Miss Portugal '97

[Luso Saiyan]

This isn't how everyone things but if were to create my own series, and it ended up being popular enough to get dubs overseas, I'd be a little irked if they changed things like that.

The thing is, nobody knew if the series would be successful here. And those in charge gave some creative freedom to the voice cast for what they thought would be a short and quick job. Those who watched either liked or were indifferent to the jokes, so it stuck. Still, localized jokes aside, I would say that story-wise it was more faithful than the english dub. Certain terms are missing though (Saiya or any related term doesn't exist), which is probably one of my major problems with the dub.

[rereboy]

Still, localized jokes aside, I would say that story-wise it was more faithful than the english dub.

That is true. I think the dub in the USA messed more with the plot than ours. Ours just basically had some extra humor.

[UltimateHammerBro]

I agree. Even with a sometimes incredible amount of mistakes (makes one wonder who translated it and what resources were available), the dubs distributed by AB, based on the French dub, are way more faithful than the Funimation script, which at some points is a totally rewritten version.

[Puto]

I don't like those lines, they're dumb and honestly embarrassing, but I dislike the heavily butchered dialogue we got courtesy of the French dub more. Especially the way the French script we inherited seems to go out of its way to avoid giving names to minor characters during the Saiyan and Freeza arcs-- in short, the following characters were never named at all (or were referred by name so little that I must've missed it): Nappa, Kiwi, Dodoria, Zarbon, the entire Ginyū Force (the name 'Ginew', mispronounced, was mentioned a total of ONE TIME, by Kuririn of all people), Kakarrot (it became 'Cachalote' when said by Broli, and NOBODY ELSE EVER SAID IT, not even Vegeta). Also, before he allied himself with Kuririn and Gohan to fight the Ginyūs, Vegeta's name was also only mentioned one time that I can remember (by Gokū of all people, in a one-off line) -- until then, he was always referred to as 'the space warrior', 'our enemy', 'the monster', etc. It was only when I got to watch the series in Japanese years later that I actually learnt that many of these characters had names at all!

[sangofe]

Huh? Nappa wasn't named Nappa in Portugese dub? He sure was in the French dub. I can't really remember for the other examples you give. I'd have to go back and check.

[DrBriefsCat]

I agree. Even with a sometimes incredible amount of mistakes (makes one wonder who translated it and what resources were available), the dubs distributed by AB, based on the French dub, are way more faithful than the Funimation script, which at some points is a totally rewritten version.

The French dubbing studio* may have been more experienced with Japanese anime when they worked on the show. Funimation was just starting out and was trying to push it as more of an American product, which may have been Saban's influence.

*post edited. S.O.F.I, not AB Groupe.

[Puto]

Huh? Nappa wasn't named Nappa in Portugese dub? He sure was in the French dub. I can't really remember for the other examples you give. I'd have to go back and check.

He might've been named once or twice, but the characters avoided saying his name like the plague, so I never remembered it.

[sangofe]

I agree. Even with a sometimes incredible amount of mistakes (makes one wonder who translated it and what resources were available), the dubs distributed by AB, based on the French dub, are way more faithful than the Funimation script, which at some points is a totally rewritten version.

AB Groupe was more experienced with dubbing Japanese anime when they worked on the show. Funimation was just starting out and was trying to push it as more of an American product, which may have been Saban's influence.

People say it was "AB's" dub, but what really happened is that AB paid a company called S.O.F.I to dub the show.

[omegalucas]

Ginyu was named a few times (probably the Squad and not the character). And Vegeta called Goku Cachalote one or two times during around the Garlic Junior arc and a lot during GT. I think Nappa finally gets a name drop in GT.
As for the gags I am more or less fine with them, but the script changes not so much.
Still I disagree a bit with the actors' opinions that the jokes made the show... the story and memorable characters are what made it so successful here (ehich is why I don't get why BoG didn't get here, I mean the series keeps running more-or-less nonstop in cable TV.

[UltimateHammerBro]

People say it was "AB's" dub, but what really happened is that AB paid a company called S.O.F.I to dub the show.

Do you happen to know which company did the translation? For example, in the Spanish dub of BoG, the translation was made by the distributor rather than the dubbing studio.
Could the same have happened back then in France? I've tried to look for some information about the translators in French-speaking sites, but I haven't found anything.

Huh? Nappa wasn't named Nappa in Portugese dub? He sure was in the French dub. I can't really remember for the other examples you give. I'd have to go back and check.

He might've been named once or twice, but the characters avoided saying his name like the plague, so I never remembered it.

Maybe at the beginning of the three hour-long wait, when Nappa and Vegeta are talking? I have a very little grasp of Portuguese, but it seems that the non-joke parts share most of the dialogue with the Spanish version, and that's the point where Nappa's name is said for the first time in it (Vegeta, IIRC, says something about how much fun killing them is going to be and then says "Tell me, Nappa..."). I first heard Vegeta's name through the narrator while he's recapping his transformation into a Great Ape (although the planet had been called Vegeta from the very beginning). Does that also match the Portuguese dub?

One of the reasons for this may be the fact that, in the script, Vegeta and Nappa were called "Warrior 1" and "Warrior 2" when they were first introduced

[sangofe]

Sorry, I don't know who did the scripts.

[Quebaz]

Ginyu was named a few times (probably the Squad and not the character). And Vegeta called Goku Cachalote one or two times during around the Garlic Junior arc and a lot during GT. I think Nappa finally gets a name drop in GT.
As for the gags I am more or less fine with them, but the script changes not so much.
Still I disagree a bit with the actors' opinions that the jokes made the show... the story and memorable characters are what made it so successful here (ehich is why I don't get why BoG didn't get here, I mean the series keeps running more-or-less nonstop in cable TV.

Vegetta calls Goku Cachalote during the Cell arc as well once when he wants to go againts the Androids but Trunks doesn't let him, in GT he gets called that everytime (or in the case of episode 55, Vegeta calls him clown).
Nappa is named dropped once or twice during their 3 hour wait and in GT. Dodoria and Zarbon were named-dropped in the review of the episode after they are defeated and in the case of Zarbon, Vegeta name drops him when he's telling Freeza who told him he could transform.

For the whole gag aspect, It doesn't bother me as much as stuff like "BY THE POWER OF KAIOH, TRANSFORMATION" or the wierd attack names or no names at all. The gags never replaced the serious quotes and IMO they sometimes added personality to the character (João Loy as Vegeta is probably how I like the character best, tho I'm not sure if he could get that magic going now). I REALLY wanted Kai and BoG because I know that a Portuguese dub without the gags can still be good as shown by the Movies (specially 12 and 13, seriously, they are amazingly dubbed) and GT, just get all the old actors (even the ones from Movie 10/11, DB Movie 4 and the GT Special), find a replacement for António Semedo and possibly get Rogério Jacques for Yamcha and done, but Portugal gonna Portugal.

[Puto]

GT doesn't have the names issue at all because it was translated from Japanese, not French.

[omegalucas]

specially 12 and 13, seriously, they are amazingly dubbed.

Everything from movie 8 onwards is some of the best of the dub (and by that I mean 8, 9, 12 and 13... let's forget the second and third Broly movies as that's a mostly different cast).

[Luso Saiyan]

GT doesn't have the names issue at all because it was translated from Japanese, not French.

DB and DBZ were translated from Japanese too, at least initially.

I REALLY wanted Kai and BoG because I know that a Portuguese dub without the gags can still be good as shown by the Movies (specially 12 and 13, seriously, they are amazingly dubbed) and GT,

The TV specials were also very faithful. And I must say, I think we were very lucky with the tone of (adult) Goku's voice.

[FortuneSSJ]

Never thought this would make a topic. But yeah that's our Goku.
Sometimes our version would just become abridged. Still serious when they need too.

Even though the japanese version is the number one when it comes to quality, this will always be my favourite.
If BOG got dubbed here, it would have even more comedy.

By the way, unlike the other dubs DB Tuga just had 7/8 people doing all characters. Most of them had different voices.
Really talented people, despite everything.

Just a example: Goku's family by Nozawa sounds all the same.
Henrique Feist did Goku and Gohan and they never sounded alike.

[Doctor.]

It was amazingly received. I mean, Portugal has a pretty small population and there's quite a few of portuguese fans on this forum. This says something.

Tell me about it. How many are we? 9, 10?

While on the topic of our dub, I have to say that as a child I enjoyed it for what it was (from the few I saw at least), but I can't take it seriously nowadays. I still laugh at some of the jokes but I cringe too many times at the voice acting. Still, even with all of the jokes, references and parodies they made, the crew really seemed committed. I remember Dragon Ball-PT, a Portuguese DB forum now running under a different name, had an interview with Henrique Feist (Goku's voice actor). One of the questions presented to him was if he was had the chance to redo the dub, would he do it more seriously? He seemed a bit insulted by the question, saying that he, and the entire team, did the job as seriously and professionally as they could with the tools at hand.

[Luso Saiyan]

One of the questions presented to him was if he was had the chance to redo the dub, would he do it more seriously? He seemed a bit insulted by the question, saying that he, and the entire team, did the job as seriously and professionally as they could with the tools at hand.

The right word would be "faithful".

[Puto]

GT doesn't have the names issue at all because it was translated from Japanese, not French.

DB and DBZ were translated from Japanese too, at least initially.

They were definitely not.

[Luso Saiyan]

They were definitely not.

According to the cast, they were (again, at least initially).