The most famous controversy - Goku's Japanese voice

[the_abberration]

I have no problem with Goku's JP voice. It's just that after he and Roshi share a scene, I feel like Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio should have done their U.S. voices. Sometimes I swear JP Goku screams Miyagi every so often

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

To further demonstrate my point above, can anybody think of an old cartoon that's loved by many but is genuinely miscast? I'm talking a show that is iconic enough where everybody "knows" what it should sound like even though the voices are totally inappropriate and the acting is horrid. The best I can come up with right now is Speed Racer. I'm sure if it were done differently it could have been done better. Nevertheless, people love Speed Racer and figure that tinkering with it would be a disservice.

Not the best example, I know, but I'm sure there are others. Maybe some of those old Filmation cartoons from back in the day.

I'd say the X-men cartoon that premiered in the 90's had a weak cast. excellent show overall but I hated Rouges voice actor. I prefer the cast from Wolverine and the X-men.

I can stand (not particularly like) the japanese voice of Goku to some degree. But when she starts screaming in pain (for example when Vegeta crushes Goku's legs) my spine starts to twitch and I develop a fast reflex to the mute button.

I like Nozawa's scream but I don't understand the "crackling"(the kkkkk-kkk). I don't hate it and it doesn't hurt my viewing experience but I don't understand why the actors do this. Is it a Japanese thing? I've never heard any one "crackle" in pain or fear before so I'm interested in learning about the origins of this and why Nozawa does this.

[Bura]

I love Nozawa's Goku but I do admit that I do tend to turn the volume down a bit whenever Goku is screaming.

Like for example in the song "Our Energy" by Hironobu Kageyama and some spoken lines of Masako Nozawa (as Goku). When she gets to that last sentence "Please give me your ENERGYYYYY!!" I'm always startled and put the volume down QUITE a bit. XD

But she's still the one true Goku to me, though!!

[Majin Buu]

Boo's JP voice is a horrible miscast.

Don't know why you randomly mentioned Buu's voice in a thread about Goku's voice. But Fat Buu's English voice is the one that's horribly miscast.


As for other old cartoons with miscast voices. Eh, I think the Shredder in the old Turtles cartoon had a somewhat inappropriate voice (a bit too silly sounding), but that was more a symptom of how he (and the show in general) was written, which is a whole separate problem.

[omegacwa]

I was first exposed to the Ocean Dub in 96-97ish. So when I think of the English voices in my head, typically those are the voices that show up. Which is odd because I have seen the whole show with the Funi season 3 cast.

I don't really have a problem with any of the Japanese voices, but there are a few English voices I would change.

As far as Goku sounding like a girl in the JP version, I never once thought this. I don't know if it's just me, but Goku never sounded like a girl to me, even Kid Goku doesn't sound that way IMO. I just found the voice fitting.

An interesting thing to think about it is this: What if the current 2010 Funimation got DB-Z-GT now, with no previous dub to try and emulate what voices would they have chosen?

[DBZimran]

After having watched DragonBall Z from start to finish in the Ocean Dub, and watching slight bits here and there of the Funimation Dub, I found it really hard to get used to Masako Nozawa's voice for Goku. But as time went on, and I watched more of the series, it grew on me. So I guess it's a matter of watching it and understanding the reason for having such a voice for Goku. I personally would not have anyone else other than Masako Nozawa play the voice of Son Goku!

[Raki]

To be quite honest I never had a problem with Goku's Japanese voice. When I switched over to the Japanese version(DBZ Episode 1), I just accepted the voice and left it at that. To those that have an issue with it, maybe they are just looking for faults to point out. Japanese Goku and the pitch of the voice all mean nothing to me. I just sit back and enjoy the voice for what it's worth.

[Nils_McCloud]

I like Masako Nozawa as Goku.

Getting adjusted to her voice after coming from the dub was kind of weird and It still feels a bit awkward to me. But I think she captures the character in a way few others could. It's a splendid performance, it couldn't be better as far as I'm concerned.

On a side note, for some reason whenever I hear her resonating voice shouting "Kamehameha", I get shivers. In a good way, that is.

[Mewzard]

Note: As a semi-long time comic reader (currently read $30-$50 a week from DC Comics, including all the Superman books), a fan of the DCAU, and having had seen all those old cartoons (camp and serious), plus many comic movies, and even on a biweekly (formerly weekly) Podcast about Green Lantern...I fail to see how Schemmel sounded like a Superhero at all. I've heard so many renditions of superhero voices, I've given superhero voices in my head, and none hit that area that he does. Heroes do vary quite a lot, but few go into that area that Goku does-The innocent, semi-goofy meets battle fanatic who will risk the world for a good fight (not as bad as Vegeta at that, but he did).

Personally, I think Goku and Superman (not going the VS topic route) would be friends. They have some parallels, both in origin, and in a good nurture, raised to be good. But, Clark's slightly more serious with his fights (though he has had some fun with fights), as he really is of the Hero cut. Goku can be Heroic, without being a hero perse. He's to selfish, in an innocent way, to be a real hero. Something you might expect from a new hero, that eventually grows out of it.

On the matter of the voices, I love both, to be honest. I have a moderate preference for Sean Schemmel's Goku (Ocean Dub was fun for what it was, but I really love the Funi cast...well, most of it). He captures so many things of Goku well, I feel. He does that innocent, cheerful, lighthearted Goku well. I think he's doing that even better now in the Kai dub, in his attempt to be closer to Masako Nozawa's Goku. His voice goes slightly deeper and firm when mad or fighting, but that's something I expect. If he sounded the same way exactly as chipper, I'd question it. I know lots of people, myself included, don't sound tonally the same when mad compared to calm or in a good mood.

As for Nozawa, I've grown to like her Goku more and more. I was initially, like many, turned off by the more feminine sounding Goku, but I've found an appeal to it. It matches many of the things I mentioned above as part of Goku. Sometimes, the screams make me wince, but other than that, a fantastic role. I'm not as experienced with it, but I recognize the merit and worth of it.

[Amigo Ten]

Boo's JP voice is a horrible miscast.

Don't know why you randomly mentioned Buu's voice in a thread about Goku's voice.

Well, someone asked if anyone could think of a well loved cartoon that we thought was miscast. And since it's Dragon Ball forum, I mentioned one of the DB characters I thought was miscast. The voice Funimation gave Boo was much better than his Japanese voice.

[penguintruth]

I thought Buu's throaty voice worked for him instead of some baby voice. It makes him more interesting when he sounds like that but acts the way he does. The baby voice Funimation gives him is too obvious, too on the nose.

[Amigo Ten]

That's why it works. It sounds like how he looks. The Japanese version is just... awful. It would be like if Sabat voiced Boo with his King Piccolo voice.

[OutlawTorn]

I don't "hate" Nozawa's Goku voice, I just think it's overrated and don't like it for Goku. Yes, her's is the original voice, but "original" does not always equal "the best." The Transformers cartoon from the 80s originated the franchise but, after getting used to the art style, Transformers Animated (why the hell won't they release season three on DVD?) tends to be thought of more fondly, even Beast Wars (though Beast Machines can rot in the Hell is spawned from) is held in higher regard.

In regards to Majin Buu's English voice, it is really quite similar to what he sounded like in my head when I saw the dialogue in the manga. I haven't actually heard his Japanese voice yet, so whether or not it really is a more fitting voice, I'm not sure.

[Majin Buu]

The baby voice Funimation gives him is too obvious

This. It's apparently not enough that he simply acts childlike, he now has to sound like a child too. Why?

And his English voice doesn't really sound how he looks at all. He's a big jolly fat guy. His Japanese voice sounds like that of a big jolly fat guy.

[Savage68]

This. It's apparently not enough that he simply acts childlike, he now has to sound like a child too. Why?

Why not? It still fits Baby regardless. In fact, it fits him even further than if he didn't sound like a child. I've never even really thought of anything like that, since the two voices are pretty damn close, and I never thought either was childlike.

And his English voice doesn't really sound how he looks at all. He's a big jolly fat guy. His Japanese voice sounds like that of a big jolly fat guy.

It fits his personality, though. He acts like a child more than anything. Which one is closer - a (over-saturated) kid's voice, or a hoarse pig's voice? I know which one I'd choose.

[Rocketman]

This. It's apparently not enough that he simply acts childlike, he now has to sound like a child too. Why?

Are you talking about US Buu or JP Goku?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

That's why it works. It sounds like how he looks. The Japanese version is just... awful. It would be like if Sabat voiced Boo with his King Piccolo voice.

I know. His voice is too deep and hoarse in the Japanese version which doesn't match his personality or appearance at all. The child-like voice he has in the FUNimation dub is spot on for the character. I'm tempted to say that Boo's voice is the best in the FUNimation dub, but there are other great voices in there too.

[Majin Buu]

Why not? It still fits Baby regardless. In fact, it fits him even further than if he didn't sound like a child. I've never even really thought of anything like that, since the two voices are pretty damn close, and I never thought either was childlike.

It fits his personality, though. He acts like a child more than anything. Which one is closer - a (over-saturated) kid's voice, or a hoarse pig's voice? I know which one I'd choose.

I think his behavior gets across the point that he's childlike well enough. Giving him a childlike voice isn't necessary. At this point it's just overstating the obvious. His Japanese voice fits more to the jolly fat guy image that he gives off.

[Amigo Ten]

I think Goku's behaviour gets across the point that he's childlike well enough. Giving him a childlike voice isn't necessary. His English voice fits more to the naive cheerful adult image that he gives off.

Why is that when a Japanese voice actor was being discussed, it was a good thing that the voice was more suited to the personality rather than looks? Now we're talking about an English voice, apparently giving a childish character a childish is just wrong and bad.

[Amigo Ten]

This. It's apparently not enough that he simply acts childlike, he now has to sound like a child too. Why?

Are you talking about US Buu or JP Goku?

Damn. I should have just said this.