Editorials "Is The Magic Gone?" Written: February 26, 2000 I still remember back when I was a... a... dubbie... sometime back in early/mid 1998. I still remember how excited I was when I heard Season 3 was coming sometime in the summer of 1999. I really, really wanted to see what was going to happen next in Dragonball Z. I remember back when I only knew vague things about the DBZ future, back when I had not seen any Japanese episodes or movies. Believe it or not, that long ago, I used to think that all the stuff that took place in the American Intro took place in the future of DBZ. I also remember how happy I was when I finally saw what happened after the battle with Vegeta, probably in Season Two's second or third loop on Cartoon Network. I remember when I first discovered Cartoon Network was airing Dragonball Z. My friend and I were flipping through channels and I saw a glimpse of what looked like something I thought I remembered. When I found out it was DBZ, we started watching it. When it vanished on FOX (sometime in 1996-1997), I was mad for a while and actually forgot all about the show for months. When I finally began to see episodes again, it all came back to me and I became a big fan from then on. By the time I had ordered the tapes for the beginning of the 3rd Season (back in July, 1999) I had already seen some Japanese DBZ and I had also discovered good 'ol DBZ Uncensored (a magnificent site at that). I had also heard of the Voice Actor change, as well as other changes, so I had already prepared myself for the worst. Believe it or not, when I first saw the first two Season 3 tapes, I didn't hate them that much. I disliked them, but I wanted to know what was going to happen so bad that I stomached the horrible music and voice acting. A few months before I got these tapes, I had downloaded DBZ Japanese Episode 94, which was the first Japanese DBZ Episode I have seen. Then the day came... when I saw the American version of that episode... I was horrified. Then I knew how all of the early, early DBZ fans thought when they first saw the English-Dubbed DBZ. The more and more I saw of Season 3, the more and more I disliked it. It didn't take me long to ask myself, "Is the magic gone in American DBZ?" Back when I was a dubbie, I wanted to know so badly what was going to happen after American Episode 53 that I used to sit back and imagine all sorts of things that could possibly occur. I would watch the reruns, and I couldn't wait to see the episode when Goku would fight Ginyu. I also thought that Goku would approach Freeza much earlier than he ended up and I thought that Freeza would hop out of his pod for the first time and there would be a huge fight (this was also when I didn't even know about super saiyajins). After I had seen the first tapes from Season 3, I felt something was missing, but I wasn't sure what was exactly. So now, I'll recap on Seasons 1, 2, and 3 from FUNimation. I had first seen Season 1 back when it aired early Sunday morning. I used to watch it every week, taping an episode once. The more I saw, the more I couldn't wait to see Goku arrive to fight Nappa and Vegeta. I still remember saying, "Alright, it said Goku arrives, I can't wait to see his new power." Then, he didn't arrive the next episode and I was angry. But, I forgave them (I didn't even know who or what FUNimation was way back then) when he arrived the next week after that. I was pretty satisfied with Season 1, but after it vanished off of FOX, I somehow forgot all about it. Then came the day when I started watching it on Cartoon Network, when my friend and I tuned in when Yamcha was killed. I was hooked and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the first episode of Season 2. I still had no idea what was going to happen in the DBZ future and I was very pleased that they were showing one episode a weekday. I left for vacation the day after Episode 53 aired, setting my VCR to tape what I thought would be Goku beating the crap out of Baata and Jeice. When I came back from vacation, I rewound my VCR and sat back to watch. When I pressed play, I was greeted with the infamous saiyajin space pod, landing on earth... the thing that every dubbie out there dreads seeing aired on Cartoon Network. I watched Cartoon Network go through a loop and once again they went back to Episode 1 after Episode 53. This is when I began to go on the web, in search for Dragonball goodies. I remember the very first movie clip I have ever downloaded. Strangely, the first clip I had ever downloaded was the Scream Trailer. The second movie clip I had every downloaded was the clip just about every DBZ Fan on the Internet has seen... the Quicktime clip with Vegeta doing his Big Bang Attack to Cooler and Goku. Back then, I didn't even know that DBZ was Japanese! What I thought was "maybe the American version has made it this far, but Cartoon Network hasn't..." Boy, was I wrong. Eventually, I got used to downloading Japanese stuff on the internet, learning more and more about Dragonball/Z/GT. The first DBZ site I had ever been to was "Goku's Dragonball Z Page" or something like that. The first popular page I had been to was DRAGONBALL-Z-GT, which is in the Links section of this site. This is when I first heard of characters such as: Cell, DBGT, the Androids, and more. Then, came the day I found out about the upcoming Season 3 on FUNimation's website. Excited, I called my friend and shared the news, and the bad news that it would be over 7 months until the tapes would be sold. And then came the worst news that I dreaded hearing... the Voice Actors were going to be replaced. This was terrible, terrible news. I had a feeling that the voices would be worse.. and I was right. Sure some voices in Season 3 got better as time went on. Freeza's voice finally got deeper... but that HORRIBLE grunting done by everyone was still commonly used. In Seasons 1 and 2 there were long, held out yelling... but in Season 3 it is fast, rapid grunting. I usually have to turn down my TV or someone will think I'm listening to porn or something. People began to say positive things about Season 3 though, such as the saying that the "music gets better" in the third and fourth tapes. My opinion of the Season 3 music is... well... it sucks... from the beginning of Season 3 up to date. I think it'd be better if they just had absolutely no music at all, then this garbage. The voices... some get better and some are bad throughout the whole thing. I was comfortable with Jeice's new voice... it wasn't as good as it used to be but it was tolerable. Piccolo's was decent and so was Gohan's. The ones that were intolerable were the Oxking for one. I can't stand his voice at all. Then, there's Freeza's never-ending screaming. It often hurts my ears and is very, very annoying. Then there's Freeza's guards' horrible screaming and whining. Chichi's voice sounds almost exactly like Bulma's. Alot of the earth people sound pretty bad... believe it or not, the only Yajirobei voice used that I've ever liked is the good job that Brian Drummond did. EVERYTHING about "King Kai" is horrible. So horrible I could go on for a long time talking about it. Very slowly, I adjusted to Goku's and Vegeta's voice, but the voices mentioned above are intolerable and need to be fixed. Oh, and for those of you who think the new American Intro is better than the old one... I definitely disagree with you. The new one just focuses on the Freeza saga and Garlic Jr. saga, not to mention the stupid screaming throughout most of the thing. It would've been better if they would've had no talking at all throughout the opening, but they kept those awful screams in. The new opening is just a bunch of guitar playing and DBZ characters walking around, jumping, or screaming. Then, there's Trunks's American Voice... First off, it's obviously the same voice actor that does Goku. Second, I heard his voice from a sound clip a friend sent and it is pretty bad. They would've done a much better job by actually using a teenager, rather than the same adult that did Goku. Oh and if anyone related to FUNimation is reading this, please tell everyone that has to do with FUNimation's producttion that NO ONE CARES if you suddenly make a voice sound different. I know alot of you think once you use a voice, you can't change or we'll get upset. Let me tell you all something, if the voice changes and sounds better NO ONE WILL CARE. So has the Dubbed DBZ lost its magic? Definitely. I'm not complaining that the Voice Actors suck, but I am complaining that some voice-acting needs improvement. I am still asking myself if this is the same FUNimation... but it just seems like it can't be. The old FUNimation was so... proffesional. They had all these bigwig voice actors and that proffeisional Shuki Levy music (though nowhere near as good as the Japanese music, but better than the Season 3 junk). Now it seems as if FUNimation has been replaced with a bunch of whining robots. They always seem to have the same responses to questions: whining and complaining about the DBZ fans. Alot of people are missing out on the real DBZ. Probably 95% of America's DBZ fans are dubbies, who have no idea what the Japanese version is like... if they even know it's Japanese. Alot of people in my school hate it because they've only seen the dubbed version. If FUNimation keeps Americanizing this wonderful show, then almost every dubbie will miss out on what DBZ is meant to be like. I really pity the fans who have no access to the Japanese version... especially those that do not have access to the internet. If FUNimation ever cuts down on the best fansubs, then they will deprive EVERYONE of what DBZ is meant to be. As I mentioned in my first editorial, alot of people don't have a DVD player, so alot of people will still be missing out on the Japanese version. I know there are alot of reasons that FUNimation has to Americanize the show. Due to those overprotective school-moms that have nothing better to do then call or mail companies complaining, FUNimation must make stupid edits to the show. But I am NOT whining about episode censore edits. I would rather they got back the old music and voice actors then have less edits. I could always buy the uncut tapes and still bask in the glory of the old, familiar music and voice actors that worked on Seasons 1 and 2. I also know FUNimation cannot fix the music problem all the way. Alot of stubborn Japanese companies will not give us the rights needed for a good DBZ Game and to get the old music back. I also know they can't get back any of the old Voice Actors from Seasons 1 and 2 because FUNimation pays low wages and are based in Texas, while the old VA's wanted better pay and do not want to travel to Texas to work on the show when they can get paid better to work in their own country. So yes, I know FUNimation is in a fix that they might not be able to get out of, but the magic of the dub is gone. There are still many areas in which they can approve and thanks to some (finally) smarter marketing decisions, FUNimation will begin to roll in some more money. Who knows, maybe if they can earn enough profit they can convince those stubborn Japanese companies to sell them the rights to the Japanese music. Here's what I dont understand: If those other countries have the Japanese music in their dubs, why can't we get the rights to it too? Maybe they've seen what FUNimation has done to the show =P Again, these are my opinions. If I have offended you in any way, wait a while to cool down before you send me an email. Everyone needs a little constructive critiscm, but I really hate mail that is nothing but insults. I know that the VA's can't help the way they have to act and what they have to say. I know the Voice Director, Barry Watson is pretty much responsible for everything. Some people and sites are trying to get Monica Antonelli and others to tell Barry Watson a few things and I hope that the Voice Actors do end up telling them what we want them to. These VA's really need to be shown some Japanese DBZ before they act because it would help alot. As things currently stand, no Voice Actors have seen the Japanese version and I fully agree with MrE that that is a very bad way of running things. -Sir Viktor- Back to Editorials Site design and content ©1999-2007 by James Walker (Sir Viktor) The Next Dimension is a non-profit fansite. Any copyright violations are completely unintentional. I highly recommend viewing this website with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Javascript enabled.