolny.

As for the Dragon Ball movies, Stephanie Nadolny only voiced Goku in one- The Path to Power. Saffron Henderson (who worked for Ocean) did Goku's voice in the first Funimation-produced dub of Curse of the Blood Rubies, Colleen Clinkenbeard did it in Funimation's in-house redub, and Ceyli Delgadillo did it for the other two. So there's always been an inconsistency between the voice actors used in the movies, and those used in the actual series.

[TheGreatness25]

I don't know, to me Gohan still sounds pretty bad in Kai. My favorite one is Seffron Henderson. To me, I feel like the redub from Nadolny to Clickenbeard was so unnecessary. Nadolny did a decent job in Dragon Ball and in Kai, Gohan sounds pretty whiney and it sounds really forced. Yeah, Nadolny sounded forced too, but why recast from one to another unless it sounds so natural? It still doesn't sound natural to me. I don't know. That's just my opinion.

[matt0044]

I don't know, to me Gohan still sounds pretty bad in Kai. My favorite one is Seffron Henderson. To me, I feel like the redub from Nadolny to Clickenbeard was so unnecessary. Nadolny did a decent job in Dragon Ball and in Kai, Gohan sounds pretty whiney and it sounds really forced. Yeah, Nadolny sounded forced too, but why recast from one to another unless it sounds so natural? It still doesn't sound natural to me. I don't know. That's just my opinion.

I honestly love Clinkenbeard as young Gohan because it reminds you that while he can fight, he's still a child (hence the "whiny" part) and doesn't actually enjoy fighting like his old man. Plus, she portrays Gohan with a lot more varied emotion and there's a real subtle transition from toddler to ten year old.

[ABED]

My favorite English Gohan is still Saffron Henderson. She made Gohan sound young and cute and boyish. Clinkenbeard comes a close second. The only problem I have is that sometimes I'm aware that it's a woman voicing Gohan and it's not as high as a 4 year old's voice should sound. However, the sound of her voice and her acting are top notch and make up for any deficiencies she might have. No offense to Nadolny but I've never found her voice for Gohan or Goku appealing. She gave them a raspy quality that I'm not fond of for those characters. I know many seem to like her Goku but her laugh sounds like Krusty the Clown. It's unfortunate that we only got Clinkenbeard for one movie.

Tenshinhan - I always enjoyed John Burgmeier, but like his voice even more in Kai because it's less raspy and natural sounding. His acting has been pretty darn good from the beginning.
Puar - The squeaky quality still bothers me.
Reacoom - He's gotten dumber each dub. He now sounds full retard, and you never go full retard.
Ginyu - It's a shame that Dale Kelly got such crappy dialog, I don't think he would've been bad with a stronger script. I enjoy Brice Armstrong in anything. That guy could read a phone book and I'd be enthralled by his voice, but he still sounds older than I think Ginyu should. Doc Morgan hits the sweet spot.
The Narrator - I don't know why the movie 1 redub didn't use the amazing Doc Morgan, but John Swasey is not a good narrator. He doesn't have a narrator's voice. It's not particularly distinctive, nor avuncular. Brice was great as the narrator and if I had my pick, he would've been the narrator for every DB series. Unfortunately he's retired, but we got Doc Morgan who might be as good if not better. He's certainly better in the role than Kyle Hebert. I like Kyle and think he's a great Gohan, but he doesn't have a narrator's voice. It's forced at best.

[Gonstead]

On the contrary, Recoome sounds less "Herp Derp" than what was present in the uncut redub. In Kai, he's a much more tolerable performance.

[KaiserNeko]

On the contrary, Recoome sounds less "Herp Derp" than what was present in the uncut redub. In Kai, he's a much more tolerable performance.

It's true. It's actually noticeably less derpy than the prior dub. Still not as good as I'd like, but definitely better.

[ABED]

On the contrary, Recoome sounds less "Herp Derp" than what was present in the uncut redub. In Kai, he's a much more tolerable performance.

It's true. It's actually noticeably less derpy than the prior dub. Still not as good as I'd like, but definitely better.

Maybe I need to go back and listen but I remember him getting progressively worse.

Trunks - The rasp is noticably greater, but the acting is better. I don't know who's decision it was, but it would've been much better had Vale used a much less raspy voice (like the first time). I wonder how it would've sounded had he used his normal voice.

[CaBrPi]

It appears they had Eric Vale play up the rasp to match with Chris Sabat's Vegeta.

[ABED]

It appears they had Eric Vale play up the rasp to match with Chris Sabat's Vegeta.

I figured that might be one of the reasons, or THE reason, but I still disagree with it because the performance suffers.

[matt0044]

It appears they had Eric Vale play up the rasp to match with Chris Sabat's Vegeta.

Did they say that?

[CaBrPi]

It appears they had Eric Vale play up the rasp to match with Chris Sabat's Vegeta.

I figured that might be one of the reasons, or THE reason, but I still disagree with it because the performance suffers.

Oh, I don't disagree with you here. The performance does suffer from it.

It appears they had Eric Vale play up the rasp to match with Chris Sabat's Vegeta.

Did they say that?

No. That's why I said "appears". If they'd said that, I would have said, "They had Eric Vale..." or "They said they had Eric Vale..."

[matt0044]

Eh, I'm more indifferent to it though it could've been a more Sanji-like delivery

[Duo]

Trunks didn't really sound different to me at all, but most of what I remember hearing of him is from the Budokai games. Maybe those performances had the same performance in mind as the way he did it in Kai. Honestly, I'm a little saddened they didn't find a way to make him speak a bit more politely/proper like he is said to in the Japanese version.

Every version of Nappa and Reacoom I have heard in any media since they switched off of the Ocean cast has sounded much too odd and perhaps "derpy" for me to to handle. Still bothered me a bit in Kai.

While I'm at it, Justin Cook does not do Raditz. He sounds like a teenager.

[matt0044]

While I'm at it, Justin Cook does not do Raditz. He sounds like a teenager.

I actually like him better now. It has that classic villain vibe that retches of arrogance and pompousness. Just like a Saiyan...

[ABED]

I agree that Reacoom sounds derpy, but I don't think Phil Parson's Nappa does. He's not as natural as I'd like but he's far from horrible. As for Cook, i'm not a fan of his voice work. I admire his passion and love of Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragon Ball but as an actor, he leaves a lot to be desired. Any Monk fans? The actor that played Raditz in the Ocean dub is Jason Gray-Stanford, who you'll recognize as Randy Disher on Monk. I was so happy when I found that out, plus he was pretty damn good as Raditz.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I like Justin Cook okay as Raditz in the Ultimate Uncut re-dub of the Saiyan arc in Z, but his Raditz in Kai just sounds...I dunno. All he does is scream every line really. I think he was severely out of practice by then though - he doesn't do a lot of voice-over anymore now that he's a higher up at FUNimation.