Ocean Studios' "Dragon Ball Kai" Dub Turns 16; Still Unreleased

[NinjaGoku]

Yeah, from the gist of it, the dub looks like it was produced as somewhat of a gambit, with a hope (or expectation) of TV licensing deals that just didn't happen for whatever reason.

It has all the makings of a total white elephant, but I think the biggest mystery that surrounds it is quite simply: 'Who the heck paid for this? And why are they apparently happy to be silent about having wasted their money?'

Is there no way Ocean could release this on DVD or something? They'd make quite a bit of cash.

Funimation have the home video rights for pretty much every English-language market, so I'd wager no.

From the point of view of the company they want to keep quiet about it because in many ways that is a failure and the dub can't be broadcasted, I mean what's the point of talking about something they can't release?

This might be one of those shows that might be aired further down the line will become cheaper for a network to pick up and eventually air, unless Funimation also have the broadcast rights for Canada, or maybe Toei just isn't satisfied with the dub. I know Toei have been much stricter in recent years about how their properties are handled internationally.

A list of facts around the whole situation would be a great refresher.

[SylentEcho]

I doubt it'll be all that great, though. Ocean aren't the awesome tightly knit group that they used to be. Their performance post the Cyborg arc was underwhelming.

[Blade]

I doubt it'll be all that great, though. Ocean aren't the awesome tightly knit group that they used to be. Their performance post the Cyborg arc was underwhelming.

It was rushed out of the door, barely directed, and had next to no quality control in performances. The 'Fusion' arc onward represents a marked increase in performance quality, as it was only then that their production deadlines for delivering episodes to Turner Broadcasting UK were alleviated somewhat (due to an inexplicable limited-license acquisition of the Funimation dub for about 20 episodes as a stop-gap).

[Singh is King]

...wow, where the hell did THIS thread trail off into?

Not an update, but for one thing I found out Michael Dobson did King Cold for all of like 2 lines in the later parts of the Canadian Dub after a mis-label on BTVA. After confirming, I figured I'd ask him if he knew anything.
https://twitter.com/michaeldobson07/sta ... 4351752192

"Will do for sure! I'll do some digging and see if I can get some clues...thanks again my friend for the kind words."

He was very cool! Not expecting anything new, but fingers crossed.

Into a debate over voice actor performances, I guess: I find it interesting, actually.

"IDOSAY!" was him, huh? Geez, not his best work.

[Super Sayian Prime]

A Twitter user dug up this CRTC production listing, and guess what's on the second page?


98 episodes of Kai dubbed in Canada, with the CRTC approving it as Canadian content on April 1st of 2014.

[Cure Dragon 255]

On April Fools? I dont believe it.

[NinjaGoku]

On April Fools? I dont believe it.

Is this real? If it is, are they just waiting for a broadcaster to pick it up?

EDIT: Also notice how they don't use the 'Z'? What does S/O mean?

[TheBlackPaladin]

On April Fools? I dont believe it.

Is this real? If it is, are they just waiting for a broadcaster to pick it up?

EDIT: Also notice how they don't use the 'Z'? What does S/O mean?

I'm leaning towards this being fake as well, but the lack of "Z" doesn't...necessarily...guarantee this is fake. It suggests that, yes, but on the other hand, Scott McNeil has used the title "Dragon Ball Kai" lots of times when talking about it.

[Super Sayian Prime]

The CRTC is a division of the Canadian government, and that list is on their official website. If you expand your search beyond animated programs, you'll find that they approved multiple non-Kai productions on 4/1/2014. April Fools isn't a holiday.

[NitroEX]

I'm not sure how it could be fake since it's on the official CRTC website. This is just more proof that the dub actually exists and is a registered Canadian production.

are they just waiting for a broadcaster to pick it up?

Seems to be the case, it's been complete since 2014 apparently.

[Azelf89]

I'm not sure how it could be fake since it's on the official CRTC website. This doesn't confirm where it will air, it's just more proof the dub actually exists and is a registered Canadian production.

are they just waiting for a broadcaster to pick it up?

Seems to be the case, it's been complete since 2014 apparently.

I'm pretty sure that only means that it was certified by the CRTC on that date, and not an indication on when it was completed. I say this because Powerpuff Girls Z is also listed as being certified by the CRTC on May 16, 2011, even though the english dub of the show only aired in the Philippines on Boomerang, and started airing there in 2008.

[eledoremassis02]

Stab in the dark but it being called "Dragon Ball Kai" mean that TOEI has more control than say over FUNi's version?

If this is a TOEI produced english dub, where does that put FUNi who has been the official english dub of Dragon Ball? Or could they just be cutting the Z to lessen the confusion between Ocean and FUNi?

[kei17]

Stab in the dark but it being called "Dragon Ball Kai" mean that TOEI has more control than say over FUNi's version?

It's Toei themselves who added "Z" to the title for the international market. Some people still seem to have a misunderstanding about it, but FUNi has nothing to do with the change in title.

[jelleline89]

The CRTC is a division of the Canadian government, and that list is on their official website. If you expand your search beyond animated programs, you'll find that they approved multiple non-Kai productions on 4/1/2014. April Fools isn't a holiday.

Couldn't help but notice something called "jizz quiz" getting approved the same day as this. I don't even want to ask.

[TheBlackPaladin]

The CRTC is a division of the Canadian government, and that list is on their official website. If you expand your search beyond animated programs, you'll find that they approved multiple non-Kai productions on 4/1/2014. April Fools isn't a holiday.

Couldn't help but notice something called "jizz quiz" getting approved the same day as this. I don't even want to ask.

Man, those Canadians.....

Upon checking the site out though, it does in fact appear to be legit. It really does appear as though all signs are pointing to uninterested TV networks as the reason the Ocean dub hasn't aired yet. I know piracy (among other things) has not been kind to the anime industry, but man, the fact that even a semi-mainstream anime like Dragon Ball can't find an interested TV network is a sad testament to just how much the anime business has crumbled from what it once was.

[Blade]

The CRTC is a division of the Canadian government, and that list is on their official website. If you expand your search beyond animated programs, you'll find that they approved multiple non-Kai productions on 4/1/2014. April Fools isn't a holiday.

Couldn't help but notice something called "jizz quiz" getting approved the same day as this. I don't even want to ask.

Man, those Canadians.....

Upon checking the site out though, it does in fact appear to be legit. It really does appear as though all signs are pointing to uninterested TV networks as the reason the Ocean dub hasn't aired yet. I know piracy (among other things) has not been kind to the anime industry, but man, the fact that even a semi-mainstream anime like Dragon Ball can't find an interested TV network is a sad testament to just how much the anime business has crumbled from what it once was.

Which is crazy whichever way you look at it, because it means that someone has funded the thing in its God-damned entirety. Not just a small order from a network pending more depending on how ratings went, or as a limited production as a proof-of-concept to pitch to networks - but every last frickin' episode (at the time, at least).

Someone out there is out of pocket right now in a big way.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Which is crazy whichever way you look at it, because it means that someone has funded the thing in its God-damned entirety. Not just a small order from a network pending more depending on how ratings went, or as a limited production as a proof-of-concept to pitch to networks - but every last frickin' episode (at the time, at least).

Someone out there is out of pocket right now in a big way.

Absolutely agreed! In FUNimation's case, a TV deal certainly was nice, but if it turned out they couldn't get one, it wouldn't have been a huge deal since they still had the home video rights. With a TV-only dub, though? My thought is, from a business perspective, if you're doing a TV-only dub, you better be very damn careful not to do too much, only to find out no one's interested. I mean, producing a few episodes before a deal is secured, sure, that would be understandable, and they could then say to TV networks, "If you want it, we've already got a small batch of episodes done that can be aired right now." To dub the whole series before a deal is secured, though? Not the wisest move, financially speaking.

[VegettoEX]

Independently-wealthy fan from 1996 who had it created for their own personal enjoyment with no intent to ever release or broadcast it.

The only explanation at this point.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Maybe one day Funimation when runs out of ways to exploit and milk DBZ (This isnt saying they are evil, just saying they do ) they will release it to make seem fresh to buyers.

[Blade]

Which is crazy whichever way you look at it, because it means that someone has funded the thing in its God-damned entirety. Not just a small order from a network pending more depending on how ratings went, or as a limited production as a proof-of-concept to pitch to networks - but every last frickin' episode (at the time, at least).

Someone out there is out of pocket right now in a big way.

Absolutely agreed! In FUNimation's case, a TV deal certainly was nice, but if it turned out they couldn't get one, it wouldn't have been a huge deal since they still had the home video rights. With a TV-only dub, though? My thought is, from a business perspective, if you're doing a TV-only dub, you better be very damn careful not to do too much, only to find out no one's interested. I mean, producing a few episodes before a deal is secured, sure, that would be understandable, and they could then say to TV networks, "If you want it, we've already got a small batch of episodes done that can be aired right now." To dub the whole series before a deal is secured, though? Not the wisest move, financially speaking.

It just smacks of being a cocksure gambit-turned-folly. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a white elephant of this sort of scope in regard to a dub - which is all the more staggering when they will have known what we do that a plan B in the form of a home release is pretty much out of the question.

It just seems like this was green-lit by someone who was absolutely certain in their own mind that a broadcast market existed for it. As has been explored previously, we know from the past that the UK was a happy export-ground for the Westwood dub, to the part where Turner UK were actually the ones ordering/driving the production - but the fact that Cartoon Network passed on Kai altogether over here, and an alternative broadcaster went for the Funimation dub, was probably as unexpected for the producers of this dub as it was for every Dragonball fan in the UK. The added lack of a home on Canadian TV must have just been a total kick in the teeth.

Independently-wealthy fan from 1996 who had it created for their own personal enjoyment with no intent to ever release or broadcast it.

The only explanation at this point.

I envisage that someone is sat cackling away in their man-cave, rendering their best 'my precious' impersonation as they preside over the hoard.