Kanzenshuu

“Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission” 18th Week Sales

Published by VegettoEX03 July 2013, 10:05 AM EDTCommentUltimate Mission

Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission for the Japanese Nintendo 3DS may finally be falling back off the charts for good after a lengthy second-wind. The game is completely absent on the Media Create list, but it pushed another 4,029 copies last week (the period of 24 June 2013 to 30 June 2013), its 18th week since release, according to the Famitsu sales list.

Though it fell off the Media Create list and is #22 on the Famitsu list, these sales figures are actually right about in line with how the game did last week. Strong debuts this week from Gundam, Toukiden, and Sekaiju no Meikyuu / Etrian Odyssey games were the likely culprits for pushing Ultimate Mission down below the #20 mark.

Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission for the Japanese Nintendo 3DS is available for purchase at CDJapan and Play-Asia. As we feel compelled to note each time, however, the Nintendo 3DS is region-locked and Ultimate Mission will require a Japanese system for play. There is currently no word on an international release of the game.

Content

New Translations: Akira Toriyama Messages

Published by VegettoEX02 July 2013, 12:42 PM EDTComment

While Akira Toriyama has clearly been busy getting ready for a new manga project (which will be hitting Japanese and English Weekly Shōnen Jump at the same time in two weeks), he has still managed to pen a couple messages for specific audiences and colleagues.

The first collected volume of Dragon Ball SD, Naho Ooishi‘s spin-off/reboot manga from Saikyō Jump, saw its release back in April. Included as a bonus in the volume was a message to Ooishi from Toriyama himself:

Naho Ooishi-san, congratulations on Dragon Ball SD‘s becoming a comics volume!
I am thankful for you always livening up Dragon Ball as a cute, fun color manga on my behalf.
Please take good care of Goku & company from here on out!

Toriyama and Ooishi shared comments together back in 2009 with Ooishi’s two-part manga adaptation of the 2008 Jump Super Anime Tour Special (“Heya! Son Goku and Friends Return!!“), the spin-off author’s first official work on the franchise.

Akira Toriyama also recently shared comments in the special artbook for the traveling exhibit, “The World of Dragon Ball”:

Thank you for coming out to the Dragon Ball Exhibition!

In spite of being a work from quite a while back, there are many people who have either been fans ever since back then, or gotten interested in it recently; I am truly happy for it to be supported by all you fans from around the world.

And now, in 2013, they’ve made a brand-new animated movie!
I’ll be happy as can be if you enjoy watching it with heart-pounding excitement!
Only, it won’t make you cry.

Check out our report from the exhibit for more information on the type of material on display. The exhibit’s next and final stop will be held in the Matsuzakaya Museum, which is on the seventh floor of the South Wing of the Matsuzakaya Department Store in Nagoya from 27 July 2013 (Saturday) to 01 September 2013 (Sunday).

News

Namco-Bandai Dragon Ball Game Panel at Anime Expo 2013

Published by VegettoEX01 July 2013, 6:39 PM EDT3 CommentsBattle of Z

While it had already been listed on the convention’s schedule for a little bit, today Namco-Bandai unveiled their plans for a special Dragon Ball-focused panel at Anime Expo taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center over the upcoming July 4th weekend.

NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Presents – DRAGON BALL Z

On Saturday July 6 from 10:00AM – 11:00AM, NAMCO BANDAI Games will be holding a very special panel session (room LP1) on Dragon Ball Z, including a deeper look at their just announced brand new DRAGON BALL Z game, DRAGON BALL Z Battle of Z. The panel will be moderated by Urian Brown (SHONEN JUMP Alpha) and will feature Atsushi Minowa & Shuhei Sekii (Game Producers – DRAGON BALL Z Battle of Z), Christopher Sabat (DRAGON BALL Z voice actor) and Hisashi Sasaki (Former editor-in-chief of Weekly SHONEN JUMP). Exciting surprises and giveaways are planned!

Last week, in conjunction with the August 2013 issue of V-Jump, the upcoming Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Vita game Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z was simultaneously announced for a Japanese, European, North American, and beyond release, though no exact date has been specified.

News

Selecta Visión Releasing New DB & DBZ Remasters in Spain

Published by VegettoEX01 July 2013, 9:48 AM EDT1 Comment

Having wrapped up a release of the entire franchise a few years ago over in Spain (via double-disc releases and later larger box sets), Selecta Visión recently announced their intention to bring yet another remaster of the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z TV series to DVD starting this September.

While their previous DVD releases were based on Japan’s Dragon Box masters, they suffered from the standard PAL conversion issues (primarily ghosting), which the company plans to address with these new releases via a new progressive PAL master. The same five language tracks from the previous releases (Castilian Spanish, Japanese, Galician, Basque, and Catalan) will still be included. As before, the new sets will be uncut in the show’s original 4:3 aspect ratio.

Each of the two series will have seven box sets, and the two series will begin their release simultaneously with a completion date planned for October 2014. “Dragon Box 1” – La Saga de los Saiyans – will cover Dragon Ball Z episodes 1-40 across eight DVDs.

Big thanks to forumite Saago for the heads-up!

News

“Battle of Gods” Home Release Updates & JSAT Inclusion

Published by VegettoEX30 June 2013, 10:48 AM EDT6 CommentsDBZ Movie 2013

Listings for the various Japanese home releases of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods have updated with a few key bits of information regarding their packaging and bonus inclusions.

The slipcover that will accompany all verisons has been updated from a standing shot of Goku to one of the first key art examples released for the film. The English title has also been corrected from “The Battle of Gods” back to simply “Battle of Gods”, while the Japanese Kami to Kami (“God and God”) has also been included.

The design of the box for the “Limited Edition” version (on both DVD and Blu-ray) has been altered to include Super Saiyan God Son Goku, while the “three-dimensional wall figure” has also been given a slight overhaul.

Of particular note is an update to the bonus DVD that will accompany both the Blu-Ray and DVD “Limited Edition” versions. While the disc will still contain recording footage, interviews, and coverage from the film’s opening, it will also include the 2008 Jump Super Anime Tour Special, “Heya! Son Goku and Friends Return!!” As it will be on a DVD, the special will obviously be presented in standard-definition, although it will still be in its original widescreen aspect ratio.

So far, the Jump Super Anime Tour Special had only been available on DVD in Japan through a mail-in order form via Weekly Shōnen Jump, V-Jump, and Jump SQ up through February 2009. There was no international release of the special, though Tarble was included as a playable character in all versions of Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Tarble’s voice actor, Masakazu Morita, returned to the franchise to voice Whis in Battle of Gods.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods will be available on DVD and Blu-ray (in standard and “Limited Edition” versions) in Japan 13 September 2013, with certain retailers (such as Amazon and HMV) having special editions of their own with even more bonus materials and packaging.

News

Ryō-san & Gintoki Announced For “J-Stars Victory Vs”

Published by VegettoEX29 June 2013, 12:39 PM EDT2 CommentsJ-Stars

Hot on the heels of the Kenshin and Ichigo reveals this past month, next week’s issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan (WJ #31, due out 01 July 2013) is set to announce the inclusion of two more characters for the upcoming “team battle action” game J-Stars Victory Vs on the PlayStation 3 and Vita: Kankichi Ryōtsu (Kochikame) and Sakata Gintoki (Gintama), making up the “city-slicker contingent”.

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Ryō-san will fight with a bazooka, and can also sneak up and snipe with a rifle. In one screenshot featured in the magazine, the hapless policeman can be seen frantically pedaling away from a Kamehameha on his faithful bicycle, Chidori. As his finishing move, Ryō-san can bring lightning down upon his ~~station chief~~ opponents, as just one of the various patterns for the characters.

Gintoki, while also including quite a bit of gag-elements (including a scooter), does get serious when the time comes, and as the “White Demon”, he is described as being quite incredible.

The short feature also explains a bit about finishing techniques as well as special character actions; for example, Luffy stretches and Goku transforms.

Ryō-san has popped up in various Dragon Ball-related works over the years, and should be a hysterical inclusion alongside the rest of the cast. The two franchises’ most recent crossover with each other took place back in 2006 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Kochikame, with Akira Toriyama contributing to a Chō-Kochikame chapter featuring the bumbling police officer’s attempts to take control of the parking situation on Planet Namek. We covered two Dragon Ball and Kochikame crossovers back on Episode #0302 of our podcast last year, so check it out for more information!

Gintama regularly makes Dragon Ball jokes and parodies, with the Gintaman opening animation spoof on “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” certainly being one of the best.

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Celebrating the 45th anniversary of Jump, the game will launch for the PlayStation 3 and Vita, though a release date has not yet been set, and there is also no word on any kind of international release. Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece), and Toriko (Toriko) were the first three characters teased for what was originally known as Project Versus J, with Naruto being announced alongside the formal name change.

News

FUNimation “Top Seven Fan Favorite Fights” Survey

Published by VegettoEX28 June 2013, 11:35 AM EDT1 Comment

Hot on the heels of their most recent survey regarding a potential re-release of the Dragon Ball Z TV series on Blu-ray, FUNimation is requesting fan opinions on yet another subject: favorite fights in the series.

funi_bestfights_chars

Earlier this month, Walmart’s website listings let slip that FUNimation was planning on releasing two budget-priced, “Best Of”-type DVDs with the “Top Seven Fan Favorite Fights” for both Goku and Vegeta later this year in October. It appears that the company truly is reaching out to its fans to determine the included fights!

Win or lose, there’s no denying that Goku and Vegeta are the greatest warriors the universe has ever seen. We’ve witnessed them grow from skilled fighters into almighty Super Saiyans. In honor of their greatest battles, we’re going right to the source and letting you, the fans, pick the best fights for a new line of upcoming DVD releases. Help us decide, once and for all, the absolute best Goku and Vegeta fights in the Dragon Ball Z franchise by voting for your favorites. The seven fights with the most fan votes will be chosen to create the most non-stop, action-packed Dragon Ball Z release you have ever seen!

News

Weekly Shōnen Jump “Battle of Z” (360/PS3/Vita) Updates

Published by VegettoEX27 June 2013, 7:10 AM EDTCommentBattle of Z

Next week’s issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan (WJ #31, due out 01 July 2013) is set to announce a few gameplay tidbits for the upcoming Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Vita game, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z.

The promotional splash in the magazine focuses on the “GENKI Gauge” (or energy meter), which increases the more you attack your opponent. When it fills to the limit, a super effect is activated that influences the outcome of the battle. Therefore, using combos, like with Meteor Chain, is an effective way to get the meter to fill up quickly.

Also spotlighted is the “energy share” feature, which you can use to share Ki with your teammates.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, a new game from developer Artdink, is due out for the 360, PS3, and Vita at some point in the future in Japan, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Brazil.

News

“Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission” 17th Week Sales

Published by VegettoEX26 June 2013, 9:19 AM EDTCommentUltimate Mission

Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission for the Japanese Nintendo 3DS drops a little bit in sales this week, but continues to maintain its hold on the charts (and gamers’ hearts). The game pushed another 3,957 copies last week (the period of 17 June 2013 to 23 June 2013), its 17th week since release. According to Media Create, the game has sold 212,273 total copies.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0337

Published by VegettoEX24 June 2013, 5:46 PM EDTComment

It was a pretty eventful week filled with news in the Dragon World, so we took the opportunity this episode to really dig deep into it all as well as discuss some of the great content that has been popping up on the site throughout the month of June. From an in-depth discussion about the upcoming Battle of Z video game to international movie news to interviews from the 80s, 90s, 00s, and beyond, our podcast here at Kanzenshuu this week has something for every type of Dragon Ball fan!

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SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0337! VegettoEX and Julian dive into a huge week’s worth of news including “Dragon Ball Heroes” updates, “Battle of Gods” international news, and more. Joe stops by to talk about the newly-announced “Battle of Z” video game before the group dives back into discussing the wealth of content posted to the website throughout the month of June.

REFERENCED SITES:

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum!