Dragonball - Evolution Writer Apologizes to Fans

[Steven Bogos]

Dragonball - Evolution Writer Apologizes to Fans

The writer of possibly the worst western adaption of an anime ever made has offered his sincere apologies for the film.

Dragonball: Evolution [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFzLMGKtY04] isn't just one of the worst western adaptations of an anime ever made, but is honestly straight up one of the worst movies ever made. The movie was released back in 2009 to incredibly poor reviews, and now writer Ben Ramsey has sincerely apologized for all the anguish his movie caused Dragon Ball fans.

His apology, in full (via The Dao of Dragon Ball [http://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/news/dragonball-evolution-writer-apologizes-to-fans/]):

I knew that it would eventually come down to this one day. Dragonball Evolution marked a very painful creative point in my life. To have something with my name on it as the writer be so globally reviled is gut wrenching. To receive hate mail from all over the world is heartbreaking. I spent so many years trying to deflect the blame, but at the end of the day it all comes down to the written word on page and I take full responsibility for what was such a disappointment to so many fans. I did the best I could, but at the end of the day, I 'dropped the dragon ball.'

I went into the project chasing after a big payday, not as a fan of the franchise but as a businessman taking on an assignment. I have learned that when you go into a creative endeavor without passion you come out with sub-optimal results, and sometimes flat out garbage. So I'm not blaming anyone for Dragonball but myself. As a fanboy of other series, I know what it's like to have something you love and anticipate be so disappointing.

To all the Dragon Ball fans out there, I sincerely apologize.

I hope I can make it up to you by creating something really cool and entertaining that you will like and that is also something I am passionate about. That's the only work I do now.

Best,

Ben

I would imagine a global catastrophe like Dragonball: Evolution would weigh quite heavily on a man's conscience, so I'm glad that Ramsey was finally able to get that one off his chest.

Let's just hope the same thing doesn't happen with Ghost in The Shell [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/139294-Live-Action-of-Anime-Ghost-in-the-Shell-Gets-Scarlett-Johansson]...

Source: Gizmodo [http://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/news/dragonball-evolution-writer-apologizes-to-fans/]

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[Bob_McMillan]

Poor guy.

I hope I can make it up to you by creating something really cool and entertaining that you will like and that is also something I am passionate about. That's the only work I do now.


What is he referring to?

 

[zombiejoe]

I gotta admit, I love it when a creator can admit that they didn't do a good job on something.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Well, good for him. The movie's still crap, but at least the writer admits it. I can appreciate the effort.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I gotta admit, I love it when a creator can admit that they didn't do a good job on something.

He just wrote it, M. Night Shamalyon created it.

 

[Fappy]

I saw this when it was originally posted on the DBZ sub-reddit. It's really awkward how the "reporter" plugs his own series the way he does.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Ya know what? Good on you Ben. I can't speak for the rest of you but at this point I probably would take a big pay-day if I put into his position of adapting material that I knew next to nothing about. I don't know what he was paid for that job but it obviously wasn't worth freaking death threats.

So now that he's apologized, when is Toei or Tokyo TV or whomever going to apologize for not bringing Dragon Ball Super to the west yet? Aren't they well into that series third or fourth arc at this point?

 

[DeadProxy]

Ya know what? Good on you Ben. I can't speak for the rest of you but at this point I probably would take a big pay-day if I put into his position of adapting material that I knew next to nothing about. I don't know what he was paid for that job but it obviously wasn't worth freaking death threats.

So now that he's apologized, when is Toei or Tokyo TV or whomever going to apologize for not bringing Dragon Ball Super to the west yet? Aren't they well into that series third or fourth arc at this point?

they arent that far into the show at all really. The show has only just finished the first original arc, after doing the 2 movies in show form, and only have 40 episodes max out. The show is even past how far the manga has reached, so they'll probably still wait quite some time before a dub is in progress.

On Topic: at least someone is apologizing for that garbage. It was a bad movie in general, and a horrible dick-slap in the face to fans of DBZ. So much was wrong, and bad, and stupid...ugh.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

You're confusing Dragonball Evolution with The Last Airbender.

Indeed I am. You must understand how easy it was for me to make that mistake.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

Good to hear the writer apologize, but knowing how Hollywood operates and that movies aren't made alone, I'm pretty sure his blame is less than equal to the director and producers involved. The writing is god awful but I can only imagine that several drafts were involved.

20th Century Fox has every bit of share (likely more so) in the blame as Ramsey; the difference is that we'll never get an apology from Fox, who don't seem to care at all about the fans of the source material they are adapting and, in general, tend to see movie goers as idiots. This is why Disney's Marvel films all ranged from decent to great while Fox has to bust their ass just to make a passable X-Men movie.

 

[balladbird]

You're confusing Dragonball Evolution with The Last Airbender.

Indeed I am. You must understand how easy it was for me to make that mistake.

My god, though, can you imagine a Shyamalan directed DBZ movie? An anime series full of screams and shouting through the lens of a director who has his characters respond to everything with a bored monotone? The universe would break from the two styles trying to co exist.

 

[FillerDmon]

.... even if there's probably more that was involved than just the writer, as a fan of the original Dragon Ball (back before Z, GT, and Super), I appreciate the apology.

 

[MiskWisk]

You're confusing Dragonball Evolution with The Last Airbender.

Indeed I am. You must understand how easy it was for me to make that mistake.

My god, though, can you imagine a Shyamalan directed DBZ movie? An anime series full of screams and shouting through the lens of a director who has his characters respond to everything with a bored monotone? The universe would break from the two styles trying to co exist.

But what would the twist be? It's not a Shyamalan film without a twist.

 

[AstaresPanda]

hhhmmm too little too late BUT props to admitting he screwed up.

 

[happyninja42]

He shouldn't have to apologize at all. It's just a movie.

 

[Blazing Hero]

He shouldn't have to apologize at all. It's just a movie.

Of course he doesn't "have to" but it seems like he wanted to. There is nothing wrong with him admitting he didn't respect the source and now wishes he did better. It's called owning up to your mistakes.

 

[TrulyBritish]

You're confusing Dragonball Evolution with The Last Airbender.

Indeed I am. You must understand how easy it was for me to make that mistake.

My god, though, can you imagine a Shyamalan directed DBZ movie? An anime series full of screams and shouting through the lens of a director who has his characters respond to everything with a bored monotone? The universe would break from the two styles trying to co exist.

But what would the twist be? It's not a Shyamalan film without a twist.

Easy, the twist would be that Goku isn't just a half-monkey-half-human person that is an allusion to a classic chinese novel but is actually a member of an alien race sent to Earth as a child to destroy it and sell it an evil space dictator but didn't because he hit his head as a child. This will all be told to him by his brother, who also tells him his name is really Kakarot. Then all the characters from the old series will be mostly ignored in favour of all new characters (and some reformed villains) in a space adventure.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

You're confusing Dragonball Evolution with The Last Airbender.

Indeed I am. You must understand how easy it was for me to make that mistake.

My god, though, can you imagine a Shyamalan directed DBZ movie? An anime series full of screams and shouting through the lens of a director who has his characters respond to everything with a bored monotone? The universe would break from the two styles trying to co exist.

But what would the twist be? It's not a Shyamalan film without a twist.

That Freiza created his war against the Sayians to make Goku, who he'd knew would be the man to not only take him down, but create the perfect warrior in an Unassuming Indian Boy.

That's right, M. Night would make it so his son or a child that is supposed to represent the man himself is the strongest warrior of the entire universe. He'd 'Lady in the Water' this son-of-a-***** right up.

 

[happyninja42]

He shouldn't have to apologize at all. It's just a movie.

Of course he doesn't "have to" but it seems like he wanted to. There is nothing wrong with him admitting he didn't respect the source and now wishes he did better. It's called owning up to your mistakes.

I'm aware of what it is, my point is the level of entitlement from the fans, as if they are owed some apology for what was to him, just another writing job. Not everyone loves the thing you love to the level you love it. You being the plural you in this case. The fact that he wrote a bad movie doesn't diminish the quality you find in the source material. It doesn't retroactively make it now suck, like some people seem to think, with things like "raped my childhood" and such crap. There are plenty of things that have been redone, or reimagined that I didn't like, but so what? The source material is still just as beloved by me as it ever was. The creator of the other thing doesn't have to make amends with me for some imaginary slight on my part.