Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 Blu-ray Movie Review

Dragon Ball Z is an all-time classic: a anime masterpiece that every anime fan should experience.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 is an action-packed set of episodes of the beloved anime franchise. The series remains one of the most essential action-anime productions in the history of anime. The saga is one that all series fans will want to experience. Featuring breathtaking animation and non-stop action, Dragon Ball Z is a genuine classic.

Season 7 of Dragon Ball Z includes episodes 195-219 and contains the entire Great Saiyaman and World Tournament sagas. The action- packed adventure continues to be a thrill ride with this great season. The 30^th Anniversary Edition contains the entire season in the original 4:3 full-frame aspect ratio. Featuring a cool collectible steelbook, the set feels like a premium release for die-hard fans of Dragon Ball Z.

Fight tournament arcs can sometimes be hit and miss with anime series – but when done well, there is nothing that is better in action anime. Dragon Ball Z stands as one of the best anime series of all time and it navigates the story-arc with ease. Fans of non-stop fights will be thrilled to find the adventure and action cranked up to the max. Like other classics like Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball Z delivers everything fans hope for and in spades. The series knows how to push the tempo.

Game on.

Featuring epic animation, Dragon Ball Z is a prime example of how hand-drawn animation is better than any other form of anime production. The series is brilliantly animated – character designs and layouts are creative and unique. The art style is so much better than many of the superficial series produced today. While there are always exceptions to this rule, classic anime remains as one of the greatest examples of art in film. The team of animators involved in producing Dragon Ball Z were incredible at their craft.

The score composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi (Dragon Ball) is one of my favorite elements. Dragon Ball Z is ingenious in its musical execution. While many action anime series makes the mistake of simply sounding loud and bombastic without crafting, well, musical tunes – Dragon Ball Z is epic in scope (expanding the stage at every opportunity). The score draws one in to the story and won't let go. The action is all the more exciting as a result.

Action-anime classics in the realm of Dragon Ball Z are few and far between: most series simply can't compare. The lack of great masterpieces of action like Dragon Ball Z makes one appreciate the series even more. Few gems exist. Dragon Ball Z is a diamond in the rough. The series is intense fun that is brimming with energy. Don't miss it.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. In celebration of the 30^th anniversary of Dragon Ball Z, Funimation went back to the masters and assembled a fantastic upgrade for fans of the beloved anime franchise. Fans will be thrilled with the results.

The previously available season sets of Dragon Ball Z are antiquated by comparison. The encoding is worse, the color timing is terrible (with torch-mode style duplication), and the releases were it a awful 1.78:1 aspect ratio that mangled the entire presentation – cropping out good footage and making the experience downright absurdist (with even facial features often obscured by the awful effort).

The new editions are a massive improvement on every level. The release features a stunning new HD presentation that arguably retains the best color reproduction of Dragon Ball Z to date. Colors look fantastic and more natural (while still being impressive on a grand scale). The release is a massive upgrade as far as color reproduction is concerned.

The fact that the original aspect ratio is at last fully retained in high-definition (unless one counts the canceled Dragon Ball Z Level sets) is spectacular. The OAR is reason enough to purchase. It's a joy seeing the series as the animators and filmmakers intended. There is no other way I would want to enjoy and experience Dragon Ball Z: original aspect ratio or bust.

The new mastering does apply some DNR (digital noise reduction) to the image. This is one of the only notable drawbacks. I am always for releases retaining natural film grain when the source had it inherent to production. The debate is always larger when it comes to animation – should the remasters stay as faithful as possible to the filmic look as the animation is transferred to film? Or is applying DNR somehow retaining the look of the original cell- based animation better? Personally, I find the use of DNR offensive and am always against it. However, I also find it less appalling in animation than with live-action footage, and Dragon Ball Z is still entirely watchable despite the imperfections of DNR. It's not a flawless release but it's the best available option on Blu-ray to date.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound (with the original Japanese music), English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with the U.S. broadcast music), and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The English dub sounds fantastic. Dialogue remains crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music is similarly well reproduced and adds to the experience. The Japanese audio track is a little less crisp sounding and shows some age – which is unsurprising given the gap in production between the original language audio and the English dub. Nonetheless, I appreciate the inclusion of several options and fans who prefer the original audio will undoubtedly be pleased that the release retains it.

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The seventh season of Dragon Ball Z is presented in a collectors edition steelbook which has a truly impressive image of Piccolo. The packaging is well designed and the print quality is fantastic too. Everything about the release feels premium in hand: the shimmery aesthetic gives the edition the appearance of a collectible trading-card (and will bring to mind holographic cards with the style featured on this edition). Fans will be enormously thrilled with the steelbook design. A must-own.

Disc 3:

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:51)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:39)

Disc 4:

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Justin Cook (HD, 20:51)

Inside Dragon Ball Z: Interview with Nathanael Harrison (HD, 20:35)

Dragon Ball Z Card Game: Past, Present, and Future (HD, 38:24)

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the best achievements in anime history, Dragon Ball Z is a classic that has shaped the entire medium. Though there have been countless imitations, no series holds a candle to the brilliance of Dragon Ball Z and it's action-packed glory. As part of the 30^th anniversary, Funimation has at last presented the series in high-definition in the original 4:3 aspect ratio. A must-own for series fans. Highly recommended.