Forum Wiki

PAGE TOP

3,759 Posts & 2,352 Pages Documenting Dragon Ball, since 1998. We've got you covered!
News
Dragon Ball Book Reveals in March 2013 V-Jump
Published by 20 January 2013, 11:25 PM EST4 Comments

As advertised in the previous issue of V-Jump — and confirmed via an ongoing 2ch thread as well as by our own Julian in Japan! — the March 2013 issue contains loads of new information about the franchise’s upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods theatrical film, and the various new publications available next month. The issue has just hit store shelves across Japan, but it is also currently available from online retailers such as CDJapan, Play-Asia, and Amazon Japan.

While the original announcement for the “Full Color Comics” noted that only the Saiyan and Freeza arcs were scheduled for this fully-colored re-release of the manga, it has now been announced that Shueisha plans to cover the entire “Z”-era of the original manga storyline. The tentative plan is to begin with the Saiyan arc and work toward the Majin Boo arc, and then possibly return to the very beginning of the Dragon Ball story, akin to what was done with the order of Dragon Box releases in the early-2000s — most interestingly is that they appear to want to move ahead with a digital-only release of these earlier chapters, at least to begin with. As a special bonus, the issue comes packaged with an exclusive “Full Color Trial Book” which contains the entirety of chapter 228 (referred to as “Saiyan Arc chapter 34”), “One-on-One Combat!!”, in full color (minus its original title page). The price of the “Freeza Arc” volumes is still to be determined.

color_manga_sample

Along the bottom of the Trial Book’s pages, there is a Q&A about the new releases:

Will “Dragon Ball Full Color” really be in full color?
From the manga itself to project pages, all of the pages will be in vibrant color!!

What is the size of “Dragon Ball Full Color”?
“New Book” format, the same as the other Jump Comics manga!! You can line them up smoothly on the bookshelf in your room!!

How many chapters will be included in each volume of “Dragon Ball Full Color”?
The “Saiyan Arc” will have 17 chapters in each volume; a big volume of 248 pages!!

Will there be pages other than the manga itself in “Dragon Ball Full Color”?
It will include “Enter the DRAGONBALL”, which will explain the story up to the “Saiyan Arc”!!

Will we learn the latest “Dragon Ball” information in “Dragon Ball Full Color”?
It will include a special interview with Akira Toriyama-sensei!! A variety of mysteries will become clear?!

Will there be any special bonuses with “Dragon Ball Full Color”?
There will be a special postcard using a title page illustration from the comics included!!

When will I be able to read color comics from before the “Saiyan Arc”?
We’re moving along with a release plan!! Before that, we intend to distribute it digitally on the web!!

When will I be able to read color comics past the “Freeza Arc”?
Past the “Freeza Arc”, we intend to publish the “Cell Arc” and the “Boo Arc”. Look forward to it!!

The issue also notes that the four volume set of new “Chōzenshū” guidebooks will be condensed versions of the “legendary Daizenshuu“ volumes released in the mid-1990s. The Chōzenshū will however have updated information that has come to light in the years since their original publication, and each volume is set to contain a B4-sized poster with a “rare” illustration by Akira Toriyama — the first one appears to include the poster from Daizenshuu volume two, “Story Guide”.

chouzenshuu_promo

What will be the contents of the “Dragon Ball Chōzenshū”?
It will be four volumes in all, condensing the legendary “Dragon Ball Daizenshuu”, which had gone out of print!!

Will there be new information in the “Dragon Ball Chōzenshū”?
In addition to the information that was in the “Daizenshuu”, it will be packed with the latest information!!

Will there be any special bonuses with the “Dragon Ball Chōzenshū”?
It will come with a B4-size pull-out poster using a rare illustration by Akira Toriyama-sensei!!

A potential cover for the first volume is also showcased (with the same cover illustration as Daizenshuu volume four, “World Guide”), though it is noted that things are subject to change:

chouzenshuu_new_cover

The line of books the Chōzenshū are a part of — Aizōban Comics or “Collectors-Edition Comics” — is the same as the new listing for the books, though V-Jump still lists the original 04 February 2013 release date, which seems to have been pushed back one day to 05 February 2013.

Everything here begins their respective releases the first week of February — stay tuned to Kanzenshuu for the best, most-comprehensive coverage around!

News
“DB Heroes: Victory Mission” Chapter 5 in March V-Jump
Published by 20 January 2013, 9:05 PM ESTComment

The on-going promotional mini-manga for the Dragon Ball Heroes arcade game (and upcoming Nintendo 3DS port, which is now set to contain Battle of Gods tie-ins in addition to the arcade version) returns for a fifth chapter in the March 2013 issue of V-Jump released today in Japan.

vm5_title

In this latest, seven-page chapter of Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission, “The Last Spot For the Finals” (決勝戦最後のイス / Kesshōsen Saigo no Isu), Beat wins his match and moves on to the finals. “Erito” congratulates him, while Note berates him because his “Charge Impact” is too weak. Next up is Erito versus “Froze”: Erito’s team consists of a bunch of Super Saiyan 3 characters, while Froze has a bunch of characters from Freeza’s family and its spin-offs, as well as an Ōzaru (tying in with some of the latest “Galaxy Mission” updates). Erito is crushed — despite his avatar turning into a Super Saiyan, as well — so the final battle will take place between Beat and Froze here at Heroes Stadium at Satan Mall.

vm5_random_page

The mini-manga by the mysterious author “Toyotarō” ran for only two pages each in its first first two chapters in the December 2012 and January 2013 issues of V-Jump respectively, but since the new year’s batch of issues has been running slightly longer.

The March 2013 issue of V-Jump is currently available via CDJapan, Play-Asia, and Amazon Japan. Tying in with its included chapter of Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission is a card for “Galaxy Mission 6” that allows you to become an Ōzaru, “Son Goku: GT”.

goku_card_gt

This new chapter has been cataloged on the “Official Manga Spin-offs” page of our “Manga Guide“.

News
New “Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission” Details in V-Jump
Published by 18 January 2013, 11:10 PM EST1 Comment

The March 2013 issue of V-Jump does not officially hit Japanese shelves until the 21st, but details of its contents are already starting to leak out.

The issue contains a three-page spread promoting the impending release of Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission on the Nintendo 3DS. The story mode will allow you to — as would be expected from any proper Dragon Ball video game! — become a warrior and fight alongside Goku in the battles he has had. As we have known for a while, the story goes from the Saiyan arc all the way to Dragon Ball GT (covering up through “Galaxy Mission 4” in the process). As you progress there are Episode Points (story clips), Battle Points (fights from the series, played Heroes-style), and Boss Battles (major fights from the series with super-powerful enemies), and you gather cards along the way and try to become the strongest. There are two ways to gather energy for Goku’s Genki-dama in the game: you can either use “training points” to try a mini game of “Ultimate Dragon Roulette”, or gain energy when you pass by other players.

Carrying over from an inclusion in “Galaxy Mission 6” of the arcade version is “A SHOCKING AWAKENING!!!”:

He descends via the “scouter”!! The God of Destruction, “Birusu”!!

Using the “scouter” functionality in the game, if you scan a certain QR code you can battle against “Birusu” (along with “Uisu” in what will be a tag-team appearance). Could you possibly win against this God…?! The QR code that allows him to appear will be revealed in the super-large April issue of V-Jump.

heroes_um_march_2013_vjump

There is also a combined contest across V-Jump, Weekly Jump, and Saikyō Jump, where 590 (a number pun, or goro-awase, based on Go-ku-u) lucky winners will receive a copy of Ultimate Mission. You have to send a postcard with your name, address, age, and phone number to the address listed by 08 February 2013. If you win, the prize will arrive on the day of release!

Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission on the Nintendo 3DS is due out in Japan 28 February 2013 alongside a LaLaBit Market Special Edition version of the game. There is no international release of the game announced as of yet.

News
Chōzenshū #2 Title Revealed: “Animation Guide Part 1”
Published by 18 January 2013, 8:35 PM EST2 Comments

The mystery surrounding the series of four new Chōzenshū guide books — due to start their release in just a few short weeks — is becoming ever-so-slightly clearer. The first book’s title was revealed as “Story & World Guide”, and we now have a title for the second book via Amazon Japan and Shueisha’s own listing: “Animation Guide Part 1”.

With zero concrete information about the new guide books other than titles for the first and second volumes, it is looking more and more as if our predictions — that they will be, at least in part, some sort of re-release or combination of the Daizenshuu series of guide books — will be coming to fruition. “Story & World Guide” combines the titles from the second and fourth Daizenshuu volumes, while the first part of an “Animation Guide” could cover anything from the third, fifth, and tenth Daizenshuu volumes (the “TV Animation” releases) and/or the sixth volume (“Movies & TV Specials”).

Between those of us with our orders placed and those of us already in Japan anyway, we will be bringing you as much new (or potentially old?) information as we can with regard to these new (old?!) books.

The first Chōzenshū shifted its release date by one day to 05 February 2013 (at ¥2,200), and this second volume is due just one month later on 05 March 2013 (at ¥2,300).

News
Japanese Celebrity Voices Being Lent to “Battle of Gods”
Published by 17 January 2013, 7:11 PM EST7 Comments

Olympic gold-medalist jūdō-ka Kaori Matsumoto and voice actress/singer/TV-personality Shōko Nakagawa will both be providing voices to the upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods theatrical film, due out nationwide in Japan on 30 March 2013.

matsumoto_nakagawa_bog

Matsumoto will play a female motorcycle police officer modeled on her appearance who appears during a party scene, while Nakagawa will play the “oracle fish” (予言魚) that first brings the God of Destruction “Birusu” to seek out Son Goku. Both provided statements of excitement to Japanese entertainment site Natalie regarding their contributions.

Matusmoto’s remarks are as follows:

今回、「ドラゴンボールZ～神と神～」の白バイの女性隊員役にキャスティングしていただき本当にありがとうございます。子供の頃から大好きなアニメ作品に出演できることはとても嬉しいですし、一生忘れることのできない宝物になります。でも、人生で初めての経験で、多分柔道よりも緊張しますし、ちゃんとできるのか不安だったりでまだ夢なんじゃないかと思っています。今回の出演をキッカケに孫悟空に少し近づくことができるので、一生懸命役に入り込んで、楽しみつつ頑張りたいと思います。

I am truly grateful to have been cast as a member of the police motorcycle squad for Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. I am very glad to be able to perform in an animated work I’ve loved since I was a child; it will be a treasure I’ll never forget as long as I’m alive. However, it’s my first such experience in my life, and I’m probably even more nervous than with Judo, so I’m unsure whether I’ll be able to do it properly, and still wondering whether this is a dream. Through this performance, I’ll be able to get a little closer to Son Goku, so I’ll throw myself into the role earnestly, and do my best while also enjoying myself.

Meanwhile, “Shoko-tan” (as she is “cutely” referred to as by her fans) stated:

ドラゴンボール新作映画の予告をジャンプで見て感動にうち震えていたら、まさかのゲスト出演決定の知らせが！ 生涯最大のミラクルキターー！アルティメット感激です。ありがとうございます！全ての全世界・宇宙が待ち望んでいた待望の新作ということで、ドラゴンボールへの溢れる気持ちをこめて、全身全霊で挑みました。トランクスや悟空、ベジータたちにまた会えると思うと、ここまで生きていてよかったと心から思います。本当に、どんな言葉を持ってしてもこの嬉しさと感激を表せません！

When I saw the preview of the new Dragon Ball movie in Jump, and trembled with excitement, I had no idea that news would come of me being set to do a guest role! The greatest miracle in my life is here — ! I’m ULTIMATE moved. Thank you so much! It’s the long-anticipated new work everybody in the whole world, and universe, has been waiting for, so I took my overflowing passion for Dragon Ball, and tackled it with my whole body and soul. When I think I’ll be able to see Trunks, Goku, Vegeta and the others again, I feel from the heart that I’m glad to have lived this long. Really, whatever words I use, they can’t express my happiness and deep emotion!

Nakagawa is no stranger to Dragon Ball — the personality began a series of anime song cover albums back in 2007, and kicked things off with a full rendition and music video for the opening theme to the first TV series (“Romantikku Ageru yo”). A few years later she continued with the franchise on her third cover songs release with the first closing theme to the Dragon Ball Z TV series (“Detekoi Tobikiri ZENKAI Pawā”) and a TV-sized version of the Dragon Ball GT opening theme (“DAN DAN Kokoro Hikarete ‘ku”).

Thanks to forumite DragonBoxZTheMovies for the heads-up!

News
“Ultimate Blast” Receiving “PlayStation 3 The Best” Re-Release
Published by 15 January 2013, 10:13 AM EST1 Comment

The big console game of 2011 for the Dragon Ball franchise — Ultimate Blast (released internationally as Ultimate Tenkaichi) — is set to receive a re-release 21 February 2013 on the Sony PlayStation 3 under the reduced-price “The Best” line.

ultimate_blast_ps3thebest

Not necessarily an indication of the game’s quality (an assessment we would certainly caution you about), “The Best” is a line used in Japan to re-issue decently-selling games at a cheaper price, done as a combination tactic to get the game back in the players’ mind space as well as re-issue it under a new SKU rather than reducing the original pressing’s price.

No Xbox 360 re-release is listed in Japan. The PS3 version is up for pre-order on CDJapan with an MSRP of ¥3,800. No cover art has been released, but the standard tactic is to shrink the original cover art down and surround it with a border. Those interested in the original musical score for the game (a newly-synthesized mix of music from original TV series and movies composer Shunsuke Kikuchi, along with a few key bits of music from Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Kai) may be interested in checking out this reduced-price re-release — the music, as was done with the entire Sparking! and Raging Blast series of games, was replaced in the international releases.

Ultimate Blast sold 700,000 copies worldwide by the end of Namco-Bandai’s Fiscal 2012, a (surprising) jump from the 580,000 copies Raging Blast 2 had done in the prior year.

Tag Vs (released internationally as Tenkaichi Tag Team) received an equivalent PSP “The Best” re-release this past summer on 12 July 2012.

The next new game for the franchise, Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission on the Nintendo 3DS, is due out in Japan 28 February 2013 alongside a LaLaBit Market Special Edition version of the game. There is no international release of the game announced as of yet.

News
Dragon Ball Z Moji Maker Added to Official ‘Battle of Gods’ Website
Published by 12 January 2013, 10:59 AM EST4 Comments

Toei Animation’s official “Battle of Gods” website has posted their first “Special Contents” page, a logo maker based on the Dragon Ball Z logo. Simply enter your name into the “Moji Maker Z” form, choose your preferred background, and hit the “GO!” button. You can then post your personalized logo on either your Facebook or Twitter account, which is a rather genius and inexpensive advertising move by Toei for the upcoming “Battle of Gods” movie. The logo maker gets its name from the Japanese word moji (文字), which means “character”, as in the letters of the alphabet. Now go make your own Dragon Ball Z-style logo!

News
Weekly Young Jump Announces Early “Battle of Gods” Screening
Published by 11 January 2013, 5:19 PM EST3 Comments

It has been reported via a Japanese blog site that issue #5/6 of Weekly Young Jump has announced a preview screening of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods on 12 March 2013. There are five screenings scheduled across Japan (listed below) with a limited number of attendees that will be determined from a lottery selection. To participate in the lottery you must return the entry ticket included in the magazine by 20 February 2013. A listing of other recent Shueisha magazines that also feature these lottery tickets is provided, which includes Weekly Shōnen Jump, V-Jump, Jump SQ, and Ultra Jump.

The screenings are set to begin at 6:30PM, with the doors opening at 6:00PM, at the following venues:

As a special treat to those attending the Tokyo preview screening, some of the movie’s cast will be providing a special introductory greeting message, presumably in person.

Thanks to forum member DragonBoxZTheMovies for the heads up on this.

News
Dragon Ball Heroes “Galaxy Mission 6” Coming January 17th
Published by 11 January 2013, 4:01 PM EST4 Comments

As we’ve come to see since its debut in November 2010, the Dragon Ball Heroes arcade game has been rolling right along with new cards and new missions nearly every month, and this month is no exception. The special boss mission featuring Super Baby will be wrapping up shortly on 15 January 2013, which appears to be bringing the “Galaxy Mission 5” two month reign to a close, as “Galaxy Mission 6” (GM6) has been announced to launch nationally in Japan on 17 January 2013. This galaxy mission will be leaving the realm of Dragon Ball GT and returning to a back-story many fans are familiar with: The Saiyans VS The Freeza Army.

The first mission campaign has already been announced, which will be titled the “Giant Growth” campaign and feature bonus Ōzaru transformations for the majority of the Saiyan warriors. The official Dragon Ball Heroes website has also posted a short trailer, and a slightly longer promotional video, giving a brief overview of the new “Galaxy Mission 6”. The promotional video features some beautiful new animation, but also drops a fairly obvious hint around the 2 minute mark that “Birusu”, the “God of Destruction” from the upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods movie, will at some point be making an appearance in the game. While his face is never actually shown, it’s pretty clear who they are hinting at with a glimpse of his legs and the tagline, “That guy in the movie?!” (映画のアイツが！？). It isn’t noted if he will be a playable character in the game, or if his appearance is strictly related to the story. You can watch the promotional video for yourself below:

A new “Giant Growth” ability card for Son Goku will be included in the March issue of V-Jump, which will hit store shelves on 21 January 2013. The issue is also set to include the latest Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods movie information and a trial sampling of the upcoming “Full Color Comics”. If you’d like to grab a copy of the March issue, it is currently available via CDJapan, Play-Asia, and Amazon Japan.

Thanks to forum member TheRed259 for tipping us off about the “Birusu” hint.

Content
ScrewAttack’s DEATH BATTLE!: Goku vs. Superman
Published by 10 January 2013, 9:24 PM EST26 Comments

While it was originally planned to launch back on 21 December 2012, the amount of work put in to ScrewAttack’s latest “DEATH BATTLE!” video — Goku vs. Superman — was seemingly unparalleled for the gaming culture outfit. The release date came, and the release date went.

Worry not, fellow fans. The prophesied day has come.

Kanzenshuu was proud to provide dozens upon dozens upon dozens of page of research, translations, verifications, and more for the fine folks at ScrewAttack. We are posting up this video without even having watched it ourselves. We are looking forward — just as much, if not more so, as the rest of you! — to seeing what the final outcome is. How much of our research was taken into consideration? How much was tossed out the window? What is there we can also learn about Superman?

We hope you enjoy!