So, is it possible to buy DBZ uncut in 4:3 format?

[Jord]

I'm currently enjoying Dragonball on DVD and plan to watch DBZ after finishing DB. However, when doing a bit of research I learnt that the Blu-ray's are cancelled, the Dragonboxes are pretty rare and the orange bricks are severely cropped. So what's the best way now to make my DB collection complete?

[orangebrick94]

That's a hard question to answer. All I can think of is buying the Japanese Dragon Box single discs or buying the old Funimation single disc releases. However, Funimation never released all the episodes on their single disc (line/series,) so probably the Japanese one (is your best bet).

[Krycek7o2]

Is stuff like this that annoys me the US Dragon Boxes were limited. Fans wanting the original series are left with a cropped over-saturated mess.
You're only option is the US is tracking down each individual DBox volume, making sure to get volumes 5-7 ASAP. And then going on the hunt for the missing four.

Your other option is tracking down the rental version of the singles of the original Japanese Dragon Box.
They are the same discs as the singles/Dbox, with minor artwork differences. Why do I suggest the rental versions?
Simply because you can spend less than 300 on an entire set, while buying the original singles it will cost more than 1000!
Or you can track down (widely available) the original Dragon Boxes. If you have the money, they are worth it. there are no subtitles with this option.

In the US, well you're stuck for the time being getting the Orange Bricks or the original singles.
The original singles are 4x3 but are badly encoded and they begin at the Ginyu Saga. No NEP's are available.

Hope this helps.

[The Time Traveller]

They should just do singles or half sets of the Dragon Boxes instead of the Season Sets.

[eledoremassis02]

They should just do singles or half sets of the Dragon Boxes instead of the Season Sets.

Couldn't agree with what you said any more.

[Jord]

Yeah well, I need English subs as my Japanese isn't strong enough to understand what they're saying. Aren't there any foreign releases with English subs?

And I know about the single releases since I got the entire Buu saga that way. Man, that was expensive.

[Akumaito Beam]

The singles will be the biggest pain in the ass to track down. I got EXTREMELY lucky and bought all of them in one fell swoop curtsey of a super cool member on this forum but outside of doing that you're looking at a rough time and a lot of variables.

The Dragon Box's are limited and you'll be paying out of the nose for them I bought every DBZ/DBGT single for around 300 bucks and last time I checked Dragon Box 2 was going for around 200.

I hate to say it but the orange bricks are probably your best bet here. They're super cheap and the image quality does sort of blow but you won't exactly be in a financial hole. My local Best Buy which literally has an anime section that consists of about 10 DVDs has orange bricks so I imagine they're not exactly hard to find either. To be honest the orange brick's saturation is semi-akin to the "pink skin situation" where an issue totally exists but it's not as noticeable if you're not looking at a direct comparison. That's not to say the orange bricks are fantastic but...silver lining to a bad situation.

Edit: Also the blue bricks, orange bricks and green bricks spine art does look pretty spiffy side by side by side.

[dbboxkaifan]

I'm currently enjoying Dragonball on DVD and plan to watch DBZ after finishing DB. However, when doing a bit of research I learnt that the Blu-ray's are cancelled, the Dragonboxes are pretty rare and the orange bricks are severely cropped. So what's the best way now to make my DB collection complete?

English: Singles but it's censored.

Now to others:
Japanese: Dragon Box Z Japan
Spanish: Dragon Box Z Spain
French: Dragon Box Z France
UK: Orange Bricks UK

[eledoremassis02]

I'm currently enjoying Dragonball on DVD and plan to watch DBZ after finishing DB. However, when doing a bit of research I learnt that the Blu-ray's are cancelled, the Dragonboxes are pretty rare and the orange bricks are severely cropped. So what's the best way now to make my DB collection complete?

English: Singles but it's censored.

Now to others:
Japanese: Dragon Box Z Japan
Spanish: Dragon Box Z Spain
French: Dragon Box Z France
UK: Orange Bricks UK

Are they really? Are you talking about the Saiyan and namek sagas only (cause I know those are) but arnt the later ones uncut?

[Akumaito Beam]

The only scene I can think of that was censored was in the first Ginyu single on the dub track when Bulma was bathing little Goku they made the water opaque instead of transparent to cover up his nakedness, I guess they weren't feeling THAT ballsy yet.

They also chopped out the eyecatches (horribly) for awhile.

[VegettoEX]

Are they really? Are you talking about the Saiyan and namek sagas only (cause I know those are) but arnt the later ones uncut?

What he's referring to were the original DVDs released by Pioneer & FUNimation of the original 1996-1998 dub of "season one" and "season two", which cut the 67/68 episodes down to 53. That will indeed take you right up to the point where "season three" began (along with its uncut/bilingual DVDs), but yes, it will be edited and dub-only up to that point.

Then you, of course, have the "Ultimate Uncut Edition" to replace it, but it was canceled after nine volumes, meaning you only get up through episode 27.

But... well... it seems the topic creator already knew all that, so none of us are actually adding anything new to the conversation at this point .

[Pokewhiz7]

Are they really? Are you talking about the Saiyan and namek sagas only (cause I know those are) but arnt the later ones uncut?

Yes, they are. The Pioneer DVDs are edited, but the ones from Ginyu Assault until the end are uncut. Also I'm pretty sure I read on DBZ Uncensored that the edit Akumaito Beam mentioned is only on the dub video track.
Edit: Ninjad

[Son Satan]

aren't the later ones uncut?

Yes, and the redub singles are as well, but they never completed the series with those releases. There are episodes only available uncut on the OBs/DBoxes.

[eledoremassis02]

Are they really? Are you talking about the Saiyan and namek sagas only (cause I know those are) but arnt the later ones uncut?

What he's referring to were the original DVDs released by Pioneer & FUNimation of the original 1996-1998 dub of "season one" and "season two", which cut the 67/68 episodes down to 53. That will indeed take you right up to the point where "season three" began (along with its uncut/bilingual DVDs), but yes, it will be edited and dub-only up to that point.

Then you, of course, have the "Ultimate Uncut Edition" to replace it, but it was canceled after nine volumes, meaning you only get up through episode 27.

But... well... it seems the topic creator already knew all that, so none of us are actually adding anything new to the conversation at this point .

lol. yea, thats what I was thinking lol

[.:PoetikaL:.]

If FUNimation could print sets using the Dragon Box footage, all would be right with the world. But since they only got the rights to print a limited amount of Dragon Boxes using the footage, it won't happen. Toei be psycho yo! (Sailor Moon be damned!)

[Gotham22]

Since the video (do you mean audio?) source from the Funimation Dragon Boxes are from the season sets then Funimation should just release the Dragon Boxes again with the dub music.

[dbboxkaifan]

Since the video (do you mean audio?) source from the Funimation Dragon Boxes are from the season sets then Funimation should just release the Dragon Boxes again with the dub music.

Isn't the English dub slightly touched up for the FUNimation Dragon Boxes Z? I mean, there's a video on YouTube (omg!) and it shows the Dragon Box Z recorded via camera is out of synch, which makes me guess the OB Eng w/Original DBZ Music is synched, for some odd reason.

OB's got the same video content except for the NEPs, so why re-synch it?

[MarcFBR]

Since the video (do you mean audio?) source from the Funimation Dragon Boxes are from the season sets then Funimation should just release the Dragon Boxes again with the dub music.

It's been established plenty of times why they didn't do this, to you specifically.

This topic was for a specific question which your post has nothing to do with it, keep it on topic.

[BluezaBladeNZ]

Isn't the English dub slightly touched up for the FUNimation Dragon Boxes Z? I mean, there's a video on YouTube (omg!) and it shows the Dragon Box Z recorded via camera is out of synch, which makes me guess the OB Eng w/Original DBZ Music is synched, for some odd reason.

OB's got the same video content except for the NEPs, so why re-synch it?

The only thing that was changed in the dub+original BGM track on the Dragon Boxes as far as I'm aware of was replacing the Menza opening riff with CHA-LA HEAD CHA-LA. If that's what you mean.

[Gotham22]

I'm currently enjoying Dragonball on DVD and plan to watch DBZ after finishing DB. However, when doing a bit of research I learnt that the Blu-ray's are cancelled, the Dragonboxes are pretty rare and the orange bricks are severely cropped. So what's the best way now to make my DB collection complete?

Well try to hunt down the US Dragon Boxes. If you're want the whole dub treatment like having the dub music as well then the best option is hunt the old funimation singles and the UUE or the BD sets since the Vegeta Arc is put on hold futher than the UUE. Buying the UUE You will have to sacrifice most of the Vegeta Arc. But buy the BD sets an you'll just have to sacrifice two episodes. The whole Namek Arc will have to be sacrificed up to Ginyu's fight with Goku.


In my opinion it's really pitiful that the US Dragon Boxes is the only uncut/4:3 format release by funimation.