News

New Dragon Ball Z's Song Recorded in English by Momoiro Clover Z Idols

The pop idol group Momoiro Clover Z confirmed on Tuesday that they recorded an English version of "'Z' no Chikai" (The Oath of "Z"), the ending theme song for this year's Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' film. The idols made the announcement in full Dragon Ball cosplay during a stage greeting, held at a Tokyo screening of the film to thank fans for the film's success.

The group's leader Kanako Momota admitted that before they could sing the English version, the English lyrics were transliterated into phonetic Japanese characters (katakana) so they could pronounce the words. Nevertheless, she said that they sang the English version with everything they had. She previously said that she hoped the song will bring energy to a lot of people like a "reverse genki dama (spirit bomb)."

During the same stage greeting, Momoiro Clover Z announced Dragon Ball Super, a new television anime premiering this July. Original manga creator Akira Toriyama is drafting the original story and character concepts for this anime.

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' premiered on 658 screens in both 2D and 3D in theaters across Japan on April 18, although advance screenings were held before then. The film is the first Japanese film to open in 3D IMAX Digital Theaters.

The film will eventually screen in 74 countries worldwide. Funimation hosted the North American premiere of the film on April 11 in Los Angeles. The company plans to release the film in more theaters with an English dub this summer.

Toriyama is personally credited with the original concept, screenplay, and character designs of the new movie. Dragon Ball Z animation director Tadayoshi Yamamuro directed the new movie.

Momoiro Clover Z also voiced roles in the movie, playing "angels" of hell that reside where the protagonist Son Goku's enemy Freeza has been imprisoned. Previously, they sang theme songs for Sailor Moon Crystal and Bodacious Space Pirates.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web