Selecta Visión Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray

[sangofe]

It's really baffling that Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, hasn't got a Blu-ray release in Japan.
Movies has been available on Blu-ray, despite some editing on certain movies, but not the TV series.
Pretty much almost every major anime has gotten Blu-ray (HD remastered or SD-upscale), but not Dragon Ball.
It's also baffling that proper Blu-ray (with CORRECT ASPECT RATIO) has gotten a release outside of Japan.
Any chance that there will be Japanese Blu-ray box (Dragon Box Blu-ray) set announced this year, as part of 40th anniversary?
Maybe 2026, anime 40th anniversary, might not be out of question.

You never know. I don't think any fans are really thinking it will happen... But it is indeed strange Toei hasn't even lazily released the SV or Funi releases.

TOEI never had any faith in the Japanese home video market for Dragon Ball. Remember aside from the movies on Laserdisc they never released anything until 2003 with the Dragon Boxes and never put out any more DVDs and Blu-Rays (aside from the Dragon Box singles) for the pre-Kai, non-movie material at all.

I wouldn't be surprised if, at this point, a lot of Japanese fans just gave up and started importing releases like these because they have the original audio anyway, or resorted to pirating the Seed of Might releases.

I can see Daima and future movies getting Blu-Rays and 4Ks, but the original TV anime trilogy still remains a pipe dream.

They made individual dragon box releases that apparently sold well.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Probably should have specified but when I say the Japanese Dragon Box singles I do mean the individual releases. I'm not surprised they sold well, they started being released in 2007 when DVD was still massive and I'm sure a lot of Japanese fans were delighted to finally be able to collect the series, especially with a budget friendly standard option.

Kinda wish Funimation released the Dragon Box singles (they technically did for GT, reauthored to include their dub and subs, but that's it), they probably would have sold well, especially if they didn't oversaturate the market and waited a bit later than 2011 to release Dragon Ball Z on Blu-Ray if they really felt the cost of doing a HD transfer was too much at the time (which we know it wasn't, Steve Franko transferred all of Z, Funimation just had to put the rest of it on disc without going nuts with DNR and cropping).

[sangofe]

Probably should have specified but when I say the Japanese Dragon Box singles I do mean the individual releases. I'm not surprised they sold well, they started being released in 2007 when DVD was still massive and I'm sure a lot of Japanese fans were delighted to finally be able to collect the series, especially with a budget friendly standard option.

Kinda wish Funimation released the Dragon Box singles (they technically did for GT, reauthored to include their dub and subs, but that's it), they probably would have sold well, especially if they didn't oversaturate the market and waited a bit later than 2011 to release Dragon Ball Z on Blu-Ray if they really felt the cost of doing a HD transfer was too much at the time (which we know it wasn't, Steve Franko transferred all of Z, Funimation just had to put the rest of it on disc without going nuts with DNR and cropping).

It was me who skimmed your post too fast, didn't see the stuff in parentheses. Still, doesn't that kill the argument of Toei not having faith in the Japanese market?

[GhostEmperorX]

It's really baffling that Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, hasn't got a Blu-ray release in Japan.
Movies has been available on Blu-ray, despite some editing on certain movies, but not the TV series.
Pretty much almost every major anime has gotten Blu-ray (HD remastered or SD-upscale), but not Dragon Ball.

The studios behind those updated anime (with intact audio to boot) just aren't Toei, that's somehow all there is to it.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Probably should have specified but when I say the Japanese Dragon Box singles I do mean the individual releases. I'm not surprised they sold well, they started being released in 2007 when DVD was still massive and I'm sure a lot of Japanese fans were delighted to finally be able to collect the series, especially with a budget friendly standard option.

Kinda wish Funimation released the Dragon Box singles (they technically did for GT, reauthored to include their dub and subs, but that's it), they probably would have sold well, especially if they didn't oversaturate the market and waited a bit later than 2011 to release Dragon Ball Z on Blu-Ray if they really felt the cost of doing a HD transfer was too much at the time (which we know it wasn't, Steve Franko transferred all of Z, Funimation just had to put the rest of it on disc without going nuts with DNR and cropping).

It was me who skimmed your post too fast, didn't see the stuff in parentheses. Still, doesn't that kill the argument of Toei not having faith in the Japanese market?

Don't think so, the anime has been around nearly 40 years and TOEI only tried releasing the original three anime during that 6 year span from 2003 to 2009 when it was at its peak in most international territories and the DVD format was booming. I think if TOEI had faith in the Japanese market for the series pre-Kai they would have put out VHS tapes. I'm sure they would have sold well. It's mind boggling they only ever put out two releases when you look at all the releases it got internationally.

Everyone knows physical media is in decline now but companies like AB Groupe, Selecta Vision, Crunchyroll (Germany) are still releasing Blu-Rays because they know Dragon Ball fans will buy them. What excuse does TOEI have now? That's just for original Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z has had Blu-Rays from Selecta Vision, Funimation, Madman, Manga UK, probably AB Groupe eventually, that's 4 or 5 distributors right of the bat. Pretty sure TOEI wouldn't have threw out the original audio masters if they didn't see the anime as just a cheap toy commercial and not an all time classic series that deserves to be preserved (which it is).

[PowerPhantom245]

Don't think so, the anime has been around nearly 40 years and TOEI only tried releasing the original three anime during that 6 year span from 2003 to 2009 when it was at its peak in most international territories and the DVD format was booming. I think if TOEI had faith in the Japanese market for the series pre-Kai they would have put out VHS tapes. I'm sure they would have sold well. It's mind boggling they only ever put out two releases when you look at all the releases it got internationally.

I think the reason why Dragon Ball/Z/GT, didn't get episodes released on VHS, was due to amount of episodes.
Original (153) and Z (291) would have been difficult, since if it were 4 episodes per tape format, which was common, then you would be looking at 39 and 73 tapes respectively, and there's no way video stores would carry that.
GT (64) would have been easier, since it would have been 16.

Everyone knows physical media is in decline now but companies like AB Groupe, Selecta Vision, Crunchyroll (Germany) are still releasing Blu-Rays because they know Dragon Ball fans will buy them. What excuse does TOEI have now? That's just for original Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z has had Blu-Rays from Selecta Vision, Funimation, Madman, Manga UK, probably AB Groupe eventually, that's 4 or 5 distributors right of the bat. Pretty sure TOEI wouldn't have threw out the original audio masters if they didn't see the anime as just a cheap toy commercial and not an all time classic series that deserves to be preserved (which it is).

It's still bizarre that countries outside of Japan, has gotten Blu-ray release.
At the very least, Toei could release something like "All-Episode-Marathon" release, a SD-BD consists 20~30 episodes on single disc, such as Kinnikuman and Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken)

https://www.animate.shop/products/90046 ... 30c5&_ss=r
Kinnikuman TV Series All-Episodes-Marathon: Kinnikuman First World Domination & Tour Arc (1~26)

https://www.animate.shop/products/90033 ... 97e9&_ss=r
Fist of the North Star TV Series Marathon Blu-ray Part 1 - Yuria, Forever... and Shin! (1~22)


Granted, I would prefer proper HD remaster, but even SDBD would save some spaces.

[sangofe]

Probably should have specified but when I say the Japanese Dragon Box singles I do mean the individual releases. I'm not surprised they sold well, they started being released in 2007 when DVD was still massive and I'm sure a lot of Japanese fans were delighted to finally be able to collect the series, especially with a budget friendly standard option.

Kinda wish Funimation released the Dragon Box singles (they technically did for GT, reauthored to include their dub and subs, but that's it), they probably would have sold well, especially if they didn't oversaturate the market and waited a bit later than 2011 to release Dragon Ball Z on Blu-Ray if they really felt the cost of doing a HD transfer was too much at the time (which we know it wasn't, Steve Franko transferred all of Z, Funimation just had to put the rest of it on disc without going nuts with DNR and cropping).

It was me who skimmed your post too fast, didn't see the stuff in parentheses. Still, doesn't that kill the argument of Toei not having faith in the Japanese market?

Don't think so, the anime has been around nearly 40 years and TOEI only tried releasing the original three anime during that 6 year span from 2003 to 2009 when it was at its peak in most international territories and the DVD format was booming. I think if TOEI had faith in the Japanese market for the series pre-Kai they would have put out VHS tapes. I'm sure they would have sold well. It's mind boggling they only ever put out two releases when you look at all the releases it got internationally.

Everyone knows physical media is in decline now but companies like AB Groupe, Selecta Vision, Crunchyroll (Germany) are still releasing Blu-Rays because they know Dragon Ball fans will buy them. What excuse does TOEI have now? That's just for original Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z has had Blu-Rays from Selecta Vision, Funimation, Madman, Manga UK, probably AB Groupe eventually, that's 4 or 5 distributors right of the bat. Pretty sure TOEI wouldn't have threw out the original audio masters if they didn't see the anime as just a cheap toy commercial and not an all time classic series that deserves to be preserved (which it is).

Well, if remastering is done correctly, it will take many years. Toei's history recently doesn't point in the direction they are doing that but the Dragon Boxes were done correctly, very well actually, for the time.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

TOEI also released One Piece on SD Blu-Ray. Although I believe it's cropped to 16:9, so not promising if we're ever going to hold out for them releasing Dragon Ball on the format.

I'm still skeptical about them taking their time to do it right, maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised and they will come out with a 40th anniversary remaster in 2026 but I don't think that's likely, and even if it happens they won't include the broadcast audio. I also suspect Kai was TOEI's HD Dragon Ball Z so we may never see them doing the original anime.

[sangofe]

TOEI also released One Piece on SD Blu-Ray. Although I believe it's cropped to 16:9, so not promising if we're ever going to hold out for them releasing Dragon Ball on the format.

I'm still skeptical about them taking their time to do it right, maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised and they will come out with a 40th anniversary remaster in 2026 but I don't think that's likely, and even if it happens they won't include the broadcast audio. I also suspect Kai was TOEI's HD Dragon Ball Z so we may never see them doing the original anime.

The fact that they haven't released SD Blurays of Dragon Ball, but has of One Piece is a bit strange. Not saying they will make any quality product but they could use the audio from the Fuji TV source. And it doesn't has to be for the 40 year of the manga, but it could be for the 40 year for the anime- so in 2026.