Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

An outstanding collectors edition of Dragon Ball Z: Season 2.

Based on the beloved manga series created by the great Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Z is one of the best action-anime series of all time. The series holds a firm place in the history of anime as one of the essential masterpieces of the action genre. Jam packed with exciting action and adventure, Dragon Ball Z is essential viewing for anime fans.

Season 2 of Dragon Ball Z includes episodes 40-74 and features the first half of the action-packed Frieza saga. The 30^th Anniversary Edition presents the entire second season in the original 4:3 full frame aspect ratio. The release comes packaged in a collectible steelbook. A must own for fans of Dragon Ball Z.

One of the greatest elements of the series remains the remarkable animation. The team of first-rate animators craft impeccable animation time and time again. The background artwork is stunning to behold. The character designs are unique and distinctive. The style of the anime radiates with an undeniable cool factor that is impossible to resist. Dragon Ball Z is undeniably one of the coolest productions in anime history and so much of this is due to the quality of the animation: first-rate.

Time to power up!

The original music score composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi (Dragon Ball, Tenchi in Tokyo) is one of the most ambitious the anime medium has ever seen. The score is dramatic, tense, and exciting: exploring the characters, themes, and action sequences in a uniquely compelling way. The score adds so much distinctive flavor to the production. The results are undeniably effective.

Takao Koyama (Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball) is the head story writer for Dragon Ball Z. Adapting the manga by Toriyama, the anime series is a remarkable thrill-ride. The storytelling is dramatic and exciting. For a die-hard fan, there is never a dull moment. The characters are taken on an epic adventure that is thrilling to be taken on.

Directed by the great Daisuke Nishio (Dragon Ball), Dragon Ball Z remains a landmark achievement in animation. The production is well-mounted on virtually every level: animation, storytelling, music, and action. Speaking of the action, Nishio should be commended for always bringing his “A-Game” to the action sequences. Dragon Ball Z is a pinnacle achievement for having some of the most intense and exciting action scenes around. A must-see for any serious anime enthusiast.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release marks the 30^th anniversary of the popular, long-running anime hit. Fans of the franchise will be enormously pleased to find that the series is once again available in the original television broadcast aspect ratio. The OAR version has long been out of print and hard to find. A disastrous 1.78:1 widescreen version (with cropped video) has been in circulation for far too long. Dragon Ball Z has finally received a decent treatment on Blu-ray.

The release isn't perfect and there are a few drawbacks to the presentation: the use of DNR (digital noise reduction) is a minor distraction which occasionally irks. I am always for film presentations remaining faithful to the original intended aesthetic (and with no noise reduction added to the video). Unfortunately, Funimation decided to apply DNR to Dragon Ball Z with the 30^th anniversary masters. Despite some minor qualms, I still found Dragon Ball Z to look fantastic in high-definition – and I was truly overjoyed to find the series back-in-print in the original aspect ratio that it becomes much easier to overlook some minor quibbles concerning the presentation quality.

Color reproduction is excellent and is arguably better than ever before. Though color timing has often been a subject of debate with the myriad of releases of Dragon Ball Z on home media, fans of the series are going to appreciate the nice color reproduction on these transfers. The print quality is also quite good – and without any of the previous release's drawbacks in regards to cropping out sections of the video.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a plethora of audio presentation options. Fans can select between viewing the series in English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 with the U.S. Score-music, the English dub with the original Japanese language track via Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround, and Japanese (with English subtitles) encoded in 2.0 Dolby TrueHD. Regardless of option, the presentation is quite suitable to the experience. The English dub track sounds a bit crisper in comparison to the original language presentation – perhaps unsurprisingly given the difference in production years. The Japanese music adds something special to the experience and is nicely expanded with the use of the surround sound channels.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a collectible steelbook that adds a sense of flair to the package. The art work includes a fantastic front-image featuring Goku (the hero of the story). The iconic pose makes a fantastic impression. The steelbook print quality is exceptionally high as well – the spot-gloss presentation is superb and the shimmery design looks fantastic in hand. The release has a semi holographic style that makes it feel as visually impressive as a trading card. A great collectible.

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Christopher R. Sabat (HD, 19:03)

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Sean Schemmel (HD, 18:23)

Justin Cook Shares His Headshot Collection (HD, 9:41)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:51)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:43)

Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 is a must-own release for fans of the action-packed anime franchise. One of the greatest achievements in the history of anime, Dragon Ball Z remains one of the most entertaining gems the medium has ever produced. Funimation has finally done the series justice with an impressive 4:3 original aspect ratio video presentation. A must-own for fans. The collectible steelbook is a sweet cherry on top. Highly recommended.