Dear Mr. Fukunaga,

As a fan of Dragonball Z, I'd like to thank you for bringing this wonderful anime to the United States.  DBZ has gained many American fans and much popularity.  However, by aiming your English dub of DBZ at a young target audience--6 to 11 year olds--you are passing up the opportunity to attract a larger group of potential fans.  Older children, teens, and young adults made up a large percentage of the show's following in Japan. If American DBZ was more like the original Japanese version, the same could be true here in the U.S.

I thank you for your release of subtitled DVDs; however, the majority of fans will be introduced to DBZ through the dub aired on Cartoon Network, and most fans will watch it on television.  Therefore, it would be greatly beneficial to focus on amending the dubs you air on TV. I understand that many of the changes you made were intended to "Americanize" the show, but in the process I believe the series lost a lot of its originality and emotional depth. There are two elements I hope you will consider amending in the remaining seasons of DBZ:

THE DIALOGUE:  Please translate it directly. Inserting jokes or references to American culture is often a turn-off for older audiences.  In Japan, the original dialogue sustainined the emotional and dramatic themes that made DBZ such an enduring and popular series.  Changing dialogue often alters the story, characters, and mood.

THE MUSIC:  I realize that at this time you are unable to release the original Japanese music on video.  This is unfortunate, because I believe the original background score contributed to much of the success of DBZ in Japan.  I understand that you are currently negotiating with TOEI for rights to the original music, and I strongly encourage you to continue these negotiations.  While I realize that you intended to modernize the show with new music, the distinct mood created by the original music is inimitable.

Please consider my suggestions as you dub the remaining episodes of DBZ, as well as any other anime series you may aquire.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
 

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