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Welcome to Daizenshuu EX, your most authoritative stop online for anything & everything DragonBall for the last decade! |
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Welcome to the all-encompassing DragonBall fansite, Daizenshuu EX. We cover anything and everything relating to the Dragon World in hopes of enlightening... and a little bit of entertaining. Daizenshuu EX began its journey in 1998 as VegettoEX's Home Page, and has grown to be one of the most authoritative DragonBall sites on the web. If you're new to the world
of DragonBall, why not check out the
"Newbie
Guide" ? Been around the block as a DB-fan? Check out some great discussions every week in our podcast! See you soon! |
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04 September 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:08 am EST -- Aww, those lucky buggers! The upcoming DragonBall DS (known outside Japan as DragonBall: Origins) has had its demo hit the Minna no Nintendo channel... but only in Japan. It sounds like it will only be available until the 17th (the game is due out on the 18th of this month in Japan), and there is no word on a possible release of the demo for any other market.
Also, the third TV spot for the game is available for viewing over on GameTrailers.com. So. Beautiful. |
31 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 11:59 pm EST -- Episode #0144 of the podcast is available for download! As you'll hear during the show, this is the episode that seemed to do everything it could to prevent itself from being recorded. While we unfortunately were unable to do a standard topic, Meri and I marched onwards with a good recap of all the recent news, all of September's releases, and a nice little batch of e-mails. Definitely check it out.
VegettoEX @ 10:46 am EST -- Amazon has been providing quite a bit of information recently... yesterday with the Trilogy info, and today with the VIZBIG info! We now have releases dates going into early/mid next year, so here's a quick breakdown for you (including ones that are already out, since it gets a little confusing):
DragonBall:
- VIZBIG Volume 1 (tankôbon 1-3)
03 June 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 2 (tankôbon 4-6)
16 September 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 3 (tankôbon 7-9)
16 December 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 4 (tankôbon 10-12)
17 March 2009
DragonBall Z:
- VIZBIG Volume 1 (tankôbon 17-19)
03 June 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 2 (tankôbon 20-22)
19 August 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 3 (tankôbon 23-25)
18 November 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 4 (tankôbon 26-28)
17 February 2009
- VIZBIG Volume 5 (tankôbon 29-31)
19 May 2009
Remember, this doesn't even include all that "Collector's Edition" stuffage that starts coming out in October of this year, which appears to be single volumes as opposed to the omnibus-style "three-in-one" packaging... ugh...
Hey, hopefully we'll have a podcast for you later today...! |
30 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:27 pm EST -- Amazon has a complete listing for the upcoming DragonBall Z Trilogy three-pack on the PS2.
Yes, that's right. You're reading that correctly. It's going to contain:
- Budokai Tenkaichi
- Budokai Tenkaichi 2
- Super DragonBall Z
With Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (or Sparking! METEOR, of course) being so recent, I'm not entirely shocked that they didn't throw it in. While we love Super DragonBall Z, it's a completely random game to toss into this pack when you consider what else it's packaged with. The first Budokai Tenkaichi is completely irrelevant if you have the second game, so it's almost like you're really just getting only two games.
The three-pack drops on 09 September 2008 for a cheap $29.99. Honestly, you're better off picking up Super DragonBall Z on its own, and then Budokai Tenkaichi 3 / Sparking! METEOR on its own... |
29 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 11:05 pm EST -- Amazon Japan is showcasing the covers for the individual R2 DVD releases of DBZ movies 3 through 6:
I especially like that DBZ movie 6 cover, for some reason. It's just so shiny...! Movies 3 & 4 are due out on 12 September 2008, while 5 & 6 are the month after on 10 October 2008. |
26 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:39 pm EST -- I have no spectacular news to report here, but instead I have just a few neat little things for you to check out.
Jean Snow has a little article over at the awesome Game|Life blog about UFO catchers in Japan. Her buddy Sho was going after a really nice Goku one, but couldn't get it. Aww.
We've been hearing "rumors" (and boy-oh-boy, do I use that term loosely) about trailers for the upcoming live-action DragonBall movie, but it seems like we finally have some actual, concrete, valid information. ComingSoon.net is reporting that the Max Payne movie (video game adaptation, if you didn't know) will be the first to feature the DB trailer. Neat.
The first two DBZ movies are doing pretty well with their individual releases, taking the 2nd and 3rd places on the Japanese charts for last week. |
24 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:14 pm EST -- Episode #0143 of the podcast is available for download! Julian was finally able to join in with us for recording, and we were all very excited to check out and review Viz's release of the first daizenshuu in English!
Ain't that trippy to see, with both of them right next to each other? We've said it before, but we were pretty sure this day would simply never occur. As you'll hear in the review, there is very little "negative" we had to say about it. We were both shockingly and gratefully impressed with the near-perfect quality of this release. Definitely check it out.
Oh, OK... one more picture:
I was planning on doing a full "Feature" on the release, but honestly... there's just not enough to say about it. It is what it is, and what it is happens to be great. Pick that shiz up. |
21 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:44 pm EST -- You probably already have read about it over on Kanzentai, but they got it from our forum, so nyah! :D
Per Tatsunoboshi Horoko's translation of the V-Jump info:
Table and Avo & Cado, opposing enemies!
You can tell that Table is a Saiyan from his tail. He's similar to a certain person in facial features, but...!? Also, Abo and Kado, in pursuit of Table, arrive on Earth!!
That would be Tâbaru (or "Table"; yes, from "vegetable"), along with Aba and Kado (or "Avo" and "Cado"; yes, from "avocado"). So there you have it! It is confirmed that we have these three new characters in the upcoming new DB short, Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokû to Nakama-tachi!!" ("Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!").
Here are a couple other little plugs for you:
Episode four of "DBZ Abridged" is out. I keep forgetting to plug the new episodes as they come out, and this one absolutely deserves it. Big props to the guys at TeamFourStar. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, we interviewed Kaiser and Lanny back on Episode #0135 of the podcast.
In keeping with the spirit of total fandom awesomeness, the newest Japanese TV spot for DragonBall DS is amazing.
Honestly, we teared up a little bit. I don't know that I've ever seen anything that totally sums up what makes the series so amazing, and I refuse to write anything else tonight after leaving you with that. |
20 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:07 pm EST -- Now that their French portion has already stolen their thunder, it makes sense that they'd go ahead and let the information come on out.
Final Dragon Ball Z Game for PlayStation 2 System Combines the Greatest Elements from the World-renowned Dragon Ball Z TV Series and Video Games
NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's time for one final mighty Kamehameha for the PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system as Atari announces the upcoming North American launch of NAMCO BANDAI Games' Dragon Ball Z(R): Infinite World in November. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World combines all the best elements of previous Dragon Ball Z games, whilst also boasting new features such as "Dragon Missions", new battle types and drama scenes for fans to delve deeper than ever before into the Dragon Ball Z(R) universe.
The new "Dragon Missions" in Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World include many famous scenes from the Dragon Ball Z series never before seen in a video game. A range of missions from time attack in the "Snake Road Mission" alongside other action and racing-style missions puts players' strategy and quick-thinking skills to the test beyond simply showing off their deadly fighting skills.
But no Dragon Ball Z game would be complete without its fair share of spectacular battles. Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World uses a simplified battle system taken from the recently released next-gen Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for thrilling hand-to-hand fighting on the ground, or flying leaps and aerial combat in the skies. Defeat your opponent by blasting damaging Ki attacks from the sky or by diving into him and launching an explosive smash attack.
The game features over 40 unique characters, not counting the different forms that each character can transform into which multiplies the playing potential. On top of characters, fighting techniques and battle stages, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World also includes selected drama scenes from the previous games all presented using beautifully refined effects and shading techniques.
Representing the last "Z" title for the PlayStation 2 system, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World combines the many of the best elements from the previous Budokai and Shin-Budokai series, as well as the recently released and much-admired next-gen Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, to deliver the definitive DBZ experience on PlayStation 2 system.
We learned just about all of this yesterday, but it's nice to see formal words coming from Atari in English. |
19 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:50 pm EST -- Well this will be a rather large update! Looks like either I'm halfway psychic, Namco-Bandai is specifically listening to me, or we all just think like smart businessmen. While it's not exactly called Final Budokai, we do have news of a "new" game coming out on the PS2, as well as confirmation of a US release of a DS game!
Atari put out a press release earlier this morning confirming their release of DragonBall: Origins, which we know is actually DragonBall DS over in Japan. While the game drops in Japan on September 18th, we do not have a firm release date from Atari other than "November" (though online retailers are listing it as November 3rd).
Innovative Action-Adventure Gameplay of NAMCO BANDAI Games' Newest Chapter in the Dragon Ball Saga for DS Comes to North America in November 2008
NEW YORK, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Dragon Ball bounces back with the announcement that Atari is bringing NAMCO BANDAI Games' Dragon Ball: Origins for Nintendo DS(TM) to North America in November 2008. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., Dragon Ball: Origins takes players back to the original Dragon Ball series and around the world for a thrilling action-adventure game with innovative touch pad controls.
The single player game follows Goku and his clever sidekick Bulma as they travel the world overcoming enemies and obstacles to collect the 7 Dragon Balls. In the shoes of Goku, the player must protect Bulma from incoming enemy attacks using special skills, such as fighting with his power pole, or unleashing a kamehameha. Combined with Bulma's brains and her knack for inventing machines and weapons out of discarded spare parts, the intrepid pair make a formidable team able to defeat even the strongest of boss enemies or trickiest of obstacles.
The innovative controls mean the player uses only the touch pad to control Goku. Players must draw lines or shapes to direct the character and control the action by tapping on the screen, for example a double tap on Goku followed by tapping on the Ka-me-ha-me-ha letters unleashes his devastating signature move.
Goku can perfect his skills in training with Master Roshi or by gaining experience through playing mini-games, so when the Dragon radar warns of imminent danger he's always ready to fight. Bulma's spare part creations include a time machine, different vehicles and add-ons to Goku's power pole to help in battle. For extra Dragon Ball fun, hunt down and collect the many virtual figurines hidden in the game world which can then be swapped and traded with friends via wi-fi to get the full collection.
Dragon Ball: Origins pulls no punches in terms of graphics with both screens displaying vibrant 3D visuals, and with the lively, fun humour of Dragon Ball present throughout the game, fans will be able to immerse themselves completely in the spectacular universe.
The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z(R) series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 30 different games and over 12.7 million units sold since May 2002.
Nothing we haven't already heard, but it's great to know that they actually plan on releasing the game over here. Our buddy godofchaos has some more information and images over on his website.
What's slightly obnoxious is their desire to change the name of every single game they port from Japan. It ranges from Sparking! turning into the bizarre and backwards Budokai Tenkaichi, all the way to the "let's add one letter for no reason!" Advance Adventure turning into Advanced Adventure. Now we have the perfectly-titled DragonBall DS turning into DragonBall: Origins. Again, it's nothing more than slightly obnoxious and amusing to write about; it hardly affects the gameplay. It's just interesting.
Additionally, we have confirmation (slightly) on what this Infinite World game will be for the PS2. Strangely, Atari France was the first one (even including Japan!) to drop word of the game. It appears to be another iteration on the Budokai series, though it is not clear if it will be using Budokai 3 or Shin Budokai as the main engine. From the screenshots, it would appears that the handheld version is actually being used as the general basis.
We know that the game will contain at least 40 characters not even including transformations. Keep in mind that Budokai 3 itself actually only had 38 characters not counting transformations and fusions, so this will probably be even bigger than that. Then again, if the handheld version is being used as the basis, that's even more of a jump up.
Standard fighting isn't all we're going to get with this one, though. It looks like "Dragon Missions" will be the new single-player experience, ranging from things like racing down the Serpentine Road, to catching Bubbles, and beyond!
So far we know the title of the game, that it's being handled by Namco-Bandai, and it will be released exclusively on the PS2 in December. It's safe to say that since Atari (France) was the one to spill the beans on the game, all of the major territories (Japan, USA, Europe, and probably Australia) will be seeing the game, hopefully in time for the holidays in all areas. It's rather interesting that Atari was the one to break the news... it almost never happens that Namco-Bandai doesn't go with V-Jump over in Japan to hype things up first. Perhaps the US will even see its release first, similar to how the original three Budokai games went...?
It will be interesting to see if that Infinite World title remains the same in all territories, though. I'll both laugh and cry if Final Budokai ends up being the title somewhere :P.
Finally, I've got a new Anime Music Video for you all to enjoy. It's my Otakon entry from this year, and while it's not DB-related in any way, there should be a pretty good crossover of fans.
I'm Above The Age Of 10 And I Like Pokemon
( Download XviD / 60 MB )
You can read all about it over on the respective AMV page, download both the XviD and/or the H.264 over on its entry on AnimeMusicVideos.org, or (if you must), watch it on YouTube.
I'd say that's enough for one day... ^_~ |
17 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:10 pm EST -- Episode #0142 of the podcast is available for download! We were finally able to get around to that "Manga Review of Awesomeness" for Volume 18. That's right, we're continuing the so-called "Z"-era if you're going by the Viz release. Surprising comments from all hosts abound! We also went over all the awesome stuff that took place at Otakon! Definitely check it out.
Speaking of Otakon, here is what makes it (and forgive me for the usage of slight internet-speak) full of complete win:
Hellz yeah.
In other less-exciting news, apparently there will be a "junior novel" coming out for the upcoming live action movie. In other words, just a written adaptation of the movie by a couple people not known for anything other than a couple quasi-Disney-related children's books.
We also have some very strange video game listings popping up on American retail sites.
- DragonBall Z Trilogy (PS2); Sep. 9th
$49.99 @ Amazon; $29.99 @ GameStop
- DragonBall Z Infinite World (PS2); Nov. 1st
$29.99 @ Amazon; $29.99 @ GameStop
- DragonBall Z: Origins (NDS); Nov. 3rd
$29.99 @ Amazon; $29.99 @ GameStop
We are assuming that DragonBall Z Origins is actually DragonBall DS, despite its "Z" in the title. We have no real evidence for this, though, especially considering that the game drops in Japan pretty soon on September 18th.
This Trilogy on PS2 is probably going to be a collection of the three Sparking! (or Budokai Tenkaichi) games. Again, there's no real evidence for this, and despite it not really making much sense to package three slight iterations on each other together, it is labeled as "Fighting"... Here's hoping our pretty thorough debunking of Final Budokai doesn't make us eat our words!
This Infinite World is completely confusing, though. Nothing more than a date and a (moderately low) price.
What makes this all the more confusing is that the only new Japanese game we are aware of right now is DragonBall DS, and since Atari no longer creates games in-house, it's completely perplexing. I guess we'll have to stay tuned to V-Jump...! |
14 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 11:22 pm EST -- In a strange twist, it appears Atari has actually made money for the first quarter of the 2009 fiscal year. In fact, they made $3.5 million, up from a net loss of $11.9 million at the same point last year. The growth was driven by the success of Burst Limit and Alone in the Dark, on which they also spent $2.8 million for advertising.
In other news, we have this:
That's right, we have the cover art for the upcoming dual- Burst Limit and Sparking! METEOR soundtrack. It drops on August 27th in Japan (LACA-5808) for about ¥3000. |
13 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:06 pm EST -- Today is a day I pretty much assumed would never happen. I'm holding an English release of a daizenshuu in my hands.
OK, technically it's on my floor while I type this.
It's almost as strange as when I first purchased a subtitled DVD release from FUNimation back in 2000. Since it's only just arrived I don't have too many thoughts on it, but we have a discussion going on with lots of images and text over on our forum.
Expect to hear about it on the podcast, and maybe a feature if I get the time to work on it... which isn't likely... maybe I'll leave all the hard work up to Kanzentai...
Technically the book isn't due out until August 19th. Despite this, Amazon's still got the "pre-order price" of $16.49 and have it in-stock and ready to ship. Go for it, man! |
10 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:07 pm EST -- Episode #0141 of the podcast is available for download! Despite being gone for the entire weekend, we threw something together ahead of time so there wouldn't be a break ^_~. This week, Meri and I took a look at the various henchmen over the course of the series, and how their roles evolve and expand. We start out with random comedy relief henchmen, and end up with characters with fully-detailed back-histories! Definitely check it out.
Yes, the convention was amazing. It was probably the best time I've ever had at a con. Hironobu Kageyama was amazing. Everyone was amazing. Everything is amazing. Pictures to come.
Additionally...
The upcoming DragonBall GT remastered set numero uno will indeed be five discs instead of the previously-indicated three-discs. This is a good thing.
Finally, according to Atari themselves, the only DBZ game to be on display at the Games Convention in Leipzig later this month will be the already-released Burst Limit. No word on this most-likely-made-up Final Budokai. |
07 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 1:33 pm EST -- Otakon, ahoy! We'll be taking off in a couple hours to spend the weekend down in Baltimore with a couple tens of thousands of other people.
Want to say hello? It'll be tough, but you'll definitely see us waiting in line far ahead of when we logically should be for the JAM Project concert on Friday night. Just look for the group of DBZ fans singing karaoke-style (per Maggie's request). Saturday you'll see us at the AMV contest screening, since we're skipping it on Friday to see the concert (and yes, both Meri and myself have our own individual videos in the contest... neither are DBZ, though :P).
Like AnimeNEXT, I'll be heavily Twittering throughout the convention weekend. That might be a good way to stalk us keep tabs on us, especially if you turn on your mobile alerts. The entire Daizenshuu EX extended family will be there this weekend (minus Julian, who's [obviously] still in Japan), so please feel free to say hello!
Looking forward to seeing you there! If you can't make it down, expect a regular podcast episode on Sunday... that is, if I can manage to stay awake long enough upon return to put it up. In the meantime, episode two of Video Game Conversations is up, so that could hold you over! |
06 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:30 am EST -- We noted this in the recording, but less then 22 hours after we recorded the last podcast, we were already doing the next one :P. We had to delay the "Manga Review of Awesomeness" for volume 18 (DBZ volume 2) a week, again, due to all the Otakon (and wedding) planning currently taking place. No worries, though... you've got a good episode coming your way next Sunday.
You may be reading a few things across the interwebs about something called Final Budokai. It's important to note just a few things about this:
- Only Portuguese sites have been reporting this
- All of these sites are copying-and-pasting the exact same text; no original reporting has occurred
- European enthusiast press are well known for breaking embargos
- Dimps, the developers of the Budokai series, have moved on to Burst Limit
- While it is plausible that a new PS2 game would come out (see this old pondering from January), and it is the direction a couple Japanese publishers are going with (see Persona 4), it seems highly unlikely
- The Bakuretsu Impact series of card-based arcade games do indeed feature a highly-evolved game engine based on the previous Budokai series
- The Budokai games (specifically the third) are well-known for being highly "hackable"; that is, they are relatively easy for those in-the-know to customize characters by altering colors, shifting around body parts, etc.
- Namco-Bandai did not take the Budokai name until Shin Budokai on the PSP (the games were DragonBall Z, DragonBall Z 2, and DragonBall Z 3 in Japan)
- DBZ games are almost always first announced in the Jump series of magazines in Japan (specifically V-Jump); rarely are any "secrets" held and announced at gaming conventions, where the vast majority of attendees are not their target audience
- There has been no announcements past DragonBall DS from either Namco-Bandai or Atari
- We know nothing about this :P
Do with all of that information as you will. Remember that it is extremely important to be critical of your information sources, and do not be afraid to require actual cited sources before you start believing anything.
Of course, I would love for there to be a new Budokai game, since the Sparking! series (and more recently, Burst Limit) just haven't done anything for me...
Finally, Anime News Network has word via Internet Watch that a Japanese man has been arrested for selling bootleg copies of various anime, including the various Dragon Box releases:
Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS) announced that a 37-year-old male company employee from Kakogawa City in central Japan was arrested on Thursday for selling unauthorized DVD copies of 10 anime works, television programs, and other titles. The man allegedly sold DVD-R copies of the 50,000-yen (about US$470) Dragon Ball's Dragon Box the Movies DVD set for 4,000 yen (US$37), the 50,000-yen (US$470) Dragon Ball GT series set for 5,500 yen (US$51), and the 72,000-yen (US$675) Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ box set for 4,000 yen (US$37). Police from the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido and Sapporo City's northern police office arrested the man on charges of copyright infringement and sent him to the prosecutors in Sapporo City.
Good for them, I say! If you learn one thing from visiting Daizenshuu EX, let it be the fact that we hate bootlegs.
I'll try to post something resembling an Otakon schedule later tonight... |
03 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:51 pm EST -- Episode #0140 of the podcast is available for download! This week we not only took a look at the recent Super Survivor CD single... we gave the damn thing away. That's right, tune in to see if you won the contest! Along with our in-depth review of the CD, we scoped out the recent news, checked August's releases, and had an all-around good time. Definitely check it out.
Check back in with us over the next couple days to see what we'll be doing at Otakon. We're not running any panels, but we'll at least be going to see some by friends, watching the AMV contest (both Meri and I are in with our own individual videos)...
... and, oh yeah, we'll be at the JAM Project concert.
|
31 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:14 pm EST -- We told you on the podcast a while back about the attempted robbery at Wal-Mart for DBZ season five. This one's not quite up there, but the age of the perpetrators is shocking.
AVON PARK - Two Avon Park boys were in the care of the Department of Juvenile Justice on Thursday after they were arrested and charged with burglary of a home in the 100 block of Southland Court where Avon Park police say they stole some video games.
Some time between 5 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, the victim reported that someone entered her home and stole a duffle bag with her son's Playstation 2 video game system, two games and a Gameboy containing a Dragon Ball Z video, police reported.
The victims immediately named the two boys, ages 9 and 10, as suspects because they were seen in the neighborhood before they went out.
What I want to know is why on Earth anyone would have purchased that DragonBall GT "GameBoy Advance Video" in the first place.
Then again, it's $6.60 new on Amazon...
I also just wanted to plug a little feature that just went up over on Kanzentai. They took a look at the Shenron Times that came with daizenshuu four, and as a supplement to that and its asking fans about the manga ending, they asked a few of us what we all thought about the original ending versus the new kanzenban ending. Myself, Meri, and a bunch of other fans you may recognize put in a few words, so check it out!
We'll be back on Sunday with the next podcast episode and we'll also be announcing the winner of our current contest. If you haven't entered, hurry up... you only have a few days left! |
30 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:07 am EST -- If you're reading this update, then you are seeing us up and running on the new server. Good stuff. To compensate for the day's downtime, we've extended the current contest deadline until this coming Sunday. Get going!
|
27 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:33 pm EST -- Episode #0139 of the podcast is available for download! Despite internet outages on two different continents, we were somehow able to all come together to put out a great show for you this week. In addition to the typical news updates and general shenanigans, we brought on Herms from Kanzentai to talk with us a little bit about the three DBZ "side stories". You may be familiar with "IN THE NAME OF PICCOLO-DAIMAÔ" from back on Episode #0117; this time we took a look at "LONELY FUTURE WARRIOR!! TRUNKS". Definitely check it out.
Oh, but that's not all. We're not just here to talk about it. We're here to present it to you.
You may have already seen it (along with the first two) over on our buddy Desire Campbell's website, but as this particular story is more of a straight-up story than manga-style, we've created a new "Tidbit" with the entire story (written by Aya Matsui) translated for your reading pleasure, complete with all of the original illustrations (by Minoru Maeda) that accompany them.
Big thanks to Herms for doing the translation, and big thanks to me for finally getting around and scanning the damn thing.
Don't forget about our contest! You have until Friday to get in your entries! |
25 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 3:04 pm EST -- I love the fact that I was able to come home early today and happen to get back just in time for this to show up:
That's right, folks. Those two CDs sitting on top can belong to you... all you have to do is enter our contest! We're giving away the brand spankin' new Super Survivor CD single (which contains the vocal opening themes to both Sparking! METEOR and Burst Limit), as well as the old CD single containing both vocal opening themes to Budokai 2 and Budokai 3. Sorry, but that extra CD in the back is mine :P.
We'll be reviewing the new CD not on this weekend's upcoming podcast (which will be pretty awesome in its own right), but the following week. Yep, we'll be bumping the "Manga Review of Awesomeness" by a week in order to give the new CD our full attention and give it away on the show!
We haven't been able to get our butts in gear with updates over the last couple days, so we wanted to drop a few pieces that you have probably already seen elsewhere...
DragonBall DS has some new trailers available for streaming over on the game's official Japanese website. Remember that the game comes out on September 18th exclusively in Japan... at least for now. Still waiting to hear about international releases.
Additionally, you've no doubt seen on all the blog sites the Japanese poster for the upcoming American-made live-action DragonBall movie:
Definitely cooler than the American poster, that's for sure. |
20 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:33 pm EST -- Episode #0138 of the podcast is available for download! We tried to do another short one, but it ended up being a regular-length episode! In addition to the information about DBGT (some of which you read last week), we decided to catch up on e-mail a little bit and covered a wide range of questions. Definitely check it out.
With regards to the upcoming DBGT "remastered" boxsets from FUNimation, the important point we wanted to get across is that the trailer (linked in last week's update), which is present on the Blu-ray release of the Bardock/Trunks "remastered" TV specials, is encoded and presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio. This is important to note due to the fact that, as we've noted time and time again, despite FUNimation's lack of the phrase "widescreen" in all of their recent commercials/trailers for the DBZ season sets, all of those presentations are themselves displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
While this is far from an actual and official confirmation that these new DBGT sets will be in the correct 4:3 aspect ratio, it's none-the-less interesting and entertaining to watch this saga continue to unfold as the years progress. |
13 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 6:13 pm EST -- Episode #0137 of the podcast is available for download! It's a very short episode this week due to the fact that Meri and I are trying to finish up some video work for Anime Weekend Atlanta, and we need every moment of spare time we can get! Don't worry... hopefully some good DBZ-related content will come of it in due time! For this week's show we took a look at some neat news coming out of Japan, did the ABCs, and plugged our current contest. Definitely check it out.
In addition to all that, we really need to talk about FUNimation's upcoming DragonBall GT "remastered" boxsets. We've known for what seems like forever that they were on their way, but knew little else beyond that. We recently got our hands on what seemed to be the boxart, which confirmed the "remastered" style release. FUNimation has been showcasing trailers for the upcoming release... which...
... is playing full-screen...?!
The new trailer plugs the same "Digitally Remastered" and "Original Japanese Audio" as the DBZ season sets, but makes absolutely no mention of it being "widescreen". We've seen FUNimation create advertisements about the DBZ season sets where they remove wording about them being in the cropped widescreen format as early as season two, but this (obviously) didn't change the end product. Even after FUNimation stopped mentioning the widescreen for DBZ, the trailers all at least still remained in widescreen. How about DBGT, though? Has the community backlash and its resulting segregation given FUNimation a double-take? Should we expect the "Sorry We Fucked Up"-edition DBZ sets in a few years, with promotions saying, "No, really... this is how it was meant to be seen... we promise, this time!"...? This is all speculation until there is any official confirmation from FUNimation on what the actual aspect ratio will be for the DBGT sets, but it's an interesting situation, none-the-less. |
11 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 6:28 pm EST -- Namco-Bandai has opened up a website for the upcoming DragonBall DS:
www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/ds_dragonball/top.html
So far there is a little bit of information about the story and characters (OK, character-singluar... Goku), but there are some nice screen-shots throughout to gaze at. |
10 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:09 pm EST -- The red text we didn't read on the image from a few days ago tells us that the title of the newly-animated, upcoming DragonBall short will be Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokû to Nakama-tachi!!" (Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, with "Ossu!" being one of Goku's early-catch phrases and introduction to all next-episode previews).
We did tell you, though, that we should be expecting some kind of new enemy/enemies. Super psyched!
Additionally, the Japanese cover art for DragonBall DS has been released:
The game drops on September 18th in Japan. Still no word on a North American (or European) release. |
06 July 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:00 pm EST -- Episode #0136 of the podcast is available for download! We're back into the swing of things this week with the "Manga Review of Awesomeness" as Jeff joins us for volume seventeen. If you are looking over at your collection of Viz manga and don't see a "DB 17" over there, that is because in Japan the entire manga series is simply called DragonBall beginning to end, volume one to forty-two. The "Z"-distinction from the TV series was only applied to the manga by Viz when they began releasing it state-side so many years ago. Definitely check it out.
In addition to the podcast, there is a ton of other stuff going on. We have a new contest we are running, we need to catch up on news postings, and we are even launching a new podcast!
Want to win not only the upcoming Sparking! METEOR / Burst Limit theme song CD single, but also the Budokai 2 / Budokai 3 CD single? That's right, we're giving both away at the end of the month! This contest is open to everyone (you don't have to be a podcast listener), so be sure to get your entries in! The catch this time is that you actually have two chances to win... if you are willing to sing along! Check out the full contest details.
With that out of the way, let's catch up on all the big news, some of which was covered in the above-referenced podcast episode, and some of which just surfaced!
Jump 40th Anniversary Figures
Many of the Jump 40th anniversary figures, including the DBZ x One Piece cross-over ones, are up for pre-order over on Play-Asia!
FUNimation To Do More With YouTube
FUNimation released a press release earlier this week stating their intent to do more with their YouTube channel, including sharing episodes of series like Slayers and Peach Girl. While nothing about the DB franchise is noted, we will keep an eye on them to see how they integrate their best-selling franchise into the high-traffic video sharing site.
Italy Gets New DVDs
A great new re-release of the DBZ TV series, DBGT TV series, and the movies will be coming out over in Italy. In addition to the standard Japanese audio track, a 5.1 Italian track will be included. It looks like our buddy Timo ordered a bit of this new release, so we look forward to hearing from him!
DragonBall DS = September 18th (in Japan)
We finally have a release date for DragonBall DS, the new action / adventure / RPG game coming to the Nintendo DS! The game will see its release over in Japan on September 18th. As-of-yet, neither Atari nor FUNimation has said anything about an American release of the game, though judging by the way Atari makes its money (read below), it would be a shock to see this game not come out in North America.
Half of Atari's Profits Come From the DB Franchise
According to Atari's latest annual report:
Fiscal 2008 — the Dragon Ball Z franchise generated 49.1% of our publishing net product revenues, driven by the November 2007 release of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii)
That's right, folks... if you really want to boil it down to the nitty-gritty, you could say that half of the money Atari makes is solely based on the DragonBall franchise.
Shonen Jump 5th Anniversary Hardcover Details
The upcoming hardcover "Collector's Edition" Shonen Jump fifth anniversary release will contain all of the manga from that first publication back in January 2003, along with features from the first five years, about a dozen rare interviews, essays by the editors, and a special Yu-Gi-Oh card.
Jump Anime Tour New Animation Minor Details
Over on the toonzone.net forum, a new image showcasing minor information on the new DragonBall animation to air during the Jump Anime Tour has surfaced.
The picture doesn't give a whole lot of clues, but we can see a variety of characters from all over the chronology of the series and a hint at a new enemy...?! Could it be these two?
Exciting! Please give me the Neko Majin OVA I've been wanting!
New McDonald's Toys in Japan
Many years back, McDonald's ran a promotion with their "Happy Set" (or "Happy Meals") where you could get an exclusive DBZ figure. It seems like they're doing it again! We'll send Julian on his way to pick them all up, giving him a perfect excuse to undo all of the working-out he's been up to.
That should cover us for now...! We'll keep digging around all of the e-mails and forum posts we've missed over the last couple of days, but hopefully we covered all the big stuff.
If that's not enough content for you, and you're hugely into video games, we'd love for you to come check out a new side-project that I've been working on with my buddies Jeff and Andrew called Video Game Conversations. It's a new podcast and blog we've started up to give ourselves a little outlet to explore and discuss the kinds of things we do on a daily basis, anyway! You can find everything over at vgconvos.com. Hope you enjoy it! |
29 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 12:05 am EST -- Episode #0135 of the podcast is available for download! This week, we checked in with KaiserNeko and Lanipator from the new DragonBall Z Abridged fan-parody series by TeamFourStar!
We only recently discovered this recent trend of creating "Abridged" series, ourselves, and so with the debut of this group's take on the TV series we definitely wanted to check in with them and see how the whole thing works. It's an absolutely hysterical take on the series that has so many clever jokes for so many different types of fans, and still retains that genuine charm and endearing qualities of the original. If you haven't seen it yet, you absolutely need to do so. In addition to that, we also dive into some somewhat-artificially-created drama between two dub voice actors as well as a ton of other news. Definitely check it out. |
28 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 1:10 am EST -- Thankfully, the Japanese have decided that the previous art they showcased for the individual releases of the various DragonBall and DragonBall Z movies simply weren't good enough. We have now been presented with what appear to be the final art for DBZ Movies 1 & 2, which are starting off the latest (last?) run of individual DVD releases in August:
Big improvement, guys 'n gals. We like. |
26 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:05 pm EST -- We first told you about it way back in December, have seen more and more word coming in about it, and finally we have this:
The first thing I noticed is that there's absolutely no source for the image. The second thing I noticed is that the FUNimation logo in the bottom right isn't at the same skewed-perspective as the rest of the box. Now, that doesn't mean at all that isn't not "real" and it's not actually coming (again, we've been telling you about this for months), but I would wait for additional (official) confirmation before we consider this a real image. I'm told this "WTK" person on the Anime on DVD forum is a reliable one, but we personally have no familiarity and make no guarantees.
Additionally, there was also the supposed cover art for the forth-coming DBZ Movies 3 & 4 faux-"remastered" Blu-ray / standard DVD release (said image has been confirmed from trailers contained on previous FUNimation releases):
In other news, MUSIC JAPAN+ has an English-language interview with Tôru Furuyu, the voice of Yamcha. It's extremely difficult to navigate... pay close attention to the tiny flashing next>> at the bottom. He's a really awesome guy, so definitely check that out.
In gaming news, GameTrailers has put up their review of DragonBall Z: Burst Limit for the PS3 / 360. I haven't yet had a chance to check it out, but I've more or less agreed with them on the last round of games, and I expect this to be no different. Be sure to check out what our initial thoughts were on the game back on Episode #0133 of the podcast.
Finally, Burst Limit (for the PS3; no 360 representation at all this time) has fallen to #15 for the week (in terms of new sales) over in Japan. Metal Gear Solid 4 indeed kicked ass last week, but this week it's all about Super Robot Taisen A Portable on the PSP. |
25 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:33 pm EST -- Big thanks to Futabatei Shimei for keeping us on our toes, as always. CDJapan has a new entry for a PlayStation 2 & Wii Game DragonBall Z Sparking! METEOR / PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 Game DragonBall Z Burst Limit soundtrack coming out on 27 August 2008 for ¥3000.
This is quite interesting because:
(1) The Japanese release of all the Sparking! games contained music composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi (plus one little DBGT BGM for the 2nd & 3rd games) from the actual TV series arranged for the games by Kenji Yamamoto.
(2) The American release of the first Sparking! game contained recycled music from the Budokai series. The American release of the second game contained all-new music. The American release of the third game also contained all-new music, though it was actually newly-composed by Kenji Yamamoto.
(3) The American and Japanese releases of Burst Limit appear to have the exact same BGM, right from the get-go with the Japanese vocal opening theme performed by Hironobu Kageyama.
Now, as this is a Japanese CD produced for the Japanese market, my initial thought is that for Sparking! METEOR, this new CD will contain the music from the Japanese release of the game (which, if you're following along, was actually just BGM and arrangements [sometimes instrumental versions of vocal songs] from the TV series). Kenji Yamamoto is attributed to this CD, so there will (obviously) be music from him... but... will it contain any of that "new" music composed for the American release of Sparking! METEOR (read: Budokai Tenkaichi 3)...?
It's somewhat mind-boggling at the moment, so we'll of course keep you updated as more information comes out. All we know right now is that Kenji Yamamoto music from both games will appear in some capacity, and if precedent says anything, credit to Hironobu Kageyama means that the "TV-sized" versions of the vocal opening themes will appear on this disc. Remember that the full-length versions are coming out on a disc from Hironobu Kageyama next month!
VegettoEX @ 7:55 am EST -- All the blog sites have (obviously) already picked up on this one, and since this is somewhat more-important news, we'd love to share this one with you. The first promotional poster for the upcoming live-action DragonBall movie has shown up!
We've seen the image before in various magazine scans and such, so it makes sense that it would end up being used as the first real poster to promote the movie.
In addition to that (and in much less important and entertaining news), the cover art for the forthcoming 5th anniversary hardcover release of Shonen Jump (American, that is... nothing to do with the Japanese release, which just hit 40 years) has come out.
Again, we don't really know what will be inside here. We all assume it will basically be a re-print of the original release from back in 2003, perhaps with some new items inside...? It will be out on 05 August 2008 for $24.99, though you can pre-order at certain places for much less. |
22 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:58 pm EST -- Episode #0134 of the podcast is available for download! This week we asked a bunch of friends what they thought the biggest story or issue was affecting DB fandom today. Despite the answers sounding very different at the beginning, they all seem to somewhat tie together in some way. Stay tuned towards the end of the episode for a couple check-ins from AnimeNEXT! Definitely check it out.
Speaking of the convention, here are the figures I picked up:
Here are some cosplayers we saw. Unfortunately, Meri didn't get a picture of the toddler Goku... so if you were there and got a snapshot of the supposedly-adorable little guy, send it on over!
Thanks to the few of you who spotted us and say hello! See you all again soon at Otakon! |
19 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:06 pm EST -- Sorry to give some slight false hope, but it's too good to pass up! According to Marbridge Consulting:
In an article posted on his blog, Li Yanqing, president of online gaming firm China Game, has claimed that Chinese online game operator 9You has signed an agreement with Korean developer CJ Internet to license the Mainland China operating rights to Dragon Ball Online. CJ Internet owns the world-wide development and distribution rights to Dragon Ball Online. Li didn't reveal any details of the agreement.
That certainly creates a massive amount of potential players. We will, of course, keep you up-to-date with any additional information regarding licensing outside of Asia.
In other gaming news, as expected, Burst Limit took a beating on the Japanese sales charts due to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. Selling a mere 18,000 additional copies on the PS3 (with the 360 version not even charting this week... surprise, surprise), the latest DBZ game has fallen to the number seven slot for the week. I would expect it to fall off the charts entirely within the next two weeks.
That's going to wrap it up here at the home base for the next couple days. If you're heading to AnimeNEXT over the weekend, we'll see you there! If not, feel free to follow along via Twitter, and we'll catch you back here on Sunday for the next podcast. |
15 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:19 pm EST -- Episode #0133 of the podcast is available for download! We took a look at Burst Limit this week, which just came out for the Xbox 360 & PS3. Our initial thoughts on the game are literally just that, since the game had only been out for three days when we recorded. Look for more in-depth coverage of the game in a few weeks, but also be sure to check this one out for a few different perspectives, including that of a... err... recurring character? Definitely check it out.
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14 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 12:23 pm EST -- A few interesting things have popped up over the last couple days, so before they get too old and you don't hear them until the podcast, let's do a recap!
A 17-year-old "man" has been issued a citation down in Texas for trying to steal DBZ season four from his local Wal-Mart. Another typical example of you damn kids and your smug sense of entitlement! Get off my lawn!
Navarre (FUNimation's parent company) released their 4th Quarter & Fiscal Year 2008 results, and also held their corresponding earnings conference call. Not a whole lot of interesting information other than confirmations that FUNimation continues to do well despite the shape of the market. Distribution is down, but FUNimation's strength in DVD sales (no doubt due mostly to DBZ) is really pulling it all together.
Burst Limit has been doing great over in Japan, selling approximately 92,000 copies on the PS3 last week, making it the top-selling game. This is, of course, until the next figures come out, which will include Metal Gear Solid 4. Also on the list down at number twelve was the 360 version of the game, though no sales figures are reported past number ten. In comparison, Sparking! METEOR sold a whopping 243,536 in its first week back in November (203,828 = PS2; 39,708 = Wii).
We've recorded our initial thoughts on Burst Limit, so look forward to that in the next podcast episode going up tomorrow! |
11 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:31 pm EST -- Just a reminder for all of you that Burst Limit officially shipped to stores in the US yesterday (all you Japanese and European fans have already been playing for a couple days, though).
I picked mine up at GameStop today. If you pre-ordered the game, you received a t-shirt and either a DVD of the first seven episodes of DBZ (360) or a Blu-ray of DBZ movie 1 (PS3). Interesting, the DVD for my 360 version was packed right inside with the game in the flip-style dual-disc case. The front cover has a golden bar at the bottom showcasing this, though the instruction book on the inside has the standard cover image. Yes, the DVD is the exact same disc that comes with FUNimation's faux-"remastered" DBZ season one; no additional branding is present.
The t-shirt was a very shoddy-looking standard large:
Note that the front is printed on crooked. Yep.
Our initial thoughts on the game will come this weekend on the next episode of the podcast. See you then! |
10 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:30 pm EST -- There has been a lot of previewing / reviewing and marketing going on the last few days. Here are a few highlights:
IGN: DBZ Movies 1 & 2 Blu-ray Review --
"Dragon Ball isn't the fanboy favorite it used to be (having given up the throne to Bleach and Naruto and the like), but the fans it has left can consider this release the definitive, archival version of the first two DBZ movies. It's available at quite the reasonable price most places, too, so if you've already made the investment in a Blu-ray setup, it won't cost you that much more."
IGN: "DBZ: Burst Limit" Review --
"Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a strong fighting game, with combat mechanics that are both simple and deep. There are some issues in terms of variety, however, with a limited number of stages and characters that are fairly similar to one another. Regardless, DBZ fans will likely find a lot to enjoy here, which is really what matters."
(NOTE: Video review also available)
GamePro: "DBZ: Burst Limit" Review --
"Still, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit managed to really impress me. It's not perfect but it's a fast, over-the-top fighter that's an absolute blast. The single-player Z Chronicles mode is perfect for hardcore fans and the multiplayer options are good enough that you'll want to call your friends over for a few matches. I highly recommend it if you loved Dragon Ball Z or like your fighting games to be lightning quick."
GameSpot has also gone to DBZ for another installment in their (popular?) "Franchise Player" segment. It's just another generic attempt at explaining the franchise by a gaming publication, complete with the only-familiar-with-the-dub knowledge (not that we're expecting anything more than that, but it would be nice) and inter-site plugs.
In other news, it would appear that Hironobu Kageyama's fantastic Power Live '98 CD is going to be re-released (if CDJapan isn't lying to us). Of the sixteen tracks on this CD full of live performances, there are five DragonBall songs:
- "Mind Power ...Ki..."
(DBZ episode 139 insert / Trunks flashback)
- "Unmei no Hi ~Tamashii tai Tamashii~"
(DBZ episode 184 insert / SSJ2 Gohan)
- "Boku-tachi wa Tenshi Datta"
(DBZ 2nd ending)
- "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"
(DBZ 1st opening)
- "FOR EVER~"
(image song)
Note that all of the live DB songs from the Power Live '95 CD were included in the recent so-called "Chôzenshû" set. In other words, if you don't already own this CD, you'll want to pick it up!
Finally, it looks like FUNimation wants to unload their current copies of DBZ movies 2 & 3 (the re-dubbed / subbed-by-Steve ones that came as a part of the "First Strike" boxset of DBZ movies 1-3 in November 2006). There's no date set for them yet, but they'll only be $5 each. |
08 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 1:38 pm EST -- Ya' know, despite Julian being over there right now, it amuses me how I get the news out of Japan from the general internet, rather than him :P.
As Anime News Network is reporting from the latest Weekly Jump , the new DragonBall animation (we don't yet know whether to truly call it an "OVA" or a "movie" or a "special") will actually be based on an original concept by Akira Toriyama, himself.
Julian will absolutely be doing everything he can to check out the closest tour later this year, so we look forward to getting a first-hand account of the new feature!
VegettoEX @ 12:00 am EST -- Episode #0132 of the podcast is available for download! This week we took a look at the new CD out of Japan this week, Inazuma Challenger.
You may remember this CD initially being billed as the "21st Century Versions" of the original DragonBall TV series opening and closing themes. Those are all still on here (including remixes and even an English version!), so listen in for all sorts of sound samples, our full review, and our recommendations. We also (finally) checked out that amusing release from Hitomi Kitamura which also contains a cover/remix of "Romantikku Ageru Yo". In addition to all this, we checked in with Julian, gave away a DVD (did you win?!), and a whole lot more. Definitely check it out.
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05 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 6:40 pm EST -- Back in December we told you about a whole bunch of new stuff coming down the pipeline from FUNimation. Everything has come out except for the last item on the list, which we now know will be coming out later this year on September 16th for $49.98.
That's right, new boxsets of DragonBall GT are coming. Since FUNimation has already put out boxsets of their original releases (4:3, dub + Menza music, JP version, etc.), we can only continue to assume that these new releases will be in the same faux-"remastered" style that DBZ has been treated to for five seasons, now (16:9 cropped widescreen, dub + JP music, dub + Menza music, JP version, etc.).
We don't know which episodes these will be, but since DBGT is only 64 episodes long, it wouldn't surprise me if the entire series is broken up into only three or four sets.
Additionally, on that same day, you can expect to pick up DBZ season six, Spanish volumes 9 & 10, and the DVD/Blu-ray faux-"remastered" releases of DBZ movies 3 & 4 (in the same "double-feature" format that DBZ movies 1 & 2 just saw a week or so ago).
I just picked up Inazuma Challenger at the post office, so expect a full review (with song samples, of course) on this weekend's upcoming podcast. This is the new CD that just came out this week featuring new versions of the DragonBall opening and closing themes sung by their original artists (Hiroki Takahashi & Ushio Hashimoto). I also (finally) grabbed that CD from Hitomi Kitamura with her version of the DB closing theme, so expect some additional thoughts on that in the same episode.
Speaking of podcasts, it looks like FUNimation's going to be starting up their own on June 9th. I wonder if they're feeling any pressure...? ^_~
Finally, don't forget about our contest! We are giving away the original 1997 release of Dead Zone. Listen in to this week's podcast episode for details. You don't need to be a regular listener to listen, and all it takes is a simple e-mail to enter. Go, go, go! |
04 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:33 am EST -- We're a little late on this one... you can entirely blame my trying to get my Otakon AMV contest submission done on time ^_~.
As Kanzentai has dug up, it would seem as if the upcoming individual R2 DVD releases of the movies (which were collected in "Dragon Box: The Movies" back in 2006) are actually going to be starting with the DBZ movies rather than the original DB movies. Amazon has listings and cover art for the first two discs:
It's a real shame if this ends up being the final cover art for the volumes, since the only real distinction seems to be the number in the bottom-right. The movies begin their individual releases on August 8th with a schedule of two per month. |
01 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:20 pm EST -- Episode #0131 of the podcast is available for download! Due to a slight bit of personal over-booking, we skipped a regular topic this week, and instead went over the plethora of news from the last week. Everything is covered from various Burst Limit things to the domestic daizenshuu release coming later this year. Definitely check it out.
We are actually running a contest right now to give away the original 1997 release of Dead Zone (which contains an uncut English dub from FUNimation featuring the Ocean Studios cast and original Japanese score, as well as the original Japanese version itself). Listen in to this week's (relatively short) episode for details. We'll be giving it away to a random entrant on next week's show! |
28 May 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:54 pm EST -- Seems like Famitsu has given the upcoming Burst Limit scores of 9 / 8 / 8 / 8 (33/40). Definitely not too shabby. I feel that Famitsu has been extremely lenient as-of-late, though...
It would seem that the upcoming "21st Century Version" CD featuring new recordings of the DragonBall opening and ending is actually going under the title Inazuma Challenger, which was previously listed as just a regular ol' song on the disc (assumed to be a new image song). Well, it's now the title track and the first song on the disc. I can't say I understand the logic behind this, but we're all still looking forward to it. You can check out a couple short song samples (DB OP/ED included) over on the TEAM Entertainment website. The CD is still due out on June 4th for ¥1600.
Finally, Banpresto is releasing a new line of figures in celebration of Jump's 40th anniversary.
Could that possibly be any more sexy? In case you don't know, that is Goku wearing Luffy's (One Piece) outfit. There is also the vice versa, and then Bulma in a womanized-Luffy-outfit, and Nami in a womanized-Goku-outfit. Dengeki.com has a plethora of images for this line, while our buddy Oldphan's site has a great collection of images of a new line of Chopper (also One Piece) all dressed up in an astonishing number of DragonBall character outfits...
VegettoEX @ 7:20 am EST -- Somewhat making up for all of the shenanigans we've learned about over the last week, it would appear as if Viz finally took the hint and will be releasing the first daizenshuu!
This Amazon entry has no cover image, but gives a release date of 19 August 2008 with a retail price of $24.99 (though you can pre-order it now for only $16.49). Additionally, this entry over on the Kinokuniya website actually includes a cover image!
The English title of The Complete Illustrations is perfectly fitting and accurate (only difference is no "The" on the original Japanese title/release), and anything you want to know about it can be found over on Kanzentai.
Does this mean Viz will be releasing all of them? Will they be ACCURATE translations? Will they be filled their their own Viz-isms, name-changes, censoring, etc.? What kind of schedule can we expect? Does this include other things like the DBGT "Perfect File" books?
There are absolutely no answers to any of these questions, but we'll do our best to find out and let you know...! |
26 May 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:55 am EST -- In case there were any outstanding questions in anyone's mind(s), the new "VIZ BIG" editions of the DragonBall manga (the "omnibus" three-in-one volumes) are indeed censored. It's beginning to get a little old, but seriously... with all the re-releases Viz and FUNimation do, you think at least one of them would come out halfway-competent after thirteen years.
In global news, Selecta Vision will be releasing DragonBall GT on DVD (Vol 1 / Vol 2 / Vol 3) similar to their in-process DragonBall Z release over in Spain. These two-disc sets have eight episodes each, are created from Dragon Box masters (as opposed to through their own in-house remastering process a la FUNimation), and while they contain less languages than the DBZ releases, will at least continue to showcase the Castilian, Catalan, and original Japanese language tracks (with Spanish subtitles). Remember that these are R2 PAL DVDs. According to an article on zonadvd.com (and brought to our attention on the forum by SonGokuGT):
Essentially, this states that Selecta Vision is in talks with Toei to be able to re-release the original Dragonball series fully uncut using the DragonBox masters for the Spanish market. Toei stated that they are very pleased with Selecta's DBZ and DBGT releases so things are looking good for Spain!
Selecta Vision is very determined to have all of the Dragonball saga, including the three series, movies and specials available in Spain uncut and with great picture quality. Selecta is driven to re-release Dragonball due to Manga Films' previous releases being edited without a Japanese track, and with the subpar video quality of the AB masters.
Remember that this Spanish dub is different from the (highly regarded) Mexican Spanish dub. Volumes 1 & 2 of DBGT are already out, and volume 3 is coming on June 18th.
In other awesome forum activity, check out this little retrospective on Son Goku figures, and this footage of Ryusei Nakao (Tambourine/Freeza/Coola) at Animazement. |
25 May 2008
VegettoEX @ 12:43 am EST -- Episode #0130 of the podcast is available for download! That's right, we already have it set to go for your listening pleasure. This week, Meri and I brought back on a very special guest to discuss all the latest news with regards to video games, Viz manga, and so much more. Unfortunately, some of the latest news came in after we had already recorded and edited, so make sure you check out all of the updates from the last couple days to catch up on it all. Definitely check it out.
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24 May 2008
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