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

[TheAldella]

It's been a while but if I'm remembering correctly I think Brendan Hunter confirmed that he was reprising the role. Matt Smith apparently quit acting a while ago to work in real estate.

I can second this. Hunter was a guest at Otafest 2013 in Calgary where he confirmed that he was the voice for Tenshinhan in Kai. The way he talked about the role made it sound as he had been finished with recording for a while, even back then.

Well to be fair here, Tenshinhan had like 8 lines in Kai.

[thomas1up]

I wonder if the Ocean dub may end up airing on Kix? Dragon Ball Z Kai has been gone for a while which is strange since it was one of their more popular shows.... Just food for thought.

[NitroEX]

I wonder if the Ocean dub may end up airing on Kix? Dragon Ball Z Kai has been gone for a while which is strange since it was one of their more popular shows.... Just food for thought.

At this point I don't think Kix even have the rights for Kai anymore as all traces of it have disappeared from their website and schedule. It's wishful thinking on my part but there's a tiny possibility another UK channel other than Kix could possibly pick up the show and start fresh with the Ocean dub. This sort of thing has happened with many popular imported US shows in the past, IIRC Breaking Bad has had at least 3 different UK broadcasters, two of which had incomplete runs of the show and at one point even Pokemon & Digimon both ran simultaneously on two different UK channels during their heyday. I have no clue what (if any) UK channel would be interested in anime these days aside from Kix as I don't keep track of TV these days but since they weren't a very mainstream channel to begin with it wouldn't surprise me if Toei weren't happy with Kai's performance on Kix and looked elsewhere in future.

In spite of all that I think Canada is still the best bet.

Edit: While on the subject of UK broadcasts It should be noted that Sky appear to have shown both Battle of Gods and Resurrection F so you never know, they may have been testing the waters for Dragonball content.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Kix was aware of the existence of the Ocean dub of Kai, but Toei didn't clear them to use it.

As NitroEX said, Canadian TV is where all eyes should be glued at this point.

[thomas1up]

I wonder if the Ocean dub may end up airing on Kix? Dragon Ball Z Kai has been gone for a while which is strange since it was one of their more popular shows.... Just food for thought.

At this point I don't think Kix even have the rights for Kai anymore as all traces of it have disappeared from their website and schedule. It's wishful thinking on my part but there's a tiny possibility another UK channel other than Kix could possibly pick up the show and start fresh with the Ocean dub. This sort of thing has happened with many popular imported US shows in the past, IIRC Breaking Bad has had at least 3 different UK broadcasters, two of which had incomplete runs of the show and at one point even Pokemon & Digimon both ran simultaneously on two different UK channels during their heyday. I have no clue what (if any) UK channel would be interested in anime these days aside from Kix as I don't keep track of TV these days but since they weren't a very mainstream channel to begin with it wouldn't surprise me if Toei weren't happy with Kai's performance on Kix and looked elsewhere in future.

In spite of all that I think Canada is still the best bet.

Edit: While on the subject of UK broadcasts It should be noted that Sky appear to have shown both Battle of Gods and Resurrection F so you never know, they may have been testing the waters for Dragonball content.

If Sky were to air Dragon Ball it would 100% be the Funi dub seeing as they got it from MangaUK who release only Funi dub material.

Kix was aware of the existence of the Ocean dub of Kai, but Toei didn't clear them to use it.

As NitroEX said, Canadian TV is where all eyes should be glued at this point.

I think it could be that in 2012 (when Kix started airing DBK) the Ocean Dub wasn't completed so Toei gave them the Funi dub instead (it's likely Toei wouldn't tell them the reasoning) Of course I could be completely wrong, but it's just a theory.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I'd love for Kai to get another UK run. Now that the orange bricks and Kai season sets have been available in stores for a while there is an opportunity for the Ocean Kai dub to do well on TV without disrupting the sales for any of Funi's home releases (if it's true as some of us speculated that TOEI didn't allow Kix to air the Ocean dub for this reason).

I'd also keep an eye on Canada for future Kai broadcasts, because unlike the Westwood dub the Ocean dub of Kai seems to be a product primarily made for that market. I just hope Tockar's recent tweet is pointing to a potential TV deal, which (if we're very lucky) we may hear more about soon.

If Sky were to air Dragon Ball it would 100% be the Funi dub seeing as they got it from MangaUK who release only Funi dub material.

Seen as how AB Groupe are notorious for not releasing DVDs outside France, releasing Funi material exclusively may not have been entirely MangaUK's prerogative, if at all. For all we know MangaUK could have been interested in releasing the Westwood and Blue Water dubs as collector's item but AB didn't allow them to be licenced for home media.

[TheBlackPaladin]

...(if it's true as some of us speculated that TOEI didn't allow Kix to air the Ocean dub for this reason).

Just for the sake of clearing up any potential confusion, that's not speculation, we got that bit of info from Subzero Ice. Once again, I find the real-life identity of this username to be quite an interesting mystery, because it appears that, whoever he/she is, he/she has access info with levels of secrecy above even what the voice actors are allowed to know.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

...(if it's true as some of us speculated that TOEI didn't allow Kix to air the Ocean dub for this reason).

Just for the sake of clearing up any potential confusion, that's not speculation, we got that bit of info from Subzero Ice. Once again, I find the real-life identity of this username to be quite an interesting mystery, because it appears that, whoever he/she is, he/she has access info with levels of secrecy above even what the voice actors are allowed to know.

I know it's a fact TOEI didn't allow Kix to air the Ocean dub, but we don't know if the reason was specifically to maximize sales of the orange bricks which were also being released at the time. Although it would make sense from a business perspective. My point is that if TOEI think Ocean Kai could do well on UK TV now without sabotaging with sales of any Funi releases they could potentially allow a UK broadcaster to air it.

[Attitudefan]

I think it could be that in 2012 (when Kix started airing DBK) the Ocean Dub wasn't completed so Toei gave them the Funi dub instead (it's likely Toei wouldn't tell them the reasoning) Of course I could be completely wrong, but it's just a theory.

If there's any knowledge of when it finished, you can check out my post when I met Drummond at the gym (which you can view in this thread here). Around that time he was recording the last episodes of Kai (Vegeta going berserk from Trunks' death by the hands of Cell). He nearly lost his voice around that time and told me the very day he finished his recording. Seeing that was back in 2012, and that the original dub was recorded somewhere in the early 90s, like 94-95, it is possible that these dubs do get recorded in Canada much earlier and released years later as the norm. I don't have insider knowledge nor am I a professional actor, but this seems as a possibility.

I know it's a fact TOEI didn't allow Kix to air the Ocean dub, but we don't know if the reason was specifically to maximize sales of the orange bricks which were also being released at the time. Although it would make sense from a business perspective. My point is that if TOEI think Ocean Kai could do well on UK TV now without sabotaging with sales of any Funi releases they could potentially allow a UK broadcaster to air it.

I still don't see why FUNi couldn't just release the Ocean Dub of Kai as a special edition or an alternate take on their Kai DVDs akin to the Orange Brick's broadcast version with the American score and some alternate voice takes alongside the redub and Japanese score. That or similar to how Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball have had multiple types of releases alongside their main dub release (uncut released with an edited version). Or even a special edition like the Rock the Dragon sets with the alternate voice cast which could be a limited release or just as an alternate release. It wouldn't cost them too much money since DVD production is cheap and if they made a stream only version that'd be even cheaper. I mean, FUNi has released "Best Of" DVD sets that I'm sure barely made them much money versus season set releases.

But seriously, what's the harm in a streamed version or a special edition release??

[NitroEX]

Nice to see you back again, Attitudefan. I was was starting to suspect Ocean had kidnapped you for knowing too much about this dub

If Sky were to air Dragon Ball it would 100% be the Funi dub seeing as they got it from MangaUK who release only Funi dub material.

Maybe, although I'm not sure how much involvement MangaUK even have when it comes to anime getting broadcast on television, they don't appear to be a company that really makes any effort to do that (perhaps because it's not in their power to do so?). As far as I'm aware they only deal with home video releases and occasionally arrange small screenings of anime films but it all seems to be kept pretty niche and ground level. There's a good chance that Toei would still be the appropriate company to go through for broadcasting rights but it's just a guess.

that's not speculation, we got that bit of info from Subzero Ice. Once again, I find the real-life identity of this username to be quite an interesting mystery, because it appears that, whoever he/she is, he/she has access info with levels of secrecy above even what the voice actors are allowed to know.

I think Subzero Ice was likely someone working in the UK television industry judging from who they supposedly conversed with. He/she even mentioned that the head of acquisitions at CSC Media (Kis) was not as well informed on the history of the DBZ dubs compared to the head of programming at Turner which is a fascinating bit of insight and suggests a close relationship with people in high positions. Another bit of info I found interesting was that the head of programming at Turner (Cartoon Network UK I presume) said in a supposed conversation with Subzero Ice that "they were not looking to get Kai but if they did, it would be the Ocean dub". This all may have changed in recent years however with all that's happened since then but still fascinating nonetheless.

[eledoremassis02]

I hope they can get this dub on TV. If it does to do well I wonder if it would spark interest in a Kai dub. I still find it very strange that Super and Kai are both sitting waiting to be dubbed or released by FUNimation. I wonder if there is more too it...I wonder what is going on?

[TheBlackPaladin]

But seriously, what's the harm in a streamed version or a special edition release??

It's not entirely clear to me what kind of power FUNimation holds over the Ocean dub, if any. Even in the case of the "Rock the Dragon" box set, FUNimation was only able to legally release the episodes that were dubbed when they were still the producers. The Westwood dub of DBZ, and the Blue Water dubs for Dragon Ball and GT remain unreleased.

So besides having the home video rights for Kai, another problem I can definitely see with releasing the Ocean Kai dub on home video is that, since it was going to be an edited, TV-only dub--with audio synced to edited footage--it wouldn't work as an alternative audio track because the dub's audio wouldn't sync up with the uncut footage. So, assuming FUNimation is even legally allowed to do this (which I doubt), if they ever released the Ocean Kai dub themselves, it would have to be an entirely separate home video release (like the "Rock the Dragon" box set). Would there be a market for such a release? Absolutely, but I doubt it'd be big enough to recoup the costs.

As for streaming, I have three immediate guesses for why that hasn't happened.

1) As I understand it, whenever a dubbing/distribution company licenses a foreign property, the licensing contract often includes stipulations for how the property can be seen and when. So, it's quite possible that Ocean (or whoever the producers are) signed a contract that prohibits them from streaming it and demanded a TV deal instead.

2) From what I've been told, Japanese corporate culture is very rigid and old-fashioned, so Japanese businesses in general are not super-fond of streaming. They've come a long way, and are far, far less opposed to streaming than they used to be, especially since that's the how the majority of people watch stuff nowadays anyway. However, their acceptance has been begrudging, slow, and reluctant. They seem to regard streaming as the, "Are you sure....do we have to do it like that.....*grumble*, OK, fine"-option.

3) FUNimation's dub has already been streamed on Nicktoons and on the 4Kids/Toonzai/Vortexx/Saban/Whoever-Owns-It-Now websites. Just like FUNimation has the home video rights, it's a logical conclusion to come to that perhaps they secured the online streaming rights as well.

Alas, all we can do is speculate, but I think there are viable--albeit frustrating--reasons for why this dub hasn't appeared yet.

[NitroEX]

Are Funimation the only ones to rebrand the show to Dragonball Z Kai or is this just standard practice for all foreign versions?

I'm only curious because so far the Ocean dub has consistently been referred to by the actors and the CRTC page as simply "Dragon Ball Kai" without the Z. Aside from the other known deviations from Funimation's Kai such as the pronunciations this could be another clue that this dub is produced by a different company.

[Nejishiki]

Are Funimation the only ones to rebrand the show to Dragonball Z Kai or is this just standard practice for all foreign versions?

I'm only curious because so far the Ocean dub has consistently been referred to by the actors and the CRTC page as simply "Dragon Ball Kai" without the Z. Aside from the other known deviations from Funimation's Kai such as the pronunciations this could be another clue that this dub is produced by a different company.

I don't know where to find the immediate source, but the international versions of Dragon Ball Kai being released as "Dragon Ball Z Kai" is a decision from Japan itself. It is curious if that version of the dub lacks the "Z" as it's consistent with every foreign-to-Japan branding so far.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Chris Sabat mentioned on his Facebook page many years ago that adding "Z" to the title was a decision from Toei that was handed down to them (and that he was a titch bummed by it because he liked the name, Dragon Ball Kai). The one kinda/sorta exception is Brazil. I say "kinda/sorta" because while the show was based on the edited Nicktoons English dub, including the visual change of the logo, the narrator and Goku (in the NEPs) still referred to the show by its Japanese name.

For that matter, the (possible) leaked theme song for the Ocean dub seems to use the international title.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I'm only curious because so far the Ocean dub has consistently been referred to by the actors and the CRTC page as simply "Dragon Ball Kai" without the Z. Aside from the other known deviations from Funimation's Kai such as the pronunciations this could be another clue that this dub is produced by a different company.

Well the leaked theme song (sung by Dave Steele) used "Dragon Ball Z Kai", although that was a demo, so perhaps it was a case of the demo being recorded before the dub was handed over to another company due to TOEI potentially renegotiating their contracts with the producers (kudos to TheBlackPaladin for this idea), and this new company happened to have a preference for "Dragon Ball Kai" . None of this we know for sure, but as with many other things in this thread it's a possibility.

It would be kind of ironic if and when this dub is finally (if it will be...) released it carries the "Dragon Ball Kai" branding, and the inevitable new era of dub wars turn into "Dragon Ball Z Kai vs Dragon Ball Kai" debates .

[Attitudefan]

It does make me wonder if the producers allowing the actors to allow to disclose what characters they play as a sign that the dub is close to be released. It's either that or they succumbed to pressure from the internet and decided that there's no point to hide certain details because many of the actors have already broke the NDA and/or it's fairly well known by fans that this dub exists.

But I'm thinking the former since the actors are only allowed to say specific things and are still strictly censored to say other things about it. Time will tell.

[Ringworm128]

At this point I've got a feeling this dub will never actually air, or go on sale and we'll eventually see this dub via bootleg YouTube uploads. Ironically just like the Westwood dub of Z.

Speaking of Westwood is it still known whether or not they're the ones commissioning Ocean Studios for this dub?

[TheBlackPaladin]

Speaking of Westwood is it still known whether or not they're the ones commissioning Ocean Studios for this dub?

We have no clue what company/individuals are behind the Ocean dub of Kai. For that matter, we don't really know who was behind the Westwood dub, either.

[NitroEX]

At this point I've got a feeling this dub will never actually air, or go on sale and we'll eventually see this dub via bootleg YouTube uploads. Ironically just like the Westwood dub of Z.

But we only got those "bootleg uploads" because it aired on television. That gave fans the opportunity to record it. Without a broadcast we'll likely never see any footage of it ever which is why it's so important that this gets aired.

We have no clue what company/individuals are behind the Ocean dub of Kai. For that matter, we don't really know who was behind the Westwood dub, either.

I'm pretty certain AB Groupe (a French company) were behind the Westwood episodes, their AB Distribution logo would occasionally close the show and it made sense for them to have the European rights at the time considering France's long history with the franchise. I'm not sure why their dub eventually got picked up by Canada though. Perhaps YTV went directly to them once they realized a homegrown dub was successful in Europe.