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INTERACTION |
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Daizenshuu EX - Updates from April 2009 |
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29 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 1:53 pm EST -- We are through the announced one-week break, but it turns out we are going to need another week to get things in order at the new Daizenshuu EX headquarters. For all the regular podcast listeners out there, we do have some special material to keep you busy. Meri and I recorded a special guest episode of R5 Central a little while back, and the episode has now gone live. We talked a bit about the series as a whole, a little bit about Kai, a little bit more of Evolution, and closed it up with our Top 5 DBZ Movies That Don't Suck. Download the show now!
In other podcast listenings, our buddies over The S-Words Podcast did an episode about DragonBall, and more specifically, Evolution (all veiled under the phrase Super Saiyans). Check it out if you need some more audio entertainment. |
24 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 1:20 pm EST -- Just posted by our buddy kei17 over in Japan is some information regarding new cover art that the tankôbon are going to be receiving. While the basic images will remain the same, the surrounding details are being freshened-up quite a bit:
Yes, although the kanzenban run has been the de-facto version of the manga that Shueisha has been promoting and referencing (such as in new guide books) since their release a few years ago, the original 42-volume tankôbon run has been very much alive alongside its higher-quality cousin. It is certainly interesting to see it get an update at this point in time, especially considering that even games like Super DragonBall Z paid extreme homage to its iconic style.
It will be interesting to see whether or not this new tankôbon run will take any elements from the kanzenban (such as minor censoring details, the "Welcome" fix, or the new ending), though we tend to think it unlikely. kei17 does mention that the spine art will be "changed" (such as not including two Yajirobe), and it will see its release at the beginning of May.
Also, while I will be personally moving this weekend, expect to see the forum (finally!) moved over to its new server very soon, as well. If you see anything going down, don't panic... and be sure to check here on the home page for details. Faster updates will also be seen over on my Twitter page. |
22 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 3:08 pm EST -- The "CD Singles" page has been updated with the "Dragon Soul" information from below, as well as the accurate cover art and tracklistings for the various "Rule / Sparkle" releases (which we recently reviewed). Look for some more "Music Database" updates in the near future.
VegettoEX @ 2:07 pm EST -- CDJapan has updated with (a low-res version of) the cover art for the CD single release of the DragonBall Kai opening theme, "Dragon Soul":
EDIT: Higher-quality version added courtesy of Tanooki Kuribo:
As a reminder, "Dragon Soul" is coming out on 20 May 2009 in both a regular (COCC-16247, ¥1200) and "Limited Edition" (COCC-16273, ¥1300) version. There is still no full tracklisting yet, and there are no details on what additional material the "Limited Edition" will come with. The first-pressing is still available on CDJapan, though, so get those orders in while you still can. |
21 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 10:18 am EST -- Our Japanese buddy kei17 posted up to let us know that Kai went down to an average household rating of 9.6 in its third week. It was not a significant drop (into fourth place overall for anime), but One Piece did end up beating it out.
I also wanted to share something that does not seem to have gotten much attention outside of our forum. Our good buddy Herms from over at Kanzentai got in a copy of the recently released Super Exciting Guide: Character Volume earlier this month and went through the book to share a wealth of information with everyone. Now that we finally have our own copies of the new books in, it makes sense to more publicly share a little bit of wonderfully hilarious information.
Mr. Satan's real name is Mark.
As Herms describes, a Q&A/interview section with Akira Toriyama in the book dives into Mr. Satan's character. As we have known, the name "Mr. Satan" is really just his "show" or "ring" name (and no, the dreaded "H-word" has no relevance to this discussion). According to Toriyama, Mr. Satan's actual first name is "Mark". While it seems like a common name, it is actually written out in kana as マーク (mâku or maaku). If you rearrange the syllables, as you would with many names in the series to derive their puns, you end up with akuma (meaning "devil" or "demon"; you may be familiar with the name as the North American name-change of the Street Fighter character otherwise known as "Gouki").
Personally, I love the name. While it has a cute, consistent, underlying pun to keep the family in check, the fact that it is such a common-sounding name really fits with how I feel about him. While I do not particularly love Mr. Satan as a character, you cannot help but feel like he is just some poor, regular ol' guy that consistently gets in way the Hell over his head. "Mark" seems fitting, in that respect.
Big thanks to Herms for digging in and sharing the info. Make sure you go visit our buds over at Kanzentai if you have never been before. |
20 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 12:44 pm EST -- As noted in the podcast update last night, things have been a little crazy around here. Thankfully it has been a relatively slow news week or two, so we have been able to breathe a little bit. There have been a couple tiny bits to share, though, so let's cruise through them.
The ratings for DragonBall Kai seem to be somewhat acceptable. The first episode saw an average household rating of 11.3 (giving it the number four slot for anime), while the second shot down to 9.8 (but still enough to give it the number three slot for anime). Big thanks to kei17 for the numbers ahead of time, and then later reported over on Anime News Network.
Evolution, despite its huge build-up in the community, has given us little more than a whimper to discuss after its North American release. It has been essentially considered a flop, especially when you look at its mere $4.8 million take on opening weekend. It only did another $1.5 million this last weekend, so if you were planning on seeing it in theaters and have not done so, your chance is very quickly fading away. Our buddy Tanooki Kuribo let us know that on the date of its theatrical release, Amazon was already taking pre-orders for the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film. No release dates have been set, however.
Finally, we have added a page for "DragonBall Kai" over in our "Episode Guide" section. We won't be going into as much detail as what the crazy-but-lovable folks over at Kanzentai are doing, so if you are looking for a quick-glance list of episodes and a couple brief thoughts, we've got you covered. If you would like a little extra commentary from us here at Daizenshuu EX, there's always the podcast to tune into. |
19 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 11:15 pm EST -- Episode #0173 of the podcast is available for download! It's been a crazy week for us here at the Daizenshuu EX headquarters in New Jersey, but things are coming along. Meri and I were able to crank out a show for you this evening mostly talking about episodes 2 & 3 of DragonBall Kai, but there's some other good material in there for ya'! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
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12 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 1:29 pm EST -- Episode #0172 of the podcast is available for download! While we previously reviewed the movie with Julian based on its Japanese theatrical release, we thought it would be worth it to take a second look now that the rest of us had a chance to go see it. We came back with a ton of guests (some old, some new!) to discuss the movie's merits and pitfalls. Anything and everything you wanted to hear discussed was touched upon. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
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08 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 9:30 pm EST -- Chris Roper over at IGN has reviewed the latest DragonBall video game, DragonBall Evolution for the PSP. Without spoiling too much of the review for you, let's just say that an entire paragraph is essentially the word "square" pasted over and over. Read for yourself.
McKinley Noble over at GamePro also has up a review for the game which seems ever-so-slightly more forgiving. Check that one out, as well.
Our copy shipped yesterday, so look forward to our own take on it here on the website. |
05 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 1:50 pm EST -- Our always-ongoing tidbit for DragonBall Kai has been updated with a couple bits of information now that the first episode has premiered. While there is nothing extraordinarily interesting, we have at least detailed a couple quick facts about the show and its presentation. Check it out if you need a recap on how this all came to be! Don't miss this weekend's podcast episode below, where we gave our immediate thoughts on the episode right after it aired.
VegettoEX @ 1:22 am EST -- Episode #0171 of the podcast is available for download! This week is a doozy with us not only doing our regularly-scheduled Volume 26 in the "Manga Review of Awesomeness", but we also start-up the appropriately-titled "DragonBall Kai Review of Awesomeness"...! That's right, mere hours after its debut airing, we already have thoughts for you. Tune in to see what we think about this so-called "refresh" of the TV series, as well as our thoughts on this part of the Freeza arc in the manga. Lots of good stuff for ya'! Definitely check it out.
Apologies on my own mic sound during the non-Kai parts of the episode. Looks like my gain wasn't set as high as I thought it was, and I sound a little like I'm being recorded on someone else's mic. Still highly listenable. Just saying... |
02 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 10:20 am EST -- Shueisha has finally updated with the cover art for the first volume of the Ano-Yo-Ichi Budôkai" TV Version Anime Comics" (or "animanga"), as well as the second "Super Exciting Guide", the Character Volume:
Both are due out tomorrow in Japan for ¥730 and ¥630 respectively. We finally have both of the "Super Exciting Guide" books on their way to our courtesy of your lovely donations, so look forward to a nice review of them in the near future.
Finally, Amazon is having a sale on DragonBall-related DVDs and Blu-ray discs in preparation (excitement?) for the upcoming American release of DragonBall Evolution. They have DBZ seasons four through eight and the two new DBGT season sets for $24.99 a pop, a good number of the DVD double-feature releases for $14.99 a pop, and then the Blu-ray releases of those double-features for $17.49 a pop. |
01 April 2009
VegettoEX @ 7:41 am EST -- Special thanks to kei17 for giving us the update on this. In what I initially thought was a joke, Toei's website for Kai has announced that none other than Hikaru Midorikawa will be the formal replacement voice for Tenshinhan in DragonBall Kai (in place of the late Hirotaka Suzuoki). Midorikawa previously played the roles of #16 and Paikuhan in the series, so it will be interesting to see his performance of Tenshinhan.
Also, in case you were wondering, reports of our deaths are greatly exaggerated. |
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