Here’s a run-down of some of the differences between the two Dragon Boxes. Now more importantly, most of the text has been left as-is, even some kanji, although FUNimation has added some of their own. And if you’re wondering, I never had this problem with the original. However, some glue fixes that right up, although I never should have had to to do it in first place. The way the box was constructed is slightly different, and for some people it has caused parts of the yellow paper around the box to peal off (mine included).

Overall, the domestic Dragon Boxes packaging is nearly the same as the original, with some minor alterations here and there. I would argue that since the original Dragon Box was a pre-order collectible only and was never shipped to retailers, its size was never really an issue (except when you actually try to put it on your regular DVD shelf), but since FUNimation is making this available to everyone, it stands to reason that they would want it to fit easily on a retailers shelf so you will buy it, as I did. It is a lot easier to have a retailer put a regular sized DVD box on a shelf than a huge oversized one, and overall it increases the chances someone will actually buy it. We take our hat off to them when it comes to making smart business decisions, because the most likely reason they shrunk down the domestic Dragon Box was for retail reasons. While on the subject, it should be noted that this was actually a great move on FUNimation’s part. However, if you do not own the original Dragon Box, then this does not really concern you - it just seemed worth noting. Having the two on a shelf next to each other is kind of weird, as the original completely dwarfs FUNimation’s Dragon Box. If that comparison does not do it for you, here are some photos of the two boxes side-by-side. Obviously since they are being split up, the thickness of the individual domestic volumes are much smaller than the originals. In terms of a dize difference, the domestic Dragon Boxes are about 70% of the height and width of the original Dragon Boxes, or rather, 30% smaller. If you would like more information concerning the original Japanese Dragon Box releases, please check out our “ Home Video Guide“.Īs originally announced, FUNimation’s domestic Dragon Boxes would be smaller in not only its physical size but the number of discs each volume would contain, as they are going to be splitting the original two volumes into seven separate volumes. We also have the more formal review as originally published on Daizenshuu EX. Fear not, because this feature will give you a thorough comparison of the two releases! (At least the first volume, anyway.)įor additional thoughts and information, please listen Episode #0198 of our podcast. Fans scrambled to get their hands on it, but many wondered what the differences were between the two releases, as most fans do not have access to the expensive, original Japanese versions. It was 17 November 2009 that the first volume of FUNimation’s domestic Dragon Boxes was released. In fact, this reversioning is directed almost entirely toward fans of the original Japanese series, rather than the English dub. Overall there have been three releases and somewhere amongst them all, you could piece together some sort of a coherent release - you can probably understand what an enormous feat it truly is to see FUNimation releasing a (to use their own phrase) “reversioning” of the Japanese “Dragon Boxes”. We have seen both censored and uncensored releases, multiple distributors, multiple voice casts, varying music in each release, varying scripts, canceled releases, and much more. The DVD releases alone are so complex that it is hard for even avid fans to keep track of them all, let alone a casual fan. The general history of Dragon Ball Z in the United States is a long, storied, and overly complicated one.

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