Kanzenshuu

Published by VegettoEX04 December 2014, 10:35 AM ESTCommentDragon Ball SD

Within just the last couple weeks, Shueisha unexpectedly revealed the quickly-upcoming third collected volume of Naho Ooishi‘s Dragon Ball SD, the spin-off/re-telling of the Dragon Ball series currently being serialized in Saikyō Jump. While a full year passed between the first and second collected volumes, this third one sees its release “only” eight months later.

The volume picks up with Chapter 19 of the monthly/bi-monthly reboot of the comic as Goku, Bulma and Kuririn face General Blue, and concludes with Goku’s total rout of the Red Ribbon Army in Chapter 28. It also includes the one-page bonus comic from the December 2013 issue of Saikyō Jump, the four-page “what-if” story from the Jump Victory Carnival 2014 official booklet, and a pair of four-panel comics original to the book. It also comes with a Dragon Ball Heroes “Gotenks” card as a pack-in bonus.

The 192-page tankobon-sized volume runs ¥571 plus tax and preserves the full-color presentation from its original Saikyō Jump serialization.

Dragon Ball SD began with Saikyō Jump as a quarterly publication with four total issues in 2011 re-telling major aspects of the franchise in an even more childish tone. When the magazine switched to a monthly format in 2012, Dragon Ball SD started over at the very beginning of the series with the same kind of writing and artistic style. The publication recently switched to a bi-monthly release schedule.

Volume 3 of the collected Dragon Ball SD is available to order from CDJapan and Amazon Japan. As with the second collected volume, no digital version appears to be available simultaneously alongside the print release, but may (and likely will) come at a later point in time.

Content

New Translation: 1986 Weekly Jump Character Biographies

Published by VegettoEX01 December 2014, 8:07 PM ESTComment

Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to check out DB30YEARS, our special Dragon Ball 30th anniversary magazine. A few major research projects have recently taken place at various Kanzenshuu headquarters around the world, and you can read some highlights from them in the magazine, including some of our dives into the original serialization of the series in Weekly Shōnen Jump. For example, how old do you think Gohan is when he is first introduced…? Four-years-old, right? You might be surprised!

We recently acquired a copy of the 1986 #37 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. The issue contains Chapter 087 of the series, right as Goku is about to climb Karin Tower during the Red Ribbon Army arc. Accompanying the chapter is a series of brief biographical information for some of the major characters, printed long before things like the Daizenshuu were ever conceived, and even over a year before the Adventure Special — the first true guide book to the series — would hit shelves.

Most notably, it is the only place that has ever printed Bulma’s birth date…! If you choose to reconcile all available information, you can start piecing together precisely when Battle of Gods might take place in AGE 778, and what other contradictions there might be.

Head on over to the material’s new archive page in our “Translations” section for the full scoop. Be sure to check out the translation notes at the bottom, which cross-reference later material published in books like the Daizenshuu and the Super Exciting Guide volumes.

News

“Dragon Ball XENOVERSE” Reveals in January 2015 V-Jump

Published by VegettoEX27 November 2014, 12:31 PM ESTCommentXenoverse

The January 2015 issue of V-Jump hit Japanese shelves this past week, and beyond major reveals about the 2015 Dragon Ball Z film, a wealth of video game tidbits have been unleashed.

Dragon Ball XENOVERE will feature Beerus and Whis as playable characters, where “that famous scene” from the movie will be recreated in the game.

Toki Toki City is centered on the Time Vault, but also has a number of other facilities. The Time Vault itself is a temple administered by the Kaiōshin of Time, and using a scroll you receive (named “Book of Endings and Beginnings”), you travel to different time periods. Due to the influence of Towa and Mira, history is destroyed and it is implied that the scroll has become torn. As a member of the Time Patrol, it is your duty to go back and repair history. When you succeed in your mission, history is successfully patched up, but the fragments of history that are created in the repair form the “Parallel Quests” that you use to train. There are situations that would be impossible in the original story, such as fighting against Goku alongside Raditz, or fighting against the Ginyu Special Force in a city.

The magazine also notes the different play modes in the online world of Toki Toki City. You can do “Free Battle” as the super warrior of your choice, whether alone or with a friend. The Tenka’ichi Budōkai feature, also recently showcased on Facebook by Bandai Namco, will allow you to face off against opponents from around the world in a real-time tournament. Mr. Satan in particular is shown showboating, while more screen shots display how you can recreate epic battles by yourself or with an opponent. As detailed before, you will also be able to become a sort of student underneath the tutelage of characters like Goku and Vegeta, doing battle against them in order to obtain super techniques. Learn the Kamehameha from Goku himself as they hang out around the city waiting to teach you!

A battle against the Great Ape (“Ōzaru”) Vegeta is also shown off, which will appear both in the main story and parallel quest missions. As a Saiyan’s only weakness is their tail, there’s an action you can take where you aim for the tail, pick them up by it, and throw them!

Bardock and Nappa also appear in silhouette, though it is not clear if this refers to them simply showing up or also appearing as Great Apes…!

Pre-order information is noted in the magazine and is also available on the game’s official website, detailing four “patrol perks” that come with the first pressing of the game. Included among them are a download code to obtain Jaco as a playable character, a download code to obtain a Kame-sen’nin character customization set, the Dragon Ball Heroes card “Trunks: Xeno”, and a serial code to obtain “Trunks: Xeno” within the upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle smartphone game.

The company recently uploaded a 15-second commercial for the game, which also notes the Jaco first-pressing bonus:

Dragon Ball XENOVERSE — currently in development by Dimps for Bandai Namco — will be released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The game will release for the four consoles 05 February 2015 in Japan, 13 February 2015 in Europe, and 17 February 2015 in the Americas. The PC version seems to be on track for a global release via Steam 17 February 2015.

News

Bandai Namco Holdings Q2 Fiscal 2015 Figures

Published by VegettoEX26 November 2014, 6:50 PM ESTCommentFinancial

Bandai Namco Holdings has posted a ¥21.272 billion (approximately $180.6 million) net income for the first half of fiscal year 2015.

Dragon Ball came in as the eighth-best-performing franchise for the company with ¥5.3 billion in net sales (down just slightly from ¥5.4 billion the same half last year). The company is projecting ¥13.8 billion yen for the full fiscal year, up a good bit from the ¥11.4 it pulled in last fiscal year. While not stated, this can likely be attributed to the major update coming to Dragon Ball Heroes, the upcoming Dragon Ball XENOVERSE, and the upcoming new theatrical movie; each of these will provide Bandai Namco will substantial merchandising opportunities.

In terms of general toys and hobby merchandise (non-video games), the franchise dropped slightly in net sales from ¥3.5 billion the first half of last year to ¥2.9 billion this half. The company is forecasting ¥5.5 billion for the year, a drop from the ¥6.4 billion it brought in during the entirety of fiscal 2014.

News

Bandai Namco “Dragon Ball XENOVERSE” Live Stream December 4

Published by VegettoEX26 November 2014, 6:27 PM ESTCommentXenoverse

Bandai Namco has announced a live stream to show off additional gameplay from Dragon Ball XENOVERSE and answer questions from fans on their Twitch channel 04 December 2014:

It’s time to show off some Dragon Ball Xenoverse action.

What do the in-game transformations look like? Can we play 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 battles? What’s the range of character customization? How does my character progress and unlock new abilities?

We will answer all of these questions and more LIVE during our Dragon Ball Xenoverse livestream on Thursday, Dec. 4th from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM PST.

It will be hosted on our Twitch channel, Twitch.TV/BandaiNamcoUS, so jump over there right now and follow us so you can be alerted when we go live with other games as well!

If you have more questions about Dragon Ball Xenoverse make sure you bring those to the chat so we can try to get you all the information you want. And of course we’ll have prizes to give away throughout the stream. We have Blu-Rays, games, and all sorts of cool Dragon Ball prizes. We look forward to seeing everyone there! (And if you can’t make it live, yes the archive will be available on Twitch and YouTube to catch up on.)

Thanks to Super Saiyan Prime for the heads-up!

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0371

Published by VegettoEX25 November 2014, 5:58 PM ESTComment

It’s been a while, but it’s time for us to get back into the swing of things! Our celebratory magazine for Dragon Ball‘s 30th anniversary — DB30YEARS, which you can download for absolutely free right here on our website — is one of the subjects of discussion this week. How did it come to be, who are some of the people involved, and what are some of the articles you can look forward to? In addition to that, the upcoming 2015 movie — Revival of “F” — is obviously another gigantic piece of news, so between the movie and the magazine, we have you covered!

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0371! VegettoEX and Hujio return to celebrate nine years of the podcast and thirty years of “Dragon Ball”…! We have a new movie on the horizon bringing us the return of Freeza, so tune in for the latest and most comprehensive news. Stick around for a recap of our “DB30YEARS” anniversary magazine, and then head on over to our website to download it for absolutely free!

REFERENCED SITES:

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook,Google+, and Tumblr.

News

“One Piece x Dragon Ball” Jump Festa ’15 Panel Preview

Published by VegettoEX22 November 2014, 10:32 AM ESTComment

The official website for Jump Festa ’15 has updated with a schedule overview featuring the cast and panel members for each showcase. The “One Piece x Dragon Ball Panel” is scheduled for Saturday, 20 December 2014, from 4:40 to 5:20 p.m.

Panelists set to appear include:

Masako Nozawa (Son Goku, Dragon Ball / Dr. Kureha, One Piece)
Ryusei Nakao (Freeza, Dragon Ball / Caesar Clown, One Piece)
Mayumi Tanaka (Kuririn, Dragon Ball / Luffy, One Piece)
Kazuya Nakai (Zoro, One Piece)
Akemi Okamura (Nami, One Piece)
Kappei Yamaguchi (Goku [JP dub voice], Dragon Ball Evolution / Usopp, One Piece)
Hiroaki Hirata (Sanji, One Piece)
Ikue Otani (Chopper, One Piece)
Yuriko Yamaguchi (Robin, One Piece)
Kazuki Yao (Franky, One Piece)
Chō (Brook, One Piece)

Among the other guests, Nozawa and Tanaka provided quotes in anticipation of the event:

野沢雅子さん（孫悟空役）
オッス　オラ悟空！オラと一緒に楽しもうぜ。みんなさそって来てくれよな。よろしくね。待ってるよ！

Masako Nozawa-san (Voice: Son Goku)
Heya! I’m Goku! Let’s have fun together. Invite everybody along, OK? I appreciate it. I’ll be waiting for you!

田中真弓さん（モンキー・Ｄ・ルフィ役）
みんなに会えるのが楽しみでたまらねぇ！ゴムゴムのバビューンで飛んで行くぜ！

Mayumi Tanaka-san (Voice: Monkey D. Luffy)
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone so much, I can’t stand it! I’m gonna fly over there with a Gum-Gum Boyooiinng!

While the content of the panel itself has yet to be publicized, the presence of the voices of Goku, Kuririn, and a certain villain whose name starts with “F” all but guarantees that the subject will turn to the upcoming 2015 theatrical movie. We will be sure to update with more information as it becomes available.

Thanks to Peking Duck for the heads-up!

News

“Dragon Ball SD” Volume 3 Coming in December 2014

Published by VegettoEX21 November 2014, 2:52 PM ESTCommentDragon Ball SD

A full year went by between the first and second collected volumes of Dragon Ball SD, the slightly-more-slapticky manga retelling of the series from Naho Ooishi published within each issue of Saikyō Jump. Volume 2 hit physical shelves this past April, followed by a slightly-delayed digital release in July.

A third volume has already been announced for release, and it is coming sooner than one might think, hitting shelves 04 December 2014 for ¥571 + tax.

There is certainly enough content to compile, but only just barely: this third volume should pick up with the 19th monthly chapter, and if it contains nine chapters (a la the first two volumes), that puts us with only six more monthly chapters that would be as-of-yet unpublished. The standard 192 pages are listed on Shueisha’s website. The volume is available for pre-order at CDJapan.

Saikyō Jump seems to have hit a rocky patch recently, jumping to a bi-monthly release with no prior announcement to the September 2014 issue actually being released and spilling the details in a small splash in the back of the magazine. Ooishi had been working on twelve spine images to last the entire year of the magazine, though the bi-monthly release means these will not all be used.

News

Raditz & Paikuhan “Zenkai Battle Royale” V-Jump Profiles

Published by VegettoEX21 November 2014, 1:05 PM ESTCommentZenkai Battle Royale

The November 2014 issue of V-Jump — released back in September — announced Raditz and Paikuhan as upcoming playable inclusions in Zenkai Battle Royale, the Japan-exclusive, arcade-only, multiplayer fighting game. Last month’s December 2014 issue and this month’s January 2015 issue dive into these characters a bit more.

Raditz has the ability to turn on his scouter, which detects attacks around you with a special icon. His “Two Hand Blaster” is a blast emitted from — appropriately enough — both hands. With additional input, you can use it to his a separate opponent, as well. His “Machinegun Rush” is a combo with a quick flurry of hits. Combined with “Scouter: On” being activated, the finishing move in your combo with cause sparks to fly with a fancy finish! Raditz also has a “Cancel Counter” which allow you to interrupt your opponent’s combo or finishing move with your own counter.

Paikuhan is incredibly fast. His “Thunder Flash” has him placing both fists together on in front as he quickly unleashes a range attack. With “I won’t let you!” Paikuhan can move quickly, causing a whirlwind, to get directly in front of an opponent, blocking their path. His “Burning Shoot” is a super-speed counter attack, which can also be activated mid-dash.

Both Raditz and Paikuhan will be available for play in the game next month. Other recent additions to the roster have included Vegetto and Janenba. Zenkai Battle Royale first test-launched in Japanese arcades at the end of 2010 and, while it has continued to receive constant updates since then, has not had a home port announced.

News

“Dragon Ball XENOVERSE” New Screen Shot Gallery Posted

Published by VegettoEX21 November 2014, 10:55 AM ESTCommentXenoverse

The official Facebook page for Dragon Ball video games has posted a new gallery featuring 42 screen shots from the upcoming Dragon Ball XENOVERSE (PS4/PS3/XBO/360).

Rejoice fans! The renowned “Tenkaichi Budokai” (World Tournament) from the DRAGONBALL universe will be a major feature in the upcoming DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE! Fighters from all around the world will keep an eye on the Lobby to take part in epic brawls regularly organised by BANDAI NAMCO Games!

Among the new details garnered by our reporters: the players’ guide will be Trunks, the time-traveler! Thanks to him, all the players’ avatars will meet the Supreme Kai of Time in the “Toki Storage Room”, meet and greet or fight other avatars, customise their characters’ skills and clothes, train with their chosen master and finally, take part in Time Patrol Quests (Story Mode) and Parallel Quests (Co-op Play Mode)!

Speaking about quests… Players will be able to fight gigantic foes such as Great Ape Vegeta (in Time Patrol or Parallel quests)! Moreover, it seems that the story of the movie “Battle of Gods” has been altered…! What are Beerus and Whis doing here???

View the company’s Facebook page for a complete gallery.

Dragon Ball XENOVERSE — currently in development by Dimps for Bandai Namco — will be released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The game will release for the four consoles 05 February 2015 in Japan, 13 February 2015 in Europe (where a “Trunks’ Travel Edition” will also be released), and 17 February 2015 in the Americas. The PC version is set for a global release via Steam 17 February 2015.