Monday, January 21, 2013

History of it's Over 9000! meme


It's Over 9000! was a translation mistake from the Dragon Ball Z episodes "The Return of Goku" and its non-edited counterpart, "Goku's Arrival", that was spoken by Vegeta's original English voice actor, Brian Drummond. It has since become an internet meme that spread across YouTube, with the video clip getting over 7 million views, with spoofs of the clip getting a plenty amount of views as well. Originally posted on October 17, 2006, the meme was started by user Kajetokun. It shows Vegeta angrily crushing his scouter several times while repeating "It's Over 9000!!!" in response to Nappa's questioning of Goku's power level.
The meme has spread across the world, with the video having received millions of views and is even referenced in certain games of the series, like Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3.


In addition to being referenced in future English Dragon Ball media, the Over 9,000 meme has been referenced in numerous other venues.
Notable references to the meme

In other Dragon Ball media



Dragon-ball-z-its-over-9000-ebook-cover
Dragon Ball Z 'It's Over 9,000!' When Worldviews Collide by Derek Padula
DerekPadulaAdded by DerekPadula

  • The book Dragon Ball Z 'It's Over 9,000!' When Worldviews Collide by Derek Padula, explains the Over 9,000 meme's full history and relevance in pop culture, while providing a complete psychological analysis of Goku and Vegeta's colliding worldviews.
  • Dragon Ball Z Kai has two separate dubs of the line: the TV version stating that "it's over 9000", while the DVD version has the correct "it's over 8,000".
  • In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Vegeta again says "It's Over 9,000", as in the English dub of the anime. The game was localized by FUNimation, based on their version of the anime.
  • The meme was directly referenced during the trailer for the Dragon Box. Vegeta, who presents the trailer says, "Can you feel the Dragon Box's power? It's Over 9000!"
  • TeamFourStar , as part of their abridged series of Dragon Ball Z, had a minor running joke of seemingly avoiding saying the infamous "9000" line. In one instance, Nappa scolds Vegeta for not doing the line correctly, saying "8000" instead of "9000", though Vegeta retorts that he did. (referencing the proper "Over 8000" translation). In an episode where the fourth-wall-breaking Nappa is blatantly goading Vegeta into delivering the line, Vegeta's scanner reads Goku as having a power level of 1,006, later realizing he had his scouter upside down after Nappa is beaten badly . When he does carry out the line, it is in a completely deadpan manner, crushing the scouter with a completely indifferent, bored "Rah." grunt. When asked why he sounded so bored, Vegeta merely replies that Goku is still not a threat to him. The "proper" line was finally delivered in Dragon Ball Z Kai Abridged, a gag clip summarizing the entire Saiyan story arc within a few minutes.
  • In the PlayStation 3 version of Ultimate Tenkaichi, the name of the platinum trophy obtained by collecting all other trophies is "OVER 9000!!!!"

In non-Dragon Ball related media

  • The meme is commonly spoofed in YouTube Poop viral videos. One particularly famous reference occurred on the Oprah Show.
    • A YouTuber and fan of "It's over 9000!" submitted an email to Oprah during a week devoted to pedophilia. In the email, the YouTuber jokingly claimed to be "part of an organization "Over 9000!" strong, all raping children." Oprah famously read the the email out loud on her show, believing it to be true. This incident became known as "Oprah 9000".
    • In LittleKuriboh's "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series," the stinger for the end of Episode 14 featured the meme, with Weevil Underwood as Nappa and Rex Raptor as Vegeta - Noah's Life Point counter shows 9,300.
  • In the Cartoon Network series MAD, in the skit "Grey's in Anime", the nurse tells the doctor "His heart rate is over 9000!" with the doctor replying "What? Over 9000?! That's impossible! I'm gonna have to power up toSuper Surgeon! Upon saying this, the doctor's hair becomes that of a Super Saiyan, and his shirt disappears. This episode also makes reference to other manga and anime series, like Yu-Gi-Oh! andPokémon.
  • There is a reference in the game World of Warcraft. A player who gains 9000 achievement points gains the achievement "It's Over Nine Thousand!"
  • In the game Monday Night Combat, there is an unlockable Highlight ProTag called "Over 9000." It reveals an icon of a bag that has an obvious resemblance of the four-star ball. This can be gained by receiving over $9000 in lifetime earnings in the game.
  • In the game Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, the famous "Over 9000" meme is referenced after the "Triple Wave Armor" is unlocked. The description for this is "Surprisingly, funneled Electroshock capacitor energy at the right frequency through both Wildfire and Sludge Mk. 9 armor parts created a recursive feedback loop that dramatically increased the potential peak power output, nearly into the Petagigawatt range. As one Gadgetron research scientist famously reported, "It's over nine thousaaand!!!"
  • Yet another PlayStation 3 game inFamous 2 makes a reference to the Over 9000 meme when one of the posters in the city says "Over 9000 clubs".
  • The Over 9000 meme is also featured in the Nintendo DS game Scribblenauts. If you write "It's over nine thousand" then you get a monocle.
  • Another Nintendo DS game Ninjatown, also features the infamous meme.
  • In the Nintendo DS game Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, when you talk to a character named Sal Manella he'll say "IT'S OVER 9000!".
  • The popular MMO-RPG World of Warcraft also features the "Over 9000!" meme as a Feat of Strength.
  • Another MMORPG (RuneScape) has a monster named the "Ferret of Doom" with a combat level of 9001.
  • One of the achievements in the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero 5 (and a trophy on the PlayStation 3 version) is titled "Over 9000!" in reference to the internet meme.
  • In the iOS game Jetpack Joyride, a clothing item called "Powered Up Hair" contains a head with green eyes and a hairstyle that reminds Super Saiyan adult Gohan and supposed to be a Super Saiyan version of the main character BARRY. Its description says "We are not really sure what the power level of this hair is. It's probably a lot". It costs 9001 coins as an obvious reference to the popular meme "It's Over 9000!"
  • In the game Street Fighter X Tekken, Bryan Fury has JACK-X scan Guy and Cody to determine if they are tough. JACK-X reveals that each of them have battle power levels over 9,000.
  • In the game League of Legends, Pulsefire Ezreal asks his scouter what is the power level of the enemies and the scouter responds that there are no enemies with power level over 9000.

Actually an error

In the original manga and even the Japanese version of the anime, Vegeta actually says "It's over 8000!". However, even in the Remastered Uncut FUNimation Dub, Vegeta still says "It's over 9000!", now performed by Christopher Sabat. This change was made due to inconsistencies with the dubbing process, where 9000 fit the mouth flaps of the animation better. However, fans complained about the FUNimation version lacking the drama and energy in the original version. They also complained about Christopher Sabat's voice being too calm-sounding for the scene, unlike Brian Drummond's, which had a lot of anger in it.
In the video game Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans, Vegeta correctly states "Its over 8000".

Possibilities

It is possible for over 9,000 to be correct, since it is over 8,000. This has occurred several other times where power levels are given more as estimates than accurate figures. For instance, Gohan's retaliation against Nappa is given as over 2,800, and Frieza's power level is given as "over one million!". Later on, Frieza claims his power level is only 1% of his full power, when in actuality, it is 10% of his maximum power according to Daizenshuu 7. Despite such, however, Vegeta has a given power level of being 18,000 to which a Goku with Kaio-ken of at least 3x would be above making Goku the superior in their fight. However, the opposite is shown making it near impossible for Goku to actually have a power level figure above 9,000.

Other popular comedic Dragon Ball videos

Other popular videos involving the Dragon Ball series include others by Kajetokun such as, "The Balls Are Inert", "THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS GOING TO DIE", "I HOPE MY BODY CAN TAKE IT" and "IF THEY SET THAT ANDROID FREE, IT WILL BE THE END OF ALL OF US! NOOOOOO!" There are also videos by other users exploiting funny scenes from different movies such as Future Trunks' $30 dollar hair cut in movie #7, Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!, young Gohan saying he wanted to be an orthopedist but cutting out "ortho" and "t" ;to make it sound like "pedis", and even one about King Kai saying the "F" word. Though it is clearly explained that King Kai said "talk" because he made "t" sound like "th" which sounded like "f". It is not edited. There are also a series of videos known as "Alternate Reality Dragon Ball Z" and "Dragon Ball Z Abridged", which have gained critical acclaim. Of course, there are many videos like these, all which receive thousands of views and have become common jokes around the globe.
The "Over 9000!" meme was also referenced in the Nintendo DS games "Ninja Town", "Scribblenauts", "Ace Attorney Investigation: Miles Edgeworth", "Ratchet and Clank Size Matters", "Trinity Universe", and in the television show "Mad" in the sketch "Grey's in Anime."

Quotes

In the original Japanese version
  • Nappa: カカロットの戦闘力はいくつですか。 (How much is Kakarot's battle power?)
  • Vegeta: 八千以上だ!(It's higher than 8000!)
  • Nappa: 八千以上?それは何か間違いだ!故障だ!(Higher than 8000? That is something wrong! It's a malfunction!)
In the Ocean dub - Dragon Ball Z
  • Nappa: Vegeta, what does the scouter say about his power level?
  • Vegeta(removes his scouter and crushes it) It's over 9000!
  • Nappa: What, 9000? There's no way that can be right! Can it!?
In the FUNimation Dub - Dragon Ball Z
  • Nappa: Vegeta, what did you say his power level is?
  • Vegeta(while crushing his scouter at the same time) It's over 9000! Raah!
  • Nappa: 9000?! There's no way that can be right! It can't!
In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
  • Nappa: V-Vegeta, what's Kakarot's power level?
  • Vegeta: It's over 9000!
  • Nappa: Over 9000! That's got to be some kind of mistake, it's a malfunction!
In Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit
  • Nappa: V-Vegeta! What does the scouter say about his power level?!
  • Vegeta(while crushing his scouter at the same time) It's over 9000!
  • Nappa: What?! Nine thousand?! That can't be right! It must be broken! (to Goku) Cause there's no way you're stronger than me!
In Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi
  • Nappa: What does the scouter say about his power level?
  • Vegeta: It's over 9000!
  • Nappa: What? Nine thousand?
In the FUNimation Dub - Dragon Ball Z Kai - TV Version;
  • Nappa: Vegeta! Vegeta! What's wrong with you?! Tell me what his power level is!
  • Vegeta(while crushing his scouter at the same time) It's over 9000!
  • Nappa: What?! 9000?! You've got to be kidding me, that thing's a piece of junk!
In the FUNimation Dub - Dragon Ball Z Kai - DVD Version
  • Nappa: Vegeta! What does the scouter say about his power level?!
  • Vegeta(while crushing his scouter at the same time) It's over 8000! Raah!
  • Nappa: 8000?! C'mon, that can't be right! It must be broken or something!
In the Hebrew version
  • Nappa: What is Kakarotto's fighting power now Makita?
  • Vegeta: A lot more than 8000!
  • Nappa: 8000?! That can't be! The device must be broken!
In the Chinese version
  • Nappa: Quick, tell me, what is his power level?
  • Vegeta: It's already over 8000!
  • Nappa: Huh? Over 8000? This must be wrong! The scouter must be broken!
In the Cantonese version
  • Nappa: What is the power level of Kakroto?
  • Vegeta: It's already over 8000!
  • Nappa: What? The machine must have some problem! It's impossible!
In the German version
  • Nappa: Check it again, Vegeta. How high is his power level now?
  • Vegeta: It's way over 8000! Arrgh!
  • Nappa: Way over 8000? But this no way possible! It's a faulty device!
In the Brazilian version
  • Nappa: Please, Vegeta, say how much is Kakarotto's fighting power!
  • Vegeta: Argh, it's more than 8000.
  • Nappa: Over 8000? That has to be a mistake! This device must be broken!
In the Brazilian Dragon Ball Z Kai version
  • Nappa: Vegeta! At least, how much is the Kakarotto's fighting fower?
  • Vegeta: It's over 8000!
  • Nappa: Over 8000? That can something wrong! This device must be broken!
In the Portuguese version
  • Nappa: Please, tell me how many units is his (Goku) force.
  • Vegeta: It's above the 8000 units!
  • Nappa: That's not possible! Your device is broken for sure! He can't be that strong!
In the Latin American version
  • Nappa: Please tell me, what is the power of battle of Kakarot?
  • Vegeta: Is more than 8000!
  • Nappa: What 8000? Must be a mistake. The machine suffered a breakdown!
In the Galician version
  • Nappa: How many battle units does his strength increase in this moment?
  • Vegeta: It's a lot above 8000!
  • Nappa: That's impossible! Your device doesn't work, humans aren't so strong! (translation mistake)
In the Spanish version
  • Nappa: How many battle units does his strength increase now?
  • Vegeta: It's a lot above 8000!
  • Nappa: That's impossible! Your device doesn't work, humans aren't so strong! (dialogue was adapted from Galician)
In the Danish version
  • Nappa: Does it keep rising or what?! What is it now?!
  • Vegeta: It is much more than 8000!
  • Nappa: 8000?! That can't be true! There must be something wrong with the sensor!
In the Italian version
  • Nappa: How high has Kaarot's battle level got?
  • Vegeta: More than 8000, damn it!
  • Nappa: That's impossible! That stupid tool doesn't work, I've already told you!
In the Hindi version
  • Nappa: Vegeta! What is his power level by that scouter?
  • Vegeta: More than 9000!
  • Nappa: What! 9000!
In the Manga Comic-Vol. 3
Earth vs. The Saiyans
  • Nappa: V-Vegeta...What was Kakarot's power again?!
  • Vegeta: Over...8000...
  • Nappa: 8000...?! It's a mistake! It's broken!
In the Spanish Manga's First Edition
Issue 106-Goku's Rage
  • Nappa: Ve...Vegeta! Where does Kakarot's attack capacity arrive?
  • Vegeta: [It arrives] As far as 8000...?
  • Nappa: Over 8000...? It has to be a mistake!! This device is a junk!
In the Spanish Manga's Remastered Edition
Vol. 19-Go Son Goku
  • Nappa: Ve...Vegeta! Where does Kakarot's attack strength arrive?
  • Vegeta: Over 8000...!
  • Nappa: Over 8000...!!? It's a mistake!! That device is a junk!
Credit to http://dragonball.wikia.com/

No comments:

Post a Comment