Dub-Bashing

[Tsukento]

Y'know, I thought Stephanie actually did well as kid Goku and then actually did her kid Gohan a lot better in the redubs of mid-season 1 and onward, compared to what she did from seasons 3 and up. o_o

Then again, her Goku didn't have the same dimwitted, yet playful nature that Masako Nozawa had. And the whole raspiness for Gohan's voice just doesn't work (I'll never understand why some female actresses feel they must give child characters a rasp to their voice).

[Conan the SSJ]

I personally think Stephanie Nadolny did a fantastic job as Kid Goku in the original DragonBall series, she gave a more high pitch and "cuteness" to Goku's voice that flowed well and had great moments for the character. In the King Piccolo arc, I felt she really shined and pulled a great performance, especially with the more than awesome roles of Chris Sabat's King Piccolo, John Burgmeiyer's Tien, and Mike McFarland's Roshi, the original BGM being there was the icing on an already very sweet cake. Anybody who hasn't seen original DB and plans on just watching the Japanese version, may I suggest thinking twice. Do not judge that dub based on DBZ and GT, you'll think an entire different company dubbed it with the same VAs, that's how seriously good it is. Hell, I know I've said this numerous times, I actually prefer the original DB dub over the Japanese version, and this is coming from a guy whom prefers the Japanese versions of DBZ and GT over the FUNi dub counterparts.

[Tsukento]

Despite the flaws in script, Dragon Ball's dub wasn't bad at all. Chris Sabat's voice for Piccolo Daimao actually worked well, compared to his roles as Piccolo Jr. and Vegeta...and every other character in Z and GT. >_>; Personally, I hate his voice for Jr. and Vegeta, but the voice he used for (which is basically Jr. sounding older and rougher) Daimao worked very well.

It's a shame neither Z or GT used the original BGM. Both dubs might've been better (er..in GT's case it would have been better). If a dubbing studio in MEXICO can get the rights to play the original music, I don't see how FUNi couldn't have with all the success they've been making recently.

Unless Toei was being stingy as hell again, which I doubt with GT since they gave them nearly complete GT. >_>

[Conan the SSJ]

Unless Toei was being stingy as hell again, which I doubt with GT since they gave them nearly complete GT. >_>

Nearly? Hell, Toei did give FUNi the entire GT series, 100% equally uncut to the dragonbox (proper Kanji filled openings and endings, fully intact next-episode previews, and the eye catchers all in great quality). Only thing Toei pissed on FUNi on with GT was the Goku Jr. special, which basically had its TV special blip, theme song, and all its eye catchers removed. That isn't too bad though, considering how Toei gave FUNi DBZ, they still get every single GT episode 100% uncut. Shoot, FUNi's GT DVDs are just as good as Toei's GT dragonbox, there's no reason not to prefer FUNi's GT DVDs over Toei's, especially since the FUNi ones are still of great quality and feature Daimao's awesome translation of the series. No one should be stingy about the lack of final Kanji credits through Goku's final Tenkaichi Budokai stroll in episode 64, as the dragonbox had lacked those as well. FUNi gave GT's Japanese version a large amount of respect and work, unlike their dub version of the series, which was a completely utter amount of hoarse manure.

[Blitzen]

Shoot, FUNi's GT DVDs are just as good as Toei's GT dragonbox

Curious, but have you made any side-by-side comparisons? Does the FUNimation discs lack any of the alternate Dan-dan animations?

(PS, Horse, not Hoarse)

[Conan the SSJ]

Shoot, FUNi's GT DVDs are just as good as Toei's GT dragonbox

Curious, but have you made any side-by-side comparisons? Does the FUNimation discs lack any of the alternate Dan-dan animations?

(PS, Horse, not Hoarse)

Well, that spelling of "horse" passed in spell-check, so sue me. I haven't made comparisons, but FUNi's video quality for GT is awesome, IMO, and it's still retained in a 100% uncut form. FUNi does include both of the DAN DAN animations, the first one ending with Chibi Goku, Pan, Trunks, and Gill; while the second finishes with Goku transforming into all of his SSJ levels (and all of the openings/endings for each episode have their own respective Kanji in place). All of the ending credit sequences are there for their own respective episodes. Trust me, GT is 100% uncut, the only thing that gets even remotely altered is the Goku Jr. special, and even then FUNi still recieved it from Toei fully uncut (outside the already mentioned TV special blip, theme song, and eye-catchers) with the ending credits retained, and the entire special is there in its stereo mix. Just think, GT's video quality is good as it is, and FUNi releasing it 100% uncut with Daimao's translations, I'd say hell yeah it's superior to the dragonbox.

[Jerseymilk]

And the whole raspiness for Gohan's voice just doesn't work (I'll never understand why some female actresses feel they must give child characters a rasp to their voice).

Well to be fair, she was trying to sound like Saffron Henderson, the Ocean Studios voice for Gohan. Henderson's voice is naturally husky.

[Super Sonic]

And the whole raspiness for Gohan's voice just doesn't work (I'll never understand why some female actresses feel they must give child characters a rasp to their voice).

Well to be fair, she was trying to sound like Saffron Henderson, the Ocean Studios voice for Gohan. Henderson's voice is naturally husky.

True. Her Sota on Inuyasha is similar only older sounding.

[El_Diablo]

Wait a second? I thought people were making excuses here. Do people really get mad for not having DVD extra's? That's absurd!!! If you like an Anime you should not base your opinions on it by how many extra's a DVD has.

Tell that to the people bitching about the new platinum Evangelion set, it includes a bonus disc with 4 "Directors' Cut" episodes, as well as some cool trailers on disc 1, yet people still piss and moan about extras lacking. I don't know why people would complain about extras on FUNi's DBZ DVDs. I'll admit, extras on the original DB DVDs were pretty bad (just trailers), but the episode content per release more than made up for that.

The Japanese equivalent of the "Platinum Edition" has a huge amount of extras to mark the 10th anniversary of Eva. Fans are annoyed because ADV only got some of these.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

For a series that contains a lot of episodes? I'd actually be alright..if they weren't only slapping three episodes per DVDs and calling trailers as "extras." Now, stuff that's in the first Ultimate Uncut DVD, THOSE are extras. Those are the kind of things that would be nice to have. But when they slap a retail price of $24.98 on just three episodes and trailers that you see just about on all of their DVDs, that's a bit harsh. :\

In Japan, most anime DVDs have like 2 episodes and are close to $50 (at least that's what I've heard).

FUNimation, while they've gained a cleaner image, aren't entirely fault free- FMA originally was going to be 16 discs, and while it was reduced to 13, it's still a bit over the top, considering many other 50-ep series have 10 disc releases.

Newsflash, there were originally 13 Japanese DVDs, too. And the first DVD only had episodes one and two.

[Tsukento]

As far as I've seen, only Fullmetal Alchemist had one DVD with two episodes and was being charged full price as the other DVDs. >_>

About my comment with near complete GT, I was refering to the lack of credits strolling (even though, as you mentioned, the Dragon Box itself didn't have them) and credit-less ending themes and the second animation for Dan Dan. That and the missing opening and eyecatchers for the Goku Jr. special, as well as the preview for the special.

The point is that GT wa pretty much in its completion when Toei gave it to them. There shouldn't have been any reason why they shouldn't have done their own version of the same opening (like they did with Dragon Ball and like what Blue Water did for their GT dub) and ending or use the background music from the original. If they had the money to do it with Dragon Ball and didn't get the entire thing completely, they could have done it with GT.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

One that I specifically remember (that I was watching fansubbed) was Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (http://animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedi ... hp?id=5094). I remember that people were complaining that the DVD rips weren't coming out fast enough (greedy bastards), because none of the fansubbers wanted to pay $60 for a DVD with two episodes

[MultilangDBZ]

Well I guess the rasp/husky/hoarse style used for the voice of kid Goku (like in GT) eliminated or at least dumbed down, the pure and naive nature that kid Goku is supposed to have. It's a common generalization that the more unclear your voice is, the less kind-hearted you are in essence. At least this generalization has been adopted in movies and cartoons anyway. Raspiness can easily come off as cockiness too - and reminds me of the voices of the 80's TMNT characters, like Michelangelo.

I thought everyone else was fine, except for King Kai. He's supposed to sound quite wise, despite old. But, the voice dub made him sound like he never had teeth or something, or that he had never learnt how to talk properly. He comes off as babbling and thus not authoritative enough. (Notably, the Cantonese and Mandarin versions of DBZ have nailed King Kai perfectly in respect to voice: experienced, old, humorous in his own way, quite hasty etc. Both also have next to identical voices to the Japanese version for King Kai.) He's also supposed to be quite a respectable, albeit humorous, character and the voice dub doesn't make him exude authority at all - much to the opposite effect.

[Mr. Announcer]

Oh yeah that was a big deal for me too. I LOVE King Kai's japanese voice and when I first heard the two different versions, I was like...yeah. Funimation tries to play to much to the appearances of a character to assign them a voice rather than to their personality traits. Also it just bothered me that he and Gokuh had the same voice and since they have so many conversations together...just bothersome.

Actually, I thought Nadolny was actually better in her GT Gokuh role that her DB one because she didn't try to sound so outright stupid since he was actually 50 years old at this point. It was dissappointing because Gokuh is a pretty excitable guy who has a lot of highs and lows in mood and Nadolny just doesn't project this range since she has to try too hard to maintain the voice tone itself. I was pretty impressed with her Gohan in the first season redub though, not that she sounded anywhere near 4 years old but it was definitely an improvement.

[Tsukento]

In the redub, she started off pretty bad. The voice didn't suit Gohan at all and his crying was way too old sounding for a four year old. But as they progressed into Namek, her Gohan started sounding even better than her Cell saga performance.

[ShadowAssailantX]

One thing that makes the dub unbearable at times is when Funi feels the need to fill in every moment of silence with off-screen banter. Apparently, if a character's mouth isn't seen onscreen, he MUST be saying something.

This is one of my biggest problems with the dub. And it's not like they ever say anything plot related either. Usually it's a taunt or a stupid joke. It not only cheapens the quality of the entire dub, but it completely ruins scenes sometimes; erasing any mounting tension that was originally there.

I still cringe when I hear Crane call the announcer "Johnny McBlabbermouth" (Come to think of it, I cant remember if he calls him this off-screen, but it's still the worst DB dub line IMO.)

[Super Sonic]

I'm probably one of the few who liked it but I thought the fish jumping line was funny. And I have a feeling that everyone who badmouthed it would've laughed at it in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

[SpaceKappa]

Well in all fairness a Bugs Bunny cartoon is VERY different from Dragon Ball.

[Tsukento]

Not to mention, it's expected in Looney Tunes, where as it breaks the fourth wall in Dragon Ball and is VERY out of character for Vegeta and Piccolo.

But to be fair, the whole talking thing isn't something that just FUNi did. 4Kids is notorious for doing this.

[Xyex]

You know, I remember the fish jumping line being brought up before on this board. The overall decision of the members? One of the best Dub lines, ever. One of those nice little pokes at the show and characters.