FUNimation and Toei announce online streaming of DBZ!

[SonEric84]

I'm with you on this Gaffer. I already own the whole series anyway and I'm also buying the Dragon Boxes as they come, so no matter what they do it doesn't affect me. It is a little strange seeing them go back to their use of the lower quality masters and US broadcast music after all the great strides they've been taking with Kai, though.

[theoriginalbilis]

Meh, it'll still be watchable, which the quality of most online streams anyway. At least we have a choice of language, which is the biggest positive of this whole announcement... and we never had that when the show was on TV.

And it's f'in FREE (which is what the widescreen masters are basically worth anyway ) I'd still have no problem recommending this to people who don't have/can't get ahold of the DVDs. If anything, this makes the US Dragon Boxes more valuable.

Sucks about the Faulconer score still being pushed, but it's not really a big deal.

[Kendamu]

Meh, it'll still be watchable, which the quality of most online streams anyway. At least we have a choice of language, which is the biggest positive of this whole announcement... and we never had that when the show was on TV.

And it's f'in FREE (which is what the widescreen masters are basically worth anyway ) I'd still have no problem recommending this to people who don't have/can't get ahold of the DVDs. If anything, this makes the US Dragon Boxes more valuable.

Sucks about the Faulconer score still being pushed, but it's not really a big deal.

Language choice is a very good point! I don't know many legal streams where I'm given that option. That, or I'm just missing it on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

[NeoKING]

Like it's already been said, it's free. You guys really have no right to get upset when you have other options. You're getting a one-for-one here: All the episodes in Japanese and English from the different series, even Z Kai, just with questionable quality.

I fail to see the problem. If you disagree with a free service, then you could always go and buy the Dragon Boxes whenever you come into some cash. I know I will. I just won't whine about this, and anyone expecting Dragon Box quality streams for free was kind of off their rocker from the start. There's just no way.

[JulieYBM]

Like it's already been said, it's free. You guys really have no right to get upset when you have other options. You're getting a one-for-one here: All the episodes in Japanese and English from the different series, even Z Kai, just with questionable quality.

I fail to see the problem. If you disagree with a free service, then you could always go and buy the Dragon Boxes whenever you come into some cash. I know I will. I just won't whine about this, and anyone expecting Dragon Box quality streams for free was kind of off their rocker from the start. There's just no way.

I believe the reasons for the discontent have been given. Terrible masters are being perpetuated and the replacement music is being brought to potential new fans, further splintering the fandom. All FUNimation had to do was use their old 4:3 masters and the original background music. FUNimation was on the track towards repairing the fandom with their choices the past two years. Something like this only throws fuel on the fire.

None of their other many streaming titles cropped or uploaded with replacement music. It's inconsistent.

[NeoKING]

Like it's already been said, it's free. You guys really have no right to get upset when you have other options. You're getting a one-for-one here: All the episodes in Japanese and English from the different series, even Z Kai, just with questionable quality.

I fail to see the problem. If you disagree with a free service, then you could always go and buy the Dragon Boxes whenever you come into some cash. I know I will. I just won't whine about this, and anyone expecting Dragon Box quality streams for free was kind of off their rocker from the start. There's just no way.

I believe the reasons for the discontent have been given. Terrible masters are being perpetuated and the replacement music is being brought to potential new fans, further splintering the fandom. All FUNimation had to do was use their old 4:3 masters and the original background music. FUNimation was on the track towards repairing the fandom with their choices the past two years. Something like this only throws fuel on the fire.

None of their other many streaming titles cropped or uploaded with replacement music. It's inconsistent.

Oh, you mean other "new" fans.

Well, like I've said, it's free so I guess we can't choose what we're given. Besides, not everything that shines is gold. Everyone should've seen this coming.

[Sketch]

Using the Orange Box footage is a shame. Using the full screen footage from the original uncut DVDs would have been much preferred but as many people are saying here, free is free. Would be nice if we got something a bit better for free given the option was there.

I realize these streams will be utterly worthless to sub fans due to use of the Orange Box footage and that is another reason I would have preferred full screen non-remastered footage but how many hardcore Japanese audio fans would bother with the stream at this point anyway?

Someone else brought up a very good point that new viewers might watch the show subbed as the majority of streaming anime is sub-only and dubs are the minority. Perhaps those youngen's that watch Naruto, One Piece and Bleach on Hulu may decided to watch the sub of Dragon Ball Z rather than the dub. Though I suppose most of them probably have at least seen Kai's dub at some point in which case they might watch the dub but either way DBZ's fandom grows and while some of ya'll feel it would be bad to make new dub fans, people are going to enjoy the show how they want to.

I am also all for the Falcouner score for the dub stream. As others have mentioned, the dub is made no better by using the original music. I'd argue it's made worse because the Japanese OST doesn't suit the mood of the dub dialogue at all. While the practice of replacing the OST in dubs should be behind us, dub fans like that score. Swapping out Falcouner's score with the original OST in the in the DBZ dub would be like using the Go-Lion OST in Voltron. There's a reason why no official release of the show has done that. Because the music and the dub go hand and hand. Using the original OST with the English dub is like putting a bandage on a bullet wound. That said I also wouldn't greatly mind if the original OST was used instead of the broadcast music but I honestly believe using the Falcouner score with the dub stream does more good than harm. Most people who even have a problem with it weren't going to watch the dub anyway. Though they aren't likely to watch the cropped "remastered" sub stream either.

Why is it such a concern to some of you how people choose to watch Dragon Ball Z? We can all be fans and so can anyone else who becomes a fan because of those streams. Don't give me that "we were so close to repairing the fandom" crap. The only people hurting the fandom are those who aren't willing to accept fans who watch and prefer an "inferior version" of a cartoon.

[Budogenkai]

I don't find this a step back at all.

I was going to drop around $125 on the Orange Bricks just to get the Falcouner score, now I can just watch it online.

Though I do understand why people are mad, it shouldn't be just the Falcouner score, it should have the original score as well.

[Goku100xKamehameha]

I don't find this a step back at all.

I was going to drop around $125 on the Orange Bricks just to get the Falcouner score, now I can just watch it online.

Though I do understand why people are mad, it shouldn't be just the Falcouner score, it should have the original score as well.

(IIRC) It does. It has 3 language options, English with Faulconer, English with JPN music, and Japanese with ENG subs.

[Great Saiyaman I]

I don't find this a step back at all.

I was going to drop around $125 on the Orange Bricks just to get the Falcouner score, now I can just watch it online.

Though I do understand why people are mad, it shouldn't be just the Falcouner score, it should have the original score as well.

(IIRC) It does. It has 3 language options, English with Faulconer, English with JPN music, and Japanese with ENG subs.

He's talking about the streaming.

[Goku100xKamehameha]

He's talking about the streaming.

Me too and I just remembered that it only has 2 options: ENG with Faulconer and ENG subs with JPN music.

[SuperSaiyan3Goku]

Even though the news of FUNimation using the Orange Brick footage was early in the day, I just NOW got wind of it. I didn't get ready for School until 3:30 PM, and Vegetto EX posted FUNi's treet at 1PM. I dunno, I was just really off today.

Anyway, about the news. I'd say this was a good idea.... for the fans who like the dub. And casual fans who are just getting into the series. I don't think a sub fan, who has the Four Dragon Box Z sets (Like myself) are going to even attempt to watch this because, they clearly turned down the "Orange Bricks" for the Dragon Boxes.

So again, this is for fans just getting into the series, it has Faulconer's score, crappy widescreen, and it's got the Japanese Audio track to boot!

[penguintruth]

Woah, don't say this is for people just getting into the show. If they watch the innaccurate English dub with the replacement music, they're going to get the wrong impression. I certainly wouldn't recommend new DBZ fans watch this.

I'd rather think that this is for people nostalgic for the Toonami days. New fans should watch Kai.

[Kendamu]

Even though the news of FUNimation using the Orange Brick footage was early in the day, I just NOW got wind of it. I didn't get ready for School until 3:30 PM, and Vegetto EX posted FUNi's treet at 1PM. I dunno, I was just really off today.

Anyway, about the news. I'd say this was a good idea.... for the fans who like the dub. And casual fans who are just getting into the series. I don't think a sub fan, who has the Four Dragon Box Z sets (Like myself) are going to even attempt to watch this because, they clearly turned down the "Orange Bricks" for the Dragon Boxes.

So again, this is for fans just getting into the series, it has Faulconer's score, crappy widescreen, and it's got the Japanese Audio track to boot!

While I'm not really angry about FUNi's decision, I don't agree with your reasoning.

I think new fans should be treated to the real deal. It's not like DBZ was unpopular in other countries with the original BGM and a 4:3 presentation.

[Soul]

As said, especially new fans? They'd either wanna watch Kai or the Japanese version.
Unless my reasoning is COMPLETELY off, I think new teens who get into the show with the streams might actually watch the subbed version.
You have all these kids watching Naruto Shippuden and Bleach..in Japanese..SUBTITLED on CrunchyRoll and Hulu.
So those who never got into DBZ, and give it a chance? You don't think some of them will watch the Japanese version?
Maybe I'm putting too much into that idea.

[DBfan4life]

As said, especially new fans? They'd either wanna watch Kai or the Japanese version.
Unless my reasoning is COMPLETELY off, I think new teens who get into the show with the streams might actually watch the subbed version.
You have all these kids watching Naruto Shippuden and Bleach..in Japanese..SUBTITLED on CrunchyRoll and Hulu.
So those who never got into DBZ, and give it a chance? You don't think some of them will watch the Japanese version?
Maybe I'm putting too much into that idea.

I agree with you that there will definitely be people that will watch the japanese version, but then again I feel like since there is an option for English why would they want to watch it in another language. I'm glad that they at the very least put the Japanese dub with English subtitles in there as well. To be honost, I have a feeling more new fans would rather watch Kai then the original DBZ. It's definitely unfortunate that it uses the remastered version of the video though.

[SolarBlade52]

I can see a few reasons why FUNI would have the dub along side the broadcast score.
About 90-95% of videos on Youtube, Myspace, Hell even around the entire web have the dub with the broadcast music. A good majority of dub fans like the Faulconer score. You hardly find any videos with the original Japanese audio. If I would like to watch the original Japanese version with the best picture quality possible, I buy the Dragon Boxes. I have 4 of them and I can wait to get 3 more.

[Flamzeron]

When they said the episodes would be akin to the orange bricks, I don't think they meant the masters. I think they meant as far as the whole broadcast and subbed versions.

[Cipher]

Mixed feelings about this.

The source footage is, as far as I'm concerned, neither here nor there. I have my Dragon Boxes. This is a free stream. Frankly, it's only going to be used to satisfy Dragon Ball kicks when I don't have my DVDs with me, so it doesn't have to look amazing. The Dragon Boxes are supposed to be premium collector's sets anyway. If this is the free alternative, then that's fine.

As for the decision to use the Funimation score, frankly I'm just surprised. I really thought they'd been fazing it out. Maybe they're doing it because this is aimed at Toonami nostalgics and they think it'll be more profitable. I'm actually kind of glad I'll be able to go back and watch an episode or two just to relive fifth grade. I am a little miffed that new fans will continue to be introduced to a score that shouldn't have existed though.

All in all, it's still free, legal, quality, bilingual streaming Dragon Ball. That's just too convenient to throw a fit over details.

[NeoKING]

All in all, it's still free, legal, quality, bilingual streaming Dragon Ball. That's just too convenient to throw a fit over details.

Especially for guys like me. This is going to be my first time seeing the original series in Japanese. I'm really looking forward to it.