Most memorable BS dub lines / names

[ABED]

Sometimes when I watch the show subtitled, I imagine how those words would've sounded coming from the dub actors, like if we got the avuncular narrator played by Brice Armstrong with an accurate script instead of Dale Kelly/Kyle Hebert sounding like a monster truck rally announcer and spouting terrible lines, "it's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Goku..." which was literally the first line in season 3.

<br abp="690"><br abp="691">While Steve Simmons' translation is fantastic, it's also the kind of translation that can only work in subtitles. It reads perfectly fine, but a lot of lines come off stiff and awkward when said aloud. If they were to redub the entire series, I would want them to start the writing process with Simmons' script, but then take a long, hard, aesthetically-minded look at the meaning of each line. Switch words around to make the sentences flow more naturally, make the lines a bit more concise (simplifying verb tenses and other linguistic "filler" if the meaning can be retained) in order to avoid distracting quick-speak, and for stuff that pretty much requires a translator's note, bite the bullet and make up a rough English equivalent out of whole cloth rather than try to force a square peg in a round hole.

I'm well aware that a translation isn't a script, you seem to be missing my point, but even so, the translation still streets ahead of the dub we got.

[Gyt Kaliba]

So I've been re-watching Dragon Ball while at work as I believe I've mentioned elsewhere, and while I'm in the tail end of the 22nd Tournament arc right now, I passed an exchange at the end of the Red Ribbon Arc that...might...possibly be the dumbest thing I've ever heard in the dub. Like, ever. And I don't think I've ever seen anyone else talk about it. Like, this to me, is far worse than anything Season 3's DBZ dub ever tossed out (though maybe it's because I, for the most part, am fine with Dragon Ball's dub and therefore this horrific line stands out far worse than it should). It...It's just bad.

It's from episode 68, titled 'The Last Dragon Ball' in FUNi's dub.

Puar: Hey, if Korin was in the Red Ribbon Army, what would he be?
Kuririn: Uhh...I dunno, a general maybe?
Puar: Haha, no silly, everybody knows he would be a colonel!
*Everyone gives Puar a blank, annoyed stare*
Puar: *bashful* Uh, get it, Korin, corn, work with me folks!

For reference's sake, here's the original dialogue via the subtitles.

Puar: We can have some later...
Kuririn: What are you talking about? What is this Karin Tower ["karinto"] business?
Puar: I love karinto snacks!
*Everyone gives Puar a blank, annoyed stare*
Puar: *bashful* I guess that wasn't what you were talking about...

Now in all fairness, there probably wasn't a lot of ways they could adapt this scene properly in English since it's reliant on wordplay that only works in Japanese. And to their credit, they tried to make the scene still be about wordplay, and I have to applaud them for that. But...it's just...so...awful...to hear...it hurts my brain. There are other scenes where dialogue is substantially changed too of course (such as one I also recently watched where the fact that Roshi really needs to go to the bathroom is covered up with him just...having a panic attack and wanting the plane to land, or something), but this one just sticks out to me because the joke is so mind-numbingly BAD. Maybe it's just me?

[Polyphase Avatron]

I remember that exchange. Although if you were in charge of writing the English dialogue for that scene how would you have done it?

[Sinestro]

When Goku is explaining Super Sayians to Buu.

Buu: "Super...Saya-jin?"

(This isn't so much BS as it is memorable for me)

[Vegitofaxx]

When Goku is explaining Super Sayians to Buu.

Buu: "Super...Saya-jin?"

How is that BS?

[Sinestro]

When Goku is explaining Super Sayians to Buu.

Buu: "Super...Saya-jin?"

How is that BS?

You're quite right, I forgot this was the BS thread!

I just find it funny and memorable.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I remember that exchange. Although if you were in charge of writing the English dialogue for that scene how would you have done it?

Honestly? I'm not even sure. I mean, in all fairness, the joke in Japanese is pretty lame too, so maybe it's just a lame scene in general, and being able to perfectly understand the dialogue in my own language just makes it even worse or something...there probably is some way to make it a little closer to the original though and thus make it less annoying to sit through. I'm just not creative enough to come up with it myself.

[jcogginsa]

I remember that exchange. Although if you were in charge of writing the English dialogue for that scene how would you have done it?

Honestly? I'm not even sure. I mean, in all fairness, the joke in Japanese is pretty lame too, so maybe it's just a lame scene in general, and being able to perfectly understand the dialogue in my own language just makes it even worse or something...there probably is some way to make it a little closer to the original though and thus make it less annoying to sit through. I'm just not creative enough to come up with it myself.

maybe the same joke but with Karin saying he loves corn?

[Gyt Kaliba]

I guess unless it's a matter of flaps, they could have adapted it into something where Puar mistook the conversation for being them talking about corn, and Puar saying something about hoping they can eat some later or something...

...Okay, yeah, I'm pretty sure I just don't like this scene regardless, cuz imaging it in English dialogue even as something akin to the Japanese dialogue still makes it pretty painful.

[Vegitofaxx]

Another Denmark WTF. Otokosuki is literally called "Homo" in the danish manga.

[One_Instance]

Another Denmark WTF. Otokosuki is literally called "Homo" in the danish manga.

They call him that in the German dub, as well.

[Lord Beerus]

Freeza's native language.

[DragonDuck]

Another Denmark WTF. Otokosuki is literally called "Homo" in the danish manga.

They call him that in the German dub, as well.

It isn't really wrong, since that's what his name is a pun on.

[Dyno]

Freeza's native language.

What the heeell!

[Lord Beerus]

Freeza's native language.

What the heeell!

This sort of butchered dubbing kinda foreshadowed the awfulness that would be Killa. But unlike Killa, I actually get a kick of Freeza's "native language".

[johnboy1]

Is his "native language" just a bunch of gibberish, or is there an identifiable structure to it?

[Lord Beerus]

Is his "native language" just a bunch of gibberish, or is there an identifiable structure to it?

It's just a bunch of gibberish that Funimation made up. Pretty much like Killa's dialogue.

[Polyphase Avatron]

Is his "native language" just a bunch of gibberish, or is there an identifiable structure to it?

It's just a bunch of gibberish that Funimation made up. Pretty much like Killa's dialogue.

What they should have done was put a subliminal message if you played it backwards.

[Lord Beerus]

Is his "native language" just a bunch of gibberish, or is there an identifiable structure to it?

It's just a bunch of gibberish that Funimation made up. Pretty much like Killa's dialogue.

What they should have done was put a subliminal message if you played it backwards.

That actually would have been really fucking funny. Like if you play the gibberish Freeza is saying in the scene backwards you'll hear, "I don't know what five minutes is."

[Polyphase Avatron]

That actually would have been really fucking funny. Like if you play the gibberish Freeza is saying in the scene backwards you'll hear, "I don't know what five minutes is."

TFS missed opportunity...