The official “Sparking!” website was recently updated with character profiles for Future Trunks and Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta! Be sure to check out the sexiness that is the Japanese site for the game.

In American video game news, “Dragon Ball GT: Transformation” for the GameBoy Advance was released this week. I picked it up today, but have not played it yet, so there is really nothing to say about it just yet…!

Apparently there is a celebration going on in Japan right now to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Dragon Ball. It started on 16 July 2005 (a Saturday) and will run until 31 August 2005 (a Wednesday). The celebration is located on the first floor of the Aqua City building, Daiba 1-7-1, in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm (rally participation ends at 5 pm). Although it has been on for several weeks now, they have only recently added this info to the Dragon Ball website (in a couple different places). The celebration consists of a rally, museum, special shop, and a gaming corner!

In the rally it seems you go around to check points and try to get all 7 gashapon pins, and if you manage to complete the course you can receive a deluxe Data Carddass. A rally participation kit costs ¥500 (including tax). We are not really sure what this is all about, but it seems like some kind of game for the children to play and win prizes.

There is also a Dragon Ball museum and shop. The museum will include work from the manga, anime, Toriyama’s Q-VOLT designed car, as well as lots of rare Dragon Ball materials. The shop will include tons of Dragon Ball merchandise, and apparently some of the stuff sold will be limited edition!

There is also a section called the play zone, where you can play with the cards you received at the rally. Apparently this is a brand new game a new series of cards?), so all the lucky attendees will get the chance to be the first ever to experience this new game!

All this happening right under our noses, and we did not even know about it. Sheesh…

So today marked the release of the new “Makafushigi Adventure! -2005ver.-” CD single in Japan. Performed by original artist Hiroki Takahashi, all of the Dragon Ball songs contained on the CD are updated versions recorded specifically for this release.

The CD single (KDSD-74) contains seven tracks and retails for ¥1200. The TEAM-ENT website has a listing with samples of the songs, and you can purchase the disc online via CDJapan.

The official “Sparking!” website was updated today with a character profile for Coola, as well as the box art! Very nice looking stuff.

Game Watch has updated with two sexy new screen shots from an upcoming Japanese arcade fighting game named “Super Dragon Ball Z”.

It sounds like it will be more of a traditional fighting game than we have seen lately, with a standard eight-directional joystick, and a four-button configuration of weak attack, strong attack, guard, and jump. The obstacles (such as trees and rocks) can also be interacted with. This will be one to keep an eye on.

FUNimation has announced the release of “Dragon Ball GT” in DVD box sets. The first set is slated for release on 18 October 2005 and will contain with their first five discs — which, is significantly worth noting, starts with their fabricated recap “Episode 16” and goes through episode 31. The price is roughly $60 US, which in comparison to the “Dragon Ball Z” box sets seems pretty good, as the “Kid Boo” box set was about $72 and also packaged five discs together.

As with the previous CD single, TEAM Entertainment has updated with a page showcasing the “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA -2005-” CD that is due out on 03 August 2005 in Japan. This new CD only features two songs (the title track and “WE GOTTA POWER”), but there are remixes and instrumentals. Check it out — audio samples are available for most of the tracks.

So today marked the release of the new “Makafushigi Adventure! -2005ver.-” CD single in Japan. Performed by original artist Hiroki Takahashi, all of the Dragon Ball songs contained on the CD are updated versions recorded specifically for this release.

The CD single (KDSD-73) contains nine tracks and retails for ¥1200. The TEAM-ENT website has a listing with samples of the songs, and you can purchase the disc online via CDJapan.

Two big announcements from Toei Animation: they will finally be releasing a Dragon Box for all of the movies, and the Dragon Ball Z TV series, as produced for the two Dragon Box sets, will be re-released on individual discs.

New Information Thrillingly Appears — We’re Updating!
DRAGON BALL
DVD Information Front Row!

Two big, new projects are starting up!

Part 1 → DRAGON BALL Z DVD INDIVIDUAL RELEASE!!

The DRAGON BALL Z DVD release for the general public that fans have been waiting for, will start in Fall 2005!! All 291 episodes will be released across 49 volumes, and Pony Canyon will be putting 3 volumes on sale each month! (Julian’s note: That’s 5-6 episodes each; no mention is made of the three other discs from the sets that contained the two TV Specials and video extras, however. Three volumes per month makes the release schedule work out to a year and four or five months.)

And for those of who you who missed out on buying the DVD BOXES, this is your chance to enjoy DRAGON BALL Z with high-quality video.

Expected Price: ¥3,990 each (tax inclusive)
Rental DVDs will go on sale at the same time!! We’ll be announcing the latest information on this homepage and others!

Part 2 → DRAGON BALL MOVIE SERIES DVD BOX RELEASE!!

The DVD version of all 17 works in the DRAGON BALL movie series has been eagerly anticipated, as up until now, they have been released on video. That long-awaited DVD BOX version is now planned, from Toei Video!!

In line with the DRAGON BOX series up to now, the stories and characters from all the movies (and nothing but the movies) will be tightly and luxuriously packed inside.

As soon as the particulars are decided, we’ll be announcing it on this homepage and others.

Pre-orders for the movie set will begin in either the winter of ’05 or the spring of ’06. The box will contain 17 movies: the 3 Dragon Ball movies, the 13 Dragon Ball Z movies, as well as the 10th anniversary movie. This set will not include either of the Z TV specials, the GT special, or the Bandai “Gaiden” video, as they have already been released with the other Dragon Boxes.

The re-release of the Dragon Ball Z TV series will be spread across 49 individual DVDs containing roughly six episodes per disc. Each disc will cost ¥3,990. These individual discs are exciting for fans who could not afford the Dragon Box sets, were too late for them, or just did not want every single episode. Of course, the packaging will no doubt take up more room, and collecting the entire series will be more expensive overall.