If You Could Ask FUNimation Anything? Interview in The Works

[SonEric84]

To the OP: Is it possible for you to get an interview with any current Funimation employees?

[GS7X7]

I would like to know how Funimation felt about all their critics who were upset and unhappy with them about their handling of DBZ back in the day.

[cRookie_Monster]

Just a note that many of these questions would be best aimed at Barry Watson who was the director back then. He's no longer at Funimation. I dunno who this interview is actually with and what his role was back in 1999-2005.

[DerekPadula]

To the OP: Is it possible for you to get an interview with any current Funimation employees?

Unfortunately no.

I asked Adam Sheehan at the last Anime Expo in Los Angeles if I could interview him or any other FUNimation employees, and he said they could not provide an interview because any response would have to be signed off by Toei or Shueisha. He said that if it were signed off by them, then it would have to become an official product, and if it becomes an official product then I would no longer have the ability to say what I want to say. It would no longer be an independent work.

I would love to have it be official so that I could (maybe) interview Toriyama and receive Toei's endorsement, but there's a definite trade off in terms of being able to tell the unaltered truth of what actually happened, without any sugar coating. Plus I talk about some spiritual things later in the book and I don't want those made shallow.

I also contacted Gen Fukunaga and a few other current FUNimation employees, yet have not heard back. This includes Bruce Faulconer.

Just a note that many of these questions would be best aimed at Barry Watson who was the director back then.

To Scott's comment, Barry Watson is indeed one of the possible interviewees. So far he is in the "maybe" category. I have to compile the final list of questions and send it to them first.

Maybe if the book is a big success I will have enough leverage to score an interview for the updated version. I will call it "The Super Dao of Dragon Ball," or something to that effect, such as "The Dao of Dragon Ball: Super Saiyan Edition." Whatever works. First I have to finish the original. Then we'll see how things go.

[DerekPadula]

I would like to know how Funimation felt about all their critics who were upset and unhappy with them about their handling of DBZ back in the day.

I would also like to know the answer to this.

And to reverse the question back at you, how do you feel about FUNimation now? Both the current FUNimation in 2010, and the FUNimation of the DBZ and GT era of 1998 to 2005.

I am really interested in hearing your thoughts since you were particularly vocal with your criticisms back in the day.

[cRookie_Monster]

Evan Jones is also a good person to talk to. He wasn't there for some of the earliest stuff, but could answer a lot of the questions as well. (if he "would" is another matter ^^)

[Attitudefan]

I always wondered what happened to Dale Kelly (voice of Ginyu and Narrator)? He was so awesome, and now he's gone. Seems like he disappeared.

[Castor Troy]

I always wondered what happened to Dale Kelly (voice of Ginyu and Narrator)? He was so awesome, and now he's gone. Seems like he disappeared.

Oh! Speaking of that...

Derek, here's one that I've been questioning for over a decade:

Did FUNi really get a "letter of disgrace" from TOEI back in 2000? Because of that letter, I heard Dale Kelley and Mark Britten were forced to quit since they weren't allowed to put FUNi on their resumes after getting that letter.

I heard it from MrE, who had FUNi contacts, but I dunno if it was really true or not.

At first I thought it was super-uber classified information, but it was spread around the Planet Namek messageboards like wildfire, making me question the real validity of it all. I'd really love to put this issue to rest for good.

[DerekPadula]

Did FUNi really get a "letter of disgrace" from TOEI back in 2000? Because of that letter, I heard Dale Kelley and Mark Britten were forced to quit since they weren't allowed to put FUNi on their resumes after getting that letter.

I have not heard of this letter before. I'll definitely ask the question as it could lead to some exclusive info.

Do you know anything else about it so I can phrase the question more accurately, such as what specifically may have caused the letter? I can try and dig up the internet archives and scour around, but if you already know the answer then it would save time. I should do the research anyway to find corroborating evidence, but anything you can provide as a lead would be helpful.

One of the funny things about writing this book is that I have to rely on my own memories from 10 to 14 years ago. Daizex is filled with hardcore fans that started watching the show around the same time, so memories of things like you just mentioned are totally awesome. Nobody else would remember a random letter on a forum from 10 years ago. haha.

[Bardo117]

Will you be involved in the next Dragonball movie?

[NeverRamza]

Here is a good one that has never been addressed:

Prior to Funimation's Dragon Ball Z syndication, Hawaiian premium television station Nippon Golden Network had been producing and broadcasting an English subtitled version of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. They had started with the original Dragon Ball series, each week subtitling and broadcasting a new episode. Nippon Golden Network produced English subtitled versions of all 153 episodes of Dragon Ball as well as the first 104 episodes of Dragon Ball Z. It was at around this time that Funimation and Saban's version of Dragon Ball Z began to hit syndication, where Nippon Golden Network then completed their run of Dragon Ball Z in raw Japanese with no English subtitles.

Was there ever any direct communication between Funimation and Nippon Golden Network regarding this matter? Was Nippon Golden Network's version of the show addressed in the dealings with Toei? Are the specifics known regarding what kind of deal Nippon Golden Network had worked out with Toei and did Funimation's licensing have a known direct impact upon it?

[DerekPadula]

In regards to the Mark Britten and Dale Kelley thing. I did some light research and found this 2001 post from an old Angelfire site:

"The voice actors Dale Kelley and Mark Britten will not be making their return after season 4. Season 5 of Dragon Ball Z is currently in production. Air date set for Fall 2001. Original Dragon Ball to air on Cartoon Network in the Summer and/or Fall of 2001." Source, in the news ticker.

But then I also found this page that says Mark did some voice over work for the DBZ games in 2002 and 2005.

[Castor Troy]

Did FUNi really get a "letter of disgrace" from TOEI back in 2000? Because of that letter, I heard Dale Kelley and Mark Britten were forced to quit since they weren't allowed to put FUNi on their resumes after getting that letter.

I have not heard of this letter before. I'll definitely ask the question as it could lead to some exclusive info.

Do you know anything else about it so I can phrase the question more accurately, such as what specifically may have caused the letter? I can try and dig up the internet archives and scour around, but if you already know the answer then it would save time. I should do the research anyway to find corroborating evidence, but anything you can provide as a lead would be helpful.

One of the funny things about writing this book is that I have to rely on my own memories from 10 to 14 years ago. Daizex is filled with hardcore fans that started watching the show around the same time, so memories of things like you just mentioned are totally awesome. Nobody else would remember a random letter on a forum from 10 years ago. haha.

MrE told me that TOEI had finally gotten around to seeing the dub in 2000 and disliked what was done to it, thus sending out the letter. At the time I believed it was real, but after it spread it out on Planet Namek and when Season 5 was airing, I started questioning whether it was real or not for the following reason:

Absolutely NOTHING dub wise was changed for the remainder of DBZ's run into 2003 and their practices of changing the music/dialogue still carried on into GT and the Ultimate Uncut Z episodes in 2005. If TOEI was really mad at FUNi, then we would have seen other changes.

MrE didn't even know what the demands of the letter were and never got any other information other than TOEI being angry on how DBZ was being handled. MrE only told this info to me, Jon Allen, and several of our old IRC members (one or two probably spread it out on Planet Namek).

I know some of FUNi's employees weren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed, so maybe there was some false info being leaked. I've been dying to close the book on this one for quite some time now.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

This may have been before their time at Funimation, but it's possible that they'd know anyways.

What was Bandai Entertainment's relationship with Funimation?
(The back of the DVD cases for the TV series and Geneon's Uncut Movie Trilogy say "In association with Bandai Entertainment")

Maybe that's because Bandai was releasing DBZ action figures at the time?

[Goku100xKamehameha]

Will you be involved in the next Dragonball movie?

They were only employed from 1998-2005...

[linkdude20002001]

Maybe that's because Bandai was releasing DBZ action figures at the time?

But Bandai Entertainment is "the North America anime licensing and distribution arm" of Bandai. ANN says "they have introduced to North America many titles that their parent company was completely uninvolved with", so I'm thinking they must've helped FUNi out in some way.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Maybe that's because Bandai was releasing DBZ action figures at the time?

But Bandai Entertainment is "the North America anime licensing and distribution arm" of Bandai. ANN says "they have introduced to North America many titles that their parent company was completely uninvolved with", so I'm thinking they must've helped FUNi out in some way.

Okay, then I'm stumped.

[GS7X7]

I would like to know how Funimation felt about all their critics who were upset and unhappy with them about their handling of DBZ back in the day.

I would also like to know the answer to this.

And to reverse the question back at you, how do you feel about FUNimation now? Both the current FUNimation in 2010, and the FUNimation of the DBZ and GT era of 1998 to 2005.

I am really interested in hearing your thoughts since you were particularly vocal with your criticisms back in the day.

I'm pretty happy actually. The dub for DBZ Kai seems pretty awesome plus they did the dual-music options like my petition suggested and my friend mentioned to Evan on the phone back in 02/03.

So... they've done a good dub AND they got in that original music I was so obsessed with hearing in the dub. There's not much left to fuss about, though it'd be awesome if all of DBZ no-Kai got redubbed like Kai has been and got put on Adult Swim or somewhere.

As for the old Funimation.... well, I really hated them for ignoring the fans and dubbing DBZ so terribly but that's not important since they've changed a lot.

P.S.-

Ramza posts on this board, he'd be great to ask questions to. Insiders in the DBZ web community told him that Funi told em that some people from Toei had fussed at them. (this was ages ago, like 99-01 or whenever)

Also, that guy I interviewed on my site from Toei is here, you could try talking to him too.

[Attitudefan]

I always wondered what happened to Dale Kelly (voice of Ginyu and Narrator)? He was so awesome, and now he's gone. Seems like he disappeared.

Oh! Speaking of that...

Derek, here's one that I've been questioning for over a decade:

Did FUNi really get a "letter of disgrace" from TOEI back in 2000? Because of that letter, I heard Dale Kelley and Mark Britten were forced to quit since they weren't allowed to put FUNi on their resumes after getting that letter.

I heard it from MrE, who had FUNi contacts, but I dunno if it was really true or not.

At first I thought it was super-uber classified information, but it was spread around the Planet Namek messageboards like wildfire, making me question the real validity of it all. I'd really love to put this issue to rest for good.

Well that would absolutely suck if they did get a letter, but does it really make sense? Why Dale Kelly? What did he ever do? It seems like a rumour but, who knows? You'd think That it would've happened to Sabat because he was a big part of the whole dub altogether.
Dale Kelly rocked, that's the bottom line.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

Dale Kelly was an awesome Ginyu, freaked the shit out of me as a kid.. if only they had done a true uncut dialog correct dub at the time. It would have been epic!