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INTERACTION |
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Daizenshuu EX - Updates from February 2009 |
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28 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 9:25 pm EST -- We will have a little more analysis on it soon (right now it's Street Fighter IV time), but we definitely wanted to let everyone know that the first commercial for DragonBall Kai has made its way online!
Check it out over on YouTube, and come back soon for more information, analysis, and a podcast tomorrow! |
27 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 10:56 am EST -- Last podcast we mentioned these delays, but totally forgot to note them here on the website. There has been a little more related information, so it makes sense to toss it all up here (all release dates from Amazon).
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DBZ VizBig 4
Original Release Date: 17 February 2009
Current Release Date: 21 April 2009
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DB VizBig 4
Original Release Date: 17 March 2009
Current Release Date: 19 May 2009
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DBZ VizBig 5
Original Release Date: 19 May 2009
Current Release Date: 12 July 2009
In what may be related news, Anime News Network reported a few days ago that Viz will be undergoing some restructuring and has laid off an unspecified number of employees. They received the following statement from Viz CEO, Hidemi Fukuhara:
Viz Media is in the process of refining its focus and is restructuring to adjust to changing industry and financial market realities. VIZ feels confident that with these changes, the company will be more streamlined to face the current economic climate.
It seems to be the same song and dance we have heard from everyone (including FUNimation), and we are curious as to whether or not these layoffs and restructuring contributed to these DB product delays. |
26 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 7:23 am EST -- kei17 is keeping is as up-to-date as we could ever possibly be! The official website for DragonBall Kai notes that the new theme song will be premiered at the Tokyo International Anime Fair on March 20th, and the singer of the song will be there. In addition to that, Masako Nozawa will be on-hand and interviewed. Neat stuff...!
Still waiting for some type of confirmation on whether we're getting a new song, though. Is it a re-make of either "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" or "We Gotta Power"...? Is it an entirely new song? Who performs it...?!
Big thanks to Rachel for a couple translation clarifications. |
23 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 1:50 pm EST -- kei17 wrote in to let us know that the official website for DragonBall Kai has gone live!
http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/dragon_kai/
There's not much there yet, but you can check out the logo and bookmark it for more prettiness down the road. |
22 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 7:53 pm EST -- Episode #0165 of the podcast is available for download! This week we gave a little recap of all the huge news going on (in fact, I had to do a little break-away during the show's editing to record a little extra based on today's stuff). Sure, there's no "topic" like our normal episodes, but that didn't stop us from delving pretty in-depth with stuff. Definitely check it out.
VegettoEX @ 11:14 am EST -- kei17 has a fresh V-Jump scan for us with even more information on the upcoming DragonBall Kai:
The opening stuff is the standard fare we have come to expect from the earlier announcements (like "Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Start of Dragon Ball Z's Broadcast!" and "The Son Goku Legend, Once More!! And its name is... DRAGON BALL KAI"). However, the interesting material appears under the header "The four points that make up the world of "Kai"!":
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The story will be developed speedily!
"Kai" starts from the invasion of the Saiyans. This version will be re-edited to hew more closely to Akira Toriyama's original story, so the story's development will progress all the faster!
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The opening and ending songs will be completely renewed!!
The opening and ending songs will together be made anew! Furthermore, in "Kai", the background music will be newly recorded. Let's enjoy "Kai", where even the music has been powered up!!
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Through digital processing, the image will be made vibrant!!
All the grime, damage and noise remaining on the "Z" film will be removed! In HD, the image will be even clearer. We've carefully made the ultra-powerful "Kai" world even more impressive!
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An all-star voice cast will record the lines anew!!
The original main cast, centered around Masako Nozawa as Son Goku, will reunite, yo. They'll breathe life into the characters again, to support their appeal!!
So there you go. We once again are left with just as many questions as we have answers, but we're heading in the right direction. While it doesn't blatantly say, "Yes, we are specifically cutting down filler material", it heavily implies something along those lines. We just have the phrasing "renewed" for the music, without any confirmation on whether or not it's Shunsuke Kikuchi's original score as-is but re-recorded to match the higher fidelity of the newly-recorded voices, or if it's a completely new adaptation of that score. Along those same lines, the true nature of the OP/ED themes are up in the air.
We won't leave you hanging with that, though. Our buddy Wasted Wisher popped in again with a couple additional remarks:
Don't know anything about the intro and ending song yet, or anything past episode 1.
All of the scenes that were being worked on so far are not being cropped...in fact, quite the reverse, they're being extended. The old format of the original footage is too small to fit the standard frame sizes used for anime nowadays. So all the artwork has to be extended outwards to fit the new frame sizes; this includes both the animation itself and the background art.
While slightly unrelated to DragonBall Kai, we do have one little nugget of info for you courtesy (yet again) of kei17:
Another page I haven't scanned yet says that they will carry Manga version of 2008 Special on V Jump. It's not drawn by Akira Toriyama.
Mangaka is オオイシナホ (Ooishi Naho), who never drawn manga under this name.
OK, then! Look for a manga adaptation of last year's Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokû to Nakama-tachi!! at some point in the near future courtesy of V-Jump.
UPDATE: Here's the source image on that one. The issue will be out on 21 March 2009, so we'll be sure to grab a copy!
Finally, it looks like DragonBall Z Story for the Nintendo DS has been renamed DragonBall Kai: Saiya-jin Raishû ("Saiyan Invasion"), and will be hitting the DS over there in Japan on 21 May 2009 (there is still no word on a domestic release).
We'll have a podcast for you later today. It's already completed, but now I think I want to go back and add in a couple of these tidbits so it's more timely... |
21 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 12:19 pm EST -- Wasted Wisher hasn't led us wrong in the past yet, so we have faith that the trend continues!
The upcoming "refreshed" version of DBZ being produced in HD for Japanese television (now called Dragon Ball Kai, so we'll just call it that from here-on-out) will apparently have the following new content going for it:
- A brief look at the last moments of Bardock and Planet Vegeta
- An overview of young Goku's growing up years (Dragonball, the pre-Z period) up until his triumph over Piccolo at the Tenkaichi-Budokai.
- The all-too-brief and yet still somewhat triumphant return of FARMER WITH A SHOTGUN!
And sadly (although that really all depends on how you look at things...)
- Goku's winky has disappeared!
That's right, through the miracle of "we're just not gonna draw it anymore", Li'l Goku is no longer going to be allowed to show off "Even Littler Goku" on TV. But don't worry, they won't do anything so blatant as to digitize tighty-whiteys on him.
There ya' go. We're pretty confident with the inside-scoop, but we'll see for sure how it plays out on April 5th. |
20 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 4:18 pm EST -- We know about DragonBall Evolution coming for the PSP in the next couple months (March in Japan, April in the US), and we know about DragonBall Z Story coming for the Nintendo DS in the spring over in Japan.
Anyone interested in another new game?
While we can't confirm any additional details right now, we have it on good authority that yet another DB game (note that we're talking the original DB... no Z or GT here) is in the works right now, and it's a Wii game, at that. Furthermore, General White will be playing some kind of role.
The last we heard anything like this was way back in July 2004 when a URL and description for a so-called Red Ribbon Army Saga game for the GBA popped up on Atari's website. It was quickly taken down, but it would certainly be interesting to see if the idea was being revisited five years later on a new platform.
VegettoEX @ 8:56 am EST -- The upcoming issue of Weekly Shônen Jump confirms that the "refreshed" version of DBZ for Japanese TV (you know about this, right?) will in fact be called...
Dragon Ball Kai
As pointed out on Kanzentai, the kanji 改 means "renewed" or "revised". I personally find it interesting that, if they were going to give it a new name in the first place, they didn't go with something like Shin DragonBall Z, as said kanji has popped up in a variety of products over the years (like Shin Butôden and Shin Budôkai, so perhaps that alone would have led to too much confusion). The "Z" appears to be dropped completely, but this will indeed be the DBZ TV series (at least for now; there has been no word on any other DB series receiving a similar treatment).
There is not a whole lot of additional information, but you will notice that the two screen shots in the image are indeed semi-cropped, similar to FUNimation's "faux"-remastered boxsets. Keeping in mind that Toei's promotional materials for the "Dragon Box" versions of the movies are all shown in 4:3 despite the products being 16:9, we should not yet jump to any conclusions. At the same time, it will/would be incredibly disheartening to see Toei go such a cheap route. However, we did receive word from our buddy Wasted Wisher way back when that:
it seems that TOEI is going to be re-drawing some scenes from Dragonball for broadcast on high-def tv. The touch-ups will include some re-done background art (most likely to broaden certain scenes for widescreen)
Will it be a combination of cropping and actual extension, as opposed to FUNimation's sets which did not create actual new footage? I suppose we will have to wait until April 5th...! |
17 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 5:15 pm EST -- Check it over on Game Trailers. It's fully in English, but it's technically the Japanese trailer for the upcoming PSP fighting game based on the upcoming live-action movie.
Be amazed at the "KamayamaYA!" pronunciation among a couple halfway-interesting things like "character" and "story". Moderate sarcasm aside, I'm going to have to get this damn PSP fixed so I can review the game in the coming months.
I'm done with updates for the day, and am heading back to Street Fighter IV. I swear.
VegettoEX @ 3:00 pm EST -- Ah, what the heck. Let's fill in those holes over in the "Animation" gallery.
132 screens from the Sparking! NEO opening are available for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy, and don't miss the ones below!
VegettoEX @ 12:28 am EST -- Due to being sick, taking a nap earlier, and now looking for some grunt work to keep myself busy with, I've gone ahead and updated the "Animation" gallery.
120 screens from the Infinite World opening are available for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! |
15 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 2:51 pm EST -- Episode #0164 of the podcast is available for download! This week Meri and I discussed those few hints at "love" we see in the series, and the relationships that form this love. Trust me, you have to dig pretty deep to find this stuff in a shônen like DB, but there are some bits here and there. Definitely check it out.
In other news, our buddy sangofe has let us know that France is going to be seeing a new DVD boxset release for the DBZ series.
Here's a run-down on the info for this release:
General information:
- Aspect ratio: 4:3
- Distributor: TF1 VIDEO
- Number of DVDs: 17
- Episodes: 001-117
- Price: €170
- Release company: AB VIDEO
- Release date: 19 March 2009
All episodes have been remastered from scratch and are presented in the correct 4:3 aspect ratio by a team of fans at AB France (we are unsure which of film masters were used). The parts of the French dub where there had previously been some type of censoring have been replaced with the Japanese soundtrack with subtitles. The voice actor for Goku (as opposed to the Japanese version's own narrator) recorded all of the episode title card narrations, where none previously existed for this dub. The Japanese version will be included in addition to the French dub. Finally, next-episode previews are included, but will only appear with Japanese audio.
Go France! |
13 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 9:16 am EST -- For all those who love long tirades of text to complement the audio goodness we deliver every week, you are certainly in for a treat today. First up, the "Newbie Guide" has been significantly updated to bring everyone up-to-speed with the events going on both in the US and Japan. If you feel that anything else significant has been left out, absolutely let us know. We think it's back to a good place, though, and encourage everyone to check it out. Yes, we'll eventually add some pictures into the mix! ^_~
We also have a new page added to our "Movie Guide" which further expands the feature-length, non-"movie" material that has been released for the series. While we do not yet have the general information page done for it yet, the summary for the Terebikko feature+game, DragonBall Z: Atsumare! Gokû Wârudo, has been done for a while and we would rather share it with you now than hold onto it any longer.
Enjoy, and look forward to a special podcast this weekend!
Want updates on when things like these go up? Follow me on Twitter! :P |
11 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 12:23 pm EST -- We've known that the game is due out 19 March 2009 over in Japan (not to mention the general Asian version of the game, as well), but now we have confirmation of an American release date. Amazon is listing a $39.99 price point for a 7 April 2009 release date, just in time for the movie, itself. You can hear a first-hand account of the game from our buddy Bryce over on the most recent podcast episode from his play-through up at New York Comic-Con.
Also, Ryûsei Nakao (Tambourine / Freeza / Coola) has been officially announced as a Guest of Honor yet again for North Carolina's Animazement 2009. Think I may go... |
08 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 6:16 pm EST -- Episode #0163 of the podcast is available for download! This week we brought on our buddies Hujio and Herms from Kanzentai to discuss the biggest news of the last decade, which you've no doubt read below. In case you missed it, DragonBall Z is getting a "refreshed" production for airing on Japanese television, including a complete re-voicing by the original cast, an extended widescreen presentation, new special effects, and more. Definitely check it out.
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06 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 9:20 am EST -- Forget the American live-action movie... this is perhaps the biggest news to hit since DragonBall GT ended in Japan back in 1997! We've heard rumblings since last month about this on our forum via our new-favorite-inside-source "Wasted Wisher", but now that Jump confirms it, I think we all feel a little more comfortable sharing the information (due to it being so strange-yet-incredible).
Another big thanks to kei17 over in Japan for the Jump scan and translation/information. Let's just break it down clearly and quickly for you, since I'm pretty sure that we can all barely contain our excitement:
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The DBZ TV series is receiving an extensive "refresh" for Japanese television airing
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This is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of DBZ
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While based on the original animation production, it is being updated with new technology
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This includes extending the frames for formatting on an HD 16:9 display (note: not cropping the image)
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The original Japanese cast is re-grouping to re-voice the show (where available, and unfortunately not including those that have passed on, such as Hirotaka Suzuoki [Tenshinhan])
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Sound effects are being updated
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Unlike the general show, the OPs and EDs are being completely redone
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While not in the above announcement, other reports are noting that the number of episodes is being reduced from 291 to approximately 100
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This begins 05 April 2009 @ 9 am
This is huge. Expect additional clarification over the coming days, and a podcast dedicated to this sole topic this weekend. |
03 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 10:49 am EST -- Our good ol' buddy Greg just took a quick capture for us from television over in Japan... showcasing Shenlong in the upcoming live-action movie! As far as I know, this is the first time we're seeing him... but since I don't follow this quite as closely as some others, maybe I missed it before.
There you go! You can check out his video on YouTube.
VegettoEX @ 8:54 am EST -- We are not intentionally covering only material related to the Japanese release of the upcoming live-action movie, but it certainly seems like it's coming in all in one giant barrage.
Anime News Network (by way of Sankei News) reports that Akira Toriyama himself sketched Ayumi Hamasaki as "Goku" for her CD single release of "Rule" (the international theme song for Dragon Ball Evolution).
This is the first time that Toriyama is responsible for this type of music-related release. The first pressing of the release will have these sketches, though there is no confirmation on whether or not it will resurface down the line for additional pressings of the CD.
We have the CD+DVD combo on pre-order, and will be reviewing the entire package once it comes in. It all drops 25 February 2009 in Japan. |
02 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 9:11 am EST -- Our forum member kei17 dug into the Newtype website's news section to grab a list of the Japanese voice actors & actresses playing the roles in the upcoming American-made live-action movie. We will link over to the corresponding encyclopedia page on Anime News Network for each seiyû.
Of the group, only Hisao Egawa and Mami Koyama have actually played any characters in the DragonBall anime, and even then only as some of the more "minor" characters. While it's true that Masako Nozawa probably would not match up that well with Justin Chatwin, it is a shame that the actual characters' voices for the last two decades could not slide in. Maybe it was an "all or nothing" situation...? The talent management firm(s)...? It's a shame, really! They are all well-established and talented people, but I don't think anyone will deny that it would have been pretty cool to have the actual cast of the show doing the voices in the movie... |
01 February 2009
VegettoEX @ 3:33 pm EST -- One of them is slightly delayed (you may have noticed it missing in your feeds!), but Episode #0161 and #0162 of the podcast are available for download. Everything is back to normal here at the Daizenshuu EX headquarters, so we were able to go ahead and toss up #0161 into the feed (it was actually there last night), and also put up #0162 right on time! In last week's #0161, we took a look at the CD single and full soundtrack for Infinite World, which recently came out in Japan. In #0162, we took a look at volume 24 in our on-going "Manga Review of Awesomeness". Definitely check it out.
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