Moments FUNimation's English Dub Did Better?

[sbk]

While I prefer the dub in general, one thing I didn't really like was the music, especially in the Android/Cell sagas. The Japanese music in those sagas was a lot better.

But I absolutely love Bruce Faulconer's music in the Buu sagas, more than the Japanese BGM. It's almost hard to think it's the same team behind the crappy Android/Cell music.

Some moments where I thought FUNi's music was better than the Japanese BGM:
- When Goten meets Goku for the first time link
- When Gohan pulls out the Z Sword link

[jjgp1112]

He would've been perfect in the dub, if only it wasn't for that "H-word" thing...

Do you regularly choose to view the series via old Toonami recordings or something?

He's called "Her-cule Satan" even in the uncut dub, you know.

Yeah, like 2 times in the Cell saga. After that Herc­ule is never mentioned again. Hell, the last time he ever calls himself He­rcule is when he's lampshading the various names he has ("H­ercule, He­rcule Satan, Mr. Satan, whatever you wanna call me, it doesn't matter; I'M THE CHAMP!")

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Yeah, like 2 times in the Cell saga. After that Herc­ule is never mentioned again. Hell, the last time he ever calls himself He­rcule is when he's lampshading the various names he has ("H­ercule, He­rcule Satan, Mr. Satan, whatever you wanna call me, it doesn't matter; I'M THE CHAMP!")

I was under the impression that they called him that quite a few times in the uncut dub. Didn't they call him that in the DBGT dub, too? In any case, two times is two times too many. I hate that name with a passion!

[BluezaBladeNZ]

Same, especially since his real first name has been revealed. From what I remember I don't think they said "Hercule" in the uncut GT dub. I'm unsure about this as I don't have the Green Bricks but didn't they make a blunder by using "Hercule" from the broadcast dub instead of "Mister Satan" in Season 1? Just something I remember reading ages ago.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Didn't they call him that in the DBGT dub, too?

No. He's always "Mr. Satan".

[The Time Traveller]

Same, especially since his real first name has been revealed.

Mark isn't just his first name, it's his full name.

Since they don't seem to have last names in the Dragon World, and Mr. Satan is a stage name.

[XanatosVanBadass]

I think a few of the continuity issues they explained away . . . and maybe the Mr. Satan movie.

That's literally it. The rest tends to be almost as good at their very BEST. Still, even when they do something well, there's always something they have to do to ruin it. Even Kai has its catches here and there (and I really like that dub).

[Mewzard]

"I am...beaten...ah.*explodes*"

There's really no denying how awesome that was in the dub. "I wish I was him..." Poor Vegeta.

I kinda hope that scene is kept in Kai, should be fun to see again.

[TonyTheTiger]

The issue (and why the answers to the question are mostly going to be "nothing") is that it presumes something that many people see as a fundamental flaw of localization. What you have is an original production and a localization of it. So since the original production is the foundation, the only way to actually improve on it is to change it. If they don't change it then at best it'll be equally as good but no better. So it basically is a question asking "what changes were for the better?"

I'm not necessarily as hardcore about this as many people here are, but if somebody's position is all changes are bad because they're not accurate to the original (regardless of whatever inate level of quality may exist within the change itself) then there won't be many responses beyond "nothing." The mere fact that it's a change will result in it being considered worse. Or at least be guilty until proven innocent.

[Mewzard]

The issue (and why the answers to the question are mostly going to be "nothing") is that it presumes something that many people see as a fundamental flaw of localization. What you have is an original production and a localization of it. So since the original production is the foundation, the only way to actually improve on it is to change it. If they don't change it then at best it'll be equally as good but no better. So it basically is a question asking "what changes were for the better?"

I'm not necessarily as hardcore about this as many people here are, but if somebody's position is all changes are bad because they're not accurate to the original (regardless of whatever inate level of quality may exist within the change itself) then there won't be many responses beyond "nothing." The mere fact that it's a change will result in it being considered worse. Or at least be guilty until proven innocent.

Well, one could argue the point that *insert actor of dub* did better than *insert actor of original*, but with this being a primarily Japanese original oriented forum (with some minor resistance forces in the southwest), it will still likely end up being none.

That's why I'm mostly thinking Kai, as the acting's better in it, even if it's closer to the original (and therefore, less change).

[TonyTheTiger]

Yeah, we've seen that with Babidi. I'm actually partial to that radio effect added to Android 19. I thought it was pretty clever.

But still, and this might be a gross exaggeration but it's somewhat related, it's kind of like improving Shakespeare. Is it possible to do? I suppose. But even if somebody managed to make Hamlet twice as good, that's not going to go over too well.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I'm actually partial to that radio effect added to Android 19. I thought it was pretty clever.

I always thought FUNimation's voice for Android #19 was just unnecessarily robotic. It didn't need to be mechanical, since we know that he's an android and there's no need to add an overly robotic and high-pitched voice to him. I'd prefer it if he had a relatively normal human voice like the other Androids.

[Adamant]

But still, and this might be a gross exaggeration but it's somewhat related, it's kind of like improving Shakespeare. Is it possible to do? I suppose. But even if somebody managed to make Hamlet twice as good, that's not going to go over too well.

Or to use an actual, existing example - in what ways did "Romeo+Juliet" (the '96 movie with DiCaprio and guns and shit) improve on the original play?

Go ask the members of a Shakespeare forum that, and I doubt you'll find many people saying anything other than "nothing".

[TonyTheTiger]

I'm actually partial to that radio effect added to Android 19. I thought it was pretty clever.

I always thought FUNimation's voice for Android #19 was just unnecessarily robotic. It didn't need to be mechanical, since we know that he's an android and there's no need to add an overly robotic and high-pitched voice to him. I'd prefer it if he had a relatively normal human voice like the other Androids.

But he's also the only one who doesn't look human in the least so I think it works that he doesn't sound like the others.

But still, and this might be a gross exaggeration but it's somewhat related, it's kind of like improving Shakespeare. Is it possible to do? I suppose. But even if somebody managed to make Hamlet twice as good, that's not going to go over too well.

Or to use an actual, existing example - in what ways did "Romeo+Juliet" (the '96 movie with DiCaprio and guns and shit) improve on the original play?

Go ask the members of a Shakespeare forum that, and I doubt you'll find many people saying anything other than "nothing".

You're assuming I said that change was an improvement. I'm talking a change that is an improvement, whatever that change may be. There's a difference.

Actually, I can think of a change that would be an improvement. Anybody who's familiar with Othello knows that Desdemona's death is pure bullshit. Othello strangles her and she passes out. Then she revives to say another line before dropping dead. That doesn't happen with strangulation victims. Even back then they must have known that. So if somebody changes the scene it would technically be an "improvement" since it's fixing a glaring logical error (that also doesn't affect the story in any way) but it's also a change that probably won't be appreciated all that much regardless of how much sense it makes.

Obviously you want to preserve what Shakespeare wrote, even the bad stuff, for various reasons. But when you start talking about making things "better" you open up a huge can of worms, regardless of the merits. There's an entire trope (caricatured, of course) about the phenomenon that I myself am not completely immune to.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... NowItSucks

*WARNING* - Enter TV Tropes at your own risk. Hours may be lost.

[Deimos]

Yeah, we've seen that with Babidi. I'm actually partial to that radio effect added to Android 19. I thought it was pretty clever.

I agree, they made a small change to make the character more unique compared to the other the Androids. Especially when he is the one that looks the least human. It fit Android 19.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I'm actually partial to that radio effect added to Android 19. I thought it was pretty clever.

I always thought FUNimation's voice for Android #19 was just unnecessarily robotic. It didn't need to be mechanical, since we know that he's an android and there's no need to add an overly robotic and high-pitched voice to him. I'd prefer it if he had a relatively normal human voice like the other Androids.

But he's also the only one who doesn't look human in the least so I think it works that he doesn't sound like the others.

You shouldn't base someone's voice on their appearance, but their character. They made the same mistake with Kaio and Reacoom by giving them retard voices. They got it right with Piccolo. Piccolo doesn't look human, yet he has a normal human voice, and that's because they focused on his character rather than his appearance. And, not supporting FUNi's decision, but #19's voice doesn't even fit his appearance. He looks like a fat clown, yet he sounds like a broken robot. He is a robot, yes, and perhaps when I'm saying they should've based his voice on his character, you may think that it doesn't matter since he's just an insignificant character anyway, but #19's voice just doesn't sit right with me. They just gave him a generic robot voice without thinking about his character. Even #16 has a more normal-sounding voice than #19, but I bet if he looked like a tin can, FUNi would've given him a different voice.

[Mewzard]

It was a high pitched voice with a robotic filter. Not exactly a pure generic robot voice, but then one could argue he didn't have much of a personality outside of wanting energy absorbed, and being scared of Vegeta after losing his hands. Not like 16, who shows some semblance of a personality (gradually, as time goes on). Hell, Gero having a normal voice could be explained as a choice by himself, and not carrying about the other pure robots.

And comparing voice work changes to changing Shakespeare isn't quite right. It would be more appropriate to compare the first performances of a Shakespearian play to a more modern interpretation. Original or not doesn't matter in that case, it can still be better (either on full voice work, or just for some members). If they're both doing the same material in roughly the same meaning, then it would be to the acting to determine which was better.

[penguintruth]

The Japanese voice for 19 was nothing special, either.

[TonyTheTiger]

You shouldn't base someone's voice on their appearance, but their character.

What's #19 beyond "robot companion to Dr. Gero hellbent on killing Goku and friends"? It's not like this guy is the pinnacle of character depth. There's a lot of wiggle room to find a fitting voice for such a minor figure.

And, not supporting FUNi's decision, but #19's voice doesn't even fit his appearance. He looks like a fat clown, yet he sounds like a broken robot. He is a robot, yes, and perhaps when I'm saying they should've based his voice on his character, you may think that it doesn't matter since he's just an insignificant character anyway, but #19's voice just doesn't sit right with me. They just gave him a generic robot voice without thinking about his character. Even #16 has a more normal-sounding voice than #19, but I bet if he looked like a tin can, FUNi would've given him a different voice.

I'm having trouble following because it sounds like your contradicting each sentence with the next. "Base the voice on the character, not the appearance." "But 19s voice isn't based on his appearance but still...19 sounds like a robot...which is his character...but not his appearance...even though he has pretty little in the way of character..."

Really, though. What's so special about a "normal" voice for him? What makes that match his character any better than some other voice?

What is his character?

He sounds pretty creepy with the radio effect. Which, given how he's introduced, does seem to fit his character. He shows up like a relatively silent horror movie monster. His "character" is to be creepy. At least as much as he can be before Vegeta goes apeshit on him.

The Japanese voice for 19 was nothing special, either.

It was just a normal voice as far as I'm concerned. Not bad, but nothing unique. A "safe" voice for a throwaway bad guy.

[Mewzard]

I agree that, if the Japanese voice wasn't much, and the character barely did anything of importance (or showed little of what could be considered a personality), than adding a robotic voice filter doesn't hurt the series at all. Hell, if anything, at least a strange voice could draw some interest to him (and not a baseless choice, at least he's a robot, and not a person talking as such).

It doesn't hurt the character, and at least that voice isn't being applied to Dr. Gero himself.