Would Z have been as successful on US TV if JPN BGM was kept

[TVfan721]

Let's say everything still happened exactly the same in the US except for the music. If DBZ aired on Toonami exactly like it did but instead, Funimation kept the original score, would it have still been just as successful with the mainstream audience? On one hand, the original score is obviously awesome but for the young audience they were going for, there was a bit too much silence and there was the dated aspect.

[Quebaz]

*looks at every other country around the world* Yes, it would.

[Ajay]

Yes, it was hugely successful with children in all other countries around the world. FUNi making attempts to appeal to kids had nothing to do with its success.

Kai is currently airing with Kikuchi and I've yet to hear any complaints from kids about it. Like most of us, they're far more interested in silly humour and awesome fights over things like 'dated' music.

You'll also want to use 'JPN' as 'Jap' is considered a slur.

[NeoKING]

Something honestly tells me ... No.

Looking back at other successful anime in the 90's I feel that 90's trend of synthesizer music really was a staple in TV that it would've been so out of place in DBZ. The action-packed show with a sublime soundtrack seems kind of weird on 90's TV. Look at say, Ronin Warriors. Even the original JP OST consisted of 90's synthesizer music.

[The Tori-bot]

Didn't seem to hurt OG Dragon Ball.

[TVfan721]

Something honestly tells me ... No.

Looking back at other successful anime in the 90's I feel that 90's trend of synthesizer music really was a staple in TV that it would've been so out of place in DBZ. The action-packed show with a sublime soundtrack seems kind of weird on 90's TV. Look at say, Ronin Warriors. Even the original JP OST consisted of 90's synthesizer music.

And that's exactly what I was thinking too. You have to consider the time as you said. The original score would have been very out of place at that point considering what was in fashion musically.

The Kikuchi score works now with today's young audience because things have obviously changed a lot in terms of musical tastes and opinions. The original score would work very well today in 2015 but I don't think it would have in 1999.

(Regarding the Jap/JPN, interesting, didn't know that!)

[Hellspawn28]

DBZ would still be popular in the late 90's no matter whatever of the soundtrack that they used. DBZ became big in the US because the action was different then what we saw in most American cartoons at the time and the characters were very cool looking to most kids as well.

[Gaffer Tape]

I really don't think it would have made the slightest bit of difference. Remember that we did get a taste of the original score back in the '90s on Toonami: the first two movies. And while my sample size was small, I don't recall anyone having any complaints over it. In fact, it was my original exposure to it, and, without knowing what it was, thought it was far superior to what was alongside the TV series.

[FortuneSSJ]

Don't see why wouldn't. Faulconer only made it worse.

[Bullza]

Hmm I'd say no as the original music was pretty bad. I think it would have still been successful because as others have mentioned it was in other countries but no I don't think it would have been nearly as successful.

The original music just really let's down the scenes that are now popular and memorable amongst many fans mainly because of the Faulconer score, like Goku turning SSJ3.

[Rocketman]

*looks at every other country around the world* Yes, it would.

Could say the same about soccer or the metric system, though.

[eledoremassis02]

I dont think it would have been. The wall to wall music has been a staple in much of the U.S media, although it seems to be changing. A lot of people, I feel, would of found the music to be dated and sparse leading to scenes feeling more drawn out and boring, epshelly filler scenes. The U.S score upted the anti on almost everything (whether good or bad)

Z and GT are more profitable for because of their action, Dragon Ball not so much (and to a lesser extent BOG for the same reason). And I think some of that led to why we're seeing Frieza be revived. And it's the same for the U.S score, it made Z feel more "epic". Don't get me wrong, I myself love the Japanese score but it's awkward to watch with the dub because even the voice acting is loud, tho I blame who ever equalized the score and voice track

[Big Momma]

The real question is: Would it have been as popular everywhere else had the Funimation track been the original score used from the beginning?

[Gaffer Tape]

Sadly, I'd say yes to this too. I hate having to even imagine such a scenario, but I think it would be just as popular. I use this argument against those who criticize the original score, so I'd be hypocritical in not applying it in reverse, too: even if you don't like the music, the story elements outweigh it.

[Big Momma]

Sadly, I'd say yes to this too. I hate having to even imagine such a scenario, but I think it would be just as popular. I use this argument against those who criticize the original score, so I'd be hypocritical in not applying it in reverse, too: even if you don't like the music, the story elements outweigh it.

Probably should have stated this in the other post, but I agree.

[sintzu]

Kai and it's "great" music seems to be doing good so I doubt something 100 times better wouldn't.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

It probably would have been, if only because I cannot think of a way to suggest that the Faulconer soundtrack "saved" DBZ in the States without saying that DBZ had so little merit in of itself that it needed the boost.

*looks at every other country around the world* Yes, it would.

Could say the same about soccer or the metric system, though.

If Dragon Ball required economic or cultural overhauls, maybe.

[Valerius Dover]

Despite being a fan of the dub score, I will say that it has not done anything for the success of the series. The results would've been exactly the same. The simple truth i that the majority of kids don't care about music in anything, really. They're not going to be like "THIS SHOW IS SO AWESOME, but the music is kind of weird so I'm not going to watch it". Dragon Ball Z Kai aired on TV with Kikuchi's score. The recent re-runs of the DBZ Movies have also switched over to the Japanese score. Clearly there was no problem the music in those instances, so I see no reason to believe it would've been any different in the 90s.

[90sDBZ]

Baring in mind that there is no definite way to prove either way, my honest belief is that it would have still been successful but not as successful. Here's a few points I thought of:

-The original Dragonball did eventually air in the US in full with Kikuchi BGM, but failed to grab the level of attention that Z or even GT did. In Japan the original Dragonball was hugely popular, easily more than GT. This proves that there is at least some kind of difference in what audiences in different countries enjoy.
-At the time Z first aired in the US and other English speaking countries, there had never been a show quite like it before. Japan on the other hand were perfectly used to anime with similar sort of musical styles to Kikuchi.
-The thing that the majority of English speaking fans say they like most about DBZ is the action. If you want proof of this just go on Youtube and check out some AMVs. The vast majority of them contain Heavy Metal and show mainly action scenes. The English scores always put a great emphasis on action and helped generate even more hype for the series and movies.
-Although the series did enjoy huge success in other countries outside of Japan, it wasn't until it aired in the US that it became big enough to revive the game franchise with the first Budokai game.

Also I know people don't agree with Kikuchi being dated as a legitimate complaint, but remember that even Toei themselves made the decision to use a more modernized score for Kai. If they truly felt Kikuchi was timeless then they wouldn't have replaced him to begin with. It's not like Toei to spend money making something entirely new if they don't need to after all.

Basically I think that had the dub aired with Japanese music it would have been liked more by those who hate it now, and less by those who love it now.

[Ajay]

-The original Dragonball did eventually air in the US in full with Kikuchi BGM, but failed to grab the level of attention that Z or even GT did. In Japan the original Dragonball was hugely popular, easily more than GT. This proves that there is at least some kind of difference in what audiences in different countries enjoy.

I'd argue the reason for Dragon Ball's lack of popularity was that it followed FUNi's Z. When you go from high octane action, 'badass' music, and some pretty modern looking animation, all the way back to gag-centric, more down-to-earth action, and a soundtrack entirely different to what fans were used to, it's no surprise it wasn't as popular.

The show works in its intended order because it's constantly upping the stakes with every arc. When you throw in all the other changes that FUNi made, it may as well have been a totally different show. I don't think that's anything to do with what different audience enjoy. It's to do with what people were used to and how the two shows were treated differently by FUNi, creating a very incongruous divide.