Why is there no Super simulcast on Funimation's site?

[Blackstripe]

I've been wondering this since July: Why didn't Funimation simulcast Dragon Ball Super like they did with many other Anime? As of now, they don't even have the show up on their website at all, which just seems odd. Dragon Ball is their flagship series, why wouldn't they do all they can to have it up?

[TheBlackPaladin]

Dragon Ball is their flagship series, why wouldn't they do all they can to have it up?

Well, for all we know, they tried to do just that and it just didn't work out. In order for them to simulcast Super, they need to obtain the legal rights to do so from Toei, which I suppose they haven't. It's quite possible that the rights to do that, at this time, are too expensive for FUNimation to make a return on such an investment.

[Hellspawn28]

Licenses works different with different shows. This is what I think we didn't get a simulcast for Super.

1. It's the first DB show in over 15 years and Toei wants to it air in Japan first before letting other countries air first.
2. Funimation wants a dub out first to be along side the subs. Like it or not, the series is more popular dubbed in the US with casual people and they can't get the actors to voice the series weekly while it's airing in Japan.

Funimation has something plan for New York Comic Con, so I guess they will announce Super soon. I see Super airing at 12:30 AM on Toonami right after Kai.

[TheGreatness25]

Licenses works different with different shows. This is what I think we didn't get a simulcast for Super.

1. It's the first DB show in over 15 years and Toei wants to it air in Japan first before letting other countries air first.
2. Funimation wants a dub out first to be along side the subs. Like it or not, the series is more popular dubbed in the US with casual people and they can't get the actors to voice the series weekly while it's airing in Japan.

Funimation has something plan for New York Comic Con, so I guess they will announce Super soon. I see Super airing at 12:30 AM on Toonami right after Kai.

Well a simulcast would be on FUNimation's channel (or whatever the app is called) and if you look, the Japanese version of the series has the highest ratings and the dubbed episodes have the lowest ratings. I don't know what that's about, but that's something I noticed.

[Hellspawn28]

Well Dragon Ball is one of those series that is more popular dubbed then sub. Most casual fans won't watch the series subbed because they are so used to the English voices being iconic to them.

[fadeddreams5]

I wrote this in another topic:

It's pretty obvious they wanted to capitalize on Kai ending to begin Super, which is why they didn't wait until Toriyama finished [the uni 6 arc]. It also explains why they don't bother simulcasting or working on an international release yet. If dubbers decide to skip straight to the new arc when it airs on TV in the west, they can. How can they decide? By gauging Super's performance in Japan from the start. Also, the animation may be improved via DVD/Blu-Ray releases by then, so the international release will be superior, no matter what.

They're well aware this isn't a perfect product, atm. They're also aware this franchise has a huge global fanbase.

[garfield15]

Toei is pretty infamous for being incredibly anal about simulcasting things

As of now, they don't even have the show up on their website at all, which just seems odd. Dragon Ball is their flagship series, why wouldn't they do all they can to have it up?

You do know Funimation doesn't actually have the license as of yet right?

[Hellspawn28]

They have a DBS panel plan soon at New York Comic Con. We can expect something soon.

[Theophrastus]

Toei is pretty infamous for being incredibly anal about simulcasting things

They're bad when it comes to Dragon Ball-related streaming, but it seems to me like they're actually pretty good about having simulcasts for their other shows, at least lately:

- One Piece is currently being simulcast (and has been continuously since 2009 or so).
- World Trigger is currently being simulcast.
- Sailor Moon Crystal got a simulcast.
- Saint Seiya Omega and Soul of Gold have both gotten simulcasts.
- Toriko got a simulcast.
- Majin Bone got a simulcast.
- Rowdy Sumo Wrestler Matsutaro got a simulcast.
- Robot Girls Z and Robot Girls Z Plus have both gotten simulcasts.
- Digimon Xros Wars - The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time got a simulcast.
- The Kyousogiga TV series got a simulcast.

That might not be an exhaustive list of everything Toei Animation has done in the last few years, but it leads me to believe Dragon Ball is an exception (along with Pretty Cure), rather than the rule.

[garfield15]

They have a DBS panel plan soon at New York Comic Con. We can expect something soon.

Yeah, I'm talking about why it wasn't on their site right now though

[successoroffate]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

The long answer is No, because the amount of effort and money that it requires to get the licenses or other expenses just to allow the simulcast, would hurt their pockets too much and they probably do not think people are going to watch it anyway. It's not profitable.

If I owned Funi, I would use all my power to have the simulcast OR have a subbed version available with a paid subscription within 24 hours after the show aired.

[irreality]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

The long answer is No, because the amount of effort and money that it requires to get the licenses or other expenses just to allow the simulcast, would hurt their pockets to much and they probably do not think people are going to watch it anyway. It's not profitable.

If I owned Funi, I would use all my power to have the simulcast OR have a subbed version available with a paid subscription within 24 hours after the show aired.

How do you know that Funimation was offered (and declined) a simulcast for *any* amount of money? No other country has any release plans for Super, either. Some of which were much faster about releasing FnF, or had a wider release of those movies, for example.

[successoroffate]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

The long answer is No, because the amount of effort and money that it requires to get the licenses or other expenses just to allow the simulcast, would hurt their pockets to much and they probably do not think people are going to watch it anyway. It's not profitable.

If I owned Funi, I would use all my power to have the simulcast OR have a subbed version available with a paid subscription within 24 hours after the show aired.

How do you know that Funimation was offered (and declined) a simulcast for *any* amount of money? No other country has any release plans for Super, either. Some of which were much faster about releasing FnF, or had a wider release of those movies, for example.

I'm not sure where I said that they were offered a simulcast and denied it or are you asking me What if they did have an offer?

My point is the lack of interest. Take Fukkatsu for example. Other countries, specially from Latinamerica had the movie in theaters for way more than a month and a half. It wasn't a special limited event just like they did for the States and Italy (The run in italy was also from August 4th to 11th for some reason). As for Super, I am confident the Latinamerican dub is going to come out way before Funi's.

[garfield15]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

Whaaaaa...?

[successoroffate]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

Whaaaaa...?

Too many mistakes since the beginning which they tried to fix, but it was too late. Some of those mistakes still remain even today. I think they mishandled the brand and undervalued the fan base. Just my biased opinion.

[garfield15]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

Whaaaaa...?

Too many mistakes since the beginning which they tried to fix, but it was too late. Some of those mistakes still remain even today. I think they mishandled the brand and undervalued the fan base. Just my biased opinion.

Okay I agree they made mistakes in the past but saying they don't care about Dragon Ball? The show that literally put them on the map? The show they say they try to get every piece of merchantable media for? I can't see that. That's like saying Toei doesn't care about Dragon Ball because they messed up a lot of things with Kai

[B]

Everyone tosses out "Toei is charging too much for the license" whenever this(or when Battle of Gods took forever) topic comes up, but I've never seen it backed up before. It wouldn't shock me to learn it was true, but without a source, it just seems like people throwing their arms in the air and screaming "WHAT ELSE COULD BE THE HOLD-UP DRAGONBALLZ = $$Z$".

[Baggie_Saiyan]

The short answer is No, because FUNI does not care about Dragon Ball.

The long answer is No, because the amount of effort and money that it requires to get the licenses or other expenses just to allow the simulcast, would hurt their pockets to much and they probably do not think people are going to watch it anyway. It's not profitable.

If I owned Funi, I would use all my power to have the simulcast OR have a subbed version available with a paid subscription within 24 hours after the show aired.

How do you know that Funimation was offered (and declined) a simulcast for *any* amount of money? No other country has any release plans for Super, either. Some of which were much faster about releasing FnF, or had a wider release of those movies, for example.

I'm not sure where I said that they were offered a simulcast and denied it or are you asking me What if they did have an offer?

My point is the lack of interest. Take Fukkatsu for example. Other countries, specially from Latinamerica had the movie in theaters for way more than a month and a half. It wasn't a special limited event just like they did for the States and Italy (The run in italy was also from August 4th to 11th for some reason). As for Super, I am confident the Latinamerican dub is going to come out way before Funi's.

It has nothing to do with "lack of interest" it was more to do with Fox than FUNi, as I read somewhere that fox handled where the film will be screened at etc and FUNi would do the rest, dub, advertising etc. Also, MangaUK from the UK also had some problems with FOX and they received the materials quite late hence why the UK is releasing it on Sep 30th, something similar could have happened to FUNi. Not to mention that FUNi had to dub the show when they have extremely busy actors and some of them don't even live in Texas so I am sure they had to factor that it when they decided upon a release date, not to mention June and July are pretty hot with summer blockbusters, for example look at Jurassic World, DBZ wouldn't have been able to compete with that, August is where things tend to die down for example Fantastic Four, it did so bad that some screens got taken down in favour for DBZ, which wouldn't have happened if it was released in June. which is another point of screen availability. There is a lot in play here as to why FUNi didn't release RF fast, it is nothing to do with them showing a lack of interest, to flip this around FUNi are releasing it on DVD/BD on Oct 20th, few weeks after Japan.

[irreality]

I'm not sure where I said that they were offered a simulcast and denied it or are you asking me What if they did have an offer?

My point is the lack of interest. Take Fukkatsu for example. Other countries, specially from Latinamerica had the movie in theaters for way more than a month and a half. It wasn't a special limited event just like they did for the States and Italy (The run in italy was also from August 4th to 11th for some reason). As for Super, I am confident the Latinamerican dub is going to come out way before Funi's.

Your answer to the question "Why is there no Super simulcast on Funi's site?" was "lack of interest on the part of Funi". How can that be the sole or main reason when *no* licensor is able to get a dub, simulcast, or sub out right now, even if they are, as you say, highly interested the way Latin America or Taiwan for example might be?

Even if Funi was 100% excited or 0% excited for Super, the end result would be the same: no simulcast. Because it is likely not up to Funi at all. Thus I objected to your answer because it is based on spurious reasoning.

[Hellspawn28]

I'm pretty sure Funimation want a simulcast for Super, but they have to go by Toei. Toei probably wants Super to air in Japan first before the rest of the world gets it.