Leaving Light of Hope

dragon ball z light of hope
I am no longer the writer of Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope. I have been replaced by another writer who will modify my scripts and prepare them for production according to Robot Underdog’s preferences.

Why have I been replaced?

The director and producer of the series have a different idea of what constitutes a good script, a good story, and a good adaptation of live-action Dragon Ball Z.

Despite being The Dao of Dragon Ball, they don’t want my scripts.

Explanation

I think my readers deserve an explanation because they donated money to see more of my work. I never received that money, as it all went to the production, but your emotional investment was pinned on my writing.

Throughout this story I’m not trying to point the finger. I’m just stating the facts as I experienced them and will let you decide how to feel about them.

The producers of Light of Hope are entitled to their own opinions and decision making rationale. I may fundamentally disagree with them, but that’s me. Robot Underdog is fine with me explaining it.

Beginning

I was first contacted in the summer of 2013 by the principle staff at Robot Underdog and asked if I could, “Write an original screenplay for a Dragon Ball Z live-action series.”

The reason they contacted me is because of my pedigree as a scholar of Dragon Ball and my leadership in the Dragon Ball community.

There are Dragon Ball fans who know a lot about the series, and then there are writers, but there are few Dragon Ball fans that are also writers, and almost none who are experts at both. While staying humble, I believe I’m a perfect fit for the role of writing a Dragon Ball Z screenplay.

It was an unpaid job and I knew it would be difficult, but I agreed to write it in part because of the fact that DBZ fans across the planet thought it couldn’t be done. After all, with Dragon Ball Evolution as their example, what else were they supposed to think?

In order to succeed I would have to solve the number one problem with Dragon Ball Evolution. That is, disrespecting the source material.

I decided to follow 3 rules:

  • Stay true to the source material.
  • Respect the fans.
  • Give fans what they want.

When Robot Underdog read my scripts for the episodes, they told me:

“It feels like we’re watching an episode of Dragon Ball Z.”

So I did a good job of expressing the essence of Dragon Ball Z in the medium of a screenplay.

Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope Episode 1 premiered on February 24, 2015. To date it has 18.1 million views, and is one of the most successful live-action fan films ever made.

I believe that everybody on the team did a great job bringing our collective vision to life, which started with my vision as written in the script. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ground-breaking and we “did the impossible.” We gave hope to the fans.

As a result, we received funding from the fans to film the remaining 2 episodes in the series, and the increased budget allowed for new storytelling possibilities.

That ‘Dragon Ball Z Feeling’

With our first success in mind, I followed the same 3 rules in revising the scripts of Episode 2 and Episode 3, in order to bring them to the next level.

If any part of the project violated one of these 3 rules, especially the 1st rule (“Stay true to the source material”), I vowed to raise my concern and fight for it to remain true, on behalf of the 2nd rule (“Respect the fans”). After all, fans told me that they were placing their trust in my hands.

Don’t get me wrong on that point, because I know that we’re making an adaptation and you should be free to have creative license. We all agreed to diverge from the original TV special on account of there being no value in doing a shot-for-shot recreation. And I took free license with my scripts, but only so long as they continued to comply with the 3 rules. That means my creative choices had to be true to the characters and the world they live in, as well as make sense to the emotions and logical expectations of the viewer. It’s a difficult balance to attain, but I still feel like I succeeded with it.

I’ve written entire books about the Dragon Ball fandom and I’ve been a fan for 18 years. I live and breathe the fandom, so I think I understand what you guys want.

However, my commitment to following these 3 rules led to contention with the principle staff at Robot Underdog, who had a different perspective on how to do a live-action adaptation.

When they said they, ‘Felt like they were watching an episode of Dragon Ball Z,’ that sounds like a good thing, right? Well, I discovered last night that they didn’t actually want that, and weren’t happy with the script for Episode 1. They wanted it to be different from how Dragon Ball Z manifests in the anime, manga, and films.

That’s right, different from Dragon Ball Z. And this is despite the fact that Episode 1 was an enormous success.

The word they were striving for was, “subtle.”

I have two thoughts on that. First, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is not subtle, via his rule of making his content “easy to understand.”

Second, I do appreciate the benefit and grace of being subtle in a work of art, and I think that’s an excellent ideal to strive for in a project—and one that I did strive for—in addition to the classic DBZ ways of expressing content, on account of the fact that this is just how I write fiction.

I conveyed multiple layers of subtext and context, unspoken psychological roles of father and son, mother and child, personal ambition in conflict with responsibility to society, along with emotional content and tension in each scene that has an implied deeper meaning and purpose relevant to the human condition. These are interwoven with exciting and intricately written battles full of classic DBZ content, dialogue, and transformations via emotional triggers.

I believe that my scripts have subtlety to them, and frankly, are works of art in that regard. If anything there was too much subtlety, so it’s odd to me that they’re blind to it. And then to cite that as one of the reasons my scripts were rejected is outright confusing.

They felt my dialogue and the scenarios were too much like the series it was based on. They also didn’t want Dragon Ball-style humor or the other trademark features of Toriyama’s work, such as capsules, East Asian culture, spiritual concepts, and the cultural flavor that is the result of a fusion of East and West. I.e., “Dragon Ball Z.”

Suffice to say that we had creative differences. In my mind, they didn’t want Dragon Ball Z. They wanted the characters and the overall content on the outside, but not who they are on the inside.

They disagree with that statement. They feel that they are giving fans what they want while upholding the integrity of the series. It’s just that their approach to achieving those objectives are the opposite of how I want to do it. Thus, the clash.

So I tried my best to walk the line between both worlds in order to please them with each new draft, with the goal of getting it to production, because you can’t produce a film without a script, and the actors and fans were counting on me. It was a lot of pressure.

Process

In terms of process, I would write a script to the best of my ability, and then they’d suggest rewrites. After reading them, I’d usually disagree with 99% of their choices and the logic behind them, because I felt like their choices tarnished the integrity of the Dragon Ball Z characters, the world they live in, and the spirit of the series.

The dilemma of trying to uphold my perception of the integrity of the series along with my own artistic integrity, while also pleasing the producers—which were opposite goals—often sent me into a spiral of depression via over-analysis and the disappointment with my ideal versus the concrete real. Long days of lying in bed and not eating, confusion, frustration, anger, sadness, tears, and an eventual asking of “What would Goku do?” led to me getting back up another time and then writing another draft. This cycle repeated itself near-endlessly. In the case of Episode 3, there were 14 drafts of the script, which in several cases required complete rewrites from scratch.

This was above and beyond what any screenwriter should have to do; especially for free. And there’s also the massive amount of work that I volunteered to do behind the scenes as a co-creator, because I wanted the project to succeed. So that’s a lot of work, but if I know anything in life, it’s how much Dragon Ball Z means to its fans. At the top of the list being the feelings of inspiration, perseverance, and hope for the future. So with the mentality of “Never give up!” that is so inherent in Dragon Ball Z, I did my best.

Writing about Dragon Ball is my life. It’s all I do, 7 days a week. So this seemed like such a great opportunity to express myself in a medium that would be seen by millions of people. I didn’t want to quit and walk away, despite the frustration.

I completed Episode 2 first, and they were happily surprised by the end result. They said they didn’t want to change much of anything, and it was basically greenlit.

But with Episode 3 we had a lot of conflicts. When they objected to my choices, I fought the good fight and provided solid logic and rationale for why the characters do what they do and say what they say, in alignment with Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, yet while adapting it for live-action.

I tried to do this in the most courteous manner that I’m capable of, but after a year and a half of working with me, they decided to tune out and give me the silent treatment.

This break in the communication meant that most of the time I was working on my own and trying to figure out what they had in mind via their latest list of bullet points, only for them to be unsatisfied with the result all over again.

I asked countless questions, repeatedly asked for feedback, again and again, seeking answers and more information. But their replies were silence and more bullet points. Although to be fair, I wrote those questions instead of making phone calls; but you know what? I’m a writer and it’s how I communicate. Lesson learned. If you want answers, pick up the phone. Of course, they never called me after my requests for them to do so. There was no real communication.

I can’t say they didn’t have anything to do with improving the quality of the script, because one idea does spur on another idea, but it was definitely a one-man operation as far as the actual writing. The script was mostly improving due to the sheer amount of man-hours I poured into it, and the fact I thought about it on a 24-hour basis for months on end.

But this process created a growing divide between us, and unfortunately, earlier this week we reached a breaking point. I suppose it was inevitable.

Breaking Point

As a result of these contrasting perspectives I am no longer the screenplay writer of Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope, and have been replaced.

The new writer will make changes to the final submitted drafts of my work in conformance with Robot Underdog’s preferred version of the story. This will be done despite my objections, and it will be done without my final approval on the production script. Such is the fate of the writer when, ‘the person with the money calls the shots.’

I’ve read their current draft of Episode 2, and they have butchered my child. Ironically, instead of being more subtle, it is the opposite: blatant. The spiritual content, the deeper discussions, the subtle context of unspoken words, allusions to DBZ lore, and in some cases the heart of the scene, have been removed. Most of the general scenarios remain, but are not as I intended. Overall, I’d say it’s about 51% of what I was going for. So it’s like I wrote it, but then… not.

They told me Episode 2 only had light edits made to it, while Episode 3 will undergo major reforms. If that’s what light edits look like, then I cannot fathom what major reforms will look like.

Moving On

Two years of work. How do you let that go? Especially when it’s an expression of your life’s work and your ideals.

I know there are worse things that happen every day and that this isn’t the end of the world, but it’s difficult to not feel emotional. I was invested in the outcome of conveying Dragon Ball’s message to an audience of millions.

I was passionate about it, which is what made my scripts good, but at the same time, is why I’m no longer the writer. I couldn’t settle for mediocrity. I cared too much.

Looking back, I can say that while the task itself was difficult, the real challenge was working with people who had different perspectives. This, combined with the lack of communication and the fact we don’t live in the same location, created an emotional and physical divide that continued to separate us.

Even so, I thought the quality of my work would speak for itself. It worked for Episode 1, and they had told me they liked Episode 2, so why not with Episode 3?

I believe that I played a role in making the first episode of Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope a success, and that the content and characteristics of my first script are one of the reasons why fans donated to see more episodes. So to make an analogy to the Light of Hope story, I feel like I’m Gohan, who endured and fought hard battles, but ultimately died doing what he believes in, with integrity intact. This charge led the way for Trunks to rise up and finish what Gohan started.

This has been an emotional rollercoaster, but I have learned from the experience and will stand up again, ready to fight my next battle!

Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope is no longer in my hands.

Best of luck to the cast and crew.

P.S. For those who are asking how I’m doing:

I may have left Light of Hope, but I haven’t lost my light of hope.



38 responses to “Leaving Light of Hope”

  1. Alfie Taylor says:

    Will you ever publish your drafts of the script? I respect you leaving it vague and hopefully Robot Underdog will do a fantastic job but your the reason I gave this project the benefit of the doubt. I feel a lot of people would appreciate seeing your take or at least the specifics that caused the disagreement. Regardless of if you can or not, you still did excellent work on the first, as a standalone piece you should be proud! So dont get too down

    • Thanks, Alfie! I am proud of what I’ve accomplished, even if they didn’t like them and the results aren’t seen in the episodes. I may publish the scripts online, since I own the rights to them, but only after the episodes come out.

  2. Michael Tenorio says:

    It saddens me to see this. You poured every ounce of your being into writing for this and for naught. I wish the crew and cast the best, but anything moving forward will be more bitter than sweet in my eyes

  3. Micael B says:

    In the end I’m sure we’ll all have the oportunity to compare your original script with the final version and everyone will be very angry with RobotUnderdog’s choices. A real fan of DBZ is very very critic and gets upset with things that to other people are picky details.

    Derek stay true to what you believe in, all DB fans (like me) feel your pain, but move on like Gohan did, one day your Super Cell will come back to give you a oportunity of revenge ;)

    • Exactly. The fans are ultra critical, and if even one part is out of alignment, they’ll point it out with ferocity. I invested an enormous amount of effort to ensure that my scripts were bulletproof and that the logic made sense at every step. One of the hardest parts was when they suggested rewrites, and I had to redo the logic all over again, but still have it make perfect sense to hardcore fans. It required a lot of time and energy.

      Thanks, Micael!

  4. FireFist says:

    Very unfortunate :(

    I think you were a perfect choice for the script.
    I really, really hope they don’t fuck up now. In the end will it be Broly ssj20 vs gogeta ssj18 or something, because some fans like that?
    Also they don’t like capsules? What the heck.

    • That last point bothered me and is a good example of the many small but important issues I lamented over. The Capsule Corporation is featured in all 3 episodes, and there’s “Capsule” right in the name! I feel that these are the types of details and lore that Dragon Ball fans would appreciate seeing, but Robot Underdog feels that capsules are silly.

  5. Rain Castle says:

    It’s a shame to hear you’ve left, episode 1 was fantastic and led me to donate for episodes 2 and 3, although I never received any of the perks promised which if RU is going to want things done their way and to hell with what the fans want and giving what’s promised to donaters then it’s best you aren’t writing the script, if this is the attitude and way they want to do business then this series is going to die as fast as it started, as mentioned in other replies dbz fans (true fans) care very much about the little things, like capsules even if they look silly, again best of luck with your future endeavours you did Dragon Ball Z proud with episode 1!

  6. Porice says:

    “So to make an analogy to the Light of Hope story, I feel like I’m Gohan, who endured and fought hard battles, but ultimately died doing what he believes in, with integrity intact” Good analogy, Derek. I understand what you mean, and it’s the reason for why I donated – because your dedication for Dragonball really shows in your work. Often you even word my thoughts better than I myself have thought them.There have been many that have tried and failed making fan films of Dragonball, but with your cooperation Episode 1 became more than successful. I look forward to hearing their side of the story.

    • Thanks, Porice. I tried to mention this to them in a humble way, and they always said that it was a team effort and that I can’t boast about being responsible for people donating. I agree that it was a team effort, but didn’t I have a large part to play?

  7. Paulo says:

    What a bummer. Maybe they failed at realizing that the success of the first episode was mainly due to the truthfulness of the live action to the anime series. Or maybe they just feel to big now and they can do whatever the hell they want with it.
    I’m not going to even bother about the rest of the upcoming episodes. That’s the treatment they deserve.

    Keep up the good work Derek. One thing you can be sure of: it was not because of your lack of vision, passion of professionalism that they didn’t want you anymore. No. They are just either egocentric or completely clueless about what Dragon Ball is all about. You proved that a live action Dragon Ball is possible. Your outstanding contribution to this series and its fandom saved you a place in our hearts. Thank you very much.

    • I’ll be the first to admit that in the final hour when we were arguing back and forth, that I acted a tad unprofessional by writing a few snide remarks in an email. For example, when I delivered the final script they asked me to write, and which I was completely opposed to but wrote anyway because that’s what professionals do, I called it, “DBZ fan fiction.” I also questioned their creative choices in a less than courteous manner. After 2 years of depression, anger, frustration, and biting my tongue, I let a bit of insult slip out, and I regret that. This was the straw that broke the camels back.

      The other 99% of the time leading up to that moment is just like you described. Thanks for your support!

      • Paulo says:

        There is nothing to admit, your reaction was a result of anger and I understand that. I would be pissed too if I was sure about what’s best for the project, and more important, what the fans want and expect, and I had some know-it-all type of person, completely clueless about that, telling me what to do. Even worse, when his vision is certain to fail but he’s the only one who fails to see that.

        Can you clarify something for me? Are they even Dragon Ball fans? Do they have any knowledge about it? Have they seen Dragon Ball Evolution? Because, if anything else, they could use Evolution as a template of what not to do. It’s a bad idea to re-imagine the franchise in such a way that even the fans won’t understand. Your script took its liberties of course, but it was faithful to the source. And that’s the point.

        • They are Dragon Ball fans. I can’t speak for them, but from what they told me I’d say they’re only fans of certain parts of American Dragon Ball Z. Meaning that they like the action, the superhero type qualities, ki blasts, and what the characters stand for within that dub. But they’re not fans of the original Dragon Ball, the Japanese version (and its inherent qualities), Toriyama’s humor, the flying and transforming creatures, or ‘silly’ science fiction elements. You know, “Dragon Ball.”

          So it’s more like they’re fans of American DBZ. Then combine that with Terminator and other science fiction films, plus Western superheroes, and you’ve got their interest in the Future Trunks timeline pretty much figured out. This timeline has as few of the Toriyama-style elements as possible. There are other reasons for why they like this one, since it’s an all human cast, dark and gritty, and so forth. The point being that it’s in line with what they like about the series, and doesn’t have the things they don’t like.

          One of the main goals in making Light of Hope was to NOT be Dragon Ball Evolution. So they knew it was bad, and they told me we were going to strive to do the opposite. So I don’t think the final product will be as bad as Evolution. In part, because I wrote the framework for all the episodes, along with the ups and downs of the character arcs and conflicts. They’ve already scheduled shoots in the production schedule for those locations and events. So the framework will, in some cases, stay intact. But the content within those scenes is altered or diluted.

          I’d say they have just enough knowledge about it to be dangerous. to my writing process. Meaning that they think they know these characters well enough to make decisions that override mine. Rather than trust the expert and take my word for it, they feel that they’re right and I’m wrong. Of course, I feel the same way about them. So we have clashes where I use logic to override their logic, with examples from the series as evidence, or just basic common sense. I can’t recall a situation where I was ever wrong. Eventually they chose not to speak with me anymore because I kept refuting their ideas, since they made no sense on multiple levels, and they decided to write it on their own. But I was still the script writer, so they’d send bullet points, I’d go into a bout of depression, etc, eventually write it, and the cycle would repeat itself. Now that I’m out of the picture they can do whatever they want with the scripts.

  8. Drabaz says:

    This really hurts to read, Derek. After Dragon Ball Evolution and countless live action adaptions on youtube, I had entirely given up on the series working in live action. Then a couple friends linked me to Light of Hope. So I watched it with a very skeptical mindset. After it was over I was very confused. I thought to myself, “Why didn’t I hate that?” I still don’t think DB can be done live action anymore, but I truly believe that it was the best anyone could do with that medium. So it was only after I had watched it that I browsed the Kanzenshuu forums and found out YOU were responsible for the script. It all made sense as to why I didn’t hate it! It was because of YOU’RE deep understanding and love of the series. I knew then and there that it was because of YOU. It most certainly had the heart that every other live action Dragon Ball video (including this one now that you’re not a part of it) lacked. But I’m glad you didn’t ruin your integrity by sticking around with the abomination they are planning to create. I have much respect for you, sir. You are a true Dragon Ball fan.

  9. Jehred Abuy says:

    First, I’m sorry to hear that you left Light of Hope. It’s a real shame that Robot Underdog have lost the soul of Dragon Ball. I do hope for the best of them and whatever happens in the future, hopefully they will reflect on this and wonder how it turn out if you did stay and shot the film the way you intended to be. But I will reframed my opinion until I see it, I don’t like to judge it too quickly because of this news. Second, I apologize for writing this so late, I just recently learn of this, I don’t want to tell you the details how I missed this but I feel bad for not being informed of this right away. Anyway, Episode 2 and 3 may or may not turn out what we wanted but a least we have Episode 1 and that we’ll always remenber you who wrote for it.

    • Thanks, Jehred. I agree that it’s a shame, but despite this painful experience there’s still a part of me that hopes they can pull it off because of what DBZ means to me and others. From what I’ve heard, the third episode doesn’t have that Dragon Ball feel, but I’ll be pleasantly surprised if it does.

  10. Leo says:

    Wow. I was linked to this article in the comment section on a subreddit /dbz post. Now when a movie I like is announced I really don’t look into it. I avoid trailers so I don’t know the plot and go in only knowing some of the actors… if that. With this, I knew nothing. Just that it was more DBZ fans trying to make another live action DB video. For some reason I had hope. I knew it was possible that someone could finally just do it right. They didn’t need the money, just time, patience, knowledge and love for DB. Only a fan could make this succeed. Now that I learned who was making this video (Robot Underdog) I remembered the name. This is my favorite series after all that has changed my life forever. These people seemed very serious about it and if I can help em not only will I be happy if it’s successful but millions of fans too. In the end, ya it was AMAZING AS F**K! Blew Evolution away. I donated so I could get more of this fix and because I knew whoever was writing this knew what they were doing and knew what the fans wanted. Then I read this and learned it was you. I’ve heard of your books, read a little of em but not all (not a huge reader lol) and was instantly pissed off. It’s a shame none of the actors or your coworkers in general stood by your side since believe it or not you’re mainly the reason this has 18 MILLION VIEWS! These next episodes will plainly suck without you and I just lost 99% of the hype I had for these next episodes after knowing it felt like a DBZ episode, and I can’t help people who would just throw away the person who pretty much created this. “Oh it makes me angry just thinking about it!”. Sorry about this long read (if you even bother) but I just had to let you know there are more fans who appreciate your hard work. I never realized how hard you worked to please us was and was basically for free! I wish nothing but the best for you man and will definitely give your books a try now. I can’t wait to see were your journey takes you!

    • The other actors and members of the staff never got a chance to support me because they weren’t involved in the writing process. It was just me and Rita, with rare comments from Donnie. I was always asking for feedback in order to improve the scripts, and would have loved to hear from the actors, but they never got involved. Working with Rita alone was a painful process. Unfortunately, the actors and staff will only see the new scripts written by somebody else. I’m not sure how they will react. Thanks for your support and understanding. It’s nice to know that there are people who care.

  11. Steve "TempestMask" C. says:

    Hey man, I totally understand and want to say you made a good choice. Those three points you had there were amazing and very smart. And you did help them do the impossible. Episode 1 truly was incredible, and still is when I watch it. That being said, I’m glad you still your ‘light of hope,’ and can’t wait to see what else you’ll be doing for us.

    And hey, maybe one time you and I could script out something. At some point, I’m planning on making a Dragon Ball Evolution sequel that will definitely try to blow all of what made the original bad out of the waterhole. One that would take most of what it had and have it be more faithful to an actual Dragon Ball story, just like what Light of Hope Episode 1 did. And I sure hope that when the time comes, you just might be able to help me script it out. ;-)

  12. captain! says:

    You’re a good man Derek. I love your writing (it’s actually soothing haha) and see you as a very genuine DBZ fan.

  13. Nicolas Caiveau says:

    Oh so you wrothe the original drafts from Light of Hope too ? Damn, I only found out about your website on Kanzenshuu a few hours ago, because of Zenoverse… But I watched Light of Hope months ago, and I found it awesome, first time a believeable live action DBZ movie seemed possible. Of course, I’ll still watch the next episodes, even if they’re not faithful to what you had in mind, and I may enjoy it too. But I understand your frustration…
    I don’t know if you’re aware, but there’s another similar project. A French fan movie “The Fall of Men”, also taking place in future Trunks’ timeline. Though it’s French, it’s filmed in English, for commercial reasons.

    • I’m glad you enjoyed watching the first episode, and that you were able to find my site through Dragon Ball Zeroverse. Hosting the manga has proven to be a good idea.

      The Fall of Men looks great, and I can’t wait to watch the film. I’m sure it will be impressive. The new Saiyan Saga series by K&K also looks good.

  14. Mirai Ouji says:

    Don’t worry about it Derek. Let them go the wrong path with the series. They’re gonna regret their choice when they see how many people dislike their version. I already know it’s gonna be terrible.

  15. tiagomcc says:

    Hi, first of all greetings from Portugal Derek, i’ve seen the complete series, from Dragon Ball ’til Dragon Ball Z, countless times (I also saw DBGT but it’s not worth mention because it’s a piece of junk, lol) in my native language, Portuguese, but I also saw it in English and in the original Japanese, just so you know how Addicted I am, I love Dragon Ball and I’ve always thought that with today’s technology a Dragon Ball movie or series could be possible to make, till I saw that piece of junk that is DRAGON BALL EVOLUTION, in that moment I lost the LIGHT OF HOPE, but then the best live-action adaptation of DBZ appeared and it blew my mind away, it was beautiful to watch, I was excited till I read this post, the road they chose will cost them fans, at least I speak for me, they just lost me. The greatness of DB are the silly things, how action is mixed with comedy, the giant dinosaurs, the capsules, THE DRAGON BALLS where once you collect them a GIANT DRAGON APPEARS AND GRANTS YOU A WISH. That’s Dragon Ball, an unbelievable world where everything is possible, if you take that away it’s not DB, it’s just something similar, not DB. It’s my belief that to do a proper job you need to do some research and if DB has so many fans the way it is why does anyone needs to mess things up, why not use the source material, I don’t get it, we’ve seen time and time again people trying to adapt something not based on the source material and fail, badly. So kudos to you, great job on the pilot and good luck to the future, you did something that few did, adapt something into live-action and be faithful to the source material, so, to me, you are a visionary just because you have done it the way it’s supposed to be, well done. Sorry if I’ve made some mistake writing this, although I understand English, it’s not my native language. Best of luck.

  16. Namek Olmek says:

    Your scripts are good. What was needed?better voice and acting direction or just better actor’s period. As you stated Derek, just too subtle, Soft porn subtle. Lol

  17. Jack Danger says:

    Hey, they’re just trying to follow TOEI’s business model. The sad thing is, their own characters would probably be pissed off at how the series was being run.

  18. Lil J says:

    The way you made light of hope was awesome and I really enjoyed it. Why is their a new Gohan

    • Thanks, Lil J. There are two reasons for why there is a new Gohan. The first is that Anton went to prison for a year and could no longer play the character until he got out. But the producer of Light of Hope didn’t want to wait to film the second episode, so they found a replacement. The second is that the new Gohan was a more seasoned actor and martial artist with more clout in Hollywood that they felt was a better person to have attached to the project. They respect both actors and would have stayed with Anton, but the circumstances made it necessary to find a replacement.

  19. Nice story, let’s see what they come up with.

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