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

[Gaffer Tape]

And even if it does we'll still keep buying their other crap releases hahaha

Eh, speak for yourself. I for one have no intention of lining FUNimation's coffers with money for their pitiful table scraps. And unless they give me a VERY compelling reason, I have no reason to own the series more than I already do. And so far... they're not even getting CLOSE.

[samuraix123]

With the exception of the Boo saga of Kai, This will hopefully be my last buy of the Z series. I'm just honestly tired of buying the Z series over and over. But I don't have anything against Funimation for milking the series. I wished they'd do it though for a few of my other favorite shows.

[RocktheDragon]

With the exception of the Boo saga of Kai, This will hopefully be my last buy of the Z series. I'm just honestly tired of buying the Z series over and over. But I don't have anything against Funimation for milking the series. I wished they'd do it though for a few of my other favorite shows.

Totally agree. But then again when another release comes our way who knows what I'll end up doing...

I would love Toei to release a BD version of DBZ though and I'd spring for that at a hearts beat. But yes I'm about done with all of Funimation's releases.

[Metalwario64]

If the consumers are eating it up, then it's working.

Yeah, for the Z season sets.

But, I believe Kai is selling rather poorly according to FUNimation (I think Sabat said he thought Kai was actually making the Orange Bricks sales increase), and it's never a good idea to have so many different versions of the same product out at once. All it does is confuse consumers, and hurt sales because they're competing with themselves. Plus they still have failed to correctly market Kai, as lots of people still think the CW edit is the "true" version of Kai.

So my point still stands that they don't always make the best business decisions pertaining to Dragon Ball.

[kei17]

I really don't think there could ever really be a "definitive" release of DBZ, either in Japan or America.

Why? It's so simple; include properly color-corrected 4:3 footage, Japanese title cards, original opening and ending credits, and NEPs. This would make a "definitive" release. Any other extra things like the original broadcast audio are all some kind of fanwank that is not needed to be "definitive" at business level.

[Kojiro Sasaki]

I am expressing an opinion, so sorry if I come across as hostile, it's not my intention.

Not at all. I would rather call you "firm and determined" than "hostile".

If the consumers are eating it up, then it's working.

Yup! And it'll continue to work until they release a perfect release that's remastered frame by frame in 4x3 that has both English and Japanese title cards and credits and it has the US broadcast score and the Japanese score.

It will continue till they release perfectly restored 4x3 version. It will be canceled after two sets, because nobody wants it...

I'm just honestly tired of buying the Z series over and over.

Why do you keep doing this? Ignore crap and wait (fight?) for something better.

I would love Toei to release a BD version of DBZ though and I'd spring for that at a hearts beat

"I would love to", "I hope that", "I would like to", "I want!", "Let's pray", "Let's wait for the miracle", "Let's sit and do nothing" - I'm starting to get annoyed... This is probably the greatest anime fanbase in the entire internet. We have devoted and experienced staff who created this tremendous database and forum. We have a bunch of real experts in various domains here. Why nobody came with "Let's do something" yet? Do you think that they will read our minds?

Toei Animation is not Area 51:

http://corp.toei-anim.co.jp/company/access.php
http://goo.gl/maps/OpXkn
Toei Animation: Inquiry

Write a letter, send an email, tell them what you want! We can completely blow them away with our size, devotion, talents and knowledge about the series.

[dbboxkaifan]

I really don't think there could ever really be a "definitive" release of DBZ, either in Japan or America. People will eventually find something to fault a release no matter how good it is (Japanese and U.S. Dragon Boxes included).

Maybe not in US because FUNimation has crappy masters to work with but in Japan? It's probably just a matter of time before TOEI makes it happen. Dragon Ball Kai is a proof that Dragon Ball Z in HD would look fantastic.

We can clearly see details on the Kai screen that are blurred out on the FUNi Season BDs:

Spoiler:

DRAGON BALL Z - DRAGON BOX


DRAGON BALL Z: SEASON 2


DRAGON BALL KAI

For those that remember when Kai was on its run in Japan there was a Greek fansub that was filtering the video quality and the results seem to be rather identical to what FUNimation's doing right now for the DBZ Season BDs.

[ABED]

It will continue till they release perfectly restored 4x3 version. It will be canceled after two sets, because nobody wants it...

Those sets were expensive to produce and the investment didn't pay off. They don't need that kind of restoration unless the cost came down or the price was better. I don't think they failed because they were 4x3, they failed because of the lower episode count, the price, and it was too close to other releases.

[Vegard Aune]

I really don't think there could ever really be a "definitive" release of DBZ, either in Japan or America. People will eventually find something to fault a release no matter how good it is (Japanese and U.S. Dragon Boxes included).

Maybe not in US because FUNimation has crappy masters to work with but in Japan? It's probably just a matter of time before TOEI makes it happen. Dragon Ball Kai is a proof that Dragon Ball Z in HD would look fantastic.

We can clearly see details on the Kai screen that are blurred out on the FUNi Season BDs:

Spoiler:

DRAGON BALL Z - DRAGON BOX


DRAGON BALL Z: SEASON 2


DRAGON BALL KAI

For those that remember when Kai was on its run in Japan there was a Greek fansub that was filtering the video quality and the results seem to be rather identical to what FUNimation's doing right now for the DBZ Season BDs.

That Kai image is a bit misleading though, what with it being from that very brief stint where Toei used 35mm film-masters for the show rather than the 16mm masters they used for the entire rest of the series. I think there were only a total of like four and a half episodes that looked that good. (And I do remember that the transition into those 35mm tapes happened mid-episode in Kai, as I distinctly recall watching it and suddenly being like "Wait, is it just me or did the image just get a hell of a lot sharper?")

[Kojiro Sasaki]

It will continue till they release perfectly restored 4x3 version. It will be canceled after two sets, because nobody wants it...

Those sets were expensive to produce and the investment didn't pay off. They don't need that kind of restoration unless the cost came down or the price was better. I don't think they failed because they were 4x3, they failed because of the lower episode count, the price, and it was too close to other releases.

That was a kind of provocation I want people to quote me and say: "Is that what you think? Watch this! (she/he opens Toei Animation contact page and writes the message)". The only thing I can say, after a year here, is that I don't have a slight idea about American market. I agree with everything you said, but look what people are writing in the internet. It seems that the majority strongly prefer widescreen and "modern look". Hell only knows if they would buy grainy 4:3 release with "dull" colors.

I think that if these sets would sell as FUNimation planned - they would be continued. FUNimation knew how much it will cost and yet - they decided to do it.

[ABED]

It will continue till they release perfectly restored 4x3 version. It will be canceled after two sets, because nobody wants it...

Those sets were expensive to produce and the investment didn't pay off. They don't need that kind of restoration unless the cost came down or the price was better. I don't think they failed because they were 4x3, they failed because of the lower episode count, the price, and it was too close to other releases.

That was a kind of provocation I want people to quote me and say: "Is that what you think? Watch this! (she/he opens Toei Animation contact page and writes the message)". The only thing I can say, after a year here, is that I don't have a slight idea about American market. I agree with everything you said, but look what people are writing in the internet. It seems that the majority strongly prefer widescreen and "modern look". Hell only knows if they would buy grainy 4:3 release with "dull" colors.

DBZ was popular long before they cropped. The internet's not the best place to go for what the masses are thinking.

FUNimation knew how much it will cost and yet - they decided to do it.

All that says is they mis-forecasted the demand.

[dbboxkaifan]

DBZ was popular long before they cropped.

True. Dragon Ball Z was so highly popular in Europe that almost every country got their own dub of it, magazines full of stuff about DB/Z, made some controversy and kids/teens would wait patiently for a new episode to air on their country's TV broadcast channel.

Those times no longer exist and now whenever people find games to be violent they blame them for their kids behaviour or just someone who committed a crime says "I saw that in GTA and decided to do the same".

[ABED]

DBZ was popular long before they cropped.

True. Dragon Ball Z was so highly popular in Europe that almost every country got their own dub of it, magazines full of stuff about DB/Z, made some controversy and kids/teens would wait patiently for a new episode to air on their country's TV broadcast channel.

Those times no longer exist and now whenever people find games to be violent they blame them for their kids behaviour or just someone who committed a crime says "I saw that in GTA and decided to do the same".

Blaming bad behavior on TV and videogames isn't new

[Kojiro Sasaki]

DBZ was popular long before they cropped.

That's the main thought of my review on blu-ray.com

The internet's not the best place to go for what the masses are thinking.

That's the only source I have access to.

[ABED]

DBZ was popular long before they cropped.

That's the main thought of my review on blu-ray.com

The internet's not the best place to go for what the masses are thinking.

That's the only source I have access to.

It's a flawed source, you would need a random sample.

[dbboxkaifan]

Blaming bad behavior on TV and videogames isn't new

Right but people just became more and more comfortable blaming games/cartoons than themselves for their bad parenting. Everything nowadays has to be politically correct or people get offended too easily somehow.

[ABED]

Blaming bad behavior on TV and videogames isn't new

Right but people just became more and more comfortable blaming games/cartoons than themselves for their bad parenting. Everything nowadays has to be politically correct or people get offended too easily somehow.

I don't know how you would quantify that. It's not new, nor do I think passing the buck was any less prevalent even 20 years ago.

[samuraix123]

I am expressing an opinion, so sorry if I come across as hostile, it's not my intention.

Not at all. I would rather call you "firm and determined" than "hostile".

If the consumers are eating it up, then it's working.

Yup! And it'll continue to work until they release a perfect release that's remastered frame by frame in 4x3 that has both English and Japanese title cards and credits and it has the US broadcast score and the Japanese score.

It will continue till they release perfectly restored 4x3 version. It will be canceled after two sets, because nobody wants it...

I'm just honestly tired of buying the Z series over and over.

Why do you keep doing this? Ignore crap and wait (fight?) for something better.

I would love Toei to release a BD version of DBZ though and I'd spring for that at a hearts beat

"I would love to", "I hope that", "I would like to", "I want!", "Let's pray", "Let's wait for the miracle", "Let's sit and do nothing" - I'm starting to get annoyed... This is probably the greatest anime fanbase in the entire internet. We have devoted and experienced staff who created this tremendous database and forum. We have a bunch of real experts in various domains here. Why nobody came with "Let's do something" yet? Do you think that they will read our minds?

Toei Animation is not Area 51:

http://corp.toei-anim.co.jp/company/access.php
http://goo.gl/maps/OpXkn
Toei Animation: Inquiry

Write a letter, send an email, tell them what you want! We can completely blow them away with our size, devotion, talents and knowledge about the series.

I don't know why I keep doing it! I'm honestly okay with these sets and I gave all of my Orange Bricks away to my brother so I can buy these. My perfect release was going to be the level sets and they sadly got cancelled. But I will stick with my opinion even if these sets are cropped that I think they look better than the orange bricks. Also when I say that ''I'm tired of buying Z'' I mean just that. Z. I own Dragon-boxes 1,3,5,6,7 Kai part 1 and 2 on Blu-ray and 3 & 4 on DVD(the rest are downloaded with Yamamoto) I did buy all of the orange bricks,Level sets, bought and re-bought the movies, and now this. What kinda sane person keeps re-buying the same show over and over again? hahaha Were crazy guys LOL No seriously, I wouldn't mind buying Z so much if they would release new stuff like the new movie,jump special,episode of bardock etc etc.

[RocktheDragon]

I really don't think there could ever really be a "definitive" release of DBZ, either in Japan or America.

Why? It's so simple; include properly color-corrected 4:3 footage, Japanese title cards, original opening and ending credits, and NEPs. This would make a "definitive" release. Any other extra things like the original broadcast audio are all some kind of fanwank that is not needed to be "definitive" at business level.

And if in a future release they were able to get the original broadcast audio then what? At a business level is very different from an individual level. I'm talking about pleasing the "fans" which is impossible to. Everyone will find something to complain about is what I was saying. Perhaps from our point of view what you stated would warrant the moniker of "definitive" but then again we're not "everyone".

[dbboxkaifan]

episode of bardock etc etc.

An English release of Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock? That's so forgettable and bland it makes me wonder if people are genuinely serious about wanting this specific Special to be released.

It's included on Dragon Ball Z For Kinect I watched it twice (1x on SD / 1x on HDTV) and that was more than enough so technically it's been released in Europe/US.

I'd just be happy if FUNimation got their hands on Battle of Gods (Movie #14) and revealed they'll be publishing the BD/DVD this year.