Has TFS damaged the reputation of the franchise in the U.S.?

[Zephyr]

It's not a dub, it's a cheaply made poor acting.

It may not be professional level acting, but it's not "poor". I can see why people championing the parody as the ultimate English version of the show may be grating, but that's no slight to TeamFourStar themselves, or the work they produce. That's a slight to those specific fans in question who don't enjoy the series enough to appreciate a parody as a supplementary experience to the real thing.

While the dub was terrible, it wasn't a parody, and Abridged isn't a dub, it WAS a parody.

That was a joke. Obviously the Funi dub wasn't a parody, but it might as well have been one.

[ABED]

I think it is. I've never laughed once, I think it's poor. I don't like the work they produce at all.

[Weejus]

(and a much better parody than the officially licensed one Funimation gave us on Toonami)

Oh, snap!

Anyway, not really, except for breakout characters like Nappa and Guru. I think it helped bring Dragon Ball to today's generation (and to me before the Orange Bricks came out in the UK), and it's fine as long as you view it as more of a sketch comedy series than a sci-fi action series like its source material.

[ABED]

(and a much better parody than the officially licensed one Funimation gave us on Toonami)

Oh, snap!

Anyway, not really, except for breakout characters like Nappa and Guru. I think it helped bring Dragon Ball to today's generation (and to me before the Orange Bricks came out in the UK), and it's fine as long as you view it as more of a sketch comedy series than a sci-fi action series like its source material.

While DBZ isn't necessarily mainstream, I would consider TFS to be even more niche. I don't think it has nearly as much an effect on DB as you would think.

[KentalSSJ6]

Seeing as I can watch the show without constantly playing back quotes from Abridged in my head, i'm inclined to say no. That being said, no small amount of Abridged jokes get thrown out when talking Dragonball with friends.

Ok..MAYBE a quote or two..

[Weejus]

(and a much better parody than the officially licensed one Funimation gave us on Toonami)

Oh, snap!

Anyway, not really, except for breakout characters like Nappa and Guru. I think it helped bring Dragon Ball to today's generation (and to me before the Orange Bricks came out in the UK), and it's fine as long as you view it as more of a sketch comedy series than a sci-fi action series like its source material.

While DBZ isn't necessarily mainstream, I would consider TFS to be even more niche. I don't think it has nearly as much an effect on DB as you would think.

Well it was the only legal way to watch Dragon Ball in the UK for about 4 years (once CN took it off the air in 2005, that was it until the OBs in 2012 and Kai in 2013), plus many of my friends won't go near DB unless it's the abridged series.

[Zephyr]

I think it is. I've never laughed once, I think it's poor. I don't like the work they produce at all.

Out of curiosity, what all have you watched of theirs?

[Freeza Soldier #156]

I enjoy DBZA, but I do agree that I get tired of hearing them quoted all of the time. Unfortunately my brother loves it with a fiery passion and will literally quote lines while I'm trying to watch the actual series. There is nothing wrong with liking it, but I don't think it should be treated as if it is actual dub. The TFS team has talent, no denying, but it is a fan project, nothing more.

I don't see the problem with someone saying that it's better than Kai. I mean, the example I always give is that Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a parody of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Men in Tights is much, much better than it's source material.

I don't see this as the same situation, though. Men in Tights is an official movie, with official actors, that was released into theaters. It wasn't made by a bunch of fans and put on YouTube. TFS is good, but they are not official in any capacity.

[ABED]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips.

It's not even on the level of a good quality fandub (is there such a thing), the jokes and even the quality of the recording sounds like things you might say if you and a group of friends muted DBZ and played MST3K.

Well it was the only legal way to watch Dragon Ball in the UK for about 4 years (once CN took it off the air in 2005, that was it until the OBs in 2012 and Kai in 2013), plus many of my friends won't go near DB unless it's the abridged series.

Hardly a representative sample

[Weejus]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips.

Well it was the only legal way to watch Dragon Ball in the UK for about 4 years (once CN took it off the air in 2005, that was it until the OBs in 2012 and Kai in 2013), plus many of my friends won't go near DB unless it's the abridged series.

Hardly a representative sample

Representative sample of what?

[Doctor.]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips

Hardly a good way to judge an entire series, especially when they undoubtedly have gotten better.

[ABED]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips

Hardly a good way to judge an entire series, especially when they undoubtedly have gotten better.

I don't care to waste anymore time on the offchance that it could get better. Again, I've seen a few clips from the Freeza arc and it was the same stuff.

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips.

Well it was the only legal way to watch Dragon Ball in the UK for about 4 years (once CN took it off the air in 2005, that was it until the OBs in 2012 and Kai in 2013), plus many of my friends won't go near DB unless it's the abridged series.

Hardly a representative sample

Representative sample of what?

Your group of friends isn't representative of the population at large. It's a nice anecdote, but it doesn't prove anything about the effect Abridged had on the fan base overall.

[Weejus]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips

Hardly a good way to judge an entire series, especially when they undoubtedly have gotten better.

I agree. The Saiyan and beginning of the Freeza arc is mostly just having as many jokes as possible thrown in with little cohesiveness. From there on it gets a bit more structured, the jokes are a lot more thought out (mostly) instead of just being added in on a whim (again, as the episode breakdowns will tell you, mostly), and the overall production quality and editing is a lot better in recent works.

Hardly a representative sample

Representative sample of what?

Your group of friends isn't representative of the population at large. It's a nice anecdote, but it doesn't prove anything about the effect Abridged had on the fan base overall.

True. That statement was mainly focussed on the whole 'only legal option' point, and the personal point was something to add in for a second example.

[ABED]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips

Hardly a good way to judge an entire series, especially when they undoubtedly have gotten better.

I agree. The Saiyan and beginning of the Freeza arc is mostly just having as many jokes as possible thrown in with little cohesiveness. From there on it gets a bit more structured, the jokes are a lot more thought out (mostly) instead of just being added in on a whim (again, as the episode breakdowns will tell you, mostly), and the overall production quality and editing is a lot better in recent works.

Okay, well you stayed with it because you saw something that you liked in the beginning, but there's nothing I found enjoyable about it, so I don't see the point in staying with something I don't like because I MIGHT like it down the line.

True. That statement was mainly focussed on the whole 'only legal option' point, and the personal point was something to add in for a second example.

Fair enough regarding legality.

[Zephyr]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips.

I'm not sure that you've viewed a sufficient amount of their good material to form an educated opinion on the matter, then. It is not the same stuff. Not anywhere near the same level of writing, acting, sound quality, or editing. I'm not sure which clips from the Namek arc you watched, but even that season has a steady increase of quality after the first few episodes.

If it's just not for you, that's fine, but that doesn't make it "bad" or low quality by any definition.

[Weejus]

All I can say is watch a couple of late Freeza and Cell arc episodes, as they are a better representation of the series' quality. If you still don't like it, fine, I can't ask any more, but saying the series is bad based on what you saw at the very start doesn't make much sense considering how much the series has changed since then.

[ABED]

I've watched the first episode and half of the second as well as a handful of clips.

I'm not sure that you've viewed a sufficient amount of their good material to form an educated opinion on the matter, then. It is not the same stuff. Not anywhere near the same level of writing, acting, sound quality, or editing. I'm not sure which clips from the Namek arc you watched, but even that season has a steady increase of quality after the first few episodes.

If it's just not for you, that's fine, but that doesn't make it "bad" or low quality by any definition.

It's all I can stand. They aren't funny and can't act. Clearly something made you stay with it, no such luck with me. I didn't like it from the beginning and there's no guarantee I'll enjoy it. I don't want to waste anymore time watching clips of the show. I've seen 1 and 1/2 episodes, and then may another 2 or 3 worth of various clips from later parts, none of it was good. Do we really have to add "in my opinion" when we state our view of the quality of the work? But yes, it's objectively god awful. In all seriousness, if you like it, fine, but I still don't see why anyone does, much like I don't understand why anyone thinks Paul F. Tompkins is talented.

but saying the series is bad based on what you saw at the very start doesn't make much sense considering how much the series has changed since then.
I also saw a bunch of clips from later on in the show, nothing changed in my assessment.

[KaiserNeko]

I'd like to go out of my way to say that, yes. We can act. As far as how funny we are, that's subjective; but we do have a huge audience that enjoys us.

We've put six years of incredibly hard work into improving everything about this series, including our own personal abilities. I'm not nearly the best actor in the show, but I work amongst some fantastic actors and actresses and, frankly, this is one of the only times I'll go out of my way to openly defend ourselves in the face of critique. Plenty of us are getting professional work and are being recognized more and more as legitimate voice actors.

If you don't like our series, fine. But we can sure as hell act.

[Mewzard]

It's all I can stand. They aren't funny and can't act. Clearly something made you stay with it, no such luck with me. I didn't like it from the beginning and there's no guarantee I'll enjoy it. I don't want to waste anymore time watching clips of the show. I've seen 1 and 1/2 episodes, and then may another 2 or 3 worth of various clips from later parts, none of it was good. Do we really have to add "in my opinion" when we state our view of the quality of the work? But yes, it's objectively god awful. In all seriousness, if you like it, fine, but I still don't see why anyone does, much like I don't understand why anyone thinks Paul F. Tompkins is talented.

but saying the series is bad based on what you saw at the very start doesn't make much sense considering how much the series has changed since then.
I also saw a bunch of clips from later on in the show, nothing changed in my assessment.

The fact that several of Funimation's cast have seen and found DBZ Abridged hilarious seem to suggest something. And all Abridged series tend to be rough at first as they find their style, character voices, etc (kinda like a dub really, both Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series *the first Abridged series* were rough at the start, but changed dramatically later on *compare the first episode of the original dub to the later made, shortly lived uncut dub, or Episode One of YGO:TAS to the newer ones*).

Humor is subjective. Just because something's not in your taste of humor doesn't make it of poor quality. Your not liking their style of humor doesn't mean they can't act. I happen to think they're fairly solid actors (impressively so given their humble fan beginnings).

[ImmaDeker]

The fact that several of Funimation's cast have seen and found DBZ Abridged hilarious seem to suggest something. And all Abridged series tend to be rough at first as they find their style, character voices, etc (kinda like a dub really, both Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series *the first Abridged series* were rough at the start, but changed dramatically later on *compare the first episode of the original dub to the later made, shortly lived uncut dub, or Episode One of YGO:TAS to the newer ones*).

I know humor is subjective, but I'm pretty sure it's fair to say that Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged is godawful. LittleKuriboh, like most of the TFS cast, is a fairly solid actor but that show's writing (like a lot of early TFS or anything of theirs that isn't mid-Freeza Saga and up DBZA) is some of the most godawful shit the internet's ever produced. Like, I've never seen a fan production with lazier writing, save for that one early DBZA that was like WELL HER NAME IS SNAKE. I BET SHE SOUNDS LIKE SOLID SNAKE. JOKEZ.

Except TFS actually grew away from that sort of lazy writing. YGOTAS never really did. If YGOTAS is Family Guy, DBZA is American Dad.