Dragon Ball Z 5 Reasons Why The English Dub Is Best & 5 Reasons You Should Watch It In Japanese

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Dragon Ball Z 5 Reasons Why The English Dub Is Best & 5 Reasons You Should Watch It In Japanese

Dragon Ball Z is arguably the most popular anime in history. Fans love it in both the Japanese version and the English dub. The legacy of is not something that needs to be detailed out — anybody even remotely familiar with the concept of anime, in general, would know just how popular this anime is. In fact, one can easily attribute as being the definitive show which introduced a ton of people in the West to this new form of animation, paving the way for the rampant success of future anime shows. The popularity of Dragon Ball Z was so immense that a sequel by the name of finally aired finished its run. However, fans of the dub who couldn't fathom hearing unfamiliar voices for their childhood characters would have to wait almost two years for the Funimation dub to finally come out. Upon release, ... although there were some people who still stuck by the original Japanese dub as a superior version. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

ENGLISH DUB IS BEST Adds Contextual Jokes Of Its Own

Funimation has some of the best scripts and voice actors around, with most people loving the work they do for the sheer effort that they put into contextualizing scenes. Dragon Ball Super is no exception to this rule. It's obvious that a show made in Japan would have some references that Western viewers would not pick up on. So, in a bid to make the series more relatable, Funimation decided to add some dialogue and jokes that would be more contextually relevant and not jarring at all.

SHOULD WATCH IT IN JAPANESE Stays True To Its Cultural Roots

However, while the English dub might be easier to digest for most viewers, it goes without saying that the influence of Japanese culture will be as a result. This can be a deal-breaker for some fans since a large reason why they decide to watch the subbed version is to pick up on these cultural nuances as well.

ENGLISH DUB IS THE BEST No Need To Read Subtitles

On the flip side, the English dub has a major positive that most people always tend to bring up — you don't need to read subtitles to understand what's going on. In an action anime, where focusing on certain breakneck scenes is key, the lack of being forced to read subtitles can actually prove to be a huge bonus to augment the viewing experience.

SHOULD WATCH IT IN JAPANESE Can Be Somewhat Enlightening

A by-product of listening to any Japanese dub, in general, is that viewers tend to pick up on certain words — along with the cultural references mentioned above — and phrases that can actually be pretty neat to learn. From understanding the honorifics to learning certain common phrases, watching a Japanese version of any anime — Dragon Ball Super or otherwise — can be even more satisfying as a result. Even though the knowledge learned is mostly on a surface level.

ENGLISH DUB IS THE BEST The Fight Scenes Are More Epic And Brawny

The voices employed in the Funimation dub employ deeper and more impactful voices for Goku and Vegeta, which — most people argue — fits their character and look more. This, combined with the fact that they then scream their hearts out during action scenes, makes for fight scenes that are more compelling to watch.

SHOULD WATCH IT IN JAPANESE Scenes Have More Of A Subtle Undertone

However, , they more than make up for with the subtlety of their deliveries. This is a problem with most dubs in general. In a bid to make everything as accessible as possible, . Meanwhile, in a sub, you can have well-established situations where characters are more in line with the tone of their voices and what they're trying to communicate... without it being too over-the-top.

ENGLISH DUB IS THE BEST Familiar Voices That Evoke Much-Welcome Feelings Of Nostalgia

There's no way American kids saw the Japanese dub of Dragon Ball Z growing up. It's pretty evident that these kids grew up with the Funimation dub, which was revolutionary for its time (even though, in retrospect, it has its fair share of flaws that were rectified in Dragon Ball Kai). So, to hear the same voice cast reprise their roles for Dragon Ball Super is definitely a treat to witness in every sense of the word.

SHOULD WATCH IT IN JAPANESE The Intended Way To Watch The Show

While the English dub might be more pleasing, there's no denying the fact that the Japanese dub is how the show was intended to be viewed. While the English dub might try and emulate the show as much as possible, it still won't be able to capture the raw essence of the Japanese dub.

ENGLISH DUB IS THE BEST Sean Schemmel Is The Definitive Voice For Goku

This topic was bound to come up at some point or another. Goku's voice is one of the major reasons why most people stick to the dub, with the Japanese voice so shrill that it can honestly be a pain to hear at times. This is why Sean Schemmel is beloved amongst the fanbase — his performance is equal parts comedic and epic, with in the Dragon Ball fandom.

SHOULD WATCH IT IN JAPANESE Masako Nozawa Adds More Depth To Goku

However, while it's understandable as to why most people would prefer Sean's voice as Goku, the fact of the matter is that Masako Nozawa's performance carries way more heart to it. This is said because it seems like Nozawa actually has a better grasp of the character, with her performance reflecting the same through her voice inflections and tonal shifts. Her performance makes it seem like our favorite strongman actually has some depth to him, as opposed to Sean's version which just typecasts him as a dumb brawny dude who loves to fight.