New Freeza Talkback

[TRIZACK]

Fact is, all I heard from that line was Pauline Newstone. Literally, I was geared up to hear something new and instead heard something incredibly old. The irony didn't go over my head and I burst out laughing.

I don't have anything seriously against Newstone's rendition but neither am I in love with it. That has a lot to do with the fact that she never really got a chance to do some of Freeza's best moments. Maybe Ayres can do something great with the character.

But I think the problem is that this voice makes Freeza sound weaselly. Like a Wormtongue kind of character who hisses and slithers into the shadows. The thing about Freeza is that he's a magnificent bastard. That's his schtick. He shouldn't really sound like he crawled out of a crack in the wall. It sounds a lot like FUNi's Imperfect Cell which, while appropriate for Cell being a lizard bug thing that did sort of crawl out from under a rock, doesn't work for a magnificent bastard who's the ultimate ruler of the universe and bored with his powers.

You're right it does sound a little like Imperfect Cell now that I think about it, especially the laugh.

[G1Ravage]

Ah geez...I'm disappointed for now.

That really was not what I was expecting, but knowing FUNimation and Chris Sabat, maybe I should've expected this in a Dragon Ball production.

It sounds like a Pauline Newstone impersonation, as they're again voicing by appearance, and going for the lizardy tone of voice. They didn't even get the laugh right. I'm sure it'll be better than either Newstone OR Linda Young, but I wish they wouldn't have gone down the path of emulating the past performances. But again, I should've expected it, since Sean Schemmel said he couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman doing the voice.

I believe there's still hope, however. I'm pretty sure FUNi will continue its practice of using a somewhat different voice style for each transformation of a character that transforms. They did it with Freeza originally, and they did it will Cell. The voice could improve with each transformation. Also, by having the first form sound like this, it can ease the dub viewers into the new voice, and create consistency with the laugh we heard from Young in episode 1.

So, let's hope for the best.

[DemonRin]

I refuse to judge based on one line.

Monday will be the true test.
I actually think they might be trying to progress the voice and then ease into a more natural male Freeza, make it more like Linda Young at first so the episode 1 thing doesn't seem like an inconsistent to the casual fan.

[ConfusedPhantom]

I'm with DemonRin on this one. Sure, I'm disappointed it's the same voice type, but I'll wait and see.

[Ringworm128]

You know what's hilarious here? Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE used to joke about how Frieza sounded like an old woman, especially after hearing Linda use a VERY similar voice for Genkai. But now one that doesn't even sound human is somehow the old lady voice and what we called an old lady voice is supposed to be so badass? Comment posted on YouTube by thebeardofpower. BTW check out his YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBeardOfPower

[Chrono Trigger]

One line is all I need to hear to know that they mucked it up and got it all wrong. Even with the accurate script the tone of the voice is all wrong. Seriously how hard is it to find some sophisticated condescending prick sounding guy? I can't believe they were hyping this up.....

[mystic trunks]

I think Freeza's voice(actor) has the potential to be VERY good. Just wait... you guys will see.

[LeprikanGT]

They DIDN'T hype it up. They said it was a new voice and it was creepier.

The FANS hyped it up and the Sub fans thought it would be something like the Sub VA.

[Chrono Trigger]

Well to me they seemed pretty pleased and excited about the change. I'm sorry I was just expecting/hoping for something a lot different than that but I guess this is as good as it gets. He sounds like Jafar when he turned into a snake!

[Tsukento]

One line is all I need to hear to know that they mucked it up and got it all wrong. Even with the accurate script the tone of the voice is all wrong. Seriously how hard is it to find some sophisticated condescending prick sounding guy? I can't believe they were hyping this up.....

Again, you and a whole bunch of other people are basing your opinions around 8 words in a tone that barely even scratches the surface of Freeza's mood swings.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

They DIDN'T hype it up. They said it was a new voice and it was creepier..

It was. By far.

The FANS hyped it up and the Sub fans thought it would be something like the Sub VA.

Honestly, I don't know why they thought this. FUNimation said nothing about making it sound like his Japanese voice.

[Gaffer Tape]

I don't know how many people thought it would be just like Freeza is supposed to be. Granted, the fact that they're pushing this dub as being accurate might have led people to think that. I don't know. But just the fact that they were replacing the voice in the first place seemed to imply they were going to do something different with it. Otherwise, why replace it? But instead, just like the TV censoring, we've suddenly jumped back in time to 13 years ago. I have to say, I'm enjoying it on that basis alone. I've been watching that clip. Chris Ayers and Doc Morgan sound so much like Pauline Newstone and Doc Harris that it might as well be the Ocean dub, and that does elicit certain pangs of nostalgia. But it still doesn't make any damned sense.

[mystic trunks]

How can you say they haven't done anything different when he barely even said a complete sentence?

[dragondyle]

I'm waiting 'til Monday to form an opinion. I honestly don't even remember what the voice sounded like and it was too quick and one line.

[Gaffer Tape]

How can you say they haven't done anything different when he barely even said a complete sentence?

They might indeed surprise me. I can't say for sure. The writing and the direction of the character could be completely different. But the voice is an uncanny match for Pauline Newstone. I have to give them props for that. Where the hell was Chris Ayers in 1999 when their only voice direction for the series was, "Make it sound as similar to what came before as possible"? That's how I can say that. The voice sounds exactly the same as Pauline Newstone. I would have had no idea it wasn't Pauline Newstone if nobody had told me.

[theoriginalbilis]

I like what I heard, honestly. But I have faith what I hear from ep. 20 onward will be even more impressive.

Chris Ayres is a talented guy, and the fact that the script is so much better will make this new Freeza leagues better than Young.

[sangofe]

Eh, the way it sounded was really bad... Nothing like the Japanese voice at all, and I can't say I feel it's really better than Young's voice.

[Blue]

What's the possibility of them pulling a Cell and having Freeza's voice drastically change with every form? We could end up with something completely different if that's the case.

[MR.Mark]

The voice sounds exactly the same as Pauline Newstone. I would have had no idea it wasn't Pauline Newstone if nobody had told me.

There's a certain quality to it, but I wouldn't go that far. For one thing Newstone still sounded female, than Young took over and not only sounded MORE female, worse still she sounded like a grandmother.

This new voice sounds androgynous to the point that it makes Freeza sound like a "IT". Combined with this new guy's line delivery, this has potential written all over it, though there simply is no way to fully know for sure from 8 lines. But the way this guy's voice inflected during certain lines (threeee remain), DAMN, creeeeepy.

Give this voice polite dialogue, maybe some Ryusei Nakao like screams, and this very well could be a voice to finally do Freeza justice in English. Episode 20 can't come soon enough so I can truly judge it!

[Gaffer Tape]

I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do. And like I said, I don't even think it's necessarily extremely bad. But because sometimes it's difficult to distinguish intention on message boards, I do want to go on record as saying that, in regards to this one line, I am not using hyperbole in any way, shape, or form when I say that I find it nearly indistinguishable from Pauline Newstone. I really, really mean it.