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REVIEW: Dragon Ball Z DVD Season 6

I compared three of the sets,side by side on three T'V's.The DVD singles,the Ocean group dub and the new 1080i boxset.Sure enough,the picture was alterted instead of the audio this time.I mean,I was shocked to find that Funi merely threw together upscaled remasters of DBZ,(probably remastered raws,directly from the Dragonboxes) and sold them for cheap.

I just wish they didn't get rid of the Japanese music in the dub.

For the record, I'd say Dragon Ball Z is more a result of what Tomorrow's Joe, Kinnikuman, Fist of the North Star and Saint Seiya brought forth for Shonen action series. If you think about it, Saint Seiya was one of the first shows to use the formula for long drawn out battles that seemed to take place over the course of weeks, for it to actually only be just a few hours. Comparing the Sanctuary Arc to any arc in Dragon Ball Z, you can clearly see (especially in the end of Saint Seiya's Sanctuary arc during the battle with the Gold Saints) that the formula seemed to start there. Ashita no Joe and Saint Seiya both utilize very Japanese themes of "Ganbare!" or hangin' tough just enough to succeed, perseverance can overcome anything, etc. Also, both use intense training scenes, showing the characters building up to their higher power levels, albeit Seiya and his companions' training is shown more retroactively through flashbacks and kinda on-the-job-training as they get their asses handed to them time and again. Kinnikuman follows a similar story formula...training, fighting, getting stronger and ultimately succeeding based on almost sheer will-power and the kinda "Ganbare!" attitude that the Japanese have. Fist of the North Star follows up on the "super-beings" formula, with each character being distinctive in look, power, demeanor, etc. and having them duke it out for control of the world, universe...whatever. While FotNS doesn't seem to really follow the tournament formula like a lot of Shonen action shows, it does have the long, drawn out quests and small fights leading up to the big one that takes several episodes to complete. So, in all fairness, these guys are the ones who are mainly responsible for the current Shonen model. DBZ's perfection of that formula and influence is definitely felt in later shows, but to only credit DBZ with this would be pretty unfair to these other great shows and the mark that they've left on Shonen stories for many years to come.

I think Sabat was just trying to voice-match Brian Drummond's initial interpretation of Vegeta, more than anything, and it stuck. There are times (especially in Season 4) that I actually preferred the Japanese voice of Vegeta in some episodes, simply because he's more "human" and less "entitled". It's not so much more "badass" as it is just "down to earth", especially when he arrives at Bulma's place hoping that Kakkarot (Goku) has returned from battling Freeza.

These shows are going to be shipped around to other countries and dubbed into their respective languages. Surprisingly, with the exception of Goku, both Naruto and Luffy are voiced by women in the English dubs (Maile Flanagan and Colleen Clinkenbeard, respectively). Ultimately, the casting decisions will be approved by the Japanese, and yeah, gender isn't really the issue in casting roles, regardless of the language, for the most part.

Concerning Nozawa's performance of Goku being critical to portraying him as a big child even when he's still an adult, that's baloney. 99% of my viewing of DBZ over the years has been English-dubbed, and in less intense moments I have always had that exact impression about adult Goku just from the English dub.

In regards to voice acting, I guess most people seem to forget that girls are cast as boys because once we guys hit 13, we really don't sound so high pitched anymore. And while I still have mixed feelings regarding Nozawa as Goku (keeping in mind she's retired now, so no one will have to worry about her voicing another boy again) I won't deny she was good as him when he was a kid. As an adult, Goku tends to sound like an old woman in the Japanese version (not surprising Nozawa is in her 70s now) and Nozawa was 53 when DBZ was airing in Japan.

It's funny that people still complain about Masako Nozawa as the Japanese voice of Son Goku, because it shows that there are people who still don't even understand such a simple character. Folks, Goku is an adult, but still extremely child-like and naive. Therefore, the same voice he had as a child is still fit for him as an adult, because it shows just how energetic and child-like he can be. It's a perfect voice for the character, as opposed to the Superman-ish English voices he's had over the years. It seems pretty clear they intended Nozawa to continue to voice the character into adulthood for this reason. Most people understood this years ago when anime fans first discussed the series, but I guess the wisdom was never handed down.

I agree with you on that front (especially when it comes to FOTNS ). It would be nice if Funimation (or Animeigo) could pick up/rescue those titles and properly introduce Japan's shonen forefathers to the modern public at large...

As for the review, I find it nice to see quite a positive review concerning DBZ, as I've watched it on TV myself (I saw the version with Kirby Morrow as the voice of Goku). Although, judging by what I've heard concerning the box sets, I may have to wait for Funimation to release a new batch of re-printed editions that are more "faithful" to fans' expectations. They will come, mark my words (we've had three different releases of season sets for Yu Yu Hakusho so far, so you never know).

It would be nice but, with the way most classic anime is looked upon in the states, it probably won't happen. Also, the way Toei basically screws with the American release companies, it would be a pretty well hacked up version of either Fist, Seiya or Kinnikuman. They don't seem to grasp that we don't want shoddy DVD's, that folks want high quality, unedited, fully translated product. Either that, or they just don't care.

Saint Seiya was only basically available because Toei wanted it on TV. For that reasoning, they butchered the hell out of it and created "Knights of the Zodiac", which was just a complete and utter piece of garbage. The story was still in tact for the most part but, the characters themselves were changed quite a bit, the edits done to the show were beyond stupid (green blood? really?), and the dub job itself was laughable. It's along the lines of 4Kids One Piece bad. We were pretty lucky to get the Japanese version available but, it's success was based on the edited version's success which is dumb. If the edited version did well, then more of the original version would be made available. But, since the edited version failed (and it did with good reason), Toei pulled the plug on the whole thing, making it impossible to get any thing else.

Fist of the North Star has never had a successful run in the states either. We keep ending up with crappy edit jobs, or dub-only product of the classic stuff. I realize that Manga U.S.A. could only release what the U.K. branch made available to them but, c'mon...would it be so hard to just have the original opening animation with the original music?? I'm not sure how the downloadable stuff fares but, if it's just the same as Manga's release or with Toei's craptastic dubtitles ala Slam Dunk or even Beet the Vandel Buster, then forget it.

Don't even get me started on their deal with ADV and Sailor Moon...or even Pioneer and Sailor Moon. Missing commercial bumpers and next episode previews, completely terrible masters (at least for ADV's box-sets), horrible sound quality, missing episode on the second box set. Unfortunately, DBZ isn't faring much better.

So, my beef with all this is that even if they do get the license for these shows, Toei will find some way to screw fans out of a complete product. I don't know about Ashita no Joe, though...TMS tends to dick with things too so, I'm sure we'd end up getting an inferior product from them as well. Sorry for the rant, but Toei kinda gets on my nerves a bit with all the monkeying around they do with the American products.

Dear Funimation,

would it be possible for you to perform a license rescue for the Shonen Jump parody series called Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo? I (as well as many others) would be glad if you could give it a complete and proper release.

For the content, make sure that you keep Phuuz's english dub (uncut, of course), as it wouldn't require the need for a new dub that would cost you money. Don't forget to leave in the original japanese version, as well.

Also, try to include some liner notes that explain the cultural references in most of the gags, since not everyone would be able to understand them.

For the packaging, you should the cover arts from the official japanese DVD releases of the series, as that would please the fans of packaging consistency.

Finally, I should suggest to release the series in half-season sets, as it is rather long (76 episodes), making this too risky to release it in singles. Since this is a series of an acquired taste, that approach would be ideal for it.

Please take your time to take my suggestions into consideration. There is a small, yet dedicated, fanbase for Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo that would be extremely grateful to if you could provide them with a faithful, high-quality release of it on DVD. Also, some merchandising related to the series wouldn't be out of the question (action figures, keychains, t-shirts, etc.).

By the way, I should thank you for bringing Geneon and ADV Films titles (like Karin, Hellsing, Welcome to the NHK and Red Garden) back into the hands of fans. I am pleased with the way that you treat those fans and hope that you can continue your good and hard work in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail.

To whom this may concern:

Thank you for your email and input. We appreciate you sharing your passion for Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo.

Best regards,
Doreen
Feedback Manager
FUNimation Entertainment

Are you kidding me? Hercule was the best part about this arc.

You know, we really oughta do something about this rather than keep complaining about the problem (no offense to you, of course). It would be nice if a group of fansub veterans could band together and form a new anime licensing ala ADV Films. That way, we might be able to get reliable series treatments if they get deals from Toei.

Well, that, or we beg Funimation like there's no tomorrow.

Well, ADV Films has been recently planning to put out re-releases of their older shows, including the portion of Saint Seiya they've got. The only solution might be if it sells well, but besides that, there's not much hope for it...

If there's one thing that I can never forgive Manga about, it's their treatment of FOTNS. Who cares if the opening's "unusable", I want it! As for the download version, I've heard that the video quality is debatable, but the translation should be different...I think.

I think there was a good reason for that missing episode (something about dinosaurs). As for the releases,...it's better than nothing at all, really. As for DBZ, Funi will eventually get it right. What's ironic here is that they give One Piece a better treatment than that series (and how would it not get one, after that 4Kids disaster).

I understand how you feel. They clearly have no idea how badly fans want their series and what kind of releases should be most appropriate for them. They've been recently uploading Slam Dunk, FOTNS, Digimon Adventure 02 and Pretty Cure on Crunchyroll to try and do a fresh start, although it's not certain if they'll eventually have those series get a proper DVD release.

I really want Funimation to release Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo, especially since Toei had entrusted it to that inadequate company offshoot that was Illumitoon (seriously, what was Toei thinking!?). The subtitles were done by Toei, but still, you can't have beginners play with the big leagues. At any rate, I suggested that title to Funimation by sending the following e-mail message to them:

Quote:

Dear Funimation, would it be possible for you to perform a license rescue for the Shonen Jump parody series called Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo? I (as well as many others) would be glad if you could give it a complete and proper release. For the content, make sure that you keep Phuuz's english dub (uncut, of course), as it wouldn't require the need for a new dub that would cost you money. Don't forget to leave in the original japanese version, as well. Also, try to include some liner notes that explain the cultural references in most of the gags, since not everyone would be able to understand them. For the packaging, you should the cover arts from the official japanese DVD releases of the series, as that would please the fans of packaging consistency. Finally, I should suggest to release the series in half-season sets, as it is rather long (76 episodes), making this too risky to release it in singles. Since this is a series of an acquired taste, that approach would be ideal for it. Please take your time to take my suggestions into consideration. There is a small, yet dedicated, fanbase for Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo that would be extremely grateful to if you could provide them with a faithful, high-quality release of it on DVD. Also, some merchandising related to the series wouldn't be out of the question (action figures, keychains, t-shirts, etc.). By the way, I should thank you for bringing Geneon and ADV Films titles (like Karin, Hellsing, Welcome to the NHK and Red Garden) back into the hands of fans. I am pleased with the way that you treat those fans and hope that you can continue your good and hard work in the future. Thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail.

This was their response:

Quote:

To whom this may concern: Thank you for your email and input. We appreciate you sharing your passion for Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Best regards, Doreen Feedback Manager FUNimation Entertainment

This response warmed my heart and gave me hope for the future. I found it awesome of them to actually take the time to answer the e-mail of a nobody like myself. I've kept the reply in my inbox since then. Such honesty. No wonder they got those deals with ADV and Geneon (granted, some of their packaging and video in their releases could be handled less clumsily, but still). That is why I would want Funimation and no one else to handle Toei series.

I completely agree with you on all respects, sir. It'd be a total wish fulfillment to form a company that specializes in anime classics but, the reality of the situation is, everything costs money. There have been a lot of start-up companies that have either stopped licensing and stopped producing product or have just gone under completely (Discotek, Illumitoon, Super Techno Arts). Classic anime, unfortunately, doesn't sell unless it's a tried and true staple like DBZ. FotNS has never really fared well in the states, Saint Seiya came over way too late to be anything but bad review fodder, we didn't even get the original Kinnikuman series, and Ashita no Joe came out in movie format only from Tai Seng of all people...with terrible production values on the DVD and basically no distribution whatsoever. So, really we'd be putting a lot at risk to start up a company like that.

Your suggestion about having someone like Funimation release them is a good one but, how much they'll listen...we won't know unless they announce something. There's a ton of research involved in putting out a product and all that, and if it isn't viable, they won't do it. Especially in the current economic crisis. I'd love to have all my favorite anime available but, reality eventually does take over and sometimes, we're just kinda stuck with very limited options. Maybe I'm sounding too cynical...never lose hope! Keep the faith (insert your own motivational slogans here)

It's funny that people still complain about Masako Nozawa as the Japanese voice of Son Goku, because it shows that there are people who still don't even understand such a simple character. Folks, Goku is an adult, but still extremely child-like and naive. Therefore, the same voice he had as a child is still fit for him as an adult, because it shows just how energetic and child-like he can be. It's a perfect voice for the character, as opposed to the Superman-ish English voices he's had over the years. It seems pretty clear they intended Nozawa to continue to voice the character into adulthood for this reason. Most people understood this years ago when anime fans first discussed the series, but I guess the wisdom was never handed down.
.

There's 3 audio tracks on the Season Sets:
1) Original Japanese Version
2) 5.1 English dub w/ Japanese Music - *** sounds like non-musical beep boops from the pre-8 bit console days.
3) 2.0 English dub w/ US TV Broadcast Music (**avoid at all costs, sounds like low-rent techno wannabe garbage.) - started out very weak, but had rather strong showings later in the series.

** = IMO

That may be, but I doubt if such a choice would have flown when the series showed up on American television. I definitely have to side with the other folks that have pointed out how odd it is to hear a man well into his adult years sound like a woman. As child-like as Goku may have been he was still an adult in DBZ so being played by a woman seems a bit out of place to me.

Also, since I can't resist I have to say: Kamehameha! That is all.

penguintruth wrote:

It's funny that people still complain about Masako Nozawa as the Japanese voice of Son Goku, because it shows that there are people who still don't even understand such a simple character. Folks, Goku is an adult, but still extremely child-like and naive. Therefore, the same voice he had as a child is still fit for him as an adult, because it shows just how energetic and child-like he can be. It's a perfect voice for the character, as opposed to the Superman-ish English voices he's had over the years. It seems pretty clear they intended Nozawa to continue to voice the character into adulthood for this reason. Most people understood this years ago when anime fans first discussed the series, but I guess the wisdom was never handed down. .

That may be, but I doubt if such a choice would have flown when the series showed up on American television. I definitely have to side with the other folks that have pointed out how odd it is to hear a man well into his adult years sound like a woman. As child-like as Goku may have been he was still an adult in DBZ so being played by a woman seems a bit out of place to me.

Also, since I can't resist I have to say: Kamehameha! That is all.

*Sigh*