Harmony Gold is still active so couldn't they make a deal with FUNimation?

[JohnnyCashKami]

I searched on YouTube for "Harmony Gold" and came across this (yeah, it's from 5 yrs ago) afterwards, I checked HG's Wiki page which shows they're still in the business so couldn't they work out a deal with FUNimation? Sorta like, Rock the Dragon but with HG's dubs only.

Harmony Gold dubbed Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, plus there was a Latin Spanish dub (about 60 episodes were recorded) of Dragon Ball based on HG's version so that'd be great to have included as well. Also, Dragon Ball movies 1 and 3 were dubbed in English and Latin Spanish.

[Char Aznable]

Theoretically I’m sure they could, if they even still have the tapes from the 80s. Would they be interested? It’s possible, but I would say likely not. All Harmony Gold does nowadays with anime (which makes me not want to give them a penny) is copyright troll Macross since 1985, making sure no new Macross properties get released outside Japan while basically doing nothing with the Robotech property.

[JohnnyCashKami]

Theoretically I’m sure they could, if they even still have the tapes from the 80s. Would they be interested? It’s possible, but I would say likely not. All Harmony Gold does nowadays with anime (which makes me not want to give them a penny) is copyright troll Macross since 1985, making sure no new Macross properties get released outside Japan while basically doing nothing with the Robotech property.

Harmony Gold are, well, assholes for doing that but I'd still buy a "Dragon Ball: Harmony Gold's Collector's Edition DVD Set" because they (probably FUNimation) would remaster and sync the episodes/movies with a DVD quality source. I'm guessing this isn't happening but it'd be sweet if it did.

It's a dub that many have been after for so many years.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

If Harmony Gold still have the Dragon Ball episodes they dubbed (which I'm doubtful of) yes they probably could, if Funimation were interested. Problem is Funimation doesn't seem interested in promoting alternate dubs, as seen by their consistent refusal to release the Canadian dubs. Rock the Dragon happened because despite using the Ocean Studios cast was still entirely their product, the same can't be said for Harmony Gold or other English dubs though.

[Danfun64]

If the Harmony Gold dub is ever going to be rereleased, it's not going to happen in the USA, but instead in Latin America as part of a Zero Y El Dragon Magico collection. That or a collection of the Brazilian SBT dub which would include the other two aforementioned dubs (as the SBT dub apparently used the Zero masters as it's base for the most part). Let's face it: In the US, the Harmony Gold dub is a footnote (an incredibly important footnote due to Funi having access to the HG DB Movie 1 script and keeping some of it's terminology... but a footnote nonetheless). Zero's place in Latino history was overridden by the Producciones Salgado/Intertrack dubs, but might hold some nostalgic value in the region, especially since it lasted longer and covered far more ground than the Harmony Gold English language test dub. The SBT dub would probably have the most nostalgic appeal, as it aired the longest, in it's final years concurrently with the Alamo Z dub! The fact that much of the dumb HG name changes have been abandoned helps in that aspect.

[linkdude20002001]

Harmony Gold doesn't have the rights to Dragon Ball anymore. Anything they had, they were supposed to send back to Toei. Doesn't mean they did, but that's beside the point, bucuz more importantly, Funimation probably already HAS the entirety of Harmony Gold's dub. It's 100% certain that they got at least SOME-THING of Harmony Gold's dub from Toei, probably movie at the very least. Otherwise the voices they chose wouldn't've included an Oolong that sounded like...that. It's probably in FUNi's fault alongside the first three FUNi dubs of DB Movie 1.

[Dark Vegeta-Sama]

If Harmony Gold still have the Dragon Ball episodes they dubbed (which I'm doubtful of) yes they probably could, if Funimation were interested. Problem is Funimation doesn't seem interested in promoting alternate dubs, as seen by their consistent refusal to release the Canadian dubs. Rock the Dragon happened because despite using the Ocean Studios cast was still entirely their product, the same can't be said for Harmony Gold or other English dubs though.

Absolutely, which made it all the more baffling when they randomly included the Mexican Spanish dub as an alternate audio track on the movie 5 DVD in 2002 (and only movie 5; none of the other movies), as well as the "Ultimate Uncut" DVD releases in 2005-2006 before those were abruptly cancelled.

Since we know that FUNimation at least had access to Harmony Gold's material early on (and probably still have it lying around in a vault somewhere), I have no doubt that they could release the Harmony Gold dub if they wanted to.

[Robo4900]

If Harmony Gold still have the Dragon Ball episodes they dubbed (which I'm doubtful of) yes they probably could, if Funimation were interested. Problem is Funimation doesn't seem interested in promoting alternate dubs, as seen by their consistent refusal to release the Canadian dubs. Rock the Dragon happened because despite using the Ocean Studios cast was still entirely their product, the same can't be said for Harmony Gold or other English dubs though.

Absolutely, which made it all the more baffling when they randomly included the Mexican Spanish dub as an alternate audio track on the movie 5 DVD in 2002 (and only movie 5; none of the other movies), as well as the "Ultimate Uncut" DVD releases in 2005-2006 before those were abruptly cancelled.

Since we know that FUNimation at least had access to Harmony Gold's material early on (and probably still have it lying around in a vault somewhere), I have no doubt that they could release the Harmony Gold dub if they wanted to.

Indeed.

And of course, Funi also have the Pioneer dubs, the BLT pilot test dub of DB movie 1, and their original in-house dub in both uncut and cut forms (possibly the Canadian edits of 54-161 too), but this stuff, along with Harmony Gold, and the Latin American dub is just stuff Funi doesn't want to release. Which is a massive shame.

It'd be so great if they'd put the Latin American dub on the new remaster, put out a boxset of the Harmony Gold + BLT + 1994 test dubs, and/or do the original Funi dub as a thing for oldschool fans... And I know I'd try my best to pick up a boxset of the Canadian dubs if they put that out.

[Super Sayian Prime]

This dub was produced 30 years ago and Harmony Gold is now primarily a real estate company. I doubt they've got a lot to offer.

[Char Aznable]

This video is a great summary of the situation with Macross in the U.S. and why Harmony Gold is such a terrible company, for anyone interested.

All in all we really lucked out with Dragon Ball in the long run. Yeah, FUNi kind of sucked in the very beginning and they continue to stumble with home releases for at least Z now, but can you imagine if things went differently - say that test broadcast launch of Dragon Ball was more successful - and Harmony Gold held on to the license in the 80s? We would’ve went in proper series order maybe but in edited dub-only format with all the name changes. It’s absolutely guaranteed that Harmony Gold would hold their death grip on Dragon Ball today just like they do with Macross. A subtitled release? You can forget about that, there would maybe be a one-time special release of unedited sub-only DVDs, and that’s it. Macross ended up getting two proper releases here in the U.S. - a limited edition sub-only DVD box set by Animeigo, and a sub/dub DVD release by ADV where the last volume was so impossible to find, it may as well not have even existed at all. FUNi makes stupid decisions with aspect ratios and filtering, but the fact of the matter is unless you need to buy the Dragon Boxes because that’s what you want, you can go out to a store right now or go online and buy all three series, unedited, with full Japanese track and subtitles right now for about $25 per volume. Macross fans can’t do that unless they get in a time machine and go back to 2004. Yeah, in the long run we got fairly lucky.

Just imagine, if Harmony Gold held onto Dragon Ball (if the property would even exist as it does today which is unlikely at best, and Harmony Gold brought over the new material which is also questionable considering that’s certainly not what they do with Macross today) instead of Dragon Ball Super: Broly we’d all be excited over the release of Dragon Ball Super: Mitch.