Has the "less cuts" in the YTV airings of the Westwood dub claim ever been verified?

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

For those unaware when the Westwood Media dub of Dragon Ball Z, which featured the revered Ocean Studios cast aired on Cartoon Network and its sister channels CNX and Toonami in the UK back in 2001-2005 there were a number of edits made to this dub on top of Funimation's existing edits, which it inherited due to using the same video for the vast majority of its run.

Examples of cuts exclusive to the Westwood dub include:

• Super Boo being shot
• Removal of Super Boo jumping down the gunman's throat and killing him, instead cutting to Boo reforming
• Gotenks fart joke in the bath
• when Z edited episode 238 first aired in the UK, Bee (the puppy) being shot was shown and the episode cuts to Boo's shocked face, abruptly ending and going straight to the commercials, although this change would be undone for the CNX and Toonami airings

However over the years there have been claims about the YTV airings being less censored, although given recordings appear to be rarer than any of the broadcasts from said UK channels the jury is still out on this.

It's worth noting cases of deviations within specific cuts per region and per channel are not uncommon. For example Kix aired Kai with the same edit (that was produced by Ocean no less) that was shown on Nicktoons with the addition of the farmer's death being removed, so it's not out of the question to assume a similar case could have occurred with the Canadian and UK edits of the Westwood dub also having differences.

Can anyone who has seen the YTV recordings, or seen them back in the day remember if these claims hold any truth?

[90sDBZ]

I'd be interested in knowing this too. It just seems odd how the CNX broadcast of the Ocean Fusion episodes was more cut than the Funimation version they already aired previously. If a less cut Ocean version truly existed surely they would have aired that.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Well I don't know the YTV broadcast dates to confirm, but given my understanding is that the UK aired most, if not all of the Westwood dub episodes before Canada one possibility I've considered is that the cut less versions were only shown once and thus recordings are rare.

I've heard the scene where fat Boo tries to look "handsome", and asks a woman if she finds him attractive was only aired once by YTV, and later cut, although every time I saw it back in the day that scene was retained. So maybe Cartoon Network at one point thought certain scenes were appropriate when they aired the Funimation versions but later backtracked.

Sadly it's been so long ago now that the likelihood anyone would remember why these decisions were made is slim.

[Robo4900]

The only differences I'm aware of between YTV and Toonami UK for the Westwood dubs are motion blur filters (to reduce epilepsy risks) applied to the UK airings. Allegedly GT episode 64 also had its full montage present on YTV whereas in the UK it was cut to remove the Japanese text scroll, but I've never seen a genuine YTV capture of episode 64 to confirm this. Someone once directed me to an alleged clip of this, but it would have been really easy to fake it, so I wouldn't take it as evidence since it's just the one clip.

I've heard anecdotal accounts about OG DB being less cut on YTV, but the accounts are always vague and there's never any evidence anyway.

Maybe one of these days we'll get DVDs of the Westwood dubs and they'll confirm these things by being the less-cut masters while we've only ever seen captures of the UK versions go around for the most part. But IMO it's more likely that if we did have access to both the UK and Canadian versions, we'd find basically no differences.

[Gilby1385]

In one of the two copies of the Blue Water dub of "The Emperor's Quest" available online (a poor audio rip over what seems like the Blue Bricks footage, the other being a genuine Toonami UK rip), the already edited "no balls" scene has been edited further, removing the back shot of Goku looking at Bulma and cutting straight to the pan while he screams, and Goku scared over Bulma having no balls, going from Bulma waking up shocked to her running to her box.

According to a video by (the now gone) YouTube user "jamie guy random dump" comparing the Blue Water dub and the Toonami USA edit of the in-house FUNimation dub, the version with the scene edited further was used by YTV.

[MasenkoHA]

In one of the two copies of the Blue Water dub of "The Emperor's Quest" available online (a poor audio rip over what seems like the Blue Bricks footage, the other being a genuine Toonami UK rip), the already edited "no balls" scene has been edited further, removing the back shot of Goku looking at Bulma and cutting straight to the pan while he screams, and Goku scared over Bulma having no balls, going from Bulma waking up shocked to her running her box.

According to a video by (the now gone) YouTube user "jamie guy random dump" comparing the Blue Water dub and the Toonami USA edit of the in-house FUNimation dub, the version with the scene edited further was used by YTV.

Sounds less censored than the edited Funimation dub which goes straight from Bulma getting mad at Goku for falling asleep on her to Turtle approaching their house and Goku and Bulma being awake for the morning. Completely ditching Bulma checking on the dragon balls after being wakened up by Goku

[Gilby1385]

Allegedly GT episode 64 also had its full montage present on YTV whereas in the UK it was cut to remove the Japanese text scroll, but I've never seen a genuine YTV capture of episode 64 to confirm this. Someone once directed me to an alleged clip of this, but it would have been really easy to fake it, so I wouldn't take it as evidence since it's just the one clip.

I also noticed the Toonami UK edit of that scene (not sure about the YTV version, it could be edited the same way for all I know) uses the TV recording of "Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku" for the most part, rather than the album recording which the Japanese version used. The sound effects of the Nimbus taking Goku away and disappearing into the sky also occur at a slightly earlier point than in the original version.

[90sDBZ]

I guess it's also worth noting Blue Water DB had a different Opening/Ending on Toonami UK than it did on YTV (although Toonami would occasionally slip up and air the YTV OP/ED).

From what you guys are saying it sounds like the Blue Water DB and GT airings differed in other minor ways too. I actually remember the GT montage thing being mentioned before.

When it comes to Westwood Z there doesn't seem to be any specific examples, aside from YTV having a different ending for the Buu saga. Basically I've never seen any proof of a less cut version, but absence of evidence isn't necessarily proof it doesn't exist. It's just strange that CNX would choose to go with a more edited Ocean version if a less edited version existed, as they had no problem airing the less edited Funimation version.

[Gilby1385]

I actually remember the GT montage thing being mentioned before.

Interesting. Do you happen to remember if the Japanese credits were present there?

Basically I've never seen any proof of a less cut version, but absence of evidence isn't necessarily proof it doesn't exist. It's just strange that CNX would choose to go with a more edited Ocean version if a less edited version existed, as they had no problem airing the less edited Funimation version.

It is possible the Westwood dub was also edited this way from the start, but we probably won't know until we have YTV, CN NL and Yorin airings to confirm this.

[90sDBZ]

I actually remember the GT montage thing being mentioned before.

Interesting. Do you happen to remember if the Japanese credits were present there?

I meant I'd seen someone else mention it on this forum before, more than one person actually. I've only seen the UK broadcast myself, which as others have mentioned was cut down to avoid showing the Japanese text.

[Gilby1385]

I meant I'd seen someone else mention it on this forum before, more than one person actually. I've only seen the UK broadcast myself, which as others have mentioned was cut down to avoid showing the Japanese text.

Oh, right. Guess I misunderstood.

[kei17]

The only differences I'm aware of between YTV and Toonami UK for the Westwood dubs are motion blur filters (to reduce epilepsy risks) applied to the UK airings. Allegedly GT episode 64 also had its full montage present on YTV whereas in the UK it was cut to remove the Japanese text scroll, but I've never seen a genuine YTV capture of episode 64 to confirm this. Someone once directed me to an alleged clip of this, but it would have been really easy to fake it, so I wouldn't take it as evidence since it's just the one clip.

I remember seeing a possible YTV capture on YouTube over a decade ago. It didn't look like something edited, but I'm not very sure because YTV doesn't have the watermark. I found a CNX recording after that and was surprised that it lacked the entire montage scene.

[DBGod]

I have every episode of DB and DBZ recorded on VHS from YTV in SP speed all digitally transferred. I can check any particular scenes if anyone can specify.

Its been a few years since I've been active in this community to prevent burnout but I've recently decided to make a return again. From the top of my head if I can recall there may have been a few scenes that were altered I'd have to check and search.

Regarding GT episode 64 it has the full credit scroll and I know because I own my own recording of that. YTV also does have watermarks it appears periodically every 5 minutes or so as an animation, that clip your referring to had it because it was mine. Heavily compressed and uploaded it just to show some people it existed since they kept asking me.

[Gilby1385]

I have every episode of DB and DBZ recorded on VHS from YTV in SP speed all transferred. I can check any particular scenes if anyone can specify.

Its been a few years since I've been active in this community to prevent burnout but I've recently decided to make a return again. From the top of my head if I can recall there may have been a few scenes that were altered I'd have to check and search.

Regarding GT episode 64 it has the full credit scroll and I know because I own my own recording of that.

That's great! Hopefully you can get them all digitised and uploaded someday!

[Arian]

I have every episode of DB and DBZ recorded on VHS from YTV in SP speed all transferred. I can check any particular scenes if anyone can specify.

Its been a few years since I've been active in this community to prevent burnout but I've recently decided to make a return again. From the top of my head if I can recall there may have been a few scenes that were altered I'd have to check and search.

Regarding GT episode 64 it has the full credit scroll and I know because I own my own recording of that.

That's great! Hopefully you can get them all digitised and uploaded someday!

It's too bad he's lying his ass off. He just has handouts from various people, including me and ran off with these things, but he has nowhere near what he's leading on. I'm sorry to potentially get another thread locked but I don't want anyone actually engaging with this guy.

[Gilby1385]

I have every episode of DB and DBZ recorded on VHS from YTV in SP speed all transferred. I can check any particular scenes if anyone can specify.

Its been a few years since I've been active in this community to prevent burnout but I've recently decided to make a return again. From the top of my head if I can recall there may have been a few scenes that were altered I'd have to check and search.

Regarding GT episode 64 it has the full credit scroll and I know because I own my own recording of that.

That's great! Hopefully you can get them all digitised and uploaded someday!

It's too bad he's lying his ass off. He just has handouts from various people, including me and ran off with these things, but he has nowhere near what he's leading on. I'm sorry to potentially get another thread locked but I don't want anyone actually engaging with this guy.

Oh yeah, I've heard about that. Maybe someone else can help out with that.