Post
by TripleRach » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:36 pm
FUNimation definitely treated DBZ like crap through the horrendously inaccurate scripts, cheap music, and inexperienced actors. The DVDs were initially expensive, slow paced, and out of order. And then the before uncut volumes to finally close the release gap finished, they were discontinued, with the older volumes going out of print, in favor of the controversial "season" sets. About the only commendable things are the fact that the series has now (finally) been released entirely uncut (I use this term loosely in this case) in some form or another, and they picked the perfect person to do the subtitles.
With GT, they released the entire series uncut in less than two years. People threw a bitchfit in April 2003 when the first DVDs started with episode 17, but it was obvious (at least to me) that they'd release the preceding episodes sooner or later. The scripts were about the same quality as DBZ's, and the music was a joke. The DVDs were released in about the same style as DBZ's, but with a (mostly) more consistent order, complete Japanese credits and previews, and they also lucked into getting Simmons.
And then with DB, it took them six years just to get it to be a US television success (which, granted, isn't entirely their fault), and then another two years after that before they started releasing the show on DVD, despite a couple dozen VHS releases that weren't entirely in order or ever completed, and the fact that DBZ had already been getting DVD releases for a good while. The use of (most of) the original music was a huge plus, but the scripts for all but fifteen episodes were just as bad as DBZ. They also had someone else do the subtitles, and while Mandelin's not particularly bad or anything, it does hurt the consistency. And the only reason the DVDs had so many episodes was because FUNimation had no faith in the series at all. They probably don't care enough to work out whatever issues there are with Kidmark/Lion's Gate, and even if they do, then it's their own fault for sub-licensing it to them in the first place. And here's an interesting factoid: it took over seven years after the uncut dub of Movie 2 was done and released, entirely in house, on VHS before they released it on DVD, and even then it was only in a box set, forcing everyone who bought the other two movies to double dip if they wanted it.
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So which series really got the worst treatment of the three?
Personally, I think it's DB, since they seem to care so little about it and have little faith in it, and quickly went back on their claims of giving it a more faithful dub. (The first new season did well enough in the ratings with the faithful scripts that Cartoon Network wanted more episodes, so the "to make it sell" excuse doesn't make any sense here.) Plus, the first 13 episodes will probably never be re-released uncut in Region 1, or the first movie at all, thanks to the ridiculous sub-license that they gave out.
At least all of DBZ is available, sort of, and even with the option of Kikuchi's score now. As for DBGT, the only real problem it has, compared to DBZ's dubbing and DVD treatment at least, is that it makes Bruce Faulconer look like John Williams.
-Rachel
