FUNimation Cancels Remastered "Dragon Ball Z" Blu-Ray Release
First volume released last month, all future volumes cancelled, discontinues Kai on DVD and Blu-Ray for Season sets
FUNimation has announced that its much hyped remastered Blu-Ray version of Dragon Ball Z (not Kai) has been suspended due to "technical challenges" involved in restoring the series and remastering it for Blu-Ray. The complete statement follows below:
Flower Mound, TX – January 26, 2012- FUNimation Entertainment, has officially confirmed they have suspended production of all future planned Blu-ray releases of Dragon Ball Z including Level 2.1 scheduled to be released on March 27, 2012.
Blu-ray editions of Dragon Ball Z went into production based on fan demand, however due to technical challenges of restoring from the original film frame by frame, we are unable to continue these releases by way of this process. FUNimation will be re-evaluating the current process and researching more efficient methods of restoration.
The original intent for this latest version of Dragon Ball Z was to once again release a new home video version of the series on Blu-Ray with the original aspect ratio and in high definition compared to the previous release of Dragon Ball Kai, which is a revised and abridged version of Dragon Ball Z produced by Toei.
While many were disappointed by the news of the suspension and cancellation, it should be noted that the previous Dragon Box release of Dragon Ball Z is considered by many to be the the complete, finished version of the series, with many questioning the need for a Blu-Ray version. With the amount of work FUNimation was investing in the Blu-Ray version, which needed to sell in much higher volumes compared to previous releases, many were wondering why Dragon Ball Z needed to be remastered yet again considering the release of the Dragon Box series of boxsets.
This also puts FUNimation's decision to release the series yet again into question as the series being cancelled after one volume shows that sales were much lower than initial estimates, since Dragon Ball Z releases tend to do better than average anime releases due to their prominent placement in retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Target. If this latest version can get cancelled, are fans starting to get burned out on the franchise or is Funimation finally showing signs of weakness?
To add to the news of the cancellation, FUNimation has also confirmed that it has also discontinued Dragon Ball Z Kai on DVD and Blu-Ray, with no word on its immediate status.
Update: Funimation emailed me to let me know that while Dragon Ball Kai is being discontinued in single volumes, the series will be instead be released in Season sets, with the Season 2 set covering Parts 3 and 4 being released this Summer.
Image ©FUNimation/Toei Animation/Akira Toriyama
Humberto Saabedra is the Editor-in-Chief of AnimeNews.biz, PhoneNews.com and an occasional columnist for Ani.me. He can also be found musing on his favorite 2D girls at @AnimeNewsdotbiz.
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Money problems obviously. The main reason they're most likely chasing after ADV's remnants over the ARM money I bet.
I wonder if FUNimation will ever get bored of rereleasing Dragonball Z. I can get renewing the license and reprinting old sets...but?
1/27/12 by tiburonroano
I was done with DBZ in 2003. Why released it again in Blue Ray? It's already on Blu Ray!! Plus Eng Dubs Suck and are the worse. DBZ is done let it rest. Focus on new fresh stuff don't go American Comics on me and stick to a super hero for over 70 years let it die already and draw a new character.
1/27/12 by BattlerEndless9
"Plus Eng Dubs Suck and are the worse."
This has nothing to do with dubs or subs. Your complaints get dumber by they day.
This has nothing to do with dubs or subs. Your complaints get dumber by they day.
So...why do you bother to read them everyday?
1/27/12 by swordcecil
its kinda sad that DBZ gets so many releases but there are so many good anime out there that will never reach north america shores
1/27/12 by P5CYH0K4M3
I want them to stop making new DBZ's (even though I love DB and DBZ to death) and work on a Dr. Slump Dub. I don't mind watching it in Spanish since I'm Mexican, but it's unfortunate that English speaking audiences can't enjoy Dr. Slump.
Well I guess it's time to finally finish up buying DBZ Kai. It's a shame there will never be HD Majin Buu saga though.
hmm good why bother when you already have the DVD remastered sets and Kai was a waste.
Oh my god yes! I freaking hate kai. Its so dumbed down, all of the good stuff is gone.
"all of the good stuff is gone." Lol, idiot. All the good stuff is still there, the shitty filler is gone, the voice acting is better, even the animation is cleaned up and crisp... So how is all the good stuff gone?
1/27/12 by dokudokugwo
I've never even seen DBZ, nor do I have the intention of seeing it to be honest... it'll go down as being one that just passed me by.
It's a neat idea, but they were kind of pulling a Lucas with this one... yeah Star Wars is a classic, but it doesn't mean that we need to see a new version every few years.
I don't necessarily think it's a sign of weakness in Funimation, but maybe a sign of being cautious... they are slow to do anything that might lose them money. It's smart from a money standpoint, but can piss a lot of people off when you wait a month into a season to announce/release your "simulcasts" probably because they are waiting for JP ratings data or another money related reason... or when you start a project, then cancel it suddenly like this one.
It's a neat idea, but they were kind of pulling a Lucas with this one... yeah Star Wars is a classic, but it doesn't mean that we need to see a new version every few years.
I don't necessarily think it's a sign of weakness in Funimation, but maybe a sign of being cautious... they are slow to do anything that might lose them money. It's smart from a money standpoint, but can piss a lot of people off when you wait a month into a season to announce/release your "simulcasts" probably because they are waiting for JP ratings data or another money related reason... or when you start a project, then cancel it suddenly like this one.
*CoughShakuganNoShanaCough*
They can't help it. The Geneon Universal merger is preventing them from even receiving the materials (They can't work on something they don't have the materials to.). They're at the mercy of the Japanese companies when it comes to this stuff, and when they can release shows (Preventing reverse-importation.).
I'll probably get flamed for this, but Dragon Ball Z seems to be the Star Wars of anime. Soon it'll be released with a version showing Goku fired his Kamehameha wave first...
I have to sadly agree. They have done too many re-releases of DB, DBZ and such. I love the series very much, but I doubt that accusation will pop up. I only understand re-releases when there's a change of entertainment format (vhs to dvd, etc etc). And I have to agree with others, they need to release other ones that we all fear will never be seen in North America...
I agree. I would love to finally get the other seasons of Shana as well and countless others that haven't even been announced yet (and may never be announced either.)
1/27/12 by NinjaBacon
I already watch all of DBZ but still don't own a complete set, I was going to make the remastered Blu-Ray version my complete set but I guess that won't be happening. It's be a bagillion years so I'll just get the DVDs and be done.
1/27/12 by bulmasman
I'm a huge huge fan of DBZ and the Dragonball Universe in general, but even I'm getting burned out with all these releases and rereleases of the show. I only finished my DBZ remastered DVD collection a year or 2 ago, and then they go and release the dragonbox sets plus the new Blu-ray versions... people can't afford to keep rebuying the same stuff over and over. I will most likely pick up Kai on Blu-ray, but I can justify that by the show being a different cut to the original, but once that's bought and finished i'll most likely not buy any more iterations of the series.
I'd say this cancellation was a good move on Funi's part. If the sales aren't there, why keep throwing money at an unprofitable project?
I'd say this cancellation was a good move on Funi's part. If the sales aren't there, why keep throwing money at an unprofitable project?
To be brutally honest, I'd rather have Funimation put their money into better properties that haven't already been released on DVD and Blu-Ray and shown on U.S. broadcast TV and cable ad nauseum. I'd rather see something that HASN'T been beaten into the ground already. And I only made it a few seasons into Dragon Ball because I got tired of four or five episodes in a row being spent on nothing but Goku powering up before the battle. And I don't mean training, I mean just standing there grunting and scowling at the villain. OK I am exaggerating but not by much.
well i guess they decided to stop one it due to having two productions of the original dbz and dbz kai.
To quote penguintruth at FUNi's forums "I'm going to go over to my Dragon Boxes and caress them."
Not a fan of the DB series but can Funimation release something else?
1/27/12 by Exaar
Now, I don't know for sure, but I think this has more to do with the fact that every freaking person who wants to own Dragonball Z probably already owns Dragonball Z, and only the most hardcore collector is going to shell out again for a slightly buffed up version in "HD". Put some effort into releasing some of the great new shows from the past few years and leave well enough alone with the DBZ releases.
1/27/12 by Millatyme14
Think it just has more to do with Economic times. Personally I Do like the DragonBallZ but I'd so rather them focus more on newer things. I'm not gonna spend Money on something i already have in 2 formatz Esp when there is still a lot thats not being streamed....
1/27/12 by isisprince
kai sucks and was a money grab from the very beginning. Fans don't support that. If you want to watch this show, get the complete set of DVDs. They are very good.
1/27/12 by WonderlandsHero
and cheap, i got the complete series in the orange brick set that funi came out with at the beginning of 2004 i think? not sure, but they are like, $15 a season now.
1/27/12 by WonderlandsHero
there is no reason. if you have a 1080p tv, then the best quality you can get is actually the orange bricks from funi, i have ONE of the dragon boxes, and ill tell you, i couldnt look past the obvious wear and tear tht the film went through previously. with a series as old as DBZ there is no use in getting bluray, unless your getting kai, which is actually pretty neat to see the new animation in bluray
NOOOOOO!!!!! i already have the complete series in all 33 different versions. ITS NOT FAIR !!!
sarcasm intended.
sarcasm intended.
F*CK YOU FUNIMATION YOU C*TNS!
*shrugs* who cares?
They release kai on premium channels (new episodes) and advertising sucks! I had no idea there was a bluray volume.
1/27/12 by charlie256
The best way to remaster old material is by hand, frame by frame restoration. Naturally this method is a major pain and very much slow. I expect that's what they were doing so its not all that surprising they want an easier cheaper way of doing that.
1/27/12 by WonderlandsHero
dragon box, where i kinda get why people like it, with it being original full screen, and having the original soundtrack, i actually like FUNi's orange bricks, because it still gives me the japanese audio that was pretty neat to watch over once lol, it still gives me the original U.S. release music that was so prominent back when it aired on toonami. i actually just started to collect the DB series on the same format.
1/28/12 by Anonymooo
My only problem with the orange bricks (which are amazing) is that they slice off the top and bottom of each frame and zoom in to make it fit for widescreen. This is a very minor issue, so I can see why people like the Dragon Boxes, but I'm perfectly fine with that orange wall of DBZ in my shelf.
Dragon ball AF......................................................................................................................................TROL
1/28/12 by swordcecil
I must be old because i chuckle when i see people talking about the orange bricks. I just dug up the great wall of DBZ when i pulled out the VHS tapes and lined them up. now those are allot of bricks
1/28/12 by Kittychi75
"Suspended" and "Discontinued" =/= Cancelled in business terms...
Plus DBZ is their bread and butter. If they can't make it cost effect for THAT, then they definitely need to reconsider their technical methods like they said. "
I couldn't agree more with that statement; not to mention in stores like Best Buy, where they went from about 10-12 shelves to literally ONE in the span of two years of living in the local area! And no matter what, they held onto the DBZ stuff for dear life, and it takes about a third of the shelf space, in hopes that they'd sell. But then, I noticed that they've placed less and less of those sets on the shelves, because they finally realised that *gasp!* folks are TIRED of DBZ!! My hubby and I remember watching it on Toonami (remember that anime block on CN??) back in the early 2000's, and it was painful to watch the fight episodes last a week then! They had even made the stupid move to make that WHOLE TWO-HOUR BLOCK of ALL DBZ-related stuff, from DB, DBZ, and DBZ GT! That lasted a month before they went back to the regular line-up.
We finished up the series in 2003/04, when my hubby bought the DBZ tapes, and the DBZ GT tapes(all original episodes, in fan-sub format, Japanese audio). When we saw Kai on Nick, I was like, "really??" And the voice actors were different from the older version, and IMO, sounded WORSE! Vegeta sounds like a sissy, and Gohan sounded whiny!! I think everyone's getting burned out, because every so-many years, they rehash, rehash, rehash, and it seems worse each time! Quit pulling the Lucas move, and put out stuff that hasn't been released, like most of the folks here are saying. There are OTHER WAYS to make your bread, believe me!
Plus DBZ is their bread and butter. If they can't make it cost effect for THAT, then they definitely need to reconsider their technical methods like they said. "
I couldn't agree more with that statement; not to mention in stores like Best Buy, where they went from about 10-12 shelves to literally ONE in the span of two years of living in the local area! And no matter what, they held onto the DBZ stuff for dear life, and it takes about a third of the shelf space, in hopes that they'd sell. But then, I noticed that they've placed less and less of those sets on the shelves, because they finally realised that *gasp!* folks are TIRED of DBZ!! My hubby and I remember watching it on Toonami (remember that anime block on CN??) back in the early 2000's, and it was painful to watch the fight episodes last a week then! They had even made the stupid move to make that WHOLE TWO-HOUR BLOCK of ALL DBZ-related stuff, from DB, DBZ, and DBZ GT! That lasted a month before they went back to the regular line-up.
We finished up the series in 2003/04, when my hubby bought the DBZ tapes, and the DBZ GT tapes(all original episodes, in fan-sub format, Japanese audio). When we saw Kai on Nick, I was like, "really??" And the voice actors were different from the older version, and IMO, sounded WORSE! Vegeta sounds like a sissy, and Gohan sounded whiny!! I think everyone's getting burned out, because every so-many years, they rehash, rehash, rehash, and it seems worse each time! Quit pulling the Lucas move, and put out stuff that hasn't been released, like most of the folks here are saying. There are OTHER WAYS to make your bread, believe me!
1/29/12 by ShinigamiCpt
No this is BS! This is the version that ive been waiting for! Bruce faulconer soundtrack with blu ray restoration, thats what i wanted, and now there going to deny me yet again! This is blasphemy!
All I want is the original-blu ray restored with music that I grew up hearing in DragonBallZ. Not that crappy Kai with the "im gonna cut everything to horrible music" release
All I want is the original-blu ray restored with music that I grew up hearing in DragonBallZ. Not that crappy Kai with the "im gonna cut everything to horrible music" release
dam funi i bought those orange bricks. i looked like a good idea at the time....
I also prefer the sub over the dub, and I'm gonna tell you why:
You people never complain about other male characters being done by female voices, and I'm very used to them as I am to Goku too.
I'm also gonna keep repeating this til you get it:
It's "SAI-YAN" or "SAI-YA-JIN", not "Saying"!!!! It was something that bugs me about the dub, plus a few other things I won't go into like the Cyborg thing....
You people never complain about other male characters being done by female voices, and I'm very used to them as I am to Goku too.
I'm also gonna keep repeating this til you get it:
It's "SAI-YAN" or "SAI-YA-JIN", not "Saying"!!!! It was something that bugs me about the dub, plus a few other things I won't go into like the Cyborg thing....
1/29/12 by CABarrett
I approve of the suspension. Companies should take a look at how they try to milk franchises... It really degrades the work of the original by re-releasing it over and over and over. One remaster should have been enough. If they had waited a couple years, they would have opted to do the Blu-Ray release instead which would have been right on time. It looked greedy IMO trying to release yet another remaster...
IN MY OPINION FUNIMATION NEVER SHOULD HAVE JUMPED ON THE DRAGON BALL Z KAI
BANDWAGON JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING IT IN JAPAN, JUST SHOULD HAVE JUST LET
IT PASS, AND RELEASE THERE OWN REMASTERS OF THE FULL ORIGINAL SERIES,AND I THINK
ALL FUNIMATION WAS TRYING TO DO WAS RELEASE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDITION OF
DRAGON BALL Z FOR THEY FANS THAT REALLY CARE PICTURE QUALITY.
BANDWAGON JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING IT IN JAPAN, JUST SHOULD HAVE JUST LET
IT PASS, AND RELEASE THERE OWN REMASTERS OF THE FULL ORIGINAL SERIES,AND I THINK
ALL FUNIMATION WAS TRYING TO DO WAS RELEASE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDITION OF
DRAGON BALL Z FOR THEY FANS THAT REALLY CARE PICTURE QUALITY.
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