Kanzenshuu

Published by VegettoEX26 June 2023, 4:44 PM EDTComment

Show Description

Episode #0503! We start a brand new interview series talking with the staff members of Kanzenshuu itself! Julian is up first, so strap in for a trip back to 2002 as we prep the Daizenshuu EX relaunch and start honing those translation skills. We apparently recorded this episode five years ago, but it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same!

How to Listen

Our podcast is available via Apple Podcasts and/or Google Podcasts, or you can pop the direct RSS feed into the program of your choice. You can also listen to this episode by directly downloading the MP3 or by streaming it on Spotify, or YouTube. We invite you to discuss this episode on our forum.

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Translation Update: “Special Project: Toyotarō Drew It!” Image #67

Published by VegettoEX23 June 2023, 11:10 AM EDTCommentToyotarō Drew It

Each month, Toyotarō provides a drawing of a Dragon Ball character — as well as an accompanying comment — on the official Japanese Dragon Ball website. Following up on the wealth of characters already drawn, for his June 2023 entry, Toyotarō has drawn Zahha:

Zahha

A very mysterious magic swordsman. Congratulations to Dragon Ball Legends on its 5th anniversary!

Zahha — like Shallot from last month — hails from the mobile video game Dragon Ball Legends.

“Sacher” may be a better fit for a localization of the character’s name, coming from “sachertorte“… which would still end up with a roughly “Zahha” pronunciation, provided one knew the original German origin. Like with many other names from the Dragon Ball franchise, the process of localizing includes many demanding and often contradictory decisions be made regarding the eventual spelling as well as guiding an intended pronunciation.

(KitKat makes a popular sachertorte-flavored candy in Japan.)

This drawing and comment set has been added to the respective page in our “Translations” archive.

News

August 2023 Japanese Manga Releases Announced: Dragon Ball Super Vol. 21, SDBH: Ultra God Mission Vol. 2, SDBH: Avatars Vol. 3 + Sand Land Kanzenban

Published by VegettoEX22 June 2023, 1:26 PM EDTComment

Three volumes of various collected Dragon Ball manga series are all set to release 04 August 2023 in Japan, accompanied by a new kanzenban release of Sand Land, Akira Toriyama’s 14-chapter manga series from 2000:

Dragon Ball Super — Volume 21

The twenty-first collected volume of the Dragon Ball Super manga series by Toyotarō will release 04 August 2023 in Japan for ¥528 + tax. Spanning 192 pages, the upcoming volume should pick up with chapter 89, and (in line with prior volumes covering four chapters total) likely span through chapter 92.

The Dragon Ball Super “comicalization” — running within Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine — began in June 2015, initially just ahead of the television series, and running both ahead and behind the series at various points. Illustrated by “Toyotarō” (in all likelihood, a second pen-name used by Dragon Ball AF fan manga author and illustrator “Toyble”), the Dragon Ball Super manga covered the Battle of Gods re-telling, skipped the Resurrection ‘F’ re-telling, and “charged ahead” to the Champa arc, “speeding up the excitement of the TV anime even more”. Though the television series has completed its run, the manga continues onward, moving into its own original “Galactic Patrol Prisoner”, “Granolla the Survivor”, and now “Super Hero” arcs.

Viz is currently releasing free digital chapters of the series, and began their own collected print edition back in 2017. The company’s eighteenth collected volume was released this month.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission!!!! — Volume 2

The second collected volume of the Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission!!!! manga series by Yoshitaka Nagayama will also release 04 August 2023 in Japan for ¥572 + tax. Spanning 176 pages, the upcoming second volume should pick up with chapter six, and (in line with prior Nagayama volumes) likely span through chapter 10.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission!!!! is a promotional manga series written and illustrated by Yoshitaka Nagayama, currently running in Shueisha’s monthly Saikyō Jump magazine. The series adapts events from story lines original to the Super Dragon Ball Heroes arcade game. Ultra God Mission!!!! succeeded Nagayama’s own prior Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Dark Demon Realm Mission!, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Universe Mission!!, and Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Big Bang Mission!!! series in the same magazine.

The various Dragon Ball Heroes manga series remain without an official English translation and release.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Avatars!! — Volume 3

The third collected volume of the Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Avatars!! manga series by Yūji Kasai will also release 04 August 2023 in Japan for ¥594 + tax. Spanning 192 pages, the upcoming third volume should pick up with chapter 15, and (in line with prior volumes) likely span through chapter 21.

A prototype/one-shot for Avatars debuted as a single chapter in the January 2021 issue of Saikyō Jump (under the title “Super Dragon Ball Heroes Side-Story: Avatar Story!!”), followed by the serialization of Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Avatars!! beginning in the September 2021 issue, coinciding with Saikyō Jump‘s refresh. Much like Charisma Mission before it (and likewise similar to DeSpo FighterZ for Dragon Ball FighterZ), the Avatars series showcases a group of young protagonists taking on the world of Dragon Ball Heroes with comical showcases of the various cards and mechanics.

Sand Land — Kanzenban

A new kanzenban edition of Akira Toriyama’s 14-chapter manga series Sand Land — originally serialized from the No. 23 to No. 36/37 issues of Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2000 — will likewise release 04 August 2023 in Japan for ¥1,210 + tax.

This new edition — mirroring the format and sizing of Dragon Ball‘s own kanzenban edition released from 2002 to 2004 — will be updated to contain the original full-color versions of pages from its Weekly Shōnen Jump serialization, rough sketches from Akira Toriyama, as well as behind-the-scenes information.

An animated film adaptation of Sand Land will debut in Japan 18 August 2023. A forthcoming video game adaptation from Bandai Namco has also been announced for worldwide release.

News

“Dragon Ball Super” Manga Chapter 94 Released

Published by VegettoEX20 June 2023, 11:20 AM EDTCommentDragon Ball Super

Following up on previous chapters, Shueisha and Viz have added the official English translation of the Dragon Ball Super manga’s ninety-fourth chapter to their respective Manga Plus and Shonen Jump services, continuing onward into the brand-new “Super Hero arc”, now adapting the contents of the recent theatrical film following three chapters worth of original prologue material. Alongside other initiatives including free chapters and a larger archive for paid subscribers, this release continues the companies’ schedule of not simply simultaneously publishing the series’ chapter alongside its Japanese debut to the release date, but to its local time in Japan alongside its serialization in today’s August 2023 issue of Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine.

The Dragon Ball Super “comicalization” began in June 2015, initially just ahead of the television series, and running both ahead and behind the series at various points. The manga runs in Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine, with the series’ ninety-fourth chapter hitting today in the magazine’s August 2023 issue.

Illustrated by “Toyotarō” (in all likelihood, a second pen-name used by Dragon Ball AF fan manga author and illustrator “Toyble”), the Dragon Ball Super manga covered the Battle of Gods re-telling, skipped the Resurrection ‘F’ re-telling, and “charged ahead” to the Champa arc, “speeding up the excitement of the TV anime even more”. Though the television series has completed its run, the manga continues onward, moving into its own original “Galactic Patrol Prisoner”, “Granolla the Survivor”, and now “Super Hero” arcs.

Viz is currently releasing free digital chapters of the series, and began their own collected print edition back in 2017. The company’s eighteenth collected volume was released this month.

The Dragon Ball Super television series concluded in March 2018 with 131 total episodes. Crunchyroll (by way of the merger with FUNimation) owns the American distribution license for the series, with the English dub having wrapped its broadcast on Cartoon Network, and the home video release reaching its tenth and final box set in 2020. A complete steelbook “Limited Edition” was released by Crunchyroll this past September.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0502

Published by VegettoEX14 June 2023, 2:41 PM EDTComment

Show Description

Episode #0502! Following up on last episode’s ten-year retrospective for the film version of “Battle of Gods”: Mike, Heath, and Ken re-review the initial four chapters of the “Dragon Ball Super” manga adapting the “Battle of Gods” arc… as well as the “Dragon Ball SD” manga adaptation by Naho Ooishi… as well as the “Victory Mission in Battle of Gods” special comic by Toyotaro!

How to Listen

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New Translation: “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” Original Soundtrack – Comment From Musical Composer Naoki Satō

Published by VegettoEX14 June 2023, 1:54 PM EDTCommentSuper Movie 2022

This week marks the one-year anniversary of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero hitting theaters in Japan! To mark this occasion, the latest addition to our “Translations” archive is the comment from musical composer Naoki Satō included with the film’s soundtrack release:

When I got approached to do the soundtrack for this movie, first I was surprised, then I was elated. It’s for Dragon Ball, a property with hardcore fans all over the world, not just Japan. When the news broke that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was getting made, the fans’ expectations were probably through the roof… so when I realized this, I was immediately overcome with dread. I had to make a fitting soundtrack, not just in order to not betray the expectations of fans all over the world, but also all the successive generations of people that have made Dragon Ball what it is thus far. And then I started thinking to myself: “Why did they pick me?” The more I thought, the more the fear and pressure piled on.

I worked while having a lot of exchanges with producer Norihiro Hayashida and director Tetsuro Kodama about the roughly thirty pieces of music spread throughout the film. There’s no “right answer” when it comes to musical direction, so there were places where our visions didn’t quite match, but both of them completely respected my vision, so thankfully, I was able to continue fully writing the music I believed in to the very end. Whenever the footage was improved, for some reason, I felt jealous of its quality, so I mistakenly took it as a challenge to see who could deliver the most, but still, the soundtrack did improve as a result.

Since this film is the epitome of the classic shōnen formula, there’s no real room for experimentation or new points of view. This challenge is a straight ball, and all I need to do is figure out how fast to throw it. Throwing a blazing fastball is definitely too draining for little 52-year-old me, but the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finished writing all the pieces was surely special. That feeling of “well, that certainly made me work up a good sweat” is definitely a good one. But if I ever get the chance to compose for another animated production, I would really like it if it could be a story about a slightly older woman.

This entry has (of course!) also been included in our ever-growing “Translations” archive.

News

40th Anniversary Tribute “Dragon Ball Super Gallery” #23: Yuki Tabata

Published by VegettoEX07 June 2023, 9:36 AM EDT1 Comment40th Anniversary Super Gallery

The September 2021 issue of Shueisha’s Saikyō Jump magazine kicked off a “Dragon Ball Super Gallery” series in commemoration of the Dragon Ball franchise’s upcoming 40th anniversary. The celebration aims to have different artists all contribute their own spin on the original 42 tankōbon covers, with the images and an accompanying comment published as the magazine’s back cover.

Following the previous twenty-two entries, this month’s July 2023 issue brings us Yuki Tabata (Black Clover) and their take on the series’ 40th volume cover:

Yuki Tabata commented:

Dragon Ball was the start of my life in comics, and it will always be my Number One. That’s what the child in me says. Way back when I was in daycare, I saw Dragon Ball in a copy of Jump my friend had brought in, and I decided that when I grew up, I would be a cartoonist. That’s why to me, there could be no higher honor than having the opportunity to participate in a project like this. And Dragon Ball is still stupendously popular. Having actually managed to become a cartoonist, I’ve been able to appreciate all the more just how amazing Dragon Ball is. Thank you so much!!

Saikyō Jump is currently a monthly magazine published in Japan by Shueisha under the “Jump” line of magazines. The magazine began as a quarterly publication in 2012, went monthly in 2013, went bimonthly in late-2014, and returned to a monthly format in 2021 (including a digital release for the first time). The magazine’s focus is spin-off and supplementary manga series aimed at a young audience, while also including game promotions, news coverage, and more. The magazine currently serializes content such as Yoshitaka Nagayama’s Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission!!!! manga series, Yūji Kasai’s Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Avatars!! manga series, and the Dragon Ball GT Anime Comic. For calendar year 2019, Shueisha reported Saikyō Jump‘s circulation down at 130,000, with readership as 58.5% upper elementary school, 28% lower middle school, 11% middle school, and 2.5% high school or older.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0501

Published by VegettoEX24 May 2023, 9:51 AM EDTComment

Show Description

Episode #0501! Mike, Ajay, and Tyson look back at the 2013 theatrical film “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” with (somehow!) both a retrospective critical eye and a fresh perspective. Ten years removed and with multiple adaptations behind us, how does the original film version of the story hold up? What precedents did it set for the next decade, and what has the rest of the franchise still failed to recapture in all that time?

How to Listen

Referenced Sites:

Content

Translation Update: “Special Project: Toyotarō Drew It!” Image #66

Published by VegettoEX19 May 2023, 1:22 PM EDTCommentToyotarō Drew It

Shallot

A very mysterious Saiyan that came from a bygone era. Congratulations to Dragon Ball Legends on its 5th anniversary!

Shallot was designed by Akira Toriyama for inclusion in the 2018 mobile video game Dragon Ball Legends:

It is worth noting that the exact spelling of the name シャロット (sharotto) had previously been used for an original female Saiyan character in the 2016 Nintendo 3DS video game Dragon Ball Fusions, pre-dating this Dragon Ball Legends character. In Dragon Ball Fusion‘s English localization, the name spelling of シャロット was adapted as “Shalot” (pre-emptively avoiding a direct name duplication in English… but not in Japanese!):

This drawing and comment set has been added to the respective page in our “Translations” archive.

News

“Dragon Ball Super” Manga Chapter 93 Released

Published by VegettoEX18 May 2023, 11:23 AM EDT1 CommentDragon Ball Super

Following up on previous chapters, Shueisha and Viz have added the official English translation of the Dragon Ball Super manga’s ninety-third chapter to their respective Manga Plus and Shonen Jump services, continuing onward into the brand-new “Super Hero arc”, now adapting the contents of the recent theatrical film following three chapters worth of original prologue material. Alongside other initiatives including free chapters and a larger archive for paid subscribers, this release continues the companies’ schedule of not simply simultaneously publishing the series’ chapter alongside its Japanese debut to the release date, but to its local time in Japan alongside its serialization in today’s July 2023 issue of Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine.

The Dragon Ball Super “comicalization” began in June 2015, initially just ahead of the television series, and running both ahead and behind the series at various points. The manga runs in Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine, with the series’ ninety-third chapter hitting today in the magazine’s July 2023 issue.

Viz is currently releasing free digital chapters of the series, and began their own collected print edition back in 2017. The company’s eighteenth collected volume will be released this June.