Success of a failure... dissecting FUNi's Z dub

[Zephyr]

To anyone trying to defend the old Funi Z dub's quality:

Have you ever tried watching it with people who aren't fans of the show? Have you not experienced the sheer embarrassment of allowing someone else to hear the cringe-worthy puns and dialog, the goofy voices that are goofy for the sake of being goofy coupled with a score that absolutely does not stop and over-hams up the action scenes?

I have, and it's fucking nerve racking. When I do this with the original version however, the only thing I even have to worry about is them disliking the fact that it's in Japanese. Goku is one of the few characters with a "goofy" voice, and it fits his goofy character.

[penguintruth]

I didn't say it wasn't their right, just that it wasn't their job. It's not like adpating from one medium to another, it's another language, and the line works perfectly as is. This isn't like translating Kaio-sama's jokes. Adaptation is making something suitable. I fail to see how the original dialog needed changing.

The job Toei hired Funi to do was to make DBZ a success by whatever means they felt necessary. It was a success so they did their job right. Now we have 2 great versions of the same show that people can enjoy for different reasons.

And I honestly think that making Goku more heroic helped the shows' popularity. A Western audience likes a heroic character. People love Goku's "Hope of the universe speech".

Except that's not the f***ing show. That's something they turned the show into.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

To anyone trying to defend the old Funi Z dub's quality:

Have you ever tried watching it with people who aren't fans of the show? Have you not experienced the sheer embarrassment of allowing someone else to hear the cringe-worthy puns and dialog, the goofy voices that are goofy for the sake of being goofy coupled with a score that absolutely does not stop and over-hams up the action scenes?

^ This, people. It's happened to me a couple of times, though in those cases non-fans walking in on a viewing with other fans, and after a couple episodes it comes down to "I don't know how you watch this." Though I very much suspect the pacing was part of the problem too, though, considering the most recent example was SS2 Gohan versus Cell, and we all know that basically slows to a crawl until Cell blows himself up.

Not that the Japanese version is safe, though, that's straight up wrong; you still have unexpected voices, pacing, and Z's actual story to deal with. Smaller hurdles, particularly with existing anime fans, but still hurdles.

[Rocketman]

I have never heard anybody make fun of the voices/dialogue/etc more than they make fun of the pacing and plot.

Drag-on Ball Z. "Are they still on Namek?" "How many Super Saiyans does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes five episodes."


That is what people remember. Not "Goku's speeches were totally unbefitting his character!"

[DBZAOTA482]

The guy forgot the awkwardly timed camera pans.

[Zephyr]

Of course that's what they remember. I'm talking about trying to actually sit down and watch it and trying to sit through all of that horribly sounding shit during each sluggish episode.

I know, I know, you're going to bitch about Nozawa sounding like a bird, or some shit, but that's only one piece, one voice (hell, I'll even grant you a handful if you want count the rest of the males in his family, but that's still not nearly as bad as the dub). The dub has literally every character shouting out groan-inducing dialog in cringe-worthy voices. On top of the HARDCORE MONSTER TRUCK RALLY score, that comes off as trying way too hard. All of that, in a show that has horrible pacing.

Sure, you can argue the Japanese version has bad dialog too, and even if that point is granted understanding the bad dialog in your own language is much more off-putting than hearing bad dialog in another language. You're not actually comprehending the badness, the cheesyness, of the lines being spoken. Even aside from that, the sub inserted shitloads of dialog where none was previously present. So even if you want to argue that both versions have equally terrible voices, the dub shoehorned waaaaaay more dialog in.

That's why I would probably have better luck sitting down someone who isn't a fan of the series and watching the Japanese version, as opposed to the old dub (unless they're the type who cry foul at having to listen to voices that aren't English, or "you mean I have to read while I watch these guys stand still for minutes at a time doing nothing? I'll miss all the action and pretty scenery while it switches back and forth between their faces!").

[ABED]

What Japanese dialog would you consider bad?

I'll grant you that the pacing is lackluster in parts, but one wonders why there are so many fans of the show if the pacing is so terrible.

[goku the krump dancer]

I have never heard anybody make fun of the voices/dialogue/etc more than they make fun of the pacing and plot.

Drag-on Ball Z. "Are they still on Namek?" "How many Super Saiyans does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes five episodes."


That is what people remember. Not "Goku's speeches were totally unbefitting his character!"

Exactly.. The average person only remembers the dramatic stare downs, long ass power up/ transformation scenes and the announcer guy.

The only time quotes and bgms are discussed is when die hards like us talk about it.

I remember when I was in High School, a friend of mine said to me "That DBZ shit is corny, cuz they used to always say" and he goes to say "Next time" in the narrator's voice. I died laughing but its true.

Even during the play offs and finals of this past NBA season I saw shit like this up and down my Twitter and Instagram timelines, it was crazy... Just goes to show what Dragon Ball is really know for in the general public..

[Zephyr]

What Japanese dialog would you consider bad?

Not really any of it off the top of my head. I don't even consider it bad. I was just covering my bases, and showing that even if the Japanese script was equally bad (which I'm sure someone would try arguing), that wouldn't really matter.

[ABED]

Just goes to show what Dragon Ball is really know for in the general public..
No it doesn't. It's know for that by people who aren't fans and have a passing knowledge of it or maybe just the people who saw the occasional episode. I have a hard time believing any show could have so many fans and YET have them remember the show for its pacing primarily.

[WesMan23]

I'm not gonna lie, that picture is hilarious. But, that is what DBZ was known for to a fair lot of people, the casual viewer, more or less, and a lot of those same people won't give Kai a chance, despite that eliminating most of the pacing issues, rockin-ballz soundtrack, and monster-truck narrator. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's as good as it's going to get, for now at least. Fans of the original Z dub should really be more open minded about Kai, IMO.

[TheMightyOzaru]

This is why Kai and the manga are better.

[IDreamtIWasABee]

I have never heard anybody make fun of the voices/dialogue/etc more than they make fun of the pacing and plot.

Drag-on Ball Z. "Are they still on Namek?" "How many Super Saiyans does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes five episodes."


That is what people remember. Not "Goku's speeches were totally unbefitting his character!"

With good reason. The preposterous pacing is DBZ's original sin.

[Fionordequester]

Have you ever tried watching it with people who aren't fans of the show? Have you not experienced the sheer embarrassment of allowing someone else to hear the cringe-worthy puns and dialog, the goofy voices that are goofy for the sake of being goofy coupled with a score that absolutely does not stop and over-hams up the action scenes?

Actually, yeah, I have. I remember watching one or two Season 3 episodes where Namek explodes after Goku's done fighting Frieza, and basically, her throughts were...

Well, as for the English dubbing...it was ok...but there were some pretty bad lines (in reference to King Kai described Planet Namek as "turning into a big bowl of sphagetti sauce"...[and] yeah, it was very bipolar, with really cheesy and kiddy lines alongside really scary and dramatic music (We were watching with the Team Faulconer music)

So basically, from the impressions I got, while she didn't like Season 3, it wasn't bad enough to put her off of the show, and most likely wouldn't have minded much past the point where the Androids smacked down the Z Fighters (The main version we were watching was Dragon Ball Z Kai. I just showed her that episode to point out an absolutely RIDICULOUS continuity error involving Vegeta laying the smackdown on Gohan, laughing maniacally about it, then leaving...only to show up the next episode, standing beside a tree, and even helping them revive Goku while Gohan, of course, doesn't have a scratch on him).

[Ringworm128]

I have never heard anybody make fun of the voices/dialogue/etc more than they make fun of the pacing and plot.

Drag-on Ball Z. "Are they still on Namek?" "How many Super Saiyans does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes five episodes."


That is what people remember. Not "Goku's speeches were totally unbefitting his character!"

Is that Dan Hibiki? Also many people remember DBZ as "that show where the blond spiky haired dudes scream and punch each other." Also on the subject of Kikuchi vs Faulconer I once had a conversation with my brother who is a super casual "watched it back in the day as a kid" fan about the musical changes and I mentioned how the original had orchestra music in which he responded "that sort of music would be a better fit for a series like DBZ, it seemed they were always trying to make DBZ an "AMERICA F..K YEAH!" show." Then there's my other brother who is also a casual fan who watches the English dub but I never saw him once flip over to the Faulconer option for the season sets. I know it's just two people but still.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

Drag-on Ball Z.

I was waiting for that.

And that I too have run into more than one person throwing out "5 Minutes" into a Dragon Ball related conversation just because it probably was the only thing they remembered; one guy more than once on two different occasions!

[ABED]

Why does the "five minute" thing bother people so much? Is it because it wasn't five minutes or that they didn't think what happened in the supposed five minutes was interesting?

[Fionordequester]

Also on the subject of Kikuchi vs Faulconer I once had a conversation with my brother who is a super casual "watched it back in the day as a kid" fan about the musical changes and I mentioned how the original had orchestra music in which he responded "that sort of music would be a better fit for a series like DBZ, it seemed they were always trying to make DBZ an "AMERICA F..K YEAH!" show."

I'm not sure that's fair when he hasn't heard the actual Kikuchi score though. After all, even orchestrated music can vary from movie to movie, and from show to show. I mean, I certainly wouldn't compare Lord of the Rings, or Baldur's Gate to Shunsuke Kikuchi and say, "yeah, they're basically the same".

[ABED]

An orchestral score is the most appropriate for a show like DB and DBZ since it doesn't take place in our world, and it's steeped in mysticism.

[Rocketman]

Why does the "five minute" thing bother people so much? Is it because it wasn't five minutes or that they didn't think what happened in the supposed five minutes was interesting?

"Five minutes" is just shorthand. It's not about the line itself, it's about how that segment (and Goku vs Freeza...the Freeza fight...hell, the entire Namek arc) is the most brutally shit example of DBZ's godawful pacing.