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May 1st, 1999 Ransom Taylor shares some "inside" information about FCC guidelines, and how and why they were used on DBZ. I'd have to take issue with some of what he says (I've seen things, man, I've seen things...) but this is a brief, but GREAT essay. Cookie returns to the opinion section with an excellent essay dealing with the CN airings of the movies, and the recent FUNimation dub of DB Movie #2. By the way, this essay is about a month old (as of May 1st) so some of what he says is slightly out of date. (Sorry Cook!) Alex Tib a newbie to DBZ, with one of those real simple "first impression" essays. I always find these new fans so interesting, they're not quite as jaded as the rest of us. K.H.B discusses some third season prospects, and brings up a rather creative idea for voice recording: "leave the Japanese voices in when they're fighting, doing special moves, screaming, etc. only use the American voices when they're talking." Heh, now THAT would be interesting! Matt U. with, oh yay! A converted-to-the-original story! I like to put up at least one of these with each update. "FUNimaiton has a lot to make up for" he says. Damn right. Blaise Frazier asks the question, why can Race Bannon go to HELL and back on Jonny Quest, but Goku can't? We ask and we ask and we ask! Steve Harmon made me giggle like a schoolgirl with this. A sample: "DBZ will always kick ass, it's just the question of how much ass it is able to kick. The less cuts, the more ass." HA HA! Do the math FUNimation! Let's have some more ass, here!   June 14th, 1999 Davis Scott and I have a lot in common, it seems. We both have a "split personality" when it comes to how we look at US DBZ, and in this essay, he presents three different people: The Optimist, The Pessimist, and The Realist. Chris Monticello and his homage to that lovely red fluid that keeps us all going, BLOOD! He makes some good points about how important it actually is to plot and character, and asks why Power Puff Girls can show it, but not DBZ. Keith Tindall with one of the "little bit of everything" variety. I find it interesting that he's worried FUNimation might go straight from DBZ into DBGT. I think it'll be a miracle if they get through one more season, let alone the rest of the series! Todd Carbonara comes up with one of the best quotes I've heard all day: "Church is more violent then that chopped up junk they show here!!!!!" Damn good point. You want violence, blood, killing, and fighting? Read the Bible. And hey look, they say HELL! Rei Bryant with a quickie. Real quick, two paragraphs. I don't know about this face-licking transvestite he's talking about, but I think I want to see that show. Let's just say my curiousity is peaked. Seong Whang and his listing of all the DBZ characters, highest power level to lowest. Pretty off-topic, but that's OK every now and then, right? Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS! Actually, none of it will make any sense unless you know the end of the series. Also, this essay is freaking monstrously long. Jackie B. while not agreeing with the alterations, says: "The bottom line is, that when they translate a Japanese show into American, as much as everyone regrets it, it has to actually BECOME AMERICAN." I totally disagree, but I DO think this is what FUNimation believes. Chris Monticello is back for the second time in the same update (well that's a first!) with an essay that is the first to bring up the "Littleton incident." Ben Acosta has complaints about DBZ merchandise in the US. Hmm, I've been waiting for an essay on this subject... You guys should do some more! Terry Reid was happy to see Nappa open a can of "whoop-butt" on the Earth Special Forces. Hmm.... "whoop-butt".... I think it loses something without the "ass" don't you??   June 20th, 1999 Tom Brant says that Vegeta "sounds like Beavis." I hadn't even thought of that! Now that he mentions it, Brian Drummond kinda does have a Beavis-esque quality. Evan Schenck makes some great points about violence in our society, and how FUNimation's editing actually diminishes anti-violence messages that DBZ sends. "PokeMastr5" with some great points about the hypocrisy and self-contradictions of the censoring body.