What's the Difference? (Voice Actors)

MagicBox · Post by **MagicBox** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:27 pm

I'm sure we've all heard the "Goku sounds like a girl" argument in a dub/sub debate. It's a very common aspect of the Japanese version that people choose to point out when listing things they dislike. Now, while Masako Nozawa's Goku will forever be my favorite portrayal of the character, I can fully understand why it would be a turn-off to some people, even for some who didn't grow up with the FUNi dub.

Here's my question, though. Why is it that Nozawa's Goku is the source of such annoyance, while Mayumi Tanaka's Kuririn is almost always free from ridicule? Is it because Goku's the star? Could it be because Kuririn just doesn't play a huge role in the series as a whole? Is it just because Kuririn's shorter? Both of these strong men characters are voiced by women from their childhood to their old man days, so why is it that only one is cited as a "negative" aspect by some fans?

I suppose Tanaka's voice is a tad deeper, giving Kuririn more of a boyish tone in adulthood, but that's the only reason I can think of. I'm not saying I want people to start bashing Tanaka now too (she's my favorite voice in the series), but it's something that puzzled me.

So how about it? Why do y'all think one character is criticised for his "girl voice" while one isn't?

Sprite Satan · Post by **Sprite Satan** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:29 pm

I think Masako Nozawa's Goku sounds slightly more obviously feminine than Mayumi Tanaka's Kuririn personally, so that would be my guess.

At the same time, if I didn't know they were voiced by women, I'd honestly wouldn't be able to tell you they were.

Chrono Trigger · Post by **Chrono Trigger** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:41 pm

Sprite Satan wrote:At the same time, if I didn't know they were voiced by women, I'd honestly wouldn't be able to tell you they were.

I agree. They really don't sound like females to me. They just sound like...Goku and Kuririn...just in Japanese.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:52 pm

Chrono Trigger wrote:
Sprite Satan wrote:At the same time, if I didn't know they were voiced by women, I'd honestly wouldn't be able to tell you they were.
I agree. They really don't sound like females to me. They just sound like...Goku and Kuririn...just in Japanese.

This is true for me. I try not to even get caught in a VA's gender. I'm just there to enjoy the show.

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:55 pm

It's probably a muscle mass thing; Goku finishes out the series way more "bulked up" than Kuririn does. For those who aren't used to it, the contrast between how Goku sounds and how he looks is jarring. Kind of like how its never night-time on Namek.
I never had any problems with his Japanese voice. The first time I heard it I liked it better than his Funi one. XD

I like Ms. Nozawa's Goku best of all his various voice actors and actresses. X3

P.R.P. · Post by **P.R.P.** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:44 pm

Coming from strictly a dub fan of the show, (yeah I know) I think the people that criticize Masako Nozawa's voice for Goku is that they're just bashing something about the Japanese version of the show because they think that the dub is #1 version of the show and nothing can change that. In turn they make fun of something that they dislike about the Japanese version of the show, the first thing coming to mind being Goku's high pitched, "girly" sounding voice. Really, they're just being childish about it.

Also I just want to make something clear. Even though I am a "dub" fan I do recognize that the Japanese version is the original and far superior version of the series. I know that it's wierd but I couldn't see Dragonball Z without Falconer's score, and when I try listening to the Japanese BGM with Dragonball Z it just sounds wierd to me. Yet, when I here the Japanese BGM with Dragonball it just seems perfect and I wouldn't have it any other way. So in some cases (not all) dub fans just really enjoy that sense of nostalgia that they get from the show when they were younger when they watched the show on Toonami, at least in my case. (Sorry for the off-topic paragraph I just wanted to defend my point about the dub that I made in the previous paragraph.)

P.S. - I didn't even know that the Japanese Kuririn's voice was considered to be "girly" by some until I read this topic. (Just putting it out there as another reason)

B · Post by B » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:52 pm

Because nobody watches Japanese DBZ besides 00:30 second clips of Goku charging up on YouTube. It's pretty safe to say most people have never heard Mayumi Tanaka's Kuririn.

Saiyan-Professor · Post by **Saiyan-Professor** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:58 pm

Chuquita wrote:It's probably a muscle mass thing; Goku finishes out the series way more "bulked up" than Kuririn does. For those who aren't used to it, the contrast between how Goku sounds and how he looks is jarring...

Most of the above is my reasoning and as I said previously the movies, cartoons and television shows I grew up on the heroes sounded male. He-Man did not run around sounding like Teela or Orko.

SSj_Rambo · Post by **SSj_Rambo** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:52 am

Chuquita wrote:It's probably a muscle mass thing; Goku finishes out the series way more "bulked up" than Kuririn does. For those who aren't used to it, the contrast between how Goku sounds and how he looks is jarring...

And the way her voice so wonderfully fits his character is one of the reasons I think more long-term fans, and who fans who were first introduced to the story via the manga, are so accepting (and loving) of the job she did. They see how the voice and the character himself fit so well together, not the initial judgement based on looks.

JAPPO · Post by **JAPPO** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:54 am

*puts on flame shield*

I just find the Japanese voice of Goku annoying. It has nothing to do with thinking the American dub is #1 or anything. I have problems with the dub too.

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:12 am

SSj_Rambo wrote:
Chuquita wrote:It's probably a muscle mass thing; Goku finishes out the series way more "bulked up" than Kuririn does. For those who aren't used to it, the contrast between how Goku sounds and how he looks is jarring...
And the way her voice so wonderfully fits his character is one of the reasons I think more long-term fans, and who fans who were first introduced to the story via the manga, are so accepting (and loving) of the job she did. They see how the voice and the character himself fit so well together, not the initial judgement based on looks.

*Nods*

I think Ms. Nozawa's voice fits him so amazingly well. She wasn't the first Goku I'd heard (since I was introduced to the show through Toonami) but I instantly liked her voice for him because of how in character she makes him sound.

My favorite stuff is how she has him mispronounce certain words and phrases; it's one of those things that just doesn't translate as easily to English so I end up missing it a lot. That said, TeamFourStar's Goku captures him the best of the English Dub Gokus I've heard.

sbk · Post by **sbk** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:26 am

(High school-age) Gohan´s voice is pretty terrible too imo, judging from the recent dbz special. But iirc it´s the same VA as Goku.

Anyway, Goku´s Japanese voice isn´t the only one that is annoying to me, but when I only mention Goku, it´s because he´s the star, I don´t really want to list them all. But yes Krillin´s voice is also annoying.

JAPPO wrote:*puts on flame shield*

I just find the Japanese voice of Goku annoying. It has nothing to do with thinking the American dub is #1 or anything. I have problems with the dub too.

same

B · Post by B » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:28 am

http://theanteheroes.com/Humor/MassFacepalm.jpg

Krillin's the only character who doesn't have shitty VA in any dub. At least all the ones I've bothered to check out.

SonEric84 · Post by **SonEric84** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:32 am

I never really think of it like "oh they're being voiced by women!" I just enjoy the characters and the show, so it doesn't really matter.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:18 pm

If I never went on the internet, I wouldn't have known they were voiced by women.

Stupid internet.

The Tori-bot · Post by **The Tori-bot** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:54 pm

B wrote:http://theanteheroes.com/Humor/MassFacepalm.jpg

Krillin's the only character who doesn't have shitty VA in any dub. At least all the ones I've bothered to check out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e1rvKRfwEE

Undercooked Sausage · Post by **Undercooked Sausage** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:57 pm

I think Nozawa's Goku is completely perfect. It captures the character in a way a male VA could never manage.

I dislike her voice for Gohan though, Gohan is not the "eternal child" that Goku is. He could've benefitted from a different voice actor.

Kingdom Heartless · Post by **Kingdom Heartless** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:02 pm

The Tori-bot wrote:
B wrote:http://theanteheroes.com/Humor/MassFacepalm.jpg

Krillin's the only character who doesn't have shitty VA in any dub. At least all the ones I've bothered to check out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e1rvKRfwEE

Bad. Bad. Bad.

How could the company who dubbed that think they were choosing good voices?

Saiyan-Professor · Post by **Saiyan-Professor** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:12 pm

Kingdom Heartless wrote:
The Tori-bot wrote:
B wrote:http://theanteheroes.com/Humor/MassFacepalm.jpg

Krillin's the only character who doesn't have shitty VA in any dub. At least all the ones I've bothered to check out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e1rvKRfwEE
Bad. Bad. Bad.

How could the company who dubbed that think they were choosing good voices?

Yet people complain about Funimation.

The Tori-bot · Post by **The Tori-bot** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:14 pm

Saiyan-Professor wrote:
Kingdom Heartless wrote:
The Tori-bot wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e1rvKRfwEE
Bad. Bad. Bad.

How could the company who dubbed that think they were choosing good voices?

Yet people complain about Funimation.

Probably because these were video/DVD-only, was confined to the first few movies, and most people outside of the UK have never seen them.

Kanzenshuu

What's the Difference? (Voice Actors)

What's the Difference? (Voice Actors)

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