A SIMPLE EDITORIAL

By Kiadi

Editorials really seem like a popular thing around the net these days, especially among DBZ fans. I’ve read hundreds of them, criticizing and complimenting left and right and always trying to explain why Dragon Ball Z is such a great show. But most especially, they try to explain why FUNimation is or isn’t doing a great job dubbing it. I decided I’m going to add my less-than-humble opinion to the debate. I’ve been a hard-core fan of Dragon Ball Z for over three years now, and an Anime fan for more than ten. I’ve seen hundreds of episodes in Japanese and hundreds of episodes of FUNimation’s Version. I own a couple of Fan Subs, and I’m fortunate enough to have the International Channel. I also own every video that FUNimation has ever released regarding Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, and have often had to scrounge and save my money in order to get them. Does this surprise you? I’ve seen more episodes of the Japanese version than I can count; yet, I still spend money on the FUNimation dub? Why? Why would I bend over backward to get what many consider to be an "inferior" version of DBZ? Simple: I did not fall in love with DBZ because of the Animation. I did not fall in love with DBZ because of the Music. I did not fall in love with DBZ because of the Censorship, Dialogue, or Voice Actors. I fell in love with Dragon Ball Z because of the STORY! When I saw my first episode of DBZ, I told my brother I didn’t like it. "It’s just a bunch of guys with Galaxy Destroying Power beating each other up." Those were my exact words. However, as I continued to watch the show, I became fascinated by the characters. I was moved by the relationship between Gohan and Piccolo and the character development taking place there. I laughed at the jokes and humor displayed throughout the story, and I found myself at the edge of my seat, biting my nails when the battle for the Earth began. And while watching it, I can assure you that I wasn’t paying attention to the Music or the Voice Acting. I could tell it was heavily Censored but I didn’t care! The feel of the show is what made me an avid fan. And it is these same feelings that I try to capture when I write my fanfics, and I’ve often been complimented for it. I then began watching the Majin Buu episodes, which a friend of mine recorded while in Japan. The episodes were in Japanese, with no subtitles, so I had a hard time understanding what they were saying. I noticed minor differences between the FUNimation version and Toei’s original version, but the feelings, intensity, and quality of the story WERE THE SAME! I love my Japanese episodes, but I still consider myself to be a proud dubby fan, always have and, most likely, always will. (By the way, just for the record, a dubby is NOT simply a "newbie" to Anime. They are the people who prefer the dub to the subtitled anime, as opposed to the subby who prefer subtitled anime to dubbed anime. Believe me, I’ve been part of the "Subbies vs. Dubbies" argument for longer than I’ve been a DBZ fan.) Often times, people write articles regarding FUNimation, writing editorials predicting the company’s downfall, only to scratch their heads in wonderment as DBZ’s popularity continues to increase! That’s because the majority of the fans feel as I do: The Voices, Music, and Editing do not matter! They are not the elements that make Dragon Ball such a great show! It is still Akira Toriyama’s original characters and story, and that is all it needs to be the most popular series in the world.

kiadi@dbzmail.com Kiadi's Character Page