Funimation Dragon Ball Kai Bluray Speculation

[Jon Jon]

The more I think about it, the more I am thinking they won't give us a 4:3 version as they did with the Toei bluray sets.

I'm thinking this because since both North America and Japan are Region A for bluray, that means that the Japanese audience does not need a "region free" BD player. I don't think Toei would allow Funimation to release a 4:3 bluray version since that could potentially hurt their own domestic sales since they would probably be a fraction of the price of their domestic bluray releases (assuming they are the same episode count per set). Kind of like how in the past Toei didn't allow Funimation to release a domestic Japanese release because they did not have one of their own, or like how The dragon box sets are only Region 1 and 4 instead of Region 2 as well (though other releases seem to follow that road as well, so I'm sure there is more to it than just that).

What do you guys think? I am curious because I would love to own a 4:3 domestic release of Kai (after watching it in 4:3 on my Toei bluray version, I really prefer it in 4:3), but I have a feeling that won't be possible.

[Kendamu]

I remember mentioning something about this awhile back.

Maybe they have a deal worked out or something. I mean, FUNimation and Toei are pretty tight-knit nowadays. If not, I won't be too bothered.

Another option would possibly be 4:3 DVDs and 16:9 BDs.

[Mewzard]

That's what it should have been in the first place. Bluray fits, in my mind, more likely with someone with a widescreen tv, HD and all, while DVD is pretty common, and many people still have regular and full screen tvs, though that number is changing.

[SonGokuGT]

On this one I'm happy either way. Look at it this way:
-If we get 16:9 = Original broadcast aspect ratio.
-If we get 4:3 = More image.

Win-Win in my opinion!

[SSJmole]

I want it to be a region free bluray like the Dragonball Z: Broly Double Feature bluray. That way people like me can buy it. I live in the UK and my only bluray player = ps3. They (Funimation) use to make dvds region free. Why they don't for Bluray when there are a lot of region free Blurays out there, I'll never know.

[LeprikanGT]

Could someone explain to me how if they originally drew a FULL frame of Dragonball z....WHY would someone chop of any of the picture in a broadcast?

That just seems like wasted picture to me.

[Mewzard]

It's mainly due to the fact that Japanese programming was, iirc, moving more towards everything being widescreen, so they decided to release it as such, for TV purposes.

[LeprikanGT]

I meant back when it was first coming out in the U.S.

I saw a screen shot where it shows the screen area for the Funi singles, the Orange Brick sets and the DBox, and the first 2 both cut out a wide area around the sides of the screen.

Wouldn't people prefer to have as much of the picture as they could get?

[Puto]

The FUNi Singles were zoomed to hide film damage. The Season Sets were cropped because FUNimation thought making them widescreen would help sell.

[Kendamu]

The FUNi Singles were zoomed to hide film damage. The Season Sets were cropped because FUNimation thought making them widescreen would help sell.

Also, to hide film damage again.

[ohaimynameiserik]

Fingers crossed that they'll remember how much we didn't like cropping and give us 4:3 for both!!

[Captain Awesome]

If they gave us a 16:9 Blu Ray release, it would not only be cropped, it would be upscaled.

As I understand it they essentially would take the 1440x1080 4:3 image, cut the tops and bottoms off it, and then upscale whatever was left over up to 1920x1080. Even the 4:3 Japanese BD releases were slightly blurry (You really can't do much with 16mm though) so doing a 16:9 BD release will only make it look worse.

I personally would much prefer to see the full frame as it was intended, and at the correct resolution.

[Kendamu]

Toei can be rather stingy. I'm gonna just expect 16:9 everything (which I'm used to with Kai so far) and if we get 4:3 anything I'll be very relieved.

[Taku128]

Toei can be rather stingy. I'm gonna just expect 16:9 everything (which I'm used to with Kai so far) and if we get 4:3 anything I'll be very relieved.

I'm going to be so pissed if this happens. Not only is it wrong, but it wouldn't even be FUNimation's fault. And when I don't buy the 16:9 Blu-rays only FUNi would suffer.

[Craddle]

This is exactly what I'm afraid of. Toei struck some sort of deal with FUNi saying they would license them Kai only if FUNi releases it in widescreen. Or gave them only the broadcast version of the series. If this is the case then I will be saving my money to buy the Japanese releases. It may take me a long while to save for them but, it will be well worth it to me if it's not cropped.

[DemonRin]

Isn't the whole "Toei Haets Revers importation" thing the reason why we didn't get the next episode previews in the past, and why it took this long for us to get the DBoxes?

[MajinVejitaXV]

Isn't the whole "Toei Haets Revers importation" thing the reason why we didn't get the next episode previews in the past, and why it took this long for us to get the DBoxes?

No, no it isn't.

Per Daimao (he even uploaded a clip as proof way back when), the tapes FUNimation had didn't include the audio for the next episode previews. This was because FujiTV possessed those audio masters (or so FUNi had told him, if I'm remembering correctly). So...Toei didn't have them until they made the effort to get them for the DragonBox project. If I'm wrong on the reason why, someone can correct me. This was approaching a decade ago.

As for the DragonBoxes...where did you get that idea? No one will say it outright, but I'm 100% confident that it was a matter of FUNimation not wanting to pay for them. So, they did their own remastering and...well, we know how that turned out.

[MajinVejitaXV]

I'm double-posting since it's been a couple of days since I posted my last contribution, and since this is actual (possible?) news.

Apparently, per "OnePiecePodcast" on Twitter, Kai will be 4:3 on both BD and DVD. JulieYBM had asked and got the answer a couple of hours ago, but he hasn't posted here so hopefully I'm not stealing his thunder.

Oh, and apparently Freeza's voice isn't changing. >_>

[JulieYBM]

Aye, I forgot to post it in this thread. There are so many threads to post in!!


I so hope the DVDs really are 4:3 masters.

[The Time Traveller]

What if they copied the Ghost in the Shell single volumes or the South Park movie and had two different versions of the show on two separate discs/opposite sides?

GitS was 2.0, 5.1 on disc one and DTS on disc 2, the complete collections missed the second version though, and South Park had 4:3 on one side and 16:9 on the other.