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

[Attitudefan]

Abundance is a good thing, and so is competition. I see only good to come out of it. It puts both casts up to their A-game since they are trying to out do each other.

[Blade]

I don't get it, why does DB Kai need another English dub for? Funimation already did a fantastic job with their dub of Kai.

I don't think it's a case that another dub was needed, but more that Dragonball's complex worldwide licensing situation allowed for its creation. The Dragonball franchise has been incredibly lucrative over the years for the companies that have been able to get a slice of the pie, and I think that the creation of an alternative dub with the Ocean cast can only be something that has been allowed to happen due to the legacy of AB Groupe owning the rights for English speaking, non-North American markets, such as the UK and Canada, which harks back to 15 - 20 years ago.

At this point, my working theory is that this dub was created on the assumption that, like with Dragonball Z, they would be able to sell it to at least 2 English speaking markets, both Canada and the UK - but for some reason, the latter has received Funimation's dub this time around and the former has yet to receive anything at all. The situation in the UK with Dragonball Z was very, very complicated, and resulted in us getting a real mixture of different English dubs, which but for the most part, wasn't Funimations. As to why that was the case remains a murky issue, but it's always been generally understood that the reasons were largely financial between Turner Broadcasting UK and Funimation, and the end result was for Turner to fund the Westwood dub to the remit of 'how fast can you get this shit out of the door and into our hands?'. The fact that Cartoon Network UK is very much a different organisation now to what it was back then meant that they passed on Kai when given the option, allowing a smaller, unknown broadcaster to pick up the rights, 'Kix'. I can only assume therefore that whatever issues existed between Turner UK and Funimation simply weren't a problem for Kix, resulting in the adoption of the Funimation dub, all the while the people who've paid for this new Ocean may have been sat thinking they were the first port of call.

[NitroEX]

My biggest fear is that Time Warner/Cartoon Network did commission this dub and decided near the end to shut down production, scratch it off as a financial loss and go with the safe/easy option of Funi's Kai for Toonami due to them acquiring the rights from Nicktoons.

Hopefully that's not the case and it's still being prepped for another country like Canada but I can just picture a huge corporation like that not caring about any money lost on a dub as they probably fund a bunch of projects that never see the light of day.

If only there was a way to know if the project is still alive or not. I don't mind waiting so long as I know I'm waiting for something! At this point if they offered me the option of funding a kickstarter to resurrect this dub and get it out the door I'de go for it. It probably wouldn't even be that expensive at this point since it seems like the actors were finished recording ages ago.

[Super Sayian Prime]

I don't think it's a case that another dub was needed, but more that Dragonball's complex worldwide licensing situation allowed for its creation. The Dragonball franchise has been incredibly lucrative over the years for the companies that have been able to get a slice of the pie, and I think that the creation of an alternative dub with the Ocean cast can only be something that has been allowed to happen due to the legacy of AB Groupe owning the rights for English speaking, non-North American markets, such as the UK and Canada, which harks back to 15 - 20 years ago.

Canada is a part of North America.

[LordCrumb]

This isn't even going to happen imo. If they were going to do it, it would have started by now.. way too much time has passed.

[TheBalishChannel]

This isn't even going to happen imo. If they were going to do it, it would have started by now.. way too much time has passed.

/thread

[Blade]

I don't think it's a case that another dub was needed, but more that Dragonball's complex worldwide licensing situation allowed for its creation. The Dragonball franchise has been incredibly lucrative over the years for the companies that have been able to get a slice of the pie, and I think that the creation of an alternative dub with the Ocean cast can only be something that has been allowed to happen due to the legacy of AB Groupe owning the rights for English speaking, non-North American markets, such as the UK and Canada, which harks back to 15 - 20 years ago.

Canada is a part of North America.

Not in terms of Dragonball licensing territories.

[Super Sayian Prime]

I don't think it's a case that another dub was needed, but more that Dragonball's complex worldwide licensing situation allowed for its creation. The Dragonball franchise has been incredibly lucrative over the years for the companies that have been able to get a slice of the pie, and I think that the creation of an alternative dub with the Ocean cast can only be something that has been allowed to happen due to the legacy of AB Groupe owning the rights for English speaking, non-North American markets, such as the UK and Canada, which harks back to 15 - 20 years ago.

Canada is a part of North America.

Not in terms of Dragonball licensing territories.

Do you have any proof of that? Canada didn't get any of AB Groupe's home releases. There is no Canada-specific home video version of Dragon Ball. Canadian retailers sold and continue to sell Funimation's products.

[Blade]

Do you have any proof of that? Canada didn't get any of AB Groupe's home releases. There is no Canada-specific home video version of Dragon Ball. Canadian retailers sold and continue to sell Funimation's products.

There was no Dragonball on home video in the United Kingdom, save for a few low key 'Big Green' dub film releases under the AB license, until a year or two ago when Manga UK struck a deal to publish the Orange Bricks. The Westwood dub has never seen any form of home release, and as far as I'm aware, apart from the aforementioned movies, AB Groupe hasn't released any other English language material anywhere.

We literally had nothing here, at all.

[TheBlackPaladin]

This isn't even going to happen imo. If they were going to do it, it would have started by now.. way too much time has passed.

/thread

I grant you, it does look more and more grim as time passes.

At the same time, I'm only throwing in the towel if FUNimation's dub airs on Canadian TV. At that point, I will be convinced that the Ocean dub of Kai, while it was produced, will never see the light of day. It's also worth noting that the previously-unexpected production of the Buu saga may be holding things up even more.

[Super Sayian Prime]

Do you have any proof of that? Canada didn't get any of AB Groupe's home releases. There is no Canada-specific home video version of Dragon Ball. Canadian retailers sold and continue to sell Funimation's products.

There was no Dragonball on home video in the United Kingdom, save for a few low key 'Big Green' dub film releases under the AB license, until a year or two ago when Manga UK struck a deal to publish the Orange Bricks. The Westwood dub has never seen any form of home release, and as far as I'm aware, apart from the aforementioned movies, AB Groupe hasn't released any other English language material anywhere.

We literally had nothing here, at all.

Wouldn't that be proof AB Groupe had no hold on Canada? Big Green never aired on TV here, as we only got the first three movies dubbed for Pioneer. The DVDs seen in English-speaking Canada are the exact same ones from the US. It's been more than 10 years, but I don't recall any merch that ended up in Canadian stores carrying the AB Groupe name. In fact, Irwin Toys, the toy licensee for the series during the property's height in North America, received their license from Funimation. Given Irwin was a Canadian company, it should come as no surprise that their figures ended up in mass Canadian retail. In one their 2001 (pre-Blue Water DB+GT, which aired in Canada) press releases, it was stated that Funimation's license covered "U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa."

[Bananape]

At the same time, I'm only throwing in the towel if FUNimation's dub airs on Canadian TV. At that point, I will be convinced that the Ocean dub of Kai, while it was produced, will never see the light of day. It's also worth noting that the previously-unexpected production of the Buu saga may be holding things up even more.

Considering the current state of anime's presence on Canadian airwaves, I wouldn't hold my breathe on either dub coming to Canada. The only real anime here are the ones with massive merchandising towards younger audiences.

[Blade]

Do you have any proof of that? Canada didn't get any of AB Groupe's home releases. There is no Canada-specific home video version of Dragon Ball. Canadian retailers sold and continue to sell Funimation's products.

There was no Dragonball on home video in the United Kingdom, save for a few low key 'Big Green' dub film releases under the AB license, until a year or two ago when Manga UK struck a deal to publish the Orange Bricks. The Westwood dub has never seen any form of home release, and as far as I'm aware, apart from the aforementioned movies, AB Groupe hasn't released any other English language material anywhere.

We literally had nothing here, at all.

Wouldn't that be proof AB Groupe had no hold on Canada? Big Green never aired on TV here, as we only got the first three movies dubbed for Pioneer. The DVDs seen in English-speaking Canada are the exact same ones from the US. It's been more than 10 years, but I don't recall any merch that ended up in Canadian stores carrying the AB Groupe name. In fact, Irwin Toys, the toy licensee for the series during the property's height in North America, received their license from Funimation. Given Irwin was a Canadian company, it should come as no surprise that their figures ended up in mass Canadian retail. In one their 2001 (pre-Blue Water DB+GT, which aired in Canada) press releases, it was stated that Funimation's license covered "U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa."

I think the anomaly pertains to the fact that Canada is a multi-lingual market, a large portion of which is French, with AB Groupe itself being a French company. From what I understand, a factor in YTV airing the Westwood Dub was that as it was produced in Canada, it could bypass the network quota for foreign content import and be regarded as a domestic production. That said, the dub was still produced and distributed by the AB Groupe, and as such airing the thing on Canadian TV would have been impossible if they didn't hold some claim to the region. It may well be that Funimation's hold only extended to home media and merchandise and not broadcast, but that said, even in the UK we eventually got Irwin Dragonball Z figures - so go figure. It's obvious that there was some collaboration, understanding or give and take between all parties - but murky as the whole picture is, essentially, what's apparent is that Dragonball's licensing situation was incredibly complex, and whilst it is less so now, the legacy of those prior arrangements continues to effect how things are handled even now.

[Attitudefan]

CrunchyRoll just released an interview with Sabat, and at the end of it, he mentions stuff about NDAs and how he's working on something big but can't disclose it yet, but it sounds like it's soon.

Now he mentioned it is something that he's worked on for a long time. I wonder if it has to do with Ocean Kai...

[TheGmGoken]

Why would Sabat work on Ocean Kai?

[EmmaWinters]

Why would Sabat work on Ocean Kai?

Right. If anything it's indicative of the Buu arc.

[Freeza Soldier #156]

CrunchyRoll just released an interview with Sabat, and at the end of it, he mentions stuff about NDAs and how he's working on something big but can't disclose it yet, but it sounds like it's soon.

Now he mentioned it is something that he's worked on for a long time. I wonder if it has to do with Ocean Kai...

Doubt it has anything to do with Ocean Kai. I have a feeling it may be the FUNi dub of Buu Kai that he's talking about.

[Attitudefan]

Possibly. But I still get the feeling it's bigger than just the Buu arc. He made it sound bigger.

[TheGmGoken]

Possibly. But I still get the feeling it's bigger than just the Buu arc. He made it sound bigger.

The new DBZ movie?

Ocean Kai isn't that big to be honest. Not to the majority of fans who already seen an English Kai dub. I'm guessing Boo arc or ROF.


Or another anime.

[Blade]

I have a feeling he's talking about the new film. There ua mounting evidence of a worldwide release plan being fairly advanced.