Funimation Acquires One Piece!

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/

An interview at animeOnline with Funimation brand manager Lance Heiskell reveals that Funimation has acquired the broadcast and DVD rights to One Piece; an uncut, subtitled version of the show will be available, as well as a newly dubbed version for television broadcast. Funimation's version of the show will begin with episode 144. Further details are available in the interview. 1.8 days ago - 2007-04-13 01:04 EDT

Holy shit. It'll come out uncut on dvd.. but it looks like it'll only be broadcasted uncut from ep 144 and on, I hope the dvds are uncut from episode 1 for everyone that wants to buy them. eh, at least the US will get uncut One Piece!

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

I still don't know whether this is a good thing or bad things. Time will tell but this is Funimation we're talking about, we can only hope they do a better job then 4Kids.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I bet funimation will do a decent job. What is a shame tho is that they are editing the show down to a PG version to air on CN, but all the dvds will be completely uncut. I think they did the same to YuYu Hakusho, edited out the blood but left the majority of all the content there as is.

[Vincent 2,861]

i hope they fit a decent amount of episodes per dvd.....one piece is over 300 episodes now. can you imagine if they only put 2 or 4 episodes per disc?

[GundamFreakX 836]

Like they do with almost every released anime dvd? I don't quite have that much money to spend.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

i hope they fit a decent amount of episodes per dvd.....one piece is over 300 episodes now. can you imagine if they only put 2 or 4 episodes per disc?

So let’s make it clear – what is going on?

HEISKELL FUNimation will now be working on the adaptation of the One Piece anime. We have all DVD rights to the One Piece TV series, and we’ll be working on new episodes that will air on Cartoon Network in August.

Oh thank God.

HEISKELL (laughs)

How’s this going to work? Are you guys going to start the series over, or what?

HEISKELL No, no. We’re starting with the original Japanese episodes 144 through 205.

Why is that?

HEISKELL Well, it was kind of a group decision between FUNimation, Cartoon Network, and Toei Animation. Cartoon Network wanted the series to continue from where the previous version left off. And FUNimation and Toei wanted to keep One Piece on TV – that’s good for everybody.

So what about episodes one through 143?

HEISKELL It’s not 100% decided yet. We’re dubbing the show with an entirely new cast and we have such strict deadlines to meet for the Cartoon Network broadcast that [dubbing those first episodes at the same time] would end up being double the work for us. We want to do it, but it comes down to our production schedule – and if we can, we will. But if we can’t, then we’ll start with a DVD of episode 144-plus, and get to the first episode as soon as we can.

Actually, you guys can have comments on the article right? Like below the article, people add comments?

Indeed we do.

HEISKELL Well, I’m not promising anything, but it wouldn’t hurt if people let us know in your comments whether they want us to start the DVDs with episode one, or episode 144. Or we might alternate between the two, like they were different seasons. They should let us know what they think. [Editor’s note: you heard the man - get to work, guys.]

So what are the DVD plans? They’ll be uncut, right?

HEISKELL Totally uncut. What you see is what you get.

How will you release the DVDs?

HEISKELL We know that One Piece is a long, ongoing show, and we’ve learned in the past from fan feedback, forums, conventions, and all the conversations that three to four episodes per disc just won’t cut it for such a long series.

So what we’re going to do is 13 episode releases at $49.98. We haven’t figured out if we’re going to do two or three per year. We just have to see with production and sales whether it’s more beneficial to do two or three a year, but we haven’t decided yet. This is our quickest production, and we have our A-team working on it, and this is top priority so all the wheels are going right now.

So it’ll be a three disc box set?

HEISKELL Probably three discs, yes. We’re also trying to get some cool extras for the DVDs so it’s not just episodes. We’ll be doing a lot of good promotion for it.

And when do we get it?

HEISKELL The uncut DVD won’t be out until sometime between November and February, depending on production.

Even at 13 episodes a set, with 300+ eps of One Piece, it'll still require at least 23 boxsets and probably an entire dedicated wall of shelf space. at $50 a pop thats at least $1,150.00 and the series is no where near ending in Japan. Thats friggin costly. x_x

[Sledgstone 8,672]

*** Funimation's One Piece Starts Saturday on Cartoon Network ***

Set sail for a new era of One Piece this weekend as Funimation's first One Piece

episode is set to air on Cartoon Network on Saturday. The all-new dub cast

includes Colleen Clinkenbeard as Luffy, Chris Sabat as Zolo, Eric Vale as

Sanji, Luci Christian as Nami, Sonny Strait as Usopp, Stephanie Young as Nico

Robin, and Brina Palencia as Tony Tony Chopper. It picks up where the 4Kids

version left off, with the crew setting off for the island in the sky, Skypiea.

Visit the FUNimation One Piece site:

http://funimation.com/onepiece/

I guess it starts tonight. If I remember, I might turn it on later to hear the new voices.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I finally got around to watching a couple episodes of the funimation dubbed One Piece.

my ears started bleeding. the VA of Luffy sounds like its struggling and is never constant. Probably because its a girl's voice playing a male role (the same VA that does Riza Hawkeye on FMA).

Nami's voice is the english Kaname from Full Metal Panic, and while both of those characters can be bitchy, just because the voice could work for one character does not mean it works at all for Nami. The voice, pitch, etc. are all the same too. If I was in another room and listening to the show I would wonder wtf Kaname Chidori is doing on One Piece. Horrible voice for Nami.

and the rest of the cast is full of Fruits Basket and other FMA voice actors. I would assume because they've all previously worked for funimation for those other animes, funi decided to give them all another job. because obviously if they had to pay someone for proper casting and voice auditions we'd get a good voice cast. Instead they'd rather keep to a time table and hire people off a list to get the episodes on CN and dvd releases out as soon as possible.

Also, they translated and sang the opening and ending themes. horrible.

whats even more messed up is that even with all these faults its still better than the 4kid's raped version of One Piece.

[Pchan 5,162]

Who cares about the English dub anyways .. I'm more than happy with the Jap v/a's.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Of course, I love the Japanese VAs. Have you heard Brooke's VA yet. Hes going to be hilarious. X'D

[Ladywriter 7,783]

the dub still sux

recycled used dried up voice actors