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

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

It's interesting all Drummond has heard of this dub is his own lines, I know he said that in the Geekdom interview, but I wasn't sure whether the voice in motion was all he got to see or if he was shown a clip of how the scene looked after post production with the addition of the musical score. Maybe I'm just idealizing the profession of voice acting because I'm not personally involved in it, and TheBlackPaladin did say its often just going in to record your lines and going home. Though, Lee Tockar and James Beach seem to have heard the score, and Beach, from what we know has heard some of Drummond's work on the dub and praised it, so I find it odd there have been conflicting stories on what different actors have experienced of it.

I am very happy to hear Drummond's screams will be similar to Copy Vegeta, thought that Galick gun was top notch. Oh, and he was wise to request Friday sessions for Kai, save the best for last, as they always say.

It's kinda sickening the actors were paid that poorly back in the day. I knew it wasn't gold plated, but $4 a line and nothing for the screams? It just makes me all the more grateful for the work they gave us, despite being censored, it was a labour of love to do what they did for what they were rewarded.

Definitely happy Kelamis is open to returning, someone should get on to Sabat so he can arrange something whenever we get another Goku clone, although I have a feeling as an ADR director Sabat can more easily afford a slight pay cut for giving up a role he could have otherwise played himself.

Regarding Willems, I didn't think it would be anyone else. If the producers want to create a dub that has the essence of the Japanese version, Karl Willems is the only way to go, and having someone who worked on Dragon Ball before is always a good thing.

And Drummond knowing about Wow is good, it's nice to know word is getting around. I look forward to seeing the outpour of relief and hype when and if Bell Media announce they will be airing this dub on Canadian TV.

Having an "Over 8,000" and "Over 9,000" in the bag makes me hopeful on one hand, but realistic on the other. If cut and uncut were both considered for this dub, the "Over 8,000" certainly would have been useful to have in the vault in case a broadcaster wanted to air a more accurate version of this dub, although if it was a choice for the director/producer then only one would be needed and the other would sadly be scrapped.

I do think it's likely Drummond and Kelamis were trying to cover up part of Richard Ian Cox's NDA, as it seems especially strict (and why wouldn't it be, he is playing the main character ) hence his total lack of acknowledgement about this dub compared to the other actors.

Oh, a box set would have been absolutely amazing. I would prefer if this dub was a home video exclusive (if only a distributor could work around Funimation's rights) because I know everyone here would love to be able to own this dub, in preferably the best possible quality (i.e. Blu-Ray) and for preservation purposes.

If Dameon Clarke didn't know about this dub I am going to bet Dale Wilson won't be reprising his role as Cell, as I'm sure it would have come up in conversation between the two as they would have been recording around the same time.

[SX10]

Yeah, it's pretty exciting! I trust Karl Willems, he is an experienced vet and they talk very highly of him. What you said, MistaL, is pretty much the answer I was given when I asked them on their panel, "As performers, what makes a good director?" and they said exactly that, someone who gives you the outline and let's you fill in the blanks. So I can't wait to hear it!

Brian did mention another name, I could pick it out of a lineup but can't remember it (only got a first name). He said he thinks that person did some at least, but Peter was like (and this may not be verbatim):

Peter: "Is this at Ocean?"
Brian: "Yeah I think so."
Peter: "Then it'll be Karl."
Brian: "Yeah, Karl."

I think if Brian knows Karl directed Death Note, and that was earlier, then he surely knows who he worked with on Kai. "Sketchy memory" could be a great way to get around NDAs. There was a look in his eye The only thing I didn't get to ask was how it was to handle Vegeta's death scene on Namek. Though these guys are truly so busy I'm sure he'd not remember.

Sorry 8000 Saiyan, I got a HINT that it will be different, but only in the sense that it should be a more refined version of Westwood. Cause at one moment he said his work on Super was the old skool voice, then he said that it may preview his Kai voice a little bit. So, I think the delivery will be similar to Super, but with that deeper Westwood tone.

Robo4900 - I meant Dragon Ball Blue as in, to work "Blue" which is a word used to describe more *ahem* adult material

[SX10]

It's interesting all Drummond has heard of this dub is his own lines, I know he said that in the Geekdom interview, but I wasn't sure whether the voice in motion was all he got to see or if he was shown a clip of how the scene looked after post production with the addition of the musical score. Maybe I'm just idealizing the profession of voice acting because I'm not personally involved in it, and TheBlackPaladin did say its often just going in to record your lines and going home. Though, Lee Tockar and James Beach seem to have heard the score, and Beach, from what we know has heard some of Drummond's work on the dub and praised it, so I find it odd there have been conflicting stories on what different actors have experienced of it.

That's what I found odd too. Perhaps Brian was just happy to record and go home. Beach told me himself he is a big DBZ fan and I know Lee Tockar is very involved in creating and producing work himself and very fond of his part in Kai, so those guys must have specificaly requested to hear their parts played back when properly mixed.

Peter and Brian both said that some projects are so secretive, you literally have NO idea what you're recording for or how it will be used. For example, Peter had NO idea he was some of the additional background voices in Grand Theft Auto 5. And he completed the game. He saw it on his IMDB afterward.

He said for video games, the buildings you enter are like prisons with all these security doors you have to buzz through. The contracts you sign literally say, "Project XYZ". You read the lines, get directed a bit, then go home.

Brian has done some work for films that ended up having bigger stars in them without his knowledge. If the agents and talent knew this, they could actively request more money for their roles. So I think the unions are changing the rules so they are not as in the dark.

Honestly, it seems voice actors get treated quite poorly. So thank god for the unions.

Oh, btw, when it comes to Peter being involved in a Goku role on Super or whatever, don't count on it. Sabat isn't the obstacle. Someone else is. Don't think they'd ever allow it tbh.

Peter also seemed to think it was weird that this person keeps telling people at cons that he quit the show - which he didn't do

[MistaL]

The bonus features of the Death Note DVD and bluray sets actually give some insight on this. Whether someone will be able to hear someone else's voice depends solely on when people are able to come in and work. If someone comes in a handful of days earlier than someone else and does all their lines, they may have had enough time to make a rough mix with that actor's lines put in, which the other actors can play off of. Since Drummond and McNeil were among the earliest actors cast, they probably recorded their lines much earlier than Tockar did his Freeza lines. In the time between Drummond and McNeil starting their recordings and Tockar doing his Freeza, I assume much of the score was produced and included into the audio, along with some of the other actors' dialogue.

[MistaL]

Also it is incredibly shitty how the mysterious entity who voices Goku for Funimation known as something like Mon Gemmell treats Ocean's Goku voice actors. It actually really pisses me off tbh.

[TheBlackPaladin]

...and TheBlackPaladin did say its often just going in to record your lines and going home.

Pretty much. Unless of course...

The bonus features of the Death Note DVD and bluray sets actually give some insight on this. Whether someone will be able to hear someone else's voice depends solely on when people are able to come in and work. If someone comes in a handful of days earlier than someone else and does all their lines, they may have had enough time to make a rough mix with that actor's lines put in, which the other actors can play off of.

^That. I had a small part in Doraemon in which my character interacted with Johnny Yong Bosch's character (Noby), and since he had already recorded before me, they played me his audio during the recording session so I could hear exactly what I was responding to.

It's never a guarantee that that'll be the case, though. If you do get to hear the other actor's delivery, it's a welcome bonus, but it's just that, a bonus. Also, if the actor and the director have a good relationship and they're not taking up too much studio time (since that's what determines an actor's pay), usually a director will be happy to say, "Dude, you have to hear [insert voice actor's name here]'s work in this scene real quick, it was awesome!" For the most part, though, voice actors hear the final product for the first time at the same time that the audience does.

[8000 Saiyan]

Also it is incredibly shitty how the mysterious entity who voices Goku for Funimation known as something like Mon Gemmell treats Ocean's Goku voice actors. It actually really pisses me off tbh.

Yup, Mon Gemmell is truly an a-hole. Apparently he didn't get into a bloodbath with Peter Kelamis on Kamehacon, which is good to know.

[SX10]

Also it is incredibly shitty how the mysterious entity who voices Goku for Funimation known as something like Mon Gemmell treats Ocean's Goku voice actors. It actually really pisses me off tbh.

Yup, Mon Gemmell is truly an a-hole. Apparently he didn't get into a bloodbath with Peter Kelamis on Kamehacon, which is good to know.

He pisses me off too.

So guys, unless someone gets a really in-depth chat going with Scott McNeil about Kai, or gets the chance to ask Saffron Henderson directly if she is involved, I think it's safe to say we currently know all that we can realistically get to know about this dub.

Still so many mysteries. PLEASE LET IT AIR ON WOW'S CHANNEL!!

[8000 Saiyan]

Also it is incredibly shitty how the mysterious entity who voices Goku for Funimation known as something like Mon Gemmell treats Ocean's Goku voice actors. It actually really pisses me off tbh.

Yup, Mon Gemmell is truly an a-hole. Apparently he didn't get into a bloodbath with Peter Kelamis on Kamehacon, which is good to know.

He pisses me off too.

So guys, unless someone gets a really in-depth chat going with Scott McNeil about Kai, or gets the chance to ask Saffron Henderson directly if she is involved, I think it's safe to say we currently know all that we can realistically get to know about this dub.

Still so many mysteries. PLEASE LET IT AIR ON WOW'S CHANNEL!!

It might be easier to contact Scott.

[MistaL]

It might be easier to contact Scott.

HA HA HA.
Sorry to say, but Scott is rarely on social media and supposedly even changes his number a lot. Even his agent and different studios have trouble contacting the guy a lot of the time.

[8000 Saiyan]

It might be easier to contact Scott.

HA HA HA.
Sorry to say, but Scott is rarely on social media and supposedly even changes his number a lot. Even his agent and different studios have trouble contacting the guy a lot of the time.

Oh right, how did I forget that? Saffron rarely uses social media either, so...

[Robo4900]

It might be easier to contact Scott.

HA HA HA.
Sorry to say, but Scott is rarely on social media and supposedly even changes his number a lot. Even his agent and different studios have trouble contacting the guy a lot of the time.

Oh right, how did I forget that? Saffron rarely uses social media either, so...

Haha, yeah McNeil doesn't really do social media at all. Henderson is on social media, but doesn't really use it.

Brian did mention another name, I could pick it out of a lineup but can't remember it (only got a first name). He said he thinks that person did some at least, but Peter was like (and this may not be verbatim): -snop-

Well, this would somewhat explain the "It isn't Karl Willems" talk from before... Perhaps someone else directed the more minor voices, so some of the sources we would in theory hear from about who directed this dub said it wasn't Willems.

Sorry 8000 Saiyan, I got a HINT that it will be different, but only in the sense that it should be a more refined version of Westwood. Cause at one moment he said his work on Super was the old skool voice, then he said that it may preview his Kai voice a little bit. So, I think the delivery will be similar to Super, but with that deeper Westwood tone.

I mean, the whole "oldschool voice" thing was all just something everyone seems to have picked up from the way Drummond talked about it in that one interview. If you listen to it in context, it's very clear he was talking about it in terms of him asking Sabat whether he should deliberately try to sound like Sabat's Vegeta, or to go with the proper Drummond Vegeta. Naturally, because of the way he phrased it in terms of "Oldschool Vegeta", everyone took it to mean "oh so he's trying to sound like he did in the '90s. ok." even though it's very clear he sounds a lot more like his Westwood era voice when you watch Super.

I think what we hear in Kai will be rather similar to what we heard in Super.

Robo4900 - I meant Dragon Ball Blue as in, to work "Blue" which is a word used to describe more *ahem* adult material

Ah.

Definitely happy Kelamis is open to returning, someone should get on to Sabat so he can arrange something whenever we get another Goku clone, although I have a feeling as an ADR director Sabat can more easily afford a slight pay cut for giving up a role he could have otherwise played himself.

Well, Schemmel in general seems to be the kind of person who'd very much like to be the voice of Goku in Funi's work at all times, so I don't think any of the other Goku actors will be as lucky as Drummond was in terms of getting to play an alternate Goku...

Anyway, I'm going to take a short diversion from responding to you directly on this to just say one quick thing along this line, if you'll excuse me...

Everyone. Please stop slamming Schemmel. It's not nice.

As I recall, Schemmel and Kelamis said that they talked the situation out, and figured it all out. We don't really know what went on, and Kelamis showed up to Kameha-Con as scheduled in the end, so it seems to have all blown over, so let's not all assume we know what went down, especially since making such an assumption leads to bashing a man who none of us know, and I imagine who not many of us have even met. You're entitled to think what you like, but being nasty about someone you don't even know in a situation like this is kind of horrible.

Having an "Over 8,000" and "Over 9,000" in the bag makes me hopeful on one hand, but realistic on the other. If cut and uncut were both considered for this dub, the "Over 8,000" certainly would have been useful to have in the vault in case a broadcaster wanted to air a more accurate version of this dub, although if it was a choice for the director/producer then only one would be needed and the other would sadly be scrapped.

Every now and then, someone states defintively "It's not going to be uncut.", and yet mysteriously fails to respond to "So, no uncut version at all? Source? Care to elaborate?" So... Until we know more, let's not assume we know either way.

Oh, a box set would have been absolutely amazing. I would prefer if this dub was a home video exclusive (if only a distributor could work around Funimation's rights) because I know everyone here would love to be able to own this dub, in preferably the best possible quality (i.e. Blu-Ray) and for preservation purposes.

I'd like it on home video and TV.

As for distributors and Funi's rights, there could very well be a release if Funimation negotiated with Toei to put out a boxset of it. We have no reason to believe it would happen, but it's entirely possible they could do it. It'd likely only be DVD, and probably a limited-edition affair like Rock The Dragon was, but it could happen. Get enough buzz going, harass those who could make it happen, and it just might. If this dub was produced by Toei, as seems to be the most likely case so far, the licensing likely wouldn't be any more difficult than licensing the Japanese versions of shows, so it very well could happen if the opportunity struck for it.

[8000 Saiyan]

So Schemmel and Kelamis are best buddies now, eh?

[WittyUsername]

Sean Schemmel in general seems like the kind of person who means well, but who can sometimes come across as a dick due to some insecurities he most likely has. I’m inclined to think that a lot of his insecurities probably stem from all those years of him being unfavorably compared to the other English voices for Goku, but that’s just an assumption on my part. In any case, it’s good that there doesn’t seem to be any current bad blood between him and Peter Kelamis.

[MistaL]

He was a total asshole to Corlett or Morrow (I forget which, or maybe it was Kalamis) for saying he was the voice of Goku at a convention, and tried to start Twitter drama before blocking them before they could really respond. I'll see if I can dig up the screenshots in a bit unless someone else has them.

[8000 Saiyan]

He was a total asshole to Corlett or Morrow (I forget which, or maybe it was Kalamis) for saying he was the voice of Goku at a convention, and tried to start Twitter drama before blocking them before they could really respond. I'll see if I can dig up the screenshots in a bit unless someone else has them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0TXUwIywgY (16:57 to 17:03)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35pcudljabE (26:18 to 26:38)

[MistaL]

He was a total asshole to Corlett or Morrow (I forget which, or maybe it was Kalamis) for saying he was the voice of Goku at a convention, and tried to start Twitter drama before blocking them before they could really respond. I'll see if I can dig up the screenshots in a bit unless someone else has them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0TXUwIywgY (16:57 to 17:03)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35pcudljabE (26:18 to 26:38)

Okay? All you've proven is that he's a stuck-up asshole who doesn't take into consideration that somebody may have had a good legitimate reason for leaving the show, and that it automatically means they don't care about the series. And even if Morrow didn't care about the series, that's no reason to be a complete shitstained asshole to someone.

[SX10]

I wouldn't call them best friends, no way. Frenemies?

As for cut, uncut, I hope just because the bad language isn't there, the violence is gone too. But to me no swearing in the dub is a big sign, and that's straight from Brian's mouth.

[MistaL]

I wouldn't call them best friends, no way. Frenemies?

As for cut, uncut, I hope just because the bad language isn't there, the violence is gone too. But to me no swearing in the dub is a big sign, and that's straight from Brian's mouth.

Well we already know what the visuals are gonna be like (minus title cards) from the edited Funimation Kai dub, which uses Ocean's video.

[SX10]

I wouldn't call them best friends, no way. Frenemies?

As for cut, uncut, I hope just because the bad language isn't there, the violence is gone too. But to me no swearing in the dub is a big sign, and that's straight from Brian's mouth.

Well we already know what the visuals are gonna be like (minus title cards) from the edited Funimation Kai dub, which uses Ocean's video.

Sad times. But I just can't wait to see it all the same.