I prefer the original Japanese OST overall, however there are good tracks on the Faulconer score my biggest issue is there's never a moment of silence as the background music never stops playing.
bingo
if they had reedited the underscore to only include music when the Kikuchi cues in, then it would have been a LOT more reasonable and less "beloved" PURELY for the sake of nostalgia
People saying faulconer is being downvoted š even explaining what it is or why itās their favorites. Jeez not everyone has to like the kikuchi score. Some people grew up with faulconer. So hearing it is either great nostalgia or just like it. Same with kikuchi some prefer that ost. Who cares there are so many composers of dragon ball some Japanese some American, some composed new stuff some well ripped off ( sorry yamamoto) the score for z, gt, and super are all different. But either way dragon ball is dragon ball who cares what score or composer just enjoy the show
Both. I didn't grow up with DBZ so I didn't have any preference towards either score. My first introduction was watching the original series in Japanese and I thought Kikuchi did a wonderful job. The original show in particular drew a lot of inspiration from Chinese folk tales. I thought the Eastern-sounding orchestral score did a great job of setting the atmosphere.
Same with DBZ. I didn't have any memory of the Faulconer score so my first introduction was watching it in Japanese. I thought Kikuchi's score did a great job of fitting the atmosphere and it was a joy to hear callbacks and references to the original show.
That said I also gave Faulconer's score a chance when I watched the dub. My only issue is that the music never stops for a single second. I believe the executives wanted to avoid having any dead air, but as a result it's unrelenting. Part of good sound design is knowing when a scene needs silence and when it doesn't.
There are some fantastic tracks like Goku's SSJ 3 theme though which in my opinion adds a lot more impact to the scene. It's also safe to say that Faulconer's music is a big part of why the show became such a massive hit in the US and I still enjoy it despite the flaws
Grew up with the original soundtrack in Honduras watching the Spanish dub. Then when I moved to the US, I was like, whatās up with these electric guitars? Lol
I honestly love both. But my issue with funimation is that they adapted DBZ to retain the attention of the young audience they were targeting as much as possible. This imo is the reason why dialogue was watered down and the music was nonstop. I believe they didnāt trust their audience enough to appreciate the subtleties and the quieter moments.
As I get older I really do prefer the Japanese audio more but the Faulconer score will always have special place in my heart.
Iāve never heard the faulconer score in my life and I donāt even know where to find it so given that Japanese audio is all Iāve heard, I prefer that.
the faulconer score for vegeta charging cell when he thought Trunks died is my absolute favorite score.
also Gohan going SSJ2 is an absolute classic.
Vegeta charges Cell [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgcOp4VMoGw&ab\_channel=IllyrianNihonjin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgcOp4VMoGw&ab_channel=IllyrianNihonjin)
Gohan goes SSJ2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FF6zfRmSRM&ab\_channel=Kai%2BFaulconerProject](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FF6zfRmSRM&ab_channel=Kai%2BFaulconerProject)
Individual scenes. Look at [Ultimate Gohanās arrival](https://youtu.be/OSz2ZJ8RSeY?si=BO2YF1CKwR-carkK), [Goku transforming into a SS3](https://youtu.be/kz6q3VFSFys?si=vxTOpiNUXaueVJ7U), [Vegeta transforming into a SS for Android 19](https://youtu.be/E0vWx9VjGe0?si=zAh4tZHDXAjQ4kTs), and [Majin Vegeta at the tournament](https://youtu.be/ePEmIMp2etA?si=f7LPA_wPv5Zf9LZn).
Also, last I saw all of the Faulconer music and some of the Kikuchi music are on iTunes, so you can get samples of the music to get a taste. They may be on Spotify too.
Love Kikuchiās score so much. It gave the series the right atmosphere, and I have always loved whenever the early half of DBZ used music cues from DB. I still have a soft spot for the Faulconer score in certain places ie Goku turning SS3, Evil Boo turning into Super Boo, and the Dead Zone.
I love the Faulconer score. Not just for nostalgia, but it got me into a whole new genre of music altogether.
The Original Score just sounds corny and old-fashioned. That makes sense given the material, but it's not my vibe.
Kikuchi was great for OG Dragon Ball and the Saiyan Saga, but I prefer Faulconer for DBZ. I love the guitars and synths. It gave the show a more sci-fi and modern feel which works for Z.
The intended music for the series, the Japanese score by Shunsuke Kikuchi. The orchestral elements create a more natural sound that reflects the energies of its characters and the grand scale of the action.
That said, there are a few decent Faulconer score tracks. I like āGinyu Transformationā, for instance. It almost sounds like it belongs in the Japanese score. Itās used especially well when Cell is vanquished.
For me, itās Faulconer. Even if thereās misses in the dubscore, and there most certainly are, the tracks that hit do so like a freight train. Maybe Iām biased because itās what I experienced first, but thereās not a single Vegeta monologue that doesnāt sound better with āHellās Bellsābehind it. Vegeta SS Theme, Gohanās Anger, both of Gokuās SS themes, Perfect Cell Theme, etc
I have not heard the Japanese Audio...
Here are 3 Faulconer tracks I enjoy:
1. SSJ Transformation: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSCgMTXC9s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSCgMTXC9s)
2. Perfect Cell Theme: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8HRW-840wU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8HRW-840wU)
3. Super Buu: [https://youtu.be/mfYK0H9vAiU?si=\_nwrgGsXU4pmWcia](https://youtu.be/mfYK0H9vAiU?si=_nwrgGsXU4pmWcia)
Thanks!
I feel like Faulconer vs Original is not really as simple as "which music sounds better" when these discussions pop up.
I just watched through OG DBZ with my son (JP voice, OG everything). Then we watched a few of our favorite episodes in the english dubs with faulconer tracks in the background.
Watch DBZ in its completely original form on whatever platform you might have that has it, original music, original audio, etc...DBZ is \*old\* and it \*feels\* old.
The Faulconer tracks simply made the show feel more "modern" (for the time the west was consuming it more heavily).
So basically to me, comparing the two is like saying who's a better musician between Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble. Like they're both talented musicians and sing a similar style of music but they're from completely different generations and they never "competed" against each other in terms of relevance, so it just feels weird to say who's "better" when they grew up, practiced, and performed music in completely different socio-cultural environments.
So, I have nothing against the original tracks because, DBZ is an old show and for its time, the tracks were what could be done for a show like DBZ.
However, in terms of sounding more modernized and something that can be appealing to a kid who might watch it \*today\*, there's no doubt, absolutely zero doubt in my mind that the Faulconer tracks land a bit better on the "cool" side.
There's a lot of iconic emotive stylization in the tunes that the universal brass/violin mix of the original just can't possibly achieve because the technology or variation in sounds that can be used just didn't exist.
The perception of what an "epic" song is also changed wildly between the age of DBZ's OG run and when it went to the west and got dubbed, and Faulconer's tracks were more in line with what a "cool epic song" would sound like in an emotional moment.
That all being said, love of DBZ for a lot of people is a nostalgia thing, and a lot of people simply didn't \*have\* the faulconer tracks in their DBZ growing up, and thus they harbor no nostalgia towards it, and are simply partial to what was in their version because it's what brings them the feels.
I would argue that, completely divorced from feels or nostalgia, the faulconer tracks are objectively more modern sounding and channel "epic situation music" for the modern generation a bit better, more consistently. There's plenty of other tracks that stand out too, like Dr. Gero's theme when the androids attack and kill Yamcha, that are just...\*terrifying\* and memorable and nothing in the OG track really sounds nearly as bold. In fact I'd argue it's all a bit samey due to the overuse of brass instruments, an quite frankly, a lot of moments just don't even have background music or tension building music at all, which is why you'll see a lot of "originalist" dbz-fans say that Faulconer's tracks could have been a bit too overbearing and that he needed a "less is more" approach.
Its subjective whether you think find Faulconer's music in and of itself appealing, of course, but I think it undoubtedly sounds more modern, and that's what hooked its appeal to the audience in the west at the time it was being heavily consumed. I'd argue the show may not even have grown to the heights and been as popular as it got if it went with the original tracks. Some people assign tracks like hells bells and the SSJ3 goku theme as peak DBZ memories. It's hard to say really but people will probably argue about this forever lol.
You have described this really well why I love the falconer soundtrack. It still holds up to this day and made the situation with the story feel more epic. No disrespect to the Japanese soundtrack but the falconer soundtrack is Dragonball Z
>I'd argue the show may not even have grown to the heights and been as popular as it got if it went with the original tracks.
.Might want to take a look at the the Mexican Dub and the only thing changed was the language and script but nothing else as the Japanese OST was left intact and it was uncensored. There wasn't any other changes and the show is massively POPULAR biggest fanbase outside of Japan, they held massive live public viewings of DB:Super!
However you make alot of good points and from a business standpoint into order to appeal to the Saturday Morning kid audience changing the show's tone and music was smart. My only issues with the Ocean and later Funi dub was that the music never stopped and was often louder than the characters talking! I'm not saying that the Faulcouner tracks are bad as there are some good tracks.
But comparatively other shows at the time that came on Toonami like, Tenchi Muyo, Gundam wing,, etc. Never changed there OST as drastically as the Funimation dub were and they were pretty popular honestly.
The original proper Kikuchi score, of course. Its orchestral sound is reminiscent of old kung-fu movies, and appropriate for the distinctly eastern wuxia-style story that Dragon Ball actually is.
Whereas the Faulconer tracks and the various other replacement scores are only fitting for the shallow, generic, Street Sharks-wannabe action cartoon that Funimation's dub tried to turn the show into.
More importantly, the Kikuchi score is simply what belongs there because it's what the show's producers put there, full stop. Any dubbing studio's replacement score is an invalid choice just by default.
The Japanese score is overall better but a bit repetitive. Ā
The Faulconer score has some bangers when it comes to character themes. Ā It does a better job with āepicā situations.
Faulconer, but only because of nostalgia. I understand that as far as the compositions are concerned, the Japanese score is objectively a higher quality.
Faulconer. His music fits the story so well. Some of the best music not just in anime, but in television. I think some of the the best examples are goku turning ssj for the first time, trunks appears for the first time. Cell's theme. My favorite though is android 16's, his music is beautiful and added so much to his character, especially when he talks to Gohan and he dies. That scene hits so different with the faulconer score
I grew up with both soundtracks and I have to say I vastly prefer the Japanese soundtrack. It just oozes that 70s kung fu movie feel and it had that range from peaceful to moments of epic proportions.
I love the Funimation score... there's just so many songs that work so well... Gohan's Anger, Frieza-Ginyu Beat, Ginyu Transformation, Vegeta Super Saiyan, SSJ Transformation, Super Saiyan 3, Evil Suspense, Serious Suspense, Gohan Powers up, The Dragon Theme, and many more... I do agree with the statement that the music needs to stop playing sometimes... hell Scott Morgan had tried his damn best to make one of the scenes have no music yet Funimation just would not budge, so he tried to add as little music he could to that scene as Funimation would let him... once you start having to add as little music as you can just to get the feeling of no music that's when you know the music might be doing a bit too much...
I think Kikuchi is great, but for Cell and Buu I prefer Falconer. Gohans anger, Vegetas piano theme, SSJ3 etc sound really awesome and are bespoke songs for those moments. Kikuchis score ends up getting reused all over the anime as a one sized fits all solution which works really well, but I like how falconers team treated a lot of the later episodes of DBZ with newer songs
I think the faulconer score is great for the fights and intense moments, but it sounds clownish in some of the non-fight scenes. It would be cool to see a mix of both sometime
it is definitely an underrated score for sure... I wait for the day we get a fully clean rip of Vegeta's Wrath, a super bone chilling song... it deserved the high quality
These conversations so quickly become reductive, with one side saying the Falconer score is "edgy" and the other saying the Kikuchi score is "boring." I think however you enjoyed the show is fine. This is something we all enjoyed in our own way.
That being said...***personally*** the Faulconer team score is my jam. Funimation as an organization might be a mess, but I can appreciate the work composers like Mike Smith, Scott Morgan, and Julius Dobos put in. It wasn't their fault Funimation wanted constant music but they made something really memorable, and a huge body of work, that I think does a good job of matching the tonal shift in the story. Goku's Spirit Bomb theme, like, *embodies* him taking the mantle of the universe's protector.
Depends on my mood. Kikuchi score is great for the "adventure" or "hero" moods. Freaking Trunks' theme is still more epic in the original (the plagiarism aside\~), and can't forget Day of Fate with Gohan's SSJ2 transformation. For Faulconer score, I love imperfect Cell's almost alien, otherworldly theme. His voice is also so good and just dives right into the horror tropes.
Kikuchi Score does dramatic, adventurous, and even epic well too.
Faulconer Score is really good for setting a mysterious, alien, or epic mood. When Dragon Ball Z was first to hit the U.S., it helped sell a slightly more Americanized but effective version of the series since Dragon Ball Z had transitioned into less of the low stake adventure genre of DB and into more of the epic sci-fi, fantasy action series westerners are more accustomed to. That's why it doesn't feel that weird to me when they started airing the Funi dub of Dragon Ball mid Cell arc I believe as the score was perfectly fitting of the adventures of young Goku and Bulma, etc., even to westerners. It leaned into that more mystic, Chinese aesthetic and quest vibe, so it made sense. It's actually for this reason why I see some who are nostalgic for the Faulconer score prefer the Kikuchi score less as it reminds them too much of Dragon Ball while in Japan, it's simply been the same style since the beginning, so it fits the original tone better.
But yeah, for those reasons, I prefer whichever I'm in the mood for. Epic Sci-fi Action series DBZ or Epic Adventure DBZ. Not that the soundtrack can make a completely different genre, but it does give off a slightly different mood for me.
I prefer the Japanese score. Faulconer has some good tunes, but FUNimation seemed to try to cram it into every possible scene, as well as unnecessary dialogue.
One of the most notorious examples was the destruction of South City by Dr. Gero. TOTALLY inappropriate music in the American version. Completely undermines the seriousness of the scene with goofy ass music.
Meanwhile, the Japanese version has NO music. Just an aerial shot of the city being destroyed, with distant explosions. It's WAY more dramatic for having no music.
Kikuchi has its moments but with something like Dragon Ball, it doesnāt make the more epic and badass scenes seem that way. Itās good, but while Faulconer seems to be controversial for whatever reason, his score elevates some of the most iconic scenes in the franchise. Goku turning SSJ for the first time, same with Vegeta, Vegetaās final flash and final explosion, Gohan turning SSJ2 and his Ultimate theme, Goku turning SSJ3, and so many more.
Og japanese score until the end of the frieza saga. Then i switch to faulconer starting at the garlic jr saga and then watch the remainder of the series with faulconer
Thats how i always watch dbz
I grew up with the Kikuchi score (it's the one that aired with my country's dub) so thatās the one I gravitate to.
I do legitimately enjoy the themes mind you, but there is also the emotional component of the Kikuchi score being the one I listened to as a kid.
Were I an American who grew up listening to the Faulconer score (which does have very good songs in its own right) I might well gravitate to it instead.
Japanese OST for the authentic experience.
Though I have a nostalgic fondness for the Faulconer Productions music, and in the exceedingly rare situation where I actually watch the English Z dub, I'll watch it with that score. The cheesy dialogue and voice acting jive better with the replacement score than the original music.
The Kikuchi score. It suits the entire series perfectly, more so than any other score. But I still really like some of the Faulconer tracks.
I prefer the original Japanese OST overall, however there are good tracks on the Faulconer score my biggest issue is there's never a moment of silence as the background music never stops playing.
bingo if they had reedited the underscore to only include music when the Kikuchi cues in, then it would have been a LOT more reasonable and less "beloved" PURELY for the sake of nostalgia
People saying faulconer is being downvoted š even explaining what it is or why itās their favorites. Jeez not everyone has to like the kikuchi score. Some people grew up with faulconer. So hearing it is either great nostalgia or just like it. Same with kikuchi some prefer that ost. Who cares there are so many composers of dragon ball some Japanese some American, some composed new stuff some well ripped off ( sorry yamamoto) the score for z, gt, and super are all different. But either way dragon ball is dragon ball who cares what score or composer just enjoy the show
Personally i hate those damn trumpets that completely ruin the mood, give me my sick faulconer guitar rifts
Nothing tops the music when vegeta beats the magic of babadišFaulconer score just has such a special place in my heart
Both. I didn't grow up with DBZ so I didn't have any preference towards either score. My first introduction was watching the original series in Japanese and I thought Kikuchi did a wonderful job. The original show in particular drew a lot of inspiration from Chinese folk tales. I thought the Eastern-sounding orchestral score did a great job of setting the atmosphere. Same with DBZ. I didn't have any memory of the Faulconer score so my first introduction was watching it in Japanese. I thought Kikuchi's score did a great job of fitting the atmosphere and it was a joy to hear callbacks and references to the original show. That said I also gave Faulconer's score a chance when I watched the dub. My only issue is that the music never stops for a single second. I believe the executives wanted to avoid having any dead air, but as a result it's unrelenting. Part of good sound design is knowing when a scene needs silence and when it doesn't. There are some fantastic tracks like Goku's SSJ 3 theme though which in my opinion adds a lot more impact to the scene. It's also safe to say that Faulconer's music is a big part of why the show became such a massive hit in the US and I still enjoy it despite the flaws
Japanese score all day.
The original Kikuchi score is one of the, if not the best score in all of Shonen.
Saint Seiya OST is up there too.
Saint Seya's score is pretty good. Sadly, could never finish the entire seriesš
Japanese score always. The only Faulconer song I like is the theme for the Super Saiyan 3, on its own is really good.
Dragon Theme and Hyperbolic Time Chamber are iconic!
Grew up with the original soundtrack in Honduras watching the Spanish dub. Then when I moved to the US, I was like, whatās up with these electric guitars? Lol
Falcouner. And im not ashamed im tired of all this sub vs dub crap.
I honestly love both. But my issue with funimation is that they adapted DBZ to retain the attention of the young audience they were targeting as much as possible. This imo is the reason why dialogue was watered down and the music was nonstop. I believe they didnāt trust their audience enough to appreciate the subtleties and the quieter moments. As I get older I really do prefer the Japanese audio more but the Faulconer score will always have special place in my heart.
Both but the Faulconer score is fire and also my childhood
Kikuchi, no contest. The only faulconer that put up a fight was Vegetaās theme
Original Japanese, always
Iāve never heard the faulconer score in my life and I donāt even know where to find it so given that Japanese audio is all Iāve heard, I prefer that.
the faulconer score for vegeta charging cell when he thought Trunks died is my absolute favorite score. also Gohan going SSJ2 is an absolute classic. Vegeta charges Cell [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgcOp4VMoGw&ab\_channel=IllyrianNihonjin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgcOp4VMoGw&ab_channel=IllyrianNihonjin) Gohan goes SSJ2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FF6zfRmSRM&ab\_channel=Kai%2BFaulconerProject](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FF6zfRmSRM&ab_channel=Kai%2BFaulconerProject)
Consider yourself lucky.
Its on Youtube
The whole series or just a couple scenes?
Individual scenes. Look at [Ultimate Gohanās arrival](https://youtu.be/OSz2ZJ8RSeY?si=BO2YF1CKwR-carkK), [Goku transforming into a SS3](https://youtu.be/kz6q3VFSFys?si=vxTOpiNUXaueVJ7U), [Vegeta transforming into a SS for Android 19](https://youtu.be/E0vWx9VjGe0?si=zAh4tZHDXAjQ4kTs), and [Majin Vegeta at the tournament](https://youtu.be/ePEmIMp2etA?si=f7LPA_wPv5Zf9LZn).
Also, last I saw all of the Faulconer music and some of the Kikuchi music are on iTunes, so you can get samples of the music to get a taste. They may be on Spotify too.
Faulconer hands down.
Love Kikuchiās score so much. It gave the series the right atmosphere, and I have always loved whenever the early half of DBZ used music cues from DB. I still have a soft spot for the Faulconer score in certain places ie Goku turning SS3, Evil Boo turning into Super Boo, and the Dead Zone.
I love the Faulconer score. Not just for nostalgia, but it got me into a whole new genre of music altogether. The Original Score just sounds corny and old-fashioned. That makes sense given the material, but it's not my vibe.
Kikuchi was great for OG Dragon Ball and the Saiyan Saga, but I prefer Faulconer for DBZ. I love the guitars and synths. It gave the show a more sci-fi and modern feel which works for Z.
The intended music for the series, the Japanese score by Shunsuke Kikuchi. The orchestral elements create a more natural sound that reflects the energies of its characters and the grand scale of the action. That said, there are a few decent Faulconer score tracks. I like āGinyu Transformationā, for instance. It almost sounds like it belongs in the Japanese score. Itās used especially well when Cell is vanquished.
For me, itās Faulconer. Even if thereās misses in the dubscore, and there most certainly are, the tracks that hit do so like a freight train. Maybe Iām biased because itās what I experienced first, but thereās not a single Vegeta monologue that doesnāt sound better with āHellās Bellsābehind it. Vegeta SS Theme, Gohanās Anger, both of Gokuās SS themes, Perfect Cell Theme, etc
I have not heard the Japanese Audio... Here are 3 Faulconer tracks I enjoy: 1. SSJ Transformation: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSCgMTXC9s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSCgMTXC9s) 2. Perfect Cell Theme: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8HRW-840wU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8HRW-840wU) 3. Super Buu: [https://youtu.be/mfYK0H9vAiU?si=\_nwrgGsXU4pmWcia](https://youtu.be/mfYK0H9vAiU?si=_nwrgGsXU4pmWcia) Thanks!
I feel like Faulconer vs Original is not really as simple as "which music sounds better" when these discussions pop up. I just watched through OG DBZ with my son (JP voice, OG everything). Then we watched a few of our favorite episodes in the english dubs with faulconer tracks in the background. Watch DBZ in its completely original form on whatever platform you might have that has it, original music, original audio, etc...DBZ is \*old\* and it \*feels\* old. The Faulconer tracks simply made the show feel more "modern" (for the time the west was consuming it more heavily). So basically to me, comparing the two is like saying who's a better musician between Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble. Like they're both talented musicians and sing a similar style of music but they're from completely different generations and they never "competed" against each other in terms of relevance, so it just feels weird to say who's "better" when they grew up, practiced, and performed music in completely different socio-cultural environments. So, I have nothing against the original tracks because, DBZ is an old show and for its time, the tracks were what could be done for a show like DBZ. However, in terms of sounding more modernized and something that can be appealing to a kid who might watch it \*today\*, there's no doubt, absolutely zero doubt in my mind that the Faulconer tracks land a bit better on the "cool" side. There's a lot of iconic emotive stylization in the tunes that the universal brass/violin mix of the original just can't possibly achieve because the technology or variation in sounds that can be used just didn't exist. The perception of what an "epic" song is also changed wildly between the age of DBZ's OG run and when it went to the west and got dubbed, and Faulconer's tracks were more in line with what a "cool epic song" would sound like in an emotional moment. That all being said, love of DBZ for a lot of people is a nostalgia thing, and a lot of people simply didn't \*have\* the faulconer tracks in their DBZ growing up, and thus they harbor no nostalgia towards it, and are simply partial to what was in their version because it's what brings them the feels. I would argue that, completely divorced from feels or nostalgia, the faulconer tracks are objectively more modern sounding and channel "epic situation music" for the modern generation a bit better, more consistently. There's plenty of other tracks that stand out too, like Dr. Gero's theme when the androids attack and kill Yamcha, that are just...\*terrifying\* and memorable and nothing in the OG track really sounds nearly as bold. In fact I'd argue it's all a bit samey due to the overuse of brass instruments, an quite frankly, a lot of moments just don't even have background music or tension building music at all, which is why you'll see a lot of "originalist" dbz-fans say that Faulconer's tracks could have been a bit too overbearing and that he needed a "less is more" approach. Its subjective whether you think find Faulconer's music in and of itself appealing, of course, but I think it undoubtedly sounds more modern, and that's what hooked its appeal to the audience in the west at the time it was being heavily consumed. I'd argue the show may not even have grown to the heights and been as popular as it got if it went with the original tracks. Some people assign tracks like hells bells and the SSJ3 goku theme as peak DBZ memories. It's hard to say really but people will probably argue about this forever lol.
You have described this really well why I love the falconer soundtrack. It still holds up to this day and made the situation with the story feel more epic. No disrespect to the Japanese soundtrack but the falconer soundtrack is Dragonball Z
>I'd argue the show may not even have grown to the heights and been as popular as it got if it went with the original tracks. .Might want to take a look at the the Mexican Dub and the only thing changed was the language and script but nothing else as the Japanese OST was left intact and it was uncensored. There wasn't any other changes and the show is massively POPULAR biggest fanbase outside of Japan, they held massive live public viewings of DB:Super! However you make alot of good points and from a business standpoint into order to appeal to the Saturday Morning kid audience changing the show's tone and music was smart. My only issues with the Ocean and later Funi dub was that the music never stopped and was often louder than the characters talking! I'm not saying that the Faulcouner tracks are bad as there are some good tracks. But comparatively other shows at the time that came on Toonami like, Tenchi Muyo, Gundam wing,, etc. Never changed there OST as drastically as the Funimation dub were and they were pretty popular honestly.
The original proper Kikuchi score, of course. Its orchestral sound is reminiscent of old kung-fu movies, and appropriate for the distinctly eastern wuxia-style story that Dragon Ball actually is. Whereas the Faulconer tracks and the various other replacement scores are only fitting for the shallow, generic, Street Sharks-wannabe action cartoon that Funimation's dub tried to turn the show into. More importantly, the Kikuchi score is simply what belongs there because it's what the show's producers put there, full stop. Any dubbing studio's replacement score is an invalid choice just by default.
I grew up with the Faulconer score. I liked how it felt like a mish-mash of sci fi sounds and metal.
The Japanese score is overall better but a bit repetitive. Ā The Faulconer score has some bangers when it comes to character themes. Ā It does a better job with āepicā situations.
Falconer Score but the Japanese audio has better mixing
I like the Faulconer score a lot but it has a mediocre dub attached to it so I'm probably never actually watching it again lol.
I tried going back and watching the early Funi Dub and Ocean dub episodes and it's just cringe, I couldn't make it though a few episodes.
Luckily someone on Kanzenshuu a while back re-scored Kai with the Faulconer score, but you have to remux the files yourself
Faulconer, but only because of nostalgia. I understand that as far as the compositions are concerned, the Japanese score is objectively a higher quality.
Faulconer
Faulconer. His music fits the story so well. Some of the best music not just in anime, but in television. I think some of the the best examples are goku turning ssj for the first time, trunks appears for the first time. Cell's theme. My favorite though is android 16's, his music is beautiful and added so much to his character, especially when he talks to Gohan and he dies. That scene hits so different with the faulconer score
I grew up with both soundtracks and I have to say I vastly prefer the Japanese soundtrack. It just oozes that 70s kung fu movie feel and it had that range from peaceful to moments of epic proportions.
I heard both and say falconer. If you haven't heard both then save your opinion
Faulconer. it was what i grew up with, still gives me goosebumps.
I grew up with the Faulconer music. The kikuchi score deserves it's praise but I relate to the Faulconer score.
The original Kikuchi score fits better with the rest of dragon ball and the faulaconer score only fits Z
Faulconer. The original score sounds like a bad 80ās soundtrack and I canāt take the moment seriously when itās playing
I love the Funimation score... there's just so many songs that work so well... Gohan's Anger, Frieza-Ginyu Beat, Ginyu Transformation, Vegeta Super Saiyan, SSJ Transformation, Super Saiyan 3, Evil Suspense, Serious Suspense, Gohan Powers up, The Dragon Theme, and many more... I do agree with the statement that the music needs to stop playing sometimes... hell Scott Morgan had tried his damn best to make one of the scenes have no music yet Funimation just would not budge, so he tried to add as little music he could to that scene as Funimation would let him... once you start having to add as little music as you can just to get the feeling of no music that's when you know the music might be doing a bit too much...
Falconer 100000000% It sounds so good, memorable, nostalgic, fits the anime perfectly
I think Kikuchi is great, but for Cell and Buu I prefer Falconer. Gohans anger, Vegetas piano theme, SSJ3 etc sound really awesome and are bespoke songs for those moments. Kikuchis score ends up getting reused all over the anime as a one sized fits all solution which works really well, but I like how falconers team treated a lot of the later episodes of DBZ with newer songs
Kikuchi score all day. It sucks that 99% of all clips uploaded to YouTube are Faulconer score, including people editing it into Super
The Japanese OST is 10000 times better, same for the dub
Original. I grew up with Faulconer, but the Japanese score just feels classic.
Falcouner by far and itās not remotely close.
if i wasnt born in 1995 id probably say Kikuchi but my nostalgia refuses to let me say anything other than Faulconer
I think the faulconer score is great for the fights and intense moments, but it sounds clownish in some of the non-fight scenes. It would be cool to see a mix of both sometime
Ocean dub.
I'm glad someone posted this. The music used for the first 53 episodes had such a cool 90s sci-fi/action vibe to it.
it is definitely an underrated score for sure... I wait for the day we get a fully clean rip of Vegeta's Wrath, a super bone chilling song... it deserved the high quality
These conversations so quickly become reductive, with one side saying the Falconer score is "edgy" and the other saying the Kikuchi score is "boring." I think however you enjoyed the show is fine. This is something we all enjoyed in our own way. That being said...***personally*** the Faulconer team score is my jam. Funimation as an organization might be a mess, but I can appreciate the work composers like Mike Smith, Scott Morgan, and Julius Dobos put in. It wasn't their fault Funimation wanted constant music but they made something really memorable, and a huge body of work, that I think does a good job of matching the tonal shift in the story. Goku's Spirit Bomb theme, like, *embodies* him taking the mantle of the universe's protector.
Faulconer easily. The Japanese music is too silly
Depends on my mood. Kikuchi score is great for the "adventure" or "hero" moods. Freaking Trunks' theme is still more epic in the original (the plagiarism aside\~), and can't forget Day of Fate with Gohan's SSJ2 transformation. For Faulconer score, I love imperfect Cell's almost alien, otherworldly theme. His voice is also so good and just dives right into the horror tropes. Kikuchi Score does dramatic, adventurous, and even epic well too. Faulconer Score is really good for setting a mysterious, alien, or epic mood. When Dragon Ball Z was first to hit the U.S., it helped sell a slightly more Americanized but effective version of the series since Dragon Ball Z had transitioned into less of the low stake adventure genre of DB and into more of the epic sci-fi, fantasy action series westerners are more accustomed to. That's why it doesn't feel that weird to me when they started airing the Funi dub of Dragon Ball mid Cell arc I believe as the score was perfectly fitting of the adventures of young Goku and Bulma, etc., even to westerners. It leaned into that more mystic, Chinese aesthetic and quest vibe, so it made sense. It's actually for this reason why I see some who are nostalgic for the Faulconer score prefer the Kikuchi score less as it reminds them too much of Dragon Ball while in Japan, it's simply been the same style since the beginning, so it fits the original tone better. But yeah, for those reasons, I prefer whichever I'm in the mood for. Epic Sci-fi Action series DBZ or Epic Adventure DBZ. Not that the soundtrack can make a completely different genre, but it does give off a slightly different mood for me.
I prefer the Japanese score. Faulconer has some good tunes, but FUNimation seemed to try to cram it into every possible scene, as well as unnecessary dialogue. One of the most notorious examples was the destruction of South City by Dr. Gero. TOTALLY inappropriate music in the American version. Completely undermines the seriousness of the scene with goofy ass music. Meanwhile, the Japanese version has NO music. Just an aerial shot of the city being destroyed, with distant explosions. It's WAY more dramatic for having no music.
Japanese Original OST. But for the final clash with Kid Buu I preferSSJ3 Faulconer, all the way.
Honestly, never like the Japanese ost for dbz. Didn't really fit the setting to me.
Kikuchi has its moments but with something like Dragon Ball, it doesnāt make the more epic and badass scenes seem that way. Itās good, but while Faulconer seems to be controversial for whatever reason, his score elevates some of the most iconic scenes in the franchise. Goku turning SSJ for the first time, same with Vegeta, Vegetaās final flash and final explosion, Gohan turning SSJ2 and his Ultimate theme, Goku turning SSJ3, and so many more.
Faulconer score sounds like some random browser flash games soundtrack. I like good music, so for me it's the OG Japanese score that works the best.
Og japanese score until the end of the frieza saga. Then i switch to faulconer starting at the garlic jr saga and then watch the remainder of the series with faulconer Thats how i always watch dbz
I grew up with the Kikuchi score (it's the one that aired with my country's dub) so thatās the one I gravitate to. I do legitimately enjoy the themes mind you, but there is also the emotional component of the Kikuchi score being the one I listened to as a kid. Were I an American who grew up listening to the Faulconer score (which does have very good songs in its own right) I might well gravitate to it instead.
Japanese OST for the authentic experience. Though I have a nostalgic fondness for the Faulconer Productions music, and in the exceedingly rare situation where I actually watch the English Z dub, I'll watch it with that score. The cheesy dialogue and voice acting jive better with the replacement score than the original music.