Wow, the Japanese soundtrack is horrible!

[UristtheGreat]

If someone is experiencing extreme terror in a movie then there's not going to be slow paced music to accompany that scene.

I beg to differ.

What? When she was getting stabbed? That was pretty fast paced.

Okay, not the best example on my part.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Okay, not the best example on my part.

To say the least.

[cRookie_Monster]

To assume Dragon Ball Z benefits from blaring noises would be no different than your typical regular Joe DBZ music video on YouTube. Didn't help when the movies were dubbed using rock music.

Kikuchi's score was made with the intention of how the series was presented in Japan. It wasn't supposed to be an in-your-face, fight fight fight fight, shout fest as a lot of people seem to see DBZ being. A lot of the overall charm for the series was lost in translation in nearly every aspect, music included.

A good example is this particular scene that has always stood out for me; Goku finally beating Majin Boo.

Japanese
English

Boo's death feels boring and you don't get the sense of "It's finally over!" from the dub's music as you do from the original. Especially when you have the non-stop talking going on in the dub. There's not even a moment of silence within that part of the dub. It's as if the music just keeps going.

I like the American SSJ3 theme there, though it bothers me that at a lot of parts you can only hear the drums, kinda kills it.

The flashback in the American version just sucked for me (sorry Mike). I prefer the Japanese version, but that sounded too babyish for me. Maybe it's fitting considering it's "Kid" Boo, and Boo was essentially a baby to begin with. I'm kinda glad I didn't work on that saga lol.

I probably would have used the typical flashback music for the flashback scene if I had been the editor in charge...though it had been used a LOT by then. Maybe we needed a new piece in a similar vibe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyooOnNLxng (starting at 0:38)

Btw, the hero themes used in the american version are: SSJ3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efR4kpts6eg
Frieza Death (starting at 0:28) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdsHDVuB9Aw called Frieza's Death cause that's what it was originally for. "Destruction" came after Funimation really drove it home that they wanted insane metal for that bit.

I don't consider those two themes to be in your face rock, well Frieza's Death has a little, but that part wasn't used. What was used was the slowest section, which is just gorgeous imho.

[xzero]

I like the American SSJ3 theme there, though it bothers me that at a lot of parts you can only hear the drums, kinda kills it.

The flashback in the American version just sucked for me (sorry Mike). I prefer the Japanese version, but that sounded too babyish for me. Maybe it's fitting considering it's "Kid" Boo, and Boo was essentially a baby to begin with. I'm kinda glad I didn't work on that saga lol.

I probably would have used the typical flashback music for the flashback scene if I had been the editor in charge...though it had been used a LOT by then. Maybe we needed a new piece in a similar vibe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyooOnNLxng (starting at 0:38)

Btw, the hero themes used in the american version are: SSJ3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efR4kpts6eg
Freeza Death (starting at 0:28) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdsHDVuB9Aw called Freeza's Death cause that's what it was originally for. "Destruction" came after Funimation really drove it home that they wanted insane metal for that bit.

I don't consider those two themes to be in your face rock, well Freeza's Death has a little, but that part wasn't used. What was used was the slowest section, which is just gorgeous imho.

For Buu's death, I felt that the SSJ3 theme used there was the perfect choice because it just sounds so good for that scene, and I also liked the Freeza Death song selection. For the flashback in between, it would have been neat to hear a new piece of music combining SSJ3 and Buu somehow, but whatever. I heard Freeza's Death on the Best of DBZ V.2 album well before seeing that episode, and when I heard it, I knew it wasn't used for Freeza's death (and, in my opinion, Destruction just didn't fit). I'm glad they finally mixed it in within an appropriate and fitting context, even if it technically is a version of Trunks' theme, which makes no musical sense in that scene.

[Super Sonic]

I have to say with Buu's death I prefer the American version, but where did that dialogue in the flashback come from? On my dvd there's just music playing and nothing said. But just wasn't feeling the choaral arrangement of the Japanese version. And that Trunks music that plays at the end of the dub version made it for me.

[Metalwario64]

where did that dialogue in the flashback come from?

The Season Sets had added dialogue. One possible explanation is that FUNimation had to go back to a slightly earlier set of audio recordings that had lines that never made the final cut.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I have to say with Buu's death I prefer the American version, but where did that dialogue in the flashback come from? On my dvd there's just music playing and nothing said. But just wasn't feeling the choaral arrangement of the Japanese version. And that Trunks music that plays at the end of the dub version made it for me.

Agreed. I definately prefer the American version over the Japanese version. That's not to say that the Japanese version is bad though.

[Blue]

One possible explanation is that FUNimation had to go back to a slightly earlier set of audio recordings that had lines that never made the final cut.

That would explain the removed voice filters.

[penguintruth]

I definitely prefer the Japanese version of that scene. You get a sense that finally the battle with Buu is finally over with the Japanese music. It has this sense of peace to it where you know that it's all over. Plus, it sort of sounds like the harmony of the Genki Dama itself, the power of all those people and their hope for success. The English version sounds more of a standard turn around moment.

[jjgp1112]

Uh, guys, I was never talking about the scene where Cell was powering up. I very clearly mentioned that I was talking about Gohan killing the Cell Jrs.

Anyway, there's actually one occasion, probably more, where Toei actually used a more fast paced and chaotic theme when it wasn't appropriate. In episode 232, there was a scene where Goku and Majin Vegeta were fighting. However, the fight was on a much smaller scale than it had been in the previous episodes. Rather than flying around, shooting huge ass energy blasts, and knocking each other into cliffs, they were doing more traditional martial arts on the ground. However, the theme playing the Japanese version was the theme from Movie 4 when Goku went False SSJ and kicked Lord Slug's ass. It was very bad for this scene and the song just sounded like blaring background music. However, in the dub, they used a very calm, yet intense theme that highlighted the more low-key nature of the fight and sort of made you appreciate the fighting that was going on and look at it in awe. There's also the fact that the animation in the scene is immaculate, which I feel is also highlighted by the dub music.

Here's the the scene in the Japanese version, around 4:30:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZHa1oN2rrI

Here's the scene from the dub, at 3:05:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-yxdtJREDk

[Greenman]

Here's the the scene in the Japanese version, around 4:30:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZHa1oN2rrI

Here's the scene from the dub, at 3:05:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZHa1oN2rrI

Hey, jjgp1112, You accidentally linked to the Japanese version twice.

[jjgp1112]

Oh snap, thanks. Fixed.

[penguintruth]

The Japanese version was better in that scene, too. Up-close actual hitting to music that feels like the fight is escalating makes sense, because it's like the music itself is hard-hitting. Goku and Vegeta are close, slamming into each other, headbutting, everything's building and they're oblivious to whatever else is going on. The only problem with that track is the frequency with which it's used in that story arc.

In the English version, there's standard, impotent action music.

[jjgp1112]

Actually, the song that was used in the dub wasn't really used for fighting scenes. It was mostly used for long flashback narratives.

Every time I watch the Japanese version, it just comes off as random music blaring in the background. That's the problem that I have with the Japanese score. A lot of songs just seemed slapped on. With the Faulconer score, almost every song was made for a specific scene and seemed to made so they could be chopped up into different parts and fir with a different scene. Like, for example, the "Energy Disc" theme song was made originally for the scene where Frieza's Destructo Disc was chasing Goku around, but it also syncs perfectly with the scene from episode 30 where Goku uses the Kaioken unsuccessfully against Vegeta. The parts where the melody changes to a calmer theme happen at the exact moments that the action stops. Also, the Heroic Trunks theme syncs perfectly with the beginning of the episode where Trunk's killing Frieza was redone. Hell, at one point, Trunks' hand movements actually match the melody! Keep in mind, this song wasn't even actually used in the scene. I just played the song when the scene began and it played out perfectly. I even made a thread about it on this very board.

[JulieYBM]

Eeeh? That piece is one of my favorites (it's fun to hum, too!) and I really thought it fit the exchange the two were having. It was very intense, espicially as they kept one-upping each other.

[jjgp1112]

Well, I like the song, I just thought it's use in that scene was really random. Like, when I decided to switch to the Japanese version when I was watching it on my TV to see how they handled that scene and if they did it as well as Funi did, and I just thought, "This is horrible." The problem with the Japanese score is that most of the themes are pretty limited in their scope, for lack of a better word. For most of the dub songs, you can adjust them to fit any number of scenes.

[JulieYBM]

It's not a song unless there is lyrics in it.

The entire episode is a very intense one and the music catches onto that in the scene. There's a build-up in the score that literally has its own clashes, like the animated battle (I think I'm hearing cymbals clashing together in there, but I could be wrong). In Dragon Ball (and many of the anime I've watched) the score takes on a role that I like to call "the third character" (in the film Amadeus, the musical score was called the 'third character', in Salieri's war on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his music. It's a great film, by the way, so check it out). Kikuchi's score gives Dragon Ball a life unto its own that pushes it just a little further than just being a 'action' show.

[Tsukento]

I definitely prefer the Japanese version of that scene. You get a sense that finally the battle with Buu is finally over with the Japanese music. It has this sense of peace to it where you know that it's all over. Plus, it sort of sounds like the harmony of the Genki Dama itself, the power of all those people and their hope for success. The English version sounds more of a standard turn around moment.

Exactly what I was getting at. The scene in the dub just sounded...bland and uninteresting. It didn't sound like any major accomplishment was made nor did it give a sense of satisfying relief.

[Savage68]

I'm split between the two, even I though I still recognize one as just being superior.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

The Japanese version was better in that scene, too.

What a surprise, didn't see that one coming.

Actually, the song that was used in the dub wasn't really used for fighting scenes. It was mostly used for long flashback narratives.

Every time I watch the Japanese version, it just comes off as random music blaring in the background. That's the problem that I have with the Japanese score. A lot of songs just seemed slapped on. With the Faulconer score, almost every song was made for a specific scene and seemed to made so they could be chopped up into different parts and fir with a different scene. Like, for example, the "Energy Disc" theme song was made originally for the scene where Freeza's Destructo Disc was chasing Goku around, but it also syncs perfectly with the scene from episode 30 where Goku uses the Kaioken unsuccessfully against Vegeta. The parts where the melody changes to a calmer theme happen at the exact moments that the action stops. Also, the Heroic Trunks theme syncs perfectly with the beginning of the episode where Trunk's killing Freeza was redone. Hell, at one point, Trunks' hand movements actually match the melody! Keep in mind, this song wasn't even actually used in the scene. I just played the song when the scene began and it played out perfectly. I even made a thread about it on this very board.

100% agreed. The Japanese music is good, don't get me wrong but at times it is placed inappropriatly and at the wrong times during the show. The American music was specifically made for a certain scene and doesn't feel "slapped on" like the Japanese music.


In terms of which score is better, I'm not: "OMG TEKNO ROCK MUZIK HARDCORE" or: "GLORIOUS NIPPON MUZIK DESU". I'm sort of in the middle and undecided.