Dub and Fansub on VHS: What Do You Do?

Li'l Lemmy · Post by **Li'l Lemmy** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:42 pm

They're old. They're edited. They're taking up space. So why can't we throw them away?

Today's DBZ Episode: Sentiment Spares No Warrior!! Super Defensive Attack of the VHS

Even though DBZ on Toonami was far from uncut, I continually resist disposing of my taped episodes even after I buy their uncut DVD counterparts . . . and I don't know why.

Many of them are "premiere" episodes that I taped on their very first American run, so perhaps it's a sentimental value that makes them worth something to me. (The Buu saga in particular I followed day after day to see what happened next, and I subsequently watched the hell of of those tapes again and again. Ah, memories.) However, is that enough to justify making closet room for a bunch of edited VHS that's full of commercials?

The tapes have started to grain, while the DVDs will last forever . . . and it's the DVDs I have to thank for introducing me to the original Japanese version, which has become as dear to me as the dub. The tapes, on the other hand, ain't gonna do another damed thing for me . . . and yet it's as if there's some odd charm to holding onto them; something that makes them special. Are there others with the same habit, or am I crazy by myself?

On a similar note, the same question could be directed toward people with fansub collections. Does anyone with old fansubs keep their tapes after the corresponding movies come out to DVD . . . (Fusion Reborn, anyone?) . . . or is it just too easy to record over them or toss them out?

tarsonis · Post by **tarsonis** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:50 pm

Nostalgia. I still have movies 1, 2, and 3 on a tape from when they aired on Toonami. I think it's partly because I like the old Toonami commercials so much. The commercial for World's Strongest even has some of the Japanese voices in it.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:03 pm

I already threw most of my fansubs away.

DaemonCorps · Post by **DaemonCorps** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:09 pm

Yeah, I see where you're coming from. I taped the entire Piccolo Jr. Saga all in its premier run on Toonami. I even went as far as pausing during the commercials (regardless that it still doesn't flow entirely since I'm slightly off in the recordings). For the longest time, I've been thinking of putting them onto DVDs. However, I still don't have a good enough DVR to do that, so I figured I'd keep my VHS recordings until then...

.

I even went as far as putting my own personal covers on my VHS sleeves!

M-Vegeta · Post by **M-Vegeta** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:16 pm

I sent all my dub tapes to a fan of Dragonball in Japan because he wanted to see the American show. In return, he sent me a bunch of Dragoball crap, from all the movies, cards, books etc. etc. After I sent him 4 tapes of the dub ... I never heard from him again.

I feel blessed having a DSL line, and just being able to download a lot of anime not yet released here. Naruto & Bleach look really amazing, and really seem to be well subbed ... although, I haven't really watched a lot of the episodes, though.

Tanooki Kuribo · Post by **Tanooki Kuribo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:31 pm

I have my old subs for those scary Mc Donalds commercials, 5\8 chips commercials(I think there 5\8) and all those Dragonball merchandise commercials that you won't find anywhere else. All those Japanese commercials are awsome.

On the other hand I do have those old 5am recordings of Dragonball Z complete with commercials for other crappy 5am cartoons PSA's, and those stupid attempts at bumpers. I don't know if anyone remebers but they actually had the original Japanese bumber of Goku and Gohan but with all multi-colored backgrounds and kids shouting and jumping all around. Does ANYONE remember this? For some reason I think this is something Meri would remember, she seems to remember the oddest bits of Dragonball.

Post by **VegettoEX** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:44 pm

Tanooki Kuribo wrote:For some reason I think this is something Meri would remeber, she seems to remember the oddest bits of Dragonball.

Anyone who watched seasons 1 & 2 in syndication remembers those!

"This planet's not big enough for the both of us."
BOING!
"Stay tuned for DragonBall Z, next!"

To answer the question at hand, all of my fansubs (save a select few and some raws) are sitting in various boxes underneath a bed at my parents' house many states away.

Tanooki Kuribo · Post by **Tanooki Kuribo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:46 pm

I'am getting the urge to make clips... If I do, I will post them.

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:25 pm

I must've videotaped the entire Cell and Buu sagas when they first aired on CN. (Even tried to cut the commercials to save space on the tapes ^_^; ) They're all somewhere hidden in my room in various places; improperly labeled.
I gotta get to watching one or two of them one day...

Tsukento · Post by **Tsukento** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:43 pm

One of the reasons I don't toss my fansubs out is for minor reasons, really. Being able to see the Next Episode previews in Japanese (Japanese DVDs will have to wait for me). Not to mention, Japan's crazy set of commercials back in the days, especially Dragon Ball ones.

Not to mention, no one really buys them on eBay. >__>

Li'l Lemmy · Post by **Li'l Lemmy** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:47 pm

Chuquita wrote:I must've videotaped the entire Cell and Buu sagas when they first aired on CN. (Even tried to cut the commercials to save space on the tapes ^_^; ) They're all somewhere hidden in my room in various places; improperly labeled.

The amazing part of my collection is not its size but rather the sheer stupidity in that I chose not to label anything. So it used to be that when I went to look for a particular set of episodes that I would have to run several tapes through the VCR before I could find what I wanted . . . and most times, I would get distracted by a different set of episodes I'd popped in while searching and sit down to watch that instead.

The tapes I can't let go of: I have the Frieza saga, the Buu saga and the recent "Ultimate Uncut" airings (as well as snippets from other sagas) recorded onto VHS. I still haven't labeled anything, but I arrange the tapes in order on the top shelf of my closet.

Not only can I not give them up, I've recently tried re-recording the episodes onto new tapes to omit commericial interruption . . . but why, when the DVDs are already like that?! What's wrong with me, dammit?!

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:31 pm

I have one tape full of various DBZ eps taped off Cartoon Network... Mostly the Trunks saga (mostly of Trunks kicking @$$), an episode or two of Kid Buu, the Trunks Special, the Bardock Special, "Cooler's Revenge," the last DragonBall tourney with Goku vs ChiChi...

...and an episode of Ed, Edd n' Eddy.

Lobster_Rage155 · Post by **Lobster_Rage155** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:03 am

Tanooki Kuribo wrote:I'am getting the urge to make clips... If I do, I will post them.

Please do!

M-Vegeta · Post by **M-Vegeta** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:34 am

I forgot about my dubbed DBZ tapes from Mexico. I use to record them off of Telemundo. I gave those to my cousin ... might have to ask for those back because I actually enjoyed watching this dubbed version. I don't think they cut too much out, if anything, and they kept the music in tact!

Sebastian (SB) · Post by **Sebastian (SB)** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:41 am

I have most of FUNimation's edited DBZ VHS' from the early Buu arc & Movies 4 & 6(Uncut) back when I was a little new to the series & I have E Monsoon's Fansubs of Movies 8 & 12. I plan on keeping the fansubs seeing as how I don't have the official DVD releases yet since I'm currently occupied with collecting the DB American Tankobon. I am interested in giving away my VHS tapes for a price though.

Li'l Lemmy · Post by **Li'l Lemmy** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:48 am

M-Vegeta wrote:I forgot about my dubbed DBZ tapes from Mexico. I use to record them off of Telemundo. I gave those to my cousin ... might have to ask for those back because I actually enjoyed watching this dubbed version. I don't think they cut too much out, if anything, and they kept the music in tact!

I have one DBZ episode that I taped off Telemundo and will never erase, because I still enjoy watching it . . . if not because the Spanish dub is pretty sweet, then only for the reason that I like to compare the voices of the show's various versions. It's at the beginning of a tape that has episodes of Star Trek: Voyager crammed onto it, oddly enough.

When I found out that the music on the Spanish track was the original, it blew my mind.

Conan the SSJ · Post by **Conan the SSJ** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:18 pm

I'm trying my best to keep my Ocean DBZ episodes in as good condition as I can, and considering they're taped from (I think it was) 2002 reruns, then they're not so bad to keep around. A reason I don't feel I should buy the Pioneer DVDs (which I would gladly do out of nostalgia if not for these tapes) is because all I'm missing from these reruns is the "Rock the Dragon" theme and bothersome bitrate problems. Plus, my tapings contain the recaps (not in all episodes) where such things as Karin's first pronounciation (SP?) can be heard, as well as the next-ep previews dubbed by the Ocean dub's Narrator. Oh, and 4 or 5 seconds of the last part of the episodes aren't cut like on the DVDs to avoid in-between episodic Narrator dialouge.

masenko · Post by **masenko** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:24 pm

I tried to sell as many as I could before they made it to the states. I still have episodes 1-29 of DragonBall and that's probably the bestfansub to have at the moment. (ep 1-13 probably won't be seen here on dvd....ever)

Meri · Post by **Meri** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:06 pm

Ah yes, the old syndicated promos from the early dub run of DBZ.... that's one of a few reasons why I'm keeping my old tapes of episodes recorded off the TV. Gotta say though, Moltar was pretty farkin' awesome as the Toonami announcer when it started airing on Cartoon Network, too.

Sadly, there's no way in HELL I could ever get rid of my old fansubs because of 1) sentimental reasons, 2) no one would want them, and 3) I'd feel dirty selling them to people when they can simply get legal versions of the episodes on DVD. So yeah.... old TV episodes and old VHS fansubs are things I'm stuck with for more or less forever.

Maybe one day I'll grow some balls (and create a miracle of science in the process! O_o) and throw out my old fansubs...

.... then again, fansubs have some funny Japanese commercials and oh-so-hilarious swear-ridden and inaccurate subtitles. I guess that alone warrants my keeping the tapes. ^_^

Come to think of it, I'm not even in possession of my fansubs at the moment. I think they're in a cabinet at my parents' place, taking up space and collecting dust.

Azure · Post by **Azure** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:27 pm

I still have 2 part Genyu dub VHS box set, It sits by my tv but I can't chuck it...it's the Genyu's.
Also I have a random Italian DBZ movie it's the one with singing Krillin. It's still an ocassional watch because the way they say " Saiyan" sounds like "Cyan" and I applaud all atempts to make the colour blue sound powerful.
What I really wish I kept were copies of my friends Speedy Video dubs.
" What you say? I kill you number seventeen You some piece of garbage."

Kanzenshuu

Dub and Fansub on VHS: What Do You Do?

Dub and Fansub on VHS: What Do You Do?

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