"Dragon Ball Super" Series Official Announcement & Discussion Thread

[Neon Z]

Either just the former or waiting till the later can be purchased in full as well. Regardless of the schedule in Japan and whether Toei has already lined up extention to September, the fact that it's 52 episodes being shopped around makes it look like 'complete' package of story content to sell to at least some degree and whatever comes next is likely gonna be heavily different or progress into a distinct expansion.

Yeah, the recent Saint Seiya Omega also was split into two very different 50 episode seasons, even though it was running continuously, with the first half being sold separately from the 2nd half for international licenses.

[WhisPL]

Comparing DB and SS is not appropriate. DB is larger and much better brand sells.

[Hellspawn28]

I don't see DB burning out since the series just started making a bigger comeback compare to GT in 1996 and Kai in 2009.

[Skar]

As long if Super is doing well with merchandise then they will run it to the ground. That's probably they wanted to do with GT before ending at 64 episodes.

I hope they have some plan for the series instead of just "hey let's continue it for as long as we can until people stop watching!" . I know Toriyama came up with ideas as he went along but back then he was confined to a weekly schedule. He didn't have much time to plan anything since he also had to finish a chapter every week. At least now there's no set schedule and he's only responsible for the story and maybe some concept art.

Another question I had is how much does advertising revenue factor into overall revenue? TV ratings in general have dropped like in the US due to the internet and all the other ways to watch. GT and Kai had over double the ratings that Super has so far but I'm assuming they were considered "failures" because they didn't generate enough merchandising revenue.

I saw this chart posted on the "Evolution of DB Kai" article:


They had more revenue in 2007 than in any year Kai was airing. The only major DB product I remember being released that year was Budokai Tenkaichi 3 which ended up being the 2nd best selling DBZ game of all time. I heard Xenoverse was the best selling game since BT 3 and RoF had the highest box office revenue for any DBZ movie. I'm wondering how much of their recent revenue came from just Xenoverse and RoF? If this year there's no major selling video game or movie then would toy sales and TV advertising still be enough to consider Super a "success"?

[Basaku]

They had more revenue in 2007 than in any year Kai was airing. The only major DB product I remember being released that year was Budokai Tenkaichi 3 which ended up being the 2nd best selling DBZ game of all time. I heard Xenoverse was the best selling game since BT 3 and RoF had the highest box office revenue for any DBZ movie. I'm wondering how much of their recent revenue came from just Xenoverse and RoF? If this year there's no major selling video game or movie then would toy sales and TV advertising still be enough to consider Super a "success"?

Self quote but whatever

Made some charts. After just first 6 months of Fiscal Year 2016 at both Toei and Bandai, Dragon Ball has already made as much or nearly as much as in some of the best previous Full Fiscal years. Everything points to record year in Dragon Ball licensing, merchandise, distribution and sales profits at both companies. Toei doesn't disclose their own Full-Year Forecast, but Bandai does and after 1st half this big there's little doubt about their projected numbers.

tl;dr version - the numbers after just 6 months of current fiscal year are fantastic and Super's continuation is 100% guaranteed unless Toei/Bandai hate money

[ArchedThunder]

Super is likely going to be around for a loooong time.

[Hellspawn28]

I would imagine Toriyama has other ideas for Super. It seems like Toei has him doing character designs and writing story ideas like with Champa arc. With Universe 6 and the origins behind the Dragon Balls, there is a lot that can be done for the next five years.

[Araki]

My point is that distributors and TV stations around the world are interested mainly in buying 'full products' (or full 'chunks') either in season format or defained by story arcs. No company will get all episodes of Saiyan/Freeza saga and then just 8 episodes from Androids. Either just the former or waiting till the later can be purchased in full as well. Regardless of the schedule in Japan and whether Toei has already lined up extention to September, the fact that it's 52 episodes being shopped around makes it look like 'complete' package of story content to sell to at least some degree and whatever comes next is likely gonna be heavily different or progress into a distinct expansion.

But is it realistic to expect that all the stuff with Champa, the U6 fighters and the Super Dragon Balls (including the missing one) will be solved in 25 episodes? We'll have at least 5 episodes before the fights even start, since by episode 30 they'll be searching for Monaka.
I'm not expecting a heavily different direction to come after that..maybe 52 is the point where the tournament will end, or another major event happens.

[Skar]

tl;dr version - the numbers after just 6 months of current fiscal year are fantastic and Super's continuation is 100% guaranteed unless Toei/Bandai hate money

I see thank you. Is there a way to know what percentage of the revenue was generated from just Xenoverse and RoF? Looking at the chart for Bandai it wasn't until 2015 that their revenue was greater than it was in 2008. That's why I was thinking a major selling video game contributed the most to their overall revenue. After BT3 their video games had declining sales each game until Xenoverse. Even with the release of BoG, 2013 and 2014 still had less revenue than 2008. Is there a breakdown of the source of revenue for Bandai and Toei?

[Lord Beerus]

As long if Super is doing well with merchandise then they will run it to the ground. That's probably they wanted to do with GT before ending at 64 episodes.

Let's just hope they keep it classy in the process.

I wouldn't hold your breath on that.

[Basaku]

maybe 52 is the point where the tournament will end, or another major event happens.

It's what I'm expecting. Could very well be a big cliffhanger but still "complete" in seasonal arc format that's attractive to sell. I just don't expect episode 52 to be say, a middle of 3rd fight where nothing major happens, no twists or conslusions etc.

I see thank you. Is there a way to know what percentage of the revenue was generated from just Xenoverse and RoF? Looking at the chart for Bandai it wasn't until 2015 that their revenue was greater than it was in 2008. That's why I was thinking a major selling video game contributed the most to their overall revenue. After BT3 their video games had declining sales each game until Xenoverse. Even with the release of BoG, 2013 and 2014 still had less revenue than 2008. Is there a breakdown of the source of revenue for Bandai and Toei?

These kinds of specific breakdowns circulate only internally at the companies. Sometimes in various interviews or articles some details will be revealed, or you can indirectly tell that the increase in non-toys part of Bandai's Dragon Ball revenue in past 2 years obviously comes from Xenoverse high global sales. Nothing more tho. But it's obvious that brand new content/transformations to make toys of/games all add up. Kai with its old stuff wasn't really pushing the profits up, nor DB Heroes. The upward trend of the past 2 years is clearly thanks to brand new content

[Noah]

Well, for all the matters, DBS starts today at last! I don't know if I want a long-running series as DB/Z, Super animation/story was mediocre to this point, but let's see if they will improve, it's Toriyama's script now. If history tends to be good, people will want to continue, I just hope the animation doesn't take our focus away from this series in that case.

[Skar]

These kinds of specific breakdowns circulate only internally at the companies. Sometimes in various interviews or articles some details will be revealed, or you can indirectly tell that the increase in non-toys part of Bandai's Dragon Ball revenue in past 2 years obviously comes from Xenoverse high global sales. Nothing more tho. But it's obvious that brand new content/transformations to make toys of/games all add up. Kai with its old stuff wasn't really pushing the profits up, nor DB Heroes. The upward trend of the past 2 years is clearly thanks to brand new content

Good point that makes sense. I guess it was a combination of the new characters/transformations and a successful video game. Last I checked BT3 sold 3 million copies while Xenoverse has sold 2 million as of April or May. BT3 was only for one console while the number for Xenoverse was combining the overall sales I think. I'm not sure how much they made from DLC sales but when that gets factored in along with the new character merchandise it makes sense it would be higher than in 2008. Is there a way to know at least what's included in "toys and hobby business" and "groupwide"? Does "toys and hobby business" include video games or is that only for "physical" toys like action figures, cards, etc? Looking at another chart you posted in a different thread, each franchise varied between each category. For example, Yokai Watch had 30 billion yen in toys and hobby business and 32 billion overall while Anpanman had 9 billion in both. Just trying to get a better understanding of what they're counting.

[Hellspawn28]

Comparing DB and SS is not appropriate. DB is larger and much better brand sells.

Saint Seiya is just as big as DB. Saint Seiya is huge overseas expect for the US.

[Ssgvegito30]

I wonder when does the new titles of db super come out episodes 30 onwards, I'm guessing sometime within this week. I hope we get to see bulma's sister tights soon I hope they don't introduce her for just 1 time thing, it'll be cool to see her interact with the z gang in future arcs......

[TheDevilsCorpse]

You've probably got at least two weeks to wait for new titles. The normal source is due out around the 10th, but if we're lucky, Saikyo Jump may have a handful of them on like the 5th.

[Skar]

Bandai's Annual Report breaks down revenue by groups: toys and hobby, network entertainment (video and arcade games), and music and visual production. In their fiscal year 2015, video games accounted for 50% of sales and toys and hobbies accounted for 39%. It was similar in 2014 with video games accounting for 50% and toys for 33%. I couldn't find anything about the individual franchises though so that might be somewhere else on their site.

[Araki]

Saint Seiya is just as big as DB.

That's not really true, unless you're talking about specific places, but not on a worldwide level. Saint Seiya is more or less just as big as DB in some South American and European countries...maybe a bit bigger in a couple of them. But in Japan, the US and in many markets, like most Asian ones or pretty much every English speaking country, there's not even a comparison.

The difference is, wherever SS is huge, DB is, too - but not the opposite. That's why DB makes Toei and Bandai A LOT more money.

[Bullza]

The last Saint Seiya movie made $9.4 million worldwide. It comes nowhere close to the $51 million and $63 million worldwide totals of BoG and RoF.

Even breaking it down by country its really nowhere close except for one. In Brazil the Saint Seiya movie made comfortably more than either of the DBZ movies but everywhere else it wasn't close.

[voltlunok]

Quick thing with the Saint Seiya comparisons.I think that there is some perspective being missed. Sure it's not as popular as it used to be these days and that's kinda its own fault. SS took a huge hit to its fanbase when they recasted the core roaster of characters (Including Seiya who was voiced by Tohru Furuya.) during one of the major arcs and they kept that cast going forward and this caused a lot of fans to boycott the series. Saint Seiya never fully recovered from that either and that hit to the fanbase shows even today. Not saying that 'back in the day!' Saint Seiya was a huge juggernaut in Japan but it did occasionally get into shoving matches with Dragon Ball if my memory fully serves.

Anyways on topic! I like the bigger images of Zuno, Jaco and Tights a page or two back, it makes me have hope they will have continued roles in Super...least Jaco. If Tights shows up then cool but I just want more Jaco!