Schemmel never heard Nozawa till 2004

[NintendoBlaze53]

Browsing Madman's youtube I found an interview with Sean Schemmel and Mike McFarland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F96wJ7Niis . The first question asked "Was the Japanese dub of Dragon Ball the first you heard?" Schemmel replied with "I didn't start hearing Japanese until we started doing..the third or fourth video game." Meaning AFTER THE SERIES WAS DONE. This is ridiculous that the main character was so far of the original. This is Samurai Pizza Cat levels of dubbing, maybe not that bad. This shows Sean's take on Goku has no place and unfortunately stuck around. Sean adds that in Kai they watch the Japanese before every take, this is most likely due to Mike McFarland's ADR style. He pays great respect to the original product.

[jjgp1112]

I don't see how that proves anything about Sean's take. The show is based on a comic book with no sound, there's no set law on which take is "correct" just because Japan did it first.

[xXInfinite026Xx]

This isn't too surprising for me to be honest. Schemmel and the rest of the '99 in house cast were essentially brought in to mimic the Canadian actors, and under Barry Watson the original was hardly ever a point of reference as far as dialogue/personality goes. After the departure of Barry Watson, it was a slow transition from the localization of the anime to staying true to the source material.

[MajinVegetaPD]

Who cares? The Japanese Goku sounds absolutely awful.

[Kamiccolo9]

Mimicking the original actor is stupid, especially if you can't do it. An actor's job is to make the role their own, not copy another actor.

[VegettoEX]

Who cares? The Japanese Goku sounds absolutely awful.

Clearly someone cares because they made a thread about it, and clearly fans throughout the world care about Nozawa's performance.

You are welcome to express your opinion, but there is literally nothing of substance here. Unless you're willing to make contributions with some amount of thought and context to them, please keep this kind of stuff to yourself.

Folks at FUNimation (primarily Watson and Sabat, I believe) mentioned how they received Mexican!Spanish tapes that they would base some performances and scripts off of. I'm sure that ties in here somehow/somewhere.

[eledoremassis02]

While I'm not much of a fan of FUNimations inhouse (especially Goku) His Goku he fit the product they were producing. Super localized and pretty much it's own thing. We also have to give Funimation credit for fighting to get the Japanese audio track on the DVD because for the first time we could get the "actual" product (legally). But this would explain why in Kai he tried to mimic Nozawa's screaming.

[TVfan721]

Who cares? The Japanese Goku sounds absolutely awful.

Clearly someone cares because they made a thread about it, and clearly fans throughout the world care about Nozawa's performance.

You are welcome to express your opinion, but there is literally nothing of substance here. Unless you're willing to make contributions with some amount of thought and context to them, please keep this kind of stuff to yourself.

Folks at FUNimation (primarily Watson and Sabat, I believe) mentioned how they received Mexican!Spanish tapes that they would base some performances and scripts off of. I'm sure that ties in here somehow/somewhere.

You are correct VegettoEX. Sonny Strait once mentioned how he wanted to see the Japanese version before doing one of the movies but all they had available was the Spanish version which he saw and thought was cool.

I think the Spanish version is equal to the Japanese version in every single way, so if they were using the Spanish version, that was perfectly fine. (By Spanish, I'm assuming that meant the Intertrack Dub)

[Kakacarrottop]

Back in the early days of the English dub "Goku" was just a pay check for the actors. This is evidenced by the fact the original actor Ian Corlett left because he wanted more money. Sean also probably just saw the role as a pay check/job early on, but now since he's been doing Goku for so long you can tell he's actually started caring about his performance & it's faithfulness to Nozawa's take. It's obvious that, like a lot of the FUNi cast, he is actually a fan of the show himself just like all of us.

[eledoremassis02]

Quick question:

Weren't they dubbing the Ultimate Uncuts around this time? Maybe thats when he saw it?

[LordCrumb]

It's good that he wasn't listening to the original voice actors. It would allow him to make the role his own over time. Can you imagine him trying to hit the high pitch Nozawa uses with her Goku? it would be disastrous. With films, you'll find a lot of actors don't watch a previous version of a film if they are doing a remake..

[UltimateHammerBro]

It's good that he wasn't listening to the original voice actors. It would allow him to make the role his own over time. Can you imagine him trying to hit the high pitch Nozawa uses with her Goku? it would be disastrous. With films, you'll find a lot of actors don't watch a previous version of a film if they are doing a remake..

With dubbing, this is way different. Voice actors normally listen to the original version before recording, since they're trying to convey the performance. If they weren't able to listen to the original voices (and even if a few ones heard the Mexican version, I find it unlikely that they were listening to that dub in the recording room), the only other option is that they worked with the M/E tracks, with no voice input other than their own. That's cool when you're making a series from scratch, but I personally find it a bad idea for dubbing.

[dario03]

It's good that he wasn't listening to the original voice actors. It would allow him to make the role his own over time. Can you imagine him trying to hit the high pitch Nozawa uses with her Goku? it would be disastrous. With films, you'll find a lot of actors don't watch a previous version of a film if they are doing a remake..

With dubbing, this is way different. Voice actors normally listen to the original version before recording, since they're trying to convey the performance. If they weren't able to listen to the original voices (and even if a few ones heard the Mexican version, I find it unlikely that they were listening to that dub in the recording room), the only other option is that they worked with the M/E tracks, with no voice input other than their own. That's cool when you're making a series from scratch, but I personally find it a bad idea for dubbing.

If he was the first English Goku then sure, but he wasn't. So he probably was trying to be like somebody but that somebody wasn't Nozawa because most of their target audience was already familiar with a Goku and that Goku wasn't Nozawa's.

[eledoremassis02]

I have seen and heard the Japanese version only during recordings of the show. There are times when the producer actually has to check direct translations to see if they make sense. The level and emotion of the original performance is attempted to be re-created but not the voice. If I tried to re-create the original voice I think I would run the risk of hitting a note so high that I may not be able to have children in future life
- Peter Kelamis

Occasionally, but only when a translation isn't working out
- Ian Corlette (In regards to listening to the Japanese performances *try to emulate*)

I wonder if FUNi inhouse ever watched reference clips for the movies or if the only time was for Kai?

Also on a side note:

DBZU: I have heard that FUNimation is currently doing voice auditions. Does that mean there will be a change in the voice actors for the third season? Do you know anything else about FUNimation's plans for season three? (How many episodes will be done, whether or not a network has picked up the show, etc.)

Kelamis:I haven't heard a thing about new voice auditions. Dammit I hope I'm not out of the "loop"? I gotta go and call my agent!

[NitroEX]

With dubbing, this is way different. Voice actors normally listen to the original version before recording, since they're trying to convey the performance. If they weren't able to listen to the original voices (and even if a few ones heard the Mexican version, I find it unlikely that they were listening to that dub in the recording room), the only other option is that they worked with the M/E tracks, with no voice input other than their own. That's cool when you're making a series from scratch, but I personally find it a bad idea for dubbing.

Maybe some dubbing actors go out of their way to listen to the originals but from the interviews I've listened to/read this isn't the case with most of them.

A lot of actors seem to have their own creative process for coming up with voices and I imagine having to copy the original would take the joy out of it for them. They are actors afterall and not imitators. I guess in the end it comes down to what the casting person wants.

I've only heard of high budget dubs like the Studio Ghibli movies and maybe the Kill la Kill dub having faithful performances but even then you'll still find unique performances among them. For lower budget dubs I can't see them bothering to copy the Japanese voices.

[Videlphia76ers]

I don't see how that proves anything about Sean's take. The show is based on a comic book with no sound, there's no set law on which take is "correct" just because Japan did it first.

Yeah this. People gotta chill with the "original is always better no matter what" and just judge each thing separately on its own merits.

[Rocketman]

Yeah this. People gotta chill with the "original is always better no matter what"

Especially since the JP anime isn't the original, and compared to the original it's worse in every aspect.



bwakh

[UltimateHammerBro]

Maybe some dubbing actors go out of their way to listen to the originals but from the interviews I've listened to/read this isn't the case with most of them.

A lot of actors seem to have their own creative process for coming up with voices and I imagine having to copy the original would take the joy out of it for them. They are actors afterall and not imitators. I guess in the end it comes down to what the casting person wants.

I've only heard of high budget dubs like the Studio Ghibli movies and maybe the Kill la Kill dub having faithful performances but even then you'll still find unique performances among them. For lower budget dubs I can't see them bothering to copy the Japanese voices.

With that I mean dubbing in general, not dubs of anime in particular. I'm not talking about a few actors going out of their way to listen to the original performances, but a method which is used in many countries since decades ago: actors listen to the original performance (in 40-60 second long segments) a couple of times, sometimes acting the lines at the same time, before recording.

Choosing a different voice for the character is one thing (for example, take the already mentioned Mexican dub: they used the Japanese version as a base and their Goku sounds nothing like Nozawa), but if English language VAs just tend to act their lines the way the director wants regardless of the original performance, to my eyes it's disrespectful to the original version. Dubbing isn't creating a new series, but translating one which already exists in another language.

[Gyt Kaliba]

As others have said, lambasting Schemmel for not having heard Nozawa until 2004 doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. The materials FUNi had were the materials they had, and that's pretty much all that can be said. That and saying that this means he has 'no place' as Goku seems overly harsh too, especially when 1) he's come so far as an actor over the years, to the point that even a lot of people who can't stand him in Z like him at least all right in Kai, and 2) his clear respect of Nozawa and her version.

Oh, and McFarland's never directed DBZ (unless he did a movie somewhere along the line? I believe he did do DB though), it was pretty much always Sabat.

[NintendoBlaze53]

Shows how far Anime have come in terms of dubbing, from just working to what you got as was the case here to making sure the product is as close to the Japanese version as possible (Evangelion 3.33). I might hold a different opinion, but a dub is meant to convey the same characters and content as the original while making it available for a new audience. Among other things like the in house music score and lack of resources Funi made there own product basing it of what they had.

I don't see how that proves anything about Sean's take. The show is based on a comic book with no sound, there's no set law on which take is "correct" just because Japan did it first.

In Anime it's common that the animation is done after the voices have been recorded. Nozawa could record what she wanted and what the director wanted and Toei could make the animation reflect that. Sean and the rest of the dub cast are limited by the mouth flaps and such. This is why a good ADR director is important. If they have no Japanese scripts to work with that might explain conversations about Goku's hair and mistranslations.

Back in the early days of the English dub "Goku" was just a pay check for the actors. This is evidenced by the fact the original actor Ian Corlett left because he wanted more money. Sean also probably just saw the role as a pay check/job early on, but now since he's been doing Goku for so long you can tell he's actually started caring about his performance & it's faithfulness to Nozawa's take. It's obvious that, like a lot of the FUNi cast, he is actually a fan of the show himself just like all of us.

This is correct, voice actors now are more respected in the industry and a lot of them see roles as a part of them self and see the fan base. Vic Mignogna being attached to the role of Edward Elric, Crispin Freeman as Alucard. When Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Funi made the product as close to the Japanese version (Due to Mike McFarland's ADR direction) while paying respects to the fans of the 2003 series dub. Crispin Freeman isn't a Funimation in house actor yet Funi knowing what the fans wanted contacted Crispin and the rest of the original shows cast and got them back. If these VA's only saw this as a paycheck they wouldn't attend the conventions and interact with fans. (Unsuccessfully with Sean as long time members of this forum might know)

So who did the ADR directing for DBZ? As a dubbing company Funimation aren't bad (Unlike Sentai) they pay respect to the original product now more than ever. They have come a long way from DBZ with great dubs close to the source material, as well as saving the biggest name in anime One Piece from the clutches of 4Kids. One Piece is the pinnacle of Dubbing an Anime with respect to the original product yet being it's own thing. Eiichiro Oda gave his blessing to the dub voice actors to the Straw Hats and Toei work with them to get more episodes as quickly as we can or else we wouldn't be dubbing One Piece at the rate we are. Mike McFarland does his best to keep the performances close yet new and all the Straw Hats VA's give a voice to the character that fits.