Were you satisfied by the English dub of Kai?

[TheGmGoken]

I get the whole sadistic gentlemen thing they were going for. But even the Japanese version didn't go that far with his words. He sounds like a more successful version of Stewie Griffin.

*sigh*. They kinda did. It was just the words Freeza used was longer so the english dub could' fit the flaps of the mouth. So they use bigger(Don't know what word was big seeing as most kids I saw watching Kai knew 100% of what Freeza said) but shorter(In terms of pronunciations) to mean the same thing. Don't really see how those words are big though. A little bit more intelligent then the basic happy and sad but not big.

[dbzfan7]

Anything is better than Linda Young Fr(i)eza, ANYTHING. I would take the malaysian and Big green voices over that crap.

[Kendamu]

This is the first version of DBZ since the Ocean Dub of the first three DBZ films where I haven't cared one way or another whether I watch it in Japanese or English. I think that says a lot on its own. Sure, there are little things here and there that others have pointed out that I'd have liked to see changed. There are also a few mistakes here and there. Overall, though, I find this dub extremely enjoyable and I'm glad the cast replacements are carrying over into other English dubbed Dragon Ball media.

[Fionordequester]

Don't really see how those words are big though. A little bit more intelligent then the basic happy and sad but not big.

What characters do you think of, in any piece of entertainment, that you think of when you think "big" words then? Because I thought I heard some real heavy-weights coming out of Frieza's mouth.

[KingofWisdom]

Not at first. I was a bit let down that it was still being treated like DBZ, whereas something like One Piece has a great dub that's also really accurate to the Japanese. When I heard that Freeza was being recast, my expectations rose for the overall dub. It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but it does feel like FUNimation finally gave the series a serviceable dub. I'm happy we got it and I can't wait for the Buu arc.

[dbzfan7]

Don't really see how those words are big though. A little bit more intelligent then the basic happy and sad but not big.

What characters do you think of, in any piece of entertainment, that you think of when you think "big" words then? Because I thought I heard some real heavy-weights coming out of Freeza's mouth.

Freeza's big words are 1000000000000000000000000000000000 times better than that horrible abomination of a voice Freeza used to have.

[TheGmGoken]

Don't really see how those words are big though. A little bit more intelligent then the basic happy and sad but not big.

What characters do you think of, in any piece of entertainment, that you think of when you think "big" words then? Because I thought I heard some real heavy-weights coming out of Freeza's mouth.

Welll Freeza did talk like that in the JPN audio which the Eng dub did well HOWEVER they use bigger words to fit the motuh flaps better which makes sense. I'm pretty sure if my 5 year cousin and most of the young kids at mine school(Mcdonugh goes from Pre K to H.S) can understand every word Freeza says(Or at least get what he's saying) then everyone here who is 14+ should know as well. Unless y'all need a freaking dictionary then. I saw ZERO big words from Freeza.

[BurakkuForesuto]

I don't get how people can like the Kai dub. Being "better than the Z dubs" is not a feat. Dubs from 1995 like Ghost in the Shell are better than the Z dubs and we all know how good that dub is compared to the later dubs of that franchise.

Let's look at this objectively

The dub's script is too loose and still has problems. "Dude mah truck" was not in the original Japanese version or even the original English dubs. The truck driver just died.

Freeza's OTT language. In Japanese, he did use keigo, correct, but he didn't say stuff like "simian" or people surpassing him. He didn't talk about Saiyan scourge.

Piccolo's killing of organisms not being in limbo was omitted from the Kai dub, which is a plot hole and an important plot point. The dub removed it.

"I'm putting my foot down" from the Kai dub is just as bad as any line from the Z dubs, yet for some strange reason, nobody harps on this line, while commending every line from the Z dubs no matter how faithful/good they are.

Cutting out Freeza's die line, before Piccolo enters the fray.

The last few episodes of the Cell Games was a rehash of the old English dub script, with bits and pieces changed.

The overall script is not a 1/1 or at least an accurate dub. It is very liberal and while retains the same MEANING, it does not retain the actual dialogue. So this kinda nukes the theory of the dubbing being so faithful, because it is not. It conveys the meaning, but not the dialogue. A dub should be as close as possible to the original, script wise, as well as plot wise. A loose liberal translation can actually alter the meaning of a scene, while an accurate/literal translation will allow you to know exactly what he said in the Japanese version.

The Kai dub is no Bandai Entertainment/Animaze/Bang Zoom dub. Most BEI dubs do not just write English dubs of Japanese shows. They make sure the dub is as close as possible in order to make you feel you are watching word for word of what the Japanese have written, but in English. One could say this is because of Sunrise being the producers of the Gundam dubs and not BEI and that BEI just has the license, but still.

As for the voice acting, it's again no Animaze/Bang Zoom dub. Compared to a dub like Akira, it stands no chance. Akira's Pioneer dub is what the Kai dub should have been. A recasted dub with new voice actors(preferably from LA) with new scriptwriters. The Akira dub was basically a real apology for the awful Toho dub from 1988. That dub followed the Japanese script almost all the way without a deviation, added to the veteran(bad JYB and Matt Mercer, who were still good) VAs, allowed for some very good voice work. The VAs in the Kai dubs, while improved never reached the level of something like Akira. Sean Schemmel is less ridiculous than the original VA(not that is saying much) and his previous performance, but he does not have the emotion needed to carry Goku. He is too heavy for Goku and his acting is a bit dry. Sabat to me seems like a watered down Steve Blum, which is praise for Sabat. Sabat's Vegeta is always irritated, which doesn't fit a prince like him. Vegeta is supposed to be calm at time and angry at others, not angry 24/7. His Piccolo is the same, though lower, even though Piccolo is supposed to be a calm, wise character, instead of angry all the time. Gohan's voice is way too old and forced. It is obvious that his VA is a female and we know 5 year olds do not sound like the way they do as Clinkenbeard does. His appearance as SSJ2 is particularly forced. Freeza's voice is too inconsistent and not good. His first form is too effeminate, even though in the Japanese version, his voice is deeper than either Zarbon. His second voice is too generic bad guy. In Japanese, he sounds terrifying. His third form voice is good, but not for third form. Third Form Freeza is supposed to have a high pitched, sneaky tone to his voice and his forth form issues are the same as his first form issues, so I'm not going to repeat. The other characters are not that great, either.

All in all, the dub is no Wolf's Rain dub. That dub is a very accurate dub, which makes the main characters sound like they are supposed to. You never get the feeling Crispin Freeman is forced as Tsume and Tsume is a Vegeta type character and Freeman as Tsume is much better than Sabat as Vegeta. JYB plays Kiba as an wary, prideful wolf and his delivery is near perfect.

[Looneygamemaster]

Wolf's Rain's English dub is fantastic not only because it adheres to the original's spirit, but because it knows how to make it all sound believable in English. If a dub doesn't have that, if it plops the script in without care as to how it sounds in a different language, if it sounds robotically faithful enough to take you out of the experience--then it's still a bad dub. Ocean, Central Park Media, Bang Zoom--they're all guilty of creating dubs like that. Even Animaze and Funimation occasionally fall into that pit.

Freeza's OTT language. In Japanese, he did use keigo, correct, but he didn't say stuff like "simian" or people surpassing him. He didn't talk about Saiyan scourge.

It expresses his disdain for the Saiyans. What does it matter what he specifically calls them, as long as we know this?

I hear complaints about Freeza's language, about how he uses big words, but I think it's a fantastic adaptation of how he tries to sound refined.

[TheBlackPaladin]

I can definitely appreciate why some people would want as literally-translated a dub as they could possibly get. However, as others have pointed out, often times if the original script is translated too literally, then it can force the actors to deliver their lines in rather awkward ways in order to match the lip movements. It depends on your view of whether dubs serve more of a translational role (preserving the original words) or more of an artistic role (preserving the original artistic intent).

Of course, make no mistake, in an ideal world, I think a dub should serve both roles. If they need to give a little bit on one to serve the other, though, then I would (much) prefer that they sacrifice a bit of accuracy in the service of maintaining the original meaning.

Furthermore...one doesn't necessarily have to like this just because the creator said it's OK, but in many cases, the creators are OK with the script not being literally adapted as long as the meaning and emotional impact are preserved. Chris Ayers, in this interview here (starting at 3:30), mentions an instance where he directed the English dub of a movie that Shinichi Watanabe (the director of "Excel Saga" among other things), originally directed, and he was in the audience when the dub was shown. The English dub script for this movie--as is the case with many dubs--was a tad rephrased. Afterwords, a fan asked Watanabe what he thought about some lines being rephrased. His response was that he knew it must have been the right thing to do once he saw how loudly the audience was laughing (it was a comedy scene), and that because of that, he was totally OK with it.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that dub script writers can do whatever they wish, and Kai's dub is no exception. There were some lines that bothered a lot of people that didn't bother me ("I hate the media"/"Dude mah truck"), and other lines that bothered me but didn't seem to bother anyone else (Freeza saying "Hope you aren't afraid of heights" before he launched Kuririn into the air....a rather odd thing to say to a character that flies, never mind that it's totally inaccurate). If a script is not loyal enough, that's definitely a problem with me too. However, whether a script has been changed too much is subjective, and up to the opinion of the viewer. Which is why a dub's quality simply cannot be measured objectively.

All that to say...in my opinion...Kai's dub script was changed here and there, but considering how often the original intent and meaning was preserved, it wasn't enough for me personally to consider it a bad dub. I felt it was an awesome dub.

[B]

The Kai dub is no Bandai Entertainment/Animaze/Bang Zoom dub...

... As for the voice acting, it's again no Animaze/Bang Zoom dub.

Thank goodness. The majority of those dubs are stilted and odd-sounding. This isn't a science. For the sake of a smooth flowing translation, liberties are taken.

Basically everything TheBlackPaladin said.

[Mystic Buu]

In the first,i didn't like Kai dub.It was different,not much,but i don't know why i didn't like it.I can't say that is better than original dub,but it is good.

[dbboxkaifan]

At first I really liked the English dub of Kai but then months after hearing it the voice of Clinkenbeard started to get on my nerves and the superman-macho Goku also did, so now I just avoid the Eng dub altogether.

I wish the 'Ocean Dub' of Kai would be produced but I've lost all hope for that now.

[TheAldella]

Okay...This one's tough for me. I don't like the dub of Kai, or Kai at all, once Kikuchi's music takes over. I can't enjoy it. When Yamamoto or Faulconer do their things, or even DBZKaiMusicRevival's Kikuchi rescore is there, I am in bliss.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I'd have to agree with Paladin and B. You kind of have to make some changes to match flaps, and make the dialogue sound conversational. If you don't, you're left with a translation, not an English script, and at that point...well...why not just watch the Japanese? Not saying there's anything wrong with that of course, I do a lot, but it's just a point I'm trying to make.

Hell, that's my problem (among others) with Viz's I"s dub. Far too accurate to the Japanese script, so that even the good acting in it isn't as good as it should be, and the stilted acting is even worse because of it too.

[Duo]

I was almost as happy with the Kai dub as the Pioneer distributed uncut versions of the first three films. Perfect? No. Watchable and enjoyable when sharing the experience with more casual fans? Yes. It at least creates a tolerable middle ground and it got my girlfriend into the series enough to try watching all the movies in Japanese later. It's a good direction for the property to take, if only past damages could be undone.

[ABED]

At first I really liked the English dub of Kai but then months after hearing it the voice of Clinkenbeard started to get on my nerves and the superman-macho Goku also did, so now I just avoid the Eng dub altogether.

I wish the 'Ocean Dub' of Kai would be produced but I've lost all hope for that now.

What Superman Goku are you referring to?

I was more than satisfied, I got most of what I wanted - A terrific script, a fantastic narrator, a male Freeza, a new Gohan and Bulma, non-surfer Yamcha, non gravely Piccolo, less raspy Tenshinhan. If there's only one other change I could make it would be a good voice for Kaio.

[Codarik]

If there's only one other change I could make it would be a good voice for Kaio.

So much this. Schemmel's Kaio is a joke.

And the Kai dub still feels like "The Chris Sabat Show". It could have been a little better if Sabat gave up a few more characters.

[B]

I'll take Schemmel's Kaio over Sabat's Yamcha any day. Possibly even over McFarland's Kame Sennin.

[KentalSSJ6]

Kai is the only way I can watch the anime in english. After watching Kai (and many other anime masterfully dubbed over the years), coming back to the old Z dub is impossible for me. Theres a few exceptions to the old dub for me, such as the movies (Fusion Reborn SSJ3 scene, Goku absorbing the Spirit Bomb) and scenes like when Gohan kills Cell, but if I had to be honest that mostly due to the Ginyu Transformation Theme.

All in all, I had no complaints with the english Kai dub and I'm very grateful for it, otherwise I dont think id be able to watch the anime in english ever again.