Funi's Uncut One Piece not starting from the beginning?

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

According to the wikipedia page for One Piece the Funimation uncut releases are going to start at episode 144 or somewhere around there. Since it was wikipedia I was a little skeptical and I'm hoping it's not true because I don't want to start collecting it from the middle. Anyone hear anything about this?

[GyroidFanatic]

Viz still holds the DVD license for all the episodes 4Kids had (legal reasons explain why they still have it even though 4Kids doesn't have the episodes anymore), so Funimation has no choice but to start from the first episode they have.

[Soufriere]

Well since nobody else has said anything, I guess I will.

Wiki is correct (surprise). Funi has started One Piece at ep 143, right where 4Kids left off. They're not starting over from the beginning because they can't. 4Kids may have lost the 1P licence, but Viz still holds the distro rights for the next couple years at least (09 I think).

In short, Funi will not redub the earlier 1P seasons until Viz's rights expire, if they redub at all.

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

That stinks. I don't want to start collecting it from the middle. Especially if there's a chance that the beginning might never come out. :sigh:

[nilcam]

I refuse to buy the edited, dub-only discs, so I guess I won't be buying One Piece. Sorry, Funi, I would like to support you but I cannot.

[LordGeo]

Originally Posted by nil

I refuse to buy the edited, dub-only discs, so I guess I won't be buying One Piece. Sorry, Funi, I would like to support you but I cannot.

But FUNi's DVDs will be dual-audio and uncut, at least for everything they release episode 143+ and Movie 8. I don't see the problem with FUNi's DVDs.

As for the earlier episodes, FUNi's box sets when they actually can do those episodes WILL be uncut; whether it's dual-audio or not is another story.

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

Originally Posted by LordGeo

As for the earlier episodes, FUNi's box sets when they actually can do those episodes WILL be uncut; whether it's dual-audio or not is another story.

That would require me to have faith in Funimation to eventually release the beginning episodes. And faith is not something I have in Funimation.

[DeadlyMessiah]

I think it is bs, as there is no reason why Viz should still have the rights when 4Kids lost it. Most of all, Viz should just hand it over to Funimation, who actually cares about their fans.

Funimation went from one of the worst anime companies to probably the best now that Bandai has dropped the ball severely.

This also have me wondering then, perhaps this is why they are releasing the Alabasta movie before anything else. I'd rather have the movie version subbed then deal with the crappy dub 4Kids did.

[blinx01]

Yeah, it's just a big mess and a real shame.
I, like many others, would have jumped at the chance of collecting this series in uncut format but there's now way im starting half way through.
I admire FUNimation for wanting to release this series properly but it's not going to sell as well as it could have. They should have just bought the distro license from Viz or struck some sort of deal with them...

[Dicrel Seijin]

Well, hell.

I'm willing to buy the OP boxsets from at whatever point Funi releases them. Besides, if they began at the beginning, it would take a long, long time to catch up to the broadcast.

Considering the debacle that was 4Kids, I don't think anyone was seriously considering OP in the U.S. would be free and clear just because Funi rescued the license.

With how Viz treats its manga titles, I did not think my opinion of it could fall any further, with this news, it has.

Hmm, for the Funi Reps Red and Blue, since 4Kids cut out chunks of the series and never showed them (the Little Garden arc, for example)--are these being re-dubbed and only await the context of the surrounding episodes or is everything before 143 verboten per Viz?