When did you realize that FUNI was doing it right this time?

[Kaboom]

I realized that FUNimation was finally "doing it right" when I first heard the Kai dub for myself.

But my premonition-senses started tingling back with Sean Schemmel saying "Son Goku" in Burst Limit.

[ABED]

I haven't seen the westwood dub but McNeill was always a joy to listen to, and you could hear that he cared about his performance, or at least that's how he sounded to me. Penguin, you chose a video from the very early Cell arc, but it wasn't until the Buu arc that he started sounding more natural. The only thing in his way at that point was the gravel, which I'll reiterate was something he was told to do in order to sound more like the previous actor. Piccolo is gruff, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Furukawa is amazing, but not every actor has to sound like the original. They just have to fit the character. Sabat has a distinct natural deep voice and I though his speaking voice was perfect for the character, and I was right more or less. His Piccolo is more or less him pitched down.

[Fennekin]

I knew it was perfect the moment I first heard it.

[Looneygamemaster]

For my part, I wasn't very interested in Kai, until I heard about the Freeza re-casting. Intrigued, I tooned into NickToons' video player, and when I first heard Chris Ayres' take, I was...a little weirded out. But when he actually got to talk properly, I realized "Y'know...this works. It really works." Then he blew me away with the best English Dragon Ball performance I've ever heard, and one of the best Dragon Ball performances period.

[Gyt Kaliba]

For my part, I wasn't very interested in Kai, until I heard about the Freeza re-casting. Intrigued, I tooned into NickToons' video player, and when I first heard Chris Ayres' take, I was...a little weirded out. But when he actually got to talk properly, I realized "Y'know...this works. It really works." Then he blew me away with the best English Dragon Ball performance I've ever heard, and one of the best Dragon Ball performances period.

I think we were all 'rick-rolled' by that first episode with him at the very end of it, yeah. It sounded like a bad impression of Linda Young, albeit by a male, rather than what the voice actually was once we got to hear more of it. Ayres is definitely a big part of what I enjoy in Kai too.

(Also, yo! Long time no talk since FUNi's been rather slow lately.)

[VegettoEX]

There was definitely a #freezafail trend going around on Twitter with folks that night on the NickToons broadcast when all we got was the laugh at the end of the episode. Was not indicative at all of what was apparently coming, which was a shame.

[ABED]

I thought Ayres sounded more like Pauline Newstone than Linda Young.

[El Diabeetus]

I thought Ayres sounded more like Pauline Newstone than Linda Young.

Yep, at first when all the negative first impressions were made (I was even guilty of it), I wondered why the hell he sounded like her Freeza. But, I'm glad all of us that said that got proven wrong later, he ended up being the highlight of the Kai dub.

[ABED]

I thought Ayres sounded more like Pauline Newstone than Linda Young.

Yep, at first when all the negative first impressions were made (I was even guilty of it), I wondered why the hell he sounded like her Freeza. But, I'm glad all of us that said that got proven wrong later, he ended up being the highlight of the Kai dub.

I was taken aback by it as well, but if I was on the forum, I would've written that we can't really tell from a laugh. I was also surprised that so many people seemed to know right off the bat who voiced him from just that even though I don't remember Ayres' name being released to the public.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

When we had those shaky, low quality clips of Piccolo yelling, "Die Saiyan! Makankosappo!!" that were recorded at some Anime (are you meant to capitalize the word 'Anime' ?) convention. I mean, of course 'Saiyan' was pronounced incorrectly, but y'know.

The excitement on that day when all of those clips were leaking out is so vivid in my mind. First great experience on this forum, I'd say.

[Ryuji-Otogi]

Eh, I honestly consider the way it's said in the dub the correct English pronunciation now. It would be weird hearing them say SAI--YAAH, SAI-YAAH-JIN, or SAI-YAWN. I never understood the nitpickyness with the way they would pronounce 'Kamehameha' when they used it as a noun rather than an exclamation either. I am glad they pronounce Kaioken (Kuy-oh-ken) right now though, since 'K.O.-ken' took the 'Kai' out of it.

Come to think of it, hearing Mankakosappo! from Sabat was an eye-opener for me too. I never in a million years thought they would fix any of the dubisms, especially since 'Special Beam Cannon!' is arguably Piccolo's most iconic attack. I'm sure some dub fans were confused when they heard that. Shame they didn't go all the way though and re-do all the character names and stuff for the uncut DVDs. They could have even made a separate track with Kuririn,Tenshinhan, et. al.

[penguintruth]

I thought Ayres sounded like Newstone at first, too. But he changed almost immediately. First line jitters? They should have re-recorded them. But I have a feeling Funimation doesn't like doing that.

[ABED]

I thought Ayres sounded like Newstone at first, too. But he changed almost immediately. First line jitters? They should have re-recorded them. But I have a feeling Funimation doesn't like doing that.

Why? The delivery wasn't bad.

[dbzfan7]

I realized that FUNimation was finally "doing it right" when I first heard the Kai dub for myself.

But my premonition-senses started tingling back with Sean Schemmel saying "Son Goku" in Burst Limit.

I preferred this line and delivery, even more than the one in Kai