Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie Review

Dragon Ball Z remains one of the most popular anime series in the world. A must-see masterpiece.

The saga continues in Dragon Ball Z: Season 5. Adapted from the acclaimed manga series created by Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Z finds the perfect balance of action-adventure that keeps the saga an entertaining blast. The beloved series is one of the most definitive productions in anime history. A remarkable thrill-ride. Dragon Ball Z is essential.

Season 5 of Dragon Ball Z includes episodes 140-165 and focuses on the Imperfect Cell and Perfect Cell sagas! These are some of the most badass episodes in the entire series run and fans will be on the edge of their respective seats. The 30^th Anniversary Edition presents the series in the original aspect ratio of 4:3 full-frame. The set comes packaged in a collectible steelbook that is stunning in hand and a must-own for serious fans of Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball Z features some of the best action scenes in the history of the medium. There is a sense of ferocity to the fight scenes which draws on in and doesn't let go. The action beats are intense and truly thrilling to behold. There is a fluidity to the animation and the way in which the fights are brilliantly choreographed. While some action anime seems to consider the fight scenes as just a small element within the series, Dragon Ball Z practically perfected the genre. That is why it stands as an anime masterpiece.

"Did you eat your greenies?"

The animation is beautiful and the team of animators involved in the production deliver on the premise time and time again. The series looks outstanding: background art work is creative and stylized. The character designs are unique and unforgettable. Dragon Ball Z is a genuine achievement in anime: pushing the envelope. The art style remains one of its great strengths.

The music score composed by the brilliant Shunsuke Kikuchi (Dragon Ball) is impeccable. There is something magnificent about the music score and the way in which it helps to tell the story. Music always remains a central component of the storytelling and ebbs and flows with the animation in beautiful ways. Kikuchi should be commended for their remarkable contribution to Dragon Ball Z.

At the heart of the series is the storytelling. Through the first-rate screenwriting of Takao Koyama (Dr. Slump) and the mind-bending direction of Daisuke Nishio (Dragon Ball), Dragon Ball Z unites with ferocity that is impossible to ignore. It is almost as if the creative team involved in the production learned the skills of being a Super Saiyan themselves. The series soars with action, heart, and adventure. Don't miss it.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. Unlike the previous season-set Blu-ray releases from Funimation, the new 30^th anniversary editions offer fans the chance to revisit the series in in the intended ratio. The 30^th anniversary sets impress in spades: the scanning is so much more faithful to the intended aesthetic and true fans will appreciate the massive upgrade for the OAR alone.

Though Dragon Ball Z received a nice deluxe DVD treatment with the Dragon Box (yellow-brick) releases, these sets are long out of print and are extremely costly. The last iteration of the season releases were abysmal and botched – with garish, overblown, and sickening colors. Comparatively, the new masters look more faithful to the intended look of the series and are impressive. There is almost no comparison: the 30^th anniversary transfers are a massive upgrade compared to previous Blu-ray season sets.

The one area in which the release suffers a bit is the use of digital noise reduction (DNR). Unfortunately, there is some slight loss in fine detail with the use of DNR. As an advocate for the preservation of film grain (and all of the details in an image), I always prefer for DNR to not be used when possible. Nonetheless, the DNR application is far less annoying on an animated program than on live-action material. Even though the release isn't a perfect slam dunk, the positives of the release far outweigh any negatives – this is still a gorgeous high-definition upgrade and colors look better than ever before.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a myriad of lossless audio options to choose from: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (with the original Japanese music left intact), English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with the U.S. broadcast score), and the Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). It is nice to see a variety of options. Fans can pick what option sounds best to them.

The English dub track sounds a bit more crisp and detailed in comparison to the original Japanese language version. The difference in fidelity is perhaps unsurprising given the gap in production. Despite the original Japanese audio tracks being a little less refined sounding, the audio is still serviceable and fans will be pleased to have the option included.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The fifth season of Dragon Ball Z is packaged in collectible steelbook packaging which makes a big impression. The art work features a stunning image of Cell that is downright iconic. The purple background design is a nice touch, too. The steelbook has a partially shimmery design which dramatically enhances the presentation of the art work. It gives the release the feeling of a cool collectible trading card (such as beloved holographics). A outstanding collectible package.

Disc 3:

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:51)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:43)

Disc 4:

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Sonny Strait (HD, 20:33)

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Meredith McCoy (HD, 13:11)

Toei Tour: Raw Footage (HD, 14:01)

Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is no better time than now to be a Dragon Ball Z fan. One of the greatest action-anime series of all time, Dragon Ball Z is a non-stop blast of entertainment that will keep fans on the edge of their respective seats. The series is full of energy and excitement. The Blu-ray release at last features the original 4:3 full-frame aspect ratio that fans have been clamoring for. The steelbook packaging is great too. Highly recommended.