While not technically a backlog or real DVD in the sense of what I usually review, I did watch the next five episodes of Dragon Ball Z on the DVD-R I made from my old fansub tapes. I have debated on buying the R2s which, amongst other things, have have great cover art and definitely have better video quality than the crappy old tape prints I have.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 9 - Vegeta Saga II - Ultimate Sacrifice

The battle against the Saiya-jin continues on with Tenshinhan meeting his fate along with Piccolo as the warriors still wait for Goku to return and help them fight the alien invaders off. These episodes are particularly poignant for fans of the original Dragon Ball as it is in some ways the last elements of the older show are literally being killed off in favor of the bigger and stronger bad guys that would follow.

With this the last release of Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Uncut edition I'm afraid my watching habits will now have to change to the fansubbed tapes I copied to DVD-R. While their quality is garbage, at least the aspect ratio is correct. Sad that FUNimation is the top selling anime company in America after doing garbage transfers and then screwing up Dragon Ball Z even worse than before. At least I bought the ultimate uncut used ...

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 8 - Vegeta Saga II - Saiyan Invasion

The showdown with the Saiya-jins has begun. Gohan, Piccolo, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Yamucha stand ready to face the evil warriors and the first major battle in Dragon Ball Z is about to begin. This is the last major fight where some of the major secondary characters from Dragon Ball such as Yamucha and Yajirobe are relevant and it's sad that this is their last hurrah.

For those unfamiliar with this series, or at least with the way the show works, it can basically be assumed that when there is a battle it will not end for many episodes. Just one segment of a fight or even one attack can take up an entire episode. Seeing this for the first time can either turn you off of the show or, in my case, fascinate you and keep you hooked.

Dragon Ball Z has its fans and detractors. If you like it, you probably already own this DVD. If not, you can get it used for dirt cheap on Amazon.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 7 - Vegeta Saga I - Back From the Dead
After several discs of filler the show gets down to business. Goku finally meets Kaio-sama for training and the Saiya-jin appear on the Earth with Goku still in the other world a day late. This disc seems to have more plot than the last three combined and while it would have been nice to perhaps extend Goku's training, it's time to let the battle against the Saiya-jin commence.

These are really the last silly episodes of the show with the rest of the series being more about the fighting and the next big enemy. So cherish them while they last as there's a whole lot of yelling and fighting to come.

One side note: I'm really quite amazed that I made it through 7 discs (21 episodes) of a show so fast. I almost never do that.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 6 - Vegeta Saga I - Doomed Heroes

The filler episodes wind down a bit as Gohan begins training with Piccolo and Goku finally makes it to the end of the Serpentine path to the home planet of the great Kaio-sama for training. Meanwhile Yamucha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu all train at Kami's place fighting Saiya-jin from the far past to see just how weak they really are.

This disc is certainly one of the more interesting ones as we build up for the coming of the Saiya-jin. I'm really enjoying this series again and I believe that the show has great rewatchabiliy as I find myself feeling as though this is the first time I've seen the show, despite the fact that I have seen these episodes countless times uncut on old fansubs.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 5 - Vegeta Saga I - Goku Held Hostage

Another disc of Dragon Ball Z and we have three more episodes to prepare for the coming of the Saiya-jins. Watching these brought back some memories and at the same time surprised me a bit too with things I had forgotten.

While these are more filler, the show is still entertaining in the comedic way that would be abandoned later on. Basically all that happens of interest on this disc is that Goku has some perils along the Serpentine Path and Gohan decides to try going home.

This disc also has the episode that featured the infamous "Home For Infinite Losers" censorship which made me smile and simultaneously cry remembering how cut up this show used to be shown.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 4 - Vegeta Saga I - Gohan's Trials

Dragon Ball Z can be summed up into basically two types of shows. There are episodes with major events taking place over the course of several episodes and then there is lots of filler with no real plot development stuffed in-between. With Goku still on the Serpentine Road and the Saiya-jins still en route to Earth this disc is 100% filler which is not awful but it would've been nicer had Funimation released more episodes to a disc. The reason for this filler was a necessary in order to allow Akira Toriyama more time to write the manga so that the show would not get ahead of his pace.

While this disc is just filler, at least it is enjoyable filler. Included here was one of my favorite episodes growing up which is where Vegeta and Nappa stop at a planet inhabited by giant mantis-like creatures and overthrow a dictator only to blow up the planet anyway. Other than that, we get to see Yamucha, Puar, Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Lunch for the first time in Z as they all head to be trained by Kami.

Personally I really enjoy the first season of Dragon Ball Z the best. Perhaps it is because it was in that transition between the original and Z or because it seemed so fresh and new to me back in 1997 or so. Either way, these are the episodes I enjoy the most and wish that the series had continued to be more like this over all the "Super Sayia-jin" stuff that it would end up as.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 3 - Vegeta Saga I - Into the Wild:

As the Saiya-jin are on their way to earth the earth's warriors must train. Goku continues along the Serpentine path, Gohan has his survival training in the wild, Piccolo goes on alone and the rest of the gang are invited up to Karin's tower to train. This means that this disc as well as the next are mostly filler.

Still the episodes here are interesting and if you have never seen the show uncut before, they are worth watching. As a matter of fact, the last episode of the disc where Gohan meets a lost robot was cut completely from the US release for unknown reasons though it's position as a disposable filler episode is probably the answer.

Out of curiousity I checked out the dub to see what FUNi could do with it. It's still crap, just like it's always been. Of course that's why I don't watch dubbed anime, especially from FUNimation.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Dragonball Z: Vol. 2 - Vegeta Saga I - Piccolo's Plan:

In these episodes Goku and Piccolo take on and finish off Raditz with Goku dying in the process. However they learn the horrifying fact that two much stronger Saiya-jins are on their way to Earth to use the Dragon Balls to wish for immortality. So the warriors all have to train in the coming year and prepare for the coming danger.

As I continue with my quest to watch all of Dragonball Z I can't help but think that the main appeal here is simply the nostalgia. I love being transported back to when I first saw these on television years ago and also allowing me to see these uncut and subtitled.

These episodes get Z off to a good start and we haven't yet reached the loads of filler that is to come in the next few episodes. I can see why the season sets, despite their stupid and ignorant cropping, seem to be selling so well as getting a season of twenty some episodes at once of DBZ is more necessary. Unfortunately the video quality is certainly less than stellar and yet they are so much better than my crappy old tapes and unlike the season sets are in their original aspect ratio and thus I'll just continue to collect these.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Dragonball Z: Vol. 1 - Vegeta Saga - Saiyan Showdown

As anyone who knows my history in regards to anime will most likely remember when I first got started into the hobby. Back while waiting for the bus to take me to high school I would watch Dragonball Z in my living room. I enjoyed the show quite a bit despite realizing the edits and went so far as to get fansub tapes with horrendous quality up to the end of the original edit job and then bought the rest of the Freeza saga on DVD.

Unfortunately after Freeza my interest in Dragonball Z waned. Part of this was the fact that during each new saga the Saiya-jins got that much stronger and the more interesting humans would get that much weaker. By the end of the Cell saga and the beginning of Buu, I just gave up. However I never stopped enjoying the first few seasons and waited patiently for them to be released to DVD.

I snatched this volume up when it first came out but like other things, I just never had the nostalgia to put it in and watch it all. Plus the cost of buying the series three episodes at a time was always difficult for me to do and thus, I stopped.

Fast forward to the present and FUNimation is now releasing these episodes again in season boxsets but the video is horrendously cropped to fit widescreen TVs under the silly notion that this is "the way it was meant to be seen."

Calling bullshit on that, I decided it was time I went ahead and bought all those released (used of course) and began transferring the rest of my fansubs to DVD-R. If FUNI wises up and gives the remaining episodes a proper release I may support them with my wallet. Until then, they can stick their fake widescreen where the sun don't shine.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z