FUNimation's treatment of Z coming back to haunt them?

[TheBlackPaladin]

I've noticed recently that FUNimation's treatment of DBZ has come back to bite them in the ass as far as Dragonball Kai is concerned.

Here's what I mean. FUNimation obviously did some heavy "reversioning" to DBZ. The thing is, there still remain a huge number of people who are either unaware of the changes FUNimation made or are aware of them, but not to the extent that they care. When I go on YouTube to look at the comments about Kai, almost all of them are derogatory comments about the changes--the GOOD changes, mind you--that FUNimation has made in their treatment of Kai. Even on the three interview videos with Chris Sabat and Sean Schemmel, the highest-rated comments are complaints about the absence of Faulconer's music, complaints about the editing (which shows you just how bad a job FUNimation has done in telling people that they sell an uncut version on DVD and Blu-Ray) and complaints about the recasts, most notably a surprisingly huge number of people who are angry that Stephanie Nadolny is no longer voicing Gohan.

When I first saw these complaints, my reaction was, "How could you possibly not like these changes? DBZ is finally being given a reasonably faithful adaptation, we're finally getting a taste of the real DBZ in English through the Kai dub!"* After a while, though, it hit me--the reversioned, um...version...of DBZ has such a huge following that for them, the "reversioned" dub isn't a reversioning, it's the "true" DBZ to them. So, in finally being faithful to the series, FUNimation is actually making many fans angry that they are doing a faithful dub that doesn't have some of the elements they consider to be the real DBZ.

I'm loving the changes, but then again, I fall into the smallest minority of fandom that there is, I think--fans who love the English voices, but not the direction that FUNimation originally took with the series. Most fans regard the English voice cast and FUNimation's reversioning attempts as synonymous, as one and the same. With respect, I don't think that way and consider them two different items. I'm the kind of fan that watches the original DBZ with English voices and Japanese music. I constantly wished for a loyal re-dub because I thought the only thing that was holding my beloved dub back from being positively recognized were its horrendous script changes and music changes. I thought the Kai dub would be universally embraced by all walks of fans because it's a faithful adaptation with good scripts, significantly better acting, and the original music.

And that, folks, is why I'm not in marketing.

The true DBZ to people who continue to be purist fans of the reversioned DBZ just aren't liking the positive changes. As such, I think FUNimation's treatment of Z is coming back to haunt them in trying to market Kai. Granted, I don't think they're doing a very good job of marketing Kai and explaining what it is (I must have answered ten posts on YouTube from people asking exactly what it is). To a certain extent, they can't, though. To talk about why the dub for Kai is better than the Z dub is, in some ways, to admit that their dub of Z was sub-par in certain areas. I would assume they don't want to do that because they're not ready to sacrifice the sales of their DBZ-related products in the hopes of bolstering Kai's business.

At the end of the day, it just sucks, though. Doesn't it? Especially since people are reacting negatively towards a good treatment. I've never seen so much anger directed towards a good dub. Ignorant anger, even--people are refusing to even give this more faithful dub a chance because of small things like the absence of Bruce Faulconer. Every person I've talked into watching the Kai dub on a consistent basis loves it. My one friend once said he would never watch one episode of Kai, but I talked him into watching the first three episodes and now he watches the show religiously. Even the voice actors themselves are so much more proud of their work on Kai than on Z, but apparently that means nothing to the fans of the reversioned DBZ.

This whole mess could have been avoided if Z was just dubbed loyally from the start. Now more than ever I understand what some of the sub fans talk about when they bring up the "divided fandom" problem. I didn't really see it as a problem, but the negative reactions towards the positive changes in the Kai dub have made that more abundantly clear than ever.

So, what do you guys think? Anybody else think that FUNimation's attempt at reversioning Z is now coming back to haunt them for Kai?


*Before you say, "It's still not completely faithful," keep in mind I used the phrase "reasonably faithful." I think it's at least fair to say that the dub is faithful enough that we are at least talking about the same show for once. Then again, I am a tad biased, because with the exception of Jeice's new voice, there isn't one thing I don't like about the Kai dub. I love the writing, I love the acting, I love the music, and I love the casting decisions (for the most part).

[monkeydlogan]

DBZ KAI is doing great!! It doesn't really matter what people on Youtube think. That small Toonami fanbase is nothing to the entire DBZ fanbase.

[TheBlackPaladin]

DBZ KAI is doing great!! It doesn't really matter what people on Youtube think. That small Toonami fanbase is nothing to the entire DBZ fanbase.

Is that really the case, though? Sometimes it's really hard for me to tell which group of fans are bigger.

[monkeydlogan]

What the hell? I didn't know I couldn't type how I speak.

[PuppetDoctor]

Its the nostalgia these people have towards the old DBZ dub. I can understand to an extent as to why they are upset about some of the voice changes. As an example I live in Canada and on YTV (the network DBZ aired on) in the middle of the Cell Games the dub was switched to the Ocean Dub from the Funi Dub. I remember I was so angry at the voice changes because I thought they were horrible. I had been watching the Funi dub from the Imperfect Cell Saga and then one evening the episode begins in the middle of the Cell Games and the voices changed to the Ocean cast and I wasn't used to those voices and the music changed. These people have been watching the Funimation dub for years so to hear their favorite characters voices change would be a shock.

However, I guess the good thing for me is I have no nostalgia towards the Funi dub since after that in Canada it was always the Ocean cast and I bought the DBZ single DVDs which I watched in Japanese with subs.

I don't think though that small vocal Toonami minority really matters though. The good thing about Dragon Ball Kai is that a brand new audience is watching the show, and I think that is who Funimation is marketing to but I don't think they are doing a good job. As you mentioned many people are confused as to what Kai even is. I recently answered someones question on Amazon if they should buy the Dragon Box or Dragon Ball Kai. There is much confusion to the casual fan as to which each of these products are.

[ohaimynameiserik]

The good thing about Dragon Ball Kai is that a brand new audience is watching the show

Exactly.

Even friends of mine who watched the show when they were younger didn't even recognize the Gohan voice change until I pointed it out. I've introduced not one but two of my friends to Dragon Ball through Kai. Both were very cynical but ended up loving it and bugging me about when I'd have a copy of Part 2.

EDIT: Not to say that Nadolny and Clinkenbeard sound similar (because they don't, Clinkenbeard pwnz), it's just my friends didn't really care.

[DBZGokuSaiyan]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

I actually felt happy that Raditz locked him up inside that Saiyan space pod; just wish he never broke out of it.

[Turtle Marked Stone]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

Erm...this would be very unfortunate. Even without eyes you'd still be able to hear him.

[DBZGokuSaiyan]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

Erm...this would be very unfortunate. Even without eyes you'd still be able to hear him.

I see what you did there.

[AgitoZ]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

I actually felt happy that Raditz locked him up inside that Saiyan space pod; just wish he never broke out of it.

Umm why do you hate the new voice? Is it nostalgia? You weren't exactly clear in your opinions.

[DBZGokuSaiyan]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

I actually felt happy that Raditz locked him up inside that Saiyan space pod; just wish he never broke out of it.

Umm why do you hate the new voice? Is it nostalgia? You weren't exactly clear in your opinions.

It's just too obnoxious and whiny; not that Stephanie Nadolny's wasn't to some extent, either, but she still handled it a bit better... and by the time she voiced Kid Goku in GT, I think she nailed it. Nostalgia would play a role in it, but I honestly don't like his new voice at all; even if it had remained from the very start. Just my thoughts.

Sorry for not providing any back-up in the first place, though.

[AgitoZ]

It's just too obnoxious and whiny; not that Stephanie Nadolny's wasn't to some extent, either, but she still handled it a bit better... and by the time she voiced Kid Goku in GT, I think she nailed it. Nostalgia would play a role in it, but I honestly don't like his new voice at all; even if it had remained from the very start. Just my thoughts.

Sorry for not providing any back-up in the first place, though.

Too obnoxious and whiny?

He's a little kid he's supposed to be like that. Not to mention the voice now sounds like an actual little kid, not raspy. (Although I did somewhat enjoy Nadolny's performance).

[DBZGokuSaiyan]

It's just too obnoxious and whiny; not that Stephanie Nadolny's wasn't to some extent, either, but she still handled it a bit better... and by the time she voiced Kid Goku in GT, I think she nailed it. Nostalgia would play a role in it, but I honestly don't like his new voice at all; even if it had remained from the very start. Just my thoughts.

Sorry for not providing any back-up in the first place, though.

Too obnoxious and whiny?

He's a little kid he's supposed to be like that. Not to mention the voice now sounds like an actual little kid, not raspy. (Although I did somewhat enjoy Nadolny's performance).

Fair enough, but it's just too cheesy for my taste. I think my favorite voice (for Kid Gohan, at least) was Saffron Henderson.

[dragonpiece]

It's just too obnoxious and whiny; not that Stephanie Nadolny's wasn't to some extent, either, but she still handled it a bit better... and by the time she voiced Kid Goku in GT, I think she nailed it.

Errr, should it really take a voice actor 291 episodes to get a voice a right(in your opinion)?

[DBZGokuSaiyan]

It's just too obnoxious and whiny; not that Stephanie Nadolny's wasn't to some extent, either, but she still handled it a bit better... and by the time she voiced Kid Goku in GT, I think she nailed it.

Errr, should it really take a voice actor 291 episodes to get a voice a right(in your opinion)?

Haha, I didn't mean it that way. Though now, I'm beginning to realize my stupidity... It's been a while, I guess.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

I actually felt happy that Raditz locked him up inside that Saiyan space pod; just wish he never broke out of it.

Umm why do you hate the new voice? Is it nostalgia? You weren't exactly clear in your opinions.

The nostalgia counter-arguement, again. What's so hard about understanding that he likes one voice over another, because that voice doesn't make him want to rip out his organs?

[cRookie_Monster]

Anytime they've ever changed anything, people have been mad. I don't think it has to do much with what style it is now as much as it has to do with the fact that its not the same thing it used to be. People like what they are used to.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Anytime they've ever changed anything, people have been mad. I don't think it has to do much with what style it is now as much as it has to do with the fact that its not the same thing it used to be. People like what they are used to.

Very true, especially depending on what your first exposure to something is. It's worse when you're a kid, too, because you don't do the behind-the-scenes research about this kind of stuff, you don't know that they've announced recasts, and then BOOM, a new voice is there. I remember as a kid being insulted by the voice changes for Season 3 because they seemed to be treating the show like we (kids, that is) wouldn't notice. We noticed. The day after the voice changes, all me and my friends talked about at lunch and recess were the new voices and how horrible some of them were.

[ohaimynameiserik]

I absolutely can NOT stand Gohan's new voice; it makes me want to gouge my eyes out...

I actually felt happy that Raditz locked him up inside that Saiyan space pod; just wish he never broke out of it.

Umm why do you hate the new voice? Is it nostalgia? You weren't exactly clear in your opinions.

The nostalgia counter-arguement, again. What's so hard about understanding that he likes one voice over another, because that voice doesn't make him want to rip out his organs?

Because that's what it is.

It's also the same reason dumb people when referring to a band will say "Yeah, man, I like their old stuff. Their new shit sucks."

Gohan's new actress is more suited for the part in just about every way imaginable over the old one. It's hardly an opinion at this point that one is closer to the original intent than the other. Which isn't directly Nadolny's fault, she wasn't directed in the proper way during the Z dub. However, even having new revised dialog coming from the old voice would still be unfitting to both the character's age and appearance, or even personality for that matter.

Besides, half of my own organs are transplants from when I ripped them out after hearing Nadolny's performance for years. If you wanna hear rasp and saliva plague a woman's voice and think it's better than a whiney little kid (who's SUPPOSED to be annoying), that's your prerogative. But don't say that it's a better voice for Gohan, because it isn't.

[jjgp1112]

Because that's what it is.

Jesus Christ, it's like a brick wall. Face it, not everybody's going to agree with you. For the live of Jesus, just realize that and half of these conflicts wouldn't start. Guess what, I used to not like Gohan's voice either. And I still don't like any of the Frieza and Android saga stuff. But I think her material since then is good. What's so hard to understand about that? Why the hell does it have to be because of nostalgia instead of just actually liking it to you guys? The day I finally wrap my head around some of you guys is the day I become a millionaire.