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Daizenshuu EX - Updates from June 2008 |
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29 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 12:05 am EST -- Episode #0135 of the podcast is available for download! This week, we checked in with KaiserNeko and Lanipator from the new DragonBall Z Abridged fan-parody series by TeamFourStar!
We only recently discovered this recent trend of creating "Abridged" series, ourselves, and so with the debut of this group's take on the TV series we definitely wanted to check in with them and see how the whole thing works. It's an absolutely hysterical take on the series that has so many clever jokes for so many different types of fans, and still retains that genuine charm and endearing qualities of the original. If you haven't seen it yet, you absolutely need to do so. In addition to that, we also dive into some somewhat-artificially-created drama between two dub voice actors as well as a ton of other news. Definitely check it out. |
28 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 1:10 am EST -- Thankfully, the Japanese have decided that the previous art they showcased for the individual releases of the various DragonBall and DragonBall Z movies simply weren't good enough. We have now been presented with what appear to be the final art for DBZ Movies 1 & 2, which are starting off the latest (last?) run of individual DVD releases in August:
Big improvement, guys 'n gals. We like. |
26 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:05 pm EST -- We first told you about it way back in December, have seen more and more word coming in about it, and finally we have this:
The first thing I noticed is that there's absolutely no source for the image. The second thing I noticed is that the FUNimation logo in the bottom right isn't at the same skewed-perspective as the rest of the box. Now, that doesn't mean at all that isn't not "real" and it's not actually coming (again, we've been telling you about this for months), but I would wait for additional (official) confirmation before we consider this a real image. I'm told this "WTK" person on the Anime on DVD forum is a reliable one, but we personally have no familiarity and make no guarantees.
Additionally, there was also the supposed cover art for the forth-coming DBZ Movies 3 & 4 faux-"remastered" Blu-ray / standard DVD release (said image has been confirmed from trailers contained on previous FUNimation releases):
In other news, MUSIC JAPAN+ has an English-language interview with Tôru Furuyu, the voice of Yamcha. It's extremely difficult to navigate... pay close attention to the tiny flashing next>> at the bottom. He's a really awesome guy, so definitely check that out.
In gaming news, GameTrailers has put up their review of DragonBall Z: Burst Limit for the PS3 / 360. I haven't yet had a chance to check it out, but I've more or less agreed with them on the last round of games, and I expect this to be no different. Be sure to check out what our initial thoughts were on the game back on Episode #0133 of the podcast.
Finally, Burst Limit (for the PS3; no 360 representation at all this time) has fallen to #15 for the week (in terms of new sales) over in Japan. Metal Gear Solid 4 indeed kicked ass last week, but this week it's all about Super Robot Taisen A Portable on the PSP. |
25 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:33 pm EST -- Big thanks to Futabatei Shimei for keeping us on our toes, as always. CDJapan has a new entry for a PlayStation 2 & Wii Game DragonBall Z Sparking! METEOR / PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 Game DragonBall Z Burst Limit soundtrack coming out on 27 August 2008 for ¥3000.
This is quite interesting because:
(1) The Japanese release of all the Sparking! games contained music composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi (plus one little DBGT BGM for the 2nd & 3rd games) from the actual TV series arranged for the games by Kenji Yamamoto.
(2) The American release of the first Sparking! game contained recycled music from the Budokai series. The American release of the second game contained all-new music. The American release of the third game also contained all-new music, though it was actually newly-composed by Kenji Yamamoto.
(3) The American and Japanese releases of Burst Limit appear to have the exact same BGM, right from the get-go with the Japanese vocal opening theme performed by Hironobu Kageyama.
Now, as this is a Japanese CD produced for the Japanese market, my initial thought is that for Sparking! METEOR, this new CD will contain the music from the Japanese release of the game (which, if you're following along, was actually just BGM and arrangements [sometimes instrumental versions of vocal songs] from the TV series). Kenji Yamamoto is attributed to this CD, so there will (obviously) be music from him... but... will it contain any of that "new" music composed for the American release of Sparking! METEOR (read: Budokai Tenkaichi 3)...?
It's somewhat mind-boggling at the moment, so we'll of course keep you updated as more information comes out. All we know right now is that Kenji Yamamoto music from both games will appear in some capacity, and if precedent says anything, credit to Hironobu Kageyama means that the "TV-sized" versions of the vocal opening themes will appear on this disc. Remember that the full-length versions are coming out on a disc from Hironobu Kageyama next month!
VegettoEX @ 7:55 am EST -- All the blog sites have (obviously) already picked up on this one, and since this is somewhat more-important news, we'd love to share this one with you. The first promotional poster for the upcoming live-action DragonBall movie has shown up!
We've seen the image before in various magazine scans and such, so it makes sense that it would end up being used as the first real poster to promote the movie.
In addition to that (and in much less important and entertaining news), the cover art for the forthcoming 5th anniversary hardcover release of Shonen Jump (American, that is... nothing to do with the Japanese release, which just hit 40 years) has come out.
Again, we don't really know what will be inside here. We all assume it will basically be a re-print of the original release from back in 2003, perhaps with some new items inside...? It will be out on 05 August 2008 for $24.99, though you can pre-order at certain places for much less. |
22 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:58 pm EST -- Episode #0134 of the podcast is available for download! This week we asked a bunch of friends what they thought the biggest story or issue was affecting DB fandom today. Despite the answers sounding very different at the beginning, they all seem to somewhat tie together in some way. Stay tuned towards the end of the episode for a couple check-ins from AnimeNEXT! Definitely check it out.
Speaking of the convention, here are the figures I picked up:
Here are some cosplayers we saw. Unfortunately, Meri didn't get a picture of the toddler Goku... so if you were there and got a snapshot of the supposedly-adorable little guy, send it on over!
Thanks to the few of you who spotted us and say hello! See you all again soon at Otakon! |
19 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:06 pm EST -- Sorry to give some slight false hope, but it's too good to pass up! According to Marbridge Consulting:
In an article posted on his blog, Li Yanqing, president of online gaming firm China Game, has claimed that Chinese online game operator 9You has signed an agreement with Korean developer CJ Internet to license the Mainland China operating rights to Dragon Ball Online. CJ Internet owns the world-wide development and distribution rights to Dragon Ball Online. Li didn't reveal any details of the agreement.
That certainly creates a massive amount of potential players. We will, of course, keep you up-to-date with any additional information regarding licensing outside of Asia.
In other gaming news, as expected, Burst Limit took a beating on the Japanese sales charts due to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. Selling a mere 18,000 additional copies on the PS3 (with the 360 version not even charting this week... surprise, surprise), the latest DBZ game has fallen to the number seven slot for the week. I would expect it to fall off the charts entirely within the next two weeks.
That's going to wrap it up here at the home base for the next couple days. If you're heading to AnimeNEXT over the weekend, we'll see you there! If not, feel free to follow along via Twitter, and we'll catch you back here on Sunday for the next podcast. |
15 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:19 pm EST -- Episode #0133 of the podcast is available for download! We took a look at Burst Limit this week, which just came out for the Xbox 360 & PS3. Our initial thoughts on the game are literally just that, since the game had only been out for three days when we recorded. Look for more in-depth coverage of the game in a few weeks, but also be sure to check this one out for a few different perspectives, including that of a... err... recurring character? Definitely check it out.
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14 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 12:23 pm EST -- A few interesting things have popped up over the last couple days, so before they get too old and you don't hear them until the podcast, let's do a recap!
A 17-year-old "man" has been issued a citation down in Texas for trying to steal DBZ season four from his local Wal-Mart. Another typical example of you damn kids and your smug sense of entitlement! Get off my lawn!
Navarre (FUNimation's parent company) released their 4th Quarter & Fiscal Year 2008 results, and also held their corresponding earnings conference call. Not a whole lot of interesting information other than confirmations that FUNimation continues to do well despite the shape of the market. Distribution is down, but FUNimation's strength in DVD sales (no doubt due mostly to DBZ) is really pulling it all together.
Burst Limit has been doing great over in Japan, selling approximately 92,000 copies on the PS3 last week, making it the top-selling game. This is, of course, until the next figures come out, which will include Metal Gear Solid 4. Also on the list down at number twelve was the 360 version of the game, though no sales figures are reported past number ten. In comparison, Sparking! METEOR sold a whopping 243,536 in its first week back in November (203,828 = PS2; 39,708 = Wii).
We've recorded our initial thoughts on Burst Limit, so look forward to that in the next podcast episode going up tomorrow! |
11 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:31 pm EST -- Just a reminder for all of you that Burst Limit officially shipped to stores in the US yesterday (all you Japanese and European fans have already been playing for a couple days, though).
I picked mine up at GameStop today. If you pre-ordered the game, you received a t-shirt and either a DVD of the first seven episodes of DBZ (360) or a Blu-ray of DBZ movie 1 (PS3). Interesting, the DVD for my 360 version was packed right inside with the game in the flip-style dual-disc case. The front cover has a golden bar at the bottom showcasing this, though the instruction book on the inside has the standard cover image. Yes, the DVD is the exact same disc that comes with FUNimation's faux-"remastered" DBZ season one; no additional branding is present.
The t-shirt was a very shoddy-looking standard large:
Note that the front is printed on crooked. Yep.
Our initial thoughts on the game will come this weekend on the next episode of the podcast. See you then! |
10 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:30 pm EST -- There has been a lot of previewing / reviewing and marketing going on the last few days. Here are a few highlights:
IGN: DBZ Movies 1 & 2 Blu-ray Review --
"Dragon Ball isn't the fanboy favorite it used to be (having given up the throne to Bleach and Naruto and the like), but the fans it has left can consider this release the definitive, archival version of the first two DBZ movies. It's available at quite the reasonable price most places, too, so if you've already made the investment in a Blu-ray setup, it won't cost you that much more."
IGN: "DBZ: Burst Limit" Review --
"Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a strong fighting game, with combat mechanics that are both simple and deep. There are some issues in terms of variety, however, with a limited number of stages and characters that are fairly similar to one another. Regardless, DBZ fans will likely find a lot to enjoy here, which is really what matters."
(NOTE: Video review also available)
GamePro: "DBZ: Burst Limit" Review --
"Still, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit managed to really impress me. It's not perfect but it's a fast, over-the-top fighter that's an absolute blast. The single-player Z Chronicles mode is perfect for hardcore fans and the multiplayer options are good enough that you'll want to call your friends over for a few matches. I highly recommend it if you loved Dragon Ball Z or like your fighting games to be lightning quick."
GameSpot has also gone to DBZ for another installment in their (popular?) "Franchise Player" segment. It's just another generic attempt at explaining the franchise by a gaming publication, complete with the only-familiar-with-the-dub knowledge (not that we're expecting anything more than that, but it would be nice) and inter-site plugs.
In other news, it would appear that Hironobu Kageyama's fantastic Power Live '98 CD is going to be re-released (if CDJapan isn't lying to us). Of the sixteen tracks on this CD full of live performances, there are five DragonBall songs:
- "Mind Power ...Ki..."
(DBZ episode 139 insert / Trunks flashback)
- "Unmei no Hi ~Tamashii tai Tamashii~"
(DBZ episode 184 insert / SSJ2 Gohan)
- "Boku-tachi wa Tenshi Datta"
(DBZ 2nd ending)
- "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"
(DBZ 1st opening)
- "FOR EVER~"
(image song)
Note that all of the live DB songs from the Power Live '95 CD were included in the recent so-called "Chôzenshû" set. In other words, if you don't already own this CD, you'll want to pick it up!
Finally, it looks like FUNimation wants to unload their current copies of DBZ movies 2 & 3 (the re-dubbed / subbed-by-Steve ones that came as a part of the "First Strike" boxset of DBZ movies 1-3 in November 2006). There's no date set for them yet, but they'll only be $5 each. |
08 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 1:38 pm EST -- Ya' know, despite Julian being over there right now, it amuses me how I get the news out of Japan from the general internet, rather than him :P.
As Anime News Network is reporting from the latest Weekly Jump , the new DragonBall animation (we don't yet know whether to truly call it an "OVA" or a "movie" or a "special") will actually be based on an original concept by Akira Toriyama, himself.
Julian will absolutely be doing everything he can to check out the closest tour later this year, so we look forward to getting a first-hand account of the new feature!
VegettoEX @ 12:00 am EST -- Episode #0132 of the podcast is available for download! This week we took a look at the new CD out of Japan this week, Inazuma Challenger.
You may remember this CD initially being billed as the "21st Century Versions" of the original DragonBall TV series opening and closing themes. Those are all still on here (including remixes and even an English version!), so listen in for all sorts of sound samples, our full review, and our recommendations. We also (finally) checked out that amusing release from Hitomi Kitamura which also contains a cover/remix of "Romantikku Ageru Yo". In addition to all this, we checked in with Julian, gave away a DVD (did you win?!), and a whole lot more. Definitely check it out. |
05 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 6:40 pm EST -- Back in December we told you about a whole bunch of new stuff coming down the pipeline from FUNimation. Everything has come out except for the last item on the list, which we now know will be coming out later this year on September 16th for $49.98.
That's right, new boxsets of DragonBall GT are coming. Since FUNimation has already put out boxsets of their original releases (4:3, dub + Menza music, JP version, etc.), we can only continue to assume that these new releases will be in the same faux-"remastered" style that DBZ has been treated to for five seasons, now (16:9 cropped widescreen, dub + JP music, dub + Menza music, JP version, etc.).
We don't know which episodes these will be, but since DBGT is only 64 episodes long, it wouldn't surprise me if the entire series is broken up into only three or four sets.
Additionally, on that same day, you can expect to pick up DBZ season six, Spanish volumes 9 & 10, and the DVD/Blu-ray faux-"remastered" releases of DBZ movies 3 & 4 (in the same "double-feature" format that DBZ movies 1 & 2 just saw a week or so ago).
I just picked up Inazuma Challenger at the post office, so expect a full review (with song samples, of course) on this weekend's upcoming podcast. This is the new CD that just came out this week featuring new versions of the DragonBall opening and closing themes sung by their original artists (Hiroki Takahashi & Ushio Hashimoto). I also (finally) grabbed that CD from Hitomi Kitamura with her version of the DB closing theme, so expect some additional thoughts on that in the same episode.
Speaking of podcasts, it looks like FUNimation's going to be starting up their own on June 9th. I wonder if they're feeling any pressure...? ^_~
Finally, don't forget about our contest! We are giving away the original 1997 release of Dead Zone. Listen in to this week's podcast episode for details. You don't need to be a regular listener to listen, and all it takes is a simple e-mail to enter. Go, go, go! |
04 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:33 am EST -- We're a little late on this one... you can entirely blame my trying to get my Otakon AMV contest submission done on time ^_~.
As Kanzentai has dug up, it would seem as if the upcoming individual R2 DVD releases of the movies (which were collected in "Dragon Box: The Movies" back in 2006) are actually going to be starting with the DBZ movies rather than the original DB movies. Amazon has listings and cover art for the first two discs:
It's a real shame if this ends up being the final cover art for the volumes, since the only real distinction seems to be the number in the bottom-right. The movies begin their individual releases on August 8th with a schedule of two per month. |
01 June 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:20 pm EST -- Episode #0131 of the podcast is available for download! Due to a slight bit of personal over-booking, we skipped a regular topic this week, and instead went over the plethora of news from the last week. Everything is covered from various Burst Limit things to the domestic daizenshuu release coming later this year. Definitely check it out.
We are actually running a contest right now to give away the original 1997 release of Dead Zone (which contains an uncut English dub from FUNimation featuring the Ocean Studios cast and original Japanese score, as well as the original Japanese version itself). Listen in to this week's (relatively short) episode for details. We'll be giving it away to a random entrant on next week's show! |
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