JSAT Special, 5th Anniversary

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

I've been meaning to make this thread for a while, but the actual dates somehow flew over my head and I ended up forgetting about the thing until I saw a post on Facebook from (who else, but) the Kanzenshuu page.

Have your opinions on it changed over time? What are your memories of first viewing the special? Do you think it still holds up?

5 years, huh. The thing still feels new and I guess it is, relatively; but when you say it like that, it really hits home. 2008, half-a-decade ago. Infinite World just came out, right?

Erm, anyway. I think my initial to this special was nothing more than, "Oh hey, that's neat. The opening's cool." However, over time I've learned to appreciate it a lot more. I really liked the pencil-drawn backgrounds and the ending animation for Orange Hero- which I distinctly remember seeing with the Kanzentai logo on it. I believe this special was also my first, proper encounter with the Japanese voice-cast, which of course, has grown on me over the past 5 years.

[TheGmGoken]

When I first saw it I loved it and I still love it now. It was a great thing for DB IMO. It wasn't nothing over the top or nothing that needed more. It was a nice little special-OVA for Dragonball. The animation was a little to fake IMO. Just way to pink at times. The gags was awesome. The re-animation intro was awesome. Being all updated and stuff. It shows how the Z fighters act when they're being normal. It helps make a clear understanding of Vegeta's and Goku's friendship. It was fun seeing this first meet and try to fight . Gohan video chatting for some reason made me giggle. It also shows how human Vegeta became. Arguing with his wife Bulma and complain about Trunks. Gotenks gags was funny. Quite frankly I like the gags here better than BoG. Orange Hero was a great closing. I wish it was used more. I love it. The credits was awesome as well. This OVA only have one con. SSJ. The SSJ Hair was awfully animated...well...I don't know how to explain it. Something about just didn't feel right. I'm curious how SSJ3 and SSJ2 would have looked with that type of animation.

[Gogeta 00]

I barely remember the special itself but I remember all of the awesome feelings that came with watching it. Funimation seriously needs to get around to releasing this. Looking back now it is funny that since this special we have gotten a re-release of the "Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans" OVA, Episode of Bardock, AND a new movie. That is a lot of new Dragon Ball animation in such a short time and hopefully there is still more to come!

[Chuquita]

I remember being super-excited for this when it first came out. It was the first in the string of "new animation that isn't a videogame opening" stuff. I remember downloading Shounen Jump's app to watch it, watching it once, then watching it a second time while taking screenshots. The poster for it came out in May if I recall correctly (and there was so much speculation--at least on DA, I don't recall the thread on then-daizex--on who the Vegeta-looking character was (Table).) My guesses before the reveal ranged from "It's time-travelling child Vegeta?" to the more soap-opera-y "Vegeta had a son with someone else in outer space?".

What I really enjoyed about "Ossu!" still holds true; bored Goku messing with Vegeta for entertainment every chance he got, that adorable lil pink scarf, the daikon farm, everyone's shocked reactions to Table up beside Vegeta's own indifference, and then Vegeta's shock and polite reaction upon learning Gure is Table's wife.

I remember there were some really good cuts of animation in there somewhere too. Goku walking up the steps to board the plane stands out (my rudimentary animator-knowledge wants to say that's Tate from OP because it kinda looked like his work, but I could be wrong) along with him powering up.

The color-scheme I could take or leave; I liked it in the end credits though.
Speaking of, we never did get that full version of "Orange Hero", still kinda makes me sad as I like the song.

[SSj_Rambo]

Orange Hero is probably my favorite ending them in all of the franchise, and on the subject of music, this special is one of only a very few specials that have had their entire soundtrack released on CD (documented at the bottom of kenisu3000 page). It's neat, and a very complete facet of a feature that had a rather incomplete release.

I also think this is the best tool for introducing lighthearted people to the series!

[B]

Will chime in on how sad it is no full version of Orange Hero ever surfaced. Gonna go loop it for a few hours now...

[PhoenixEX]

Still waiting for this, the Raging Blast film, the Bardock special, and BoG to be localized...
Hurry up FUNi!

[Shiyonasan]

This special holds a special place in my heart, no pun intended, because it came out around when I first joined this forum. I remember the excitement that everyone had on here about the JSAT special because it was the first major special we were getting in years (although there was an animated special that came out in 2007 with Goku in it and it took place in the Tenkaichi Budokai. I don't remember the name of it).

I haven't seen it since it was released back in 2008, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it as much as I did back then.

Also, I agree with PhoenixEX that FUNimation needs to localize these films and specials that have been released in the past 5 years.

[theoriginalbilis]

Good fun and a warm reunion with the DragonBall crew.

People who didn't like it because it was "too light-hearted" and needed to be "more serious," you really don't know what DragonBall and Toriyama's style is all about.

[kei17]

I was really glad when it came out and it was really enjoyable, but now I've got BoG and the JSAT special has become nothing special to me. I quote KaiserNeko's post in the BoG thread which pretty much sums up how I feel:

This movie expands greatly upon the universe, introduces a FANTASTIC new antagonist, has some stellar animation (though, as many have said, it's a tad... awkward at points), and has a ton of comedy and character. It also takes some TIME to have some fun with these characters; not just retreading the same old jokes. Gohan getting drunk, Vegeta having to placate Bills, Bulma getting to be what felt like an actual character again, Trunks having a "girlfriend", Goku flat out LOSING.

The Jump Special was just... the characters from DBZ having a party and a random alien showing up, then them beating it, padded with an absolutely dreadful scene involving radishes. Sure, Table shows up, but he doesn't bring anything new to the table. No pun intended. He's just sort of... there.

I'll agree that the pacing of the movie isn't perfect; it takes way too long for it to get down to business, but it was at least nice to have some real character interaction this time around that felt more organic and involved than any movie before it. I mean ANY. All of the other movies felt like retreads of previous arcs, making up excuses for fights that were rarely as engaging or involving as what happens in BoG.

It was enjoyable at the time when it came out solely because it was the first Dragon Ball anime production in over a decade. I don't feel nostalgia for the reunion anymore since the franchise is now alive again, and without it, the entire special feels meaningless. In addition, some out-of-character moments and timeworn jokes bother me. I don't like the color scheme, too. The Kikuchi score is one of the few good points.

Some people seem to think that the special feels closer to the manga and very Toriyama-esque because of its lightheartedness, but It doesn't feel that way to me. Sure, it's lighthearted, but in my opinion, Toriyama would not write something like it. Most of the obligatory elements presented in the special are what the anime series had been making up such as kamesen'nin beaten up by woman and Goku being too greedy for foods. The original manga did have some scenes showing these characterizations, but it's the anime staff who strongly stereotyped them. I don't find real Toriyama-esque-ness in them. It's not that simple.

In short, now I think it's overrated.

[Hellspawn28]

5 years ago was hardly a long ago if you ask me since I was in my senior year of High School when this came out. I remember the news for this special and I was pretty hype to see it. Before 2008, we haven't seen any new animated DB stuff since Hero's Legacy and that was 11 years ago at the time. I enjoy it for what it was and it was nice to see someone else other then Goku try to take on a villain. It seems like after 2008, we got more DB animated stuff even though most of it was hit or miss. I think the JSAT Special did help renew the franchise at the time. We just got the DB boxes, the kanzenban, video games and Bandai toys before 2008.

[BlackCatScott]

It was great at the time. I need to watch it again. When you think about it, Funimation have quite a lot of new DBZ material they could be making money from... hope they get round to it soon.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

5 years ago was hardly a long ago if you ask me since I was in the senior year of High School when this came out.

Yeah, I guess the jump between 17/18 years old to 22/23 doesn't seem as big as 11 years old to 16 years old.

Before 2008, we haven't seen any new animated DB stuff since Hero's Legacy and that was 11 years ago at the time.

The GT TV Special actually came out during GT's run. I think it aired before the Super 17 story arc.

[Hellspawn28]

I like the idea of Vegeta having a little brother. I think most fans were upset about Tarble because he was not some badass as people were hoping for and fans had their own idea of Vegeta's lost brother. At least he is not a rehash of Radditz like most fan fictions of Vegeta's lost brother was.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I like the idea of Vegeta having a little brother. I think most fans were upset about Tarble because he was not some badass as people were hoping for and fans had their own idea of Vegeta's lost brother. At least he is not a rehash of Radditz like most fan fictions of Vegeta's lost brother was.

It used to bother me because of that too, but you know what? I actually kind of like that Vegeta's brother is kind of a nothing.

Don't get me wrong. I wish he had done more in the special itself, somehow. But I'm glad that he's not some super strong badass threat to the planet when he shows up, ala every other imagining of what Vegeta's brother would be like if he'd had one. Such a thing and character is what you would expect, but if there's one thing Toriyama is really good at, it's surprising us with the unexpected, things that fly in the face of what seems obvious. I look at Table as an example of that, the kind of guy that you would never expect Vegeta's brother to be, is exactly who he is.

[samuraix123]

I still love the special very much and I enjoyed it more than the new movie. and that's not knocking the new movie I just like the jump special a-lot. It's still holding up for me.

Edit - I also wish that Funimation would release it officially but I'm having my doubts.

[Blade]

At the time when it came out it felt like Christmas - simply because it was new Dragonball. The whole 'this is a fun, throwaway re-union caper of little consequence which is just about how nice it is to have all the guys back together again' works for this special - but in hindsight, now that Battle of Gods has been released and more-or-less trades on the same vibe, it all feel a little superfluous - almost as if its place has been taken.

I mean, don't get me wrong, one of my biggest gripes with Battle of Gods is the very fact it tries to achieve the same thing and treads a lot of the same water as JSAT. If anything, it feels like the writers just lifted the whole setting and mood from the JSAT special and added a new bad guy, making my overriding feelings towards it go along the lines of: 'we've had the reunion party already, why are we doing it again?'

And, essentially, that leaves little appetite to revisit JSAT.