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

[penguintruth]

Maybe somebody could e-mail Sean Schemmel and see if he really knows anything about this or not.

Somebody besides me. I doubt he'd answer me.

stalker

No, I mean because he's probably still butthurt about my criticisms.

[dagame10k]

If they all act the same way they did back in the day, they're no different. I much rather see a better ocean cast than what was presented, sorry. There's way better talent in the ocean pool than some of the choices that were made.

Like I said before just keep Brian Drummon and cast everyone else.

I hope the direction team from Death Note get involved, that dub was beyond awesome!

Depending on whether or not some of the original VA's decide to re-audition for their roles, I don't see an entire ground up recast, I would expect most of the characters which were casted well in Seasons 1/2, and the Westwood dubs reprise their roles. Kirby Morrow was one of many miscasted in the Westwood dub, and hopefully they found a perfect VA for the role.
Teen Trunks, Android's 16 and 19, Roshi, Bulma.

As for the direction, it depends on which company is behind the dub, with Death Note, Viz was behind that, so a lot of money was involved, and money means a lot, more time spent recording lines trying to get the delivery perfect, a good ADR director to get the best out of the actor, time spent of editing, tuning, adjusting all 3 sound tracks(Vocal, Music, and SFX tracks), the Westwood dub lacked that, and in the end was a complete mess.

If there isn't a chance of a DVD release, that will mean a smaller budget, and another Westwood dub like mess.

Changing the music and other things just means they couldn't get ahold of the Music License which really is just BS! This indicates that they're realyl not going to try at all on the dub, maybe we will get a damn good recast but why bother? Why not make it grade A like Death Note?

For all we know this is really just talk.

We don't know if the BGM has been changed or not, only 2 things have been confirmed. If there is any indication of anything, Kirby getting the boot is sign that the dub might actually be good, competent in comparison to the Westwood dub, and this they far behind FUNimation when it comes to broadcasting it, this dub likely won't be rushed out the door, with quality voice acting that the Westwood Dragon Ball Z dub lacked.

It's been confirmed several times by Sean, and Kirby really just confirmed that what sean said was true.

It's not like we need high expectations as this really will never see a dvd or blu-ray release.

Nothing will be confirmed until the dub finally airs on TV, the only thing thats been confirm is that there is a dub in the works, and Kirby Morrow will not return as Goku.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

MasakoX for Goku.

Not in the Ocean dub.

Not it any dub. MasakoX's Gokū is an over-exaggerated parody voice. It wouldn't do so well in an actual studio dub.

Blue Water is a joke, I hope for this dub's sake they don't make the mistake of letting that crew handle it.

Agreed. Blue Water's GT dub is almost as bad as the Big Green dub is terms of voice quality.

[The Time Traveller]

I wouldn't mind Zoe Sluzar, I think her name is, as Gohan or in the future, Goten.

I quite liked Pan's voice too.

It's the rest of the cast that would ruin it for me... especially if they used the same Freeza or Vegeta... ._.

[TheBlackPaladin]

I wouldn't mind Zoe Sluzar, I think her name is, as Gohan or in the future, Goten.

I quite liked Pan's voice too.

It's the rest of the cast that would ruin it for me... especially if they used the same Freeza or Vegeta... ._.

Pan's voice was actually really good in that dub. Since the voice actress was the character's actual age, her voice sounded very believable.

[ThunderPX]

You guys are all wrong, the Final Bout cast's where it's at.

[penguintruth]

MasakoX's Gokū is an over-exaggerated parody voice. It wouldn't do so well in an actual studio dub.

Because MasakoX is so untalented, he couldn't possibly adjust his voice accordingly to be less exaggerated, amirite?

It would still be better than Sean Schemmel's, that's for sure.

[linkdude20002001]

Excuse me? The Death Note dub was one of the few ones that managed to pronounce almost every Japanese name to near-perfection! How the hell did it "suck in the pronunciation department"?!

Holy shit! You're right! I was told by countless people that they screwed up on pronouncing Yagami and Matsuda correctly, but... Wow! I just watched the English dub of episode 37, and they got them both right. Whoever told me otherwise must've been the one pronouncing the names wrong.

Thanks, Puto. You've shown me the Light! (It's a PUN!!)

[El Diabeetus]

Excuse me? The Death Note dub was one of the few ones that managed to pronounce almost every Japanese name to near-perfection! How the hell did it "suck in the pronunciation department"?!

Holy shit! You're right! I was told by countless people that they screwed up on pronouncing Yagami and Matsuda correctly, but... Wow! I just watched the English dub of episode 37, and they got them both right. Whoever told me otherwise must've been the one pronouncing the names wrong.

Thanks, Puto. You've shown me the Light! (It's a PUN!!)

Yeah, in reality, the only name I've seen them mispronounce was Mikami. People always debate on whether the pronunciation of Light's last name is right. It sounds the same in both languages if you ask me. So, based on your comment that's more confirmation!

I really hope they do get Karl Weilems to do the directing for this Kai dub. If he gives them the Death Note quality directing, we could get a super amazing dub out of this. Not to say that FUNimation's direction is bad, it's quite great. It's just Karl seems to do an awesome job directing the shows I've seen with him credited.

[penguintruth]

Karl Weilems would be ideal, yeah. Between the first three DBZ movies and Death Note, he's proved to be excellent as a voice director. I just hope they avoid assigning James Corrigall to it. His Black Lagoon dub was excellent, but his Zeta Gundam and Gundam 00 dubs were horrific tragedies.

[linkdude20002001]

Yeah, in reality, the only name I've seen them mispronounce was Mikami. People always debate on whether the pronunciation of Light's last name is right. It sounds the same in both languages if you ask me. So, based on your comment that's more confirmation!

I really hope they do get Karl Weilems to do the directing for this Kai dub. If he gives them the Death Note quality directing, we could get a super amazing dub out of this. Not to say that FUNimation's direction is bad, it's quite great. It's just Karl seems to do an awesome job directing the shows I've seen with him credited.

Actually, now that I think about it; IS it supposed to be YAgami? YaGAmi makes more sense know that look at the kanji in his name...

[El Diabeetus]

Actually, now that I think about it; IS it supposed to be YAgami? YaGAmi makes more sense know that look at the kanji in his name...

Yah-guh-mi (way the dub says it, is how I heard it when I watched the Japanese version to verify.) I tend to say it like that. I see where people get Yuh-gah-mi from. But, than again I got through DN through the dub. So, I may not have the best opinion on it. I'm not sure at this point.

[linkdude20002001]

Yagami (夜神) is pronounced yah-gah-mee in the English dub (can't remember the Japanese dub), but the first kanji, 夜, is usually pronounced yah, and the second kanji, 神, is usually pronounced kah-mee, meaning God. But normally in dubs by Ocean Productions, all three-syllable Japanese names get pronounced one-two-three regardless of where the emphasis is supposed to be.

So knowing that they actually try now, I'm very hopeful with this new dub of Kai. We might actually get Saiyan pronounced correctly!

[El Diabeetus]

Yagami (夜神) is pronounced yah-gah-mee in the English dub (can't remember the Japanese dub), but the first kanji, 夜, is usually pronounced yah, and the second kanji, 神, is usually pronounced kah-mee, meaning God. But normally in dubs by Ocean Productions, all three-syllable Japanese names get pronounced one-two-three regardless of where the emphasis is supposed to be.

So knowing that they actually try now, I'm very hopeful with this new dub of Kai. We might actually get Saiyan pronounced correctly!

I knew the whole Kami/Gami thing, it applies to Shinigami as well. I know basic things about Japanese. Certain Kanji like that one, completely can read Katakana, Hiragana too; but, I wouldn't be able to actually translate it (the Hiragana, actually with Katakana I read the literal and trying to find out the intent of the name before deciding/making a romanization, one of the reasons I'm extremely annoyed with the whole wrong official name for Zoroa being Zorua, when the Katakana clearly says Zoroa.).

But, yeah. I'm awaiting this, as a fan of both casts, a guy who wants to become a Voice Actor (in all forms but mainly want to try for anime; but I'm mainly bringing it up to reinforce why I'm usually picky about pronunciation.), and just a huge DB fan in general. Hell, even if it's something small I tend to get excited for something new.

Actually, when I'm certain on what things should be pronounced like it annoys me when it doesn't sound right.

Like in Death Note, I got annoyed with the whole "Mee-kuh-mee" pronunciation for Mikami. Which brings up the example of the emphasis on the second syllable.

[batistabus]

Is wanting MasakoX as a legetimate voice for Goku a serious desire? Sure, he's decent with the happy go lucky, but have you ever heard him try to act serious in that voice? I saw a fandub once (that I haven't been able to find again)...and it wasn't pretty. Even so, it's probably difficult as it is to do an American accent.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Actually, now that I think about it; IS it supposed to be YAgami? YaGAmi makes more sense know that look at the kanji in his name...

There's supposed to be no emphasis on any syllable. I'd do a voice recording, but I just don't have a stupid mic.

Because MasakoX is so untalented, he couldn't possibly adjust his voice accordingly to be less exaggerated, amirite?

Possibly. I'm not that familiar with his acting abilities.

[RazorX]

Maybe he was giving an estimate, but we know it took at least 2 and a half years, most likely more than that.

Production began mid-2000 (you can check Daizenshuu EX's old news updates from that time using the Internet Archive website to verify, since they posted a news story about Brian Drummond saying he was beginning to voice Vegeta again). According to an interview with Don Brown from the old UKDB site, the final 4 episodes of DBZ were recorded about 2 weeks before Christmas 2002. Those episodes were then aired first in the United Kingdom in March 2003, and very shortly afterward in Canada.

The Ocean dub of episodes 108-276 (or 123-291) was completed in a 2 1/2 year span, and no more than that. Kirby Morrow was rounding up.

I know about Don Brown's interview. The AB/Ocean dub started in 2000 and IIRC I found that out because one of the Ocean/UK sites interviewed Dale Wilson, voice of Cell.

But the Drummond interview is interesting, I couldn't find any Daizex news prior to 2002 but Drummond stating he's voicing Vegeta again must've sent shockwaves of pleasure in the Dragon Ball fan community, who were still angry at Funi's dub.

The Ocean dub of the Kid Buu saga started broadcast in the United Kingdom in late January/early February 2003 and Blue Water's DBGT stated in the UK in March 2003, of those I am certain.

Sean Schemmel said (back when he still had a Facebook account)...well, a couple of things, actually. He kinda broke the story that there was even going to be an Ocean dub.....

...
but the same person who first said the music would be replaced was also the first person to mention that there would be an Ocean dub

Strictly speaking, that's not true. The first person to mention the Ocean dub of Kai was Subzero Ice on facebook. Sean didn't suddenly talk about the Ocean dub out of the blue. IIRC, Subzeroice said something along the lines of the Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Kai being the definitive dub and Sean reacted to those comments. There was a back and forth conversation between Subzeroice and Sean, and I recall Sean expressing surprise that anyone would know about the Ocean dub at that point to which SubzeroIce said something along the lines of he had contact with some of those who handled the Ocean dub of DBZ.

I don't remember the exact words and there was more information during the conversations on facebook. Anyone know of a way to retrieve or view facebook comments once they are deleted/hidden? In light of the fact that there is an Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Kai, it would be interesting to revisit those comments.

Karl Weilems would be ideal, yeah. Between the first three DBZ movies and Death Note, he's proved to be excellent as a voice director.

According to ANN, Karl Willems directed some of the Ocean dub episodes from the Android-Kid Buu sagas.

I hope Karl Willems directs the Ocean dub of Kai, he has produced good dubs, and he's worked on DBZ before, he should have a good idea of the show.

It's possible that the company behind the Ocean dub assigns Karl Willems to direct Kai, given his track record and the fact that he's worked on DBZ before. It's good for them and it's good for us.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Strictly speaking, that's not true. The first person to mention the Ocean dub of Kai was Subzero Ice on facebook. Sean didn't suddenly talk about the Ocean dub out of the blue. IIRC, Subzeroice said something along the lines of the Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Kai being the definitive dub and Sean reacted to those comments. There was a back and forth conversation between Subzeroice and Sean, and I recall Sean expressing surprise that anyone would know about the Ocean dub at that point to which SubzeroIce said something along the lines of he had contact with some of those who handled the Ocean dub of DBZ.

I don't remember the exact words and there was more information during the conversations on facebook. Anyone know of a way to retrieve or view facebook comments once they are deleted/hidden? In light of the fact that there is an Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Kai, it would be interesting to revisit those comments.

Ya know what, now that you mention it, I do remember reading something like that. I remember do remember Sean asking something along the lines of (not a word-for-word quote), "I'm curious as to how you know that, though. That's something that's strictly supposed to be internal FUNimation info at this point."

Which is interesting...it suggests that FUNimation is cooperating with Ocean to a certain extent.

[obiwan23s]

Karl Weilems would be ideal, yeah. Between the first three DBZ movies and Death Note, he's proved to be excellent as a voice director. I just hope they avoid assigning James Corrigall to it. His Black Lagoon dub was excellent, but his Zeta Gundam and Gundam 00 dubs were horrific tragedies.

Gundam 00 didn't need any help from its dub to be a horrific tragedy in its own right. Terrible show, especially the first season. Oh let's just kill off all these characters we didn't bother to develop in giant fucking dramatic death scenes and then expect our audience to care. I mean, it was better than Seed Destiny but not by a whole hell of a lot. Second season was probably par with Seed, which I consider an entertaining but far from perfect Gundam show.

[bkev]

Considering Ocean is handling the TV edits themselves, perhaps FUNimation is working on this dub as well somehow. It also makes me think that the Nicktoons cut is made for Canadian TV and not necessarily Nicktoons, as the TV cut for the Ocean dub was a little stricter than the Cartoon Network FUNi one. At least, dialog wise ("die, Cell!" compared to "fry, Cell!").