FUNimation comments on Dragonball Dragon Box at Anime Expo

[Budogenkai]

(Q&A from FUNimation's panel at Anime Expo 2010)

19:05:41 <bay|AX|FUNi> Q: Any chance to bring over dragonbox for original db
19:05:46 <bay|AX|FUNi> A: Currently working on Z, stay tuned

Darn. Hey at least they didn't deny it happening at all.


Edit: They brought up some more information

19:13:44 <bay|AX|FUNi> Q: plans for DBZ releases?
19:14:00 <bay|AX|FUNi> A: here's the last version till the next version as we joke but our target demographic is the 9 yr old every day
19:14:16 <bay|AX|FUNi> so we brought out the dragonbox for the super hardcore fan
19:14:21 <bay|AX|FUNi> and i guess the future is kai
19:14:26 <bay|AX|FUNi> and if you want the old stuff, the dragonbox

[Innagadadavida]

Well, they didn't deny anything. That's a good sign. No news is good news as they say. I'm sure Toei is happy with what FUNimation has been doing for Dragon Ball. They might be willing to cut them a deal. Hell I don't' know how business works.

But I'm curious as to why FUNi hasn't made any toy or merch deals for DBZ Kai yet. It's on TV, extended cable, but TV nonetheless. Ever since its introduction, Nicktoons' ratings has shot through the roof. They even beat Disney XD in the 9-14 demographic once. And Disney XD is in 20 million more homes than Nicktoons. FUNimation needs to start focus on the real money maker. Merchandise. I'd go to Walmart and buy a few action figures for myse- Ahem... My brothers.

[Kendamu]

That only puts us in a slightly better position than before, but we got DBox Z without any hope of it ever happening. I can hold my breath for a little longer and hope that they keep catering to us purists (or as FUNi puts it, "hardcore fans").

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

FUNimation is such a tease, but it's at least good that they haven't denied it.

[Gaffer Tape]

Eh, I don't think that really says anything at all. Of course they're not going to deny it. Maybe I spend too much time in the Mother/EarthBound community, but I just get Nintendo vibes off of all of this. FUNimation is probably never going to say there "won't" be a release. Just in case it might happen they don't want to shoot themselves in the foot. But it certainly doesn't mean there's exactly hope that there will be a release. I personally hope, but I don't think this message is anything for people to get their hopes up over.

[jpdbzrulz4sure]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

Ya know, if they were planning on brining it over they wouldn't say definitely yes now because it would hurt sales of the last season box set. If they weren't planning on brining it over I think they would probably just tell us they aren't. Damn it! I don't know!

[MR.Mark]

Hm, that seems to be a hint to me that they plan to do so once the Z-box is done. There's already so much over saturation of Dragon ball releases as is that I'm not surprised in the least.

[Innagadadavida]

They'd be smart to make the releases easier to complete. Maybe split the DB Boxes into two or three as opposed to five.

[Brad Redfield]

Three 51-episode sets would be perfect.

[MR.Mark]

Three 51-episode sets would be perfect.

Fully agreed, I brought this idea up in another thread.

[Cipher]

You'd think that if there was no chance of it coming, they'd simply say so to grab the fans on the fence about he blue bricks.

On the other hand, that doesn't mean that we'd be looking at Dragon Boxes in the near future. Just that they kinda sorta might be looking into it/would be happy to obtain it if an offer came up.

[The Time Traveller]

Three 51-episode sets would be perfect.

Fully agreed, I brought this idea up in another thread.

I said it on the IRC chat too, it's just and obvious way to go, of course it would have 8 discs per box so we'd expect 100% overlapping discs.

Also, I wish people would ask Funi about DBoxZ extras...

[TheGreatness25]

I hate when companies do this. It's not cute, funny, or cool.

Basically I would've gone the truthful route. I would've either said, "At this time there are no current plans to release the original Dragon Ball series in Dragon Box format," or I would've said something like, "At the moment we are working diligently on adapting a home release for a Dragon Box version of the original Dragon Ball show." I wouldn't give these idiotic vague answers like, "Maybe!" or "Could be!" or "Possibly!" or "You never know!" or "Keep watching!"

I hate answers like that. Either say you're working on it and get people excited, or say you're not currently planning on it so people could accept that fact and move forward to buy the rest of your damned blue bricks.

[OutlawTorn]

The thing is, even if they say "We're working on Z, stay tuned!" or "We currently have no plans..." it would be interpreted the same. Seriously, people would focus on the "currently" and still be all over the concept of a Dragon Box release, just as "stay tuned" neither confirms nor denies such a plan.

It's not like FUNimation put out a press release saying "We're working on Dragon Ball Z Dragon Boxes, stay tuned for news on whether or not we'll do Dragon Ball Dragon Boxes.

[Raki]

I hate the terrible questions people give in Q&A. They would have been better served asking about a Movie DBOX.

[Kingdom Heartless]

Either say you're working on it and get people excited, or say you're not currently planning on it so people could accept that fact and move forward to buy the rest of your damned blue bricks.

But as people here are saying here, if they do say they are working on it, they will sell less of the Blue bricks, so from a marketing point of view, I can understand why they would avoid it.

[Kendamu]

All of this leaves me thinking that I should hold off on the Blue Bricks until after DBox Z has finished.

[DMaarten]

I'd love to know if the show will be released on blu-ray! Even if they said "it would take another 3 years" or something

[Kingdom Heartless]

I'd love to know if the show will be released on blu-ray! Even if they said "it would take another 3 years" or something

As far as I'm concerned, a Blu-Ray release is unnecessary.