The best Gundam dub (and why)

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Blue Fashion

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I saw this conversation going in the Unicorn thread so I'm interested in seeing the results. Which dub of the Gundam series released in America was the best?

I really wish I could say I've seen them all so that I can be more objectionable like I was with the DBZ movie thread but unfortunately I've only seen the stuff released on TV and the MSG and Zeta dubs. That being said.

For me, I think it's a toss-up between probably G and 00 and I'm probably going to have to give it to 00 but it's kind of a hard decision because nearly every Gundam dub seems to have that major flaw of more than a few side characters (and sometimes main characters) sounding completely lifeless. It's like how nobody will ever be able to do an English Luffy voice exactly perfectly right. Except it's like an entire franchise.

I think that insofar, 00's dub is the best because at least when I am disappointed by a voice, it's usually sporadic points and not nearly every episode. I mean, despite the fact that this is Swaille's fifth pilot role, at least he's actually good at it (which is weird considering that I pretty much despised Heero's voice). Really, after repeated viewings for various reasons, I've even gotten used to Sergei's and some of the Innovator's voices. The last plus is that I finally feel like this is the one time I've seen a Gundam dub that doesn't sound like "I'm clearly reading off a script." I'm sorry but except maybe with the MSG and CCA, I've been really feeling that way about the earlier series dubs.

G's dub is second maybe for nostalgia. Maybe. But I mean, really, Domon's voice is really good. And it's surprising when I see voice actors emote and voice act and scream nearly as well as the original seiyuu like in GaoGaiGar or in Digimon. The main problem with G (and I think I heard it either here or another forums) is that most of the side character sound like like professional wrestlers. Which honestly, should be fitting...but it's not. It's more like hilarious. The other problem is Zoe Slusar as Sai Saici because that pretty much is just "this close" to being David Moo Sanji.

MSG's dub is probably third. I haven't heard a lot of it but I have heard enough to know that I could think of it as a quality dub.

Wing's annoys me. I know a lot of people like it and it's fascinating to me because I really just can't stand a lot of the performances. It's like how I was nearly destroyed through my computer for disliking Pioneer's Tenchi Muyo dub. The character's sound near lifeless and it's made even worse by Heero's voice (not like the original helped that any).

Also, don't tell me you don't think General Septem is really TFS Nappa
"Vegeta!"
"What is it Nappa?"
"We've been under attack by mobile suits made by Gundamanium alloy in outer space Vegeta!"
"Get back in the corner Nappa"

But I really just dislike the SEED/Destiny dubs. It's almost like it's mirroring the quality of the show (well, Destiny's quality anyway). It is almost the perfect example of "I'm clearly reading off a script." And man, the voice for Kira! I still think that's like early FUNi DBZ Yamucha as in he sounRAB like a surfer dude. And oh god, the crying. The painful, painful, agonizing crying (This was also not helped by the original). No emotional connection whatsoever.

Man, I wish Turn A was dubbed because the voice they had for Loran was just so hilariously perfect, I would have wanted to see it.

Anyway, your thoughts.
 
Uh, I hope I'm reading that wrong but Swaile didn't do Heero.


0080 and 08th MS team had the best dub. I would mention 0083, but the horrible quality of the show itself distracts me.
 
From the ones I've seen they all sound equally good to me. Even if I didn't like/didn't get into most of the Gundam shows themselves. The only Gundam show that I actually stuck with was G Gundam.
 
Yeah, likewise gave it to 08th ms team.

Not, I should point out, because I think the quality is vastly different from any of the others. 00 has a pretty good dub too but in 08th ms team's case, I think they just had much better dialogue to work with. I mean, it's an OVA rather than a tv show so they don't need to worry about swearing when it's appropriate and there's a general lack of the kind of broody main character staring off into space and saying the name of one of the other characters for some reason. I don't care how good a dub actor you are, you can't make that terribly convincing.

(Loved 00, just, some of the dialogue, especially Setsuna's... Not up to 08th ms team standarRAB, I'll just say that)

Beyond that of course, there isn't a single voice that doesn't more or less perfectly match what you'd expect the characters to sound like and they're all acted quite excellently. I'm generally a fan of Ocean's dub work as a whole so again, I think the only reason to give it to 08th ms team is that they had better material to work with on that one.
 
I voted for Gundam 00. You want to know why over the 08th MS Team?

Because Gundam 00's dub, despite the typical brooding dialogue in a Gundam series, is able to transcend that for a good portion of the series. The 08th MS Team just dodged the equation completely, making that dub something of a cop-out because they didn't get to say the things that Gundam characters normally say.

Just sayin'.


Oh, and I said through YT that Septem sounRAB like TFS Nappa since I can't say it here. XD
 
Char's Counterattack was pretty solid. Yeah, Quess was annoying, but she really is that much of a brat anyhow. Also, actually, I can't really find much fault with Gundam F91's dub. I enjoyed the movie and got drawn in pretty easily.

I'll go to bat for Wing's dub. It has certain weak points (General Septem, Sally Po being recast in a completely different voice compared to the beginning), but overall it's pretty solid and actually particularly good considering the time when the dub was done. They were recording that show ten years ago! And it beats out the dubs for Seed and G (among others) in my view. If there's a weakness it may be among the slew of older men in the series, but all in all I thought they did a great job at capturing the distinct and contrasting personalities of the characters. My personal favorites would have to be these:

David Kaye as Treize. This man is no stranger to excellent roles (Megatron in Beast Wars, Sesshomaru in Inu-Yasha, Professor X in X-Men Evolution). His charismatic performance helped make Treize a personal favorite of mine. Definitely a class act.Brain Drummond as Zechs. Confident, youthful and at times also badass when appropriate.Lisa Ann Beley as Relena. As the series went on, her performance developed and exuded the dignity that Relena claimed for herself in the story.Saffron Henderson as Lucrezia Noin. Come on, really: Noin is that voice.Ted Cole as Wufei. There's such aggressive passion here. Wufei's duel against Heero in Endless Waltz sticks in my head in no small part because of Wufei's righteous tirade during the fight. He was fine during the series too.Mark Hildreth as Heero. Yeah, Swaile did Quatre. Mark Hildreth mostly caught onto Heero's calm & subdued personality very well, but there's some nuance to the character and the performance lets some of that repressed kindness show when it neeRAB to.Of course, there are other roles I like too, such as Cathy Weseluck as Dorothy Catalonia and Enuka Okuma as Lady Une--good lord, I didn't realize that she apparently only has Android #18 and a role in G-Savior in her history. Quite a shame. That woman really did have range.

00's dub is not quite as strong as Wing's in my view, although it's pretty decent and it does have some very nice surprises. Newcomer Alex Zahara did a marvelous job as Lockon, and Brad Swaile delivered a Setsuna that was nothing like his earlier Gundam roles. People can say what they like about him, but that man hit the zenith of his career with Light and Death Note. As far as I'm concerned, they can cast him in anything and I'll say "bring it on!" But my favorite by far is Samuel Vincent as Tieria, who OWNS that role. That's a Treize-level performance to me right there.
 
My main problem with Wing's dub is the always-mentioned direction of Heero, and I did feel Relena was stilted while re-watching the last 3 episodes a couple days ago. Stoner Howard was, and always will be, the most hilarious major character choice I've ever heard. Mr. Permanent Vacation.

00, I have issues with a couple casting choices. Graham in Duo's voice? The guy has range and you picked possibly the most inappropriate?
 
I thought Graham sounded okay for the most part, not the greatest voice for him but it grew on me after a while. And in any case Duo's voice actor handled Ali, who pretty much stole every scene he was in.
 
This...is a bit of a hard one. I think I'd have to give it to 8th MS Team, although truthfully all of the Gundam dubs have some pretty bad acting. Scott McNeil overreaches in Gundam 00, Wing has goofy cartoony voices, as does SEED.

War in a Pocket wasn't too bad!
 
I was going to ask the same thing. I mean, they seriously expect me to compare Sazabi sounding like a 20 something surfer to him sounding like Ikeda?
 
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