Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Trunks has arrived. Dragon Ball Z Season 4 is one of the best seasons in the long-running anime.

The anime series brings to life the beloved manga created by the brilliant Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball Z is a masterpiece of action-packed energy and a must-see gem of the medium. Fans of the franchise will be enormously pleased to revisit the series. Season 4 is another must-see season of the beloved series. Dragon Ball Z remains an all-time classic.

Season 4 of Dragon Ball Z includes episodes 108-139 and features the entire Garlic Jr. saga, the Android saga, and the Trunks saga! This makes season 4 one of the most jam-packed sets yet. Featuring some of the best episodes in the entire series run, Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 is truly exceptional. The 30^th Anniversary Edition presents the series in the 4:3 full-frame aspect ratio (preserving these episodes as intended). The set features collectible steelbook packaging. This remarkable set is a must-own for serious Dragon Ball Z aficionados.

The legendary experience is enhanced at every turn by the first-rate animation. With one of the best teams ever assembled for an anime production, Dragon Ball Z has stunning animation that conveys every action scene and dramatic moment with perfect attention to detail. The craftsmanship that is displayed throughout the series is phenomenal. Even subtle elements (such as the background art) manage to seem so more more ambitious and grand in scale than traditional television productions. There is something cinematic about the scope of the animation and the way the animators tirelessly brought everything to life.

The non-stop action continues.

Another noteworthy component of the production is the dynamite score composed by the amazing Shunsuke Kikuchi (Tenchi in Tokyo, Dragon Ball). The score seems to always find the right sonic balance between action and adventure. The drama is also heartfelt and surprisingly potent. While certain anime productions have throwaway scores that hardly make any impression whatsoever, Dragon Ball Z features a breathtaking score that brings the action to life.

The series would never have become a cult-classic without a great story. The original manga created by Akira Toriyama inspired a true thrill-ride of a series. The screenwriters involved on the production are some of the best in the entire business. While some audiences might expect the action to be enough to carry every component of the production, the screenwriting reflects a solid understanding of storytelling and the importance of character development. The cast of characters are great fun to spend time with – and sometimes even feel like friends of your own.

Dragon Ball Z features direction by Daisuke Nishio (Dragon Ball). With a less talented filmmaker behind-the-scenes, Dragon Ball Z never would have gained the level of fandom that was created. The filmmaking is consistently rewarding with exciting action sequences and non-stop thrills. Nishio proved to be the perfect filmmaker to usher in the series. Even episodes that some viewers may consider “filler episodes” manage to entertain. Dragon Ball Z is a classic for a reason: the filmmaking never disappoints.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release celebrates the 30^th anniversary of the Dragon Ball Z anime series. The presentation is leaps and bounds better than previous Blu-ray presentations of the series – the competition is annihilated, with the lone exception being the excellent Dragon Box yellow brick collections released on DVD (which are long out of print and can fetch $1,000).

The high-definition presentations for the 30^th anniversary release at last present the series in the proper 4:3, full-frame, OAR. The original aspect ratio deserves to be left intact – and with the scope of the image intact, the experience is all the more engaging and enticing. It is magical to experience Dragon Ball Z with the intended framing as designed by the animators and filmmakers. By comparison, the old Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray releases (with a 1.78:1 cropped image) is hot garbage and should be tossed by the wayside. In with the old, in with the new (and more faithful) presentations.

The color reproduction is quite impressive as well. The 30^th anniversary masters use a more refined looking color palette which seems more accurate and easy on the eyes. The previous Blu-ray's were comparatively ridiculous: overblown colors that appeared as though boosted to eye-gouging levels of alteration (imagine a television with the settings set to "full pop" mode). The colors look great here and fans will be pleased with the massive upgrade.

The one drawback to the release is the use of DNR on the image. Digital noise reduction is one thing I could do without. The technique removes some fine level detail in the image. I wish it wasn't ever used on any transfers. Regardless, the DNR isn't as bad as some might fear – Dragon Ball Z is certainly watchable on these masters and the application of the DNR is less frustrating than on live action movies.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (with the original Japanese music), English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with the U.S. broadcast music score), and the original Japanese language version in Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release has plenty of audio options to please fans of the series. The English dub option sounds a bit more crisp comparatively (due to being produced after the original language version).

Though kids who grew up on the Cartoon Network broadcast version might feel inspired to revisit the series with the music they are familiar with, I strongly advocate for fans to consider experiencing the series with the original Japanese score music as it adds so much to the series. The original music is grand in scale and quite ambitious. The fidelity of the music reproduction is impressive, too. The inclusion of multiple options is greatly appreciated though.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

One of the greatest steelbook designs in the entire line, Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 features a memorable image of Trunks that is truly exceptional. Fans of the series will be impressed by the print quality – sometimes steelbooks can seem a bit cheap if the printing is rushed, but the printing here seems exceptional. Colors really "pop" on the set and the imagery chosen is perfect. The shimmery presentation gives the steelbook the feeling of a cool holographic trading-card. A must!

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Matthew O'Hara (HD, 17:21)

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Daniel Mancilla (HD, 18:48)

From the Vault: Goku vs. Vegeta Featurette (SD, 27:04)

From the Vault: The World of Dragon Ball Z (SD, 20:12)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:51)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:43)

Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The fourth season of Dragon Ball Z is a slam-dunk for action fans. The Trunks saga is one of the series best and a must-see experience. The Blu-ray release is impressive and features a brand new restoration which finally preserves the 4:3 original aspect ratio for the Blu-ray format. The set comes packaged in a deluxe collectible steelbook that makes a huge impression. Highly recommended.