Ocean Studios' "Dragon Ball Kai" Dub Turns 15; Still Unreleased

[8000 Saiyan]

I wonder who they casted for Shenron. Did Don Brown return or did they get the Blue Water guy back?

[SX10]

I wonder who they casted for Shenron. Did Don Brown return or did they get the Blue Water guy back?

So hope it is Don Brown.

[Super Sayian Prime]

I guess it's because there was another English dub of Kai available.

And the FUNimation dub grew to become the 'definitive' dub within the English market while the Ocean Dub is kept as a nostalgic memory in Canada, US, UK, Australia and in Scandinavian countries. Unfortunately, the Ocean Dub dropped the ball with its quality inconsistencies and they never had the chance to dub the Freeza arc though we did at least hear what Freeza would have sounded like.

Funimation's dub being "the standard" was already a thing long before Kai was put into production. Why would Toei pay for a 98-episode dub of the series to just sit on it?

[SuperCyan2]

Funimation's dub being "the standard" was already a thing long before Kai was put into production. Why would Toei pay for a 98-episode dub of the series to just sit on it?

To have another English dub version of Kai? Not sure why that would matter to a Japanese company and that's not probably it.

Also, I'm glad they made their own Kai soundtrack because with the original Kai score being eliminated that's really the best way to fix this wound, the Kikuchi replacement score was just terrible and bloody repetitive (I love Kikuchi's music but god damn do I hate what they did on Kai 1.0).

[Robo4900]

I wonder who they casted for Shenron. Did Don Brown return or did they get the Blue Water guy back?

So hope it is Don Brown.

Honestly, I'd quite like to hear the Blue Water dragon voice back; always really liked him.

Still, either voice would be good.
Hell, a new voice could be fun too.

[SuperCyan2]

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

[TheGreatness25]

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

Ohh yeah! ... ... ... In 2032. But in all seriousness, I just want another version of the series and don't need it to be accurate at all. I don't care how they treat the series because at this point, it's a novelty anyway. I just wish they'd come out already. I want to hear Drummond's speech as dying Vegeta on Namek. Hell, there are tons of things I want to hear. It's such a curiosity -- what will the attack names be, what will they call some of the characters, what dialog will they change? I'm excited.

[thomas1up]

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

Ohh yeah! ... ... ... In 2032. But in all seriousness, I just want another version of the series and don't need it to be accurate at all. I don't care how they treat the series because at this point, it's a novelty anyway. I just wish they'd come out already. I want to hear Drummond's speech as dying Vegeta on Namek. Hell, there are tons of things I want to hear. It's such a curiosity -- what will the attack names be, what will they call some of the characters, what dialog will they change? I'm excited.

Judging by the fact that whoever was producing this dub appears to be going for a faithful approach to the series, I wouldn't be surprised if they done away with various funimation dubbisms. I don't mind Don Brown as Kaio (much better than Schemmel's Kaio) but I would love to hear a more accurate approach this time round.

[SuperCyan2]

Ohh yeah! ... ... ... In 2032. But in all seriousness, I just want another version of the series and don't need it to be accurate at all. I don't care how they treat the series because at this point, it's a novelty anyway. I just wish they'd come out already. I want to hear Drummond's speech as dying Vegeta on Namek. Hell, there are tons of things I want to hear. It's such a curiosity -- what will the attack names be, what will they call some of the characters, what dialog will they change? I'm excited.

I'd love if they ditched the whole Say-un and pronounced Saiyan properly. Unlikely but who knows. People do know how to correctly say 'Saiyan' but have gotten used to the FUNimation way.

Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAf0hjddT1A

[thomas1up]

Ohh yeah! ... ... ... In 2032. But in all seriousness, I just want another version of the series and don't need it to be accurate at all. I don't care how they treat the series because at this point, it's a novelty anyway. I just wish they'd come out already. I want to hear Drummond's speech as dying Vegeta on Namek. Hell, there are tons of things I want to hear. It's such a curiosity -- what will the attack names be, what will they call some of the characters, what dialog will they change? I'm excited.

I'd love if they ditched the whole Say-un and pronounced Saiyan properly. Unlikely but who knows. People do know how to correctly say 'Saiyan' but have gotten used to the FUNimation way.

Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAf0hjddT1A

Well, they changed the way they pronounce 'Namek' so the other pronunciation of Saiyan could be possible. Wouldn't be the first time Ocean pronounced things right before FUNi (Kaio-ken and Kamehameha)

[SX10]

If they corrected Saiyan that would be so amazing. Though that said, it's stuck in so many people's minds that it may not change for lazy reasons. Scott McNeil seemed pretty frustrated by it all when he brought it up during a panel he was on, so hopefully his misguided frustration is brought on by a correct pronunciation of all the words.

From snippets I've heard from Brian Drummond con videos he certainly seems to be saying Goku & Gohan properly.

[8000 Saiyan]

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

Personally I wouldn't mind if Ocean didn't dub Super. I think a great dub of the first 98 episodes of Kai is enough for me and to convince some close-minded people that Ocean have talent.

[SuperCyan2]

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

Personally I wouldn't mind if Ocean didn't dub Super. I think a great dub of the first 98 episodes of Kai is enough for me and to convince some close-minded people that Ocean have talent.

Ocean Dub would make Super watchable for me and more Ocean Dub is always a good thing.

A redub of DBZ would be great but instead of that we're more likely to get the Kai Boo arc.

[TheGreatness25]

[spoiler]

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

Ohh yeah! ... ... ... In 2032. But in all seriousness, I just want another version of the series and don't need it to be accurate at all. I don't care how they treat the series because at this point, it's a novelty anyway. I just wish they'd come out already. I want to hear Drummond's speech as dying Vegeta on Namek. Hell, there are tons of things I want to hear. It's such a curiosity -- what will the attack names be, what will they call some of the characters, what dialog will they change? I'm excited.

[/spoiler]

Judging by the fact that whoever was producing this dub appears to be going for a faithful approach to the series, I wouldn't be surprised if they done away with various funimation dubbisms. I don't mind Don Brown as Kaio (much better than Schemmel's Kaio) but I would love to hear a more accurate approach this time round.

And yet, apparently the theme song isn't even preserved. The thing is that I know a lot of people want accuracy. Funimation gave us that. I have the original Z, I feel like Kai is something to have a lot of fun with. I don't want it to be just another alternate dub to Funimation, I'd rather it be its own thing. I know I'm probably way in the minority, but I always felt like if it's so faithful and whatnot, what's really the motivation to watch it? I don't know, I'm weird lol

[Robo4900]

And yet, apparently the theme song isn't even preserved. The thing is that I know a lot of people want accuracy. Funimation gave us that. I have the original Z, I feel like Kai is something to have a lot of fun with. I don't want it to be just another alternate dub to Funimation, I'd rather it be its own thing. I know I'm probably way in the minority, but I always felt like if it's so faithful and whatnot, what's really the motivation to watch it? I don't know, I'm weird lol

Well, the point here is that we're getting an alternate score option, so we don't have to tolerate the plagiarised Yamamoto, or haphazardly-used Kikuchi scores, and the actors will all be doing different takes on the characters.

The fact it's faithful isn't a minus, it's a plus; it means we're still watching Dragon Ball Kai, we're not watching an Americanised, unrecogniseable shell of what Dragon Ball was perceived as in the '90s.

But, this will still be a fundamentally different take than Funimation's; the actors will all be rather different, the style of the dialogue will almost certainly be totally different, and the music will give it a different feel.

That's my view on this, anyway.

So after the Ocean Dub Kai, can we also expect a Ocean Dub Super?

Personally I wouldn't mind if Ocean didn't dub Super. I think a great dub of the first 98 episodes of Kai is enough for me and to convince some close-minded people that Ocean have talent.

Ocean Dub would make Super watchable for me and more Ocean Dub is always a good thing.

A redub of DBZ would be great but instead of that we're more likely to get the Kai Boo arc.

A Super Ocean dub would be nice, and would likely be the only way I'd ever watch any of Super again(Aside from a few select filler episodes, such as baseball).
But, for me, Boo Kai is the #1 priority. I want to watch through all of Ocean Kai, then get a Boo Kai Ocean dub. Super would be nice, but having the full Dragon Ball Z story with the Ocean cast on the top of their game in a faithful dub with music that isn't patchy/plagiarised/weird disco would be excellent.

If they corrected Saiyan that would be so amazing. Though that said, it's stuck in so many people's minds that it may not change for lazy reasons. Scott McNeil seemed pretty frustrated by it all when he brought it up during a panel he was on, so hopefully his misguided frustration is brought on by a correct pronunciation of all the words.

From snippets I've heard from Brian Drummond con videos he certainly seems to be saying Goku & Gohan properly.

Yeah, I have noticed he's been correctly putting the emphasis on the second syllable of Goku. I really hope they use the Son family name in this dub; that'd be awesome.
I like that they're changing the Namek pronunciation. It's not a big deal for me, but it's a nice little thing. If they do Saiyan correctly too, that'd be nice too.

The ones I'd really like to see this dub do are: Shen Long, Freeza, Jheese, Butta, Ghurd, and if they do Kai TFC -- Boo.
I'd be fine with them keeping Shenron, Burter, Guldo... Hell, even Jeice. Boo/Buu and Frieza/Freeza have always bugged me though, and if they changed those, I will be incredibly happy.

[8000 Saiyan]

Yeah, I have noticed he's been correctly putting the emphasis on the second syllable of Goku. I really hope they use the Son family name in this dub; that'd be awesome.
I like that they're changing the Namek pronunciation. It's not a big deal for me, but it's a nice little thing. If they do Saiyan correctly too, that'd be nice too.

The ones I'd really like to see this dub do are: Shen Long, Freeza, Jheese, Butta, Ghurd, and if they do Kai TFC -- Boo.
I'd be fine with them keeping Shenron, Burter, Guldo... Hell, even Jeice. Boo/Buu and Frieza/Freeza have always bugged me though, and if they changed those, I will be incredibly happy.

Goku referred to himself as Son Goku once in the Funi Kai dub.

[Robo4900]

Goku referred to himself as Son Goku once in the Funi Kai dub.

Yes. Once. And that's the only time the Son family name has been acknolwedged in the Funi dub; they go out of their way to avoid it most of the time. IIRC, they put a weird thing like "Are you sir Goku?" in Battle Of Gods at one point, when "Son Goku" would have just made infinitely more sense...

Actually calling him Son Goku would be just grand. And Son Gohan too.

Still, I must admit, big props go to Schemmel for pushing for the "I am Son Goku" line in the Kai dub.

[8000 Saiyan]

I wonder who they casted for Shenron. Did Don Brown return or did they get the Blue Water guy back?

So hope it is Don Brown.

Honestly, I'd quite like to hear the Blue Water dragon voice back; always really liked him.

Still, either voice would be good.
Hell, a new voice could be fun too.

How about Paul Dobson for Shenron?
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv- ... abberwock/

And yes, I think both voice actors can do fine jobs. But those voices still have too much of those early dub traits that stand out to my ears when I do hear the later material. To be honest, they should do what Sabat did, tone them back a bit towards their natural voices. Not all the way, but closer, to give a more natural sound. Because those voices don't sound natural in the least.Sabat's Piccolo sounds much closer to his speaking voice now, and at least Vegeta's much closer to natural. I think they can do it, I just don't know if they will.

And there are voices in the Japanese version that don't sound natural.

I know that you're not really that curious about this dub but if you're interested, Drummond has deepened his voice for this dub and McNeil sounds slightly different, so maybe this time around you'll like them.

[Robo4900]

How about Paul Dobson for Shenron?
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv- ... abberwock/

Yeah, sure, maybe. I think that Paul Dobson voice there lacks the texture Don Brown and Dave Pettitt brought to the voice Shenron, though. Maybe he'd improve that if he got the role, though I think they'll most likely just get Brown back, realistically.
I think I'd prefer Dave Pettitt to return, but I'm good with either.

And there are voices in the Japanese version that don't sound natural.

I know that you're not really that curious about this dub but if you're interested, Drummond has deepened his voice for this dub and McNeil sounds slightly different, so maybe this time around you'll like them.

The deepening of Drummond's voice won't be what sets his portrayal apart from his previous performnces; what will set it apart is the portrayal itself.
Same goes for McNeil.

[8000 Saiyan]

The deepening of Drummond's voice won't be what sets his portrayal apart from his previous performnces; what will set it apart is the portrayal itself.
Same goes for McNeil.

Yeah, I know, but all I was saying that he'll probably appreciate the fact that they sound different this time around. Mewzard said that Drummond and McNeil's original voices only fit Vegeta and Piccolo only when they're demonic villains (although Piccolo is a demon) and they need to sound more natural to work when they're not villains.