Kanzenshuu

“Kuroko” & “Sket Dance” Support Chars. Join “J-Stars Victory Vs”

Published by VegettoEX07 December 2013, 10:32 AM EST1 CommentJ-Stars

A couple weeks back, the 2013 #52 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan debuted another four support characters for the March 2014 Jump-franchise crossover fighting game extravaganza, J-Stars Victory Vs.

Himeko (Hime Onizuka), Bossun (Yūsuke Fujisaki), and Switch (Kazuyoshi Usui) from Sket Dance work together to support the player: first, Switch analyses the state of the battle via his laptop, and then either Himeko will attack an opponent nearby, or Bossun will fire pachinko balls via slingshot at an opponent farther away.

Tetsuya Kuroko from Kuroko’s Basketball, meanwhile, uses some fancy dribbling as misdirection, luring the opponent’s attention away from the player and creating an opening.

The article also mentions that scenes from the original manga series the characters belong to will be recreated in-game, with Toriko shown sinking his teeth into a gigantic piece of meat.

J-Stars Victory Vs is due out 19 March 2014 in Japan on the PlayStation 3 and Vita. Regular and “Limited Edition” versions will be available for both platforms. Son Goku and Vegeta are the two characters currently announced from Dragon Ball, alongside a wealth of other characters from Jump series old and new alike.

For those interested in importing the game, CDJapan is currently running a double-reward-points bonus — up to 1600 points — for orders through the 20th of this month. The company has both the “Limited Edition” (PS3/Vita) and regular edition (PS3/Vita) versions for pre-order.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0349

Published by VegettoEX03 December 2013, 12:56 PM ESTComment

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is the gift that keeps on giving for our podcast here at Kanzenshuu. Before the movie came out, we attempted to figure out which “AGE” it would take place in during the Dragon World’s chronology. We dove into the original scripts and drafts for the movie. We have even reviewed the movie twice: once after its Japanese theatrical debut, and once again after its Japanese home release.

This time around, we take a look at what new information the film has added to the Dragon World. From new Saiyan back-history to new gods to entire new universes, the film adds much more to the series than anything else has done in a very long time!

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0349! VegettoEX and Herms dive back into “Battle of Gods” to review all of the new information it has added to the Dragon World. The Saiyans have a new legend erased from history, the god hierarchy continues to expand, and new universes are out there potentially filled with strong new opponents!

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0348

Published by VegettoEX25 November 2013, 8:05 PM EST2 Comments

Five years ago, Dragon Ball fans around the world received something perhaps more innovative and exciting than anything that has even come since: a global streaming initiative for the 2008 Jump Super Anime Tour Special — Heya! Son Goku and Friends Return!! — which was freely viewable along with a selection of subtitles in various languages.

Since then, we have seen Dragon Ball Kai come and go (and come again in the near future), Dragon Ball Evolution whimper in and out, and most recently, Battle of Gods has proudly made its mark on the franchise. We wanted to go back to the 2008 special and see if it held up as well as it seemed to at the time, and how a repeated viewing of it may differ in light of Battle of Gods, especially with both features taking place during the same otherwise blank spot in the Dragon World’s history.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0348! VegettoEX, Meri, and Herms dive back into the 2008 Jump Super Anime Tour Special. Now that five years have passed since its original release, how does it hold up? Does the release and production style of “Battle of Gods” color our enjoyment of the 2008 special in any way? We let you know what we think, and you all do the same!

REFERENCED SITES:

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum.

News

First Int’l Home Release of “Battle of Gods” Available in Hong Kong

Published by VegettoEX22 November 2013, 1:11 PM EST5 CommentsDBZ Movie 2013

The first international home video release of the new film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is available today-ish in Hong Kong via Deltamac and 20th Century Fox.

Deltamac’s official Hong Kong release is available on Blu-ray (Region A), DVD (Region 3), and VCD (region-free). The Blu-ray and DVD releases come packed with the original Japanese language track (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround) and a Cantonese dub (Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo). Also included are traditional Chinese and English subtitles.

We are still waiting to confirm the accuracy of the English subtitle track and the name spellings used therein. Deltamac’s official English description for the movie uses a “Bils” spelling for the main character Beerus (which has been officially romanized in Japanese publications as “Beers”), and we sadly have confirmation that many (if not all) of the international subtitled theatrical screenings have been going with “Bills”.

Yes-Asia placed the movie up for pre-order on its Asian-focused and English-language-focused sites, though the English listing was removed shortly after its publication (but not before we were able to successfully secure a pre-order!). Play-Asia has also put the Blu-ray ($28.99) and DVD ($15.99) versions up for sale, each with free shipping on orders totaling $25 or more.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods originally opened in Japanese theaters 30 March 2013 and saw its domestic home release 13 September 2013.

The film has been secured for additional international home releases, but no others have been solidified as-of-yet, and it has not yet specifically been licensed at all for North America.

News

“Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z” (360/PS3/Vita) Near-Final Roster

Published by VegettoEX21 November 2013, 1:02 PM ESTCommentBattle of Z

The official Japanese website for the upcoming Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Vita multiplayer brawler Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z has finally updated, just now catching up with a slew of announcements over the last several weeks. Of particular interest is the website’s character selection page:

New additions to the page include previously-announced characters like Beerus and Whis from the new film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, the rest of the giant boss characters, all of Coola’s forms, etc.

At this point, only five spots remain open on the character listing. Two are already confirmed, however: Super Vegetto and Super Saiyan Bardock will join the special Son Goku in Naruto’s “Sage Mode” outfit as downloadable content as the other green-bordered selections.

The other three have not been officially unveiled, but if some leaked achievements and other hints are any indication, we will see Gotenks, Super Saiyan Gotenks, and Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks closing out the full character roster.

Battle of Z is due out in Japan and in Europe 24 January 2014, and just a few days later in North America 28 January 2014. First-pressings in Japan will come packed with a download code for Son Goku in his Naruto “Sage Mode” outfit along with a Dragon Ball Heroes card. North American and European releases will have pre-order downloadable content in the form of the Naruto outfit as well as Super Vegetto and Super Saiyan Bardock, while Europe alone will be receiving a special “Goku Edition” of the game with further physical bonus material.

News

“J Legend Retsuden” (JP 3DS) Second Week Sales Figures

Published by VegettoEX20 November 2013, 8:51 AM ESTCommentJ Legend Retsuden

Namco-Bandai’s J Legend Retsuden (“Jump Legend Biography/History”) continued with its moderate success in its second week since release. According to Famitsu, the compilation pushed 3,470 copies during its second week (covering the period of 11 November 2013 to 17 November 2013), coming in at the #30 overall spot for the week.

This was, however, a significant drop from its first week sales of 15,920 copies (according to Famitsu; last week, Media Create pegged its first week sales at 17,675 copies).

The compilation combines ten games from the Famicom and Super Famicom library — nine games on the cartridge plus one bonus downloadable for those picking up the first-pressing of the game — with five total Dragon Ball games.

J Legend Retsuden has been released exclusively in Japan for ¥4,980. Play-Asia is currently offering the game at $48.99 with free shipping. Please note, however, that the Nintendo 3DS is region-locked, and the game will require a Japanese system to play.

News

“J Legend Retsuden” (JP 3DS) First Week Sales Figures

Published by VegettoEX13 November 2013, 4:01 PM ESTCommentJ Legend Retsuden

Namco-Bandai’s J Legend Retsuden (“Jump Legend Biography/History”) launched last week in Japan on the Nintendo 3DS. The compilation combines ten games from the Famicom and Super Famicom library — nine games on the cartridge plus one bonus downloadable for those picking up the first-pressing of the game — with five total Dragon Ball games.

According to Media Create, the compilation pushed 17,675 copies during its first week (covering the period of 04 November 2013 to 10 November 2013), coming in at the #10 overall spot for the week. The nostalgia bomb appears to have been a moderate success, especially considering it was only available for four of the seven days in its reporting period.

News

Broli & Coola Forms Revealed for “Battle of Z” (360/PS3/Vita)

Published by VegettoEX12 November 2013, 2:17 PM EST1 CommentBattle of Z

Yesterday’s 2013 #50 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan reveals a few more expected characters for the upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Vita.

Coola makes a playable appearance in all of his various forms: his normal (fourth) and final (fifth) stage from DBZ Movie 5, as well as his “Metal” form from DBZ Movie 6. This is in addition to the previously-revealed giant boss “Core” version of Metal Coola that players will battle against.

Broli will also playable in his standard Super Saiyan form (prior to ramping up to “Legendary Super Saiyan”, which has not yet been formally unveiled as a playable form in the game, but has been seen in teases of the game’s opening animation).

Characters in the game will be unlockable by obtaining certain achievement in missions.

The official website for the game is a bit behind on updating its character roster, but filling out what we have already seen fully confirmed by the developer and publisher, that leaves us with seven spots unaccounted for. We have a few guesses of our own who might be taking a couple of those spots, but Jump this week goes on to tease future character reveals coming at a later date.

Battle of Z is due out in Japan and in Europe 24 January 2014, and just a few days later in North America 28 January 2014.

First-pressings in Japan will come packed with a download code for Son Goku in his Naruto “Sage Mode” outfit along with a Dragon Ball Heroes card. North American and European releases will have pre-order downloadable content in the form of the Naruto outfit as well as Super Vegetto and Super Saiyan Bardock, while Europe alone will be receiving a special “Goku Edition” of the game with further physical bonus material.

News

FUNimation DBZ Blu-ray Info & Call For Community Questions!

Published by VegettoEX07 November 2013, 2:17 PM EST39 Comments

FUNimation has issued a new press release — and familiar trailer — promoting their upcoming Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray sets, their second go at the original version of the series in high definition following the suspended “Level” sets.

While the company has also released the “refreshed” Dragon Ball Kai TV series on DVD and Blu-ray, this new batch of “season” sets mirrors their original nine bricks for the full 291-episode Dragon Ball Z TV series.

“Dragon Ball Z” Season Sets Blasting onto Blu-ray This Winter

Flower Mound, TX (November 7, 2013) – FUNimation® Entertainment has announced that it is giving the Blu-ray release of the anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z another go.

Originally attempted with the Level Sets in 2011, production was suspended due to technical challenges of the frame by frame restoration from the original film. After careful evaluation of the process, FUNimation is glad to announce that restoration has recommenced and releases will be available before years end.

Different from the Level Sets before it, the episode count on the Blu-ray Season Sets will be identical to their extremely popular DVD counterparts. Also different, is the restoration and re-mastering process being used. A bolder, more vibrant color palette is being used to produce a picture current, and future, televisions can take advantage of. The Blu-ray Season Sets will also come in a widescreen format. Precise shot-by-shot reframing of each scene has used to ensure the optimal picture when converting from its native, full screen format.

“We want Dragon Ball Z to be a part of the modern, HD experience,” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and president at FUNimation Entertainment. “We want people to see it and know that the time and care has been taken to give them something similar to what they’d see being created today.”

Each set of three releases will feature never-before-seen triptych cover art, showcasing the major heroes and villains from Dragon Ball Z’s three major sagas.

Included in the Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Season Sets will be a nine-part extra features special that spans the entirety of the releases. Each Season Set will include brand new cast interviews, retrospectives, and fan submissions.

Dragon Ball Z: Season One (Blu-ray) will be available online and at retail stores on December 31, 2013.

To celebrate the announcement of this release, FUNimation is having a 4-day only, pre-order special on their website. From November 7 – November 11, fans can pre-order Dragon Ball Z: Season One (Blu-ray) for $24.74 (45% off). Click this link to view the sale.

Dragon Ball Z: Season One (Blu-ray) Summary

The Saiyans are coming! These ruthless, intergalactic villains carved a path of destruction across the galaxy, and now they’re headed for Earth! The evil Saiyan warlord Vegeta will not rest until he’s seized the wish-granting powers of the Dragon Balls for himself! Goku vs. Vegeta! The battle of all battles begins now!

Make room on your shelves because the Dragon Ball Z Season Sets are finally on Blu-ray! We embarked on a frame-by-frame restoration process to remove any blemishes, tape marks, and foreign bodies that might have tarnished your viewing experience. All three audio tracks have been re-mastered in the interest of noise reduction and superior sound quality. The bolder, more vibrant color of this ultimate Dragon Ball Z release closely mirrors the visual aesthetics of today’s entertainment. Lastly, we undertook a precise shot-by-shot reframing of the entire series to create a modern HD widescreen presentation of this legendary fan favorite! It’s time to experience Dragon Ball Z like you’ve never experienced it before!

We Want Your Questions!

Leading up to this release, FUNimation has asked the Kanzenshuu readership/listenership/community to submit questions about the Blu-rays to be published in an exclusive future article.

Do you have questions, concerns, or thoughts about the remastering process? Cropping? Color palette? Episode count? Compression? Audio? Pass your questions along, and we will get to the bottom of it! Registered members can simply respond here on the news post, but anyone at all can hit us up with an e-mail via our contact form, or submit questions via Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

News

“Saikyō Jump” December 2013 Issue Overview

Published by VegettoEX07 November 2013, 9:56 AM EST1 CommentDragon Ball SD

As Shueisha promised, the December 2013 issue of Saikyō Jump — released a couple days early on 02 November 2013 due to “Culture Day” — is jam-packed with bonus Dragon Ball material, primarily in the pages of a bonus booklet itself contained within the magazine.

This month’s standard chapter of Dragon Ball SD — the 23rd since its monthly reboot — continues the recent trend of Naho Ooishi following the original manga much more closely than the more comedic take of earlier chapters, covering Goku’s climb up Karin Tower and his training with the feline Sage. The chapter, included in the magazine’s bonus booklet rather than within the regular content pages, is also presented in black-and-white for the first time ever. There is also a single-page bonus in the magazine proper which features Oolong once again getting the jump on Pilaf, wishing for a special Dragon Ball featured in this month’s issue.

Much like how the December 2013 issue of V-Jump contained an “Away-Edition” chapter of Dragon Ball SD by Naho Ooishi, Saikyō Jump returns the favor with an “Away Mission” bonus chapter of Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission by Toyotarō, entitled “Simulation”. The chapter showcases Beat fighting in a battle simulation alongside his cards of young Goku, Kuririn, and Kame-Sen’nin (the same ones included with the issue) against Master Sergeant Murasaki at Muscle Tower, and getting help from Note and Kabra as support characters through a new feature introduced in Heroes JM 1.

The third manga inclusion is a separate Dragon Ball Heroes-based comic, subtitled Rookie Charisma Mission Episode 0. Penned not by Toyotarō, but instead by newcomer “Yoshitaka Nagayama”, it depicts the daily life and “training” of new Battle Navigators Tsubasa and Momo-chan in cute cartoony style.

The special booklet also includes much info on the new “Ja’akuryū (Evil Dragon) Mission”, with three JM 1-specific Dragon Ball Heroes cards to jump start your deck: Son Goku: Boyhood, Kuririn: Boyhood, and Kame-Sen’nin. A set of “mini-card stickers” is packed in as well, depicting various Dragon Ball Heroes cards. Rounding out the issue’s Dragon Ball-themed bonus material is a double-sided JIS B3-sized poster, with promotional art for Dragon Ball Heroes JM 1 on one side, and an illustration by creator Akira Toriyama (originally drawn as a bonus poster for Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 1986 #12 in commemoration of the anime, which would begin airing the following week) on the other.

The December 2013 issue of Saikyō Jump is currently available for order online via CDJapan and Amazon Japan.

The January 2014 issue is due out next month — 04 December 2013 — and will mark the start of serialization for an “anime comic” adaptation of Dragon Ball GT:

ドラゴンボール新迪載!!
「ドラゴンボール GT アニメコミック」
あの伝説のアニメが読める!!
たくさんの悟空と会えるぞ!!

A new Dragon Ball serial!!
Dragon Ball GT — Anime Comic
You’ll be able to read that legendary anime!!
You can see lots of Goku!!

The January 2014 issue is also available for pre-order on CDJapan.