The Harmony Gold Dub & Broadcast Audio Discussion Thread

[superrayman3]

I've seen the first episode thanks to takarajima, and am very surprised by the accuracy of the script. Sexual humors and nudity are censored, but Lena, I mean Bulma makes a reference to death. It's a shame that they produced only five episodes.

I wouldn't be too surprised TBCH Harmony Gold did an excellent job with the first and third movies (script wise the HG dub of the movies are 10x more faithful than FUNimation's dubs of those movies) so if the movies are anything to go by I think it's safe to say that the series itself would get similar treatment.

@takarajima Great Job on finding some episode footage, I have only one question though is the opening on the episodes the same as the one that's on the dub of the movie (the 2nd DB opening with some movie 2 footage) or is it the first DB opening?

[DerekPadula]

I just got off the phone with Tommy, the CEO of Harmony Gold, to find out the status.

He says that the issue is now in FUNimation's hands, and he is specifically waiting to hear back from Lance Haskell. Tommy approached Lance about this a couple years ago and then never heard anything, so he's not sure what the deal is. They were going through a downsizing issue with Navarre at the time, and things were crazy, so it evidently fell through the cracks.

The reason they have to approach FUNimation is that Harmony Gold no longer owns the license, and frankly, doesn't care about the series anymore because there's no profit to be made. The tape is still in their vault, but unless FUNimation says 'yes, we want it,' they aren't going to pay for the tape to be baked and recovered.

I tried calling Lance at FUNimation but could not reach him, so I left a voice mail.

[Gonstead]

Now I'm really wanting that TV footage :L

[ionutbigiu1]

Now I'm really wanting that TV footage :L

i have it

[medama_oyaji]

I would still love to hear a podcast episode about this. It would be amazing if you guys could even track down someone involved with HG at the time to talk about it.

[Ashura]

I sent out a couple messages about this stuff. Apologies. I've been working 3 jobs lately and unfortunately I haven't had time to devote my attention to anything Dragonball related. An unfortunate side to things is all my raw working files for everything are locked on another hard drive currently, too, as a portable backup I made completely died.

It's great to see you guys still taking up the mantle, though. Derek, have you turned over all the stuff we collected so far to HG? The two different copies of the movie, plus the LATAM version made from it?

[DerekPadula]

Harmony Gold doesn't want any of it. They no longer have any vested interest in Dragon Ball because they no longer own the license. It's FUNimation's now.

A few months ago I contacted FUNimation and after a lot of effort got in touch with someone who said they would accept it but could not make any promises that they would actually do anything with it. I told Kei17, or Takarajima (I don't remember who), and they said that they didn't feel comfortable sending all of their tapes to Texas without a guarantee that they would be handled properly.

So we're at a stalemate, in that the producer at FUNimation is willing to receive them, but the owners of the tapes are not willing to send them. And apparently Toei in Japan cannot be reached. I tried calling Toei in Los Angeles and they were all like "How did you get this number?" and "I'll ask, but don't expect a reply." Weeks went by and nothing happened.

I'm still willing to work on this, but it has been a few months so I'll need to bring myself back up to speed or figure out what the next step is. If you have something you want to send to FUNimation, let me know!

[superrayman3]

A few months ago I contacted FUNimation and after a lot of effort got in touch with someone who said they would accept it but could not make any promises that they would actually do anything with it. I told Kei17, or Takarajima (I don't remember who), and they said that they didn't feel comfortable sending all of their tapes to Texas without a guarantee that they would be handled properly.

That's understandable, if I was kei or takarajima I would've given the same response, I mean who would want to contribute something if there's no guarantee that what thet contribute will not even be used, and considering the fact the original broadcast audio is very scarce to begin with the risk of it just rotting away once it reaches FUNimation is too high.

So we're at a stalemate, in that the producer at FUNimation is willing to receive them, but the owners of the tapes are not willing to send them.

The owners of the tapes are not wiling to send them, because there's no guarantee that the tapes will be used.

And apparently Toei in Japan cannot be reached. I tried calling Toei in Los Angeles and they were all like "How did you get this number?" and "I'll ask, but don't expect a reply." Weeks went by and nothing happened.

Truth be told I'm not very surprised, the only way you'll probably be able to communicate with Toei of Japan is if you go to their HQ in Japan and speak with them face to face, maybe you could ask kei to inquire about it with them since he's been in contact with them in the past.

I'm still willing to work on this, but it has been a few months so I'll need to bring myself back up to speed or figure out what the next step is. If you have something you want to send to FUNimation, let me know!

Thanks for the update Derek and good luck with this project.

[Ashura]

A few months ago I contacted FUNimation and after a lot of effort got in touch with someone who said they would accept it but could not make any promises that they would actually do anything with it. I told Kei17, or Takarajima (I don't remember who), and they said that they didn't feel comfortable sending all of their tapes to Texas without a guarantee that they would be handled properly.

Honestly, I think the solution to this would be to digitize the elements properly and just send them along a DVD or a BD with the digital files instead, so no one has to send the physical tapes. If Takarajima is willing to do uncompressed audio for them along with the compressed video we already have, that's /probably/ all they'll need. I can compile/cut/sort/label/create an assets disk of it all if that helps; that's actually fairly easy vs. the older project. If they end up needing/wanting more, then they'll be able to make a better agreement for some of this material.

How does that sound? What do you think, guys?

[superrayman3]

A few months ago I contacted FUNimation and after a lot of effort got in touch with someone who said they would accept it but could not make any promises that they would actually do anything with it. I told Kei17, or Takarajima (I don't remember who), and they said that they didn't feel comfortable sending all of their tapes to Texas without a guarantee that they would be handled properly.

Honestly, I think the solution to this would be to digitize the elements properly and just send them along a DVD or a BD with the digital files instead, so no one has to send the physical tapes. If Takarajima is willing to do uncompressed audio for them along with the compressed video we already have, that's /probably/ all they'll need. I can compile/cut/sort/label/create an assets disk of it all if that helps; that's actually fairly easy vs. the older project. If they end up needing/wanting more, then they'll be able to make a better agreement for some of this material.

How does that sound? What do you think, guys?

Personally I agree with Ashura and think that this idea would be the best course of action, that way FUNi can get access to the material (alibit in digital form) while the psychical media (in this case the tapes) remain with the people who have possession of them in case they're ever needed, I mean it really couldn't hurt to do things this way could it?

[TheBlackPaladin]

A few months ago I contacted FUNimation and after a lot of effort got in touch with someone who said they would accept it but could not make any promises that they would actually do anything with it. I told Kei17, or Takarajima (I don't remember who), and they said that they didn't feel comfortable sending all of their tapes to Texas without a guarantee that they would be handled properly.

Honestly, I think the solution to this would be to digitize the elements properly and just send them along a DVD or a BD with the digital files instead, so no one has to send the physical tapes. If Takarajima is willing to do uncompressed audio for them along with the compressed video we already have, that's /probably/ all they'll need. I can compile/cut/sort/label/create an assets disk of it all if that helps; that's actually fairly easy vs. the older project. If they end up needing/wanting more, then they'll be able to make a better agreement for some of this material.

How does that sound? What do you think, guys?

Well, that's up to the tape-holders, it's their tapes, so I won't hold anything against them no matter what they decide to do.

Having said that.........yes, that does sound like a good idea!

[DerekPadula]

Works for me. If you PM me with a request I'll send you my address, and then when I get the discs I'll send them to FUNimation.

[superrayman3]

Well, that's up to the tape-holders, it's their tapes, so I won't hold anything against them no matter what they decide to do.

I understand that the choice is up to the tape-holders and I'm not going to hold their choice against them either, all I'm trying to say is if they don't feel comfortable with sending the actual tapes, that they could digitize their tapes and send the digitized audio instead, that way if FUNimaion doesn't use the tapes they won't be in some storage facility rotting away, it's a win-win situation just saying.

Having said that.........yes, that does sound like a good idea!

Agreed.

[Ashura]

If they end up needing/wanting more, then they'll be able to make a better agreement for some of this material.

How does that sound? What do you think, guys?

Well, that's up to the tape-holders, it's their tapes, so I won't hold anything against them no matter what they decide to do.

Exactly... that's why I'm asking /what they think/. Going this way will probably get things flowing a bit more, too.

Works for me. If you PM me with a request I'll send you my address, and then when I get the discs I'll send them to FUNimation.

That sounds good. We'll see what Takarajima says. I'm excited to see what he's dug up as well.

[Pokewhiz7]

Wow, well done. I haven't been on much (or at all, really) for a while, but if there actually is a release, that would be really exciting.

[TheBlackPaladin]

By the way....on a slightly unrelated note....do we have any reason to suspect that FUNimation knew about the Harmony Gold dub back when they first acquired "Dragon Ball"?

I ask, because I watched this clip comparison on YouTube comparing the Harmony Gold, Ocean*, and FUNimation dubs of Movie 1. I couldn't help but notice that the Ocean script and the Harmony Gold script were identical in certain parts. It's easy enough to explain why the FUNimation script would be the same as the Ocean script, as they had the Ocean dub on hand as a reference and pretty much re-used their script for the new dub with only a few alterations here and there. I do find it odd, though, that the Ocean script and Harmony Gold script would be so close in certain parts.......I'm just saying, it makes 'ya wonder. Do you think FUNimation was aware of the Harmony Gold dub, or saw it at any point?

*"Ocean", of course, used in this case merely to differentiate the different dub casts, as FUNimation was the producer by this point.

[VegettoEX]

It may have been a case of a rough English script that Toei developed that they separately gave to both Harmony Gold and FUNimation, or a case where Harmony Gold developed it and was required to send all their materials back to Toei, who then it turn dished it out to FUNimation upon a new license acquisition.

[theoriginalbilis]

Forgive me if this has been asked before or if I just suck at reading:

What audio recordings are talking about here? Is this only the obscure HG dub audio, or the higher-quality Japanese audio for DB/DBZ that has been lost since the TV airings.

[doomydoomydoom]

Forgive me if this has been asked before or if I just suck at reading:

What audio recordings are talking about here? Is this only the obscure HG dub audio, or the higher-quality Japanese audio for DB/DBZ that has been lost since the TV airings.

HG dub audio, though it appears Kei and Takarajima have actual broadcast footage. Or maybe I'm getting confused too. /embarassment

Also wanted to say that I love that you guys are staying on top of this, very important to the history of the Dragon Ball franchise. Wish there was something I could do but, seeing all the stuff that everyone else has already done, pretty sure I'm useless here lol.

[Ashura]

I want to start doing a manifest of what we have to send them:

-The original, broken up capture of the movie that's missing parts. This has some 'better' audio in some parts.
-The full capture of the entire movie that Takarajima uncovered. This is actually is pretty great condition save for the beginning a little bit.
-The Spanish dub of the HG movie which shows us frame accurately how it all went together, as well as including the best quality version of the theme song.

Apparently, Takarajima or Kei have also uncovered episode 1 of the TV series? Does someone mind breaking down what's there of it?