Happinet’s official Dragon Ball Kai release website has been updated. Although there is nothing too major to report, I have a feeling this may be a long post, so sit tight.
When the site first opened it had two active links, but now all seven sections are open for business. Normally we would just link to the different sections, but the way the site is set up makes that impossible — each link opens on the same page and most everything is done with images rather than simple text, which is actually kind of a pain. So instead, I will give a brief rundown of each section and what new information is listed. The “MENU” breaks down as:
- Introduction (イントロダクション)
- Product Information (商品情報)
- Special Information (特典情報)
- Videos (動画)
- Release Schedule (リリーススケジュール)
- Want to Learn More?! (もっと知りたい！)
- Links (リンク)
The first section we see is the “Introduction” section, which is just what you would think it is: an introduction to Dragon Ball Kai. It gives a brief synopsis and lists the main cast and staff. The “Product Information” section provides a breakdown of the three different products being released: Blu-ray sale, DVD sale, and DVD rental. However, if you live outside of Japan, there is no need to worry about the DVD rental.
The “Special Information” section gives a detailed break-down of all the special items that will come with each release (I have omitted the DVD rental details):
Blu-ray Volume #1
- Dragon Battlers Data Card
- DragonBall Raging Blast Promotional Video
- Naoyoshi Yamamuro Drawn Art Box
- Picture Label
- Sleeve Case
DVD Volumes #1~#17
- Dragon Battlers Data Card (Volume #1 only)
- DragonBall Raging Blast Promotional Video (Volumes #1~#3 only)
- Naoyoshi Yamamuro Drawn Jacket
- Picture Label
Blu-ray Box #1~#4
- Non-credit Opening & Ending (Box #1 only; as listed on Amazon Japan)
- Naoyoshi Yamamuro Drawn Jacket
- Picture Label
- Special Booklet
The “Videos” section contains a video of the recent commercial shown during the “Dream 9” TV block on Fuji TV. The section gives a nice break-down of the known release schedule, which takes us up to episode 50. Here is a translated copy of the table:
|
2009 Releases
|
| Date | Blu-ray / Blu-ray Box | DVD Sale / DVD Rental |
| September 18 | Blu-ray Vol. #1 (episodes 001-003) | Volume #1 (episodes 001-003) |
| October 23 | Box #1 (episodes 004-015) | Volume #2 (episodes 004-006) |
| November 20 | – | Volume #3 (episodes 007-009) |
| December 18 | – | Volume #4 (episodes 010-012) |
|
2010 Releases
|
| Date | Blu-ray Box | DVD Sale / DVD Rental |
| January 29 | – | Volume #5 (episodes 013-015) |
| February 19 | Box #2 (episodes 016-027) | Volume #6 (episodes 016-018) |
| March 19 | – | Volume #7 (episodes 019-021) |
| Volume #8 (episodes 022-024) | ||
| April 23 | Box #3 (episodes 028-039) | Volume #9 (episodes 025-027) |
| Volume #10 (episodes 028-030) | ||
| May | – | Volume #11 (episodes 031-033) |
| Volume #12 (episodes 034-036) | ||
| June | Box #4 (episodes 040-050) | Volume #13 (episodes 037-039) |
| Volume #14 (episodes 040-042) | ||
| July | – | Volume #15 (episodes 043-045) |
| Volume #16 (episodes 046-048) | ||
| August | – | Volume #17 (episodes 049-050) |
The “Want to Learn More?!” section is quite interesting. It gives us a short Q&A with questions most of us would probably ask, but the answers are very typical “non-answer” speak that we always seem to get from Toei — and by that, I mean we do not get a straight/straight/honest answer. The answers still leave you with just as many questions, if not more.
Q: Why are the DVDs at 16:9 while the Blu-rays are at 4:3?
This time, for the TV broadcast, we broadcast the 4:3 picture cut to 16:9. Just as everyone can watch the DVDs in 16:9 HDTV, those who want to appreciate [the show] with the cut portions included, the full 4:3 picture has been included on the Blu-rays!Q: What’s HD remastering?
Through digital processing, the image is made vivid, removing the garbage, scratches, and noise that remained on the film until now, making a clearer picture. Incidentally, “HD” means “high definition”.Q: Is the story the same as “Dragon Ball Z”?
This time, we’re editing it so that it follows the original story, so that you can enjoy fast-paced [story] development. Also, a new dub has been recorded, courtesy of the troop of wonderful voice actors.Q: Why is Volume #1 the only Blu-ray Disc not included in a box?
Now that the image has been beautified through digital remastering, in order to show [this new image] to as many people as possible, we’re selling these 3 episodes at a special price! (It can be inserted into Box #1!)
I still want to know why the DVDs are in 16:9! Are they trying to force people to buy the Blu-rays or are they trying to make more money off of those that want the series in both the broadcast and full HD formats? Anyway, the final section provides other official links related to the series. So there you go, all the information we know about the Dragon Ball Kai home video release is broken down in this update. Hopefully that will get us through until September, but if anything new pops up, we will be sure to let you know!