Funimation's 30th anniversary collectible home video release

[Robo4900]

Here's a comparison between Dragon Box, Ultimate Uncut, Level, 30th anniversary, and Season BD: http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/12E1NNNU

I'm guessing that specific shot wasn't in Kai?

Indeed. Nor was it in the Saban dub.

Tomorrow or something I'll try talking to some people and seeing if I can put together a comparison that includes Kai, Saban, and the Fuji TV master. Maybe see if I can track down the unrestored French master too, and definitively show how this crappy 30th anniversary monstrosity pales in comparison to everything else.
Though Framecompare only does up to 6 sources, so IDK...

[Char Aznable]

Here's a comparison between Dragon Box, Ultimate Uncut, Level, 30th anniversary, and Season BD: http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/12E1NNNU

This is the least frame I've ever seen in a Dragon Ball master. It's atrocious. The detail level is lower than the standard-def masters (arguably even lower than the Season BD; look at the guy in the hat and suit, he doesn't have eyes in the 30th. He has eyes in every other master, even the Season BD; it's mostly blurred out there, but it is just about there), it's practically double-cropped, making it the least frame in any Dragon Ball master...

Seriously, I think this is a new low. This is the worst Z master. Funi did it. They actually bloody did it; they found a way to make a master even worse than last time.

Jesus, if you look at the new trailer's shot, it looks like it's directly from the remaster they did in 2013/14, just uncropped & zoomed in a bit. But if you look at the shots from the first opening sequence they included, it looks directly ripped from the level sets. I've seen the cropped version of that opening & that's not it. Is it possible they used some footage from the level sets & some from the 2014 BRs because they didn't have most of the later episodes done yet & just threw together a shitty trailer with what they had? I'm sorry, but in what universe does anyone think that's acceptable to do?

Like I said, all FUNimation has to do is offer something. Anything! Remember when the Dragon Boxes were announced at Otakon? They had a trailer, a mock-up, they answered questions, everything! This is ridiculous.

[rs_chaosmaster]

One thing for sure if it isn’t the actual footage this is a huge marketing blunder.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

Here's a comparison between Dragon Box, Ultimate Uncut, Level, 30th anniversary, and Season BD: http://www.framecompare.com/image-compa ... n/12E1NNNU

This is the least frame I've ever seen in a Dragon Ball master. It's atrocious. The detail level is lower than the standard-def masters (arguably even lower than the Season BD; look at the guy in the hat and suit, he doesn't have eyes in the 30th. He has eyes in every other master, even the Season BD; it's mostly blurred out there, but it is just about there), it's practically double-cropped, making it the least frame in any Dragon Ball master...

Seriously, I think this is a new low. This is the worst Z master. Funi did it. They actually bloody did it; they found a way to make a master even worse than last time.

Jesus, if you look at the new trailer's shot, it looks like it's directly from the remaster they did in 2013/14, just uncropped & zoomed in a bit. But if you look at the shots from the first opening sequence they included, it looks directly ripped from the level sets. I've seen the cropped version of that opening & that's not it. Is it possible they used some footage from the level sets & some from the 2014 BRs because they didn't have most of the later episodes done yet & just threw together a shitty trailer with what they had? I'm sorry, but in what universe does anyone think that's acceptable to do?

It's making my head spin, because that trailer doesn't conclusively tell us 100% what the source is with the mixing of various clips of multiple remasters.

[Forte224]

Well, apparently the figure will be in color. So, at least one thing about this set is confirmed to not be final.

https://twitter.com/FUNimation/status/1 ... 3220751361

[Robo4900]

I will say this now:

Everyone, complain about this as hard and as much as you can. Tweet to Funimation, make a stink on Reddit, fill the YouTube comments, etc. Make your voice heard. That is how you get stuff done. With the amount of people who are sick of Funi's crap over this, we might have a chance of having an effect.

Let's not let this be like the Season BDs; even if we fail, we'll have lost nothing by trying. And damn can we try, if we all put our minds to it!
Make sure no one buys this crappy thing. If they don't reach 3000, and they're swamped with people saying how unacceptable this is, the very worst we get is Funi don't put out another release for a while. At the very least, we'll have been spared this atrocity. Talk about how you want detail like the Levels, talk about how you want grain, talk about how you want a full, opened-up frame. Say you want the broadcast audio. Make your voice heard.

...

Viva revolution!!

(I am serious, though. You lose nothing by trying. Also, start a hashtag; I suggest #BringBackTheLevels)

[sintzu]

I will say this now:

Everyone, complain about this as hard and as much as you can. Tweet to Funimation, make a stink on Reddit, fill the YouTube comments, etc. Make your voice heard. That is how you get stuff done.

Unless they don't reach their 3000 pre-orders, they will just look at us as a vocal minority. What informed fans need to do is not complain to Funimation but inform the supporters of this and others releases of their flaws and encourage them to not support it. Again, the only way this changes is if it doesn't sell.

[Scsigs]

Geekdom put out an analysis video of the trailer & the announcement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOIjbBHuYM

[Spoofer]

The thing is though, that Funi has rarely given a shit about video quality throughout their entire library. Their bitrate sucks, they do indeed DNR many of their shows (including Bebop, which they nonsensically did just to regrain it, which I previously mentioned in comparing this Anniversary release to Bebop's), and they've historically exhibited many other problems.

So to them, I'm sure they don't even consider the Orange/Season/30th Anniversary DNR to be an issue whatsoever. Hardcore DBZ fans or video purists get drowned out by Funi's bajillion other buyers, as will once again be evidenced with this set.

So yes, they think "4:3" is placating the DBZ purists, and I doubt they give even a second thought to the DNR issue. And if they do, it's probably just rolling their eyes that the most hardcore are never pleased.

And yes, it's bullshit and nonsense. But they've always been a company who cares more about the bottom dollar or pretending as if they and their actors create the shows that they release, rather than caring about legitimate quality like most other US companies.

But hey, once upon a time they snagged DBZ, which has allowed them to acquire all sorts of other popular properties, so they own the market now and forever.

[linkdude20002001]

I too want my legacy destroyed as a birthday gift

I feel bad for Toriyama. I feel like he wouldn't appreciate this... Generations from now, people are going to know DBZ as the show that looks like garbage and has a prequel calld Dragon Ball.

[jelleline89]

Geekdom put out an analysis video of the trailer & the announcement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOIjbBHuYM

TL;DR: He doesn't say anything we don't already know. Guess he can't risk getting anymore false information from his "sources".

[SqueakyBoots]

If we're going to campaign for something, let's campaign for this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moAy02J2fd8

The footage of the raw film transfer of the series that is shown in the above video starting at 3:18 looks marginally better than the footage shown in the trailer released today. If they at least completed this process for the entire series, (They would have had to in order to complete the previous blu-ray remaster, right?) then I vote for Funimation just giving us that footage. Wouldn't cost them anything and it'd make people a lot happier than they are now.

[Robo4900]

I will say this now:

Everyone, complain about this as hard and as much as you can. Tweet to Funimation, make a stink on Reddit, fill the YouTube comments, etc. Make your voice heard. That is how you get stuff done.

Unless they don't reach their 3000 pre-orders, they will just look at us as a vocal minority. What informed fans need to do is not complain to Funimation but inform the supporters of this and others releases of their flaws and encourage them to not support it. Again, the only way this changes is if it doesn't sell.

Do both.
Inform everyone you can to not buy this; it's the same thing on the BDs, but arguably worse, and for way more money.
And complain at Funimation so that if this doesn't reach 3000, they know why. Otherwise, if there's any room for doubt, they'll say "well i guess you guys dont want 43 premium releases oh well lol"

There can be no ambiguity. The fans need to know this is unacceptable, and Funi needs to know this is unacceptable.

[Kuwabara]

For anyone hoping that the footage in the trailer might not be a reflection of the final product, I seriously wouldn't get your hopes up... This would be the first time in US franchise history that a DBZ promo or trailer didn't at least tangentially resemble what we would end up getting later. The old singles resemble the dozens of promos, commercials, and ads made for them, the season sets resemble the initial trailer made for them, the Dragon Boxes resemble the initial trailer made for them, and yes, the Levels resemble the initial trailer for them, in all their grainy glory.

The nature of it being a collaboration with Toei and still being so early in production certainly leaves some details in the air, and the trailer may very well be a quick sizzle reel thrown together in a slapdash frenzy using assets already on hand... But I would seriously temper expectations until more info is revealed.

[Spoofer]

I too want my legacy destroyed as a birthday gift

I feel bad for Toriyama. I feel like he wouldn't appreciate this... Generations from now, people are going to know DBZ as the show that looks like garbage and has a prequel calld Dragon Ball.

Again I'm far from being the most hardcore DB fan like many in this community, but isn't Toriyama notorious for forgetting major details and even how his characters were drawn, as years go by, and doesn't seem particularly bothered by that fact?

I personally don't have any idea how he'd react, though I'd think he'd care more if his actual manga artwork were manipulated rather than the anime adaptation, and he or Toei or whoever owns the license to the manga were more than fine with it being edited for Western "standards". I think there's a chance we're all bothered a lot more by it than he himself would be.

But again, what do I know, just spitballing.

[DuckBoy]

I’m sure Toriyama has never actually seen more than 10 episodes of the DragonBall anime as a whole.

[Robo4900]

I’m sure Toriyama has never actually seen more than 10 episodes of the DragonBall anime as a whole.

Nah, he kept up with it to some degree. Apparently he really enjoyed what Toei did for the Dragon Ball anime. There's loads of stories like "He hears Masako Nozawa's voice when writing Goku dialogue", or "He cried when he saw the Bardock special", or of course, my personal favourite, "He watched and enjoyed the entirety of GT."

TBH, I don't think watched every single episode, but he had a hand in the production side, I'm sure he watched a bunch of episodes to see what the Toei staff were doing with his creation, etc.

[JohnnyCashKami]

Look on the bright side, there'll be a 4x3 AR version of Dragon Ball Z available regardless of how mediocre it is.

What you see is what you get, if not happy, try to buy the Dragon Boxes Z.

[PhoenixEX]

Anyone thinking that this isn't going to reach 3,000 is delusional. Almost 500 orders have been reserved already and it's barely been less than 5 hours. Don't forget about the scalpers who'll probably order like 10-20 of these as well as those who'll check their social media accounts after work. If they reach 6,000, I have no doubt that they'll look at you guys as the vocal minority. With that said, you should still keep raising hell as, at the very least, they'll know that there is an audience for 4:3 done correctly. Maybe for Dragon Ball Z's 35th or 40th Anniversary we'll get a 4K 4:3 perfect set.. assuming physical media is still around that is.

With that said, I caved and preordered one. I need that art book.

[Robo4900]

Look on the bright side, there'll be a 4x3 AR version of Dragon Ball Z available regardless of how mediocre it is.

What you see is what you get, if not happy, try to buy the Dragon Boxes Z.

That attitude is how we got into this mess in the first place. Make a stink, and maybe it won't hit the 3000 reserve. Discourage everyone from buying it. Make sure it doesn't hit 3000, and that Funi know why. That's the way forward. Worst case scenario, we fail, and yeah, we still have the DBoxes etc. We lose nothing by trying, and we have so much we could gain if we succeed.