Watching Dragon Ball For The First Time In Japanese

[Big Momma]

There's just something about Schemmel (especially in Kai) that I really love.

Schemmel definitely stepped up his game in Kai.

[DB_Fan1991]

Up to episode 16 now. It seems after Episode 13 the scripts get a bit more accurate for the dub as a lot of the subbed lines match the dubbed ones. I know why the first 13 dub scripts are way more inaccurate, and that's because they simply recycled the BLT scripts, and newly translated the cut scenes. With that out of the way I can comment on 2 more voices.

Kid Kuririn: Loving Mayumi Tanaka so far, but this was one character I think FUNi got right as Laurie Steele was a fantastic choice.
Lunch: Again FUNi got her right in the dub as well as I like both Mami Koyama & Meredith McCoy.

[hulkty]

I've tried and tried and tried again, but I just can't stand the original Japanese dub...
In my opinion the music doesn't fit with the animation in DBZ at all. Maybe during certain occasions in DB, but hardly ever in DBZ. Faulconer's music fits perfectly in my opinion.
...and yes, I know DBZ is Japanese, but the American rock music fit so perfectly well in the English dubbed DBZ movies I couldn't help but love it.
The worst thing of all in the original Japanese dub is the voices to me. Some are better, but MOST sound just plain stupid. Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea. ...and I think that's more of a reason people bash it than the music... :/
Overall (in opinion): English dub DB/Z >>> Original Japanese dub DB/Z

[Zenkai]

I've tried and tried and tried again, but I just can't stand the original Japanese dub...
In my opinion the music doesn't fit with the animation in DBZ at all. Maybe during certain occasions in DB, but hardly ever in DBZ. Faulconer's music fits perfectly in my opinion.
...and yes, I know DBZ is Japanese, but the American rock music fit so perfectly well in the English dubbed DBZ movies I couldn't help but love it.
The worst thing of all in the original Japanese dub is the voices to me. Some are better, but MOST sound just plain stupid. Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea. ...and I think that's more of a reason people bash it than the music... :/
Overall (in opinion): English dub DB/Z >>> Original Japanese dub DB/Z

I like the Japanese music a lot more than the American dub music. I think an actual ensemble with real instruments is better than a synthesized computer program (the American dub music is mostly synthesized, right?). Perhaps I'm biased because I play saxophone in a wind ensemble. Also, I much prefer woodwind, brass, and orchestral string instruments over electric guitars.

[SSJJezter]

I've tried and tried and tried again, but I just can't stand the original Japanese dub...
In my opinion the music doesn't fit with the animation in DBZ at all. Maybe during certain occasions in DB, but hardly ever in DBZ. Faulconer's music fits perfectly in my opinion.
...and yes, I know DBZ is Japanese, but the American rock music fit so perfectly well in the English dubbed DBZ movies I couldn't help but love it.
The worst thing of all in the original Japanese dub is the voices to me. Some are better, but MOST sound just plain stupid. Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea. ...and I think that's more of a reason people bash it than the music... :/
Overall (in opinion): English dub DB/Z >>> Original Japanese dub DB/Z

You might want to duck, because I think I can see some angry fans coming...

[DoomieDoomie911]

I've tried and tried and tried again, but I just can't stand the original Japanese dub...
In my opinion the music doesn't fit with the animation in DBZ at all. Maybe during certain occasions in DB, but hardly ever in DBZ. Faulconer's music fits perfectly in my opinion.
...and yes, I know DBZ is Japanese, but the American rock music fit so perfectly well in the English dubbed DBZ movies I couldn't help but love it.
The worst thing of all in the original Japanese dub is the voices to me. Some are better, but MOST sound just plain stupid. Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea. ...and I think that's more of a reason people bash it than the music... :/
Overall (in opinion): English dub DB/Z >>> Original Japanese dub DB/Z

I like the Japanese music a lot more than the American dub music. I think an actual ensemble with real instruments is better than a synthesized computer program (the American dub music is mostly synthesized, right?). Perhaps I'm biased because I play saxophone in a wind ensemble. Also, I much prefer woodwind, brass, and orchestral string instruments over electric guitars.

I agree with you Zenkai. In my opinion, the Kikuchi score is much better than the Faulconer score... To me, it just does NOT fit Dragon Ball at all.

[DoomieDoomie911]

Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea.

I respect your opinion, but Masoka Nozawa is Son Goku, Son Gohan, Son Goten, and Bardock. She is those characters, period.

[ABED]

McCoy didn't play both sides of Lunch's personality. I don't know why everyone seems to forget this. That said, I agree that Kuririn's dub voice is great.

[DB_Fan1991]

McCoy didn't play both sides of Lunch's personality. I don't know why everyone seems to forget this. That said, I agree that Kuririn's dub voice is great.

I've heard conflicting sides, Some say McCoy did both while others say McCoy did the bad side and Monika Antonelli did the good side.

[ABED]

McCoy didn't play both sides of Lunch's personality. I don't know why everyone seems to forget this. That said, I agree that Kuririn's dub voice is great.

I've heard conflicting sides, Some say McCoy did both while others say McCoy did the bad side and Monika Antonelli did the good side.

I don't know if it was Antonelli, but if it is McCoy, it sounds NOTHING like her.

[DB_Fan1991]

McCoy didn't play both sides of Lunch's personality. I don't know why everyone seems to forget this. That said, I agree that Kuririn's dub voice is great.

I've heard conflicting sides, Some say McCoy did both while others say McCoy did the bad side and Monika Antonelli did the good side.

I don't know if it was Antonelli, but if it is McCoy, it sounds NOTHING like her.

It definitely was Antonelli as both sides in the DB Movie 2 dub, but then again that was the first thing FUNi ever dubbed in-house.

[DBZ Mick]

I've tried and tried and tried again, but I just can't stand the original Japanese dub...
In my opinion the music doesn't fit with the animation in DBZ at all. Maybe during certain occasions in DB, but hardly ever in DBZ. Faulconer's music fits perfectly in my opinion.
...and yes, I know DBZ is Japanese, but the American rock music fit so perfectly well in the English dubbed DBZ movies I couldn't help but love it.
The worst thing of all in the original Japanese dub is the voices to me. Some are better, but MOST sound just plain stupid. Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea. ...and I think that's more of a reason people bash it than the music... :/
Overall (in opinion): English dub DB/Z >>> Original Japanese dub DB/Z

I like the Japanese music a lot more than the American dub music. I think an actual ensemble with real instruments is better than a synthesized computer program (the American dub music is mostly synthesized, right?). Perhaps I'm biased because I play saxophone in a wind ensemble. Also, I much prefer woodwind, brass, and orchestral string instruments over electric guitars.

Bascially this for me in regards to the score. It feels so wrong for the show. 2 weeks or so back one user posted how the music felt so wrong for the scene where Gohan turns SSJ2 in Japanese and preferred the English and I was like WTF...The English music was so wrong for that moment and felt soulless.

Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea. ...and I think that's more of a reason people bash it than the music... :/

I don't agree with this either. Schemmel believe it or not sounds too masculine for me as Goku. I never once thought Nozawa sounded like a woman, just a very softly spoken hick guy who can flare out with some great anger at times. Her Bardock is bascially Goku without his hick voice and more serious and maybe more arrogance to the voice.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Here's something that I'm surprised hasn't been brought up before.......for people who voice disapproval of the Japanese version, it almost always comes back to Masako Nozawa as adult Goku. I haven't heard any complaints among dub fans about voices like Ryo Horikawa's Vegeta, Ryusei Nakao's Freeza, Toshio Furukawa's Piccolo....has anybody else noticed that? It all comes down to Masako Nozawa as adult Goku.

It's a rather odd voice, as I think anybody can admit. If you heard a grown man with that voice, almost everybody would raise an eyebrow or two. It's also worth noting that literally every single dub of the "Dragon Ball" animes that has ever existed, in any language, has cast an adult male as the voice of adult Goku. So I don't think it's unreasonable to say that many people, at least upon first listening, find it odd that that voice comes out of that adult character's body.

It took me a while, but now I don't mind it. It's not that I have come to believe the voice sounds natural. Quite frankly, I still think it sounds very weird. However, Goku's a weird character, so for him, it fits. I think the charm of this would have been magnified if Goku was the only character to maintain his original voice actor throughout the entirety of the show, however...it doesn't sound nearly as special when every other character maintains their original voice actor for the entirety of the show's run.

Bardock is a good example of this. I wouldn't describe him as a particularly weird guy. A tad savage, perhaps, but not quite Goku in terms of quirkiness. Without speaking Japanese, I'm sure Nozawa did a fine enough job, but I think Bardock would have been better served with an adult male voice actor, because it would be more fitting for his physical appearance and because Bardock is nothing like Goku. If Toei wanted to maintain the idea of familial relations when they cast Bardock, perhaps they could have cast Shigeru Ciba (Raditz) as Bardock instead.

[ABED]

There are men with odd sounding voices. Who else was shocked to hear Mike Tyson's voice for the first time?

Sean has a masculine voice but his acting has improved drastically, so his voice fits the character. So does Nozawa's. Both are valid.

[DB_Fan1991]

It's a rather odd voice, as I think anybody can admit. If you heard a grown man with that voice, almost everybody would raise an eyebrow or two. It's also worth noting that literally every single dub of the "Dragon Ball" animes that has ever existed, in any language, has cast an adult male as the voice of adult Goku. So I don't think it's unreasonable to say that many people, at least upon first listening, find it odd that that voice comes out of that adult character's body.

Actually the French dub of the last 21 episodes of Dragon Ball had his child actor play him as an adult, but then Patrick Borg got casted once DBZ came along.

[DBZ Mick]

I haven't heard any complaints among dub fans about voices like Ryo Horikawa's Vegeta, Ryusei Nakao's Freeza, Toshio Furukawa's Piccolo....has anybody else noticed that? It all comes down to Masako Nozawa as adult Goku.

I have... I remember some complaining about Horikawa.

[TheWhiz]

I haven't heard any complaints among dub fans about voices like Ryo Horikawa's Vegeta, Ryusei Nakao's Freeza, Toshio Furukawa's Piccolo....has anybody else noticed that? It all comes down to Masako Nozawa as adult Goku.

I have... I remember some complaining about Horikawa.

It's pretty rare to find someone complaining about Horikawa. Infact, I hardly see anyone complain about him at all.

[OutlawTorn]

I like the Japanese music a lot more than the American dub music.

I agree. Ever since picking up the first VHS tapes for season three, I have thoroughly disliked the Faulconer music. I respect that there is a large group who prefer it, but I will always prefer the Kikuchi score and even the portion of Nathan Johnson's music over Faulconer.

Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea.

I respect your opinion, but Masoka Nozawa is Son Goku, Son Gohan, Son Goten, and Bardock. She is those characters, period.

But that, too, is just opinion. For people who live Nozawa, she's Goku. For people who don't like her, She's not Goku. Whichever viewpoint we have, we just need to respect the other's view and agree to disagree.

[DoomieDoomie911]

I like the Japanese music a lot more than the American dub music.

I agree. Ever since picking up the first VHS tapes for season three, I have thoroughly disliked the Faulconer music. I respect that there is a large group who prefer it, but I will always prefer the Kikuchi score and even the portion of Nathan Johnson's music over Faulconer.

Whoever wanted Bardock and Goku to sound like crazy screaming Asian ladies had a horrible idea.

I respect your opinion, but Masoka Nozawa is Son Goku, Son Gohan, Son Goten, and Bardock. She is those characters, period.

But that, too, is just opinion. For people who live Nozawa, she's Goku. For people who don't like her, She's not Goku. Whichever viewpoint we have, we just need to respect the other's view and agree to disagree.

I know it is, and I do agree to disagree. I know my opinion is just as good as his, and that there is no right answer to things like that.

[DB_Fan1991]

Up to Episode 23 now, so I can comment on the other Tenka-Ichi fighters' voices now.

Nam: Kaneto Shiozawa is much better than Jerry Jewell's take. Shiozawa doesn't fake an Indian accent like Jewell and sounds more natural.
Lanfang: Yoko Kawanami & Laura Bailey are equal.
Giran: I prefer Banjo Ginga over Andrew Chandler. Ginga sounds more like a monster than Chandler.
Bacterian: Yasuo Tanaka really makes him sound like a very disgusting person unlike Chris Rager even though he did good too.

As for the announcer I kinda prefer Eric Vale over Kenji Utsumi though Utsumi is good too. Just something about Vale's performance that makes it stand out more.