The general American fanbase really annoys me.

[dbzfan7]

They act as if only Faulconer matters. In comparison videos they complain about a lack of Faulconer and that it's not fair. It's done that way to avoid the nostalgia goggles from blinding people to only listen to the music so they don't notice the bad acting.

[TheGmGoken]

They act as if only Faulconer matters. In comparison videos they complain about a lack of Faulconer and that it's not fair. It's done that way to avoid the nostalgia goggles from blinding people to only listen to the music so they don't notice the bad acting.

I love of old Funi DBZ worked. Have you realize the worst acting scenes had the LOUDEST music but yet the scenes with tolerable acting the music was MUCH lower. I also hear people say it's the Faulconer dub .

[dbzfan7]

They act as if only Faulconer matters. In comparison videos they complain about a lack of Faulconer and that it's not fair. It's done that way to avoid the nostalgia goggles from blinding people to only listen to the music so they don't notice the bad acting.

I love of old Funi DBZ worked. Have you realize the worst acting scenes had the LOUDEST music but yet the scenes with tolerable acting the music was MUCH lower. I also hear people say it's the Faulconer dub .

That has recently been my complaint. The music is WAY TO LOUD and drowning.

[TheGmGoken]

They act as if only Faulconer matters. In comparison videos they complain about a lack of Faulconer and that it's not fair. It's done that way to avoid the nostalgia goggles from blinding people to only listen to the music so they don't notice the bad acting.

I love of old Funi DBZ worked. Have you realize the worst acting scenes had the LOUDEST music but yet the scenes with tolerable acting the music was MUCH lower. I also hear people say it's the Faulconer dub .

That has recently been my complaint. The music is WAY TO LOUD and drowning.

At least it proves Funimation knew that they were bad. Funimation is smarter than I thought. Play loud music when they suck at voicing and lower it when they're good.. Through at times I can barely here the fighting and go deaf for a short period(True story).

[dbzfan7]

At least it proves Funimation knew that they were bad. Funimation is smarter than I thought. Play loud music when they suck at voicing and lower it when they're good.. Through at times I can barely here the fighting and go deaf for a short period(True story).

I was reminded of the music when penguin put up the SSJ2 Goku meeting Babidi. The music was SO DAMN LOUD.

[Mewzard]

With some wriggling, most of these recent arguments could be made for the fanbase of the sub (change what the complaints are, replace Faulkner for Kikuchi, replace too damn loud with too damn quiet, etc). The arrogance of assuming a whole fanbase is somehow inferior to you due to difference in taste is pretty bad guys...And this is coming from someone who's a fan of both English and Japanese (Japanese for Z, English for Kai), so this isn't one-sided.

[TheGmGoken]

With some wriggling, most of these recent arguments could be made for the fanbase of the sub (change what the complaints are, replace Faulkner for Kikuchi, replace too damn loud with too damn quiet, etc). The arrogance of assuming a whole fanbase is somehow inferior to you due to difference in taste is pretty bad guys...And this is coming from someone who's a fan of both English and Japanese (Japanese for Z, English for Kai), so this isn't one-sided.

I..I'm confused what are you talking about?

[KingofWisdom]

With some wriggling, most of these recent arguments could be made for the fanbase of the sub (change what the complaints are, replace Faulkner for Kikuchi, replace too damn loud with too damn quiet, etc). The arrogance of assuming a whole fanbase is somehow inferior to you due to difference in taste is pretty bad guys...And this is coming from someone who's a fan of both English and Japanese (Japanese for Z, English for Kai), so this isn't one-sided.

This isn't a topic meant to shame people for their preference. It's talking about their quirks. The obnoxiousness and the sense of pride these fans seem to take in their own ignorance, as well as personal experiences dealing with this sorta thing. Or even just the general lack of common sense they can show (like the recent debacle we had with Toriyama supposedly doing a new Dragon Ball TV series, when the source in question was a picture on Facebook with some guy ripping his shirt off in excitement). No, not all dub fans are this way.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

The thing about subtitles is that I don't want Woolseyisms in them. When I watch subtitles, I hope for as direct a translation a possible.

I think for hardcore fans, that's all right. I don't mind hearing sans and chans and hearing Japanese cultural terms because I know them. My Japanese these days is nowhere good enough to where I can go without subtitles, and so having them helps a lot, but I can pick up various nuances like polite and old-fashioned forms of words. I'm not saying I like stuff like "Keikaku Doori" and "Nakama" being left untranslated, but I wouldn't mind that much if they were. I'm not as dependent on subtitles for the literal and cultural meaning of scenes in Anime. I'm sure a lot of us remember that fairly well-made documentary on YouTube about fansubs that criticizes them for being too literal, but it really doesn't bother me too much. I suspect you're in the same boat from watching your videos, which are great btw.


The point that the documentary makes which I think is particularly relevant is these fansubs, and some offical subs by the look of things, alienate causal fans. While some anime are probably just going to be the preserve of a niche of fans, some of the more "mainstream" anime attract much more fans. I think it's at this point where we should think about whether untranslated honorifics etc are really appropriate. DB's subtitles are generally good, and while most dub fans would probably keep watching the dub anyway, I think they could benefit from a few minor changes. The only example I can remember, apart from honorifics and the like, is from that episode of GT where Goku transforms into his Great Ape form. "Risei o Torimodosu" or something like that is literally translated as "regain rationality", where "come to his senses" would be far more natural. It's minor, I know, but it's just an example of the kind of thing some viewers might be put off by (though, in truth, they're far more likely to be put off by Great Ape Goku's laughably unconvincing voice.)



I think everyone can enjoy both dubs and subs on different levels and for different reasons, so subs should be accessible to the casual fan who's curious how Evangelion sounds in its original Japanese, for example. I think from the perspective of fairness, subs should be as natural and as idiomatic as possible without sacrificing the original meaning, which means that jokes are going to have to be adapted and cultural terms translated. Translator's notes should also be avoided because, unlike footnotes in a book, they're distracting and obtrusive.


I don't mind if subs are literal and laden with cultural terms, but I think for the sake of fairness to casual fans and to try to be as inclusive as possible, they should be as natural sounding in English as possible without sacrificing meaning and mood. This is, of course, much easier said than done.

[Storm]

I feel like nakama is fair game in subs because there isn't really a one-word translation for it, besides "friends," which is kinda weak. It has a very specific, cultural connotation.

I also think TL notes are very handy when used sparingly because they preserve the integrity of the original dialogue without alienating the non-Japanese speaker.

[Mewzard]

Given how often Nakama is used in many shonen anime, it's ridiculous to leave it in for the new fans. Your casual anime fan isn't going to want to see that left in subs needlessly. English has a ridiculously widespread array of options for word choices for such situations.

For Nakama, translate it situationally, just like any other word (depending on context). If friend works best, fine. If comrade's more appropriate, alright. If it's One Piece, Shipmate works good.

[rereboy]

Like Mewzard explained, there's no need to leave Nakama untranslated. There are lots of possible translations that work very well with the context.

[Storm]

Given how often Nakama is used in many shonen anime, it's ridiculous to leave it in for the new fans. Your casual anime fan isn't going to want to see that left in subs needlessly. English has a ridiculously widespread array of options for word choices for such situations.

What casual fan watches subtitled Japanese anime, though? That usually requires effort and research (or buying DVDs) that I wouldn't ascribe to a casual fan.

And sure, you can translate nakama contextually, but I don't mind if it's not. To me, watching something in Japanese means accepting parts of Japanese culture as you watch it.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I feel like nakama is fair game in subs because there isn't really a one-word translation for it, besides "friends," which is kinda weak. It has a very specific, cultural connotation.

I think that just because there isn't a perfect translation, it doesn't mean it should be left untranslated. You have to choose the word that fits the best, even if some nuance is lost, which it often is.

I also think TL notes are very handy when used sparingly because they preserve the integrity of the original dialogue without alienating the non-Japanese speaker.

I think the best way not to alienate a non-Japanese speaker is to adapt the dialogue so that it's natural to an non-Japanese speaker.

What casual fan watches subtitled Japanese anime, though? That usually requires effort and research (or buying DVDs) that I wouldn't ascribe to a casual fan.

I admit that most casual fans probably watch dubbed anime, but it comes down personal taste. Is it fair, though, to inundate casual fans who prefer subs with Japanese cultural terms? And isn't subbed anime generally easier to come across because of all the fansubs floating around?

And sure, you can translate nakama contextually, but I don't mind if it's not. To me, watching something in Japanese means accepting parts of Japanese culture as you watch it.

I agree you should accept that what you're watching is a product of Japanese culture, but it's false step to go from there to saying that everything that refers to Japanese culture should be left untranslated and thereby preserved. No translation is going to be perfect, but they're still desirable if we want all this cool stuff from other countries and should be accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

[Eternal Super Saiyan]

They act as if only Faulconer matters. In comparison videos they complain about a lack of Faulconer and that it's not fair. It's done that way to avoid the nostalgia goggles from blinding people to only listen to the music so they don't notice the bad acting.

I actually more prefer the Ocean Dub. In my opinion, the very original show the way it was on TV at first, had both better music and a better script.
I also grew up watching that dub on those VHS tapes. GOOD memories!

[Jackal puFF]

The one thing that annoys me the most is, some people just can't give things a chance. They don't have open minds to some things like a change of background music. I'm so glad I actually listened to the original music for dragonball and the movies. It's like a different show.

I think there's still some people out there that won't even give kai a chance for some weird reason.

[Eternal Super Saiyan]

The one thing that annoys me the most is, some people just can't give things a chance. They don't have open minds to some things like a change of background music. I'm so glad I actually listened to the original music for dragonball and the movies. It's like a different show.

I think there's still some people out there that won't even give kai a chance for some weird reason.

I like Kai on some levels. What I like most is that the script is carried from its original Manga. But they took away certain parts that were really funny. While it is a good idea to cut out all that filler, they kind of went too far on that. Its too short.

[matt0044]

Its too short.

I'd argue it was too long with Fillers.

[RandomGuy96]

Far too long, if they were trying to make it more like the manga.

[ABED]

The only parts I think are long are unavoidable, like Bulma and Ginyu the frog.