Why was only part 2 of the Toriko & One Piece & DBZ crossover dubbed?

In 2013, the Dream 9 crossover special featuring Toriko, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z was released in Japan. The special consisted of two parts, with Part 1 being Episode 99 of Toriko and Part 2 being Episode 590 of One Piece. At the time, the two anime series had been airing back-to-back on Fuji TV, and the collaboration was a natural fit for their shared audience.

Fast forward to 2019, and the United States finally got the rights to air the Dream 9 crossover and dub it into English. However, there was a catch: only the second half of the special was presented in English. The other half, Episode 99 of Toriko, was still only available in Japanese and unaired in the US.

The reason for this incomplete dubbing lies in the format in which Dream 9 was presented. Since Episode 99 of Toriko exists within the unfinished, unlicensed part of the series, it cannot receive a proper dub. The Toriko dub was canceled and ended abruptly at Episode 52, leaving the rest of the series undubbed.

While the One Piece dub is up-to-date and beyond, the same cannot be said for Toriko. The only way for Episode 99 of Toriko to be dubbed again is if the rest of the anime is dubbed. Currently, the rights to dub Toriko should have been transferred to Crunchyroll along with the rest of Funimation’s assets; at the very least, they should have most of their voice actors working for them now. If they were to continue the dub at least up to Episode 99, then English speakers could finally get the full experience of Dream 9.

Unfortunately, a continuation of the Toriko dub seems unlikely. It has been several years since the series ended, and there has been no news of a revival since. Unless Toriko experiences a surge in popularity and sales, it is unlikely that Episode 53 onward will ever be dubbed.

However, the airing of this crossover special could potentially change the game. Seeing Toriko and his friends revisited in Dream 9 could generate renewed interest in the series among American viewers. If enough people show an interest in Toriko and call for more of it, then perhaps the right people at Crunchyroll will get the message and pick up the dub where it left off. At the very least, it could mean eventually getting the first half of this collaboration dubbed.

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Zoro, Nami, Luffy, Kaido, Bigmom, Shanks, Usopp, Franky, Jinbe