Dub-Music Bashing

[MultilangDBZ]

The original Japanese BGM is far more emotional, orchestrated and scene-fitting.

The FUNi BGM is simply monotonous soft rock that hardly changes throughout each episode. There are no periods of silence either, which are essential for suspense, clarity and natural/character sounds. Because of the deep, serious tone of rock, all the elation and euphoric moments are completely obliterated with such music. Not only does it not vary a lot in mood, the music fails to convey drama too. There is hardly any dramatic moments due to the lack of a proper orchestra - the rock simply cannot attain such a drama regardless of the music being played. (If the rock is too scathing, it will override the character's voices. But, at a restrained level, no drama can be fully reached.)

I suppose there was too much emphasis on the fact that it has to be marketed as 'cool' and involving fighting such that they thought only rock should accompany the series in order to attract young viewers. This worked, nonetheless. However, this pulls the level of DBZ down to a common level where there is no uniqueness and the sounds are just like any other cartoon. One major factor that led me to revisit the series years and years later was undoubtedly the BGM and the songs from the original version in addition to its story and characters. FUNi's music is simply too ordinary and forgettable, as well as destroying the emotional/dramatic moments entirely.

[Rocketman]

I can honestly say that besides Goku's SSj1 and SSj3 transformations, and Vegeta's Theme, I never paid much attention to the dub music.

[Great Saiyaman]

There are no periods of silence either

That's acctually an aspect that I really like.

[Tsukento]

But that completely ruins the seriousness of certain scenes. Or have we forgotten that Gohan's neck breaking to Reacoom's kick was pretty much killed in emotion when there was music playing in the original dub? :\ Can't forget Goku punching Jeese in the face and all you hear is Jeese groaning in pain, with no music at all, in the original. Whereas the dub had him howling and whining while music played.

Certain scenes require silence boost the emotion or impact. Having music blaring in the background just for the sake of it ruins it. Especially if they try playing a little comical music just for the hell of it. :s

[MyVisionity]

But that completely ruins the seriousness of certain scenes. Or have we forgotten that Gohan's neck breaking to Reacoom's kick was pretty much killed in emotion when there was music playing in the original dub? :\

Maybe FUNi just felt that the emotion wasn't needed for that particular scene. And the comical pieces are placed where FUNimation decides to interject a scene with humor. While those scenes may not have been comedic originally, FUNi is offering a new perspective on things.

[Mattias]

Silence can never be overrated. If you were to do even the entire Dragon Ball Z series in total silence, it would work.

It would certainly be a lot more tense. Where you can't find your enemy and you can't hear him either, that's pretty scary. Not to have rock music blazing in the background really changes everything.

[El_Diablo]

There are no periods of silence either

That's acctually an aspect that I really like.

You can't be serious.

(Is that even a question?)

*Fine, I'll add something*

How can you think that constant background music is better than being broken by some silence?

Are you saying something like Star Wars could work with a constant two hours of music in the background?

[VegettoEX]

Questions end with question marks. A single, half-sentence is not worth posting. Respect opinions belonging to other people.

Geeze.

[B-kun]

I don't think he was asking a question, Mike. ^^;; Seems to me it was more or less stating "you cannot be serious".

[desirecampbell]

Silence can never be overrated.

True that. Silence can set a suspenful mood better and faster than any music. The only cartoon to ever scare me was an episode of Samurai Jack, walking around a haunted house with an errie silence (clap, clap, clap of his sandles). Nothing has ever frightened me more than that episode - nothing.

[VegettoEX]

I don't think he was asking a question, Mike. ^^;; Seems to me it was more or less stating "you cannot be serious".

Oh, I completely understand what he was doing. And it's unacceptable.

[tarsonis]

It depends on what the scene calls for, whether it's more appropriate to have silence or to have music. It's one thing to be changing the music, but they shouldn't be inserting music where there was none to begin with. I never understood why they though it was necessary to do that..as desirecambell points out, there are American-produced cartoons that don't have music playing constantly. If an anime is English dubbed, that shouldn't be any different.

[Great Saiyaman]

I think the Music adds more drama to a scene than silence. I really hate it when it's silent. Which is another reason why I love the dub.

[Tsukento]

When Gohan's neck was broken, there was silence. No sound. No music. Nothing. After Gohan collapsed on the floor and wind blew, it became VERY eerie.

Playing music to a scene like that really doesn't work and kills whatever tension there is.

[SpaceKappa]

The silence brings you into the scene more. In the aforementioned scene with Gohan's neck being broken, the silence is very powerful. When all you hear is the wind, you're brought INTO the scene. You're made very uncomfortable. It's more of an "Oh... oh no..." moment. The dub plays more rock music, and it's more of an "OMG DUDE HIS NECK WAS BROKEN!" moment.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[Great Saiyaman]

When Gohan's neck was broken, there was silence. No sound. No music. Nothing. After Gohan collapsed on the floor and wind blew, it became VERY eerie.

Playing music to a scene like that really doesn't work and kills whatever tension there is.

Not to me, I think Dramatic music elevates a scene when something bad happens.

[Tsukento]

Unfortunately, FUNi knows not of what dramatic music is. Or shall we look back on Super Saiyan 2 Gohan's explosion? Or the death of Bardock and the entire planet Vegeta? How about when Goku fires the Super Genki Dama at Buu? Here's a good one. How about Piccolo rushing in to save Gohan from Nappa's blast and sacrificing himself?

When the music and entire scene just entirely stops and there isn't even any sound until wind kicks in, the mood becomes VERY dark and serious.

Just having a synthesizer blaring out music just doesn't work.

[Duo]

Total silence utterly focuses your brain on what is left - the images.

Having no music and just talking/sfx focuses your brain on those few noises.

Everything will feel slower when there is silence, and it gives the moment much more impact.

I'm not speaking from a point of view, I'm speaking a fact. Pick any scene that has silence in Jp, you will find the scene feels like it goes by much faster when in Dub.

We could get into the psychology of it too, if anyone would like.

[Dayspring]

Total silence utterly focuses your brain on what is left - the images.

Having no music and just talking/sfx focuses your brain on those few noises.

Everything will feel slower when there is silence, and it gives the moment much more impact.

I'm not speaking from a point of view, I'm speaking a fact. Pick any scene that has silence in Jp, you will find the scene feels like it goes by much faster when in Dub.

We could get into the psychology of it too, if anyone would like.

It's because FUNi does NOT want those kinds of moments in a show aimed at little kids. For the States, those moments are non-existent in a kids' show. Having an eerie silence interjected by Krillin's comedic voice, even if he's not being comedic, literally cuts into the scene as if he were saying "could this be any more creepy?!" which then makes the situation laughable instead of intense.

[MyVisionity]

Unfortunately, FUNi knows not of what dramatic music is. Or shall we look back on Super Saiyan 2 Gohan's explosion? Or the death of Bardock and the entire planet Vegeta? How about when Goku fires the Super Genki Dama at Buu?

I thought FUNi handled Gohan's explosion fairly well. At least for that #16 theme that plays and stops just before Gohan snaps. The last bit was filler music sure, but they made up for it in the following episode with that one extended piece detailing his transformation. As for Goku's final attack on Buu, well personally I thought FUNi's music was very fitting, and touched on the energy that was present in their Buu saga. It was also a nice way to say goodbye to the villain.

FUNimation may like to recycle some of their scores, but they can certainly do so creatively. And they obviously aren't going for the same kind of emotion as the original scenes, but they do try and hit some kind of level, albeit with a new and different kind of charge.