"Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters" FUNimation English Dub Official Announcement and Discussion Thread

[Baggie_Saiyan]

FUNi's October release schedule go live soon, 15th I think. I know everyone is expecting an announcement prior, but they may just list them without, if I remember they didn't announce prior that they acquired Fairy Tail 2014 series and started rolling them out like normal. Super should get licensed by late 2016/early 2017, they really need to get Kai rolling! Not a single DB release in 2016 for FUNi yet, 3 months left.

[DBZ_Lee]

I really hope it's listed for a home video release before the end of the year, as this means it 'll be straight to home video, which could potentially free Toonami up to air Super.

[Anime Kitten]

I'm just gonna throw this dumb comment out there and see if anyone agrees or disagrees.

FUNimation should announce the dub of the Kai Majin Saga and Super, then release them both on home video (over time, if need be). Sound good?

[Theophrastus]

I don't think anyone disagrees with that. The issue is that it would appear that Toei (or Happinet, or FujiTV, or whoever the hell has the most influence in the negotiation process) doesn't appear to want to let them do that for whatever reason.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

I'm just gonna throw this dumb comment out there and see if anyone agrees or disagrees.

FUNimation should announce the dub of the Kai Majin Saga and Super, then release them both on home video (over time, if need be). Sound good?

Theophrastus is right that isn't dumb comment but yeah FUNi's hands are obviously tied. For the all the world with how fast "F" movie was out that Toei were finally moving with the times but they've taken a giant step back in terms of Super, they are aware people illegally watch the show yet they do nothing about it.

As for Kai, that maybe Toei's doing or FUNi's at this point I don't see why Toei would care for Kai to be on TV, plus we've found out that FUNi completed the dub a few months ago, Schemmel presumably went in and did all the screaming parts (as that is typical FUNi dubbing process) so perhaps it is a case of them not ready to start rolling them out, I am sure the dubbing of BoG and "F" must have set them back a bit.

It is just frustrating, we have the Z anime perfectly dubbed until the Cell saga, two amazingly dubbed movies yet the Buu arc is still missing.

[matt0044]

It is just frustrating, we have the Z anime perfectly dubbed until the Cell saga, two amazingly dubbed movies yet the Buu arc is still missing.

Yeah, much as I do think Cell arc was a good ending (iffy story tho), I do think the Buu Saga should hustle up sooner or later. At least announce it...

[funrush]

I'm pretty sure it's done and they want the DVD releasing the same time or slightly later than the show airs on Toonami, to get people watching on TV. That's my guess personally.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

I'm pretty sure it's done and they want the DVD releasing the same time or slightly later than the show airs on Toonami, to get people watching on TV. That's my guess personally.

Yeah it was finished sometime in March. I think Toonami will get caught up in December, so I guess we'll see.

[90sDBZ]

Could it be that the long wait is also partly to avoid market saturation? After all it was only a couple of years ago Funi released the Buu arc of Z on Blu-ray. And in the case of Super, BoG and RF are still relativity new, so Funi and/or Toei might not want the retellings of those stories released just yet. They're probably aware that those movies are still fresh in peoples minds and are still making a profit off of them, which could be negatively affected by releasing Super too soon.

A few years back Funi released the Orange Bricks, the Dragon Boxes, and Kai 1.0 with not much of a gap in between. From what I understand this is part of the reason the Level sets didn't sell enough. I guess Funi are aware that people can only buy the same portion of the story so many times without having a bit of a break from it. It probably isn't the only reason and as many have said Toei probably want a TV deal too.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

Could it be that the long wait is also partly to avoid market saturation? After all it was only a couple of years ago Funi released the Buu arc of Z on Blu-ray. And in the case of Super, BoG and RF are still relativity new, so Funi and/or Toei might not want the retellings of those stories released just yet. They're probably aware that those movies are still fresh in peoples minds and are still making a profit off of them, which could be negatively affected by releasing Super too soon.

A few years back Funi released the Orange Bricks, the Dragon Boxes, and Kai 1.0 with not much of a gap in between. From what I understand this is part of the reason the Level sets didn't sell enough. I guess Funi are aware that people can only buy the same portion of the story so many times without having a bit of a break from it. It probably isn't the only reason and as many have said Toei probably want a TV deal too.

Good point I hadn't considered the retelling a problem, Super must have affected the Japanese domestic release of "F", Toei don't want to risk the same happening overseas explains why FUNi were allowed to release it so soon on BD. "F" would have been out a year on BD in October, that is plenty time to milk sales, plus it falls inline roughly with the 15/16 month license for a show, so if all goes could we could be getting Super around Christmas.

Sean basically said Kai was halted because of "F" last year and he was the last to finish up in March so I am sure FUNi would have started rolling them by now if "F" never happened. I am not convinced Toei want a TV deal for Kai, Super maybe.

[DBZ_Lee]

I personally think that the Majin Buu Arc of Kai is the hold up with Super. Toei possibly wanted a TV deal, and this would have been signed before dubbing even took place. Now, here's the interesting part - if what Sean said back in April about contract negotiations etc holds any meaning here, then any possible TV deal (including air dates & networks) would have been negotiated before any contract was given by Toei, to Funimation.

It is possible that late last year, Funimation requested to renegotiate with Toei, so that the Buu Arc of Kai goes straight to home video, so they can start airing Super immediately after the Cell Arc wraps up on Toonami late this year.
That is honestly the reason why I feel Kai hasn't yet been announced - Funimation aren't sure it will air, as they would prefer to end at Cell, as the majority want Super accessible asap.
So, at this point, Funimation are still locked in negotiations with Toei as to whether or not they can reach an understanding whereby Kai goes straight to home video, or onto Toonami (or another network) as previously agreed.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I would honestly prefer for the Buu arc to be direct-to-DVD/Blu-Ray, and for Super to go onto TV once Cell finishes up (although I think Disney XD/Cartoon Network/Nicktoons would be a better fit for Super than Toonami) so that Funimation is still striking while the iron's hot. In this day and age most people would prefer to marathon Buu Kai than wait a week for each episode anyway.

[sintzu]

In this day and age most people would prefer to marathon Buu Kai than wait a week for each episode anyway.

Toei aren't living in this day and age, they're still stuck in the past.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

FUNi's October slate has dropped and no Kai as per usual. Awesome. (infact it is a pretty poor month in general bunch of re-releases and license rescues yawn.) We got SDCC and Otakon coming up, so if we don't hear anything there then looks like it's going to start airing weekly on Toonami from December (I believe that is when the Cell Saga ends).

[DBZ_Lee]

FUNi's October slate has dropped and no Kai as per usual. Awesome. (infact it is a pretty poor month in general bunch of re-releases and license rescues yawn.) We got SDCC and Otakon coming up, so if we don't hear anything there then looks like it's going to start airing weekly on Toonami from December (I believe that is when the Cell Saga ends).

Agonizing. I have a bad feeling that it will end up on Toonami.
If that is the case, then I hope Super will be going on another network, otherwise we won't be seeing that for a long time.
Though I personally don't think a programming block that starts at 23:30 is suitable to air Super, which is aimed at children.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

FUNi's October slate has dropped and no Kai as per usual. Awesome. (infact it is a pretty poor month in general bunch of re-releases and license rescues yawn.) We got SDCC and Otakon coming up, so if we don't hear anything there then looks like it's going to start airing weekly on Toonami from December (I believe that is when the Cell Saga ends).

Agonizing. I have a bad feeling that it will end up on Toonami.
If that is the case, then I hope Super will be going on another network, otherwise we won't be seeing that for a long time.

Oh almost definitely, I think Toei would want it on a more mainstream channel anyway, but at this rate I think that it'll be released straight to BD. Kai 1.0 aired roughly a year after the Japanese I believe, you already have places like Taiwan airing Super a year later (Toonami asia dub is also supposed to start this month) the usual wait for a license on home video is about 15/16/17+ months so that puts us at end of 2016/early 2017 time frame and France have said they're going to release it end of 2016 so I reckon FUNi and other countries will follow suit soon.

Honestly with the way Sabat is teasing us on his twitter I reckon an announcement is imminent, and they'll go all out on a convention like you said anime expo was all about My Hero and it made sense with Bones being there etc, plus there is still two big conventions coming up in Otakon and SDCC so if they did have it then it make sense they'd save it for one of these.

[DBZ_Lee]

FUNi's October slate has dropped and no Kai as per usual. Awesome. (infact it is a pretty poor month in general bunch of re-releases and license rescues yawn.) We got SDCC and Otakon coming up, so if we don't hear anything there then looks like it's going to start airing weekly on Toonami from December (I believe that is when the Cell Saga ends).

Agonizing. I have a bad feeling that it will end up on Toonami.
If that is the case, then I hope Super will be going on another network, otherwise we won't be seeing that for a long time.

Oh almost definitely, I think Toei would want it on a more mainstream channel anyway, but at this rate I think that it'll be released straight to BD. Kai 1.0 aired roughly a year after the Japanese I believe, you already have places like Taiwan airing Super a year later (Toonami asia dub is also supposed to start this month) the usual wait for a license on home video is about 15/16/17+ months so that puts us at end of 2016/early 2017 time frame and France have said they're going to release it end of 2016 so I reckon FUNi and other countries will follow suit soon.

Honestly with the way Sabat is teasing us on his twitter I reckon an announcement is imminent, and they'll go all out on a convention like you said anime expo was all about My Hero and it made sense with Bones being there etc, plus there is still two big conventions coming up in Otakon and SDCC so if they did have it then it make sense they'd save it for one of these.

I personally have never known FUNi announce a DB licensing at an event.
I think it will be a social media announcement like BoG, and they'll bring in Sean and Chris as part of a panel to the next big event.

I don't think Kai is a big enough deal for them to host a panel for, especially when the majority would be sat around bemoaning the fact it isn't Super.

[90sDBZ]

I just can't help but feel that they're hurting the potential success of both Buu Kai and Super by waiting so long and keeping everyone in the dark. And if it turns out that they'll both air on Toonami one at a time then it'll probably be a case of waiting over a year just for Buu Kai to end and get a home release, and then waiting several months on top of that just for Super to get through the retelling stuff. If that really is the plan then it begs the question why it was necessary to even show Kai 1.0 on Toonami to begin with. Buu Kai was the new big thing when Kai 1.0 started on Toonami, and Super is the new big thing now, so you'd think they'd be the priority.

If they could just announce a home release for Buu Kai some time in the reasonable future it would be a guaranteed success.

[DBZ_Lee]

I just can't help but feel that they're hurting the potential success of both Buu Kai and Super by waiting so long and keeping everyone in the dark. And if it turns out that they'll both air on Toonami one at a time then it'll probably be a case of waiting over a year just for Buu Kai to end and get a home release, and then waiting several months on top of that just for Super to get through the retelling stuff. If that really is the plan then it begs the question why it was necessary to even show Kai 1.0 on Toonami to begin with. Buu Kai was the new big thing when Kai 1.0 started on Toonami, and Super is the new big thing now, so you'd think they'd be the priority.

If they could just announce a home release for Buu Kai some time in the reasonable future it would be a guaranteed success.

Both will end up being a success on home video, whatever happens.
But Kai has been poorly handled, a show which started airing over 2 years ago in Japan, is still not even announced.
If Super wasn't a thing, Kai would be building in anticipation, but that is now not the case, and the majority want Super asap.
If they announce Kai first, then the majority will complain it isn't Super.
It is important they get Super announced first, then Kai.

Hopefully, after SDCC, this will be all over. Get Super announced in the next week or so, then Kai on the Industry panel.
But we have no clue as to what is possible at this point. We do know Kai is done, so it has to air (unless FUNi has negotiated for it to go straight to home video) and the likely place is Toonami.
If that is the case, unless CN, Nicktoons or Disney can air Super, then strap yourselves in for a long wait.

[MetaMoss]

I'm gonna throw out the idea that Super might not have to wait for BuuKai to finish it run on Toonami before it's out in the US. Couldn't they both air concurrently? It's not without precedent: Toonami aired the original Dragon Ball anime right alongside DBZ (and I believe they even had a thing where they would air an episode of DB, Z, and GT back-to-back).