What's so great about the ultimate uncut DVDs?

[Dayspring]

What exactly is the dub of the Ultimate Uncut DVDs like? Do they finally just take Daimao's subs as a script or what?

[VegettoEX]

What exactly is the dub of the Ultimate Uncut DVDs like? Do they finally just take Daimao's subs as a script or what?

I've watched very little of the dub. Very. Little. I spot checked a few things on the one disc I own, and I caught maybe four episodes (what I could stomach) when they aired on TV.

With that in mind...

The script ranges from verbatim from the original 1996 dub, all the way up through total rewrites. These rewrites can be just as lame, or they can be entirely accurate (for example, the scene where Vegeta counts the Ginyu-Tokusentai members he can sense, instead of saying, "That's... not... Kakarrot... not... Kakarrot at all...!" like in the old dub). I hear that the lame dialogue rewrites and jokes get slightly less retarded as they go into "season two", but it doesn't change the fact that it's still all being changed.

FUNimation also throws in random cursing here and there for the sake of it. You'll hear a "Damn" or a "Hell" every so often. Nothing more than you heard in the Japanese version, but just keep in mind how utterly inconsistent this now is with the rest of their dub.

The music isn't Bruce Faulconer. I'd say it's more "minimalistic", but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Meh. And that god damned opening theme that lasts about two minutes too long, done by someone with an introductory knowledge of After Effects that makes the footage look even grainier and older than it is... *shakes fist*

Of course, the discs come with both the original Japanese version *and* the Spanish (Mexican) dub, which is leaps and bounds above the FUNimation dub in terms of accuracy .

[Dayspring]

So...absolutely no difference worth taking note of in contrast with the old DVDs? Might as well get the cheaper ones, then.

Thanks for your input.

[VegettoEX]

Well, unlike the old 1996-1998 dub, there's no visual content edited out... so... yay?

We go into a little more detail about that whole thing with Episode #0009 of the podcast, so there's a little plug for that...

[Conan the SSJ]

What exactly is the dub of the Ultimate Uncut DVDs like? Do they finally just take Daimao's subs as a script or what?

For one, the English VAs are as prepared for their roles as ever (they've had over 5 years of practice, they know how the characters' respective destinies will end up, and much better script writers and voice directors [not just Chris Sabat] have been brought in to direct them). The script is much more accurate than the Ocean version, as well as better written due to it branching off the lame pop-culture and death hiding lines. Curses are brought into play around the episode where Goku gets senzus from Korin, and they just go on and on throughout the Namek saga. A new, decently chosen music composer has been brought in to replace Bruce Faulconer, and I must say he did a good job, though I would have liked getting a couple recycled Faulconer themes for some of the episodes. The episodes are basically 100% Uncut, with a 5.1 dub audio track being included with the regular 2.0 stereo dub track. Regarding extras on the Ultimate Uncuts, here's a list of what was branched onto the first DVD release.

Intro commersial/trailer for the Dead Zone redub DVD.
Interactive DVD Menus.
English 5.1 Surround Sound dub *optional subtitles*.
English 2.0 Stereo dub *same optional subtitles*.
Japanese Mono version *untouched by FUNi* with full English translated subtitles, courtesy of Mr. Steve Simmons.
Spanish-Mexican Mono dub *no subtitles*.
Scene Selection for each episode.
"Goku Vs. Vegeta" retrospective Featurette on the legacy of the Goku/Vegeta rivalry *including interviews with Sean Schemmel, Chris Sabat, Rob Bricken, and comments from numerous fans*.
"Follow the Nimbus Cloud" Subtitle track showing what was cut out of the Ocean version.
"DBZ Trivia" Interactive Quiz Featurette that tests the viewer's knowledge of the DBZ series *rewarding the right answer with a clip of that right answer*.
"Trailers" subsection where you can see more anime FUNi're releasing *including a preview of the following Ultimate Uncut DVD*.

By the way, EX, you're being a bit mean with that whole "can't stomach" part. Try to give the dub at least 5 episodes . Nah, you don't gotta.

[VegettoEX]

By the way, EX, you're being a bit mean with that whole "can't stomach" part. Try to give the dub at least 5 episodes . Nah, you don't gotta.

There's such a place in my heart for the original 1996 dub, it pains me to watch it in a different English presentation, which I felt was completely ruining what I liked about the version from a decade ago.

There are certain lines that had a particular delivery to them, and that was just shat upon in the few episodes I saw. Even if they were lame lines, when delivered properly by the voice actor (and therefore the director's understanding), it made them all the better and tolerable.

Plus, I just don't farkin' care about the dub. I don't like these voice actors, I don't like this music, and I don't like a re-done script .

As for the DVDs, note that because the Spanish dub is so accurate, it's not that it doesn't have any subtitles... it's that the subtitle track for the Japanese version *also* goes with the Spanish version. And thanks for noting that the English version also includes a 5.1 track. Only the first disc has all those special extras, though... the rest are just the episodes.

[Dayspring]

Why exactly is it called "Ultimate Uncut" if it's still so strongly altered? Is it basically just a marketing ploy? Why don't they just make an untouched dub? Leave everything alone; just remove the Japanese language track and replace it with a verbatim English dub of it, no?

Or is that the third scheduled release of the series, "The Ultimate Direct Edition?"

[VegettoEX]

Why exactly is it called "Ultimate Uncut" if it's still so strongly altered?

Well...

Is it basically just a marketing ploy?

Exactly. In all fairness, I *totally* understand why they're calling it this. They're re-releasing something, that for all intents & purposes, has already been available for a decade in North America. Ignoring the edits and the missing Japanese audio track, most DBZ fans are already familiar with this story and have seen it more than enough. FUNimation very well could *not* have released this material, and wouldn't be at much of a loss for getting people to understand the story. Even if the first two seasons weren't in print anymore, between TV airings and the manga (and the internet), it's not like fans couldn't obtain and find out what the story was.

So here they are with two seasons that fans have watched to death. They want to put them out AGAIN, in a slightly different format. What do they do? Slap an important sounding title on them and hype the hell outta 'em.

What they've done with this and the DBGT "Lost Episodes" is essentially make themselves out to be the heroes. They're "saving" the episodes and coming to the "rescue" by bringing them out to fans in such an important fashion.

It's quite clever, and quite brilliant.

Why don't they just make an untouched dub? Leave everything alone; just remove the Japanese language track and replace it with a verbatim English dub of it, no?

Err... it's FUNimation . Logic goes out the window.

Or is that the third scheduled release of the series, "The Ultimate Direct Edition?"

Why yes, I'd love to purchase the show for a billionth time .

[Tanooki Kuribo]

FUNimation got it right with the original Dragonball though and that wasn't even given a crazy name like "The Ultimate We Got It Right Uncut Edition" it was just Dragonball.

[Tsukento]

Marketing ploy of some sort. It's uncut, yes, but they go a little bit more extreme than they did with their other stuff.

Example being that the dialogue scripts for the show uncut just didn't feel uncut. Hearing "darn" and "gosh" and "holy cow" in an uncut version just didn't feel right and left some folks feeling like they weren't even watching a true uncut version. Granted though, FUNi ended up throwing in too many swears from "damn/damnit" to "bastard" to "hell" all over the place. Felt like I was watching a dubbed version of an Anime Labs sub. o_O

Now the whole reason for all of this is because these episodes were never made available uncut in the original run. So they felt they needed to take extra care of these episodes. Unfortunately, quite a bit of the voices turned into crap. Namely everyone but Gurd in the Ginyu Special Corps sounded bad, especially since Chris Sabat voiced most of them (man needs to hire MORE PEOPLE instead of doing more roles).

Though it doesn't explain why in the world they used the Ultimate Uncut Edition label on the Dead Zone redub since it was already uncut to begin with. o-O;

FUNimation got it right with the original Dragonball though and that wasn't even given a crazy name like "The Ultimate We Got It Right Uncut Edition" it was just Dragonball.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop a few bad jokes and changes to be slipped into the dialogue. >_>; Such as Roshi telling Oolong his ears grew in even the uncut version when he actually asks him if he's still collecting panties.

[Mattias]

Why exactly is it called "Ultimate Uncut" if it's still so strongly altered? Is it basically just a marketing ploy? Why don't they just make an untouched dub? Leave everything alone; just remove the Japanese language track and replace it with a verbatim English dub of it, no?

Or is that the third scheduled release of the series, "The Ultimate Direct Edition?"

Most likely because there was no footage removed like in the inital English release. Ironically, most of the stuff that was cut made the original dub that much closer to the manga. Weird. Well, the cuts with all the blood, sex and violence don't count.

Yes. There was sex. I have a "never before seen" tape from Japan. >_> <_<

[B-kun]

About the Dead Zone redub... At Anime Boston, Julian asked a rep about that.

"It wasn't really uncut."

I'll leave it up for you to translate.

[Tsukento]

Yes. There was sex. I have a "never before seen" tape from Japan. >_> <_<

Sailor and the Seven Balls don't count as a "never before seen" tape. >_> There was NO sex at all in Dragon Ball/Z/GT. In fact, Z had absolutely no female nudity even with a scene of Bulma in the tub during the Freeza saga.

Most of us already saw the entire series years ago. Don't try to kid yourself that there's sex in the show. ;\

"It wasn't really uncut."

Which is a load of bull considering it WAS pretty much uncut and the script matched the Japanese version. Only thing different about the two were language and the dub had those annoying Hanna Barbera effect sounds.

[Deus ex Machina]

Sailor and the Seven Balls don't count as a "never before seen" tape. >_> There was NO sex at all in Dragon Ball/Z/GT. In fact, Z had absolutely no female nudity even with a scene of Bulma in the tub during the Freeza saga.

Fortune Teller Baba Saga, and Kuririns special technique at exposing the Invisible Man.

And as for Sailor and the Seven Balls, the less said the better. That's one movie tht really should've stayed 'never before seen.'

[Tsukento]

I said there's not female nudity in Z. Not Dragon Ball.

[Super Sonic]

Which is a load of bull considering it WAS pretty much uncut and the script matched the Japanese version. Only thing different about the two were language and the dub had those annoying Hanna Barbera effect sounds.

Question: When you guys say "Hanna-Barbera sounds" what exactly do you mean? Like the sound effects of lasers, the running in the air drums, or what?

[MyVisionity]

Why don't they just make an untouched dub? Leave everything alone; just remove the Japanese language track and replace it with a verbatim English dub of it, no?

FUNimation was never out to simply make an unaltered dub of DBZ. Their version is a re-interpretation of the original series, not an English language version of it for American audiences.

Yeah but a verbatim re-release may have been interesting though, with another studio maybe.

[tarsonis]

Question: When you guys say "Hanna-Barbera sounds" what exactly do you mean? Like the sound effects of lasers, the running in the air drums, or what?

It's hard to describe, but basically they're sounds that you would hear in old Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the 60s and 70s. The original Pioneer release of Dead Zone had them thrown in at random times in the dub. The redub dvd removed these sounds in the dub track and was esentially the original sound effect track untouched. (However, one inserted sound ended up on the Japanese track of the redub dvd that wasn't there originally. Whether this was an accident or not is still anyone's guess.)

[Mattias]

Yes. There was sex. I have a "never before seen" tape from Japan. >_> <_<

Sailor and the Seven Balls don't count as a "never before seen" tape. >_> There was NO sex at all in Dragon Ball/Z/GT. In fact, Z had absolutely no female nudity even with a scene of Bulma in the tub during the Freeza saga.

Most of us already saw the entire series years ago. Don't try to kid yourself that there's sex in the show. ;\

"It wasn't really uncut."

Which is a load of bull considering it WAS pretty much uncut and the script matched the Japanese version. Only thing different about the two were language and the dub had those annoying Hanna Barbera effect sounds.

It was a joke. I know there's no sex in Dragon Ball. Next time I'll try to be a bit more obvious with my humour. =P

[Duo]

I see the UUE as a good thing because it's their chance to release it with Jp Audio Track and Steven J. Simmons subtitles. Always a good thing.

But I must admit, I will always miss Scott McNeil and Ian Corlett. I'm probably going to buy the first season of the Ocean Dub sometime soon, just for nostalgia.