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Welcome to Daizenshuu EX, your most authoritative and complete stop online for anything and everything DragonBall for over twelve years! |
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Welcome to the all-encompassing DragonBall fansite, Daizenshuu EX. We cover anything and everything relating to the Dragon World in hopes of enlightening... and a little bit of entertaining. Daizenshuu EX began its journey in 1998 as VegettoEX's Home Page, and has grown to be one of the most authoritative DragonBall sites on the web. If you're new to the world
of DragonBall, why not check out the
"Newbie
Guide" ? Been around the block as a DB-fan? Check out some great discussions every week in our podcast! See you soon! |
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30 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:00 pm EDT -- It has been out for a couple weeks, but we finally had a chance to all get together and review the new "Team Dragon" (from AKB48) CD single, "Kokoro no Hane" (the second closing theme for DragonBall Kai). The written review would normally be accompanying the podcast version, but some fascinating insight from Julian revealed the true nature behind the music video for the song... so we need to rent a movie, first! Listen in for all the nitty-gritty details. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
VegettoEX @ 1:18 pm EDT -- Previously scheduled for release on 14 September 2010, the fourth "Dragon Box" for the DragonBall Z TV series from FUNimation has been delayed a single week back to 21 September 2010 (according to various online retailers such as Amazon).
This delay does not appear to affect FUNimation's second volume of Kai, which is still due out on the 14th. |
26 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:46 am EDT -- As we announced at the very beginning of the month, an upcoming DragonBall Kai CD would have a combination of BGM and vocal songs, including songs specifically for the characters of Trunks and Cell. There were few details at the time, so we were unsure if they would be sung in-character by the voice actors, or if the songs would be standard image songs simply about the characters.
Our buddies over at Kanzentai noticed some updates for the (now officially named) DragonBall Kai Soundtrack 3 & Songs CD on Columbia's website. We know that Trunks' song ("Tatta Hitori no Senshi" / "The Lone Warrior") will indeed be performed by Takeshi Kusao, while Cell's song ("Seru Gêmu no Oshirase" / "News of the Cell Game") will not be performed by Norio Wakamoto, and instead performed by Kenji Ôtsuki. A third song ("My 18th Magic") will be performed by cAnON. (who composed and arranged the first insert song in Kai, "Over the Star", as well as contributed background vocals to songs like the opening theme to the PS2 game Infinite World, "Hikari no Sasu Mirai e!").
Beyond the info for these three songs, we know that the album will also include TV-sized versions of the current opening ("Dragon Soul") and closing ("Kokoro no Hane") themes. The album (COCX-36424) is still due out in Japan on 22 September 2010 for ¥2940.
In video game news, a playable demo for the upcoming PSP game DragonBall TAG VS is available on the Japanese PlayStation store:
The demo is fully playable on any region PSP, though you will need to be running system software 6.30 or later. The demo is also available directly from Namco-Bandai's website (mirror 1 / mirror 2); you will need to extract the game files (~130 MB) to your memory stick to transfer over to the PSP system if you go this route, rather than downloading directly to the memory stick on the PSP itself (or PS3) via the PlayStation Store. We will have some initial thoughts for you on this weekend's upcoming podcast episode!
TAG VS is due out for the PSP in Japan on 30 September 2010 for ¥5229, while the game will see its release (as Tenkaichi Tag Team) in North America on 19 October 2010 for $39.99. |
25 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 1:50 pm EDT -- We have updated our "Feature" with parts 5 and 6 from our Otakon 2010 panel, "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall". In these segments, you will learn all about who "Budhiyasa" is, as well as why exactly there are seven Dragon Balls!
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22 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 12:36 am EDT -- This week on the show, our buddy Jeff finally gets a chance to break out a new "Manga Review of Awesomeness" with us. The Cell Game finally comes to a close, but do we reflect as fondly on this part of the series as we otherwise thought we might? Little bits of news, August's last few releases, and your e-mails round out the episode. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
In addition to the podcast episode, our latest "Feature" has been updated with another two video segments from our Otakon 2010 panel, "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall". In these two segments you will learn all about the three "Side Stories", as well as Toriyama's involvement with DragonBall GT. Enjoy! |
21 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:30 am EDT -- Our respective "Tidbit" has been updated with ten new screen shots from Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans:
Any time you see questions or possibly misinformation about Raging Blast 2 and its inclusion of this feature's re-make, be sure to pass them along here to Daizenshuu EX. We have you covered! |
20 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 10:30 am EDT -- Those of you who follow the video game scene have likely seen the rise of blog posts that essentially copycat what Cheap Ass Gamer has been doing for years now. Well, hey... we can play that game, too!
It's no secret that we love a good deal, so we'll check around the Internet and dig up what appears to be the best deal on a couple items for you every so often. It's primarily Amazon this time around, with a couple slightly-better deals elsewhere around the web.
See anything else out there? Definitely let us know so we can add it in! We will see you later on this weekend with Volume 35 in our "Manga Review of Awesomeness" on the podcast! |
18 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:45 pm EDT -- A recent tweet from FUNimation states that the re-made special, Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans, that will appear on the North American release of Raging Blast 2 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be presented with its original Japanese language only (with English subtitles):
Re: the portion of the Eradicate the Super Saiyans OVA on the Namco Bandai Raging Blast 2 game - not ours,Toei's in Japanese w/Eng sub.
That is followed up with another quick semi-retraction that basically leaves the door open for a later release that would involve an English dub, pretty much as we have expected. At the present time, though, it does not seem like FUNimation has anything to announce about it.
Want to see it right away upon release? You'll be in our camp watching it in Japanese this November.
VegettoEX @ 2:33 pm EDT -- We have added a plethora of character design sheets for Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans on our re-launched "Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku" page in the "Tidbits" section.
Lots of great images are available; be sure to click through for the full-sized versions.
VegettoEX @ 11:36 am EDT -- Namco-Bandai has released a new trailer for Raging Blast 2 today as part of GamesCom 2010 with sneak-peaks at new characters and Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans.
Specifically revealed as playable characters for the upcoming PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game are Bojack, Zangya, and Hatchihyakku ("Hatchiyak"):
Bojack and Zangya have almost always come as a pair as playable characters in DragonBall video games, dating all the way back to Super Butôden 2 on the Super Famicom in 1993. The duo from the ninth DragonBall Z movie last appeared in 2007's Sparking! METEOR for the PlayStation 2 and Wii.
Previously just a "boss" character in Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku (Nintendo Famicom and Bandai Playdia games), "Hatchiyack" will now be a fully playable character.
Also showcased are several quick scenes from the newly-remade Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans, the story of which is now confirmed to flood over into the main game:
We hope to have even more reveals about the new animation in the near future, so look forward to additional coverage.
Namco-Bandai has also uploaded a new trailer for the forthcoming TAG VS ("Tenkaichi Tag Team") PSP game:
As an added bonus, we are launching a new feature today: "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall". We were lucky enough to present this panel just a few weeks ago at Otakon 2010, and are finally getting around to posting up some video of the panel.
This feature is debuting with the first two "things", with the rest to come over the next several weeks. Enjoy! |
15 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 4:01 pm EDT -- This week on the show, our good buddy Hujio from Kanzentai joins us discuss the remainder of points from Otakon 2010, but more importantly, to discuss all of the big news from the last couple weeks. Regular readers of the website are all caught up on most of the news, but we took the opportunity to dig deeper into the financial situation of our favorite franchise, and expand upon all of the news pieces a little more. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
Related to the news, I am very happy to debut the completely re-worked "Tidbit" page for "Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku". Everything you want to know about Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans has been explained in detail. Including...
That's right, our buddy "Wasted Wisher" has sent in some exclusive sneak-peaks at the production materials for Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans currently being produced! Read on! |
10 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 1:19 pm EST -- Namco-Bandai issued a press release today confirming the inclusion of the new episode/feature/OVA, Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans, on-disc for both the PS3 and 360 versions of Raging Blast 2 which is due out this November.
DRAGON BALL®: RAGING BLAST™ 2 TO INCLUDE EXCLUSIVE DRAGON BALL® ANIME EPISODE
Game Disc to Feature Brand New Never Before Seen 30-minute Dragon Ball Anime Feature
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (August 10, 2010) – NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that all retail editions of Dragon Ball®: Raging Blast 2™ for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system will feature a brand new 30-minute feature of the Dragon Ball® anime on the game disc.
The exclusive new feature entitled “Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans” is a completely reconstructed, re-scripted and re-edited version of an original Japanese episode that has never been released in the U.S or Canada, offering something unique to fans of the series. Everyone who buys the game can watch this exclusive anime straight out of the box.
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 features a host of improvements and new features, delivering the most authentic and advanced Dragon Ball videogame experience to date. Everything from the camera to the controls has been reworked to create an accessible game with more than enough tactical depth to satisfy even the most battle-hardened Dragon Ball fan. Sporting more than 90 characters, 20 of which are brand new to the Raging Blast series, new modes, and additional environmental effects, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 is the next evolution in the home console series.
A special preview of the feature will be available on August 18th. We are following-up with Namco-Bandai regarding audio options for the feature in this international release of the game.
VegettoEX @ 9:25 am EST -- Namco-Bandai has posted a ¥1.64 billion (approximately $19 million) loss for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, the period of April 1st to June 30th, 2010.
In terms of DragonBall overall, the franchise dropped in net sales from ¥2.2 billion last year in Q1 2010 to ¥1.2 billion this quarter, and the company is forecasting a drop down to ¥3.0 billion in Q2 2011 compared to ¥5.8 billion in Q2 2010. Compared with last fiscal year's actual net sales of ¥12.5 billion, the company is forecasting ¥9.5 billion for fiscal 2011.
No individual DragonBall game sales were noted in the report, but yesterday's update with numbers from Famitsu gave us a complete look at Japan throughout calendar 2009. As an update to that, it looks like DragonBall DS 2 sold 59,511 copies in Japan over the first half of this calendar year.
In terms of general toys and hobby merchandise (non-video games), the franchise dropped slightly in net sales from ¥0.7 billion last year in Q1 2010 to ¥0.6 billion this quarter. The company is standing strong with their forecast for fiscal 2011 of ¥2.7 billion, and projects an increase up to ¥1.1 billion next quarter alone. Should that projection ring true, that leaves only ¥0.9 billion to be split among the last two quarters of the fiscal year.
As always, the latter-half of the calendar year seems to be the strongest for Namco-Bandai in terms of DragonBall, and particularly in the video game arena. We have at least two more games coming worldwide this fall, which should bump things up. |
09 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:36 pm EDT -- This week on the show, I regrouped with our buddy Marc from The Fanboy Review to go over our predictions and expectations from FUNimation's industry panel at Otakon 2010. The previous year brought us the domestic Dragon Box announcement, and while we were not expecting anything of that grandeur this year, we were expecting at least something. Listen in to see how we did. As an added bonus, the Q&A session following our "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall" panel is included this episode! The panel itself is coming soon as a series of ten short videos, but the Q&A was a little bonus that would not really fit in with the videos.. therefore, enjoy the audio here on the podcast! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
VegettoEX @ 3:32 pm EDT -- We are all back and recovered from Otakon and wedding adventures, so let's just kick the news into high-gear right off the bat.
Almost two months ago, we were excited to break the news about an upcoming remake of Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku ("The Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans"). The title has a long and semi-convoluted history as an NES game, a two-part "Official Visual Guide" / OVA, and a two-part Playdia remake, so any kind of additional revisit it would receive 17 years later was sure to be big news.
A recent Jump feature officially revealed that this remake will be called Super Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku ("The Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans", and it will be included as a part of the upcoming PS3 and 360 game Raging Blast 2, which is now officially due in Japan on 11 November 2010 for ¥7,329.
Our buddies over at Kanzentai have extracted a bit of information about the inclusion. We will be getting about 30 minutes of new animation (which lines up exactly with what our original source, "Wasted Wisher", told us about the remake) which will be immediately available in the game. It will be also be a complete reanimation of the story with modern techniques, as opposed to a remastering a la Kai.
While there is no definite confirmation, it sounds like portions of the storyline will be a part of the general game play as well, as it does imply that Freeza has new techiques and combos to battle against Goku with (perhaps referring to the "ghost" version of Freeza that fights alongside ghost versions of Tullece, Slug, and Coola in the original story).
Just today, Namco-Bandai issued a press release about the game detailing the new inclusion, and the game's official website has been updated with some sneak-peaks at production art and sketches:
We know that the American version of the game (on both systems) is due about one week before its Japanese counterparts on 02 November 2010 for our standard price of $59.99. There is no word yet from Namco-Bandai about its possible inclusion outside Japan. The first Famicom game was removed as a bonus from Origins 2 when DragonBall DS 2 made its way to the DS over here, but this inclusion seems to be much more a part of the overall experience than that bonus.
We hope to have some exclusive peaks at the game in the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned...!
This certainly would not be the first time that a new DragonBall game was leaked via online retailer listings. Play.com is currently listing a new game for the Nintendo Wii titled simply DragonBall Z: Spike. It is an odd title, especially considering that Japanese developer Spike is responsible for the Sparking! and Raging Blast series, though only the second and third Sparking! games (NEO and METEOR) made it to the Wii; the only other Wii game for the franchise so far has been last year's Tenka-ichi Dai-bôken / Revenge of King Piccolo. The game is listed for release on 01 October 2010 in Europe, which is not all that far off. With other games coming out later this year as well, it seems strange that we would not have heard a peep about this game yet so far into 2010.
Famitsu has listed the top-selling games of 2009 in Japan, and our beloved DragonBall whimpers along the list at least in some capacity. Note that these stats are through December 2009, and do not include any additional sales so far in 2010. Data is presented in the following format: (rank) (platform) (title) (publisher) (2009 sales) (lifetime sales) — note that titles have been adjusted back to their original Japanese versions compared to other lists you may see online:
- 063 [NDS] DragonBall Kai: Saiya-jin Raishû (Bandai Namco) - 192.200 / 192.200
- 111 [PS3] DragonBall: Raging Blast (Bandai Namco) - 107.542 / 107.542
- 157 [PS2] DragonBall Z: Infinite World (Bandai Namco) - 76.275 / 199.966
- 255 [WII] DragonBall: Tenka-ichi Dai-bôken (Bandai Namco) - 44.160 / 44.160
- 355 [NDS] DragonBall DS (Bandai Namco) - 28.966 / 214.195
- 616 [360] DragonBall: Raging Blast (Bandai Namco) 10.816 / 10.816
- 740 [PSP] DragonBall: Evolution (Bandai Namco) - 7.513 / 7.513
As expected, Raging Blast did exceptionally better on the PS3 in Japan than on the 360. The latest DS game did surprisingly well, about on-pace with what the original DragonBall DS did in its first year. Infinite World has a strong showing in its second year, though it was released extremely late in 2008, so the numbers are a little misleading in that respect. The live-action movie game is a shocker to see on the list at all, pushing over 7000 copies in the country that made fun of the movie more than any other.
In much the same way as we learned with Shigeru Nakahara returning to voice #17 in Kai, no official announcement has been made about Norio Wakamoto returning to voice Cell. By way of Kanzentai, we have pretty solid confirmation on Wakamoto coming back, though, via Toshio Furukawa's (Piccolo) personal blog. If the man just got done doing a recording session with the him for Kai, that about seals the deal...!
After Takeshi Aono's recent stroke, we learned that all of his roles were being immediately recast. Kami-sama would be coming up in Kai episodes right before the appearance of Cell, leaving the role (unfortunately) wide open. Veteran Bin Shimada has stepped in to the role, perhaps best known to fans as Broli from the various later DragonBall Z movies. Shimada also took over for Aono's role in Chibi Maruko-chan.
The second TV Anime Ultimate Guide "DragonBall Extreme Battle Collection" guide book, recently released this past 04 August 2009 for ¥700, finally had some cover art leak out:
The two covers can be placed next to each other to form a larger image. It will be interesting to see if this guide book series continues onward to form even larger images, and if it will cover things such as DragonBall GT. No word has come out just yet, but we typically learn about these new books just weeks (if not days) before their release.
We have already received the first volume, and this second volume is due in this week. Look for some in-depth coverage here on the site and podcast in the coming weeks. We will also be giving away both volumes, so you will want to stay tuned for details on how to win them!
As you may know, a traditional (black and white) manga adaptation of the 2008 Jump Anime Tour Special was released in two parts via V-Jump in March and April 2009. Series veteran Takao Koyama worked on the story (with supervision from Akira Toriyama), while newcomer Naho Ooshi illustrated the adaptation. Our buddies over at Kanzentai have the full two parts for you to take a look at...
... as well as news that another manga adaptation is coming our way. Shueisha has announced a comic under the same title (Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokû to Nakama-tachi!!) with the "JSAT Edition" header. It is due out in Japan on 03 September 2010 for a cheap ¥730. Some additional details have come out which place the book at 160 pages (beating the original adaptation by almost 90 pages), and will be the same physical size as the Film Anime Comics. All signs are pointing to a redundant animanga version (screen shots from the special with word balloons) of the special. It is already up for pre-order on Amazon Japan; hopefully it will make its way to other retailers soon, too.
To close things out, we have a little bit of housekeeping all about us here at the site. We usually reserve this for the podcast, but since some of it involves normal website content, we might as well break it all down for you.
All of the footage is in and I am hard at work on tossing together a video series of our "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall" panel which was presented at Otakon 2010 just a few weeks back. I cannot promise any exact date to expect the first part, but it is definitely coming. Stay tuned!
The "Manga Review of Awesomeness" is coming back to the podcast! After so many months of work being put into Otakon, even our buddy Jeff is ready to kick things back into gear. Here is our likely podcast schedule for the coming weeks. Things are subject to change, but these are our current plans:
- Episode #0228 (later today): Otakon Recap Part 1 — FUNimation/DragonBall and the Q&A session from our Otakon panel
- Episode #0229 (August 15th): Otakon 2010 Part 2 — Yûji Mitsuya, Kai production concerns, merchandise, etc.
- Episode #0230 (August 22nd): Manga Review of Awesomeness, Volume 35
- Episode #0231 (August 29th): "Kokoro no Hane" CD Single Review
- Episode #0232 (September 5th): "Extreme Battle Collection" Guide Book Series Review/First-Look
- Episode #0233 (September 12th): Ano-Yo-Ichi Budôkai Review of Awesomeness
As regular listeners will know, any time I schedule something it all gets thrown out the window. Rest assured, we have plans, and we will do our best to stick to them this time...!
For those of you who love good deals, FUNimation's third Dragon Box is back down to $26.49 on Amazon.
In more personal news, we all want to wish our buddy Julian here from the site and podcast a huge congrats on his marriage! The man is now officially married both in Japan and the US! Give him your best over on Twitter. |
02 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 12:28 pm EDT -- Navarre just completed their first quarter earnings conference call for Fiscal 2011, and unlike prior quarters where a few interesting tidbits relating to FUNimation and the DragonBall franchise were leaked out, much like FUNimation's panel at Otakon this past weekend, there is not much to say other than that things are going smoothly.
The only mention of the franchise was the same line written out in their press release from earlier in the day:
FUNimation benefited from a strong release schedule of Dragonball Z titles during the first quarter of fiscal year 2010.
Navarre is currently investigating a potential sale of FUNimation, which it announced last quarter. It has re-classified FUNimation as a "discontinued" operation, though they reiterated that FUNimation still has their full support as they look for a potential buyer, which they expect to complete over the next two quarters. As such, we will probably see less and less information come out about them from the business side of things, though it is fascinating to see that one tidbit in the press release. Our little DBZ did well enough for a discontinued operation that they figured they should toss that info out there! Nice.
Concluding FUNimation's industry panel this weekend at Otakon was a quick Q&A session in which it was noted that the Dragon Box sets continue to do well for the company. Between those and Kai, we all seem to be doing pretty well...!
More Otakon media and news will come, so stay tuned! |
01 August 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:52 pm EDT -- If you wish to plow through it, the entire story is up for digestion over on my personal blog — we will mostly just stick to the "news" here on Daizenshuu EX so as to not completely clutter up the page.
Amidst the fire alarm nonsense at Otakon this past weekend, I had an opportunity to ask voice director and actor Yûji Mitsuya if he would be returning to the role of Kaiôshin in DragonBall Kai when it eventually makes its way to that story arc.
Mitsuya responded that he was not sure, himself. Despite being friends with the director of the show, he was not convinced they would be able to afford him! He mentioned how he would even be willing to take a reduced rate on the job, showing a pretty heavy dedication to the series. To semi quote myself:
With the entirety of Ginyu-Tokusentai being replaced with new voice actors (including Kenji Utsumi as Recoom, despite him returning to the show to voice Shenlong), along with plenty of other voice actors that have become much bigger in the industry since their roles in DragonBall, it has really made us wonder just how expensive DragonBall Kai actually is to produce, despite us always describing it as “cheap” and “a money-grab” and “half-assed” in almost every way. Hujio and I later discussed how it seems that these days we get confirmations of actors returning either very close to their first appearance in the series… or not at all. Many times it will not even come from the official site for the series, and instead from the actors themselves or their fan communities (such as the case with #17).
Branching off of that, we could not help but speculate further. Was the licensing of Kai to FUNimation for American distribution a way to raise quick capital to fund the further production of the series? When it was first announced, it was clear that the series would go through at least the Freeza arc, since the villain was clearly shown on all production materials. The fact that it would be moving onward into the next story arc with Cell was a very casual “announcement”.
It was an incredible and moving (in a literal sense!) panel with the man, and the little tidbits of insight into Kai's production was just the icing on the cake.
VegettoEX @ 5:52 pm EDT -- We are back and recovering from Otakon, and while you wait for us to gather all sorts of fantastic audio, video, and pictures to share with you all, kick back in your chair and prepare for a new CD in September!
A new Character Song & BGM CD release (COCX-36424) will come out for DragonBall Kai on 22 September 2010 in Japan for ¥2940. It seems to be a continuation of both the DragonBall Kai Song Collection and the BGM Collection series (of which there have been two releases so far). In addition to a TV-sized version of the current closing theme, "Kokoro no Hane" (which incidentally just received its own full-version release in eleven different packages), the new CD will also contain songs for at least the characters of Cell and Trunks.
Will these songs be in-character, similar to Dende's and Vegeta's songs on the original Song Collection for Kai...? Early descriptions of that first disc also listed a theme for Kuririn which never came to be, so we should probably hold back a little anticipation until a final track listing is revealed.
We all want Norio Wakamoto singing, though. Seriously. We do. |
28 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 11:37 pm EDT -- While we just released a regular podcast episode, we have a wacky schedule coming to a close over the next few weeks and wanted to make sure we crammed out a good amount of content for you all. In this special episode, our buddy Marc from The Fanboy Review and I take a look back over the last year and gauge where North America stands with regard to home releases of the DragonBall franchise. Last Otakon brought us an announcement of DBZ Dragon Box sets... so should we expect any spectacular announcements this year? Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
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26 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 8:58 pm EDT -- In addition to our discussing the line of figures on the latest podcast episode, the "Reviews" section has also been updated with a detailed look at the somewhat recent "Freeza's Force" line:
We also discussed a guy who thinks he looks like Goku, the passing of Tetsuo Mizutori, and a bunch of other (more lively) stuff. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
Don't forget that we will be at Otakon this coming weekend! We will be presenting "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall" on Saturday, July 31st at 11:00 pm in Panel 6 with our buddy Hujio from Kanzentai. Be there, or... well... wait for the video later on in the coming weeks if you can't make it! |
22 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 3:36 pm EDT -- Goku's Corner has a fan Q&A session all about Raging Blast 2 with Ryo Mito, the game's producer. There is not a whole lot divulged about the game that is not already known, though there are confirmations on new modes, about 20 "new characters" (meaning characters and forms that did not appear in the first Raging Blast from last year), and a few new official screen shots.
In related news, Paikuhan, Nail, and Future Gohan have been revealed as playable characters in the game. All three have appeared in previous video games, but were not included in the first Raging Blast.
UPDATE: Namco-Bandai has released new images of the game for Comic-Con, confirming the return of SSJ3 Broli and SSJ3 Vegeta from the first Raging Blast:
We do not always keep up with the crazy amount of DragonBall Online news, but instead try to share some of the more important story additions and the like. A new update for the game called "Scramble Season" adds in a few neat things as detailed over on MMO News. In addition to a pet system, there is also a new "Tenka-ichi Mall" to shop at. It certainly sounds like fun times!
Lots of folks have been tossing around a story from animeanime.jp and Anime News Network about the second annual Thai Anime Song ("Anison") Contest set to feature a costumed version of Goku. The event will take place from July 24th to 25th this week in Bangkok. If you Thai fans could please attend the event, sing "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA", and somehow get Goku to dance along with you... that would be great!
Finally, we are excited to announce that our "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall" panel has a date and time! Join Mike, Meri, and Heath down in Baltimore, Maryland for Otakon 2010 on Saturday, July 31st at 11:00 pm in Panel 6. Check out our most recent podcast episode for a sneak-peak at two of the items we will be sharing with the audience, and look for video coverage later in August! We will be sharing more of our plans for the convention via Twitter during the event, so be sure to follow along. |
20 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 8:57 am EDT -- We are unfortunately reaching a point where these news stories are all too common, but their impact never diminishes. Tetsuo Mizutori has passed away at the age of 71. DragonBall fans may remember him as Zald, one of Garlic Jr.'s new henchmen in the anime-only story arc immediately prior to Mecha Freeza's and Trunks' arrival, though he was more widely known for roles in series such as Kinnikuman.
The Garlic Jr. story arc was skipped for the on-going DragonBall Kai TV series due to it being an original story and one of Kai's main points being that it more strictly adheres to author Akira Toriyama's original comic. Mizutori had played no other roles in the series or movies.
One of Garlic Jr.'s other new henchman for this part of the series, Vinegar, was played by the late Daisuke Gôri, who had played a wealth of other characters in the series (Gyû-Maô, Enma-daiô, King Cold, Mr. Satan, etc.).
Coincidentally, the other two henchmen of Garlic Jr. from this story arc were played by actors who have stepped up as replacement roles in DragonBall Kai. Tard was played by Masaharu Satô, who has filled in for the late Kôhei Miyauchi as the voice of Kame-Sen'nin, while Gashew was played by Hikaru Midorikawa, who has filled in for the late Hirotaka Suzuoki as Tenshinhan (in addition to his other role as #16, as well as Paikuhan in recent video games).
In lighter news, veteran voice actor and director Yûji Mitsuya will be a guest at Otakon at the end of this month down in Baltimore. Mitsuya would be best known to fans as the voice of Kaiôshin in the DragonBall Z TV series. Hopefully we can snag some pictures while we are there! |
18 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 1:49 pm EDT -- Our buddy Hujio from Kanzentai joins us mid-show this week to do a little preview of the panel we will be presenting at Otakon 2010 in just a couple weeks, "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall". We only have an hour at the convention, but we have unlimited time on our own show...! Listen in for an explanation all about a guy named "Budhiyasa" and a few "Names Toriyama Forgot".
We also covered the unfortunate stroke that veteran voice actor Takeshi Aono recently suffered, and what this means for the role of Kami-sama going forward in the franchise. Things wrap up with a great batch of releases and e-mails, including a dip back in time to an older episode about gender roles and their representation in the series. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
In lighter news, I am pretty stoked to finally share the complete review of DragonBall Origins 2 for the Nintendo DS:
Would this be a sequel that fixed everything about the first game and present us with everything we had hoped for? Read on! |
07 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 3:09 pm EDT -- If you have ever heard me talk about my video game purchasing habits, you know just how much I love a good deal. We try to share the best DragonBall deals when we can here on the website whenever we can, too!
Amazon recently had a great deal on Dragon Box sets, but Box 3 quickly went back up to ~$50. Well, Amazon is rocking the amazing prices on all sorts of box sets again (including the first TV series, as Ryan pointed out to us over on Facebook), though they are strictly limited to currently-available items. Pre-order prices for things like Dragon Box 4, Z Kai volume 2, and DragonBall season five are still not the best you can find online (you are probably better off at RightStuf for those). In terms of deals on Amazon, the best ones seem to be:
The best deal for Dragon Box 3 right now appears to be at Best Buy, who has it for $22.99... though the other boxes are more expensive.
On top of all that, Ian wrote in to let us know that Toys"R"Us has Revenge of King Piccolo for the Nintendo Wii down at an awesome $15.98, and some stores may even have it at 25% off that price for their clearance sale.
As you can read in our review, that is definitely the right price range for that game.
Seen any other genuinely amazing deals? Let us know! |
06 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:32 pm EDT -- Our podcast release schedule is going to be wonky over the course of July, but we have some great content coming your way. This episode, Meri and I took a first-look at DragonBall Origins 2 for the Nintendo DS. The first game was plagued with control issues due to it being stylus-only, but the second aimed to correct all that. Does it work, and does it hold our interest? Catching up on news, July's jam-packed releases, and tons of other stuff is present and ready for your enjoyment! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
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05 July 2010
VegettoEX @ 2:49 pm EDT -- We here at Casa de EX have been on vacation for the last week, so we have a lot to catch up on!
As you have no doubt read on Kanzentai by now, the first of the new TV Anime Ultimate Guide "DragonBall Extreme Battle Collection" guide books has finally received some cover art:
This first volume, Round 01: Boyhood arc ~ Freeza arc, came out just this week on 02 July 2010 for ¥700. A second volume which will cover the Cell through Buu story arcs of the series will be released on 04 August 2010 for the same price of ¥700.
We have the first volume on order and expect it at the end of the month, so look for some preliminary thoughts on it along with a contest to give away a copy in a few weeks!
Our buddies at Kanzentai also have the scoop on what is going on with the home release of DragonBall Kai over in Japan.
Something that has plagued fandom is a bit of misinformation regarding how many episodes there will be in total. Before its release, an unsubstantiated rumor from Japanese message boards put the series at around 100 episodes. When Happinet began releasing home Blu-ray & DVD schedules, approximately 50 episodes were listed... though this was simply an in-progress number that would be updated as more episodes were produced and plans were made for their home release. A later increase put the series at a planned 99 episodes, though this was also an in-progress number subject to change.
This week, Happinet has updated with a planned 98 episodes, but it is important to note that they have also started breaking the Kai series down into story arcs for marketing and production purposes — episodes 55-98 will comprise the Jinzôningen & Cell story arc, leaving plenty more episodes past 99 and 100 for the Majin Buu story arc.
The "100 episodes" misinformation continues to rear its ugly head in discussions, so be sure to point your peers to the correct information if you see it being tossed around! Kanzentai has a bunch of other great information regarding artwork and specific episode collections for box sets, so be sure to read everything.
Online retailer Play.com has a listing for the as-of-yet un-named DragonBall game for the yet-to-be-released Nintendo 3DS:
Nintendo is still being incredibly coy about a release date for the system, and retailer listings and information are subject to change. Can we really expect the game on 19 November 2010, and will the game be released simultaneously throughout the world? We will of course keep you up-to-date!
Namco-Bandai's official community for DragonBall games is holding a contest for one pretty lucky winner to receive a free trip to San Diego Comic-Con which includes airfare and hotel, along with some spending money. Most important to fans, the winner will also get a chance to meet and interview Ryo Mito, producer of so many of the recent DragonBall video games. There are a whole bunch of other prizes being tossed in for the winner, too, so even if you are the most casual type of fan you probably want to take a look at this one. Head on over to Goku's Corner for all the information.
This was more of a curiosity piece than anything else, but I figured it was worth tossing out there. Those of you who keep up with technology news to an insane degree have probably heard about the apparent "hacking" of the iTunes Store and compromise of some user accounts. What a few reports have glossed over is that many of the compromised accounts have been purchasing apps from the "Book" category labeled with DragonBall images:
You can read the full story over on Engadget. DragonBall fans and otherwise should all take a look at their iTunes Store e-mail receipts and make sure no extra purchases are listed...!
We are hoping to have a catch-up podcast episode for you either tonight or tomorrow which will give you a deeper recap of all the news, along with our first impressions on Origins 2 for the Nintendo DS. Look for the game's full review hopefully in the next week, as well. |
25 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 1:24 pm EDT -- The upcoming Raging Blast 2 for the PS3/360 has a few bits of release details leaking out today, as well. Amazon is listing an American release set for 02 November 2010 (both for the PS3 and 360 with expected MSRPs of $59.99), but it does not appear to have a firm date set in Japan as-of-yet.
With Tenkaichi Tag Team following its Japanese TAG VS release by just a couple weeks, it makes sense that we will see Raging Blast 2 in Japan sometime around October. There is no word yet on any possible theme song or soundtrack releases for any of the upcoming games.
On the subject of music, we do have cover art for the various "Kokoro no Hane" (Kai ED 2) CD singles coming out in July. The various "Team Dragon" group- and individual-based ones seem to be receiving near-identical cover art with a photograph of the group, while the regular edition and "Miracle Battle Card" version receive DragonBall artwork on their covers:
Regular Edition
Miracle Battle Card Version
Team Dragon version cover art
All of the eleven different versions of the CD single drop in Japan on 21 July 2010.
VegettoEX @ 2:13 pm EDT -- Amazon Japan is listing a release date of 30 September 2010 for the upcoming DragonBall TAG VS on the PSP, complete with cover art:
The game retails for ¥5229, and international folks can pick it up on Play-Asia for about the same price at $59.90.
Here in the US, we can look forward to the game (coming out as Tenkaichi Tag Team) on 19 October 2010 at our standard price of $39.99 according to Amazon. There is no cover art for the American version yet, but it seems like the European version (hitting on 29 October 2010) will be using the original Japanese cover art, so there is a good chance we will get it, as well.
For those of you always on the lookout for good deals, Amazon has jacked the prices on the FUNimation Dragon Boxes back up... but the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the first (Z) Kai sets are $24.49 and $24.99, respectively. |
22 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 2:13 pm EDT -- While we have been keeping up with some of our exclusives like the upcoming remake of Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku, we have missed a couple other tidbits in the mean time.
For starters, Tullece, Janenba, and Dabra have been revealed as playable characters in the upcoming Raging Blast 2. All three of them have been playable in prior games, but were not included in the first Raging Blast last year.
Additionally, the folks at Saiyan Island got a quick interview with a Namco-Bandai representative at E3 this past week, in which it was divulged that six characters that have "never" appeared in a DragonBall video game before will show up in Raging Blast 2.
We heard a claim like that once before, but they went out of their way in this interview to mention old games for consoles like the Super Nintendo, which never received domestic releases here in North America... so it sounds like they might be slightly more accurate than Atari's old claims. It is also noted that the game's character roster will span from Origins (presumably meaning the "first" series) through to GT, so that gives them plenty more room to work with in the supposed 90 characters without resorting to bottom-of-the-barrel characters as in Sparking! METEOR.
For the last bit of gaming news, DragonBall Origins 2 (released in Japan as DragonBall DS 2: Charge! Red Ribbon Army) is officially out in North American stores today. Here is the press release if you are into that:
DRAGON BALL®: ORIGINS 2 NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR NINTENDO DS™
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (June 22, 2010) – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that Dragon Ball®: Origins 2 exclusively for Nintendo DS™ is now available at retailers nationwide. Dragon Ball: Origins 2 is the sequel to the original Dragon Ball: Origins for DS. The iconic Dragon Ball story continues as players embark on an action-packed journey around the world in search of the seven legendary Dragon Balls.
Players take on the role of young Goku and various allies he meets along the way, as they face off against the menacing Red Ribbon Army. Dragon Ball: Origins 2 offers the opportunity to play as series hero Goku as well as friends including Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha and more, each with their own abilities and power-ups. By playing the single-player adventure, special multiplayer stages including challenging boss fights unlock and become available. Two players can join up together to complete multiplayer challenges via a local wireless connection. Players are also able to carry over their saved character from the single-player mode as they battle alongside friends in co-op mode.
A fun mix of fierce fighting, dynamic action, exploration and puzzle-solving awaits, as Goku and friends must utilize a wide range of skills to maneuver through each level. With support for both stylus and button input options, players can choose how they control Goku to unleash aerial attacks, land devastating combos and interact with the environment. A situation-based camera adapts with the changing gameplay to bring players closer to the action as they jump, swing and charge through forests, underwater areas and more. Meanwhile, key boss battles switch to side-view to emphasize the signature fighting style of the Dragon Ball series.
Dragon Ball: Origins 2 for Nintendo DS is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and carries an MSRP of $29.99. For more information about the game, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com or http://dragonball.namco.com. To join the official fan community, please visit http://www.gokuscorner.com.
I am officially on vacation next week, so we will see if I can cram out the review before I take off...!
Our buddies over at Kanzentai have updated with details on the new guide book anime guide book (TV Anime Ultimate Guide "DragonBall Extreme Battle Collection" Round 01: Boyhood arc ~ Freeza arc) coming out in Japan in just a little over a week from now (02 July 2010). The 96-page book will be a B6 size, the same as the Perfect File and Super Exciting books in recent history. We not only have one on order for ourselves, but also an extra copy to give away in a contest next month. Look forward to it!
Speaking of those nice guys, we are super excited to announce that myself, Meri, and Heath will be presenting a new panel entitled "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall" at this year's Otakon. We will share more information about it as we get closer to the con weekend... can't wait to see you all there! |
21 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 8:05 pm EDT -- Those of you looking for some intensely nerd-irific analysis are in for a treat this week as our buddy Kaboom joins us to talk about the Cold family's transformations. The goal is to answer exactly what it is Coola is doing in DBZ movie 5, but to talk about that, we must first make our way through Freeza and beyond! Our buddy Marc from The Fanboy Review also joins in to talk all the big news from the week along with June's releases and some great e-mails. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
In other news, FUNimation has a survey up about (Z) Kai. Be sure to toss in your respectful (but genuinely honest) two-cents, and also be sure to let 'em know exactly which site(s) you get all of your fantastic news and analysis from...! |
19 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 10:03 pm EDT -- Almost exactly one month ago, our favorite inside-source from Toei, "Wasted Wisher", told us that they were being put to work on approximately thirty minutes of new, traditional 2D animation for an undetermined, upcoming video game for the franchise.
Well, today we learned a little bit more about that project. As per his post on our forum:
Hey there, folks. Remember when I told you guys Toei would be making new animation cutscenes for a new Dragonball game, and I didn't have a clue which game it would be for?
Well, now I know. The new animation is for a remake/ re-release of "The Plot to Exterminate the Saiyans". The key animators finally received their first pieces of work for the new game, so I figured it out upon seeing the character models and layouts scanned from the original video.
According to my co-worker, he said the frame size for the animation was rather small, so it will most likely come out for a portable game system. (Maybe this is the Dragonball game slotted for the 3DS?) Other than that, I have no idea as to how the game is going to look like.
Oh, and one more thing...unlike in Dragonball Kai, where the new animation is basically just re-traced from the old footage, the animation here is all-new from the ground up. They'll still be using scans of the old video for the layouts, but that's just for reference (camera angles, positioning, etc.). As far as the actual animation is concerned, it's being re-built from scratch.
If you are looking for more information on the back-history of this series of video game -> "OVA" / "Official Visual Guide" -> video game remakes, we have the (tongue-in-cheek-titled) page for you!
As for new site content, we are expanding the "Reviews" section to a new area with a review of the Super Vegetto "Dragon Hero" figure:
There will be even more figure reviews in the near future (including a character very special to us here at Daizenshuu EX), so look forward to it! |
15 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 2:38 pm EDT -- Earlier this afternoon, Nintendo officially unveiled the 3DS at the Electronics Entertainment Expo ("E3"). In a news release distributed after the event, it was revealed that a DragonBall game would be coming to the new handheld.
No concrete release date has been given for the system (other than a rough estimate of before the close of this fiscal year, ending March 2011), and no formal name or release date has been given for the new DragonBall game, which will be coming from Namco-Bandai. |
14 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 8:47 pm EDT -- We finally get a chance to catch up with Julian this week on the show! Everyone is still in the middle of massive deadline Hell and the like, so we took it easy and went over all of the recent news. You all came through with some great e-mails, too, so be sure to stay tuned for all of that. Someone has a very exciting announcement during the episode, too...! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
In vague news, it seems like FUNimation is planning on releasing a "Dragon Ball GT DVD Complete Series" on 21 September 2010. Fans on Twitter are already taking the nice folks to task with inquiries on what the product will actually be. Is this just a repackaging of the green bricks from 2008-2009? Hopefully we will find out soon enough.
RightStuf has also updated with listings and release dates for other products many of us are looking forward to. Both the second set for (Z) Kai as well as the fourth DBZ Dragon Box are due on 14 September 2010.
Finally, a huge congrats go out to Sean Lamoreaux for winning our "Ôgon no Senshi ("The Golden Warrior") contest! We had an incredible number of entries this time around, and cannot wait to hold another contest in the next month or so for the new guide book coming out in Japan. Stay tuned for that! |
10 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 2:41 pm EDT -- Our "Reviews" section grows by one today with the addition of a new anime theme song cover album. Many of you will remember Shoko Nakagawa from her cover of "Romantikku Ageru yo" three years ago, right as the idea of covering that song was becoming a recurring joke. She is back with a new album called Shoko-tan Cover 3, this time covering "Detekoi Tobikiri ZENKAI Pawâ" and "DAN DAN Kokoro Hikarete 'ku".
We covered the two DB-specific songs back on Episode #0218 of the podcast, but this review goes into a little more depth and hits upon some of the other songs, as well.
Look for more exciting reviews in the near future! Some very special figures are about to receive a nice highlight.
Don't forget that you only have a couple more days to get in your "Contest" entries, too. Want to win a free copy of the new art and illustration book "Ôgon no Senshi ("The Golden Warrior")...? Get your entries in! |
09 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 3:44 pm EDT -- It may have been a relatively slow week in terms of website updates, but contrary to what you may think, there is actually a lot of work going on behind the scenes! There is a lot of "meta" going on in this update, but there are a couple other tidbits that may be of interest to you, too.
In terms of podcasts, we did not have a chance to record this past week, but I am hoping to record a show with Julian tomorrow for a release this coming weekend. We probably will not be back on our guaranteed weekly schedule for a little bit more as we head into the summer, but there is still great content coming your way... have no fears!
We should also have a new addition to the "Reviews" section coming your way (hopefully) tomorrow. Perhaps there will even be multiple new reviews coming your way...!
As for genuine "news", we have learned (by way of Kanzentai) that Shigeru Nakahara will be returning as #17 for DragonBall Kai. A major actor returning to voice a major character would not normally be "news", but with so many cast changes during the Freeza story arc, it is comforting to know that such a familiar and talented voice actor will indeed be returning. There is still no concrete confirmation on Miki Itô (#18) and Norio Wakamoto (Cell) returning, but they are probably safe bets. #16 was originally played by Hikaru Midorikawa, who is currently voicing Tenshinhan in place of the late Hirotaka Suzuoki, so he is also a safe bet for return.
The new anime guide book (TV Anime Ultimate Guide "DragonBall Extreme Battle Collection" Round 01: Boyhood arc ~ Freeza arc) is due out 02 July 2010 in Japan. Those looking to pick it up should be happy to know that CDJapan and Amazon Japan are now both offering it for around its retail price of a pretty cheap ~$7. We have already placed our order, and thanks to all of your generous CDJapan referral purchases, have picked up an extra copy to give away after its release! Look for a review of the new book and a contest to give it away sometime in July or early August.
Speaking of contests, have you entered to win a copy of the new art and illustration book, "Ôgon no Senshi ("The Golden Warrior")...? You have just a couple more days to get your entries in!
In video game news, DragonBall Origins 2 (released in Japan as DragonBall DS 2: Charge! Red Ribbon Army) is due out here in America later this month on 22 June 2010 for $29.99 (available at Amazon, GameStop, etc.). A new trailer for the game is available for registered members over on Goku's Corner. A demo is also currently available on the Nintendo Wii's "Nintendo Channel", so if you are on the fence about it, give the new controls a whirl. We will be reviewing the game upon its release later this month. |
01 June 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:19 pm EDT -- After having such a "super exciting" art and illustration book come out already this year, we could not be more psyched to hear that a new guide book is also on its way. Is it over-kill to have so many books in a row, though? Is there really new material to cover that had not been addressed as recently as 2003-2004's anime guide books (Tenka-ichi Densetsu and Son Goku Densetsu)...?
Kanzentai has all the nitty-gritty details so far... not that there is a whole lot to say just yet. This one will be called TV Anime Ultimate Guide "DragonBall Extreme Battle Collection" Round 01: Boyhood arc ~ Freeza arc and will retail on 02 July 2010 for a mere ¥700 coming from Shueisha. That is basically all we know at the moment, unfortunately. We can at least infer that it will cover a good amount of battles from the first portion of the series, and that since this is "Round 01", we can probably expect even more volumes in the future. Will it be tied to Kai in any way? With this first "round" only covering up through the Freeza story arc (the same area that Kai has covered so far in the "Z" portion of the story), we may see future editions be linked with where Kai has aired through. This is, of course, all mere speculation at this point.
Kanzentai also reports that Shueisha will be releasing three sticker books for the franchise on 23 July 2010, each going for ¥750 (making them actually slightly more expensive than the guide book). Again, no additional information is available on them just yet.
Finally, in news that seems (if our community across the 'net is any indication) of interest to just about every type of fan from every walk of life in tons of different areas of the world, FUNimation has officially recast the role of Freeza for their English dub of DragonBall Kai (slightly re-named to DragonBall Z Kai). The company's YouTube channel has the third part of an on-going interview with Chris Sabat (Vegeta, Piccolo, as well as the director) and Sean Schemmel (Goku, Kaiô) in which the news is finally revealed. While we are still somewhat hesitant to accept some slight revisionist history going on with the description of their English-dubbed production, these "behind-the-scenes" looks are certainly enthralling, none-the-less. It is fascinating to hear the director note how the previous voice actress was simply unable to keep up with the accurately-adapted script for the character, which heavily factored into a recast voice — one (which happens to be male, un-named as of yet) that has been pledged to be far more "creepy" than ever before.
Speaking solely for myself, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have not been more excited to hear a specific character from my favorite series speak aloud in English. To know that some fans will be hearing an interpretation of the character that will finally be even in the same ballpark as what we know him to be... that is very exciting. If it cannot be Ryûsei Nakao right away, this may be an acceptable second-place!
Of course, we reserve all final judgment for when we actually hear the performance. Then again, with the exception of the first Kai release from FUNimation, we typically shy away from even covering that side of their products. Is this something you even want us to cover in the future? Let us know!
VegettoEX @ 3:56 pm EDT -- Contrary to what source-less reports across Japanese blogs may have led you to believe, the CD single for the second (and current) closing theme to DragonBall Kai entitled "Kokoro no Hane" ("Wings of the Heart") is set for release in July.
Here is the kicker, though — it is coming in eleven different versions.
It was clear from the start that using AKB48 members for the closing theme was a bit of a publicity stunt/grab (even with leader Minami Takahashi claiming to be a "real" fan). This release style solidifies it, and is something absolutely unprecedented for DragonBall.
Here is the easy information — everything is coming out 21 July 2010. Regular editions will cost ¥1260, while "Limited Edition" versions will cost ¥1600. What are all of the different versions, though? According to Columbia's and CDJapan's listings:
Each individual member (seven total) of "Team Dragon" (itself a hand-picked group from the larger pool of AKB48 talent) will be receiving her own version of the CD single. These individualized versions will contain a trading card with that member's image, as well as a DVD with footage of that particular member's "dubbing experience" as well as footage of the theme song being performed. The "Team Dragon" version appears to have a trading card with an image of all members, and DVD footage of all members. The "Miracle Card Battle" version will contain a card with an image of either Goku, Gohan, or Cell. Furthermore, first-press copies will come with a B3-sized (353 × 500 mm) poster.
It is incredibly confusing, and slightly ridiculous. For those just looking for the closing theme itself, pick up any of the eleven editions and it will contain it. The standard track listing for each disc (none of which have cover art just yet) is as follows:
| 01. |
心の羽根
Kokoro no Hane
Wings of the Heart |
| 02. |
世界中の雨
Sekaijû no Ame
The Rain Throughout the World |
| 03. |
心の羽根 (off vocal ver.)
Kokoro no Hane (off vocal ver.)
Wings of the Heart (off vocal version) |
| 04. |
世界中の雨 (off vocal ver.)
Sekaijû no Ame
The Rain Throughout the World (off vocal ver.) |
Thanks to Rachel and Heath (who will have some awesome news of his own later today) for their inadvertent help in a decent translation of the b-side title!
A "Limited Edition" version of a CD single is certainly nothing new to the franchise, and even Ayumi Hamasaki's CD single for "Rule" (the main theme to the live-action movie DragonBall Evolution) had three different versions... but... eleven? Really?
Is there anyone out there willing to drop the cash for each and every single version? We will take a bullet for the team and check out a couple of them (we already have two on order), so expect reviews that are probably far too detailed for our and your own good near the end of July. |
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We wanted to craft a panel for Otakon 2010 that would appeal to any type of DragonBall fan, regardless of their length with the series, language preference, etc. We decided on something entitled "10 Things You Didn't Know About DragonBall" — tidbits of information, much of it based on recent original research and discoveries, that just about anyone could find enlightening and entertaining.
The "Freeza's Force" line is a cheap series of three-inch figures. Are they obscure and detailed enough to warrant your cash?
The Nintendo DS receives an action/adventure sequel in the form of "DragonBall Origins 2", but does it correct all the mistakes of its predecessor?
The Super Vegetto "Dragon Hero" figure is relatively cheap, but does it have the quality construction to impress you while being easy on the wallet?
Shoko Nakagawa's third anime theme song cover album features versions of a DBZ ending and DBGT opening theme. Does she do another respectable job?
Check out our full review and analysis FUNimation's first "DragonBall Z Kai" volume. Is the new, supposedly-more-accurate English dub worth a look even for our audience?
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