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

[8000 Saiyan]

So, Toronto dubs, I'm sure, probably could have been excellent, as evidenced by how good a lot of their pre-lay (and even videogame) productions are. People higher up on the food chain gave them a difficult situation, though, and between that, the amount of pre-lay work they now get, and the fact that Dallas and LA now get the majority of dubbing work, I think it's doubtful that we'll see Toronto get a major dubbing project...at least for the time being. 'Tis unfortunate.

I think Toronto could get a major dubbing project if Vancouver contacted them for a collaboration. A Vancouver-Toronto dub would be ten times better than a Vancouver-Calgary dub.

[NitroEX]

I think Toronto could get a major dubbing project if Vancouver contacted them for a collaboration. A Vancouver-Toronto dub would be ten times better than a Vancouver-Calgary dub.

And probably ten times more expensive since Ocean don't have a studio in Toronto.

The only collabs I've seen happen in Vancouver are on pre-lay cartoons with higher budgets. Unless they were dubbing a Ghibli feature I can't see them ever outsourcing for an anime dub, the budgets are probably too low for that.

If they were somehow able to split the costs I think it could turn out well but Canada already gets next to no anime shows anyway so it probably wouldn't be a profitable arrangement for anyone.

[SX10]

...some alternate universe where Ocean did the newer DBZ Movies:

Beerus - Colin Murdoch
Whis - Jonathan Holmes
Jaco - Sam Vincent
Tagoma - Andrew Francis
Sisami - Mark Acheson
Sorbet - Peter New

Because this is the second of two places I know where anyone would be interested in this.

Great choices! The second of two places? Where's the first? :0

[8000 Saiyan]

I bet we'll see this dub when this thread reaches 200 pages.

[simtek34]

What if Dameon Clarke voiced Cell if he still lived in Canada? Interesting huh?

[8000 Saiyan]

What if Dameon Clarke voiced Cell if he still lived in Canada? Interesting huh?

I find it unlikely.

[Attitudefan]

What if Dameon Clarke voiced Cell if he still lived in Canada? Interesting huh?

Is he a union actor?

[TheBlackPaladin]

What if Dameon Clarke voiced Cell if he still lived in Canada? Interesting huh?

Is he a union actor?

Both are. Dale Wilson with ACTRA and Dameon Clarke with SAG-AFTRA. Clarke wasn't a union actor yet when he did DBZ, but he joined some time after he was done.

Which is one of many things I find mysterious about the Ocean dub of Kai. I don't know what the rules are up in Canada, but in the U.S., if a project is a union project, all the actors have to be paid union rates (and indeed, the Ocean dub of DBZ was an union/ACTRA dub). So that has had me wondering--how is it that the Ocean dub of Kai is using both Ocean and Calgary actors if the Calgary actors are supposed to be the "budget" actors? If they're using ACTRA actors in Vancouver, how is it that they're getting paid the ACTRA rates and the Calgary actors aren't?

The possibilities I've come up with are....

1) Union rules in Canada may not work like union rules in the U.S., and the producers found some kind of loophole.

2) The Ocean dub of Kai may, in fact, be a non-union dub, and all the Vancouver actors are working "off the card" (doing non-union work anyway despite being union actors). Again, not sure how it works with ACTRA, but in SAG-AFTRA, you can get fined and--in some particularly extreme cases--expelled from the union for working off the card.

3) Kind of an expanded version of #1, but somebody earlier in this thread said that Blue Water uses union actors, but they go through a different union: CLAC (the Christian Labour Association of Canada), which has much more affordable rates. So perhaps there's a way ACTRA and CLAC can be involved in the same project. ACTRA doesn't think too highly of CLAC though, so I don't know how likely this is.

Man, the mysteries surrounding this dub!

[Super Sayian Prime]

@TheBlackPaladin: Watch an episode or two of the Beyblade Metal Fusion series to get what I mean. Scripting is frankly the least of that dub's troubles. There are wooden and bizarre line deliveries, inconsistent pronunciations, and a number of actors who were clearly miscast. A lot of the blame definitely lies on the producers, casting director and recording director, but even the actors have to know this sounds a little kooky.*

*I know you could take a scene out of context from anything to make it look bad, but trust me when I say that's far from the only bewildering read.

[TheBlackPaladin]

@TheBlackPaladin: Watch an episode or two of the Beyblade Metal Fusion series to get what I mean. Scripting is frankly the least of that dub's troubles. There are wooden and bizarre line deliveries, inconsistent pronunciations, and a number of actors who were clearly miscast. A lot of the blame definitely lies on the producers, casting director and recording director, but even the actors have to know this sounds a little kooky.*

*I know you could take a scene out of context from anything to make it look bad, but trust me when I say that's far from the only bewildering read.

I don't mean to point fingers, but one thing I will say is that pronunciation consistency is a director's job. It's their responsibility to say, "Let's do another take, it's actually pronounced...."

As far as miscast voices are concerned, I don't know who to attribute that to, especially since there's some subjectivity there. It could very well be the fault of the dubbing company, but it could also be the fault of the original Japanese company. There have been several instances where the Japanese will insist on too much control over a dub (the Shenmue games are the most notorious example I can think of), and their sensibilities over what constitutes good acting or a fitting voice will often differ from the sensibilities of somebody whose first language is English (just as those sensibilities will differ from the sensibilities of somebody whose first language is German, or Spanish, or Chinese, etc.).

I've never seen Beyblade Metal Fusion before, so without knowing the context of that scene or what the original Japanese delivery was like, or what direction the dub actor was given, I'm not sure I can make a fair judgement on that clip one way or another. It's definitely a memorable clip, either way!

PS: Just to clarify--and out of curiosity--is this a Toronto-based dub?

[Arian]

Just to clarify--and out of curiosity--is this a Toronto-based dub?

Yes, Nelvana uses Toronto-based actors and occasionally Ocean actors. This was not one of those times where we heard Ocean actors.

[NitroEX]

Come to think of it, Beyblade has pretty much always had bad to mediocre English dubbing, it would make sense then if it's always been handled in Toronto. The only Toronto based dub I still enjoy is Medabots but that's largely for it's comedic tone as well as a few standout voices like Joseph Motiki's Metabee and Denis Akiyama's Referee character.

Anyway apparently the newest Beyblade show 'Beyblade Burst' is using Ocean for the English dub and based on what little I've heard of it, it sounds like a an improvement over the previous Toronto based dubs.

[8000 Saiyan]

Come to think of it, Beyblade has pretty much always had bad to mediocre English dubbing, it would make sense then if it's always been handled in Toronto. The only Toronto based dub I still enjoy is Medabots but that's largely for it's comedic tone as well as a few standout voices like Joseph Motiki's Metabee and Denis Akiyama's Referee character.

Anyway apparently the newest Beyblade show 'Beyblade Burst' is using Ocean for the English dub and based on what little I've heard of it, it sounds like a an improvement over the previous Toronto based dubs.

I think that the first three Beyblade dubs were okay. I liked that they got teenagers to voice the main characters. And they even got Ted Cole to voice some characters. The Metal series dubs really stink though, probably because of the voice directors.

The Beyblade Burst dub is actually very good, although I think Nicole Oliver was miscast.

Yes, Nelvana uses Toronto-based actors and occasionally Ocean actors. This was not one of the times where we heard Ocean actors.

They got Brad Swaile for Beyblade Metal Fury.

[Bansho64]

The Metal series dubs really stink though, probably because of the voice directors.

Definitely. Those were pretty much horrible. I might like it a little more if Gingka's voice didn't turn to crap after the first couple of episodes of Metal Fusion. Seriously, listen. It just went down the drain.

[NitroEX]

I think that the first three Beyblade dubs were okay. I liked that they got teenagers to voice the main characters.

I grew up with the original Beyblade series and having revisited parts of it a few years ago for nostalgia it simply doesn't hold up in the acting department, the only saving grace is the music. The voices are well suited to the characters (for the most part) but the acting is sub par when you compare it to other kids anime dubs of that era, they all sound inexperienced.

And they even got Ted Cole to voice some characters.

Are you sure? I tried looking up which characters Ted Cole supposedly played in Beyblade and honestly, they don't sound anything like him. I think whoever credited him in those roles was mistaken. Sites like BTVA and IMDB would be all over this if it were true.

They got Brad Swaile for Beyblade Metal Fury.

Again, this seems false. I found one site stating this and when I looked up a clip it sounds nothing like Brad Swaile.

[8000 Saiyan]

Are you sure? I tried looking up which characters Ted Cole supposedly played in Beyblade and honestly, they don't sound anything like him. I think whoever credited him in those roles was mistaken. Sites like BTVA and IMDB would be all over this if it were true.

Frankly, it's been a long time since I've seen Beyblade, so I don't remember most of the voices very well. I do remember the voices of the main guys though.

Definitely. Those were pretty much horrible. I might like it a little more if Gingka's voice didn't turn to crap after the first couple of episodes of Metal Fusion. Seriously, listen. It just went down the drain.

And to think the guy who does Gingka voiced Brooklyn in G-Revolution. They probably should have given the dubbing rights to Ocean. At least the Beyblade dubs would have been much better.

If Toronto wants to do good dubs, they should take notes from Vancouver. And I would give that advice to Blue Water Studios (Calgary) as well. They apparently have opened a dubbing studio in Edmonton.

[8000 Saiyan]

Since Trevor Devall mentioned in a review that he's doing voices in this dub, I think he'll be playing Mr. Satan.

[NitroEX]

Since Trevor Devall mentioned in a review that he's doing voices in this dub, I think he'll be playing Mr. Satan.

Where did he say that?

I don't see why Don Brown wouldn't reprise. He's been very active, even in anime.

[8000 Saiyan]

Since Trevor Devall mentioned in a review that he's doing voices in this dub, I think he'll be playing Mr. Satan.

Where did he say that?

I don't see why Don Brown wouldn't reprise. He's been very active, even in anime.

He said that in a radio interview, and since the producers of this dub want it to be close to the Japanese, I have a feeling that he was cast in the role because he apparently can do a Hulk Hogan impression.

There is a good chance Brown is in this dub, however.

[NitroEX]

He said that in a radio interview, and since the producers of this dub want it to be close to the Japanese, I have a feeling that he was cast in the role because he apparently can do a Hulk Hogan impression.

There is a good chance Brown is in this dub, however.

Is this radio interview online? Can you at least provide a link so we can all hear it for ourselves?

Also, if you want a Mr. Satan that sounds like Hulk Hogan you have the option of hearing Chris Rager's performance in the Funi dub. I don't see the point in having Ocean copy Funimation's casting, Don Brown is great.

I read somewhere that the voice actors of this dub were allowed to do three voices (don't remember the source), so it's likely that he has reprised King Kai, Shenron and Burter.

Honestly, it just feels like you're making this stuff up as you go along. Please provide sources if you're going to make claims like this.