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Releases Recap: Early 2016 Dragon Ball Products
Published by 04 January 2016, 8:28 PM ESTComment

Today’s release of four “Full Color” manga volumes in Japan seems to officially kick off the onslaught of Dragon Ball merchandise heading our way this year. Here is a quick overview of some of the products we already have confirmed for an early 2016 release. Where applicable, we have included referral links to vendors that we at Kanzenshuu have worked with in the past and have a good relationship with; using these links is a great way to support the website as you make your usual purchases. Let us know if you foreign folks have anything else coming your way that we can add to the list.

(Note the inclusion of Viz’s “Full Color” Freeza arc for May — we dropped that listing at the end for the good reminder that more is finally on the way!)

Early 2016 Dragon Ball Products

04 January 2016

07 January 2016

21 January 2016

25 January 2016

03 February 2016

04 February 2016

05 February 2016

  • Saikyō Jump: March 2016 Issue (includes franchise news, Dragon Ball SD chapter 41, etc.)
    Availability: CDJapan | Amazon Japan

17 February 2016

21 February 2016

  • V-Jump: April 2016 Issue (includes franchise news, Dragon Ball Super chapter 9, etc.)
    Availability: CDJapan | Amazon Japan

24 February 2016

02 March 2016

03 May 2016

Content
2015 In Review: Top 5 Dragon Ball News Stories
Published by 01 January 2016, 8:22 PM EST1 Comment

2013 and 2014 were enormous years for the Dragon Ball franchise. Beyond an official addition to the manga from its original creator and new theatrical installments also officially continuing the story, there was only one place for 2015 to take us: back to television. As the following statistics are about to prove, not much can compete with that kind of announcement. These were the top five stories of the year according to total website traffic, rate of traffic growth, social media conversations, etc.

top5_2015_number5

#5: June 19th – New “Dragon Ball Super” Character Revealed: “Champa”

The production staff behind Dragon Ball Super did a wonderful job with the slow drips of information leading up to (and far into!) the TV series’ debut. The reveal of Champa before the show’s premiere — tied in with his presence in the opening sequence and eventually in Toyotarō’s manga adaptation — has kept us excited about his involvement for months on end. Though he has now technically/actually appeared in the series (finally!), we are still waiting for Champa to truly make an impact. Even when other aspects of our excitement die down, the Champa hype remains real.

top5_2015_number4

#4: March 2nd – New “Dragon Ball Z: Revival of ‘F'” Trailer Reveals Freeza Form

Revival of “F” / Resurrection ‘F’ feels a million years old at this point, doesn’t it? The anticipation of what Freeza might have up his sleeve was enough for at least one non-Dragon Ball Super news story to crack the top five! Other reveals (including Jaco and ominous bits of dialog) were just the icing on the cake.

top5_2015_number3

#3: July 1st – “Dragon Ball Super” Complete Showcase Event Reveals Series Plot

The “Dragon Ball Super Complete Showcase Event” in Tokyo recapped a slew of information we already knew about the then-upcoming Dragon Ball Super TV series, but it was the reveal that Toriyama himself was working on the “Universe 6” material that grabbed everyone’s attention. We would still have to slog through two movie re-tellings to get to that point, but knowing we had all-new material on the horizon has remained one of the most exciting parts of tuning in each week. Toyotarō’s manga teases sure didn’t hurt, either. As 2016 begins and we approach the end of the Freeza revival arc, this post remains one of the most-linked news stories around the web as fans look for clarification on Toriyama’s involvement and confirmations on where the series might be heading.

top5_2015_number2

#2: June 26th – New Fuji TV “Dragon Ball Super” Website Posts 30-Second Preview

Fuji TV accidentally spill the beans when their own Dragon Ball Super website (itself separate from Toei Animation’s main Dragon Ball Super website) posted a 30-second preview for the upcoming series, which had been scheduled to air alongside the final Dragon Ball Kai episode. The preview included a shot of Champa and Vados visiting Beerus and Whis amidst footage that was otherwise just the first few episodes. It was a great tease, albeit one that perhaps came a few days early thanks to one branch of the marketing machine clearly not knowing what the other already had in the hopper.

top5_2015_number1

#1: April 28th – New “Dragon Ball Super” TV Series Announced For 2015

As if there could be any debate about what the most-read, most-linked, most-discussed Dragon Ball news story in 2015 might be.

We have been around long enough to see spin-offs, parodies, special features, movies, and even manga additions revealed. However, nothing has ever come close to the traffic we received for the Dragon Ball Super announcement. There was no contest here; we are talking about an order of magnitude above and beyond not just any other story in 2015, but any other news story in the history of Kanzenshuu (even extending back to Daizenshuu EX and Kanzentai).

What else can we say? It was the announcement of the Dragon Ball franchise’s return to a weekly TV format for the first time in eighteen years. The “Rumor Guide” needs some serious updating thanks to 2015.

In terms of popular content this year, our Revival of “F” / Resurrection ‘F’ page in the “Movie Guide” was the clear winner courtesy of our synopsis following its original Japanese theatrical debut (along with the page’s character designs, production staff interview translations, etc.). Perhaps needless to say, the Dragon Ball Super episode guide main page has also seen an enormous amount of traffic.

The “Animation Styles Guide” and “Intended Endings Guide” remain fan-favorites as well, while our Dragon Ball GT ending analysis continues to chart year-after-year. It will be interesting to see whether or not Dragon Ball Super (and in particular wherever its story may take us in the timeline) has any effect on that page’s enduring popularity.

We are tempted to say that 2016 may be one of the more predictable years due to the on-going TV series. After all, why add to the noise? If the last few years have taught us anything, however, it is that we are 100% incapable of calling what Akira Toriyama, Shueisha, Toei, and Bandai Namco have planned for the Dragon Ball franchise. In a way, it’s oddly reminiscent of Toriyama’s writing style back during its original serialization: even he didn’t know where it would end up!

onward_2016

Cheers to an amazing 2015! Onward to 2016!

News
Additional “Boyhood Arc” Full Color Editions Coming in February
Published by 29 December 2015, 12:00 PM ESTComment

Shueisha has announced four additional volumes of the “Boyhood Arc” for the “Full Color” print editions. These additional volumes are set to drop 04 February 2016 in Japan, with each retailing for ¥600 (+ tax). The story material will cover General Blue’s assault up through the appearance of Piccolo Daimaō following the 22nd Tenka’ichi Budōkai. The four volumes are available for pre-order via Amazon Japan.

The first four volumes of the “Boyhood Arc”, covering the series’ first chapter up through the demise of Muscle Tower, are set to be released 04 January 2016.

The “Full Color” version of the Dragon Ball manga began back in June 2009. Over a five-month period, Shueisha released — for free, in both Japanese and in English with Viz’s existing translation — the first 23 chapters of the series. After this abrupt end, things fell silent for nearly three years. In late 2012 the company released the original black-and-white/monochrome version of the manga to digital retailers, and then a print version of the Saiyan arc in the “Full Color” format. Soon after, the full digital strategy was laid out with them going back to the beginning as digital-only, and eventually they released the entire series in a colorized digital format, with the “Z”-portion also receiving a print release.

Viz initially released the Saiyan arc in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump publication before exclusively moving to print for the series. The three-volume Saiyan arc has been the only release thus far from Viz, with the Freeza arc finally seeing the light of day in Spring 2016.

News
“Dragon Ball Super” DVD & Blu-ray BOX #3 Announced
Published by 29 December 2015, 1:57 AM ESTComment

Listings for the third Dragon Ball Super DVD & Blu-ray box set have begun to appear on various online retailer websites. The box set will contain episodes 25 to 36 on two discs and is set to be released 02 June 2016, with the DVD set retailing for ¥11,200 and the Blu-ray set available for ¥15,200. In addition to the special booklet and box with a new illustration, on-disc extras will include a creditless version of the third series ending theme, “Light Pink“.

Dragon Ball Super

The first box set (episodes 1-12) was recently released 02 December 2015 and the second box set is scheduled to be released 02 March 2016. The third box set is currently available for pre-order via Amazon Japan (DVD / Blu-ray).

News
“Dragon Ball Super History Book” Cover And Content Updates
Published by 29 December 2015, 12:31 AM ESTComment

The official Dragon Ball 30th anniversary website has launched a new special page covering the upcoming 30th Anniversary Dragon Ball Super History Book set to hit shelves 21 January 2016. The page includes the book’s final cover design and notes it will include a “reversible special poster” featuring the first chapter’s title page on one side and the final chapter’s title page on the other.

The book will feature a lengthy interview with original author Akira Toriyama, who shares his “secret” stories and memories from the series serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump. The interview is advertised to be his “last super long interview”, although the page does not clarify what exactly this means. In addition to the interview, Toriyama will also provide commentary on some of his Weekly Shōnen Jump cover illustrations. The book will also feature some of Toriyama’s previously unpublished illustrations, including character and setting sketches, the final chapter’s storyboard, and character and set designs for Dragon Ball Super.

In addition to the Toriyama-related material, the book will also detail the animated TV series and movies, card games, video games, and various other merchandising items released over the last 30 years. The section will also include production staff interviews.

The 248-page, B5-sized book will retail for ¥3,500 (+ tax) and is currently available for pre-order via CDJapan and Amazon Japan.

News
“Dragon Ball Super” Original Soundtrack Releasing February 2016
Published by 28 December 2015, 1:23 PM ESTComment

Columbia has announced the first soundtrack for the Dragon Ball Super TV series will be available in Japan 24 February 2016, the same day as the “Dragon Ball Godly BEST” theme song compilation.

The soundtrack (COCX-39463; ¥3,500 + tax), featuring music from the TV series by composer Norihito Sumitomo, will also include TV-sized versions of the opening theme (“Chōzetsu ☆ Dynamic!” by Kazuya Yoshii) and first closing theme (“Hello Hello Hello” by Good Morning America). A track listing is currently not available.

The soundtrack is available for pre-order via CDJapan and Amazon Japan.

News
“Dragon Ball Godly BEST” Theme Song Compilation Announced
Published by 28 December 2015, 6:00 AM ESTComment,

The official Dragon Ball Super Twitter account recently revealed that a new theme song compilation will see its release 24 February 2016 in Japan as part of the TV anime’s 30th anniversary celebration.

アニメ放送30周年を記念して、初代オープニング曲「魔訶不思議アドベンチャー！」から「ドラゴンボール超」主題歌まで、シリーズ歴代主題歌を集めたアルバム「ドラゴンボール 神 BEST」2月24日発売決定！

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the TV anime’s broadcast, the series’ historical theme songs, from the first opening theme “Mystical Adventure!” to the Dragon Ball Super theme song, will be collected on the “Dragon Ball Godly BEST” album set to be released February 24th.

The Dragon Ball Godly BEST (ドラゴンボール 神 BEST) album will contain an array of theme songs starting with “Mystical Adventure!” from the original Dragon Ball TV series, which will have premiered almost exactly 30 years prior (26 February 1986) to the album’s release. The album will also include “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” from Dragon Ball Z and the most recent theme song “Chōzetsu ☆ Dynamic!” from Dragon Ball Super. The album is set to be released 24 February 2016 for ¥2,778 with a catalog number of COCX-39493-4.

Columbia’s website also includes a listing for a “Limited Edition” with a catalog number of COZX-1144-6, indicating that the CD+DVD combo pack will include two music CDs and a bonus DVD for ¥3,500 (+ tax). The “Limited Edition” DVD will include videos of the theme song’s opening animations. The regular and “Limited Edition” versions are currently available for pre-order at CDJapan.

News
“Dragon Ball Super” Champa Arc Begins January 2016
Published by 24 December 2015, 2:26 PM EST1 Comment

Though previously confirmed via leaked pages from the February 2016 issue of V-Jump, which was officially released 19 December 2015 in Japan, the official Dragon Ball Super Twitter account and website have confirmed that the TV series will kick-off the “God of Destruction Champa arc” beginning 24 January 2016 with the show’s twenty-eighth episode.

dbs_champa_arc

Fuji TV producer Osamu Nozaki commented on the significance of this new story arc and its timing with the TV anime’s 30th anniversary:

アニメ放送開始から30周年という記念すべきタイミングで、『ドラゴンボール超』の物語はいまだかつて、コミック、テレビシリーズ、劇場版など一切描かれてこなかった前人未到の領域に突入します。

遂に新キャラクター・破壊神シャンパの正体が明らかになるなど、鳥山原作の新キャラクターが続々登場し、活躍します。

The 30th anniversary of the TV anime’s broadcast will have memorable timing, as Dragon Ball Super’s current story, which is based around the past comics and TV series, will now move into an unexplored area that hasn’t been portrayed at all, such as in a movie.

The true identity of the new character God of Destruction Champa will at last be revealed, with original new characters from [Akira] Toriyama appearing one after another.

The manga adaptation by Toyotarō, published monthly in V-Jump, charged forward with Champa material ahead of the TV series beginning with last month’s January 2016 issue and the series’ sixth chapter. The February 2016 issue of V-Jump contains the series’ seventh chapter and introduces Beerus’ Universe 7 team (top) who will compete in a tournament against Champa’s Universe 6 team (bottom).

Though Champa and his attendant Vados were introduced back in the manga’s second chapter, the duo did not make an appearance in the TV series until last month’s eighteenth episode.

Original manga author Akira Toriyama is providing the character designs and underlying story for the upcoming Universe 6 / Champa story arc.

Dragon Ball Super airs Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. on Fuji TV in Japan. An English dub for the Toonami Asia market has been announced as the first international release of the series.

News
“Dragon Ball SD” Volume 4 Coming in February 2016
Published by 23 December 2015, 10:54 AM EST2 Comments

The fourth collected volume of Dragon Ball SD is on its way from Shueisha and will hit Japanese shelves 04 February 2016 for ¥600 + tax in print with a digital edition also expected.

The release will mark more than a full year since the third collected volume, no doubt due to the current bi-monthly schedule of Saikyō Jump where Naho Ooishi’s “chibi” spin-off manga is serialized.

The fourth volume will pick up with the Uranai Baba arc in Dragon Ball SD chapter 29. If the previous volumes and their roughly ten chapters’ worth of standard material are any indication, the volume should take us well into the 22nd Tenka’ichi Budōkai. The volume is available for pre-order at Amazon Japan.

The January 2016 issue of Saikyō Jump, released earlier this month (04 December 2015), contained the spin-off manga’s 40th chapter since its 2011/2012 reboot.

News
Ford Focus “The Ultimate Wish Is Granted” DBZ Commercial
Published by 20 December 2015, 9:29 AM EST2 Comments

Earlier this week, Ford Motor Company released a new commercial for the Ford Focus — “The Ultimate Wish Is Granted” — using footage from the Dragon Ball Z TV series. The footage features an original script with dialog provided by FUNimation’s English voice cast.

Dragon Ball Z’s Krillin and Gohan have three wishes… but who needs three wishes when you can have the complete package in a 2016 Ford Focus?

Christopher Sabat, voice actor and director with FUNimation, noted on Twitter that the Ford producers were as “shocked” as they were (presumably in regards to being able to produce the commercial in the first place), and that the Ford representatives “in charge of the ad-at least the ones in the session-were HUGE DBZ fans. They couldn’t believe it.“