English dub airings of Dragon Ball Franchise

[ATEMVEGETA]

Omg this is so confusing! So according to this you posted:

• 1996: FUNimation begins production on DBZ. Ocean Studios (voices) and Shuki Levy (music) are outsourced. They dub 53 edited TV episodes (and a three-episode version of DBZ Movie 3) over the course of 1996-1998. These air in syndication on American television.
• 1997 Part 1: FUNimation begins releasing the same episodes as they're airing on TV (edited, dub-only) on home VHS through Pioneer. These continue through the end of the 53 episodes.
• 1997 Part 2: FUNimation produces uncut versions of DBZ Movies 1, 3, and 2 (yes, in that order) that they release on VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD through Pioneer. These are available dubbed and subtitled on all formats and are uncut-only.
• 1999 Part 1: FUNimation begins releasing DVD versions of the exact same episodes that aired in syndication (edited, dub-only) on DVD volumes that correspond on a 1-to-1 basis with the VHS releases.

First they dubbed the first 53 episodes of DBZ edited. (This is the Saban dub)
Lets not mess up the Movies at the moment and focus only to the episodes because this is a hell out of a mess.

• 1999 Part 2: FUNimation begin production on DBZ again. Local voices are recruited and music is outsourced to Faulconer Productions. "Season Three" begins airing on Toonami. Edited and uncut dub-only VHS volumes are released through the end of their production in 2003 (see below); the edited version was the TV broadcast lines (Vegeta's "I'm an absolute genius!") while the uncut lines are amped-up a bit (Vegeta's "I'm a friggin' genius!").
• 2000: FUNimation begins releasing single-disc DVD volumes which correspond on a 1-to-1 basis with the existing VHS volumes. These are released over time, not necessarily in tandem with the release dates of the corresponding VHS volumes. These have both the original Japanese version and English dub uncut.
• Somewhere in 2000-2001: Certain dub actors fired/let go. Dale Kelley's narration taken over by Kyle Hebert, who eventually goes back and redubs over the existing narration.
• 2003: FUNimation's production of DBZ wraps up its initial airing on Toonami.

Then they released Season 3 in 2 versions, 1 edited and 1 uncut? :S
What number of episodes are they? Did any (or both?) of those versions got a home release?

• 2005: FUNimation begins releasing (and eventually airing on Cartoon Network) the "Ultimate Uncut Edition", which redubs episodes 1-68 (the first two TV broadcast seasons) uncut with their current/Texas voice cast and yet another new replacement musical score by Nathan Johnson. (SIDE NOTE: As a part of this "Ultimate Uncut" series, FUNimation *also* re-dubs DBZ Movies 1, 2, and 3 with the current cast and a new replacement musical score; these are released as the "First Strike" DVD box set.) While these TV episodes air in their entirety on Cartoon Network, the DVDs are cut short after only nine volumes in favor of...

"Ultimate Uncut Edition": So then they released the first uncut version of episodes 1-291? Did all episodes released on DVDs?

• 2007: FUNimation begins releasing the orange brick / season DVD sets, which are cropped to widescreen. Certain voice actors (Sabat in particular) re-recorded a variety of lines up through season four of the TV broadcast. This is the version of the dub that will continue to be used on all subsequent home releases (Dragon Box, Level sets, season Blu-rays, etc.). The orange bricks have three audio tracks: (1) original Japanese, (2) English dub with TV broadcast replacement music, and (3) English dub with original Japanese musical score.
• 2009: FUNimation begins releasing the Dragon Box version, which contains ONLY (1) the original Japanese version, and (2) English dub with original Japanese musical score; no replacement music is available here.

What the hell?
"Orange Brick": So here we have 2 other uncut versions of episodes 1-291? 1 with Jap music and 1 with Eng music. Or one of them is the "Ultimate Uncut Edition" version?

• 2010: FUNimation begins production on "Dragon Ball Z Kai", the 20th anniversary "refresh" of the DBZ TV series produced in Japan. The majority of the voice cast is kept, with some notable replacements and recasts (Gohan, Bulma, Freeza). For a while, a new musical score by Kenji Yamamoto is used, until the point where Toei is forced to acknowledge potential plagiarism and all countries are forced to swap out the music with tunes recycled from Shunsuke Kikuchi's original DBZ TV musical score.

So here we have the release of KAI. At least KAI got 1 and only version. (or not? :S)

• 2011: FUNimation begins releasing the "Level" Blu-ray sets. These are in their proper 4:3 aspect ratio and feature the same three audio tracks as the orange bricks. They only get two volumes in before canceling them in favor of...
• 2013 Part 1: FUNimation begins releasing the "season" Blu-ray sets. Like the orange bricks, these are cropped to widescreen. They feature the same three audio tracks as the orange bricks.

So here we have 2 other home set releases but from what I see they are the same as the "Orange Brick" version, so they don't count. (Right?)

• 2013 Part 2: FUNimation releases the "Rock the Dragon" DVD box set, which is a re-release of the original 1-53 edited, dub-only DBZ TV episodes from the syndication broadcast. It also includes the TV version of DBZ Movie 3 (re-strung together as a movie, rather than in three separate parts). It also includes the edited versions of DBZ Movies 1 and 2 (the 1997 versions) as they aired on Toonami.

[/list]

And here we have the release of the first 53 edited episodes, again don't count as they are the same release as Saban's release. (Right?)

[VegettoEX]

Then they released Season 3 in 2 versions, 1 edited and 1 uncut? :S
What number of episodes are they? Did any (or both?) of those versions got a home release?

Remember that "Season One" and "Season Two" were produced edited-only, so the numbering of episodes doesn't add up to 291 just yet (not until 2005). There are, for this period of time, "276" DBZ TV episodes once they make it to the end. Season three all the way to the end of the DBZ TV series were produced edited (the Toonami broadcast version) and uncut (only on the home video version). The VHS releases were available both edited and uncut.

So then they released the first uncut version of episodes 1-291? Did all episodes released on DVDs?

The "Ultimate Uncut Edition" covers uncut DBZ TV episodes 1-68 (which correspond to the 53 edited episodes from before). During this point in time, they did not redub anything beyond that (Goku's arrival and fight against Recoome). Again, while this "Ultimate Uncut Edition" aired in its entirety on Cartoon Network, only nine DVD volumes (covering 27 episodes) were released before they canceled those DVDs.

So here we have 2 other uncut versions of episodes 1-291? 1 with Jap music and 1 with Eng music. Or one of them is the "Ultimate Uncut Edition" version?

Yes, this was the first time that FUNimation had the DBZ TV series English dub available with both its replacement music and the original Japanese score. The "Ultimate Uncut Edition" version of the dub is used for episodes 1-68 on the orange bricks (just cropped to widescreen and "remastered" like the rest of the series would be on this release). The orange bricks were the first time we ever had "1-291" available with their proper numbering all in a row in the same release.

So here we have the release of KAI. At least KAI got 1 and only version. (or not? :S)

Well, only one version in terms of voice recording. The original DVD/Blu-ray releases of "Part 1," "Part 2," "Part 3," and "Part 4" have the Kenji Yamamoto music. Once Kai was re-released in "season" sets, it used the Shunsuke Kikuchi replacement usical score.

So here we have 2 other home set releases but from what I see they are the same as the "Orange Brick" version, so they don't count. (Right?)

Correct. Same audio tracks that were available on the orange bricks, just now on Blu-ray.

And here we have the release of the first 53 edited episodes, again don't count as they are the same release as Saban's release. (Right?)

Correct. Calling it "Saban's release" is a tiny bit of a misnomer, though, since it was FUNimation that actually produced it. Saban was merely their television syndication distributor.

[ATEMVEGETA]

I see! It makes it more clear now.

So, if I understood it correctly, about the...erh...Faulconer Productions one, which they dubed the episodes from season 3 and later, they dubed them both cut and uncut and released them to VHS and DVD in both versions? Those 2 versions have the same voices, lines and music with each other, and only differ in the cut scenes and the altered(edited) censored points that the cut version lack? If so, which DVDs are those exactly (I mean can you show me a picture of the set of both versions, please?) Are those the Ocean Group (Westwood) dub maybe?

Also, about the Orange Brick 3in1 set, is the Faulconer Productions uncut version included in one of those, or it's a different version on its own?

And 1 last thing! Does the Orange Brick release included the NEP and Recap of each episode?

[VegettoEX]

So, if I understood it correctly, about the...erh...Faulconer Productions one, which they dubed the episodes from season 3 and later, they dubed them both cut and uncut and released them to VHS and DVD in both versions? Those 2 versions have the same voices, lines and music with each other, and only differ in the cut scenes and the altered(edited) censored points that the cut version lack? If so, which DVDs are those exactly (I mean can you show me a picture of the set of both versions, please?)

Correct. They were dubbed with edited lines and edited visual content (aired on Toonami, released on VHS) and they were dubbed with unedited lines and unedited visual content (released on VHS, released on DVD).

Again, our "Home Video Guide" is a good resource. The "Individual Disc Releases" section on the North American "Dragon Ball Z TV Series" page is what you're looking for here.

Are those the Ocean Group (Westwood) dub maybe?

No, Westwood has nothing to do with FUNimation. That was a totally separate English dub produced primarily for the UK television market. It just happened to occasionally air in Canada and they stole took their scripts from FUNimation's dub when they could.

Also, about the Orange Brick 3in1 set, is the Faulconer Productions uncut version included in one of those, or it's a different version on its own?

There have not been edited home video releases since the individual discs. Everything from 2005 and later have ONLY ever been available uncut.

And 1 last thing! Does the Orange Brick release included the NEP and Recap of each episode?

The only DBZ TV series release in America with complete recaps and next-episode-previews are the Dragon Box sets, and only in Japanese.

[ATEMVEGETA]

I understand now, thanks!

Also, about the Orange Brick 3in1 set, is the Faulconer Productions uncut version included in one of those, or it's a different version on its own?

There have not been edited home video releases since the individual discs. Everything from 2005 and later have ONLY ever been available uncut.

About this one I think you didn't understand what I meant. I am asking if the uncut version of the Faulconer Productions's dub was one of the Orange Bricks' dubs! I mean, Orange Bricks have 2 eng dubbed versions (same voices but different music); is one of those the Faulconer Productions's uncut dub?

[VegettoEX]

About this one I think you didn't understand what I meant. I am asking if the uncut version of the Faulconer Productions's dub was one of the Orange Bricks' dubs! I mean, Orange Bricks have 2 eng dubbed versions (same voices but different music); is one of those the Faulconer Productions's uncut dub?

I'm confused and don't really know how to answer your question; Faulconer Productions was an outsourced music company and is independent of the actual voice recordings, cast members, script, etc.

Yes, the actual voices coming out of the characters' mouths in both English dub audio tracks on the orange bricks (one with the replacement music and one with the Japanese music) is "uncut" for all intents and purposes. From the orange bricks onward, the English dub is "uncut" and is a Frankenstein's-monster-amalgamation of:

The original 1999-onwards dub from the uncut VHS/DVD volumes + Kyle Hebert replacing the narration + the 2005 "Ultimate Uncut Edition" dub for the first 68 episodes + a few voice actors (namely Chris Sabat) re-recording their main characters' lines roughly through the third and fourth seasons

[ABED]

I think he's asking if the Faulconer music is on the season sets, if so, yes.

[clutchins]

Not to add to the confusion, but Mike, you keep saying 68 episodes when it was actually 67.

[Arian]

Not to add to the confusion, but Mike, you keep saying 68 episodes when it was actually 67.

Because it was technically 67 and 1/2 episodes, so that can be constituted to 68.

[ATEMVEGETA]

Let me rephrase my question! I am asking if the "1999 dub uncut version" differs in any way from the "Orange Bricks uncut version"? Either this will be different music, or different voices or both.

[Puto]

Yes, several lines in seasons 3 and 4 got redubbed.

[ATEMVEGETA]

So the 1999 uncut version differs from the Orange Bricks one only at some redubbed lines?

Does the 1999 edited version differ from the 1999 uncut version in some way? (Except the censored points). Do they also have maybe some random different lines as well?

[VegettoEX]

It's frustrating, because we keep explaining the same thing over and over. At the same time, unless you lived through it and discussed and analyzed it ad nauseum back then, I suppose it's maddening to try and understand.

There were no longer edited versions released after the single VHS volumes wrapped up. This edited dialog was never again the basis for anything, never included again, and no longer relevant to the discussion. In terms of what the actual edits to the dialog were back then, I believe it was just "toned-down" versions of the same lines (a la the "absolute genius" versus "friggin' genius" example from before). Not exactly the biggest dub fan here, so I can't 100% speak to that.

For the orange bricks in 2007, Sabat and a select few other voice actors re-recorded certain lines for "season three" and up through "season four". Everything else is otherwise the same as it was back in 1999 (script, music, etc.).

"The dub" as it exists on the orange bricks is "the dub" that is used moving forward to the Dragon Box, Blu-rays, etc. I don't believe anything was touched again after that.

[90sDBZ]

Actually some of the music placement for the Faulconer Productions score was changed around for some of the Ginyu saga episodes on the Orange Bricks. For example, Vegeta's theme plays while Goku powers up for Ginyu, as does Frieza's Transformation theme, while originally neither of them did. And there were occasional changes made to the placement in later episodes too, like when Cell regenerates from Vegeta's Final Flash it originally played the "Destruction" theme, while on the Orange Bricks it plays Perfect Cell's theme instead.

And there were also previously recorded but unused lines that ended up being used in the Orange Bricks, like Goku's entire speech to Kid Buu during the flashback sequence before killing him.

[ATEMVEGETA]

Thanks for your answers! So the 2 releases differ from each other in both lines and music. That's what I was asking and sorry if it became frustrating, but those dubs are a total confusion and for someone with no idea what's going on is really difficult to place them in a proper order.