[News] One Piece get One More Chance: Now Licensed by Funimation

Fantastic news.

http://animeonline.com/index.php?pag...&ent_id=101235

Quote:

Here, production manager Justin Cook discusses the edits that FUNimation will make to keep One Piece on the air.



First of all, how excited are you to have One Piece?
COOK: It’s great. We actually got our hopes up once before for One Piece, but to have it now and to have the chance to bring it back to the fans, to have the chance to restore it to its original luster and original clever dialogue is really our main goal. We want to capture the essence of what One Piece is and to bring that back as much as we can to a television audience. And of course, the uncut DVDs will be the original work in its entirety.

Bliss! So you’ll be using new voices of course.
COOK: Yes, and on the casting we are not trying to match either the Japanese voices or the former dub. We are looking at both sets of voices, but we don’t want our cast trying to imitate a voice that, in our opinion, might not necessarily fit that character.

Any plans for wacky accents?
COOK: If it fits the character, we might find a place for some kind of accent. In our brief history, we have found places in a show where an accent of some kind really fits. But we don’t want to force an international feel on the show when it already really comes across in the animation. And of course, a bad accent will usually be more distracting than even bad acting.

I think One Piece fans – including me - are concerned about Nico Robin’s wacky hick accent and Sanji’s God-awful Brooklyn accent.
COOK: I am almost totally certain that none of the Straw-Hat pirates, the main characters, will have any kind of accent at all.

And the pirate accent that everyone else seemed to have?
COOK: If you have a guy who is obviously a pirate with a peg leg and a hook for a hand, you might get away with a traditional pirate voice, but the production team really doesn’t want that just running rampant throughout the whole thing. We’re sure there will be some instances where it will be appropriate but we’ll never use an accent if we can’t do it perfectly.

Are there any announcements about who will be working on the dub?
COOK: There are two line producers that are working on One Piece at this time: Mike McFarland and Christopher Bevins. Of course, Mike McFarland was a line producer for Trinity Blood, and a voice director for Trinity Blood as well as Fullmetal Alchemist, a number of Dragonball episodes, and a couple of other series. And Chris Bevins worked on Burst Angel and Samurai 7. We have a very experienced lead staff working on the show. The head writers working on this are John Burgmeier and Eric Vale, both of whom are taking an equal chunk of the workload. As far as the cast, I can’t say as of yet.

I know Bevins at least is a pretty big One Piece fan.
COOK: Actually, both Mike and Bevins are extreme One Piece fans. Both have felt that so far, One Piece has been…a little lackluster in its performance and are both very anxious at the chance to step in and try to course-correct this ship.

That’s very diplomatic of you.
COOK: Well, you’ve got to understand that when One Piece first went on the air [here in the U.S.], it was at a very different time slot than what we’re looking at now, so a lot of the standards that they were held to, we aren’t. Instead of Saturday morning at 9 a.m., we’re looking at Saturday night. There is a very different set of standards for that time slot.

So what else will FUNimation’s TV version not be doing?
COOK: What I can say for sure is that there will be no smoking in One Piece-land, as according to Cartoon Network, consumption of alcohol will be missing from the show, and obviously, a lot of the violence and gore will be missing.

I know as soon as I say, “No smoking,” everyone’s mind immediately goes to Sanji and his sucker, and we will be continuing that. The whole reason the sucker is there is that it’s just too much work to repaint everything in the shot to remove the cigarette. You have to consider, for every one second of footage that’s aired, there are 30 individual frames that need to be painted. So, for a three-minute scene of Sanji with a cigarette in his mouth, that’s easily a week to two weeks of work, doing nothing else but that for eight hours a day.

We’re much more concerned with finding a cast that fits the characters and brings the characters to life to whet the appetites of the fans so that they want to go check out the uncut DVD version of the show. And I think the change in voices and the script styling of the show will be enough to get the fans interested in the original series. We know we’re going to have to ask for forgiveness on the missing violence and the missing cigarettes, but there’s nothing we can do about that besides not air it on TV at all.

And it’ll still be totally uncut on DVD.
COOK: Yes.

So then what about the character of Smoker, who smokes two cigars at the same time? The previous version edited them out and renamed him Chaser.
COOK: Well, there’s actually an exception with cigars and pipes. All we have to do is get rid of the smoke and the burning bit at the end. For whatever reason, [the FCC broadcast standards] are more concerned with getting rid of cigarettes. But cigars and pipes can be shown, provided they’re not lit or being used.

But there are other shows like Naruto, which airs close to the same time as One Piece will, in which characters are seen with cigarettes with just the smoke removed, though not main characters like Sanji.
COOK: We have been asked not to do that, though we did ask if we could. We’ve been asked that before. “Why can the show before you or after you do this and you don’t?” We’re just going with the orders we’ve been given. We’re not sure why other shows can do certain things but it’s not okay for One Piece. In the Jaya saga, there is a pretty major character who smokes all the time on the island. That’s an instance of a character that smokes all the time, as well as having the cigarette in his mouth, where we have to decide if we can replace it with a toothpick or edit out the smoking altogether. Basically, it’s going to be a group effort to decide how to best handle it without steering away from the idea and the feel of One Piece.

So they'll be sticking to censoring Sanji's cigarette and toning down the violence for TV broadcast, which is unfortunate (doesn't Naruto allow smoking?), but everything will be uncut on DVD, so it's all good.

I really, really hope that Justin Cook will be playing Sanji. His last name is cook, and Sanji IS a cook! It's perfect.

How ya doing, buddy?

Not a fan, but glad to see this anime being handled by competant people.

How ya doing, buddy?

Doesn't really help if it's still being censored and pushed at an age group it's actually not meant for (helloooooo Tenjo Tenge!~)

The explanation about cigars and pipes made me lose a little more faith in humanity, but uncut DVDs at least sounds good.

I couldn't quite make sense on whether they restart the whole thing or if they plan on simply continuing from where the previous rape left off, but if they plan to keep the episode order intact this time around, that's at least some comfort for the people who can't or refuse to watch the fansubs.

An amazing show like One Piece really deserves better.

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Great. Now if they can just get Shaman King...

Anyone is better than 4Kids, really.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

The interview says they're going to continue where 4kids left off. That goes for the DVDs as well, though I'm sure they'll get back to the first episodes eventually.

Having to stick to lollipops and no booze is pretty lame, but at least now I'm certain the series will shine through thanks to better voice actors, the original soundtrack, more violence, and less embarassing censors ("What's wrong, Luffy? You look a little down. Upside-down, that is! Ha ha ha!").

I don't have a clue who in Funimation would work for dub Luffy, though.

How ya doing, buddy?

*sigh* still more censoring >_<

But its good that this is being picked up again~~

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

As long as there are better voice actors and original music, All is well.

FELIPE NO

How did 4Kids ever deal with Smoker and his cigar? >__> Edited in a steaming jawbreaker?

How ya doing, buddy?

Completely removed the cigars, but kept all the smoke.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I still shake my head at how they don't just give it uncut straight for teens and up, but I guess the money lies in targeting that wacky kids demographic. You can either spend weeks upon weeks redrawing Sanji's cigarette or get mild, but decent profit now with a niche market of anime-obsessed teens and adults.

Maybe I'll look into this. I had no idea that it was so bad currently that Robin has a hick accent in the dub, expecting a mature voice and all.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

4kids. That was the primary reason I didn't watch much of One Piece, as all the unwarranted censorship diluted a show which was likely never meant to be shown to kids anyway (I'm not saying kids couldn't watch it, but clearly the demographics of the show centered on an older teen-mids 20s age, rather then the kind of audiance that 4Kids usually panders to).

I guess if they ever release the UNcensored DVDs from the beginning I might consider getting a box-set (As Anime episodic DVDs are prohibitively expensive, even when compared to American TV show sets, and only the Box Sets are anywhere near decently priced)

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

At this point, I'm so disappointed with the 4Kids version that I don't care about watching it edited at all anymore. Besides that, 4Kids skipped so many episodes that they're way farther ahead than where I am now with the fansubs, so if Funi is just gonna pick up where they left off, I'll have missed a lot of plot. So I most likely will not be watchng this on TV.

However, if they do release this on DVD starting from the beginning, I might consider buying it. It would have to released in box sets (there's no way in hell I'm collecting a show this long in single volumes), be really good quality, and be reasonably priced, but it would definitely be a possibilty.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Meh, a show this long with so much horrible editing being done for the dub is just not worth watching/buying in English. Even if it's uncut DVDs, I really don't see any reason to buy series that go on for more than 50 or so episodes. Who would pay hundreds/thousands of dollars for a DVD set of a single show?

Sticking to free fan-subs is still where it's at.
(and geez, it takes forever to get through this series, I just started in January and I'm only up to episode 65 or so)

How ya doing, buddy?

If they release it by season uncut like they're doing for Naruto I might give it a shot if it's cheap. It's a travesty that they can't just slam the show with a higher rated audience label and be done with any censoring. I don't see why it's such a big fucking deal.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The editing deal seems to me to sound like Toei messing things up again. Which, giving thier pass record wasn't exactly what I'd call a suprise.

Some people would be glad to know that Tomatto of Star Ocean and Bhamaut Lagoon Fan-translation fame will be heading the translation effort.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Conan-the-3rd

Some people would be glad to know that Tomatto of Star Ocean and Bhamaut Lagoon Fan-translation fame will be heading the translation effort.

Please elaborate. I'm not familiar.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I was about to post that.

Quote:

Re: The Future of One Piece anime...In America! FUNIMATION TAKES OVER!
Heya! I've been lurking for a while but now that the cat's out of the bag I thought I'd finally say hi I'm a longtime fan of OP and also a translator for FUNi, in fact I'm head translator for OP at the moment. I'm sure it seems pretty weird for someone like me to show up out of the blue like this, but I actually like to try to interact with fans of stuff I'm involved with. Sometimes it's tough with more obscure shows, but that's definitely not the case with One Piece Fan feedback (good *and* bad, as long as it's constructive) is always awesome to have, so I hope you guys don't mind me hanging out here. I'm just some regular dorky guy who loves anime, games, and all that stuff, so uhh yeah. I'm also co-webmaster over at Starmen.Net if there are any EarthBound fans here. I think that's probably good testament to how nerdy I am

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. My name's Tomato (though I often just go by Mato now), and way back in ancient times I used to fan translate video games (mostly SNES stuff like Bahamut Lagoon and Star Ocean) and sub TV shows and such for fun in my spare time. Eventually, I was discovered by FUNi and have since been fortunate enough to work on tons of awesome shows like Det. Conan, Tenchi Muyo, Lupin the 3rd, Dragon Ball and lots others. I'd heard rumors years ago that FUNi was trying to get OP but I was disappointed after the "other guys" got it. So I'm really glad that FUNi finally has it and that the show'll get the respect it deserves

I'm just a lowly translator so I can't really say much or comment on much, contracts are very scary things But as long as it's strictly translation-related, I can *probably* answer any questions people might have. Like I've done with other shows, especially the Tenchi series, I'm always very open to people's suggestions and thoughts about how certain things should be handled in translation. After all, the work I do *is* ultimately for the fans. A quick example is a few years ago, Detective Conan and Tenchi fans told me they preferred names to be in Japanese order (family name followed by given name) so I started doing things that way and all were happy. Naturally, I can't make miracles happen but I always take fan feedback into account whenever possible.

Yikes, it's getting pretty late. I better cut this short so I can get some sleep!
(BTW, sorry if this isn't the right place for an introduction.)

http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=515325&postcount=868

Pretty interesting. But if there's one thing I'm truly hoping for, it's that both the dub and sub will leave "Nakama" untranslated. I don't need to tell you that having Luffy refer to his friends as Nakama is far more meaningful than "crew" or "dearly beloved friends".

How ya doing, buddy?

But then the mainstream audience will complain about not knowing what "nakama" means! xD I liken that as something similar to leaving honorifics on so that you can see the great respect Luffy has for Shanks or something. You never know what they'll choose to do though

There's nowhere I can't reach.

It's not hard to have a verbatim sub of the English dub and a translation sub for the Japanese audio and a translation notes page. It wouldn't be the first time this is done.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

It also wouldn't be the first time it isn't done. Dubtitles seem the easy way out for a lot companies and they seem to not realize that defeats the purpose of original audio in the first place.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Yeah, I was very disappointed with the Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo uncut release. It had Japanese audio but no actual translation subs. It was dubtitles. The dub is fun though but I still would like an actual translation.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Yay!! funamation handles Dubs waaaay better than 4Kids and at lease it going to be UNcut!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

So far we have :

Christopher Sabat : Roronoa ZoRo Funi
Brina Palencia as Tony Tony Chopper (FUNimation)
Colleen Clinkenbeard as Monkey D. Luffy (FUNimation)
Eric Vale as Sanji (FUNimation)
Sonny Strait as Usopp (FUNimation)
Stephanie Young as Nico Robin (FUNimation)

Very impressed so far. Looks like they'll be taking it more seriously. We need confirmation on the japanese bgm though..

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I think having the "r" in Zoro is a good enough indication that everything will be a normal as far as bringing anime over here properly goes. I wonder what creative license they'll take for some of the Japanese jokes and ideas. I know the hardcore crew will bitch that they aren't using the word "nakama" or something. I'd accept the word "comrades" very easily.

I'll be sure to download a Funimation DVD release to see how they do. There's just no way I'm going in for the long haul for 300 plus episodes. Maybe if they did an uncut season release like Naruto and DBZ I might bite. That at the very least is something manageable. I have no fucking clue how people were able to seriously do Inu Yasha. It was like 4 episodes per volume and each volume cost like 25 bucks. You just can't do that for long series like that. Anyway, I look forward to what Funimation can do.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

So did anyone check out tonight's episode? It's 10:20 here and it' still going on. Few things

- Funimation's dub is much better
- Zorro is still Zo-Lo
-Original Japanese audio
- Original OP and ED dubbed. Not bad =]
- Previews are shown (that nostalgic theme song..) and it has Luffy saying "I'll be King of the Pirates"

I'm relieved they did a good job. Stephanie does a good Nico Robin and sounds just like the original seiyuu. Sonny Strait still has the goods!. Everyone else is just fine. Even Sanji o.o.

Jam it back in, in the dark.