Dragon Ball GT FUNimation DVD Questions

[Tsukento]

Something's been bothering me ever since I started collecting the Dragon Ball GT DVDs that FUNi's been releasing. (No, it's got nothing to do about the "Lost Episodes.")

I dunno if I'm going crazy, but the Japanese ending themes sound a lot like they were upgraded to stereo. It seems that way since the volume is a lot louder than the actual episodes and Dan Dan and it comes out a lot clearer. I was wondering if anyone else noticed this and if it is indeed upgraded to stereo by FUNimation or if it's exactly like that in the original? (I no longer have any of my bootleg subbed VHS tapes to be able to tell.)

Another thing bothering me is how GT seems a little more..somewhat complete compared to Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z in DVDs. Now I know it's nothing compared to the Dragon Box set, but you've got the openings, recaps, eyecatches, Next Episode previews and endings. I've heard from various arguments that Toei was being stingy and not giving up the eyecatches for the first 42 episodes Dragon Ball, the second animation for Makafushigi Adventure, the other animations for Dragon Ball's ending, and the original Next Episode previews for Dragon Ball Z (up to the point of not even giving FUNimation ANY to work with for the first two season redubs). Was wondering if someone could shed some light on as to why GT was capable of keeping pretty much almost everything intact (excluding the lack of the original credit roll for ep. 64) and DB and Z were left out?

[Slickmasterfunk]

...(excluding the lack of the original credit roll for ep. 64)

I don't own that particular DVD but doesn't the Japanese track have them as a second angle?

[Tsukento]

What I meant by that was the huge credit roll done which credited every voice actor/actress/staff member of each series during the Dan Dan segment that reflected on the entire Dragon Ball series (DB, DBZ and DBGT) as Goku left the Tenka'ichi Budokai. From what I hear, it's not even available on the Dragon Box set.

[Milton]

I dunno if I'm going crazy, but the Japanese ending themes sound a lot like they were upgraded to stereo. It seems that way since the volume is a lot louder than the actual episodes and Dan Dan and it comes out a lot clearer. I was wondering if anyone else noticed this and if it is indeed upgraded to stereo by FUNimation or if it's exactly like that in the original? (I no longer have any of my bootleg subbed VHS tapes to be able to tell.)

You too? I think I e-mailed EX about this a while ago, because I've noticed it as well. In particular, Hitori Ja Nai sounded much clearer than anything else on the DVD I was watching.

[Conan the SSJ]

The reason Toei gave GT to FUNi 99.9% Uncut is because, basicly, it's considered by many as a less popular series, and I guess Toei didn't see much point in giving any of the openings/endings or next-EP previews any alterations. The whole thing with GT episode 64's kanji credits can't be viewed in any way on the FUNi "Generations" DVD, and I personally don't see it as any big deal since the GT Dragonbox had its episode 64 treated the same way. Toei did, for whatever ridculous reason, alter the Goku Jr. Gaiden special when giving it to FUNi. What they did there was cut out its GT special logo at the very start, the theme song, and all the eye catchers. No biggie, but for insanly hardcore collectors, the dragonbox has the GT special supposedly 100% uncut. IMO, the FUNi GT DVDs are just as good as Toei's GT Dragonbox, the Goku Jr. special's cuts don't alter the experience of watching it by much, and episode 64's kanji credits are evidently something only Japanese TV and the International channel have been allowed to show.

[Tsukento]

Thanks for those explanations, although I'm still puzzled about the stereo sounding ending themes for GT. If it was FUNi's doing, then why not just give the rest of the audio a nice stereo boost?

[DBW]

Thanks for those explanations, although I'm still puzzled about the stereo sounding ending themes for GT. If it was FUNi's doing, then why not just give the rest of the audio a nice stereo boost?

They sound better because they were originally recorded in stereo and then downgraded to mono for the episode. It's not like they recorded the songs in mono, and then turned them "stereo sounding" afterwards. Some old series might insert a stereo version of the themes (presumably from a CD), instead of using the original mono mix for the DVD release (Space Pirate Captain Harlock did this), but this isn't the case with GT.

Either way, the themes in GT are not a stereo mix (unless you're counting the TV Special), and even if they were, it's unlikely that the episodes would get such a treatment since they'd literally have to remaster something like 32 hours of audio (and that's just GT...).