Dragon Ball Z (Uncut)

[Drtooth]

And DBZ is pretty main stream, too! I always hated how Anime movies are marketed in our country. Even the releases of the Studio Ghibli films weren't good. But then, those damn pokemon films got national releases, up until the fourth one. Yugioh and Digimon too, though I heard Digimon bombed big time.

I'da loved to have seen that on the big screen, even if it cost 10+ bucks, myself. And that was even before I knew it was the one with Hitler.

[DrSpengler]

Howl's Moving Castle got a seriously limited release in my area. Only one giant megaplex in Alexandria was playing (in one theater, only in the evening, and for two weeks total). So needless to say, I missed it.

Likewise, with a Scanner Darkly, which was rotoscoped and not traditionally animated, it only got released in arthouse theaters in my area.

Meanwhile, CGI s*** like Happy Feet, Hoodwinked, Doogle and that crap with the talking baseball bat get nationwide releases.

2D animation is dead in this country. I weep for it.

[DaShredder]

Don't get me started on that kids/cgi crap! Disney,Pixar,etc. are brainwashing little kids into thinking they like it,my little cousin had an entire collection of "Cars" toys before it EVEN came out! He said it was his favorite movie BEFORE he saw it! I'm tired of this stupid illumanti,government-controlled,brain-washing,econimc crap they keep grinding out!!! Film was made: A.To perserve memories and to B.Make things that are entertaining and have substance! And yeah,"MOVIE 12 COMING SOON TO THEATERS EVERYWHERE",My SHELL!

[愛]

My shell? Are you 8?

[Drtooth]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

2D animation is dead in this country. I weep for it.

Mmmhhh... well, it's more about what the Masses want why those films were in limited release. After all, it's the corporations who brainwashed people into thinking anime is nothing but Pokemon and Yugioh. I don't feel 2-D is dead yet, since... well... look at the overbearing amount of CGI films we had this year. I think only a handfull were actually successful. If you oversaturate the market with CGI films, people will sooner or later get sick of them.

Personally, I really love Pixar's work. Cars was okay, not their best. Dreamworks and BlueSky I feel are a distant second. I LOVED Robots, and I thought Ice Age 2 was an improvement over the first one. And if Dreamworks makes more lowkey films like Over the Hedge (as opposed to the overblown fiasco known as Sharktale) they'll do alright.

I love all types of animations from all over the world, myself. Even bizzarre existential crap only animation students would ever hear of. The fact of the matter is, no matter how shiney and bright and full the animation looks, it can still suck if the script is junk. Look at Pochahaunas (or however it's spelt). Stunningly beautiful animation, but it was still one of the worst films I've ever seen. Compare that to the Bullwinkle show, which used a crappy Mexican animation studio, but with excellent scripts, it was one of the most memorable shows of all time.

The reason why so many companies use CGI is to cash in on the success of Pixar films and Shrek. Sometimes the animation is stunning, but the scripts are incredibly poor. Like Disney's first solo work, Dinosaur.

But getting back to the topic, Anime films, unless they are based on/associated with a toy line get, at best, an art house limited release. Then again, if DBZ were still popular with the kiddies, we would have had one of these films, but so chopped up, no one over 7 could enjoy them.

[Anarchistguy]

What bugs me the most is people see crap like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon, and they think EVERY ANIME IN THE WHOLE WORLD is like those abominations. But what about Berserk, Gunnm, Guyver 2005 and MPD Psycho? I didn't see any bug-eyed characters in THESE series.

[Drtooth]

Personally, I don't think of Anime as a subgenre of animation at all. The only genres I see are:

Drawn 2-D (Includes digital, cel, rotoscope, pencil tests)
Stop Motion (Puppet/clay, Time Lapse, 2-D paper cutout)
and CGI.

I personally use the term anime to differentiate between the standard american style of animation, so people know specifically I'm talking about that kind. In fact, if the show isn't American native in creation (nowadays everything's animated in Korea and India), I tend to say it's country of origin as an explaination.

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by Underoath740

I was just wondering what the people on this board thought of the Dragon Ball Z series as a whole. I seem to hear a lot of mixed things. I used to watch it when i was a bit younger and was considering re-watching the Un-cut versions of the episdoes, but i dont know if there will really be a difference. So what do you guys think of Dbz and Dbz compared the the uncut episodes? Any episodes where the "uncut" actually makes a big difference?

Necropost!

Getting back to the original discussion, here's what's up:

Seasons 1 and 2 were heavily edited and had the soundtrack changed for the dub but they had awesome voice actors and actresses. Just as a note, there was so much editing in seasons 1 and 2 that 67 Japanese episodes were used to make 53 American episodes.

Seasons 3 and beyond had crappy voice actors and actresses (some of which got a lot better as time went on) and the soundtrack was still changed for the dub. However, there wasn't much visual editing going on.

From Season 3 forward on the DVDs you had the option of watching the uncut Japanese version. In the dub about 64% of the dialouge was extremely wrong (according to some DBZ-obsessed Super Nerd) and so a lot of people choose to watch it in Japanese for the music, the voices, and the uncut-ness.

A year or two ago FUNi started releasing the first season uncut in the "Ultimate Uncut" line. This was to make the voices consistent through the whole series and to finally put DBZ's first two seasons on TV uncut. I know they got at least to when the Ginyu Force showed up when these episodes got onto TV. However, the DVD releases were cancelled sometime within season 1. The soundtrack was also changed for this.

Next month, the first 39 episodes (season 1) of DBZ are being remastered and released on a 6-DVD set for anywhere between $20 and $50 (depending on where you buy it) fully uncut with the current voice actors. You also have the options of viewing it in Japanese, viewing it in English with Japanese soundtrack, or English with American soundtrack. The only controversial thing about this release is that FUNi is putting it in Widescreen (16:9) instead of the original TV broadcast 4:3.

If you like widescreen and don't obsessively care about Dragonball Z this is the deal of a lifetime (which they'll continue to do with future remastered inexpensive DVD sets). Previously it was 3 episodes with crappy encodes for like $25 or $30. The only thing that makes the widescreen a controversy is that Toei animated this show with 4:3 (fullscreen) aspect ratio in mind and to turn 4:3 into 16:9 you need to show about 10% to 15% more on the sides while cutting off the top and bottom about 16% to 20%. This may make the show look somewhat cramped.

Personally, I preordered the first set at CD Universe for $20 (really cheap) and I'm going to save my final opinion on the matter for after I view it. As long as the viewable area gets across the points that are gotten across in the manga/comic version I'll probably be happy with it and will buy the rest of the series as it comes out in this format.

Be warned, though, that they remastered it in 1080i but they're compressing it to 480p for these releases. That means that in a few years they'll start releasing this set again in hi-def and getting this set right now while it's in standard definition will be a waste of money if you don't feel the need to get this set right away as it comes out in standard def.

Conclusion: Don't buy "Ultimate Uncut". Buy the Season 1 set coming out. You can see about 3 different previews for it on http://www.dragonballz.com and pre-oder it from their store for like $35.

[DrSpengler]

I've been pulling my hair out over whether I want the season 1 set or not.

I own the VHS releases of the original Ocean dub of season 1-2, which I adore even with the terrible edits (the voices were just so good).

Now that you mention that the new set will have the option of English voices with the Japanese music (hated the American soundtrack and loved the Japanese music) I might grab the thing. Yet, I hate the fact that they're doing faux widescreen.

Still, if it's as cheap as $20 bucks then I just might pick it up anyway.

[Spitfire]

I saw Howl's Moving Castle in theaters, and Spirited Away, and Princess Monoke. I didn't like Howl's Moving Castle but I bought the other two.

I've also see the Cowboy Bebop movie in theaters*Great movie* and Metropolis which I thought sucked.

But yeah 2-D animation is dead. I miss it to. This CGI crap is fine for a few movies but why all of them? I don't feel like watching something that looks like a cut scene for a video game.

Aw well, I'll take what I can get, I predict movies will become all remakes and generic trash in a few years anyways.

[LogicDonny]

Originally Posted by Spitfire666xXxXx

I saw Howl's Moving Castle in theaters, and Spirited Away, and Princess Monoke. I didn't like Howl's Moving Castle but I bought the other two.

I've also see the Cowboy Bebop movie in theaters*Great movie* and Metropolis which I thought sucked.

But yeah 2-D animation is dead. I miss it to. This CGI crap is fine for a few movies but why all of them? I don't feel like watching something that looks like a cut scene for a video game.

Aw well, I'll take what I can get, I predict movies will become all remakes and generic trash in a few years anyways.

There has no been any godo animation movies in a long time.. End of evangleion was excellent, spirited away and princess monoke. I love those 2 movies.

I wish they would contuine the show Samurai Jack. That show was just so artistic and so well done. the show had such great animation and style..

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by Spitfire666xXxXx

Aw well, I'll take what I can get, I predict movies will become all remakes and generic trash in a few years anyways.

I think we're at that junction right now, honestly.


And I really liked Howl's Moving Castle. Wasn't Miyazaki's best, but still pretty good. Faptacular animation, at any rate.


Honestly, if the only animated films we're ever going to see in America from now on are CG-animated ones, they could at LEAST stop with the family comedies. Where are the CG action and sci-fi films? Lots of potential with the genre but its all being wasted on generic comedies brimming over with obnoxious celebrities.

The last CG-animated action movie to get a theatrical release in America (that I can recall) was Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. I know the movie sucked and didn't do the genre any favors, but that's no reason to condemn all CG-animated action flicks forever.

[Spitfire]

We have CGI movies like that, and they crash and burn because their different. Like A Scanner Darkly. I didn't think it was a bad flick myself.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by Spitfire666xXxXx

We have CGI movies like that, and they crash and burn because their different. Like A Scanner Darkly. I didn't think it was a bad flick myself.

Yeah, I thought that one was pretty good, too. It only got released in arthouse theaters in my area and most considered it too "weird".

I thought it was a lot like Videodrome and Naked Lunch, myself.

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

I've been pulling my hair out over whether I want the season 1 set or not.

I own the VHS releases of the original Ocean dub of season 1-2, which I adore even with the terrible edits (the voices were just so good).

Now that you mention that the new set will have the option of English voices with the Japanese music (hated the American soundtrack and loved the Japanese music) I might grab the thing. Yet, I hate the fact that they're doing faux widescreen.

Still, if it's as cheap as $20 bucks then I just might pick it up anyway.

It's up to about $31 (plus shipping) now. http://www.DeepDiscountDVD.com has it for around the same price and shipping is free.

If you still can't decide I'll give a review of the set after I watch it next month.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by Goongasnootch

It's up to about $31 (plus shipping) now. http://www.DeepDiscountDVD.com has it for around the same price and shipping is free.

If you still can't decide I'll give a review of the set after I watch it next month.

Cool. I might wait, then. If I *do* buy the thing it'll likely be at Best Buy; but they're usually pretty cheap.

[Ra]

Ah...Dragon Ball Z...my deep dark secret. I used to watch it all the time when the Freiza Saga began. It was my favorite story arch of all time. But when Trunks came, I just felt the magic vanish. What? Time Travel? Please... however, the movie conserning how he came to the past was nice. But that was it. Also, for DBZ, the power-ups were pointless. I remember in the end of the Cell Saga or whatever, Goku was powering up for a Spirit Bomb, and he was powering up, for what, 5 episodes? Maybe 6? Some rediculous time period anyway But in the original series, when Goku has a power punch, he did it in 5 seconds tops. That's it. No great wait or anything. It kind of stunned me at how quick it was.

Speaking of the original series, I watch it all the time on CN. Mondays to Fridays at 8:30pm. Very good stuff, like showing how useful Mr. Popo actually was in the original series. In DBZ, he just stands there doing pretty much nothing. In DB, he was defeating Goku in hand-to-hand combat.

Maybe some time in the future I'll watch the uncut versions of DBZ, but for now, I'm content with the original series playing