"(Z) Kai" Also Coming To "TheCW4Kids" Lineup

[VegettoEX]

In a press release from this morning, FUNimation and 4Kids have announced an agreement to have their (presumably edited) English dubbed version of DragonBall (Z) Kai air as a part of "TheCW4Kids" scheduling block in the 2010-2011 broadcast season.

Fans had noted how strange it was for Kai to go direct to Nicktoons (a premium cable channel and Internet portal owned by Nickelodeon) when the franchise has such a rich history in North America, previously being broadcast both in standard syndication as well as on the near-universal cable station Cartoon Network. This agreement seems to address those questions with The CW's block, an extension of prior programming blocks such as Kids' WB and 4Kids TV.

As we have been hinting at, 4Kids will also have episodes available for streaming via their websites. It remains to be seen whether FUNimation themselves (having such a successful empire of Internet-broadcasting partner agreements) will stream the series on their own in any way. Current examples of this empire include One Piece, which FUNimation streams uncut versions of entirely on their own both in Japanese and English.

Information is still a little vague at this point, but it appears that (Z) Kai will be broadcast on both stations, albeit not necessarily premiering at the same time. Today's press release notes "sneak peaks" will occur "this summer" on TheCW4Kids before it debuts "as a regularly scheduled program on TheCW4Kids Saturday morning block during the 2010-2011 broadcast season".

This is not the first time that the series has been broadcast on separate (even competing) stations at the same time. After DragonBall Z took off in the ratings on Cartoon Network starting in 1999, local syndication channels (which were the first to debut the series from 1996-1998) would occasionally air blocks of the first two "seasons" to capitalize on its success, apparently still having the rights to do so. At the same time, the International Channel (later AZN Television) broadcast the entirety of the DragonBall Z and DragonBall GT TV series in raw Japanese through the turn of the millennium, while the Spanish channel Telemundo ran through the DragonBall Z TV series with its acclaimed Mexican/Spanish dub.

The edited dub of DragonBall (Z) Kai from FUNimation is set to debut on Nicktoons on May 24th at 8:00 pm. The unedited home release on DVD and Blu-ray from FUNimation (which includes the original Japanese audio track) is set for release on May 18th. DragonBall Kai premiered on Fuji TV in Japan on 05 April 2009 at 9:00 am and airs each Sunday morning immediately prior to One Piece as a part of the special "Dream 9" programming block. For more information on Kai, visit our respective "Tidbit" page.

Needless to say, 2010 is going to be an interesting year for fandom discussions. For the type of fandom that Daizenshuu EX serves, let us remind everyone once again that the home release is going to be unedited and will contain the original Japanese audio track. Hurray!

NEW YORK, Apr 26, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- 4Kids Entertainment has reached agreement with FUNimation Entertainment and Toei Animation Co., Ltd., to license the U.S. broadcast television rights to the new animated television series "Dragon Ball Z Kai".

Sneak peeks of "Dragon Ball Z Kai" will be seen this summer before the series premieres as a regularly scheduled program on TheCW4Kids Saturday morning block during the 2010-2011 broadcast season. 4Kids will also have "Dragon Ball Z Kai" episodes available for streaming on its popular http://www.4kids.tv and http://www.4kidstv.com websites.

Dragon Ball is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump published by Shueisha Inc. from 1984 through 1995. Inspired by the Chinese folk novel Journey to the West, it follows the adventures of Son Goku from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven mystical objects -- known as the Dragon Balls -- which can summon a wish-granting dragon.

As part of the series' 20th anniversary celebration in 2009, in a project overseen by its creator, Akira Toriyama, Shueisha and Toei Animation remastered the "Dragon Ball Z" series for HDTV, re-edited the series, updated its opening and ending sequences, rerecorded the vocal tracks by most of the original cast, and launched the newly named "Dragon Ball Kai" on Japanese television in April 2009. The series currently rates among the top five animated programs on Japanese television.

"'Dragon Ball' is one of the most popular manga series of the past 20 years, with more than 150 million copies of the book series sold in Japan and North America," said Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. "We are looking forward to including 'Dragon Ball Z Kai' as a mainstay in our TheCW4Kids 2010 -- 2011 Saturday morning programming lineup and making this great series available on American broadcast television."

"We are excited about working with 4Kids to expose this major title to a new generation with a completely updated version," said Gen Fukunaga, President and CEO of FUNimation Entertainment.

About 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.

With U.S. headquarters in New York City, regional offices for its trading card business in San Diego, California and international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!kde/quotes/nls/kde (KDE 1.15, +0.06, +5.50%) is a global organization devoted to the creation, development, production, broadcasting, distribution, licensing and manufacturing of children's entertainment products.

Through its subsidiaries, 4Kids produces animated television series and films, distributes 4Kids' produced or licensed animated television series for the domestic and international television and home video markets, licenses merchandising rights worldwide to 4Kids' owned or represented properties, operates Web sites to support 4Kids' owned or represented properties, and produces and markets collectible trading card games. Additionally, the Company programs and sells the national advertising time in "TheCW4Kids" five-hour Saturday morning block on The CW Television Network.

Additional information is available on the http://www.4KidsEntertainment.com corporate Website and at the http://www.4Kids.tv game station site.

About Toei Animation Co., Ltd.

Toei Animation Co., Ltd. (Jasdaq:4816) (http://www.toei-anim.co.jp or http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/english/index.html) is the largest animation production company in Japan since 1956, and have produced many celebrated TV series such as Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Zatch Bell!, Digimon Adventure, and One Piece. With headquarters in Tokyo and sales offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Paris, Toei Animation ranks amongst the world's most prolific animation production studios. Toei Animation's operations include animation development and production, and worldwide marketing and program licensing. Since its founding in 1956, Toei Animation has produced more than 9,900 episodes of TV series (181 titles) and 192 long feature films.

About FUNimation Entertainment

FUNimation(R) Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is the leading company for Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation is known for acquiring top-rated anime series from Japan and for being the market share leader for home video sales of anime in the United States. The company has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution.

The information contained in this press release, other than historical information, consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Important factors beyond the Company's control, including general economic conditions, consumer spending levels, competition from toy companies, motion picture studios and other licensing companies, the uncertainty of public response to the Company's properties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations.

[Amigo Ten]

So are 4Kids and Nicktoons going to be doing their own individual edits as they see fit?

[Greenman]

Holy crap.

I'd think that his would be pretty heavily edited. Even more so than Nicktoons. Based on 4kids previous standards it would have to be, right?

But I can watch it now.

[Kaboom]

I already want to tear out my own eyes and ears.

[Big Boss]

Wait, what? How the...

[Sanjiscool]

Sure it's 4Kids' drivel of a Saturday morning block, but at least i can catch the broadcast dub now.

[Cipher]

I'd think that his would be pretty heavily edited. Even more so than Nicktoons. Based on 4kids previous standards it would have to be, right?

Well, they do lean toward light fluff with any property which bares an acronym other than TMNT, but the Nicktoons edits look to be about the right level already.

Good news that it will be reaching people without an obscure, non-basic cable channel though. In whatever form.

[Char Aznable]

This certainly came out of left field. Well, I guess this means that either way I'll take a look at the Kai dub as it airs, even though I haven't even been keeping up with the weekly Japanese broadcast. Edited or not though, this will be my only vein to check out the dub for Kai since I don't plan on picking up the home release anytime soon, the Dragon Boxes take priority for me.

[JulieYBM]

Well.

If I feel like torturing myself I suppose I now can...

[LilKokuLink]

Did not see this one coming.

[ConfusedPhantom]

...Well.

Here's hoping they don't end up editing it twice.

[JulieYBM]

Gah, I just remembered...this means another generation of fans who won't begin at the beginning of the story. It's kind of ironic (sad?) almost fifteen years later we're coming full circle. Dragon Ball will be back on many of the stations it first aired on in the mid-nineties, syndicated too (assuming The CW4Kids is syndication).

[Amigo Ten]

Kai does have a recap during the first episode though, so at least people will know there's previous stuff.

[Greenman]

Does The CW4Kids air any of it's shows in HD? If so, then there's a pretty good chance that Kai could. EDIT: And even if The CW4Kids hasn't aired any shows in HD there's nothing stopping them from starting with Kai. Most (if not all) The CW stations have HD versions after all.

Dragon Ball will be back on many of the stations it first aired on in the mid-nineties, syndicated too (assuming The CW4Kids is syndication).

I don't think think The CW4Kids would be considered syndication. It's a programming block that airs on The CW affiliates (and I think it may be offered to other stations when the local CW affiliate chooses not to air it).

[Kendamu]

Fun times! I was wondering how 4kids was gonna survive without TMNT.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

Here's hoping they don't end up editing it twice.

No, I don't think they will. I mean thinking about this, it makes perfect sense why the show was edited so much for what seemed to be only Nicktoons. FUNimation probley planned on airing it on the CW4Kids block so it was edited to their standards, not Nickelodeon's. I guess thats why it seemed so heavily edited when other shows like Avatar on the same channel, show blood and stuff like that. I mean what could they edit twice? This...?

[Char Aznable]

And yet sadly that's much better looking than the odd milk...cloud...concoction he has going in the broadcast edit.

[NeoKING]

Wow, this is just like the 90's where DBZ aired on weekday mornings on this same channel. Sweet that they haven't forgotten Dragon Ball. Wait... a FUNI dub, on a 4Kids block? Lol, this has to bullying on Funi's part for the One Piece thing. Either that or 4Kids just went "Heyyyy, no hard feelings, go make money off of us, sure!" and gave 'em the greenlight.

[Chuquita]

Odd and interesting news. I'm still only curious about the uncut DVD version though, so I don't think I'll be watching it on CW or NickToons.

[Kendamu]

Here's hoping they don't end up editing it twice.

No, I don't think they will. I mean thinking about this, it makes perfect sense why the show was edited so much for what seemed to be only Nicktoons. FUNimation probley planned on airing it on the CW4Kids block so it was edited to their standards, not Nickelodeon's. I guess thats why it seemed so heavily edited when other shows like Avatar on the same channel, show blood and stuff like that. I mean what could they edit twice? This...?

They've been able to show Leonardo being beaten half-to-death in one season and imply being impaled in another season of TMNT. I'm sure Kamesen'nin can drink milk and a bloodless Bardock can be Kikouha'd without a problem.