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

[sangofe]

---Announcing Yet Another, "Don't Get Too Excited, But..." Update---

Soooo.....don't get too excited. You know. The usual preface. One that we have unfortunately grown accustomed to.

Having said that...Lee Tockar just announced on Facebook that he is Freeza. We've known that for quite some time, of course. However, his announcement contained one particular sentence that is noteworthy (which I have underlined)



So, like I said. Still not a ton to go on as far as how, when, or if we'll ever see this dub. However, the fact that he was given the OK to say so by the higher-ups is somewhat interesting. Interpret that how you will...my interpretation is that the show might be going somewhere as far as getting a TV deal. For all we know, maybe one has been secured already. Until then, the Great Breaking of the Cycle still remains a distant dream.

How many people really care at this point? If you're a die-hard Dub fan, Funimation did a more-than acceptable job. If anyone does care, do you mind explaining why? Is it just nostalgia?

Well, perhaps people like us here in this thread are just another niche within a niche of the Dragon Ball fandom, but the fact this thread has gone to 175 pages despite no one ever seeing the dub speaks for itself.

But personally I still care. I love Funimation's Kai dub (like a lot), but I am also a massive fan of the Ocean cast, and since Kai is my favourite version of Z I would like to see how Ocean handle it.

Maybe it is in part nostalgia because the entire Ocean dub aired in my country, but there's more to it than that since I am equally excited for some of the recasts, such as Richard Ian Cox as Goku, and as TheBlackPaladin pointed out Lee Tockar as Freeza.

As intrigued as I am by this news, the first thing that comes to mind was that... well Tockar said something similar nearly two years ago (https://twitter.com/leetockar/status/529493816236331008). However, I like how he seems a lot more enthusiastic about it this time, so maybe he has finally heard something solid about the status of the dub and when and where it is going to air, we'll just have to wait and see.

I care because I like comparing dubs...

[TheBlackPaladin]

As intrigued as I am by this news, the first thing that comes to mind was that... well Tockar said something similar nearly two years ago (https://twitter.com/leetockar/status/529493816236331008).

True, but something that's not entirely apparent just by looking at that tweet is the timing. When he made that tweet, Toonami had announced via their Twitter account that Kai was going to air. So the general consensus is that Tockar made an innocent, completely understandable mistake and thought that Toonami was referring the premiere of the Ocean dub, when in fact what they were really doing was announcing that the FUNimation dub was coming to their network. That's why I found the sentence that I underlined a few posts up to be interesting. This time, it's not him making a guess. This time around, his own words were that the higher-ups themselves cleared him to do it.

[Nejishiki]

Wait, I just thought of something. I wonder if this dub is gonna have its own terminology or Funi's terminology. Like, for attacks and stuff. For example, would they have Genkidama or Spirit Bomb? Or would they make their own and call it the Spirit Attack Ball or something like that? I hope they use the Japanese one. It would be nice to hear terms and names like Tenshinhan and Ki used consistently in an official and professionally done English dub. I know Funi Kai used some of them like Kienzan and Taiyoken but kept some their old terms as well. It's no big deal, just a thought.

Don't tempt me with that hope. That's almost enough to make me want to replace my Dragon Ball Kai sets. Yes, just for the correct terminology for the entire run.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

As intrigued as I am by this news, the first thing that comes to mind was that... well Tockar said something similar nearly two years ago (https://twitter.com/leetockar/status/529493816236331008).

True, but something that's not entirely apparent just by looking at that tweet is the timing. When he made that tweet, Toonami had announced via their Twitter account that Kai was going to air. So the general consensus is that Tockar made an innocent, completely understandable mistake and thought that Toonami was referring the premiere of the Ocean dub, when in fact what they were really doing was announcing that the FUNimation dub was coming to their network. That's why I found the sentence that I underlined a few posts up to be interesting. This time, it's not him making a guess. This time around, his own words were that the higher-ups themselves cleared him to do it.

Good point, it does seem reaffirming that the "powers that be" let Tockar say this, at very least it shows that the Ocean Group's marketing and distribution department are likely still trying to get the dub out there.

Also, if anyone is interested Geekdom101's interview with Brian Drummond is going up tomorrow (https://twitter.com/EmperorBigD/status/ ... 64?lang=en). It's probably unlikely he will discuss anything concrete about Kai due to NDAs, but I reckon it will be an interesting listen nonetheless, maybe we'll all learn something new about the history of the earlier dubs like Westwood.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Now, I know no one here is declaring victory, but I have to warn against doing so just yet. After all Toei dubbed World Trigger in Canada with Ocean and they STILL havent released the show.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Wait, I just thought of something. I wonder if this dub is gonna have its own terminology or Funi's terminology. Like, for attacks and stuff. For example, would they have Genkidama or Spirit Bomb? Or would they make their own and call it the Spirit Attack Ball or something like that? I hope they use the Japanese one. It would be nice to hear terms and names like Tenshinhan and Ki used consistently in an official and professionally done English dub. I know Funi Kai used some of them like Kienzan and Taiyoken but kept some their old terms as well. It's no big deal, just a thought.

Probably not much, the two Dubs have historically mirrored each other's scripts.

[Bansho64]

Don't tempt me with that hope. That's almost enough to make me want to replace my Dragon Ball Kai sets. Yes, just for the correct terminology for the entire run.

You never know man. We could finally hear MakankoSappo said by, who I consider to be, the true English Piccolo!!

[NitroEX]

Probably not much, the two Dubs have historically mirrored each other's scripts.

Actually this was only the case during the Westwood dub when Ocean were working to catch up to Funimation and didn't have the time to do their own translations. The Blue Water dubs that followed did in fact translate their own scripts which produced dialogue that was very different from Funimation's. Aside from light censorship for TV and adding a few puns to liven up the dialogue for kids the scripts were actually very accurate, for example in their GT dub the Shadow dragons had accurately translated names rather than the naming method used by Funimation. Nuova Shenron is called Su Shenron in the BW dub and Eis Shenron is named San Shenron. granted, they still carried over names from the Z dub such as Instant Translocation, Hercule and all the rest of it but this was obviously to avoid confusing viewers.

Judging by how long this dub took to make I'm betting there's a good chance they did create their own scripts for Kai.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Probably not much, the two Dubs have historically mirrored each other's scripts.

Actually this was only the case during the Westwood dub when Ocean were working to catch up to Funimation and didn't have the time to do their own translations. The Blue Water dubs that followed did in fact translate their own scripts which produced dialogue that was very different from Funimation's. Aside from light censorship for TV and adding a few puns to liven up the dialogue for kids the scripts were actually very accurate, for example in their GT dub the Shadow dragons had accurately translated names rather than the naming method used by Funimation. Nuova Shenron is called Su Shenron in the BW dub and Eis Shenron is named San Shenron. granted, they still carried over names from the Z dub such as Instant Translocation, Hercule and all the rest of it but this was obviously to avoid confusing viewers.

Judging by how long this dub took to make I'm betting there's a good chance they did create their own scripts for Kai.

I haven't heard any lines that were much different.

[NitroEX]

I haven't heard any lines that were much different.

Here's some examples online.
(Funimation) https://youtu.be/fwKRsEbx35c?t=8m37s
(Blue Water) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Qw0wQqr5g

(Funimation) https://youtu.be/ChCu6cnfDFc?t=49s
(Blue Water) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fSqgn7lpAs

(Funimation) https://youtu.be/GxQunadOyIw?t=1m1s
(Blue Water) https://youtu.be/jY5725FYK98?t=38s

[Mewzard]

I've just noticed this topic will turn six years old tomorrow.

...Can any dub possibly meet six years worth of hype for those that actually care? Especially when there's a perfectly good English dub of it that's been around for even longer than this topic? There is such a thing as missing your window.

How many places can this air on TV that hasn't already run Kai? Hell, even more importantly, how many places would want to run this on DVD/Blu-Ray that haven't already done the FUNi dub of it?

It's just a lot of time, effort, and money sunk into something that I can't see paying off financially at this point.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

I've just noticed this topic will turn six years old tomorrow.

...Can any dub possibly meet six years worth of hype for those that actually care? Especially when there's a perfectly good English dub of it that's been around for even longer than this topic? There is such a thing as missing your window.

How many places can this air on TV that hasn't already run Kai? Hell, even more importantly, how many places would want to run this on DVD/Blu-Ray that haven't already done the FUNi dub of it?

It's just a lot of time, effort, and money sunk into something that I can't see paying off financially at this point.

I don't have any hype for it, I'm just curious to see which dub is better.

[Bansho64]

I'm hyped. Unlike many here, I didn't grow up with the Oceans actors or the voices. I grew up with Kai. I recently discovered the three Pioneer movies last christmas and now I'm hooked I see a lot of potential there. Although many of them are gone, I think they deserve their chance to give it another go. The standards for dubs are higher nowadays and the actors have gotten even better. Some of them have even done what some consider to be the best dubs of all time. Scott McNeil, Brad Swaile, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love the Funimation dub of Kai. But you know when you get interested in something that's new and you can't get it out of ya head? That's basically what the Ocean dub is for me. So, I'm here on the hype train and the engine has started running since Lee Tockar is confirmed as Freeza. Hop on if you'd like!

[Jinzoningen MULE]

I'm hyped. Unlike many here, I didn't grow up with the Oceans actors or the voices. I grew up with Kai. I recently discovered the three Pioneer movies last christmas and now I'm hooked I see a lot of potential there. Although many of them are gone, I think they deserve their chance to give it another go. The standards for dubs are higher nowadays and the actors have gotten even better. Some of them have even done what some consider to be the best dubs of all time. Scott McNeil, Brad Swaile, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love the Funimation dub of Kai. But you know when you get interested in something that's new and you can't get it out of ya head? That's basically what the Ocean dub is for me. So, I'm here on the hype train and the engine has started running since Lee Tockar is confirmed as Freeza. Hop on if you'd like!

I was brought up on a strange mix of one VHS fansub, video games, Z reruns, and Kai's Android Arc. The first time I watched the whole series at once, it was the jp voices with subs. I'm very amenable to new voices, I just don't care all that much. Unless the Ocean Dub of Kai simply blows me away, I'll just buy the Funi sets, they already did a decent job.

[Mewzard]

I was brought up on a strange mix of one VHS fansub, video games, Z reruns, and Kai's Android Arc. The first time I watched the whole series at once, it was the jp voices with subs. I'm very amenable to new voices, I just don't care all that much. Unless the Ocean Dub of Kai simply blows me away, I'll just buy the Funi sets, they already did a decent job.

That's the trick...where can the Ocean Dub even be sold? FUNimation owns the North American home distribution rights to the franchise (which would include Canada I imagine). And they've already sold their Kai dub to several other English-speaking nations. FUNimation would have to allow an Ocean Kai set to be made in North America (competition), or another country would have to double dip on the franchise (where would it make enough money to pay for a second English dub).

How much money can this make if it only ever ends up airing on Canadian TV (if it even makes it that far)?

If they could have gotten TV/Home release rights in the UK prior to FUNi, I might have believed it to be viable, but...this situation seems a tad difficult for any company wanting to profit.

[simtek34]

According to Geekdom101 and Brian in the interview, guess what's finished! (But has no Boo Saga:()

[Jinzoningen MULE]

According to Geekdom101 and Brian in the interview, guess what's finished! (But has no Boo Saga:()

We kind of knew this already. Both Kai's Ocean Dub and Funi's Boo Arc of Kai just haven't found the right place to air on television (although most of us suspect the Boo Arc to begin soon).

[Godgoku95]

I hope ocean dub goes on Adult swim LIKE TOONAMI

[Cure Dragon 255]

Canada's Adult Swim doesnt air anime. I bet Teletoon will do it. That's the channel for any anime on Canada.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Canada's Adult Swim doesnt air anime. I bet Teletoon will do it. That's the channel for any anime on Canada.

Even if it doesn't air in Canada, a Blu-ray/DVD release is likely to follow the US broadcast (if, in fact, it's coming).