This week’s episode brings us one last interview from Anime Fan Fest 2016 in New Jersey earlier this month: Lance Heiskell, former marketing director and director of corporate strategy with FUNimation. Listen in for a great history of American Dragon Ball marketing and a look toward the future!

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0404! Mike discusses Dragon Ball and general anime marketing with Lance Heiskell, former marketing director and director of corporate strategy with FUNimation. How did the fan culture of the time affect “Dragon Ball GT” marketing? What were the decisions behind Dragon Ball Z re-releases up through the latest Blu-ray sets, and how did the “Rock the Dragon” set fit into the picture? Also, why is it that “Dragon Ball Super” does not have a simulcast?!

REFERENCED SITES:

• AnimeNostalgiaBomb.com

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

Our podcast feed is available via iTunes and/or Google Play Music. You can also listen to this episode by directly downloading the MP3, or you can listen on YouTube.

This week’s episode brings us a split topic: in addition to a fantastic interview with Jason Thompson (former editor at Viz) conducted last weekend at Anime Fan Fest, yesterday’s major Dragon Ball Super story arc news gave us a great excuse to dive into the news a little bit and speculate on what the future holds.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0403! Mike and Meri discuss the impending return of Future Trunks in the “Dragon Ball Super” TV series next month. Is bringing back an older character the right direction for the franchise? Jason Thompson joins us from Anime Fan Fest 2016 to discuss the editorial days at Viz, the ups-and-downs of censorship in the “Dragon Ball” manga’s English translation, and much more.

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: “Future Trunks Arc” Announced For “Dragon Ball Super”

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

Our podcast feed is available via iTunes and/or Google Play Music. You can also listen to this episode by directly downloading the MP3, or you can listen on YouTube and/or SoundCloud.

Whether you call it “Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan” or “Super Saiyan Blue”, the latest transformation has certainly given fans a lot to think about, particularly with how vague all of its descriptions have been. We know it is the latest version with perfect ki control, but what exactly should we be calling it? We dive into the source material to find out!

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0402! Mike and Jake discuss “Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan” versus “Super Saiyan Blue” and what the correct name for the form might be. Where and how was it first used, and how is that different from the latest usage in the source material? A bit of general website content overview followed by questions-and-answers round out the show!

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: God Hierarchy to Expand with “Zen’ō” in Upcoming “Dragon Ball Super” Episode
• NEWS: Arale to Appear in Upcoming “Dragon Ball Super” Episode

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

Having spent a fair amount of time porting new translations to the website, it only made sense to catch up on the podcast by talking about this new content! Tune in for our thoughts on some of Toriyama’s earliest media attention and what the anime staff were up to as the Dragon Ball Z portion of the series was hitting its stride.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0401! Mike and Julian discuss the recent article and interview translations added to Kanzenshuu. What kind of media attention was Akira Toriyama subjected to after his early success, and what did the anime staff have on their minds as the DBZ-portion of the series began to hit its stride?

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden” Receives Patch 1.4.0 in Japan
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden” Receiving International Updates
• NEWS: Dragon Ball “Digest Edition” Manga Re-Release Announced to Begin in May 2016
• TRANSLATION: 1982 FOCUS Magazine Akira Toriyama Wedding & Income Article
• TRANSLATION: 1983 Tetsuko’s Room Akira Toriyama Interview
• TRANSLATION: 1989 DBZ Anime Special “Dragon Call” Production Staff Comments
• TRANSLATION: 1991 DBZ Anime Special 2 “Super Anime-jin” Roundtable Interview & Discussion
• TRANSLATION: July 2014 Saikyō Jump Akira Toriyama “Me Lately” Comic

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

After hitting the ten-year mark just a few short months ago, our next podcast milestone was the big 4-0-0. Excuse our indulgence as we reminisce a bit on what the podcast means to us and our listeners before heading into our exciting topic for the week: an interview with longtime fan, friend, previous Dragon Ball fansite owner, and current Shueisha writer/superfan Greg Werner…!

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0400! VegettoEX invites a few friends of the show to look back at our past. Kirbopher pops in to reminisce about the podcast, its strengths and weaknesses, and what the future holds for us. Greg Werner then joins us for an interview about discovering the Dragon Ball series in America in the mid-1990s, developing one of the early fansites, navigating the increasingly-hostile and confusing fandom, writing for Beckett’s magazine, and making the transition to professional One Piece fandom. Here’s to another 400 episodes!

REFERENCED SITES:

• Follow Chris on Twitter: @kirbopher
• Follow Greg on Twitter: @ochimusha108
• Greg’s Website Archive: The Grand Line
• Greg’s Official one-piece.com “GRELOG” Column

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum.

English adaptations of Dragon Ball are littered with untranslated names, titles, and phrases: Kai, Baba, Senzu, Roshi, and even Majin, just to name a few. In each case, these words have perfectly fine equivalents in English. For “Majin” in particular (and even more specifically, with regard to “Majin Boo”), why is it that we rarely seem to get a translation? Or do we often get it translated, unbeknownst to the viewer or reader…?

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0399! VegettoEX and Herms break down “Majin” and the various ways it has been translated into English for the Dragon Ball franchise over the last several decades. Though we have gotten monster to genie to djinn and everywhere in between, most fans seem to stick with the untranslated phrase. Why is that, and if we were to operate in a bubble with a new translation, where might we take it?

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: Toyotarō “Dragon Ball Super” Manga Vol. 1 Cover Revealed
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Super” Voice Actor Update: Kazuhiro Yamaji Debuts as Hit

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

It has been roughly twenty years since the seminal Dragon Ball video game “Legends” (Idainaru Dragon Ball Densetsu) was released. For many fans, this game was part of the magical era where each and every new Japanese product was better than the last. Does this game actually hold up after so many years, though?

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0398! VegettoEX and Randy look back at “Idainaru Dragon Ball Densetsu”, perhaps best known as “The Legend” or even simply just “Legends” on the PlayStation and Saturn. Twenty years later, the game appears to have still left a massive impression on fans and gamers. Does the never-ending hype behind this game hold up two decades later? Tune in for amazing revelations from the game’s development and a special guest appearance!

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: Glénat Announces “Dragon Ball 590 Quiz Book” For June 2016
• NEWS: Fourth “Dragon Ball Super” Ending Theme Song Announced
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Heroes” GDM7 Avatar God Class-Up CG Trailer
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Heroes” GDM7 Promotional Videos
• NEWS: “Ultimate Mission 2” (JP 3DS) Third Content Patch Announced
• Dragon Ball Z Legends @ SuperPope
• Follow Randy @ Twitter

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

The confusion, mystery, and insanity surrounding the production of Dragon Ball Super only seems to escalate with each passing week. Between the stealth non-announcement of “King Ryū” as the new series composer, said blog post’s subsequent removal, and last episode’s random insertion of a new series director to the opening credits… Dragon Ball Super seems to be a mess. Join us for a review of the major news stories, chatter on social media from animators involved in the series itself, and your own thoughts on how production could be corrected.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0397! VegettoEX and Hujio discuss the mess of production issues “Dragon Ball Super” appears to face on a week-to-week basis. With a new series composer and new series director, are things back on track? Is it impossible to save the series, or does it not even need saving in the first place? Join us for a review of the major news stories, chatter on social media from animators involved in the series itself, and your own thoughts on how production could be corrected.

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden” Receives Patch 1.3.0 in Japan
• NEWS: Toyotarō “Dragon Ball Super” Manga Vol. 1 Content Updates
• NEWS: Ryūsei Nakao Returns as Voice of Frost in “Dragon Ball Super”
• CONTENT: New Translation: Norihito Sumitomo “Dragon Ball Super” Comment
• NEWS: Scriptwriter King Ryū Named Series Composer For Champa Arc
• NEWS: Morio Hatano Appointed New “Dragon Ball Super” Series Director

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

Now that Dragon Ball Super has finally moved beyond the Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’ re-tellings, a wealth of new lore and background information has been dumped upon fans. From Super Dragon Balls to Universe 6’s seemingly alternate histories for familiar races — as a wise man once said — the universe truly is vast. At the same time, the critical eye of online fandom appears to have hit an all-time, feverish high. While we at Kanzenshuu tend to ignore these trends in favor of a longer-tail view, something seems different this time around. Join us for a discussion about what it truly means to be critical and whether or not we are even at a point yet where that debate makes sense to have in the first place.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0396! VegettoEX and Hujio discuss the new background lore recently introduced in “Dragon Ball Super” before turning their attention to criticism of the show. After coming off two movie re-tellings, and only having just gotten five episodes into a new story arc, how fair is it at this point to even be critical of the new arc at all? Which aspects warrant further discussion, and at what point do you have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt?

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Super” Original Soundtrack Release Details
• NEWS: Scriptwriter King Ryū Named Series Composer For Champa Arc
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Super” Manga Collected Edition Vol. 1 Announced
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Super” Voice Actor Updates: Monaka, Botamo, & Cabba
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Godly BEST” Compilation Album Track Listing
• NEWS: Akira Toriyama Provides Congratulatory IC Carddass Message
• NEWS: “History: Toei Animation 80s~90s BOYS” Book Announced

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.

It’s predictions time! Each year on the show we like to not only make predictions for the next year in the Dragon World, but also check in on last year’s predictions and see how we fared. With 2015 bringing a slew of new material our way, was it even remotely possible to make an accurate call?

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0395! VegettoEX and Hujio check in on last year’s predictions and make new ones for 2016. What does the Dragon World potentially have in store for us, and how will it all go down? Your own predictions bring us into some pretty wacky territory, as well!

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: “Play Anime Games” PSN Sale: “XENOVERSE” & “Battle of Z”
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball XENOVERSE” Ships Over 3 Million Copies Worldwide
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Super” Japanese Home Release Box #2 Packaging
• NEWS: “Dragon Ball Godly BEST” Compilation Album Release Details

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum, and be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr.