Why did FUNI never mix Bruce Faulconer's music with Kai?

[Aoi]

It isn't a secret that a lot of dub fans in North America absolutely adore Bruce Faulconer's music. I'm trying to be polite here because I honestly think it's in the 90% range of the fan base. You wouldn't believe the times I'd talk to someone who would gladly have bought Kai had it had the "Faulconer tracks" inserted in it. Even though I heard that they ended their relationship on a sour note, it seems to me that FUNImation could have easily used his music in order to boost their sales. From a business perspective, there seems to be little sense in them ignoring this demand.

This also goes with FUNI's decision Mark Menza's score for Season 1-2 of the re-mastered sets instead of Faulconer. The only reason I can come up with is that they simply don't own the rights to use Mr. Faulconer's music.

Does anyone know why they chose to forever ignore Faulconer? Or why they'd never use his music again?

[El Diabeetus]

It's just the approach FUNimation takes nowadays, they treated Kai like any other current dub and do not replace music anymore. For the most part minus a few dubs here-and-there (mainly made for TV dubs like Pokémon are the exception), no one does it anymore. It's an interesting idea in theory and could be done with proper care (I'm aware of the music revival project on YouTube) . But, it would never be done officially.

[KaiserNeko]

I don't mean so sound... antagonistic, but replacement scores have no place in professional releases of any dubs.

Funimation has come to realize this and has discontinued their habit of replacing music, citing it as unnecessary and costly.

Also, not really sure they have the rights to that music library anymore.

[Ajay]

Yeah, as Furanki said, they just don't really look upon their old business practices as positive. Altering an anime's tone and script so extensively was left to die in the 90's and whilst I'm sure you're right, there's a large group (certainly not 90%) who would have liked Faulconer's music to return, it's just not their work ethic anymore.

Kai's English language purpose was to create an accurate version of the Japanese counterpart and using Faulconer's music would not have met that goal.

[penguintruth]

I'd like to think it's because they realized replacement music is an outdated, abhorrent practice, and that Faulconer's score isn't great, either.

But let's face it, they probably just didn't have the rights to it anymore, or some other kind of snag.

That Kai has a fairly accurate script was probably just on a whim, too. But I'm a bit cynical when it comes to this.

[KaiserNeko]

I'd like to think it's because they realized replacement music is an outdated, abhorrent practice, and that Faulconer's score isn't great, either.

But let's face it, they probably just didn't have the rights to it anymore, or some other kind of snag.

That Kai has a fairly accurate script was probably just on a whim, too. But I'm a bit cynical when it comes to this.

It really was not on a whim. As someone who's talked with several people closely involved with the production of Kai, they legitimately wanted it to be closer to the original. Believe it or not? Sabat loves Dragonball and was very excited to have a much more accurate dub.

Sabat fought for it to be a more accurate production.

[El Diabeetus]

I'd like to think it's because they realized replacement music is an outdated, abhorrent practice, and that Faulconer's score isn't great, either.

But let's face it, they probably just didn't have the rights to it anymore, or some other kind of snag.

That Kai has a fairly accurate script was probably just on a whim, too. But I'm a bit cynical when it comes to this.

It really was not on a whim. As someone who's talked with several people closely involved with the production of Kai, they legitimately wanted it to be closer to the original. Believe it or not? Sabat loves Dragonball and was very excited to have a much more accurate dub.

Sabat fought for it to be a more accurate production.

Were Cook and Sabat the only ones to fight bastardizing Kai ala the Z dub?

[KaiserNeko]

Were Cook and Sabat the only ones to fight bastardizing Kai ala the Z dub?

Essentially, everyone formally involved with the production of the Kai dub wanted it to be closer to the original. Schemmel, Sabat, Cook; they were all looking forward to giving it a proper dub this time around.

[theoriginalbilis]

It would've hurt the overall final product, I feel. I mean, why spend the time & resources on inserting the Faulconer score that could've be used on refining the script and vocal performances.

In all honesty, I feel that the fans of the Faulconer score are just a very vocal fanbase that seems larger than they really are thanks to the power of the Internet. In all reality, it's most likely that most viewers of DBZ/DBZ Kai on US TV don't even care about the music, as long as they get to watch the show...

[Attitudefan]

So, that begs the question: if Sabat fought for it, who, and what were they going to do to Kai if it was not going to be accurate? I mean, FUNi is a changed company, it isn't 1996 any more.

[penguintruth]

Well, kudos to Mr. Sabat, then.

[Gonstead]

So, that begs the question: if Sabat fought for it, who, and what were they going to do to Kai if it was not going to be accurate? I mean, FUNi is a changed company, it isn't 1996 any more.

Apparently from what I've heard, it was simply going to be a chop-job via simply splicing in the old dialogue from the Z dub into the Kai scenes.

[dbzfan7]

Kudos to the people who gave us an awesome dub that redeems them from the shitacular first dub.

[penguintruth]

So, that begs the question: if Sabat fought for it, who, and what were they going to do to Kai if it was not going to be accurate? I mean, FUNi is a changed company, it isn't 1996 any more.

Apparently from what I've heard, it was simply going to be a chop-job via simply splicing in the old dialogue from the Z dub into the Kai scenes.

If they had done that, I would have murdered the sun itself just to watch the planet wither away so all could know my agony.

[Ringworm128]

It's probably for the best that they kept the original score but I do think it would be interesting to hear the Faulconer score without non stop music and with better placement.

[theoriginalbilis]

The Kai musical score is a clusterfuck anyway, did we really need another replacement score to further divide/confuse fans?

[TheBlackPaladin]

Well, Aoi, you're never going to get an official answer unless you hear directly from a FUNimation employee or a voice actor with knowledge of that production descision. All we can do is speculate. However, here are a few points of speculation:

1) I get the impression that a lot of people in FUNimation were not fond of the Faulconer score. Perhaps people in the more "executive" positions liked it, but a lot of people in the more "creative" positions didn't. Chris Sabat said that he was never a big fan of it, and Sean Schemmel has said that he loathed it (and made a point to note that he said that as someone who went to the same music school as Faulconer).

2) With the exception of DBZ and GT (and a wee bit of "Shin Chan"), FUNimation has not replaced the musical scores of any of their properties. It made sense to give Kai consistent treatment. Then again, it never made sense to create an alternate score, but that's another matter.

3) The idea of replacement scores is a rather outdated one by today's standards. Back during the mid-to-late 90's and into a little bit of the early 00's, the idea of "reversioning" an anime to suit a local audience's tastes was a very popular one, to the point that many anime distribution and dubbing companies looked at reversioning as a necessity. With the success of other animes that were not as heavily reversioned, this belief has largely died out. The Faulconer score was a (largely unnecessary) product of its time. I'm sure that if FUNimation had acquired DBZ today, they never would have replaced the score to begin with.

4) FUNimation may have figured that those who wanted a heavily reversioned dub with an alternate music score already had one in DBZ. Fans who wanted a loyally-adapted dub didn't (really) have that yet, and so Kai presented a golden opportunity to create just that.

5) I know you said that "90%" would have preferred a Faulconer score, but it might be fair to point out that that's speculation, and speculation that only refers to the North American audience. Every other dub of DBZ (with the exception of the Westwood/Post-Saban Ocean dub) kept the original music, and as such, the original music is what is far more well-known in a global sense. I wouldn't be suprised if the vast majority of people outside North America who heard the English score generally found it unsatisfactory. That certainly seems to be the general consensus over here at Kanzenshuu.

[penguintruth]

90% of DBZ fans (at least, in America) probably WOULD have preferred the Faulconer score in Kai.

But that's because 90% of DBZ fans are horrible and should be culled... I mean, ignored. Ignored is what I meant. I'm certainly not planning a great cleansing... why would I do that?

[Attitudefan]

So, that begs the question: if Sabat fought for it, who, and what were they going to do to Kai if it was not going to be accurate? I mean, FUNi is a changed company, it isn't 1996 any more.

Apparently from what I've heard, it was simply going to be a chop-job via simply splicing in the old dialogue from the Z dub into the Kai scenes.

That... is horrible. But now that you mention it, I think I remember hearing about that.

But really,

90% of DBZ fans (at least, in America) probably WOULD have preferred the Faulconer score in Kai.

But that's because 90% of DBZ fans are horrible and should be culled... I mean, ignored. Ignored is what I meant. I'm certainly not planning a great cleansing... why would I do that?

Well, I don't agree that 90% want it. Most people don't know what they want and enjoy what is fed them (like sheep.... no wonder conspiracy theories are popular among Americans )

I shouldn't lump all of them (Americans) in that group however. I think, as the media system works, people are just happy with what they get. If DBZ aired today, censored, or with a Japanese score, or new voice actors, I think most people would just be happy it is on TV with kids and fanboys going on the internet to vent their anger and lust for nostalgia. But then again, that is not just Americans, it is everybody!! Just like Canadians want Ocean back (however, I think it is kind of a dying lust as everyone is getting use to the In-Housers i.e. people are content to what is fed to them).

[90sDBZ]

It isn't a secret that a lot of dub fans in North America absolutely adore Bruce Faulconer's music. I'm trying to be polite here because I honestly think it's in the 90% range of the fan base. You wouldn't believe the times I'd talk to someone who would gladly have bought Kai had it had the "Faulconer tracks" inserted in it. Even though I heard that they ended their relationship on a sour note, it seems to me that FUNImation could have easily used his music in order to boost their sales. From a business perspective, there seems to be little sense in them ignoring this demand.

This also goes with FUNI's decision Mark Menza's score for Season 1-2 of the re-mastered sets instead of Faulconer. The only reason I can come up with is that they simply don't own the rights to use Mr. Faulconer's music.

Does anyone know why they chose to forever ignore Faulconer? Or why they'd never use his music again?

I think they just wanted to make it a different product to be honest. In the end I think people like myself who loved the Faulconer score would still rather hear it where we did originally (in the Z dub) than in Kai. The Kai dub was marketed towards the smaller part of the fanbase who wanted a dub that was 100% faithful(most of the people on here it would seem). Although it would have been a nice option to have in the DVD release the fact is that most Faulconer fans had already bought the Orange Bricks or Funi singles for that score. If they had used it in Kai they could have taken the opportunity to add silent moments which imo is the only real issue with the Faulconer score. Plus it would probably have cost Funi a lot.

Also Mark Menza didn't score the Season 1 and 2 redub. Nathan Jonson did. What I'd like to know is why Funi didn't allow Faulconer to score GT. Maybe he was just too expensive for them or something.