What Was Your Introduction to the Japanese Score?

[Gaffer Tape]

It is 2010. For those of who have been around long enough, we can note that it's a very different world for DB than it was back in the mid-90s where the only official releases were the syndicated dub. With the original musical score used for the dub of the original series and now included as an option on Z and GT, and Dragon Ball Kai being found raw by all fans, it's a pretty safe bet that, from the most hardcore original fans to the most hardcore Bruce Faulconer dub fans, everyone here has at least heard some Japanese scoring at some point in their fandom. So, really, when did you first hear any non-dub-exclusive score, and what was your initial reaction? Was it a fansub? Was it the DB redub? Was it Kai? And did it win you over immediately? After a while? Or did it repulse you? And I really just want people to exchange their stories here, not get into arguments over it. Everyone's experience with the fandom was different, based on when they got into it, how they got into it, and when certain elements were first exposed to them, and I think it's very interesting to explore that.

For me, I had gotten into DBZ when it first began airing on Toonami in the fall of '98. The following winter, the beginning of '99, (geez, it felt like so much later at the time!) Toonami began airing its Toonami Movies every Friday, and we got the first three DBZ movies, albeit in the bizarre order of 3, 2, and finally 1. The third film was just an edited together version of the 3-episode cut version created during the second season, but, as most people know, the second and first films were slightly edited versions of the much more accurate Pioneer home video dubbing releases. So Movie 2 was the very first intro I had to the Japanese score, even though I didn't know it at the time. I knew there was something different about it, but that was it. Having grown up on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Shuki Levy score on the show at that time didn't bother me, even though, again, I hadn't made the connection.

But there was something so grand about the music in Movie 2 and, the next week, Movie 1. It just felt so much more epic, so much more grand. I'm sure at the time I just assumed that, well, they were movies, probably made well after the series I had seen at this point, probably had a bigger budget, and used that money to give the movies a grander, more cinematic feel. I had no idea the movies were made concurrently with the series and that the series sounded just as grand, just as beautiful and powerful. And the funny thing is, even though less than a couple of years later, I'd be constantly getting into arguments with my friends in defense of the Japanese version vs. the dub, I never heard any of my friends complain about the music in these movies either. I'm kicking myself now for either not getting or not remembering their opinions on the scores of those movies when none of us knew any better. And to me, it's such a shame that the redubs of those movies totally lost what made the original dubs so special to me. Granted, I usually watch them in Japanese anyway, but in the case of the other redubs, even if one's preferred voice cast was lost, one could argue that something substantial was gained, in terms of missing footage returned or censorship removed. And even if the replaced score was better or worse than the dub score it replaced, it wasn't any less accurate. But out of morbid curiosity I decided to spot check the new dubs, and I almost lost it when I realized they'd removed the insert songs. I was such a huge fan of Piccolo-san Daisuki, even though I had no idea what it meant (the Toonami airings removed the subtitles) and would often rewind my tape just to listen to that one segment over and over again.

Ah, well, now I'm waxing nostalgia. But now it's everyone else's turn. And let's keep it nice, please. ^_^

[Kendamu]

The airing of the first three DBZ movies on Toonami (with the Ocean cast) were my introduction to the Japanese music. For a long time, though, I didn't know that it was the Japanese music, but I liked it so much that I wondered, "Why don't they use music like this on the actual TV show?" I mean, I don't know how many times I watched Piccolo's entrance to Garlic Jr's castle and take revenge on the henchmen or how many times I watched the beam duel between Dr. Wheelo and on Goku just because of the music!

Of course, things finally worked themselves out and I learned that the score from the movies actually is that score from the TV show and what I had been hearing in the US version was just some replacement score and not the real thing.

[nathantheguitarist]

I have three introductions to the original BGM. Yes three.

1st Introduction: When DBZ was in syndication in like 96-97, I got into it around then just flipping channels. I watched from the middle of the Namek saga. Then came the "end," at least at the time. DBZ aired two episodes a week on Sundays at noon, and episode 53 was the first episode of the day, and "Tree of Might Part 1" was episode 2. I'm not sure if the music was the original, but I'm pretty sure it was "different," but either way, it wasn't the next episode. That was when I said F it, and didn't really get back into it until Toonami. Where we come to:

2nd ...I think: My mind is fuzzy as to which comes next, but I'm pretty sure it's this. After it had been on Toonami for at least all of the Saiyan saga once, I was back into DBZ again. My friend told me about it airing in Spanish on Telemundo. I saw the episode where Gohan goes nuts and kicks Nappa through a boulder. Cha-La and Zenkai Power were just the total opposite of the DBZ that was being aired on Cartoon Network. It was just weird. I didn't think much of it though, other than how odd it was. I expected "Rock the Dragon" in Spanish or something. I think that was when I realized that DBZ was really old, if anything.

3rd Intro: I have no idea when "The Dead Zone" originally aired, but I think it was before I had seen my first Spanish episode (I think the whole series upto that point aired at least once before they showed the movies). But watching it, I knew that something was up with the music, ESPECIALLY when Gohan gets drunk! The whole Japanese song outta nowhere was kinda the biggest giveaway at that point.

[Mountain]

I first heard the original score(s) during the height of the Dragon Ball internet craze. I mostly watched raw Japanese videos of the movies, and then various episodes when I could get a hold of them. Later, I watched the early Ocean dub episodes of the Saiya-jin arc. I have always hated that music. Eventually, FUNimation took over the dubbing and I was a fan of the Faulconer music, for a while. It was a giant leap ahead of the Ocean stuff, in my opinion. However, I've since become an original-score-only guy with the release of the bilingual DVDs. Now that I'm used to hearing only the Japanese score, it's hard to go back.

The best part of the Japanese music is that it's great when it needs to be. Otherwise, it's quiet and gives the scenes room to breathe. A lot of the Faulconer stuff still works in certain scenes, but then when it cuts to a scene with Mr. Satan, for example, it gets really obnoxious. Not to mention, it never stops! The dub versions of Dragon Ball / Z are entirely different shows.

[Innagadadavida]

My first introduction to the Japanese score was when I followed the original Dragon Ball on Toonami. I don't recall if FUNimation's "Mystical Adventure" played as the intro, but I do remember hearing the 11-second "I'll Give You Romance" during the credits and being very confused. I thought it sounded like a girly song and wondered why they played it at the end of an action/adventure cartoon.

I don't remember much about the BGM other than that I liked it. I hummed along with it and when I returned to the series years later I recognized some of the tracks and was still able to hum along.

[bkev]

Interesting topic, Gaff! now then, let's see... my first "intro" would definitely have been the TV airing of The World's Strongest. I remember loving that movie so much, even at the age of 5 or 6. This probably doesn't count for much. My second introduction was seeing the original series; never thoguht of how different it was, but it may have contributed to why I preferred it so. My third "introduction" was going to see Fusion Reborn during its short theatrical run by FUNimation. See, at this point I'd begun to question the music... it didn't seem to fit, at least with that movie especially. I think the first time I watched something in full with the Japanese music in Z was the DVD double-feature of the TV specials Tanooki sent me a year and a half ago, or so... so, my introduction in context is relatively recent. I much prefer the original score, however I feel there may be a bit too much silence at times - especially when the scene is already dragging on. Not to say I prefer music everywhere, which is obnoxious.

[Castor Troy]

In my senior year of high school, I borrowed the chinese manga from a friend and got obsessed with the Majin Vegeta stuff, so a certain someone here sent me the fansubs.

I saw "We gotta power" way before "Cha la head cha la".

[theoriginalbilis]

I got Pioneer's releases of DBZ Movie 1 (Ocean dub) & Movie 2 (original Japanese) on VHS as Christmas gifts, way back in 1998. It was a revelation to say the least, I thought it sounded like "Godzilla" movie music at first, but once I finished the movies, I felt it really fit with the scenes. I would go on to buy fansub tapes and eventually FUNimation's DVD, so I could get the original, intended audio any way I could get it.

Now for the record, I liked the Saban/Shuki Levy score and Bruce Faulconer's scores somewhat, but they tended to be intrusive most of the time, and only had a few good pieces each. It's all about the Kikuchi (DB/Z) and Yamamoto (DBZ games/Kai) scores for me nowadays...

[SonGokuGT]

For me I was first introduced to the Japanese score when I watched the show in Spain.

[DemonRin]

When I saw the glorious original score was when I was first introduced to the Japanese version on the first DBZ DVD I ever bought. "Babidi: Rivals" (FUNi's title for it)
It was the Vegeta Vs Son fight in the Boo arc, and it was beautiful. I left the dub behind that night and never looked back...

[Savage68]

The airing of the first three DBZ movies on Toonami (with the Ocean cast) were my introduction to the Japanese music. For a long time, though, I didn't know that it was the Japanese music, but I liked it so much that I wondered, "Why don't they use music like this on the actual TV show?"

Yes, this. Though I was so young that I barely remember it, but I still remember it, nonetheless.

I recall after a long time of solely watching the FUNi dub, I watched some original scenes and subsequently decided that I preferred the original dub and score over the alternative almost instantly. Mostly because the original wasn't so damn obnoxious, and just plain different.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

1994, Fuji TV. Forgot what episode was but it was during the Boo arc. The Japanese version and music was so awesome, I was prancing down the room like a Super Saiya-jin! ah, youth.

[UristtheGreat]

A long time ago in the year of...2007/8? I rediscovered Dragonball Z when I bought Tenkaichi 2. I beat it and then I decided "I'mma watch this show!" so I rented one of the Imperfect Cell DVDs. I watched it and noticed there was a japanese track, I switched to it and was like "What the fuck?!" and kept switching back and forth until I gave up watching it and then sent the DVD back. I later grew accustomed to the Japanese score in some way I can't remember.

[SuperSaiyan3Goku]

It could of been a few things:

1. Watching it on Telemundo a while back. The episode is called "A Girl named Lime" in the Funi dub.

2. Some clip from the Internet

3. Hell, I might of watched one of the 3 DBZ Movies from Toonami (Dead Zone, World's Strongest, Tree of Might) when they still had the Japanese BGM.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

As much as a hate to say it my first introduction to the japanese score was online videos back in 2002. I was young and thought that it did fit the series at all and was weird.

[MCDaveG]

First time I was watching German and French dub of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series airing in central Europe.
I never heard US score until my friend told me, that they are broadcasting Z series on Cartoon Network at midnight but it's weird somehow with different music. That was in the time that we were watching Dragon Ball GT on TV already. So actually, in my case it is: ''What Was Your Introduction to the foreign Score?''

[Sebastian (SB)]

For me, it was both fansubs of the films and the Ocean Group dubs of Movies 1-3. I think the fansubs came first. I loved the score the first time I heard it. Kikuchi does have some odd choices for instruments but I still like his experimentation. I like orchestral scores for any media in general as there's more of a group effort going into it. Falcouner's score I always thought was something that worked better for a DB video game or as set pieces used throughout the series like Monolith's Battle Power Infinity. Interestingly, I always thought that piece was eerily similar to what Falcouner did with the synthesizers just without the excessive rock sounds.

[Kiyza]

It was probably when the original Dragon Ball's dub was airing on Toonami. It still had the Japanese background music, unlike Z.

[Tsukento]

Dead Zone VHS for me. Eventually I found fansubs of all three series' and the rest is history.

[Strongbad456]

My first introduction to the Japanese score was probably some of the fansubs I would buy when I was a little kid.