When I first opened this site in June of '98, this section was one of very few like it. I had gotten the idea almost two years earlier, just a couple of weeks after the English dub premiered. Wandering around the Internet one day, I found a site entitled "Son Goten's English DBZ Opinions Page," which had been established so that fans could vent their frustrations about this "weird new English version" that had just begun airing. In those days, pretty much the only people who even watched the dub were those who, like me, were already fans of the Japanese version (you had to go out of your way to see it; the timeslots were awful). I was fascinated to read their reactions to FUNimation's work. That site is long since dead. To my disappointment, it suddenly vanished one day, long before Uncensored arrived on the scene. But I really enjoyed those essays, and I wanted to have something similar on my site since no one else was doing it at the time. And so, the "Opinions" section was born. For a while, things went very well and the essays were interesting, original, and thought provoking for the most part. As time went on, however, not only did the quality move toward a gradual decline, but the content began to get a bit repetitive. So I started screening the essays, putting up only the best, rather than just using anything and everything I received. That worked well, for a while at least. The problem was that the same things were being said over and over again, the arguments were growing tiresome, and I couldn't help but feel that the time I spent reading these essays could be better used toward other ends. Not only that, but by this time my "Opinions" section was no longer unique. There were now whole sites dedicated to nothing BUT opinion essays, the best of these being Kienzan's Edge. And other DBZ sites now had their own Opinion forums too, in some cases much better than mine. A case in point would be VegettoEX's "Editorials" section, which, since its inception, has far surpassed mine in timeliness, relevance, and overall quality. The only thing my own section had going for it was "Opinions From the Powers That Be." Finally, at the end of 1999, it dawned on me that "Opinions From the Fans" was no longer interesting or valuable, at least to me. So I decided that I would do a little test to see what the visitors thought. Without saying a word about it, I would let the section slide for six months. And if, within that time, there was enough of a demand for more essays, then I would bring it back to life. Six months passed, and something rather interesting occurred. While I continued to receive opinion essays, no one seemed to be concerned that the section itself wasn't being updated. And when I say no one, I mean literally, no one. While people incessantly shrieked and clawed at their eyes for more editorials and episode comparisons, I did not receive a SINGLE MESSAGE asking me to put up more opinion essays, or even why I hadn't done so. Seven months passed, then eight, then nine... it became my own private joke. And so, one year since its last update, I am now officially announcing the retirement of "Opinions From the Fans." It served its purpose, but it has obviously outlived its usefulness and it no longer makes sense for me to keep it alive. Like I've said, there are other, better sources if you want to know how the fanbase is thinking and feeling about the dub. One of the only reasons I made the section in the first place was because there wasn't anything like it. But now you can go to EX's site, or Kienzan's Edge, or just about any DB message board or newsgroup, and not only voice your opinion, but interact with others. I have decided to leave the old essays up for posterity, because some of you will no doubt find it interesting to see what people were saying about the dub back in the days before the new cast, the DVD's, or even Cartoon Network. Looking back at my own essay, I am amazed at how much the situation of DBZ in America, and my thoughts and feelings about it, have changed since then. As for "Opinions From the Powers That Be..." well... I'm going to keep that going.

Opinions From the Fans

Page 1- The original introduction, and essays added between June 7th and September 27th 1998 Page 2- November 8th 1998 to February 16th 1999 Page 3- March 1st to April 1st Page 4- May 1st to June 20th Page 5- July 2nd to December 28th

Opinions From the Powers-That-Be

DBZ Uncensored Exclusives: Peter Kelamis discusses the voice acting business, TV censorship, and the virtues of boxers over briefs. Ian Corlett one of the greatest North American voice actors, talks about how he got involved with FUNimation and DBZ, the injustices of the industry, and why he left the show. Mark Britten one of the new Season 3 cast members, and a couple of the e-mails we have exchanged. Reprinted Interviews: Take Ten With FUNimation Interview with FUNimation executive producers Gen and Cindy Fukunaga, from Vol.4 No.11 of Animerica magazine. Interview with Scott McNeil From that very same issue. Dragon Ball Z... How it Gets On TV Interview with Barry Watson of FUNimation, from Vol.6, No.3 of Animerica magazine. Gen Fukunaga, in an interview that appeared on Ed Gorgen's "The Saiya-jin's Pride Page" in mid-1997.