Update : Dragon Ball Super Collected Manga Available Tomorrrow

As previously reported by Kanzenshuu tomorrow will see the debut of the first collected Dragon Ball Super manga containing the first 9 chapters of the monthly series.

Additionally, this volume will include a joint interview with Akira Toriyama and Toyataro where they discuss the future of the Dragon Ball story. Whether this will be subtle hints at what we can expect from the coming chapters and episodes of the Dragon Ball Super or spinoffs, one shot mangas or TV specials remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, with the end of the Universe 6 tournament drawing near it will be interesting to hear what is to come.

Keep watching this space for updates on the manga and all things Dragon Ball.

 

Resurrrection F 3D to be screened in 3D + Home Release

Fans of Dragon Ball Z who missed the brief UK and Irish theatrical run of Resurrection F can now avail of a second opportunity to see the film, as extra dates have been added, albeit this time a 3D release.

Manga UK added on their official website:

Following its phenomenal success in UK cinemas last Autumn, Manga Entertainment are thrilled to announce the re-release of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ in 3D for a limited time in 56 sites across the UK.

The film will be screened at select theatres across the UK in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and South and North Lanarkshire on January 20th.

No dates have been announced for Belfast or Dublin, but keep watching this space for your ticket information or MangaUK’s Facebook page where they will likely reveal new dates and venues once they are added, as was the case with last year’s theatrical run.

Furthermore, the film will receive a home release on Blu-Ray, DVD, and a combo collector’s edition on January 25th.

Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection F is the 20th film instalment in the franchise. Featuring the return of iconic villain Frieza, this movie has an original story written by Akira Toriyama with Tadayoshi Yamamuro taking directorial duties. Most of the Funimation voice cast starred in the movie including fan favourites such as Sean Schemmel and Christopher Sabat. The movie received a world dubbed premier at Regal LA Live Stadium, before its general release on August 4th-12th.

Some thoughts on ‘Resurrection F’ arc poster and canonicity of the source film vs Dragon Ball Super

A recent poster from Shonen Jump has once again stimulated excitement for what can be expected from the upcoming Resurrection F arc of Dragon Ball Super, based of the widely successful film (which will of course premier the coming week in both Ireland and the UK).

I’d like to give a shout out to Rhymestyle for pointing this out.

The poster places emphasis on Champa and Golden Frieza in the top left and right hand sides respectively. This begs the question, will the two characters team up in the anime adaptation?

Similarly Goten and Trunks are shown in the bottom left hand side of the poster, both of whom were noticeably absent from the film for reasons unknown to fans. We may then ask could Goten and Trunks be part of the action this time?

Will we see a vastly different telling of the Resurrection F storyline for Dragon Ball Super?

Seen as how Dragon Ball Super has been criticized for a lack of imagination, including using material from the recent movies as the basis for new story content a different interpretation of the events that played out in Resurrection F may please those more critical reviewers, but at the same time it may disappoint those concerned about canonicity.

But then again canon is dead to the Dragon Ball franchise. Dragon Ball Super itself is in a vey grey area of canonicity. It is rewriting the events of Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, despite the former being part of the “official history” and the latter being a continuation of that. Moreover Toriyama has been giving his own input to the overall story of Super, but he does not have the level of involvement he had with the previous two movies, particularly in Resurrection F with his screenwriting duties.

I will myself be going to see Resurrection F in Movies@Dundrum, Dublin on Wednesday to enjoy the cinematic experience of seeing Dragon Ball on the big screen. I am also eagerly anticipating the arc of Super based on that film. I don’t care which version is more or less canon, Dragon Ball offers good and bad content regardless, and yes there was good filler.

So if you are looking forward to seeing Super’s interpretation of Resurrection F do, if you (like myself) still enjoy the film more power to you. With a 42 volume manga, over 500 anime episodes, spinoffs, movies, specials there is plenty material for fans to enjoy and digest for years to come, it’s all Dragon Ball and if it is still profitable TOEI will always do more.

See Rhymestyle talk about the news below:

‘Resurection F’ To Screen in Irish Cinemas!

Irish fans interested to see ‘Resurrection F’ can now see the film at one cinema in Wexford and two in Dublin. Tickets for the film screening September 30th in Gorey, Dundrum, and Swords are available now.

Marketing Director Andrew Hewson added “We are extremely pleased and proud to be bringing Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ to UK cinemas. This has been hugely successful in the U.S. and broke all sorts of records in the process. We’re hoping to replicate that level of enthusiasm and passion from UK audiences. Fans have been hungry for this type of cinema experience for years and it’s finally here! They asked and so we delivered.”

For fans who wish to see the Battle of Gods sequel at their nearest theatre please keep up with MangaUK via their Facebook page as all additional dates will be announced there. Currently the film will be playing at 32 select theatres across the UK and Ireland.

Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection F is the 20th film instalment in the franchise. Featuring the return of iconic villain Frieza, this movie has an original story written by Akira Toriyama with Tadayoshi Yamamuro taking directorial duties. Most of the Funimation voice cast starred in the movie including fan favourites such as Sean Schemmel and Christopher Sabat. The movie received a world dubbed premier at Regal LA Live Stadium, before its general release on August 4th-12th.

Don’t expect Vegeta to turn Super Saiyan 3 any time soon

Now that the latest episode of Dragon Ball Super – How Dare You Hit My Bulma! Vegeta’s Furious Mutation?! has aired it is arguable some of the air has been cleared regarding the previously suspicious title.

We know from this episode, and the manga chapter that Vegeta did not turn Super Saiyan 3, much to the disappointment of fans who were intrigued by the title, and it’s very unlikely to happen in the following episode judging by its preview.

It has long been a debate among the community about why Vegeta couldn’t achieve Super Saiyan 3, despite the fact that even if he attained it by the end of Z there was no need to show it off in a mere martial arts tournament, and most don’t consider GT canon so why would the absence there matter so much to them? Indeed, it could also come down to criticisms of GT’s writing, and the writers not factoring in the possibility of Vegeta attaining Super Saiyan 3, to the extent he made that out-of-character decision to skip it through artificial means.

Of course there are still fans who harbour hope a Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta will someday make a manga or anime appearance, because after all he did in Dragon Ball Heroes. But with Toriyama’s relatively recent comments about ascended Saiyan and beyond it is unlikely we will see Goku use the second and third forms again let alone Vegeta. And since both Goku and Vegeta could turn Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (SSGSS) in Resurrection F it is unlikely Vegeta will need to revert back to the original transformations to surpass Goku, especially because SSGSS is stronger than Super Saiyan 3.

Don’t get me wrong I like Vegeta as much as the next person, but if the films and Dragon Ball Super will not be exploring Super Saiyan transformations other than the first form and the God transformations his use of Super Saiyan 3 wouldn’t make much sense in the context of the story.

It is for this reason I tend to believe Dragon Ball Super will be focusing more on the merits of the Super Saiyan God transformations, so if anything new transformations will be stronger variants of the forms introduced in Battle of Gods and Resurrection F.

And who knows maybe the God transformations will be more interesting than the standard Super Saiyan transformations. Only time will tell, but for the time being it seems the ship has sailed for Super Saiyan 2 and 3, and Vegeta is no exception.

‘Resurrection F’ ranked ninth highest grossing anime movie in US history

Once again Dragon Ball Z has made anime history, on completion of its North American limited nine-day theatrical run, Resurrection F has grossed nearly $8 million domestically.

The movie has taken the place of The Wind Rises, becoming the ninth highest grossing anime movie in US history Among the top ten are other internationally successful franchises such as Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Digimon and standalone titles such as Ponyo and Spirited Away. The full list can be seen below.

Funimation CEO and founder Gen Fukunaga congratulated the fans who have stuck with the franchise for so long and helped it to achieve this feat.

It’s truly gratifying to see how this movie resonated with fans, I’m so thankful to the loyal fans who embraced this movie and who have been with us on this journey since we first introduced ‘Dragon Ball Z’ to American audiences 20 years ago.

Additionally, as some have anticipated further screenings have been announced for fans who want more. David Wengrod, VP of Theatrical Event Distribution at Funimation added:

Because of the ongoing demand from both fans and theaters owners, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ will continue to screen as an ‘encore release’ at various theaters across North America thru August 17. Fans should check with their local theaters or DragonBallZ.com to determine exact locations.

Of course more screenings are to follow in the UK. Watch this space for further updates, including the global box office sales when they are released.

Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection F is the 20th film instalment in the franchise. Featuring the return of iconic villain Frieza, this movie has an original story written by Akira Toriyama with Tadayoshi Yamamuro taking directorial duties. Most of the Funimation voice cast starred in the movie including fan favourites such as Sean Schemmel and Christopher Sabat. The movie received a world dubbed premier at Regal LA Live Stadium, before its general release on August 4th-12th.

Anime Feature Film Chart

Rank Title (click to view) Studio Lifetime Gross / Theaters Opening / Theaters Date 1 Pokemon: The First Movie WB $85,744,662 3,043 $31,036,678 3,043 11/10/99 2 Pokemon: The Movie 2000 WB $43,758,684 2,752 $19,575,608 2,752 7/21/00 3 Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie WB $19,765,868 2,411 $9,485,494 2,411 8/13/04 4 The Secret World of Arrietty BV $19,202,743 1,522 $6,446,395 1,522 2/17/12 5 Pokemon 3: The Movie WB $17,052,128 2,675 $8,240,752 2,675 4/6/01 6 Ponyo BV $15,090,399 927 $3,585,852 927 8/14/09 7 Spirited Away BV $10,055,859 714 $449,839 26 9/20/02 8 Digimon: The Movie Fox $9,631,153 1,825 $4,233,304 1,823 10/6/00 9 Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ FUN $7,774,042 913 $1,817,914 183 8/4/15 10 The Wind Rises BV $5,209,580 496 $313,751 21 2/21/14 11 Howl’s Moving Castle BV $4,711,096 202 $427,987 36 6/10/05 12 Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods SV $2,553,002 692 $296,414 62 8/5/14 13 Princess Mononoke Mira. $2,375,308 129 $144,446 8 10/29/99 14 Pokemon 4Ever Dim. $1,727,447 249 $717,061 249 10/11/02 15 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence GF $1,043,896 55 $317,722 47 9/17/04 16 From Up on Poppy Hill GK $1,002,895 49 $57,585 2 3/15/13 17 Cowboy Bebop IDP $1,000,045 29 $234,429 19 4/4/03 18 Paprika SPC $882,267 37 $35,593 2 5/25/07 19 Pokemon Heroes Mira. $746,381 200 $260,372 196 5/16/03 20 Metropolis (2002) Sony $722,932 16 $84,660 9 1/25/02 21 The Tale of The Princess Kaguya GK $703,232 29 $54,915 3 10/17/14 22 When Marnie Was There GK $559,544 57 $27,388 2 5/22/15 23 Akira Stl. $553,171 2 $11,263 2 12/25/89 24 The Last – Naruto the Movie Elev. $524,451 34 $179,370 23 2/20/15 25 Ghost in the Shell Palm $515,905 1 $2,736 1 2/2/96 26 Steamboy Triu $468,867 46 $136,148 39 3/18/05 27 Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion Elev. $375,627 76 $189,514 37 12/6/13 28 Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Elev. $180,440 5 $62,340 5 10/19/12 29 Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Elev. $177,802 42 $119,300 42 1/20/12 30 Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo Elev. $174,945 82 $110,825 82 1/10/14 31 Vampire Hunter D: Blood Lust UVE $151,086 12 $25,521 6 9/21/01 32 X Mng $143,355 1 $6,672 1 3/10/00 33 Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance Elev. $133,640 15 $84,157 15 1/21/11 34 Tokyo Godfathers IDP $129,560 10 $29,259 8 1/16/04 35 Appleseed Gen. $129,135 31 $66,869 31 1/14/05 36 Perfect Blue Palm $112,536 1 $9,600 1 8/20/99 37 Anohana The Movie: The Flower We Saw That Day Elev. $109,630 41 $37,480 17 1/18/14 38 Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Elev. $107,797 6 $1,579 1 7/3/09 39 Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade Tid. $94,591 1 $7,098 1 6/22/01 40 Escaflowne: The Movie Band. $94,060 5 $16,692 5 1/25/02 41 Summer Wars GK $80,768 11 $1,412 1 12/24/10 42 Sky Blue MEP $74,663 5 $3,022 1 12/31/04 43 A Letter to Momo GK $71,712 7 $4,596 1 7/23/14 44 Trigun: Badlands Rumble Elev. $62,027 12 $29,201 12 7/8/11 45 Wings of Honneamise Tara $55,572 – n/a – 3/10/95 46 Tales from Earthsea BV $48,461 5 $20,614 5 8/13/10 47 Road to Ninja – Naruto the Movie Elev. $43,171 44 $19,017 40 8/29/14 48 Millennium Actress GF $37,641 6 $18,732 6 9/12/03 49 Expelled from Paradise Elev. $34,510 13 $18,869 13 12/13/14 50 Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Rising Elev. $34,471 18 $23,171 18 3/14/14 51 K: Missing Kings Elev. $33,531 39 n/a – 7/18/14 52 Spriggan ADV $25,824 5 $7,420 5 10/12/01 53 Short Peace Elev. $22,862 27 n/a – 3/3/14 54 Blue Exorcist The Movie Elev. $21,796 7 n/a – 8/17/13 55 Robot Carnival Stl. $10,642 2 $10,642 2 3/15/91 56 One Piece Movie: The Desert Princess and the Pirates Adventures in Alabasta BPic $6,587 97 $5,791 97 2/7/08 57 Tekkon Kinkreet SPHE $6,000 2 $6,000 2 7/13/07 58 Genghis Kahn: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea BPic $3,892 40 $3,332 40 2/21/08 59 Tamala 2010 Vita. $3,386 1 $3,386 1 4/2/04 60 Vexille BPic $3,259 97 $3,227 97 2/14/08 TOTAL (All Movies): $256,170,536 – – – – AVERAGE (All Movies): $4,269,509 331 $1,485,317 298 – TOTAL (Wide Releases Only): $230,628,540 – – – – AVERAGE (Wide Releases Only): $23,062,854 1,747 $11,800,583 2,165 –

UK and Ireland ‘Resurrection F’ Update : Theatrical Run and Home Media Releases

Ever since Manga UK’s MCM London Comic Con announcement there has been speculation amongst Dragon Ball fans in the UK and Ireland about the release of Resurrection F.

Now, many of us know the anime and manga industry on these shores is not what it is in the US. Battle of Gods did get a direct-to-video release on DVD and Blu-Ray, but unlike many other territories we weren’t given a theatrical release of that film.

This time, not only will Resurrection F get a theatrical run in theatres across the UK, but according to Amazon Resurrection F and Battle of Gods will be released for home media as a combo pack along with the standard single Resurrection F DVD and high definition Blu-Ray releases.

This is great news for Dragon Ball fans in the UK and Ireland as many will have a rare opportunity to see their favourite franchise on the big screen and support its distribution here.

Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection F is the 20th film instalment in the franchise. It will have an original story written by Akira Toriyama, and directed by Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Most of the Funimation voice cast will be returning including fan favourites such as Sean Schemmel and Christopher Sabat. The film will receive a world dubbed premier at Regal LA Live Stadium, before its general release on August 4th-12th.

Dragon Ball Super Episode 02 – “To the promised vacation! Vegeta goes on a family trip?!”

Toriyama may have a habit of forgetting aspects of his own story, but when he remembers it certainly makes for good new stories. Over 20 years since Vegeta promised to take Trunks to an amusement park Dragon Ball Super has finally given the fans just that. The question, which this episode addresses is will that promise mean anything to Vegeta, and moreover does the idea of a break away from training appeal to the saiyan price at all?

As far as humour goes, there was some of it there but not a whole lot as this episode was quite serious. There were humorous moments for example during the dining scene, but during the concert scene it was more an illustration of how Vegeta is as a person, how he, as a saiyan acts in situations considered normal by those living on Earth. And while some fans might be disappointed because this episode wasn’t as action heavy as you would expect from a series following up from Dragon Ball Z, it is the sort of episode the franchise needs as these slice-of-life episodes can help some fans to identify with characters such as Bulma whose roles would be undermined during the big battles.

The introduction of Beerus also receives it’s welcome expansion. Without giving any spoilers this episode did justice to his “God of Destruction” title, which was the only thing missing from Battle of Gods (as good as it was). If certain aspects of that movie to be expanded upon, as this episode suggests there is much potential to develop the drama and sense of the ominous, which require an antagonist to cause some harm. In this respect the episode, through the use of juxtaposition sets up the coming Battle of Gods segment of the series in interesting ways. Old Kai and Kibitoshin’s disturbed tea break informs the viewer of the onset of opposition, while Beerus’ vision gives the other perspective that a worthy opponent may face him.

So as a whole this episode could be somewhat more important to the series as a whole than previously expected, only the remainder of the season will tell.

Dragon Ball Super – Episode 01 “Who Will the 100 Million Zenny Peace Reward Go To…?”

This first episode was very consistent with the first manga chapter by Toyotaro, albeit a longer, expanded version, so most who have read that segment will know what to expect. Of course there are slight differences, such as reintroducing some of the characters we know and love (Gohan, Videl, Chi-Chi, Majin Buu, amongst others) and the removal of dream sequences.

The graphics were a treat for the eye. All of the characters and backgrounds are clear and sharp, as they should in 2015 animation. The vibrant colours both make the series feel contemporary and add consistency to the comedic and light-hearted tone. For frame elements such as Goku’s tractor and the river which Goten and Trunks used to fetch water the careful combination of 2D and 3D animation give greater clarity and perspective for the images which wouldn’t have been as easy in the past.

The best part of this episode, of course was the humour, it was humane, natural and lively. From Goku’s appetite for both lunch and training, to Majin Buu’s juvenile antics, and Goten and Trunks’ naivety there is something for everyone. And the humour is not just in character dynamics, but also carried by subtle hints, such as Gohan’s book titled “Muzukashii Hon” (which translates to “difficult book”) whilst indulging in his early scholarly pursuits. Nothing felt forced or overdone, everything was true to the characters, and reminiscent of Dragon Ball’s roots.

Keep in mind this series will be written by Toriyama, and as a result there is greater potential for the comedic side of Dragon Ball to return. Since the series is currently taking place during the 10-year gap between Kid Buu’s defeat and the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai there is ample opportunity to explore characters such as Goku and Vegeta and how they act in times of peace (having saiyan blood and thirst for battle). This is seen with Goku due to his training urges, and the brief glimpses of Vegeta in the second episode preview.

The pacing was also well done. Every character, with the exception of Piccolo was given just enough screen time for both new and old viewers to become comfortable with the characters, and what their purpose is in the series. For example Master Roshi was only seen when he heard news that was appealing to him, and viewers learn why, because of who he is it can be for the wrong reasons.

In short, a super (pun intended) comeback episode for the franchise, ending with an intriguing preview for next week’s episode.

“Dragon Ball Super” Complete Showcase Reveals Series Plot!

V-Jump recently hosted a “Dragon Ball Super Complete Showcase Event” on 01 July 2015 at 1:00PM in Tokyo.

The event, which promotes the upcoming Dragon Ball Super series was streamed live on Yahoo’s GYAO! website featured guest appearances from Masako Nosawa (Son Goku), rock band Good Morning America and their bass player Tanashin (Golden Freeza cosplayer) and Mando Kobayahi host Kendo Kobayashi (Yajirobe cosplayer). Kazuya Fuji, who is providing the Dragon Ball Super opening theme “Chōzetsu ☆ Dynamic!” made a brief appearance onscreen via a prerecorded message.

After brief introductions by producer Atsushi Kido, a message from Akira Toriyama was displayed onscreen. The latter portion of this message was previously published in V-Jump and added to the series’ official website. The former portion of his comments are more intriguing, as they reveal the overall plot for the series (You may stop reading if you wish to avoid spoilers).

Toriyama was quoted as saying:

“Dragon Ball Super” is a complete continuation of the Majin Buu story arc. It’s got a bit of post-battle aftermath, continues with the “Battle of Gods” arc where the God of Destruction Beerus appears and the “Revival of ‘F’” arc where Freeza comes back to life, and then, I’ve written a strange new story where they finally depart from this universe. They’re fighting against their neighbors, Universe 6! They’ll yell at me if I give away too many spoilers, so I’ll keep the rest a secret, but they’re chasing after giant Super Dragon Balls; I think things will unfold in a bright and simple way, that will be really fun and exciting!

Since it’s another universe, loads of new characters will turn up. I’ll do my best to draw the tons of character designs necessary, so I’m looking forward to this too.

You know, it suddenly occurs to me that somewhere along the line the Dragon Ball anime has become quite a huge story. Since I’m the guy who drew the thing, it’s a bit weird for me to say this, but when I first started out I never dreamed it would have a universe as a setting (laughs). Don’t worry though, it’s still going to be the same sort of easy-to-understand content as always. Please be sure to watch Dragon Ball Super on TV!

Dragon Ball Super, which is the first all-new TV series for the franchise since the ending of Dragon Ball GT in 1997 begins syndication on 05 July 2015. The anime, which has an original story written by series creator Akira Toriyama will star Masako Nozawa and Kimitoshi Chioka has been confirmed to direct. The series will “…follow the aftermath of Goku’s fierce battle with Majin Buu, as he attempts to maintain earth’s fragile peace.” A manga adaptation by Toyataro will be released each month in V-Jump starting with the August 2015 issue.