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Releases Recap Redux: Early 2013 Dragon Ball Products
Published by 19 February 2013, 10:18 AM EST2 Comments

Back at the beginning of the year we outlined all of the upcoming releases for the Dragon Ball franchise for at least the first couple months of 2013. Even more products have been revealed since then, and it can be a challenge to keep track of everything. You told us it was helpful and we found it helpful for our own purposes, so let’s dive back in!

Similar to the last go-around, please note that some items do not have an official release date announced just yet — additional products like Project Versus J on the PlayStation 3 & Vita will make their way into the schedule eventually, as well as any additional Battle of Gods merchandise that gets pumped out the door. For now, these are the confirmed items up through the end of April. As always, let us know if you foreign folks have anything else coming your way that we can add to the list.

21 February 2013

22 February 2013

  • Dragon Ball: DVD Box 6 (TV Episodes 123-153)
    Availability: Amazon Germany

23 February 2013

28 February 2013

04 March 2013

05 March 2013

12 March 2013

20 March 2013

27 March 2013

31 March 2013 (Approximate Date)

04 April 2013

12 April 2013

24 April 2013

Podcast
Podcast Episode #0324
Published by 18 February 2013, 7:11 PM ESTComment

It is another jam-packed week for the podcast here at Kanzenshuu. In addition to the overwhelming amount of news that continues to find its way to us, our main topic this week is all about taking your fandom to its full potential: for us, that is having Julian audition for a TV show in Japan! Hoko x Tate recently put out the call for the greatest Dragon Ball nerds in Japan, and we responded in full. Listen in for wondrous tales of mystical adventures.

hokotate_dragonball_splash

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0324! VegettoEX, Hujio, and Julian discuss all the latest news for the franchise before diving in to Julian’s “Hoko x Tate” audition adventures. What was it like to gather with the greatest fans in Japan, how did the audition process go, and what can we expect in the future?

REFERENCED SITES:

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum.

News
Weekly Jump 2013 #12 Dragon Ball Promotions
Published by 18 February 2013, 10:03 AM EST2 Comments

Today’s issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan (2013 #12) spills the beans on a massive amount of additional promotions for the Dragon Ball franchise coming soon to Japan.

As a part of the lead-up to the upcoming film, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (set for release 30 March 2013), three satellite channels (Toei Channel, Fuji TV Two Drama/Anime, and Animax) will be airing all thirteen Dragon Ball Z movies along with the Bardock and Trunks TV specials.

A new, multi-pronged promotion will be taking place at Lawson and Mini Stop convenience stores and Aeon malls. Starting 12 March 2013, by traveling to the different stores, you can collect stamps with characters’ “cool faces” on them. With receipts from Lawson, Mini Stop, or Aeon, you can enter to win valuable prizes.

Beginning one week earlier, on 05 March 2013, there will be an opportunity to win a Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicle in Capsule Corporation livery — you will have a chance to enter by going to the promotion site and taking a quiz.

capsule_car

Beginning 12 March 2013, by downloading the “Get Them! Dragon Balls!” app for iOS or Android and going around to the three stores, you can begin collecting Dragon Balls. Gather all seven together, and something will happen!

As for new products, one of 12 different earphone jack figures will come with Kirin Beverages’ new “FIRE Smoked Coffee BLACK” drink starting 12 March 2013. Things kick off again even sooner, though, on 28 February 2013 with the second round of Dragon Ball toys at KFC included with “Smile Set” kids meals:

kfc_round_2

  • “Fusion Spoon & Fork” (a fork on one end, a spoon on the other)
  • “Nyoi-bō Chopstick Set” (orange chopsticks and a cloth pouch shaped like Goku’s dōgi)
  • “Hoi-Poi Capsule “Compact Towel” (which comes in a little package but spreads out to full size by soaking in water, after which you can use it)
  • Two kinds of mini-lunch cases
News
“Battle of Gods” Soundtrack + CD Single Details
Published by 15 February 2013, 8:37 AM EST2 Comments

We have been waiting for quite some time for a reveal of the cover art for FLOW’s upcoming “double A-side” CD single featuring “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” and “HERO ~Song of Hope~”, the main theme and insert song (respectively) for the upcoming film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. We knew the first pressing would come with a bonus illustration, and we knew the track listing… but that was it!

The band and Ki/oon Music have revealed not only the cover art for the “Limited Edition First-Pressing Version” (with the Dragon Ball characters) and the “Limited Edition Regular Version” (with the band drawn in Toriyama-style), but also the cover art for another CD that had not actually even been announced yet: the original soundtrack for Battle of Gods!

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flow_cover_cd_2
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The Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Original Soundtrack (KSCL-2109) is due out 27 March 2013 (three days before the film hits theaters) for a pretty standard ¥2,800. The CD will contain the “Soundtrack Version” (presumably short versions) of both FLOW songs, though nothing else is currently listed in terms of musical content, number of tracks, etc.

The CD single (KSCL-2209), as revealed earlier this month, is due out 20 March 2013 for ¥1,350.

Placing all three CDs side by side results in a complete image of Shenlong.

First pressings of both the CD single and the soundtrack will come with a limited edition designed Dragon Ball Heroes card.

News
God of Destruction Joins “Zenkai Battle Royale”
Published by 14 February 2013, 11:33 AM EST5 Comments

Zenkai Battle Royale — the Japanese-only, arcade-only, multiplayer fighting game that first test-launched back in late 2010 (and still has no word on a possible home port!) — just does not want to slow down with the updates. We most recently saw Videl and Zarbon added to the roster of playable characters, but a certain “God of Destruction” is looking to take the spotlight.

zbr_birusu_model_200w

“Birusu” will join the battle as the seventh part of the “Competition for Dragon Balls” starting 30 March 2013, the same date that Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods hits theaters across Japan. During this time period, in certain game modes, a “Competition for Dragon Balls” battle will randomly occur. These modes include single-player (when doing a battle royale or team battle in national vs. mode) and two-player (when doing a team battle in national vs. mode). If you manage to collect all seven Dragon Balls, “Birusu”, God of Destruction, is yours to use.

There are certain requirements to obtain a Dragon Ball during the matches, however. In battle royale, it is pretty simple: the person who gets first place gets one Dragon Ball. In team-battle, the winning pair get one Dragon Ball each. One of the catches is that the Dragon Balls you have collected from the previous six times they have done this sort of promotion will be reset — be prepared to collect all seven (again) during the time this particular promotion is going on.

zbr_birusu_screens

UPDATE: The April 2013 issue of V-Jump describes Birusu and his attacks in slightly more detail:

His power is one that brings about destruction!!!

Giant balls of light appear from Birusu’s hands!! Their power and their effects are a mystery, but it’s not hard to imagine that it will have incredible force!! You can’t wait for its appearance!!

“Birusu” is also making an appearance in different capacities in both “Galaxy Mission 6” and “Galaxy Mission 7” of the arcade versions of Dragon Ball Heroes, as well as the Nintendo 3DS home port, Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission, due out later this month.

News
“FLOW THE MAX!!!” Album Details
Published by 13 February 2013, 8:56 AM EST2 Comments

The Japanese band FLOW — who have two songs appearing in the upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods theatrical film — recently announced the full track listing for their eighth studio album, “FLOW THE MAX!!!”, due out 27 March 2013. The album will include both Dragon Ball Z songs, “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” (Track 14, a cover of the first opening theme to the Dragon Ball Z TV series that will be used as the main theme of the movie), and “HERO ~Song of Hope~” (Track 1, which will be used as an insert song in the movie).

Two versions of the album will be available: a standard edition (KSCL-2219 for ¥3,059) and a limited edition packed with a bonus DVD (KSCL-2217～2218 for ¥3,200). The bonus DVD will include music-video material, but no songs are specified just yet.

The “double A-side” CD single containing both “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” and “HERO ~Song of Hope~” is due out a week earlier on 20 March 2013 for ¥1,350, and will contain instrumental versions of both songs, an English version of “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA”, and a bonus remix of a prior FLOW song. “FLOW THE MAX!!!” will only contain the standard versions of the two Battle of Gods songs.

All of the CDs are available for pre-order from CDJapan and Amazon Japan.

Content
Chōzenshū 1: Overview, Translations, and More!
Published by 06 February 2013, 10:23 AM EST14 Comments

This week marked the release of Chōzenshū 1: Story & World Guide, the first in a series of four new guidebooks for the Dragon Ball franchise. They are actually a condensed version of the (originally ten-volume) Daizenshuu series of guidebooks packed with new interviews, information, and more.

We have been working tirelessly since its release on Tuesday to bring you as much as we can. We are kicking things off today with a few great additions to the website:

Overview Page
Our entry in the “Databook Guide” for the first Chōzenshū is complete! All sections from the book — including those reprinted from Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide and Daizenshuu 4: World Guide — are detailed. Some of the most interesting sections are those with new material in the “New World Guide”, including sections on Episode of Bardock, Neko Majin, and — tying in with the impending release of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods — a fleshed-out guide to the gods in the franchise.

“We Asked Akira Toriyama! 2013” Q&A Session
It would not be a new book without a short Q&A session with original manga author Akira Toriyama! In this go-around, we learn a little bit about what home life is like with characters such as #18 and Bulma, why there are so many dog-people in the Dragon World, the different types of Neko Majin, and more.

Miscellaneous Tidbits of Information
The “New World Guide” at the front of the book contains a wealth of interesting tidbits. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Planet Earth, where Goku & co. live, is Planet 4032-877, and is part of the “Seventh Universe”. The events that occur on planet Earth, such as the menaces of Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo, as well as the roles Goku & co. play, are continually watched over from a neutral standpoint by Kaiō and Kaiōshin.
  • A note below that shows the layout of the cosmos and the universe. The Kaiōshin oversee both the upper half, or the heavenly realm, and the bottom half, the world of the living. The diagram of the universe shows how it is divided into four quadrants called “galaxies” and how Earth is in the north one.
  • The Kaiōshin possess the power of “creation”, which provides stars/planets and life-forms the impetus to be born. The one who possesses the opposing power, and authority, of “destruction”, is the God of Destruction. Through the repetition of destruction of stars/planets continually increasing in numbers, and the birth of new stars/planets, the balance of the entire universe is maintained.
  • The name of the God of Destruction who manages earth is “Birusu”. He has awakened from a long slumber of 39 years. The fact that he has awakened means that (a) planet(s) within his jurisdiction will be destroyed, so even Earth is in danger of being destroyed by Birusu.
  • Alongside a shot of Super Saiyan Goku and Freeza taken from the manga is a small caption that says the universe that the Earth is part of holds a past where hundreds of planets have been destroyed through Majin Boo, creation of the dark mage Bobbidi, apart from Planet Vegeta, which was destroyed by Freeza.
  • “The Menacing Power of the God of Destruction” details more about Birusu. A relationship chart is included that shows Birusu and Uisu not connected to any of the other gods but each other. “Uisu” is listed with the title of “attendant”, exactly the same as Mr. Popo is to Earth’s God and Kibito to Kaiōshin. What sort of connection Birusu has with the Kaiō and Kaiōshin is enveloped in mystery, but it appears he is a being who can strike fear in even the Kaiōshin, beings themselves who possess abilities beyond human comprehension. The overwhelming power of Birusu, God of Destruction, is said to outdo even that of Goku, who has surpassed Super Saiyan. The God of Destruction’s power is in another dimension altogether.
  • Birusu sleeps for several years to several decades straight, then awakens in order to destroy planets. While he is awake, tense days for the Kaiōshin continue, as who knows how many planets may be sacrificed.
  • An overview of Naho Ooishi’s Episode of Bardock is included, which notes the (heavily implied in the story itself) fact that Chilled — himself designed by Akira Toriyama — is a space pirate and ancestor of Freeza. It is noted that “secrets of Planet Vegeta’s destruction, and his connection of fate with Freeza” become clear.
  • On the character relations chart on the second fold-out poster, Kuriza’s relationship to Freeza is a question mark. In the section on Neko Majin, he is called Freeza’s son, same as in the story itself.

Remember that, as a combination of two prior Daizenshuu, the interviews with Akira Toriyama from those two volumes have been reprinted — they can be found over on our “Translations” page.

Stay tuned for even more coverage as the Chōzenshū come out over the next few months!

News
Toriko + One Piece + Dragon Ball Crossover Airs April 7th
Published by 06 February 2013, 6:20 AM EST2 Comments

Two years ago, One Piece and Toriko received a special crossover TV special — Toriko was just hitting TV airwaves (taking the timeslot from Dragon Ball Kai in the process), and so it made sense for Shueisha and Toei to collaborate and start pushing what they hoped would be their “new hotness” with the “current hotness”.

Things are heating up in the collaboration world yet again, with a new crossover set to air on Fuji TV 07 April 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., this time with three properties: Toriko, One Piece, and Dragon Ball.

The “Dream 9 Toriko & One Piece & Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special!!” will have two parts:

  • Part 1: “Run, Strongest Team! Toriko, Luffy, and Goku!”
  • Part 2: “The Mightiest Collaboration in History vs. the Gluttonous Man of the Sea”

The announcement was accompanied by a comment from Toriko producer Arisu Takagi:

考えられないくらい豪華な競演にわくわくしています！トリコ、ルフィ、悟空のコラボも
見どころですが、各アニメから人気キャラクターがどんどん登場します！ゼブラとゾロと
ベジータが戦ったらどうなる？小松とサンジの料理どっちがすごいの？チョッパーが悟天と
トランクスのフュージョンを目撃したら？そんな視聴者心で思っていることを、今回すべて
詰め込みました！バトルシーンもギャグシーンも満載！ミスターサタンも登場します！
3ヒーローが力を合わせて闘うシーンも必見の楽しいスペシャルエピソードにご期待ください！

I’m really excited about this nearly-unthinkable top-tier joint appearance! Toriko, Luffy, and Goku’s collaboration will of course be a highlight, but popular characters from each anime will appear one after another! What would happen if Zebra, Zoro, and Vegeta fought? Whose cooking is more amazing: Komatsu’s or Sanji’s? What if Chopper witnessed the fusion of Goten and Trunks? Thinking with the viewers in mind, this time we’ve packed everything in! It’s full of battle scenes and gag scenes! Mr. Satan will be there, too!

The TV special airs one week after the debut of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods in Japanese theaters.

The three franchises will also be joining forces at some point this year for a PlayStation 3 and Vita team battle crossover game called Project Versus J.

Dragon Ball and One Piece received a special collaboration manga one-shot — written and drawn by both Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda — called Cross Epoch back in the 2007 #4/5 issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. The special chapter was published in English by Viz in Issue #100 of their (now discontinued) print edition of Shonen Jump. There has not been an animated adaptation of Cross Epoch, though various (unrelated) animated, multi-screen “Panic Adventure” crossovers have been screened at special events, even pulling in such franchises as Tetsuwan Atomu / Astro Boy.

News
Namco-Bandai Q3 Fiscal 2013 Figures
Published by 05 February 2013, 1:13 PM ESTComment

Namco-Bandai has posted a ¥27.995 billion (approximately $301 million) net income for the first nine months of fiscal year 2013.

Dragon Ball once again made the list of best-performing franchises, raking in ¥4.9 billion this first nine months, down a good bit from the ¥6.7 billion the same period last year. Namco-Bandai is projecting ¥7.5 billion for the full fiscal year, a drop from last year’s ¥11.8 billion.

In terms of general toys and hobby merchandise (non-video games), the franchise jumped ever-so-slightly in net sales from ¥3.2 billion the first nine months in fiscal 2012 to ¥3.4 billion this year. The company is forecasting ¥4.5 billion for the year, a very slight increase from the ¥4.4 billion last year.

It is a slow time of year for Dragon Ball, its merchandise, and its video games — Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Soul Calibur V, and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations were still some of the top-performing video games this year thus far. This year’s Budokai HD Collection and Dragon Ball Z for Kinect were not released within Japan, but even their wider international releases clearly did not pull in any significant numbers. In all honesty, the fact that Battle of Gods‘ impending release does not seem to pump up the overall projections is a little concerning. Do they expect the movie to carry over more into fiscal 2014? The projection for fiscal 2013 is a steady drop from 2012, which itself was a steady drop from 2011. If Kai was unable to bring the franchise back around, will the new movie? We shall see!

News
“Battle of Gods” IMAX English Press Release
Published by 05 February 2013, 11:28 AM EST1 Comment

Japan received the good word last week that the upcoming film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods — the first theatrical presentation for the Dragon Ball franchise in 17 years — is coming to all 16 IMAX Digital Theater locations across the country. It seems the English-speaking branch of IMAX is only just now getting around to promoting the film with their own press release:

Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods™ Rolls Into IMAX® Digital Theatres Across Japan Starting March 30
Marks First Japanese Film to Debut in IMAX®

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX; TSX: IMX) and Toei Company Ltd. today announced that Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released to IMAX® Digital theatres in Japan starting March 30. The film marks the first-ever Japanese movie to be released in IMAX® as well as the first movie installment in Akira Toriyama’s iconic Dragon Ball franchise in 17 years.

Toriyama, highly influential in manga animation and known for his playful, influential storytelling and distinctive art style, has been involved with the development of the screenplay and the production for this latest feature. He has delivered a completely new original story that is focused on the period between the “Z” and “GT” Dragon Ball animated series – or, more specifically, between installments 517 and 518 of the Dragon Ball comic book series, filling the 10-year story lapse after Demon Boo is defeated.

“We’re proud to be partnering with a pioneering manga creator like Akira Toriyoma to release the latest installment of this beloved franchise and our first Japanese film in IMAX,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Entertainment. “With its fast-paced battle sequences and stunning visuals, we believe Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is an ideal fit for The IMAX Experience®.”

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology for presentation in IMAX®. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique immersive environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

The quotes from Foster line up pretty closely with our translation from the Japanese press release (the quotes themselves obviously translated from their original English to Japanese, and then by us back again to English). It is interesting to see the nod to Dragon Ball GT at all, and the translation of “Majin” into “Demon“, a term generally left unadapted in English dubs, and translated to “djinn” in Viz’s English version of the manga.

It is important to note that a press release in English does not imply an international release.