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[ Fansub Dialogue ] [ Dub
Mistakes ]

[
Fansub Dialogue ]
Many
of today's fans have a hard time understanding what it
was like to take a trip into Chinatown or the local flea
market and pick up VHS volumes of DragonBall Z
episodes, usually one two or three episodes a tape, for
$5-10 a piece. The video quality ranged from watchable
to scrambled, the audio tended to drop out a lot, and
the translations... oh, the translations...
Most
notorious is the fansubbing group named "Anime Labs,"
well-known for their relentless (and incorrect) additions
of "colorful" language into the word of
DBZ. At the time, lots of fans really thought Vegeta was
dropping "F-bombs" all over the place. Wow,
this show's so much more cool in Japanese! Everyone's
cursing all the time! Right? Right...?!?
Not
exactly.
Our
attempt with this section is to point out some of the
most ridiculous examples of ye olde fansub dialogue
"enhancements" and give you some comparisons.
You will get the actual translations by Steve Simmons used
on the official FUNimation DVDs, and you willl get an additional translation
by Julian, as well. You will also be able to download the
original Japanese audio and listen for yourself. Enjoy!

| DragonBall
Z Episode 096 |
 |
Original
Japanese Dialogue:
"Ii kagen ni shiro, kono kuzuyarô!"
Download:
MP3
Sample (80 kbps, mono) |
Context:
An extremely angry and newly Super Saiyan Goku isn't
about to let Freeza shoot his son down out of the
sky.
Anime
Labs "Translation":
"Cut it out, you piece of shit!"
Steve
Simmons Translation:
"Enough is enough, you scumbag!"
Julian
Grybowski Translation:
"Knock it off, you piece of trash!"
Thoughts:
Anime
Labs' "translator" confused "kuzu"
("trash") with "kuso"
("excrement"). However, in this case, it is
probably not so much "confusion" as much
as it is just typical Anime Labs wanting to throw
in as many curses as possible. It is important
to note that while Goku does speak somewhat differently (firmly)
when he has first turned SSJ, he does not suddenly start speaking with a foul mouth. |

| DragonBall
Z Episode 120 |
 |
Original
Japanese Dialogue:
"Sonna sugata ni made narihatete, yoku ome-ome Chikyû made korareta mon' da... waza-waza korosareru tame ni."
Download:
MP3
Sample (80 kbps, mono) |
Context:
Freeza, his usual conceited self, tries to give
Trunks a little advice about strength and power,
but Trunks shoots it right back in his face with
even more sly conviction.
Anime
Labs "Translation":
"It take balls to come all the way to Earth, half-dead in a tin suit... just to be killed."
Steve
Simmons Translation:
"Having been reduced to that ridiculous
form, it must have taken a lot of nerve coming all
the way to Earth, just so you could be killed."
Julian
Grybowski Translation:
"[After] being reduced to such a [pathetic] form, you've got some nerve to have come all the way to Earth... just to be killed."
Thoughts:
That is taking some liberties with Trunks'
generally polite speaking style. Granted, he is not exactly
being the nicest guy here, but he is not being a
complete jerk about it. |

| DragonBall
Z Episode 130 |
 |
Original
Japanese Dialogue:
"Doko da! Detekoi! Hikyômono! Sugata o misero!"
Download:
MP3
Sample (80 kbps, mono) |
Context:
Dr. Gero has blasted off and is hiding in the mountains.
A somewhat peeved Super Saiyan Vegeta lands and
calls for the Jinzôningen to show
himself.
Anime
Labs "Translation":
"Come out, you candy-ass faggot!"
Steve
Simmons Translation:
"Where are you!? Come on out! You Coward!
Show yourself!"
Julian
Grybowski Translation:
"Where are you ?! Come out, you coward! Show yourself!"
Thoughts:
Well hey, they got the "Come
out..." part correct... |

| DragonBall
Z Movie 7 |
 |
Original
Japanese Dialogue:
"Chôshi ni noru na yo, kusoyarô!"
Download:
MP3
Sample (80 kbps, mono) |
Context:
The three new Jinzôningen start attacking
Goku, Trunks, and Vegeta. Just as we think our heroes
ain't doing so well, Vegeta smirks and gets right
up in the little runt's face...
Yagami
Studios "Translation":
"Now it's my turn, you over-sized tin can!"
Steve
Simmons Translation:
"Don't get too carried away, you piece
of crap!"
Julian
Grybowski Translation:
"Don't get cocky, you piece of crap!"
Thoughts:
"Piece
of shit" (or perhaps "little shit")
would work equally well here. This is more a matter
of personal preference than anything else. What is
interesting is that the fansubber was just
completely off... and it was actually something
they could have used more colorful language with! |

| DragonBall
Z Movie 12 |
 |
Original
Japanese Dialogue:
"Ore wa Gokû de mo Bejîta de mo nai... ore
wa kisama o taosu mono da!"
Download:
MP3
Sample (80 kbps, mono) |
Context:
As Janenba screams in frustration, Goku and Vegeta
have successfully fused into Gogeta. Clearly, it's
time to announce and introduce oneself.
Standard
Fansubber "Translation":
"I am neither Goku nor Vegeta... I am the
instrument of your defeat!"
Steve
Simmons Translation:
"I am neither Goku nor Vegeta... I am he
who will defeat you!"
Julian
Grybowski Translation:
"I am neither Goku nor Vegeta... I am the one who will defeat you!"
Thoughts:
The translation
with the word "instrument" has become
so prevalent, that FUNimation / WebFoot / Atari
actually used that line verbatim
in the GameBoy Advance video game Buu's Fury!
It is not so much that said translation is "wrong" as
that it is just slightly embellished. |

| DragonBall
Z Movie 13 |
 |
Original
Japanese Dialogue:
"Katte ni hitosama no ie o buchikowashi
yagatte...! Kyô no ore wa ki ga tatte 'ru n'
da! Chikazuki sugite, yakedo suru n' ja nee
zo!"
Download:
MP3
Sample (80 kbps, mono) |
Context:
Vegeta arrives on the scene after Gohan is smacked
by Hildegarn, crashing down through Capsule Corporation.
Needless to say, he's none too happy.
Anime
Labs "Translation":
"You fucking bastard! You dare to destroy
my house! Now you've really pissed me off! Fuck
you!"
Steve
Simmons Translation:
"Smash up another man's house, will you?! I am in a foul mood today! Don't come too close, or you'll get burned!"
Julian
Grybowski Translation:
"How dare you just go and destroy someone else's [read: my] freakin' house?! I'm pissed off, now! Don't come too close; you'll get yourself fried!"
Thoughts:
We just
don't know what else to say about this one. This is
the single example that fans not
"in-the-know" like to use to try and
convince people that DragonBall Z is somehow a show for adults, and in
reverse, it is an amazing example to directly combat
them back with... because it is so grossly incorrect.
Special thanks to Anime Labs for a decade of headaches,
on this one... |

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