Big Green Dub — Localization Gone Worse

If you thought the other thing was funny, well then…

I may or may not have hinted at the possibility that I could write an article about another case of hilariously terrible localization. Those who were paying attention, or those who didn’t (big difference), would know that I’m going to talk about one of the most notorious dubs in anime history. However, the truth is not even I know much about it; it’s something that is only ever colloquially referred to as the “Big Green Dub”.

First of all, these versions of Dragon Ball movies are rare. Even I struggled to find an outlet to watch them. Fortunately, I managed to find something which didn’t offer a large selection, but just enough to give me an example of what this Big Green Dub is all about. Truthfully, I never knew how hilarious a travesty could be until I saw this ironic masterpiece. By the way, the movie that I watched was, in fact, the very first Dragon Ball movie… but only because that’s what was available… and I only had time for one movie.

A movie that was released way back in 1986, Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies is, simply put, a retelling of the first several episodes of Dragon Ball, which means that it’s the same plot as the show itself but with major characters and events altered to fit movie specification. But I’m not here to talk about the plot, although I must say that it’s almost baffling to think that Dragon Ball started as a simple adventure based on Journey to the West… now they’re blowing up universes and shit… but I guess popularity just does that to ya.

If only there were more of these

So… The first Dragon Ball movie… but the Big Green Dub. So yes, it was ostensibly funny, but I suppose I can only say that in retrospect because when these things came out, nobody took it well. But holy hell, this was a joyride just because of the unintentional hilarity. Characters talked fast with no punctuation, grammar errors were abundant, the mood in the actor’s voice was nonexistent, and they gave Bulma the voice of a middle-aged Jewish woman.

These things can happen for several reasons, whether because of budget problems or the dub is recorded where English isn’t the primary language. But then again, I’m glad that these things do happen because then I get to watch something funny. I get it that some might be offended by these terrible localizations because they “disparage the purity of the source material” or some other excuse to go online and rant about these things. But in 10 or 15 years from now, you’ll look back and think, “why was I ever offended by something so innocent?” because, in that time, you’ll realise that you have better things to do. So what I say… well… solutions come later.

So basically, I don’t view so-bad-it’s-good dubs as a problem. And if it is a problem, I’d want to increase it because there need to be more grammatically-challenged funny factories like these.

Just laugh…

So like I already said, you should watch this for laughs, not for anything else, because then you’d just be annoyed by how it ruined the anime. I don’t believe in that, so I insist that the only way to enjoy this is to watch it for the… you get it.

If this is a problem that demands to be solved- something that I am generally against — I’d say to the recording studio to get competent voice actors or producers to make deals with recording studios that have competent voice actors. This is basically an internal problem that only people who take part in the dubs feature on television can do something about. Luckily, since the topic today is highly relevant, dubs today tend to avoid such circumstances.

But this isn’t a problem, and since there needs to be more of these, I would say that there should be fan dubs (because it will never be official) of popular anime where the voice actors intentionally speak wrong to create the feeling of the real thing. It might not be 100% real, but at least there’s more to enjoy. Now that I think about it… that sounds like a really good idea: a YouTube series of intentional bad dubs.

What do you think of the Big Green Dub?

Since I should be asking myself, I will ask thee. Have you seen the Big Green Dub? If so, what were your thoughts on it?

Keep that thought while I consider what I should do with this section. This joke is becoming old, and I still have no idea.

In any case, I’m not a fan of Dragon Ball, so I probably see it differently (I have to), which might be the reason why I find this funny. So clearly, I need the opinion of someone who cares more than I do. Are you that person?

In Conclusion…

The Big Green Dub is a real treat for those who may or may not be fans of Dragon Ball, hardcore or otherwise. I still think it is funny, and it’s all just a matter of perspective. But it’s easy to say it’s funny in retrospect because it has since lost its relevance in today’s culture. But I guess a non-fan will never know what a fan feels like, and maybe that’s preferable.

But the BGD aside, the terrible voice acting is a serious issue in itself, and in most cases, they’re not funny. I said it’s easier to avoid these today because people are more aware. But if you do stumble on a lousy dub that you do not find funny, just don’t watch it, and to that, I’m going to say something that I should’ve said from the start: watch the sub!

By the way, it’s called the “Big Green Dub” because Piccolo, everyone’s favourite green slug-alien, had his name changed to “Big Green” in the dub. This was the most notable feature of the dub since fans used it to make a name, and for some reason, it has stuck since then, and it’s fu… never mind.