DBZ Dub Looked at differently by different age groups

[Super Sonic]

I was talking to a friend of mine and he said that his generation (by this he meant guys who were freshmen and middle schoolers during my senior year of high school) looked at the dub version on CN differently as it was part of their childhood and didn't care about seeing all the changes that were done and whatnot. So thought I'd ask if anyone else has encountered this for the DBZ dub, whether it's the opinion of kids you've talked to or if it was something anyone else here has noticed.

[VegettoEX]

Oh, it's absolutely true. It's something we've talked about on the site and podcast time and time and time and time again. For a certain segment of people, the show as it aired on Cartoon Network is no different than any other show a person could have watched on TV at that time. Its original country origin is irrelevant, its musical score is irrelevant, voices are irrelevant, the script is irrelevant, etc. It was just a show.

It takes a certain amount of personal and worldly consciousness to take it to any type of level beyond that, nevermind the amount of caring necessary.

[Xyex]

It's the whole nostalgia thing, really. I can't even remember what grade I was in when it came on CN. 9th, maybe? When I first saw it I had no clue it was originally a Japanese series, I'd never even heard the word anime, as far as I can remember. I just remembered seeing snipets of it before, on ABC on Saturday mornings, and thinking it looked interesting so I wanted to check it out.

So up until about the start of the Freeza Saga I thought the show was American, I thought the show was being made here in the states, right then, and I didn't know anything from the show had ever been different. And during that time the series ingrained itself into the last part of my childhood. DBZ, more specifically, the dub of DBZ, became part of my 'fond memories' of when I was younger (though this I didn't realize until I was about 20).

I think this is why I, and a lot of the other people, don't really care that the dub had changes to dialogue or had edits for content. Those who saw the Japanese version first or knew of it prior to the dub knew that the JP version was the original.

For the rest of us, the dub, changes and all, is the original. It's the original one we knew of, the original one we saw, and the original one we liked. That gives it 'nostalgia power' which is a very hard thing to overcome, no matter what problems may exist with the material (just look at all the FF7 fanboys >>) and it makes the JP version the one that's 'different'.

Even now I like the dub better than the JP version, no doubt largely for those reasons. It was the dub that captured my heart and mind. Any 'flaws' between it and the original don't matter to me.

It's like when people say that "this voice or that voice doesn't match in the dub because in the original...." but the 'original' to me is the dub. So while the JP Piccolo or JP Vegeta voices may sound more fitting to some the dub voices sound more fitting to me. Same goes with the music. (Though there are instances where even I, and others like me, prefer something from the JP version over the dub. Solid State Scouter, for instace~)

[Kula]

I've basically learned to split my fandom in two. On the one hand I love the JP version, which I'm currently watching from beginning to end. On the other hand, the edited dub version that aired on TV holds a lot of nostalgic value for me, and I'll watch my tapes from time to time.

I can understand what Mike is getting at, now that I've gotten into the Japanese version. It's almost like they're two different shows, so I treat them as such, rather than pointlessly comparing them.

[Vekurotto]

The only thing that really bothers me about the dub was how it was treated. After looking into what Funimation was thinking when they changed the scripts and the music it seemed as if they thought they needed to change the DB franchise to make it appeal to the "American public" when they didn't have to do anything at all as exhibited by other foreign language dubs where little to nothing was changed and it was still a hit in that country. Places like Mexico didn't try to add or change anything to make the Mexican people like it more. Same with non-english speaking European countries. I think Funi should have just realized that people were still gonna watch DBZ even if it had the original music and highly accurate scripts because that would have been the only way to watch those episodes at the time kinda like the DB dub. I'd rather watch the Japanese version of DB but I overall thought Funi did a much better job with DB than DBZ and DBGT combined. IDK usually anything I've seen where somebody tries to spice something up for the "American Public" ends up bad and is looked at as a horrible decision later on (Battle of the Planets, Card Captors, the horrible slang in Sailor Moon). I mean the Funi DB/Z/GT dubs hold up alright now, but what about 10 years from now? What about when it gets to be the age that Dragonball is currently (22 years)? I don't know but I can say that if the Japanese one has the power to stay as a timeless go miracle for people 22 years after it first premiered on TV and the Funi dub has had probably been around 8 years and it's being looked at negatively by people even today, then I think it's gonna have a lot of problems being liked by people of future generations.

I grew up with the dub too back in the ol' toonami days. Back then I just wanted to watch the episodes I didn't care about the script changes, the music, the voices, anything. I just wanted to watch DBZ. Hell, I didn't even remember what the music sounded like in the DBZ dub until looked at one of my dvds. The thing is though, I don't know if it's because in the time that I've stopped watching DB to the time that we're at now, I just can't take the dub seriously anymore. Sometimes I really feel like cringing when I hear portions of the dub now because it's so corny or lame sounding. Maybe it's because I got so used to the Japanese one. Maybe it's because I'm more aware of the changes. Or even maybe it's because I got into different things and the original fits my tastes better. I don't know.

Yes, the DBZ dub is what got me to liking DB as a whole, but do I feel I owe it anything? I don't think so IMO. If I hadn't watched the original, I don't think I'd even be a fan of this crap anymore. Dragonball would've just been just another show that I watched long ago like Goosebumps, Arthur, and Barney.

That's my long post for the day.

[Sun_Wukong]

I was 12/13 when Toonami picked up DBZ back in the 1998/99 season. I'm 21 now, and I absolutely cant stand the dub.

Back then of course I had no idea it was anime. I wasnt introduced to the original version until I picked up the infamous AnimeLabs fansubs at a local con in 2000. When I look at my early highschool life, up to my Junior year, one of my fondest memories was anxiously waiting until 5:30 to watch DBZ and then talking about it with my friends the next day. In fact, one of my closest friends to this day I made over the American DBZ. I dealt with this a ton in Middle school in particular. In fact it was insane. I went to a small Catholic school and literally every, and I mean every guy there loved DBZ.

Now days, after beeing exposed to so much subbed anime, I love the Japanese DBZ so much more. The American DBZ is a fond memory of my teenage years, but nothing more.

[TheGreatness25]

I was watching DBZ before it came on Toonami. Back when it was on WB is when I discovered it. I am now 20 and I guess at the time I was like 7 maybe. And ironically, I caught it on its first episode. Then it was only on Sundays on WB. Finally one day, Toonami picked it up and I kept watching those damned re-run episodes over and over again. I even taped them. Then in 1999 they finally announced they would be releasing the rest of DBZ. Awesome day for me lol

In my school, it was very popular. People would go online and get summaries of it and whatnot. I got summaries and pictures of it like crazy. And of course, saw some clips of Japanese episodes and I thought they were awesome. Then after the "new" episodes of DBZ started coming on Cartoon Network, I got Dragon Ball Z Legends and Dragon Ball: Final Bout for PS1 (it was like the day before the episode where Goku went Super Saiyan for the first time.) Then about a year after that, I got Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22...well lets face it, 27. All in Japanese versions, and despite the fact that those games suck (well Legends can still be great), I frickin' loved them. Man, I have such a connection with that show. It brings me back to such a great time in my life.

Then, actually a mere few years ago, I decided to get the show on DVD. Before then, I would get cards, the games, and print out pictures and summaries so I'd always have a piece of the show. So I decided to get it on DVD so I would have the actual show itself. Man, I pretty much got it all now, even if some are just the weird and not-thought-out "Remastered" version, it's still DBZ.

I would always favor the Japanese version and when I got the DVDs at first, I would watch them with the FUNimation track, but the original subtitles. And I discovered a few things...namely that the dialog, though changed, a lot of the time (most of the time) is saying the same thing in different words. So after a while I turned the subtitles off because it was annoying to read and listen at the same time. I found it hard to focus on both versions at the same time when they said different things (even if they were saying the same thing most of the time...if you get what I mean lol). I always had a problem with the music and the voices, but in the first Budokai game, I got used to them and they sounded a lot more crisp and clean than what they showed on TV. Same with the DVDs really, and I grew to like the music as well. I mean don't get me wrong, sometimes there are still moments that make me cringe from the dub, but still.

Anyway, I have an attachment to BOTH versions of the show. The dub was a huge part of when I was growing up and it was rare to be able to watch full episodes and clips of the Japanese version online. The dub was a huge part of my childhood. But the original was also a huge part when I became more and more of a DBZ fan. So I look at it as two different versions, and depending on how I feel, I'd watch the different versions. If I was feeling in the mystical, kung-fu type mood, I'd watch the Japanese version. If I was feeling like reverting to my childhood and getting a cheesy sentimental feeling, I'd watch the dub.

[Freeza93]

When i was younger everyone watched dragonball z but now everyone says it crap and never give it a chance. I hear thing like "the animation is crap." Well it's not the best animation in the world but it was good for it's time, but no one cared about the animation then.

[TheGreatness25]

I have never in my life ever heard someone call DBZ crap.

[Freeza93]

I have never in my life ever heard someone call DBZ crap.

You haven't been to my school then.

[Strongbad456]

I was about 10 or 11 when I first started to watch DBZ on CN. I loved it and watched it everyday. I started watching during the Freeza saga. I'd go online and look up all the info I could. Back then I didn't know it was an anime though. Whenever they showed repeats I just thought it was because they must be making more episodes for CN. I'm not like most of the guys out there though. My love for the dub never went away. I pretty much only watch the Japanese version now but I still love the dub. I remember going online and watching Japanese clips back in the day and thinking they were really cool but it didn't make me see anything wrong with the dub. I just saw that they were 2 different versions and I prefered the one I could understand. Now I still like the DBZ dub and I watch dubs of other shows whenever I can(Naruto, One Piece, Bleach). But sometimes I get curious about the Japanese version and I'll watch that too. But I never really think their subs are really that superior over their dubs. I love dubs. And this is coming from someone who loves Japanese. I ONLY listen to J-pop(Listening to Access right now). Also I gotta say I love and will always love FUNimation. They saved One Piece.

[Vekurotto]

I hear thing like "the animation is crap." Well it's not the best animation in the world but it was good for it's time.

I always lol whenever anybody says the animation looks like crap in DB. I mean hell, it beats a lot of what came out at the time. Half of the time you wouldn't even know it was from the mid 80's-mid 90's because the animation has aged so well.

[Duo]

It takes a certain amount of personal and worldly consciousness to take it to any type of level beyond that, nevermind the amount of caring necessary.

So, to follow suit with the thread...

I watched Dragonball Z as it was aired, edited Dub, in North America, on Cartoon Network, for 6 to 7 years. It was then I started buying a couple DVD's and realized that whatever I liked about it was gone. I simply didn't enjoy the show anymore.

Then...I tried flipping over to the Japanese Language track. I probably could have saved a lot of money if I didn't do that.

[Sun_Wukong]

I have never in my life ever heard someone call DBZ crap.

You've never been to another Anime board

[Super Sayian Prime]

I barely remember the FUNi edited dub(Me being Canadian), as YTV only aired that for a brief moment of time before something made them switch to the Ocean/Blue Water Cast, some say it was YTV saying the show wasn't edited enough, others say YTV couldn't stand the tape delays, either way, we got the Ocean/Blue Water Cast, and the Blue Water Dubs for DB, and GT.

I was maybe 8 years old when DragonBall Z first hit the airwaves of YTV, back then I knew it was Japanese, just thought the show was re-animated to accomodate English Mouthflaps, how naive. Heck, infact, I remember hating DBZ with a great passion calling it complete trash. But after endless days spent with my cousins, I started to like the show, to the point where I'd stay up until 3:00 AM on New Years Day to make sure I didn't miss any of the movies YTV used to broadcast during Animemania(And sadly, due to their conflicts with FUNimation, we never got more than DBZ movies 1-3 IIRC, on TV).

And re-watching my old recorded tape collection, makes me really wish FUNimation would have another Ocean/Blue Water dub for the UnCut sets, except, with a cast that didn't change episode to episode, although, that's impossible, since FUNimation, just doesn't do Outside Dubs anymore. 'Cause we know, while Mr.Sabat is awesome, McNeil is even more awesome(Infact, super special awesome).

So, yeah, I didn't love the Canadian Dubs on YTV, at that time, but I liked the show enough to stay with it, and re-watching it now, it doesn't seem all that bad, compared to some of the other voice tracks I've heard (Mostly Asian Countries doing English Tracks and One American Dub I'll hate forever). The Seiyuu(Murdered that, didn't I?) is now replaced my old thinking of the Canadian Dubs, I don't love the voice cast(Goku, Gohan,etc sound too much like a woman to me,but I guess that couldn't be helped, something I didn't know early on ), but because I love the show, I'd watch it, and have. That opinion probably would be different had it been the sub I've encountered first.

[LegendarySSJ7]

My roots stem from back to the OCEAN dub of 1996-1997, when the earlier Saiyan Saga and Movie 1 were still playing. So, if first is first, by full intents and means, Corlett's pleasingly young but somewhat vulgar tones, McNeil's amazingly edgy, imposing voice, and Drummond's sinister, high pitches should be the voices of Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta for me. And, by that mindset, Saffron Henderson should be the voice of Chibi Goku and Gohan for me. But it isn't as such, though I can relate to a certain insurmountable, insatiable notion of nostalgia. After breaking the language barrier down, some pondering, and months amongst years, I've always felt the performances of the Seiyuus, on a sheer level of acting intensity-wise and experience-wise, are unbeatable, but I simultaneously feel an amount of the English VA's bring more out of the characters where the Seiyuus felt a tad drab within their own. I say it's all a matter of preference, regardless of me preferring to respect the original material.

My initial Dragonball exposure harkens back to the OCEAN dub, but I do remember having just as fond recollections of extolling the FUNimation dub, even for all its flaws. But that could just stem from pouring over indescribable nostalgia. So, to draw this post to a close, while I like the Japanese version best as an overall (easily looking past what many see as the flaws of it - Masako's voice for Goku never irked me, as I feel it captured the character well and easily offered an amazing performance), in a more punctilious sense, I say it's a matter of personal preference.

[Hao_Kaiser]

I'm a bit of an anomaly at my school.

I was... eh, 7 or 8 when the dub became really popular, and I was the typical "GWAH DBZ" kid in elementary and early middle school. After the dub of DBZ ended, I kinda fell out of the series, and it wasn't until I stumbled upon Daizenshuu EX that I fell back into it. Only, when I got back into the show, I came back as a fan of the Japanese version. I really can't remember why, but I just remember an inane hatred of the dub.

I've tried to go back and watch the dub, and I just can't do it. I have fond memories of watching Dragon Ball Z as a child... But, for some reason, those memories have kinda been negated by my newly acquired love of the original.

Really, I think that as a child, you don't really care about the voices or the music, or any of that, you just want more of the story. It was always the coolest thing when you'd get a spoiler for the series, and you'd discuss it with your friends. I know I don't remember anything specific about the dub, but I remember the experience, and, really, isn't that all that really matters?

I have a lot of friends at school who were dub fans at the same time as me, and while they aren't really still "into" the fandom, they often humor me and we'll get into some random discussions, and the video games come up every once in a while. They really seem to kinda have the same memories of the "experience" as I do.

[Calcaneus]

I remember following the show with a few of my friends since it had started it's run on Toonami. I also remember it really blowing up in the 6th grade when the Android-Cell arc came around. Everyone in my homeroom class would talk about the past episode before the bell rang, and even after.

I had stumbled upon some DBZ websites, and predictably, they proclaimed that the dub was crap and the Japanese version was superior. But while our group of friends all knew that there was a "superior" version out there, none of us really cared. It wasn't until I got into more anime that I became interested in the Japanese version. And to this day, I still can't say which version I like better.

So yeah, DBZ was just seen as a show by most.

[Artificial Human #887]

Well, when the dub was airing on CN, I was between the ages of 12 and 15. So I was fully aware it was a dub. But I was a very casual fan back then, only watching it when I remembered and only really having any merchandise because my mom worked at Toys R Us. It wasn't until I was 18/19ish before I really began to appreciate it they way I do now.

Despite all it's changes and problems, I still have a love for the dub. And it's not so much because of the scripts, I actually have a love for the voices. I never really figured out if it was a nostalgia thing (seeing as it was the first voices I heard), or if I just truly enjoy them for what they are.

I love the Japanese version as well. It's obviously the way the show is meant to be seen and heard, and I really love watching it. Usually with subs, but I know the plot well enough to not really have to look at subs when I watch it. But I still find myself popping in the Funi DVDs. I always felt like even with all it's imperfections, it breathed a different kind of life to the show. Same goes for the Ocean dub. I think they're all enjoyable in their own ways, even to this day. I'm willing to take the good with the bad to watch the show I love in a language I fluently understand. I'm not bothered by the dialogue changes because in my head, I know what it's supposed to be. I get a good laugh at the edits, actually.

Shrug. I think hating on any version is pretty lame. I love both versions for different reasons. I don't know if it has anything to do with my age group, since I was in my pre-teen/early teen years when it aired here. But regardless, I watch it in both English and Japanese on a regular basis.

[xzero]

I have a very distinct memory during the summer of 2000 (I believe) watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and flipping during one of the commercials to stumble upon the International Channel's airing of the Japanese version. I was then (and still am [*dodges rocks and boulders]) a fan of Faulconer's score, probably because I always liked video game music, particularly Mega Man stuff, which much of the season 3 score resembled in a sense. When I watched this episode, I was appalled to learn that the music in the Japanese version wasn't as good as my precious dub music. It was terrible! (I have since completely changed my mind... read on.)

Nonetheless, I watched it a bit longer to see what this bastardized version of my favorite show was. Despite not being able to understand what was being said (it was a Cell episode, for the record), I felt more of a connection to this version of the show. It was totally different, yet in some way I enjoyed it more. I didn't need to understand the language because the emotion and the acting, along with the sparse use of music, conveyed the scenes exceedingly well.

I still enjoy the dub in terms of the nostalgia factor, but as an adult fan, I definitely appreciate the sub version more, especially after having acquired the DVDs and watching it with Steve Simmons' translation on the bottom of the screen accurately telling me what they were saying.