Kanzenshuu

Published by VegettoEX07 November 2011, 7:58 PM ESTComment

This week on the show, we brought on our buddies Dustin and Joe to discuss the franchise’s latest fighting video game for the PS3 and 360, Ultimate Tenkaichi. You have probably read and hear a ton about it already, but is the community giving it a fair shake? Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0277! VegettoEX, Dustin, and Joe dive in to “Ultimate Tenkaichi”, the latest fighting game for the franchise. Spike is back for a third round on the PS3 and 360, but they are switching things up more than ever before. Is this a fighting game, or is it actually just a glorified guessing game? Hujio pops in for the news and loaded November and December releases period, and that is a show!

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News

Amazon DB TV Series DVD Sale

Published by VegettoEX02 November 2011, 1:54 PM EDTComment

All five “seasons” of the original Dragon Ball TV series are currently $14.99 each on Amazon right now:

These are the only currently-available versions of the original TV series here in North America, so if you have been waiting for the right price, this might be the time to jump in.

News

Namco-Bandai Q2 Fiscal 2012 Figures

Published by VegettoEX02 November 2011, 1:44 PM EDTComment

Namco-Bandai has posted an ¥8.03 billion (approximately $103 million) net income for the first two quarters of fiscal year 2012.

Similar to the last several quarters, Dragon Ball did not perform well enough to warrant an inclusion on the top-performing list of franchises for the reporting period — the final one listed is the BEN10 franchise at ¥2.9 billion in net sales for first half of the year. For a bit of comparison, the Dragon Ball franchise was at ¥2.7 billion in net sales one year ago in Q2 Fiscal 2011, after which (Q3 Fiscal 2011 through today) it was no longer reported with a franchise total.

No individual Dragon Ball game sales were noted in the report, and with Ultimate Blast/Tenkaichi being released worldwide in this current quarter, it will be at least another three months before any corporate figures are released.

In terms of general toys and hobby merchandise (non-video games), the franchise actually managed to double its net sales from ¥0.9 billion in the first half of Fiscal 2011 to ¥2.1 billion this half-year. The company has upped its forecast to ¥3.0 billion for the year.

It remains fascinating how the numbers seem inversely proportional to the franchise’s presence on Japanese television — with Dragon Ball Kai now off the air, the hobby and general toy merchandise sales go up. Go figure.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0276

Published by VegettoEX02 November 2011, 6:42 AM EDTComment

We unfortunately did not have the episode done yesterday as anticipated, but a day late never really hurt anyone, right? This week on the show, our buddy Herms joined us to talk about everything demonic! Where do all these different ghouls and ghosts in the series come from in mythology, and how does Toriyama play with their concepts to flesh out the Dragon World? Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0276! VegettoEX and Herms break down everything demonic in the Dragon World! From demons to Dracula, from ghouls to ghosts, from phantasms to fantastic puns, anything and everything having to do with opposing the progress of humanity in the series is broken down. Where do these words and classifications come from in the first place, and how does Toriyama play with them to create such an interesting world and extended universe in our favorite franchise?

News

DBZ Coming To The UK After All…?

Published by VegettoEX26 October 2011, 1:43 PM EDTComment

Just about two months ago we reported on a listing on the British Board of Film Classification website that detailed a series of extra features which were originally a part of FUNimation’s first “season set” for the Dragon Ball Z TV series. Through attributed to Manga UK, the publisher harshly denied any rumors and — true to their style with prior inquiries concerning other franchises — somewhat berated their fans and potential customers for asking such questions.

An image from the upcoming MCM Expo guide book (now since removed from its original source) surfaced online, clearly showcasing a port of FUNimation’s bricks courtesy of Manga UK:

It looks like the first “season set” is due out in the UK on 26 December 2011, and pre-orders will be available soon at hmv.com.

Lesson of the day? Sometimes one plus one does equal three (or maybe just 2.5 since, to Manga UK’s credit, the product they are bringing over is not actually Kai…).

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0275

Published by VegettoEX19 October 2011, 6:00 PM EDTComment

Content generation has been a little slow around these parts, but we are at least getting together once a week for the podcast! This time around it’s a catching up on news extravaganza and answering a slew of audience questions. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0275! VegettoEX and Hujio break down some of the big news going around the world: Blu-rays are coming and starting to get some promotion, FUNimation tosses an extra bone on the final DBZ Dragon Box, the Kenji Yamamoto fallout continues in the strangest places, and international “Kai” updates!

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Podcast

Podcast Episode #0274

Published by VegettoEX11 October 2011, 3:38 PM EDTCommentManga Review of Awesomeness

Many of you long-time podcast listeners have already told us that you view this episode as the “end of an era”. Over four years ago, we set out to go through the Dragon Ball manga volume-by-volume and review it to the best of our ability, and from a few different angles. We had a few of us that had already read the entire thing, some that were mostly fans of the TV version, and our buddy Jeff who was a complete outsider that had a vague familiarity via the old fansubs days and the occasional domestic TV broadcast, but was otherwise coming in entirely fresh with no preconceptions.

Here we are at the final volume, and our final “Manga Review of Awesomeness”. It has been an incredible journey for all of us involved, and I can only hope that you have enjoyed it every bit as much as we have. Whether you are a new listener or have been with us since long before the podcast ever existed as a part of this website, there is a wealth of listening material for you to dig back into, and we could not be more proud.

Thank you, Dragon Ball…! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0274! VegettoEX, Julian, Meri, and Jeff dive into the 42nd and final “Manga Review of Awesomeness”. After more than four years, we have made our way to the final volume of the series. Does Toriyama pull out all the stops for the conclusion of his ultimate work, or is it just another volume in the series? Our own thoughts on the recurring segment, tons of thoughts from the audience, and our grand plans for post-manga reviews wrap up the episode!

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Content

New Video – “Final Bout Opening: A Closer Look”

Published by VegettoEX11 October 2011, 1:22 PM EDTComment

Last week’s podcast episode brought in a fantastic amount of feedback! We had long-time fans glad to reminisce with us about the olden days of gaming, newer fans loving a history lesson / dip into the past, and everything in between. We could not be more happy to provide content you enjoy!

Quite a few of you chimed in regarding the opening video to Dragon Ball: Final Bout for the original PlayStation. During our discussion, we somewhat glossed over the final shot in the game’s opening, while many of you clearly saw something and had more to say. I decided that audio was not the best way to go about sharing what I considered “new” information… so I made a video!

Say what you want about my supposed lack of visual scrutiny with this game’s opening, but I can confidently say that I have at least come around as a believer on this one. It only took fourteen years.

News

“Dragon Ball SD” Chapter 4 & “Saikyō Jump” Going Monthly

Published by Hujio10 October 2011, 2:45 PM EDTCommentDragon Ball SD

The Weekly Jump website recently updated its Saikyō Jump section with a listing of the next issue’s featured manga. The listing shows that the quarterly magazine will indeed contain a fourth chapter of Dragon Ball SD by Naho Ooishi, and thanks to preview pages posted along with the listing, we know it will center around the Majin Boo arc of the series. This “Autumn Issue” was released 07 October 2011 at a price point of ¥480 (~$6.25), and you can grab a copy for yourself from Amazon Japan.

Shueisha has also launched an offical Saikyō Jump website. There is not much there at the moment, but it does state that on 03 December 2011 the magazine will be switching from being published quarterly to monthly. It is unclear at this time if Dragon Ball SD will be continuing on once the magazine publication pace speeds up, but for now Goku is still prominently showcased on the website. Either way, we will be sure to let you know as soon as we find out.

Podcast

Podcast Episode #0273

Published by VegettoEX03 October 2011, 3:41 PM EDTComment

The 32-bit generation of video games kicked off a trend that died with the series for a few years, but started right back up again during the series’ second-wave in Japan: full-motion video openings!

In light of the Ultimate Blast opening looking to be one of the best we have ever seen, we decided to take a look back at how far we have come. From amazing 2D openings to awkward 3D rendering, the franchise has seen just about every type of opening sequence thrown at it. Listen in for a game-by-game opening sequence analysis, as well as the “Top 5 Lousiest Openings”…! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0273! VegettoEX and Meri, in light of what appears to be a fantastic opening to “Ultimate Blast” due out this month, take a look back at all of the major video game openings the franchise has received over the years. From the 32-bit generation up through today, there have been a lot of highs and lows. Are the classic ones still the best of all time? A surprise return of the Top 5 list reveals what Meri considers the lousiest video game openings!

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