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Daizenshuu EX - Updates from February 2010 |
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28 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 12:23 pm EST -- It has been nothing but colds and sinus infections here at Casa de EX this past week. As such, we are taking a much-needed, one-week break from the podcast. You don't want to hear us the way we sound right now, anyway.
In the meantime, we are working on a slew of interviews, and I promise you will start hearing some of them in March! We will be back on track next week with Volume 33 in our "Manga Review of Awesomeness." If you are reading along, be sure to catch up!
As you can see, it has otherwise been a pretty slow week. We do have a couple minor news tidbits for you, though:
FUNimation's parent company, Navarre, put out a formal press release earlier this week confirming the acquisition of Kai for North American distribution. There is nothing in here that we did not already know, but it was good to see it get a little more attention, none-the-less:
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb 25, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Navarre Corporation (Nasdaq:NAVR) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary FUNimation(R) Entertainment and Japanese powerhouse producer Toei Animation Co., Ltd. have entered into a multi-year agreement for the U.S. anime leader to distribute the latest chapter of the genre-establishing Dragon Ball franchise, "Dragon Ball Z Kai."
To celebrate 2009's 20th anniversary of the megahit series Dragon Ball Z, Toei Animation, Shueisha Inc. and Dragon Ball creator Mr. Akira Toriyama created "Dragon Ball Z Kai" in which the Dragon Ball Z story is retold to more closely follow Mr. Toriyama's original tale about a brave young warrior named Goku.
A project personally overseen by Mr. Toriyama, "Dragon Ball Z Kai" has been re-edited and re-made using the latest in digital technology, including a full-HD re-mastering of the original film.
Now featuring updated opening and closing sequences, renewed soundtracks and a re-recording of the series by key members of the original voice cast, "Dragon Ball Kai" premiered on Japan's Fuji Television Network in April 2009 and will be available in the U.S. on DVD and Blu-ray beginning this Spring.
"Dragon Ball Z Kai has been hotly anticipated in the states," said Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO of FUNimation Entertainment. "We are pleased to come together with Toei and offer passionate fans, who have been waiting for developments in the Dragon Ball universe, the opportunity to see the new series."
FUNimation Entertainment will begin releasing the series on DVD and Blu-ray starting with Part One on May 18, 2010.
In an economy where we hear about nothing but studio closures and layoffs, it is shocking to hear that Toei has actually raised their earnings forecast for the current year. Projecting ¥1.2 billion up from ¥1.0 billion in net profits, it would seem that the most recent One Piece movie (Strong World), which was written by the manga's author Eiichiro Oda, performed much better than expected. We do not see any information relating to DragonBall in this earnings forecast, but it would interesting to know how the sub-license of Kai to FUNimation (as well as the property's own success in its home land) contributed, if at all.
If you are looking for a little tangentially-Toriyama sort of content, I have been blogging it up over on Video Game Conversations about Chrono Trigger, as well as a few other things. Check it. |
21 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 4:13 pm EST -- This weekend Julian was off helping out the children with an event at school, so we invited our bud Hujio to shoot the shiz with us. We are in the middle of lining up a bunch of interviews, so we took the opportunity with a little downtime to catch up on this week's news and a bunch of your e-mails. Fret not — we are as content-packed as any other regular episode! Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
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19 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 11:25 am EST -- It did not seem like anyone else bothered to ask the question, so we did! Our buddy Steven J. Simmons confirmed for us that he will indeed be the one responsible for the subtitle translations on the Japanese side of FUNimation's upcoming Kai releases. We spoke with Steve at length way back on Episode #0052 of our podcast, so tune in there for more info about him, his history with the franchise, and the translation process. Steve has been responsible for the vast majority of subtitle translations for the DragonBall franchise from FUNimation (and plenty of other series) since their personal entry into the DVD market.
In other random news, our friends over at Kanzentai have updated with a bunch of "animanga" news tidbits. Learn about some "Kids Animation Comics" and the recent "Shueisha Jump Remix" magazine run. |
18 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 12:48 pm EST -- The game was released just a week ago in Japan, and we finally have word from Namco Bandai that DragonBall DS 2 will be coming to North America, as expected, under the title of DragonBall Origins 2.
The first game was released stateside by Atari under the title of DragonBall Origins back in November 2008. We gave our initial thoughts on the game back on Episode #0151 of our podcast. We never got around to finishing the first game, mostly feeling that the controls relied too heavy on stylus-only input.
The sequel is coming sometime in Summer 2010 straight from Namco Bandai themselves, who acquired the rights to the franchise all to their own last year.
NAMCO BANDAI GAMES ANNOUNCES DRAGON BALL®: ORIGINS 2 EXCLUSIVELY FOR NINTENDO DS™
Comic Mischief and Adventure Await as Next Handheld Chapter of Popular Anime Series Unfolds with New Features, Several Playable Characters and Co-op Gameplay
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (Feb. 18, 2010) – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that Dragon Ball®: Origins 2 exclusively for Nintendo DS™ will be available in North America this summer. A follow-up to the original Dragon Ball: Origins for DS, Dragon Ball: Origins 2 continues the story of series hero Goku’s early years as he and his friends search the world for the seven enchanted Dragon Balls. The new action-adventure game includes an array of features including the ability to play as different characters along the way and the option to team up with a friend for co-op multiplayer challenges.
In Dragon Ball: Origins 2, players battle through the Red Ribbon Army saga covering Goku’s first encounters with the nefarious Red Ribbon Army up to the resurrection of Upa’s father, a member of the native tribe who serve as the guardians of the mystical Korin Tower. Players have the chance to play not only as Goku, but also the added variety of familiar faces he encounters as the journey progresses including Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha and more, each with their own abilities and power-ups. The whimsical and beloved graphical style of the series comes to life as animated cut-scenes unfold the story.
A challenging mix of action and exploration awaits, as Goku and friends must use a wide range of skills to solve puzzles, find treasure chests, and defeat armies of baddies. A situation-based camera adapts with the changing gameplay to bring players closer to the action. An overhead view allows players a broad perspective 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. With support for both stylus and button input options, players are free to choose their preferred control style.
In addition to an exciting single-player mode, two players can join up for satisfying co-op multiplayer challenges via a wireless local connection. By playing the single-player adventure, special multiplayer stages including challenging boss fights unlock and become available. Players are also able to carry over their saved character from the single-player mode as they battle alongside friends in co-op mode.
Dragon Ball: Origins 2 for Nintendo DS™ will be available in summer 2010. 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.
We have also tossed the first English trailer for the game over on our YouTube profile:
The trailer seems to be a mix of the original Japanese trailer and totally new material. It remains to be seen which voice cast the North American release will feature, but if Attack of the Saiyans was any indication, we might be in for a treat with the original Japanese cast in our pockets.
It sounds like DragonBall DS 2 did not do so well its first week in Japan, and had a massive drop-off compared to the first game. This is going to be incredibly interesting to follow and eventually review here on the site — it seems like the game is addressing a lot of our concerns from the first one, and yet the Japanese audience just is not that interested. I suppose we will keep our expectations in check until this summer.
There is no word yet on whether or not the Famicom game will be included as an extra within the game outside of Japan (as either Shenron no Nazo or Dragon Power). |
17 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 3:06 pm EST -- Our buddy Sebastian dropped a link to a fascinating interview with Mr. Anison himself, Hironobu Kageyama, over on otaku2.com. Perhaps the most interesting tidbit from the interview is:
PG: What song are you most proud of?
KH: That’s tough, but I guess it would have to be "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA." No matter where I go, people are happy when I sing that song.
Having seen the man perform the song live as a part of the JAM Project concert at Otakon 2008, I can personally say that his smile is like none other when the lyrics are shouted back at him. |
16 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 3:48 pm EST -- A trailer for the third DBZ Dragon Box from FUNimation has popped up as a mislabeled trailer for Volume 2 over on its respective Amazon listing:
This trailer is also narrated in-character (similar to the first two), though this time by Sonny Strait as Kuririn. While the trailer does not give a set release date, RightStuf's most recent catalogue updates peg the set for 04 May 2010, just a couple weeks before the first domestic release of Kai.
RightStuf also confirms "Season Four" of the original DragonBall TV series for that same day from FUNimation.
Briefly heading back to Amazon, the catalogue entries for FUNimation's release of DragonBall Z Kai now feature a short teaser trailer. No footage from the series is shown.
If you have some extra cash lying around to spend, it has been a pretty big week. DragonBall DS 2 launched in Japan on the 11th (purchase @ Play-Asia), while FUNimation is releasing the second DBZ Dragon Box today (purchase @ RightStuf).
In other news, Sakura-Con has announced Mayumi Tanaka as a guest of honor. Tanaka is widely known for her portrayal of Kuririn in the DragonBall series (as well as characters like Yajirobe and occasionally Uranai Baba). The convention is set to take place in Seattle, Washington from April 2-4. |
15 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 6:39 pm EST -- FUNimation's blog has been updated with the voice recast information from Katsucon, as well as confirmations on characters who are retaining their voice actors from the current cast. While some of this information has been indirectly leaked over the last couple weeks, this is the first official statement from FUNimation on main roles being kept:
Reprising their roles from Dragon Ball Z:
Goku – Sean Schemmel
Vegeta and Piccolo – Christopher R. Sabat
Raditz – Justin Cook
Master Roshi – Mike McFarland
Tien – John Burgmeier
Ox King – Kyle Hebert
Chi-Chi – Cynthia Cranz
Nappa – Phil Parsons
Also returning are Linda Chambers Young as Frieza and Sonny Strait as Krillin and Bardock.
There are still a couple characters that have not been mentioned, minor and otherwise. We have seen many calls for recastings of both Yamcha (previously Chris Sabat) and Kaiô (previously Sean Schemmel), neither of which have announced by FUNimation as-of-yet in terms of Kai voicing.
Key figures within FUNimation have stated that this new dub of Kai will be taken in a different direction from their up-until-now standard treatment of the series, such as using an accurate script. There is not much for us to say just yet until the actual product is released, but it is interesting to note how Tenshinhan is still being referred to as "Tien" (and to a lesser extent, the spelling of Freeza's name) — this may be an indication that some precedents set over the last 15 years may be too difficult to move past. We will certainly find out for sure in May!
With an uncut, bilingual home release (so far) planned as the first product fans in North America will officially receive, no matter your preference is for a language, it appears we will all get what we want.
As a minor aside, it is fascinating to be simultaneous talking about voice recastings for both the Japanese and English side of the franchise. It feels like conversations from ten years ago (the shift from Ocean Studios to an in-house FUNimation cast) have resurfaced in a tiny way! |
14 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 9:26 pm EST -- This week we took out our grab-bag of topic ideas and found one that was only moderately-interesting at first... but just got more and more fascinating as we looked into each instance. Confused? Perhaps this will help:
Throughout the series, characters mis-pronounce or otherwise mis-read another character's name. These are usually Japanese-specific jokes penned by the author, and can be incredibly difficult to adapt in translations. This week we take a look at some of these examples from the perspective of both the original Japanese version, as well as some other languages and their adaptations. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
Earlier this week FUNimation announced a "multi-year, national licensing" partnership with New Jersey-based "Shocker Toys" to produce "Mallows" based on various franchises, including DragonBall. These are 5-inch, marshmallow-theme figures that apparently "feature up to 10 points of movement and up to 7 interchangeable parts". While there is nothing yet to show, the figures are expected to go into production this year.
Following up on the news from last August of the first DVD set, our buddy sangofe let us know that France is set to receive the second part of the series on 19 May 2010. The giant set will contain episodes 69-153, contain both French and Japanese audio (along with French subtitles) with uncut audio and video tracks, and will retail for €149,90.
Our forum buddy SHINOBI-03 let us know that the Arabic dub of DragonBall Z is set to continue this month, apparently picking up where it left off with episode 54. It is set to air on the channel "SpacePower", an Arabic cartoon channel aimed at teenagers and young adults. Two trailers (one / two) have made their way to YouTube. The original Arabic voice actor for Son Goku, Mr. Zeyad Errafae'ie, passed away on August 26th.
Following up on the news that Kai is now officially planned for at least 99 episodes, the home release has been appropriately adjusted. The fourth Blu-ray box set was originally (and tentatively) announced as having 10 episodes (40-49) as opposed to the standard 12 episodes. This fourth set has now been updated to include 15 episodes on 5 discs, clocking it in with three more episodes (and one more disc) than the first three sets. Its price has also been adjusted to ¥19,950, a jump up from the ¥15,200 price tag of the first three sets.
The remaining four Blu-ray sets (currently planned as eight in total) are now tentatively planned for releases in October 2010, January 2011, April 2011, and July 2011.
The DVD releases continue to carry on as-is, with the exception of some dual-releases coming our way, such as volumes 7 and 8 both coming on 19 March 2010.
As expected, FUNimation dropped new information about its upcoming domestic release of DragonBall (Z) Kai at Katsucon this weekend. Confirming online listings (including RightStuf's catalogue just days prior), Kai is indeed set for a "Season One, Part One" release on both DVD and Blu-ray on 18 May 2010. According to some of our buds from the One Piece Podcast, it was announced that Kai will be "consistent" in its full frame, 4:3 aspect ratio presentation. We await further clarification from FUNimation on this, as the Japanese releases feature Blu-ray sets in 4:3, with individual DVDs in a cropped 16:9.
Some dub performance roles have also been recast:
- Gohan: Colleen Clinkenbeard
(replacing Stephanie Nadolny)
- Bulma: Monica Rial
(replacing Tiffany Volmer)
- Narrator: Doc Morgan
(replacing Kyle Hebert, who replaced Dale Kelly)
- Chiaotzu & Pu'er ("Puar"): Brina Palencia
(replacing Monika Antonelli, though Puar has been voiced by Palencia in non-TV roles before)
No details concerning the replacements (actor availability, fan requests, internal direction decisions) were noted. There is also no word on a possible TV broadcast. |
07 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 3:00 pm EST -- I must say that it was perfect timing to get that Yamcha episode done last week, because Kai interrupted our regularly-scheduled programming yet again...!
With an official announcement of its licensing (and Jeff sick with family coming to town), it made sense to dedicate another podcast episode to the "refreshed" version of the DBZ TV series. You may think there is not a lot to discuss just yet, but never doubt the power of talkative fans. In our three topical segments, Hujio joins us to briefly recap how this "refresh" came about and what it ended up being (along with its domestic name change), Kendamu joins us to discuss what the manga fan is looking for in a domestic release of the series, while Gozar joins us to talk about what the FUNimation dub fan is looking for. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
In related news, Amazon is mirroring what Wal-Mart put up for DragonBall Z Kai listings this week, with both Blu-ray and DVD sets theoretically available on the same date, 18 May 2010. |
05 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 2:27 pm EST -- Happinet's official website for DragonBall Kai, and specifically the section on its home release, has updated with some long-needed information: just how long the series will be.
You may remember that back when the series was first publicly announced in Jump (almost exactly one year ago), unsourced rumors of Japanese origin placed the series at approximately 100 episodes (cut down from the original 291). This number has been repeated ad nauseam by other websites with no fact-checking as to its origin or any footnote about its status as a rumor. Since that time, many more rumors have circulated based on straight-up false information, along with other assumptions based on currently-announced production and home release schedules.
One of the confusing bits of information was that the fourth Blu-ray box set (which did not have a release date for the longest time, unlike the first three sets) would contain less episodes than usual, and even the 17th DVD would contain only 2 episodes, seemingly coming to an "end" at only episode 50. Various false or otherwise misleading tidbits about a return-to-television from Digimon (which previously held Kai's time slot) also added to the confusion.
The update on Happinet's website should calm the fears of Kai fans, with it clearly indicating that 99 planned episodes will span across 33 individual DVDs, which carries over to 8 Blu-ray box sets.
As Kanzentai points out, this should take us through at least March 2011 if the series keeps up with its weekly airing schedule. |
02 February 2010
VegettoEX @ 7:07 pm EST -- Several birdies have been talking to us about the release schedule for a while now, and it seems like Wal-Mart wants in on the conversation, too. They are listing both the DVD and Blu-ray release already, and coming on 18 May 2010, no less. That is just over three months from "announcement" to "release"... which is pretty impressive for the domestic anime industry. Clearly it has been in the works for a while, but it is still a great trend to keep going with.
The list price on the DVD set is $49.98, while the Blu-ray set will only set you back another $5 up at $54.98. There is no word yet on episode count or aspect ratios. As a refresher, the DVD release in Japan is the cropped widescreen as aired on TV (albeit in standard definition), while the Blu-ray is a high-definition 4:3 aspect ratio. Check out our review of the first individual Blu-ray disc from Japan for even more information.
VegettoEX @ 11:20 am EST -- Moments ago on their Q3 Fiscal 2010 earnings conference call, Navarre Chief Executive Officer Cary Deacon announced the official license of DragonBall Kai to FUNimation, which is scheduled for release in the "latter part" of the upcoming fiscal year (which could run through this summer if intended as Fiscal 2010, or later if intended as Fiscal 2011).
UPDATE: The exact wording, as transcribed from the conference call replay, was as follows:
FUNimation finalized a new Dragon Ball license agreement for Dragon Ball Kai. The first episodes of that property will be released by FUNimation in the latter part of our upcoming fiscal year.
No additional details are available just yet, such as possible home release or broadcast (television or online) options. We have reached out to FUNimation for further comment and will update if and when we receive more information.
DragonBall Kai is a "refreshed" version of the actual DragonBall Z TV series featuring a new musical score, many of the original voice actors and actresses returning, a quickened-pace to the story, and more. Read the full history of its production over on our respective "Tidbit" page. Come discuss the announcement over on our forum.
UPDATE: FUNimation appears to have adjusted the title of the series for their domestic release to DragonBall Z Kai, as seen on their blog this afternoon:
Our buddy Kendamu let us know that records show FUNimation purchased dragonballzkai.com back in December. We look forward to receiving more information!
VegettoEX @ 10:07 am EST -- DBZ Volume 6 (covering tankôbon 32-34) in the "Viz Big" omnibus, 3-in-1 line was originally listed for a 19 January 2010 release date. Following the trend of prior releases, it was later delayed to 16 February 2010.
Our forum buddy xzero let us know that Amazon and other retailers now have it listed for 09 March 2010. The "Viz Big" volumes have lately been notorious for three or four delays, sometimes pushing them up to half a year late.
Volume 7 is now listed for 20 April 2010 with Volume 8 following on 20 July 2010. It is likely these dates will continue to slip.
VegettoEX @ 9:50 am EST -- Play-Asia is currently holding their "Roaring Lucky Lunar New Year Sale" right now, and a batch of import DragonBall games can be gotten for a slightly cheaper price. A lot of older games are actually in-stock (albeit used), as well. There are some domestic releases in the batch, too, but you will typically be better off grabbing those from Amazon right now. Here is a selection of the available games and prices:
There are lots of other deals and prizes to be won, so if import games are your thing, check it out. Unfortunately, I am mostly caught up on my purchases. I could stand to add the Japanese release of Infinite World to finish out the entire JP PS2 run in my collection, though... hrrmm.... |
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