Goku's Japanese voice, anyone else not like it at all?

JulieYBM · Post by **JulieYBM** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Yeah, Nozawa's Gokû sounds nothing like a female if you've ever watch Anime in Japanese.

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:33 pm

Even though I was introduced to Z almost entirely through the dub, I had no problem making the "transition" into hearing Nozawa's Goku.

I suppose it may be partially thanks to all my "research" I did on the series. As I browsed around various "ultimate DBZ info" sites I ended up downloading and watching a lost of old, bad-quality clips, most of them in Japanese. I learned all about Goku's child-like nature, and that his voice was meant to express that, and I was down with it.

MCDaveG · Post by **MCDaveG** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:50 am

Nozawa is great in acting as Goku, it's the best Goku ever in my opinion and fuck all these topics that the dub is awesome, blah blah blah..... The best dub is always the original, my opinion on US Goku is that, that when Schemmel is screaming, it sounds like someone is raping him to eye and I have a brilliant mood to kick him in the nuts.....

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:15 am

Sean Schemmel's got a lot of talent and also makes a great Goku. The problem is, it took him a long time to truly come to fit the role, and his talent is sadly far too often held back by things like bad scripting and directing.

JAPPO · Post by **JAPPO** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:25 am

I believe there was another thread just like this one, but my answer remains the same... I don't like the Japanese Goku voice. He sounds like an old woman. I'm not saying he has to be manly, but I don't consider Sean Schemmel sounding manly at all... Sorry just the way I feel.

MCDaveG · Post by **MCDaveG** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:35 am

JAPPO wrote:I believe there was another thread just like this one, but my answer remains the same... I don't like the Japanese Goku voice. He sounds like an old woman. I'm not saying he has to be manly, but I don't consider Sean Schemmel sounding manly at all... Sorry just the way I feel.

That's okay, it's everyone's right to like different things, I only hate topics and opinions like japanese version sux, US version rules etc. and I think this topic is pointless in it's entirety...... Who don't like Nozawa, Schemmel, Furukawa, who cares)))

Victator Supreme · Post by **Victator Supreme** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:41 am

I can enjoy both equally. Only Japanese voice I have never liked is Yajirobe. I'm not saying its bad but it sounded so weird and alien. The other voices sound like they fit the characters perfectly. Of course I'm attached to the dub too. But in most cases I hink they fit the characters.

Captain Awesome · Post by **Captain Awesome** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:34 am

SSj Kaboom wrote:Masako Nozawa IS Son Goku. There's no way around it. Other voice actors and actresses should try to study her performance for inspiration on playing the character, not just because "it's the original" but because it's the best. The characterization is spot-on perfect.

This is exactly how I feel, I dislike the English VA's because they simply aren't Son Goku, they are a mishmash of American superhero and forced delivery.

I can't like Sean Schemmel because he isn't playing the Son Goku I know, he's the dub Goku, who's characterisation and portrayal is completely different, and as far as I'm concerned, pretty awful.

Daburcor · Post by **Daburcor** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:57 am

Captain Awesome wrote:
SSj Kaboom wrote:Masako Nozawa IS Son Goku. There's no way around it. Other voice actors and actresses should try to study her performance for inspiration on playing the character, not just because "it's the original" but because it's the best. The characterization is spot-on perfect.
This is exactly how I feel, I dislike the English VA's because they simply aren't Son Goku, they are a mishmash of American superhero and forced delivery.

I can't like Sean Schemmel because he isn't playing the Son Goku I know, he's the dub Goku, who's characterisation and portrayal is completely different, and as far as I'm concerned, pretty awful.

+ Yes.

Rory · Post by **Rory** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:39 am

These kind of threads irritate me. Some guy's gonna come in and be a prick saying "Nozawa rocks and everyone else sucks", or the other way around. I know it was probly' created wiuth good intentions, but threads like these are just ticking timebombs.
Also, for the record, Schemmel's performance as Son Goku recently has sky-rocketed, and is (in my honest opinion) matching Nozawa's own.

Chibi Mystic Gohan · Post by **Chibi Mystic Gohan** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:10 am

Rory wrote:These kind of threads irritate me. Some guy's gonna come in and be a prick saying "Nozawa rocks and everyone else sucks", or the other way around.

How does stating your honest opinion make you a prick?

kenshiro87 · Post by **kenshiro87** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:38 am

I found the american voices are really really really bad lol, If you are not american or english, you cannot like these voices, the english accent is not appropriate, "gowwku, kakarrowwwte,piccolowww" and the shouts during the fights are bad, they're really false.

The Gokû japanese voice is perfect, (as for me , sure ^^) , his voice is mythical, compared to the american voice, because the american voice are young compared to the japanese.

Rocketman · Post by **Rocketman** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:24 am

kenshiro87 wrote:I found the american voices are really really really bad lol, If you are not american or english, you cannot like these voices, the english accent is not appropriate, "gowwku, kakarrowwwte,piccolowww"

What the hell were you listening to? The US dub pronounces those as "go (as in the word 'go')-ku", "kakar-rot (the word rot)" and "pickle-oh".

Cold Skin · Post by **Cold Skin** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:33 am

Goku's Japanese voice is always surprising at first, but I never actually got the feeling that he had a woman's voice: it was just when trying to see if the Japanese voice he has was used for other characters in other series that I found out that it was a woman, which was quite an unexpected surprise!

It is the best voice to me, because it perfectly fits Goku in every side of his personnality. Even when not understanding Japanese and not knowing the plot, anyone would know how kind he is just with this voice. And it's perfect for his angry times too!

However, I do think in occidental countries the voice should be a male voice, a voice like the Japanese one wouldn't fit our language, I really can't imagine that kind of voice with Goku speaking English, French, Italian or else...

I never thought about it, but maybe the key to the ultimate dub for occidental countries would be to reprise that idea of a younger-than-should-be voice, but not a kid voice, maybe more a 17 years old teen voice or whatever... I mean, some adults, despite having an adult voice, keep that sort of grain typical of teenagehood in their voice, so I wonder what it would give on Goku. A cool balance, definately an adult male voice, but with something of a reminder of a late teenage voice or something, which would fit with that carefree behavior he has... Well, I actually don't know if it would be a good thing, but I was just wondering about that possibility. If I had to decide the dub voices, maybe I wouldn't pick that kind of voice, but at least I'd test this theory just to make sure...

Rod · Post by **Rod** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:39 am

I like it, as long as he doesn't start screaming, because you can intimidateley tell it's a woman, and he's a man

DemonRin · Post by **DemonRin** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:23 pm

If you're introduced to the series through the Dub, and make the transition to the Japanese version, Son's voice sounds funny to you. No two ways about it.

But I think Nozawa is the de facto Son Goku. (and Son Gohan, and Son Goten for that matter...) it's so bad that at this point whenever I watch The Drum Island Arc of One Piece, or Watch Movie 9 (which was a retelling of Drum) I can't watch any scene with Dr. Kureha without hearing Son. Almost like I can't watch Dragon Ball Kai now and watch scenes with Kuririn and Not hear Monkey D. Luffy XD. Hell, I even had to tell myself "That's Piccolo, not Ace... And HOLY SHIT, BUGGY IS RADITZ!!" XD I kept expecting to hear Raditz say "I Have FLASHILY Taken your Son Kakarott, and if you don't Bring 100 bodies to me, I'll FLASHILY eradicate everyone on this Miserable Planet!" XD

I've never thought any of Son's English VAs were "Bad" Per-se. (although for SOME REASON almost all of them struggle with this simple concept of Pronouncing "Kaio-Ken" right... >_>) I'd say tone wise, every one of Son's VAs is right of the role, I just think the major shortcomings with the dub are that
A) The Script wasn't really accurate until the Boo Arc, and even then and all throughout, they had REALLY corny Lines... "GREAT GALAXIES KAKAROTT!!"
B) The Actors in the Early FUNi dub were clearly inexperienced. If you watch the Cutscenes in the newer games like Burst Limit, or watch one of FUNi's newer shows like FMA or One Piece, the actors are all surprisingly great.
C) Directing. Even the best Actors' performances can suffer GREATLY with poor or misguided direction. I think Dragon Ball Z suffered terribly from this.
D) Sabat played too many characters... seriously, if they ever dub Kai, they need to recast at least a few of Sabat's Roles... maybe limit him to Just Piccolo and Vegeta...

RoarkVegeta · Post by **RoarkVegeta** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:34 pm

Well, here's my story:

Back when I watched the dub, I thought Goku's voice should be a tough guy. Then when I got the DVDs and said "Hey. There's another version. Let's watch it." I heard Masako Nozawa. I LOVED IT. I thought it was fantastic.

B · Post by B » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:45 pm

DemonRin wrote:C) Directing. Even the best Actors' performances can suffer GREATLY with poor or misguided direction. I think Dragon Ball Z suffered terribly from this.
D) Sabat played too many characters... seriously, if they ever dub Kai, they need to recast at least a few of Sabat's Roles... maybe limit him to Just Piccolo and Vegeta...

C) Which I find funny since Mike McFarland(Kame Sen'nin) handled ADR direction for both DB and OP.
D) I never got this complaint. He only plays three important characters, who sound nothing like each other. All his other roles are minor characters who never show up or die fairly quickly. It's one thing if you just don't like his performance, but the idea he's "playing too many characters" still just doesn't click with me. =/

DemonRin · Post by **DemonRin** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:48 pm

B wrote:C) Which I find funny since Mike McFarland(Kame Sen'nin) handled ADR direction for both DB and OP.
D) I never got this complaint. He only plays three important characters, who sound nothing like each other. All his other roles are minor characters who never show up or die fairly quickly. It's one thing if you just don't like his performance, but the idea he's "playing too many characters" still just doesn't click with me. =/

C) Yes, Mike Directed DBZ Back in the late 1990s. He directs OP more than a decade Later. See article B on my list again xD

D) All a matter of opinion then I guess. But doesn't he play the Dragon, Yamucha, Popo and a few other people?

B · Post by B » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:03 pm

I guess it is opinion then, since I find Sabat versatile enough to where the only characters who sound remotely alike would be... Yamcha and Jheese, I guess.

Shenlong and Popo would fall under the "pretty much never show up or talk all that much" category. Shenlong grunts and acts annoyed, grants a wish, flies off, and isn't seen again until next saga, 70 episodes later. Popo says "hello" or "KAMI SAMA!!!!" He might scream in terror now and again. When he's there.