Dragon Ball Z has seen numerous home video releases over the years, but most have been plagued by poor quality, censorship, and mismanagement. This blog post explores the various releases, highlighting their flaws and the ongoing struggle for a definitive version of the beloved series.
For over two decades, fans of Dragon Ball Z have been subjected to a myriad of home video releases, each claiming to be the definitive version of the series. However, the reality is that most of these releases have been riddled with issues, leaving fans frustrated and disappointed. In this post, we will explore the various English releases of Dragon Ball Z, examining what went wrong and why the series has been so poorly treated.
We begin our journey in the late 1990s with the DBZ singles, Funimation's first attempt at releasing the series on DVD. Surprisingly, these early releases are not as bad as one might expect. The DBZ singles were sourced from a tape master created before the film degradation began, resulting in surprisingly faithful colors. The skies are blue, and skin tones are mostly neutral. However, being old DVDs, they suffer from crunchy video quality and some visual artifacts. While they are a decent option for fans who love the original FUNimation dub, they are long out of print, making them hard to find.
Next, we encounter the infamous Orange Bricks. These releases quickly became the most sold version of the series in the West, but they are widely regarded as a disaster. Funimation decided to crop the original 4:3 aspect ratio to fit widescreen TVs, resulting in significant loss of image detail. Additionally, the colors were overly boosted, leading to blown-out highlights and a lack of detail. The grain removal process was poorly executed, resulting in a waxy appearance. While the Orange Bricks did introduce a new audio track, they are still considered one of the worst releases of the series.
In 2009, the Dragon Boxes were released, and they were initially hailed as the best way to watch the series. They preserved the original 4:3 aspect ratio and included next episode previews and Japanese title cards. However, the Dragon Boxes suffered from significant color degradation due to the aging film masters, resulting in warped colors. Additionally, the audio sync was off, making it a frustrating experience for viewers. Despite these issues, the Dragon Boxes remain a coveted release, but their high second-hand prices make them inaccessible for many fans.
In 2011, Funimation attempted to redeem themselves with the Level Sets, which featured a native HD scan and a more careful approach to grain management. However, these sets were sourced from a multi-gen master, resulting in a loss of detail and muted colors. Despite being a step up from previous releases, the Level Sets were canceled after only two sets due to poor sales, leaving fans disappointed once again.
Just two years later, Funimation released the Blu-ray Season Sets, which were marketed as a return to form. However, they ended up being a rehash of the Orange Bricks, with cropped images and poor color fidelity. Fans were outraged when they discovered that their feedback had been ignored, and the release was met with widespread criticism. The audio was decent, but the overall quality was a significant letdown.
In a bid to celebrate the series' 30th anniversary, Funimation launched a limited collector's edition remaster. Unfortunately, this release was almost identical to the previous Blu-ray sets, with only minor changes. Fans were furious, and the release failed to meet sales goals, further highlighting the disconnect between Funimation and its audience.
Despite the long history of poor releases, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. A French company called A B Group has begun releasing a new remaster of Dragon Ball, and early reports indicate that they have done everything right. The colors are faithfully corrected, the visual fidelity is excellent, and the audio is the best ever released. While these sets are currently only available in France and lack English subtitles, they represent a potential turning point for the series.
The journey through Dragon Ball Z's home video releases has been fraught with disappointment and frustration. Despite being one of the most popular anime series in history, fans have yet to see a reliable, high-quality release. Until a miracle occurs and a competent release makes its way to English-speaking audiences, fans will have to continue watching the series in whatever form they can find. The hope remains that one day, we will be graced with a non-compromised version of this beloved series that we all hold dear to our hearts.
