-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
So what is with people's fascination with the Bruce Falcouner score of DBZ?
- Thread starter Uzumaki Goku
- Start date
Agreed. I like the TFS version better for some reason but those piano keys just scream "shit just got real"
People saying it's garbage like it's unlistenable are doing the most. If you don't like it fine, but it's definitely not garbage. The elitism against stuff people don't like has always been crazy I guess. I love that the majority of faulconer's tracks evoke a particular mood and feeling really well, it's not just nostalgia. The entire show has a distinct feel because of it and that's what I feel a successful OST should achieve at the end of the day.
The Faulconer sound has a strong identity, and for many it's wrapped up entirely with what DBZ itself is. For me, DBZ was a pretty damn dark story. I was five or six years old watching the Trunks special, and seeing a young teenager be emotionally ruined by the deaths of his comrades. Shit felt hardcore, especially in comparison to everything else I was watching at the time. The Faulconer ost has tons of stinkers, but the mood it created is synonymous with DBZ in my mind.
Also, plugging that this dude on youtube has done a bunch of custom arrangements and remixes in the Faulconer style. Give him a listen
Also, plugging that this dude on youtube has done a bunch of custom arrangements and remixes in the Faulconer style. Give him a listen
that and with the right audio, the sound of the beam really does sound like shit blasting the air apart, it's like thunder
The falconer score completely ruins several dramatic scene from the original. It is the first version I saw, but I will never forgive it for how it butchers dragonball z. Outside of a couple themes most of it blends together too much as well, sucking out all the excitement and tension from a great deal of the series.
The same thing is happening the other way around. You have people who prefer the original being called elitists and weaboos.
Nostalgia is the primary reason people still like DBZ. Faulconer is what Americans grew up with.
This argument is as old as time. Anyone who likes Kikichu is a weeb and anyone who likes Faulconer is a loser with no taste.
This argument is as old as time. Anyone who likes Kikichu is a weeb and anyone who likes Faulconer is a loser with no taste.
His most memorable theme wasn't even the great action stuff posted, it was the peacetime theme.
Honestly on its own the absence isn't huge however without American "Superman Goku" writing and far better voices for certain characters it is hard personally to watch anything after the 90's version
I've watched through half of Super and can't stand Goku in it.
Honestly on its own the absence isn't huge however without American "Superman Goku" writing and far better voices for certain characters it is hard personally to watch anything after the 90's version
I've watched through half of Super and can't stand Goku in it.
Yup. The music doesn't always work and the mandate that it never stops sucks, but man it made the big moments so much more hype and memorable. Especially anything involving Vegeta.
This. Shocking as it might seem, people have different tastes in music.
Vegeta's Kai theme is cool, but it's weird how they don't use it in when he turns SSJ. Someone made a fan version though:
His Kai 2014 theme is my favorite song in DB period though. I don't think it was ever releases(it was used in the final episode of Super as well, but I don't know if it's in the soundtrack):
His Kai 2014 theme is my favorite song in DB period though. I don't think it was ever releases(it was used in the final episode of Super as well, but I don't know if it's in the soundtrack):
They completely butchered the scene with Cell stomping on Android 16 in the Dub too. Its just music you already heard like 100x already with some extra cheesy dialogue overlaid on top like " You loved life!I let you die!" That acting, dialogue and music is just not the same and they awkwardly chop like 4-5 pieces of music together. The original for comparison. Sometimes just letting a scene play without music or dialogue speaks for itself.
The Falcouner score has some genuinely good tracks but a lot of it just sounds like the worst kind of butt rock mixed with farting in a bathtub. Also it doesn't know when to shut the hell up sometimes.
A lot of it is just nostalgia.
A lot of it is just nostalgia.
Nostalgia full effect. Music itself is not too bad, but if you add it to the show, it's a Frankenstein anime.
I grew up with the Spanish dub and always will love it, even if 50% of the dub is made up. "Onda Vital", "Son Gohanda" or "Nube Mágica" never will sound me wrong.
I grew up with the Spanish dub and always will love it, even if 50% of the dub is made up. "Onda Vital", "Son Gohanda" or "Nube Mágica" never will sound me wrong.
Last edited:
With that The DBZ dub in general added a lot of dialogue in places where there wasn't any in the original.
I wonder how people would react today if a huge TV show or game were localized in a way that completely changed its atmosphere, replacing the original soundtrack, altering dialogue, putting stuff that wasn't there, in order to try to cater to "american tastes" specifically.
Hmm yeah, I'm sure it would go well, so this has nothing to do with nostalgia at all.
Hmm yeah, I'm sure it would go well, so this has nothing to do with nostalgia at all.
Yeah the Yamamoto score is as best as it will ever get unfortunately
Nostalgia but some tracks are genuinely good. Despite growing up with the dub I love the Japanese version just as much. The only OST I hate is Kai's. Bruce Falcouner's tracks fit well with certain characters. The whole Imperfect Cell arc was eerie as fuck with that OST. I don't see why people should shit on others just because they like it besides being an asshole.
There is a set on Amazon of all 9 seasons on Blu-Ray. It has all options available. The original Kikuchi soundtrack in English dubs, The Faulconer score with English dubs, and the full original Japanese audio track as well as a bunch of interviews with the VA cast. It's just shy of $150
There is no version of Kai with Faulconer's music. CakeMix Recording, a recording studio owned by Bruce Faulconer, had a fallout with FUNimation which end their relationship in less than amicable terms.
There is a unofficial fan project that exists that apparently is using the redubbed VA for Kai but with the Faulconer score included but requires ownership of the Kai blu-ray's and to manually rip the video and remux them with the fan made audio tracks.
I agree with OP's buddy. I've always thought the Japanese music was cheesy and didn't really match the tone of what was happening in the show. Call Falcouner's score cheesy, but I'd call it badass, and he certainly knew how to write music to match a scene.
I'd also point out that not all of his DBZ music is of that sort of "butt rock" genre - a lot of it has ambient, electronic elements - and it gave the show that otherworldly feel that played a large part of why I enjoyed it as a kid. It was very "alien", even in the peaceful moments, and to me that matched the material.
And I can also agree that it's a large part of the reason I've never watched Kai, it's just not the same for me.
I'd also point out that not all of his DBZ music is of that sort of "butt rock" genre - a lot of it has ambient, electronic elements - and it gave the show that otherworldly feel that played a large part of why I enjoyed it as a kid. It was very "alien", even in the peaceful moments, and to me that matched the material.
And I can also agree that it's a large part of the reason I've never watched Kai, it's just not the same for me.
While I do agree that Rock the Dragon is terrible, It had nothing to do with Faulconer score and was mainly an Ocean Dub thing.
A lot of the music from the original Japanese score often feels weirdly... out of place in a lot of scenes. Like it almost feels like it would fit better with the more comedy and lighter Dragon Ball. DBZ is such a different show in terms of tone, themes, focus and all that that the music doesn't always connect. Its not even a matter of "Falconer makes it hype", the Japanese tracks just seem weirdly off kilter for what's going on in the scene itself. I'm sure its a cultural thing but it does feel like it clashes and I actually heard the originla tracks first thanks to an older friends brother who had a lot of fan sub pirated VHS tapes of the original series.
The fact that the Falcouner score is still debated is a testament to its quality and legacy. No other series has this debate at this level, persisting for decades now. If it was simply nostalgia powering these arguments, it would have petered out by now. We don't see the "Boy, I used to love the Falcouner soundtrack, but it really hasn't aged well" posts that we see from everything else from that era, we see a sentiment of "Yeah, this still bumps". I wish people would stop trying to write off love for the score as nostalgia and invalidate it. Regardless of whether or not your agree, I think holding the opinion that the Falcouner score is better is a valid one.
Breh, I like the Falcouner score, but there's a LOT of folks who can't move on with their lives and accept that what they liked as a kid is actually trash and will defend it to the bitter end. Ex. 80s kids cartoon fans, Star Wars prequel defenders, GT apologists, etc.
Like that is definately true, but you see an equal rise in people who see things for what they are. Also, for things like 80s cartoon fandom, a lot of that passion exists in the fandom despite the fact that a lot of the fanbase knows that the source is material is bad. Like you bring up the Star Wars prequel fandom and yeah there are definitely people who think those are good movies but there are also a LOT of people who view it as a guilty pleasure.
What I'm saying is that when fans talk about the Falcouner score, their reverence isn't couched in irony. The Falcouner score is not viewed as a guilty pleasure in the same way that many of these other fandoms internalize their passion.
It makes the series more dramatic and weighty despite it being kind of cheaply produced and never shutting up. It's got an emotional gravity that can be really immersive - especially if you're a kid. Also the constant theme music gives it a kind of WWE vibe or something.
I prefer the original OST because it's more cinematic tho. Elevates the cheap animation in b team episodes and accentuates the levity inherent to Dragon Ball. Has a bit of an old Kung Fu movie vibe to it too.
I prefer the original OST because it's more cinematic tho. Elevates the cheap animation in b team episodes and accentuates the levity inherent to Dragon Ball. Has a bit of an old Kung Fu movie vibe to it too.
Last edited:
People only like the Japanese soundtrack because of nostalgia only. No other way.
See how stupid I sound? People like it, get over it lol
See how stupid I sound? People like it, get over it lol
Yeah, it's stupid because it makes no sense. The real rebuttal is that they only like it because they're pretentious.
Yeah, not a fan of Faulconer. Some of his tracks are good but much of it is low-quality synth, and as it's been pointed out the way it's all edited together is distracting and horrible. I will admit Kikuchi's score can be a bit underwhelming at times, but it's a worthwhile trade for real instruments and usage of silence.
Similar to how I feel about the new Pokemon dub score, some of it is quite lovely (here's the composer playing a few of its themes on piano), but the Mickey Mousing approach just doesn't work for a show that's not really designed for it.
Nothing will ever be as bad as 4Kids' One Piece dub in terms of jumpy music editing ruining literally every scene though:
Similar to how I feel about the new Pokemon dub score, some of it is quite lovely (here's the composer playing a few of its themes on piano), but the Mickey Mousing approach just doesn't work for a show that's not really designed for it.
Nothing will ever be as bad as 4Kids' One Piece dub in terms of jumpy music editing ruining literally every scene though:
I prefer the original stuff now that Im older but Falcouner made some incredibly good stuff for Dragonball Z. Like some of it is the very best its so good. Lets not act like it was all shit or some garbage like that. His music fit really well. I swear some of y'all act like y'all got salt up your asses over his soundtrack.
Im'ma throw something out there. There are plenty of times that the Japanese music does not cut it and feels way too out of place for Dragonball. Falcouner brings the hype sooo much better.
Im'ma throw something out there. There are plenty of times that the Japanese music does not cut it and feels way too out of place for Dragonball. Falcouner brings the hype sooo much better.
Dude you're the one who sounds like you're fucking insecure about other people preferring the Faulconer soundtrack, are you shitting me? ahahahahaha
