Dragon Ball Z "Seasons" On Blu-ray: News & Discussion

[darkknightkryta]

I personally think Funimation used the survey for their marketing. They went on and on about the "improved" colours, but was pretty mum on the cropping until the last minute.

[Gonstead]

Just realized Madman's bringing these over to AUS and NZ soon. Wow. Just, wow.

Where does it say that they're bringing it over? I checked both sites and it wasn't listed under any new release anime coming soon.

[Kojiro Sasaki]

From Funi's responses to Kanzenshuu's questions, it sounded like the majority vote may well have been 4:3, but they also looked at the sales performance of the orange bricks compared to the Dragon Boxes and Levels, and also the cost-effectiveness of cutting off all the damage on the tops and bottoms of the frames, and those things swayed their decision.

I think this is the release Funimation had in mind even before the survey judging by the way they described their new remastering process. The survey question asking about the aspect ratio was just used to determine whether or not there were enough people who wanted a 16:9 release. Regardless if they were the majority or not.

I think that you may be right. It is also possible that they did this survey only for blaming the fans for 16:9. About the quality: They told us what they are planning to do in the description of the survey:

FUNimation is looking into releasing Dragon Ball Z on Blu-ray at an affordable price with a brand new remaster using new technology to make the show look brighter and crisper.

It seems that the knew how the footage will look... maybe they had some portion of episodes already produced when they launched the survey? We will never know.

Does anyone have any figures or estimates regarding the costs of the two remastering processes, say per episode or per minute?

http://www.videoconversionexperts.com/F ... m-Film.htm ?

[Gonstead]

The sad thing is I actually wouldn't have minded buying this release if it just stayed in 4:3. I could maybe tolerate the colours and the overall flat look of the picture to an extent but it being in 16:9 just ruins it.

[Gaffer Tape]

I remember that was the same thing I thought about the orange bricks. I so wanted an easy, affordable, convenient release of DBZ that I was willing to overlook all the terrible picture flaws, but I just couldn't live with the cropping. That was the one step too far.

[Gonstead]

I remember that was the same thing I thought about the orange bricks. I so wanted an easy, affordable, convenient release of DBZ that I was willing to overlook all the terrible picture flaws, but I just couldn't live with the cropping. That was the one step too far.

Sad also because the OB's originally started looking pretty shite but got progressively better with each new release. They probably would have looked pretty good in 4:3.

[ect5150]

easy, affordable, convenient

These qualities in almost anything usually require some sacrifice somewhere.

[Gaffer Tape]

Eh. I found the Dragon Boxes had those qualities when they first came out. They were even more convenient than the season sets (7 purchases instead of 9), and while the price was slightly higher, they were definitely affordable.

[Tyro]

Eh. I found the Dragon Boxes had those qualities when they first came out. They were even more convenient than the season sets (7 purchases instead of 9), and while the price was slightly higher, they were definitely affordable.

Rightstuf had a sale every time a new DBox released, usually going from $55 to $35. That's how I bought all 7.

[kei17]

Here's a video comparing the aspect ratio's of the level sets vs the season sets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNLG-e2GPpM

Yhh the cropping looks to have been done properly this time around. Thank Goodness.

It's still far from being proper and not even worth calling selective cropping compared to Kai.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC0ZX0ABQkI

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

Just realized Madman's bringing these over to AUS and NZ soon. Wow. Just, wow.

Where does it say that they're bringing it over? I checked both sites and it wasn't listed under any new release anime coming soon.

You checked both sites, but did you check THE site?
http://www.kanzenshuu.com/2014/01/05/ma ... rays-2014/
Kanzenshuu..."There's a Site Too?"

[bkev]

I think it'll be very interesting to see exactly how they would handle a high definition remaster. I'm not really aware of any of Toei's Blu-Ray releases for cel animated shows. What are their policies on grain reduction, colour timings etc?

Toei released an HD remastered DVD box of the Hokuto no Ken series. Though it's not Blu-ray, it's billed as being remastered in HD. They did extensive true-to-original-cels style color correction and cleared away the grain. I guess they'll do the same to Dragon Ball.

Spoiler:

Wasn't this q-tec as well, the same company that did the restoration for Kai? I wouldn't be surprised if Z on blu-ray is a direct copy of the original masters for that pre-reanimated scenes.

[Gaffer Tape]

Eh. I found the Dragon Boxes had those qualities when they first came out. They were even more convenient than the season sets (7 purchases instead of 9), and while the price was slightly higher, they were definitely affordable.

Rightstuf had a sale every time a new DBox released, usually going from $55 to $35. That's how I bought all 7.

Yep, me too, although on occasion, I found that Amazon had the better deal.

[KingofWisdom]

If they were remastering the footage in its 4:3 aspect ratio, would they then exclusively release a cropped product? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I hesitate to consider this release better [than the OBs] when we're still getting cropped garbage. I guess, in a way, it could be considered better for not having a laundry list of issues (beyond the destruction of detail and the piercing brightness) but it's no significant improvement. I just hope FUNimation hasn't given up on 4:3 DBZ releases.

[dbboxkaifan]

If they were remastering the footage in its 4:3 aspect ratio, would they then exclusively release a cropped product? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

2007-2009 - Orange Bricks = Wide Screen
2009-2011 - Dragon Boxes = Full Screen
2011-2011 - Level Sets = Full Screen
2014-2015 - Season BDs = Wide Screen

So who knows they might do a 4x3 AR Blu-ray after this one.

[KingofWisdom]

That's what I'll choose to believe. There has never been a break from DBZ releases since the anime became a thing in the US. If they don't want two concurring releases to compete, they'll have to do something different... or give the series a break.

[NintendoBlaze53]

Just realized Madman's bringing these over to AUS and NZ soon. Wow. Just, wow.

Where does it say that they're bringing it over? I checked both sites and it wasn't listed under any new release anime coming soon.

You checked both sites, but did you check THE site?
http://www.kanzenshuu.com/2014/01/05/ma ... rays-2014/
Kanzenshuu..."There's a Site Too?"

Yet they never brought over the Dragon Boxes and anime is extremely overpriced, $60 for 13 Episodes of One Piece? Thank You Amazon.

[kei17]

Yet they never brought over the Dragon Boxes and anime is extremely overpriced, $60 for 13 Episodes of One Piece? Thank You Amazon.

And in Japan, we have to spend about $160 for 12 episodes of Kai.

[ect5150]

Yet they never brought over the Dragon Boxes and anime is extremely overpriced, $60 for 13 Episodes of One Piece? Thank You Amazon.

And in Japan, we have to spend about $160 for 12 episodes of Kai.

They figure you love it that much more in Japan.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

That's what I'll choose to believe. There has never been a break from DBZ releases since the anime became a thing in the US. If they don't want two concurring releases to compete, they'll have to do something different... or give the series a break.

I agree, these new sets were pretty much out the blue. And once they finish releasing nall 9 seasons that's surely it? Unless they're thinking of milking the 4:3 fanbase after too, either with more dragon boxes or the completion of the level sets but at limited quantity. Who knows. But they'll find a way, they always too.

I just hope after this blu-ray run or during, they license and dub all the undubbed specials/OVA's and of course BoG, and make it into one big collection. That would be awesome.