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Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Vic Mignogna- The Voice Of Broly

by Josh JacksonJanuary 11, 2019

This is part five of our ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ interview series.

Click here for our interview with Monica Rial, the voice of Bulma.

Click here for our interview with Jason Douglas, the voice of Beerus.

Click here for our interview with Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis.

Click here for our interview with Sonny Strait, the voice of Bardock.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the continuation of the DBS anime that re-imagines the fan-favorite villain from the perspective of series creator Akira Toriyama, will be releasing in theaters nationwide on January 16. To count down to the release of the film, we will be posting a round table interview conducted alongside Sean at VRV, with voice actors from the movie each day leading up to the release date, culminating with a full review of DBS: Broly itself!

Next up is the titular character himself! Vic Mignogna has voiced Broly since the Funimation dub of the original Legendary Super Saiyan film in 2004. Perhaps best known as the voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Vic has also played Junpei Iori in Persona 3 and its various films and spinoffs. Other well known series he’s featured in include Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man, and lesser known shows like Madlax, a personal favorite of mine. Chances are if you play games or watch anime, you’ve heard Vic’s voice. Now with Broly being reimagined, we talked to him about what it was like to play two different versions of the hulking berserker.

Josh- This is essentially the second time audiences are being introduced to Broly. His portrayal based on everything we know so far seems to be a little bit different from his past versions.

Vic- Different in a very good way! A very good way. I love Broly! I love that character, I have for many, many years. If there was one thing that I would have changed, and I think most fans agree, it would have been to give him a more significant backstory. Give him some kind of foundation or background that he didn’t have, and this movie certainly does that. And it does it very effectively.

Sean- From what we can gather, this version of Broly doesn’t really like to fight like the original version. Yet, we know we know he will actually be doing a lot of fighting. What were your thoughts on this kind of split and dichotomy?

Vic- I love it! You know, I think one of the things that Dragon Ball is known for is fighting, battling, tournaments and competition… So you expect that. And the action in this film is certainly worthy of Dragon Ball. But what you don’t always expect is a deeper story, is a sympathetic story for a character that on the surface may seem pretty menacing. But when you find out more about his background, you actually develop a… I don’t want to say sympathy, but your heart goes out a little bit to him, I think. And that just makes it more powerful.

Josh- Was that challenging at all to take this character that you played years ago in a different form and having to approach it in a different way?

Vic- Not at all! In fact, I welcome it! Because as an actor, you always love the opportunity to play a deeper character, right? I mean, anybody that screams loud can play a character that only screams loud, right? But if suddenly you’ve got a character that’s got variations on his personality and what makes him who he is, that makes him more fun to play! Which is always a welcomed thing.

Sean- If you had to choose between the two versions of the character, which one is more fun to play and which [would you choose] as a fan?

Vic- Both of them! Excuse me… I mean the second one for both reasons! (Laughs) The Broly we’re about to be introduced to is definitely my favorite for both reasons! I think the fans are really going to enjoy it more because there’s more to connect with, and I had fun playing a character that had more dimensions than just, “Oh! There was a baby crying next to him when he was born and he freaked out.” Ehh… That’s a little thin! (Laughs)

Sean- There is such great animation in this movie. Was there any point where it was too hard to record because you were just too taken aback by the images?

Vic- Well, I will tell you what! I will tell you that Justin Cook over there, (voice actor and producer on Dragon Ball and other Funimation projects), who worked on directing my stuff, he has as much better eye for it than I do! He has…

*Justin Cook shouts at Vic in the distance*

Vic- (Laughs) No! I’m just telling them! They were asking me about, you know, with the action and the fighting being so fast moving, it is easy to get pulled in! Like, “Wait a minute! I was supposed to do something and I don’t know what…” But Justin has a great eye for it, and he literally would say, “Okay, right here, you’ve got this, this, this, and it all happens in like half a second.” So I depended a great deal on him to keep me focused on what I was doing.

Justin- I depend on Vic! Let’s get that clear.

Vic- Right! He’s smirking when he says that! (Laughs)

Sean- Another question about recording. What is the key to recording the perfect battle scream?

Vic- Oof… You know what? Voice actors have told me for years that there is a way that you can yell without hurting your voice… I don’t but it! (Laughs) I don’t think that’s true. I think that if you fake it, you can tell. Does that make sense? So, umm… One of the reasons Broly is such a challenging character to play is because you can’t hold back! You can’t fake it. It has got to be full on, everything you’ve got, and so I don’t think there’s a way of cheating the yelling and the screaming. The key is, let it rip! Let it rip. Because the last thing you want to hear is the director go, “Could you uhh… Give me a little more?” I mean, oh god, really? So just let it go!

Josh- With this version of Broly, did you get somewhat of a break from the screaming? Is it as much?

Vic- No [break]! (Laughs) Umm… But I will tell you that our approach to the recording process was that we would record for like two hours a day, because you don’t want to do it much longer than that. Because you’ll actually stress your voice out and then you won’t be recovered for the next day. So we took a week to record this role for a couple of hours a day. Maybe some days we would do maybe three hours, but you don’t want to scream bloody murder for five or six hours a day cause then you’ll go home and you’ll wake the next morning and your voice will not have recovered. So then you’ll be out of commission for a few days. So our strategy was a couple hours each day, and then I would go home and drink tea with honey and sit quietly… (Laughs) And let it reocover!

Josh- The way that Broly is being portrayed in this version of the film kind of makes him seem like a missing link between Goku and Vegeta. What role do you think he plays in their rivalry and friendship as a Saiyan?

Vic- That’s an interesting question! That’s a very interesting question! And I hope based on the way that the story unfolds and the way the movie ends, I’m hoping sincerely that we’re going to see more of Broly. I think he’s a much more compelling character. He’s just as badass as he ever was, but now there’s more dimension to him. And I think it leaves it wide open for him to show up again and play a more pivotal role between Goku and Vegeta. I hope that happens! I sincerely hope it happens.

Sean- Do you think that Broly is kind of this product of Saiyan culture because of King Vegeta’s corruption, and because they are meant to be angry and fighting even when they don’t want to?

Vic- No! No, I think he’s a product of his father. I mean, you know. If Broly’s father is his singular main influance, just like you or me. Your dad has a great deal to do with the person you are by the time you’re 12 or 13 years old, right? And some of those habits are hard to break because they’re so deeply ingrained. I think that it’s Broly’s dad that is largely responsible for who he is.

Josh- That brings up an interesting point that I didn’t think of before. But since Broly was kind of isolated while Goku and Vegeta had their own thing, and he was kind of separate from the conflict with Frieza and everything… And this is just from what I know from the trailers, so I could be wrong, but do you think that Goku and Vegeta had that time to grow and develop and move on past Frieza’s influence on Planet Vegeta, do you think that Broly is kind of a way to pull them back towards their Saiyan heritage that has kind of taken more of a backseat after the Frieza Saga ended?

Vic- Possibly! Possibly so, but as you even pointed out, Broly is kind of a reluctant warrior. He’s not fighting because he even really believes in it himself. And you sense the turmoil in him, which is much more interesting than it’s ever been. It makes the character more interesting. And I’m not really sure how his presence will influence Vegeta or Goku, or like you said, “Pull them back.” Hopefully that’s something that will be explored either in the series to come or even another movie possibly. But they’ve certainly left it wide open for that!

Tomorrow, we sit with the Prince himself, as Chris Sabat talks to us about the process of recording the film both behind the mic and in the director’s chair!

Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Monica Rial- The Voice Of Bulma

by Josh JacksonJanuary 10, 2019

This is part four of our ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ interview series.

Click here for our interview with Jason Douglas, the voice of Beerus.

Click here for our interview with Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis.

Click here for our interview with Sonny Strait, the voice of Bardock.

Today’s interview is with Monica Rial, who has voiced Bulma since the remade Dragon Ball Z: Kai was dubbed in 2010. As the one character who has been part of the series as long as Goku has, Bulma is perhaps the character that has changed the most throughout the series. Starting off as a shallow teenager who wanted to use the wish making powers of the Dragon Balls to wish for a boyfriend, fans have watched her grow into the brains behind the brawn of Goku and his friends, oftentimes serving as the motherly figure to the rest of the group as well as the only person that can keep her husband, Vegeta, in check. Outside of Dragon Ball, Monica has had lead roles in series’ such as Panty and Stocking with Garderbelt, Senran Kagura, and recently began voicing Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card.

Josh- So Monica! With the Broly movie approaching, what can you tell us about Bulma’s role in the film?

Monica- Bulma’s role is in the film is she KICKS BROLY’S A… No, I’m kidding, I wish! (Laughs) I’m still waiting for the day that she to fight! But I’d say Bulma’s role in this film is supporting her friends, but also comedy. She’s got a lot of comedy in this one. And I think it’s just that it’s such an action packed, hardcore film. There’s a lot of drama, there’s a lot of action, so I feel like they needed some comic relief and they were like, “Bulma!” So that’s kind of my role in this one. Which I’m not gonna complain about. I love comedy, so I’m all about it!

Josh- Bulma has the habit of bossing around some of the strongest beings in the universe, so are we going to come to the point in the film or beyond the film where she’s going to be pulling Broly by the ear and telling him what to do?

Monica- I hope so! I really, really hope that will be the case because at this point, I’ve done it to all of them. Calling Frieza ugly to his face and slapping Beerus… if she didn’t die then, then surely she can handle Broly or at least put him in his place.

Sean- Is she going to be the one that actually forces Vegeta to fuse?

Monica- Oh… I can’t tell you that! (Laughs) But that’s got to be weird! You know, the more I think about the fusion, it’s like your best friend and your husband… Do you really want them turning into one person? Probably not.

Sean- Yeah, what would Bulma say to that?

Monica- I think she’d be a little weirded out. At the same time, I think she’s one of those people who’ll do whatever you got to do to get the job done. But at the same time, yeah… It would be a little strange.

Josh- She’s been around from the very beginning, so she’s seen her fair share of strange things already.

Monica- Right! I think she’s just jaded at this point. She’s like, “Whatever, that’s weird but oh well, it’s just another Tuesday!”

Sean- Was there any point where the animation was just so breathtaking that it stopped you in your tracks while you were recording?

Monica- Yeah! In fact, I got to watch it before we recorded it. Jason Douglas and I actually sat down in Colleen Clinkenbeard’s office, (longtime voice actor and director at Funimation who currently plays Mai and the entire young Goku family tree in Dragon Ball), and sat with the script because they were very cautious about it not leaking or anything. So we had to go into her office and watch it on her little Mac with our little scripts… And I will say that there were several times where we looked at each other and were like, “Oh! Yes! That’s intense!” And we weren’t even looking at the final version, we were looking at a version that was still in progress, so you had a lot of storyboards and still animation, which was so cool for us because we never get to see that behind the scenes kind of stuff. So it was really neat to kind of see. There was a point where Bulma’s space ship takes off and it’s like, a picture… a picture… a picture… a picture, before they had the motion put in. It was really, really cool! But yeah, it’s absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t WAIT for everybody to see it! I feel like I’ve got the biggest secret in the world and I can’t tell anybody and I can’t wait for you all to see it so I can finally talk about it! (Laughs)

Josh- I know, the wait’s been killer!

Monica- Yeah, it’s the worst! It’s absolutely the worst. And people keep asking, “Why are the trailers giving away so much information?” And I’m like, “Nah you’re good. There’s still a whole lot more!”

Josh- Okay, good!

Sean- It’s not quite 100% certain that we’ll get that we’ll get more Dragon Ball animation beyond this. If it does keep going, are you absolutely down for more and where do you think it will go?

Monica- 100 percent! In fact, I would be very unhappy and very sad if we DON’T have more! I would hope that would be the case! I think that a lot of people have speculated [and] Akira Toriyama has said that if this film does well, that he would consider the possibility of doing more. So I’m like, “Everybody go see this movie! Go! Now!” (Laughs) But yeah, I would love for there to be more, and if I were going to guess as to where I would like the show to go, I would love for either Vegeta or Goku to become a Destroyer. I kind of see that whole aspect of it, and people always ask, “Well then, what’s going to happen to Beerus?” And I’m like, “I think Beerus is going to be the new Piccolo!” As much as he hates it, I think he’s gonna be the dude that sits around and eats food and hangs out with Bulla! And that’s how it’s gonna be!

Josh- And he raises other people’s kids!

Monica- Right, exactly! We all know Piccolo is the best dad in Dragon Ball! Well… Vegeta is catching up because of what he’s done recently, but not in the beginning.

Josh- Yeah! Him and Piccolo are fighting for a close first and second right now. (Laughs)

Sean- Kind of a silly question, but do you think if Broly is the one Bulma encountered, would they be together too?

Monica- Oh gosh! I don’t think so! I don’t know… No! No, not THIS Broly. This Broly… I think that that she would be like… She’s become much more maternal as the show has gone on I think, especially in Super. She’s kind of the mom of the group. She’s like telling people what to do and making sure she’s on every mission because she’s like, “You can’t go by yourself, I have to be there!” She’d probably just mom Broly. Broly would be like her kid where she’s like, “Now shush, drink your milk! Okay, you have to finish your homework before you go to bed!” Like I really think that would be her take on Broly.

Josh- On the subject of Bulma’s role shifting over the years, it’s somewhat understated, but next to Goku, she’s the character who has been there the longest and gone through the most growth and change throughout. So going from the selfish teenager up to the mom role, where would you like to see Bulma go past this movie?

Monica- Oh goodness… I would love to see her take a more commanding position. Like maybe… Become the mayor of the town or do something that’s more involved with what’s happening in their world. Either that or I would like to see her fight! (Laughs) I’d love to see her come out with an outfit… Not and outfit, but like a suit. Like an Iron Man type suit where she can actually go out there and help them more than just by flying the spacecraft, you know what I mean? I think that would be kind of fun to see. She might like… Scream and run away! But you know, it would be worth a shot! Just to see!

Josh- That doesn’t sound too hard compared to building a time machine a couple of times.

Monica- If she could do that, she can surely build an Iron Man suit!

Sean- Robotics suits used to be a big part of Dragon Ball.

Monica- Right!? Yeah! And then it’s been gone, so it’s like, “Bring them back!” (Laughs) That would be fun! So who knows? But yeah, I think she’ll continue to mom everybody, that’s for sure.

Monica- I was just talking to the other gentleman who was hosting [the interviews]. He was saying that, “You know, a lot of Japanese people watch the dub,” and I’m like, “… They do?” I guess we just assume that you know… You guys watch the dub, everybody in the US watches the dub, but nobody else anywhere… Ever watches the dub!

Sean- I interviewed Sean [Schemmel] at Comic Con and he said they heard back that you guys got the seal of approval from the Japanese crew.

Monica- That was recent! That wasn’t that long ago. So it was kind of interesting to see how it’s kind of changing over the years. But yeah! To think that people are watching internationally that don’t even speak English as a first language, that’s really impressive! That’s really, really cool! And kind of intimidating and scary all at the same time! (Laughs)

Josh- But I think that’s just a testament to how great of a job you all do because for me at least, it’s really hard to even watch it in any other version. You guys are the voices that I’ve been listening to for so long.

Monica- Thank you! Well, we love it. I mean like… That’s the thing. We’ve kind of become a little family. Like, anywhere we go, I look forward to seeing [everyone]. I just put a picture up and tagged it as, “Doing press with my boys!” Because it’s literally how it feels! You’re just like a little happy family!

Sean- Chris [Sabat’s] work wife?

Monica- Yes! Oh my gosh! My birthday dinner was with my fiance and Chris! So both of my husbands!

We’re in Saiyan territory now! Check back tomorrow for our interview with Vic Mignogna, the voice of Broly!

E3 2016: Relive Your Favorite Fillers In ‘Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2’

by Josh JacksonJune 21, 2016

It turns out messing with time has its own set of repercussions, as we’re set to find out in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. In the first game, we took our custom characters and inserted them into key moments in Dragon Ball Z history to stop an evil time traveler from changing history. Since that battle came to its conclusion however, it turns out we screwed things up more than we realized. It’s because of this that the Supreme Kai of Time decides the only way to fix it is to bring in MORE warriors to square off against DBZ’s best, which is where we’re reintroduced to the game world.

Taking place in the new hub world of Conton City, which can hold up to 300 players online at a time in real time, the team at Dimps developed this sequel with fan feedback at heart, looking to fix what didn’t work in the original while improving on what it did best. Players will once again create their own custom warrior by choosing between the human, Namekian, Saiyan or Frieza races, and do battle with some of the most iconic fighters in anime history. Allowing our characters to freely move between iconic locations like Planet Namek and Frieza’s spaceship among other areas, they weren’t kidding when they promised us a bigger, better Dragon Ball experience.

With such a huge hub world to navigate, players will be able to do a lot more when they’re not fighting this time around, with side missions and mini games to help you unwind after an intense round of screaming and charging up. Some of these modes missions will call back to some of the more obscure moments of the anime’s run, including the ability to drive a car. Why you would ever need to when you can fly as much as you want both in battles and in the hub is a mystery better left unsolved, but either way, nothing beats racing your friends online to see who the best driver in the DBZ universe is. Much like that time where Goku and Piccolo tried to learn how to drive with comical results, you too can struggle to live a normal life as a super powered fighter. And say what you will about Goku’s strength, but did he ever get his driver’s license? That’s one you’ll always have over him. Other Capsule Corp gadgets were promised, hinting at plenty of distractions to keep us busy when we want to give peace a chance.

But as you know, Dragon Ball Z is all about the fighting, and Xenoverse 2 will have us covered on that front. Promising to run at 60 FPS across all platforms it’s available on, it will be an impressive sight to see considering how battles can switch from being in the air to on the ground and underwater in a matter of seconds. Streamlining battles seems to be the goal this time around, with a Homing Dash to close gaps between opponents faster, the Burst Aura Dash, which lets you dodge attacks while flying forward, and curving Ki Blasts which not only look more like the show, but help ensure that launching them won’t end up being an endless back and forth. With so many energy beams being shot, punches being thrown, and vocal cords being shattered from all the ki gathering, we’ll be happy to see this consistent framerate maintained despite everything that goes on in your typical fight. New characters like Future Gohan, Turles, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku and Golden Frieza will make their debut as well, making it looks like we’ll have plenty of ways to put the game to the test when it releases at the end of the year for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

What are you most looking forward to in the next big Dragon Ball Z game? Let us know in the comments!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘J-Stars Victory Vs.+’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 30, 2015

Game: J-Stars Victory Vs.+

Available For: PS4, PS3, PS Vita, (Reivewed on Vita.)

Publisher: Namco Bandai

Developer: Spike Chunsoft

MSRP: $59,99 (PS4), $49.99 (PS3) and $39.99 (Vita, digital only.)

Importers went crazy back in 2014 when J-Stars Victory Vs. hit the Japanese PS3 and Vita. This crossover fighter that brought together Shonen Jump’s most popular franchises and characters into one explosive package was never expected to arrive outside of Japan. Much like Jump Superstars for the Nintendo DS, we figured licensing issues would be tough to sort out, especially for a niche title such as this. Yet, Namco Bandai surprised us late last year when they announced that not only would the game receive a Western release, but it would include an extra game mode and a PS4 release as well! Now dubbed J-Stars Victory Vs.+, characters from Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, and so many more franchises will finally get to brawl in the West. Now that the title has come and gone, was it worth the wait?

J Stars uses a somewhat basic model for its fighting mechanics, which typically take place as a two on two showdown with a third character acting as support. Standard matches end once the first team reaches three KO’s, but can vary depending on how many people are fighting in that particular battle. On the surface, every character is essentially the same, with a weak, strong, and special attack button making up their offense. Special moves cost meter, which can be charged up at any time, while tapping the block button right before you’re hit results in a teleport behind your opponent, leaving them wide open. I mean sure, you could just block, but absorbing too many hits will result in a guard break, with no choice but to accept your incoming punishment. Double jumps, dashing, and the ever important lock on button round out the game’s basic functions, with these three moves being especially vital since it would be easy to get lost in the game’s mostly large 3D arenas. Nothing sucks more than getting ambushed because you had no idea where the enemy was.

Using a unique momentum meter that constantly fluctuates as the fight goes on, once one team shifts it all the way to their side, the team will be able to activate their Victory Burst, a temporary state where their attributes are slightly boosted. More importantly however, is that players can choose to sacrifice time in this state in exchange for an Ultimate Attack, your character’s strongest ability that has the potential to do HUGE damage to the opposing team. Great for when you’re behind in a battle and need to shift the tide of battle, or when you’re dominating and want to put an exclamation point on your win, watching these animations, (and the resulting destruction,) is often rewarding.

As I mentioned, at first glance, each one of the 39 playable characters has similar combos and team attacks, making the core mechanics feel repetitive quick. What fixes this however, is that most characters have special properties that usually reflect their powers from their respective properties. For example, Goku and Vegeta can both charge up their second meter just as fast as their first, (as opposed to most of the cast’s meter gain slowing down after the first one is filled,) and once maxed, results in a Super Saiyan transformation. Naruto absorbs and stores his energy all at once, doubling his meter after risking precious seconds being completely vulnerable, can switch to Sage Mode, giving him the option to throw his Rasenshuriken, and gains a completely different move set during a Victory Burst with his Nine Tails Mode! Yusuke will revive in his demon form at no cost if KO’d during Victory Burst, but will immediately fall once it ends, while Seiya will sport his golden armor… The list goes on and on. So while the depth of the mechanics might not be all there, the special traits of each character still keep most of the cast varied, especially for fans who follow these Jump properties closely.

Then again, what good are the fighting mechanics if we don’t mention the modes? J-Stars has a variety of ways to put this fighting to the test, including Free Battle, Arcade, Victory Road, Online and J-Adventure Modes. Most of these are your standard fighting game affair, with Free Battle letting you fight against the CPU or your friends locally with custom conditions, Arcade, where you fight a series of enemies with increasing difficulty, (though this game’s version has a variety of tracks to take on set by how hard it is to at the start, much like Mortal Kombat), and Online, where you fight friends and strangers alike in this strange space we call the Internet. Just expect lag. And rage quitting. And no penalty for those who quit while those who stay get no reward. If you couldn’t tell, Online isn’t worth the trouble.

While these staple features are all well and good, most of the game’s unique single player content comes in the Victory Road and J-Adventures modes. In Victory Road, players will pick a team and take on themed battles against the CPU, where you’ll have to meet certain requirements during battle to earn a 100% clear rating on each fight. As you progress, the fights will continuously alter their settings and completion conditions, so it’s constantly asking you to approach battles differently. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t actually tell you what the challenge conditions are until AFTER the fight, so that bit of forced replayability will likely have completionists playing through each fight more than once.

J-Adventure on the other hand, starts off strong, but wears out its welcome for far too long. Choosing between one of four paths led by either Luffy, Naruto, Toriko or Ichigo, each story follows these characters as they navigate Jump World, a land where all these characters exist in the same universe. While attempting to assemble a team of fighters to win an upcoming tournament, each path leads to different partners, support characters, and missions to find on the world map. Using a ship to traverse the world, (which gains enhanced mobility as the story progresses,) players will earn precious currency to unlock new ship parts, characters, and J-Cards, items that can tweak the attributes of your team, while leveling up their fighters. Unfortunately, this is a case of too much of a good thing. Each story is so long that it’s unlikely that players will be able to get through one path, let alone all four. The camera is too close to your ship, often leading to accidental battles against opposing ships in the environment, and with no way to back out of them once their triggered. What’s worse, is that once your main objective in the story mode is complete, a whole new plot point opens up, extending the game even farther when you’ll likely be tired of the adventure mode by then, kind of like certain Shonen Jump stories that drag on 500 chapters past what should have been their ending point. Even though I had fun playing J-Stars, the combat is too shallow to maintain interest for that long, especially when you’re forced to play as the same three characters for the majority of these adventure sections.

So is J-Stars the dream crossover that Playstation fans have been waiting for? Not exactly, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of fun to be had. Between the huge character roster, the unique abilities for each fighter, lots of goods to unlock and plenty of modes to use them in, fans of at least a few of these properties will surely enjoy picking their favorite manga fighter and pit them against an opposing team. Yet, the shallow core mechanics, the overly drawn out story mode that’s seemingly mimicking the 700+ chapter stories from the Shonen Jump books, poor online and artificially lengthened content is sure to be put off some people. If you’re an anime or manga fan, you’ll surely have a great time with J-Stars Victory Vs.+, but everyone else would do well to get their fighting fix somewhere else.

tl;dr:

+ A huge roster that will surely satisfy the Shonen Jump faithful.

+ Unique abilities for most of the cast, adding a feeling of authenticity to their portrayal.

+ A good amount of modes to play around with.

+ Tons of unlockables, including characters, ship parts, and customizable cards.

– The core mechanics are shallow, forcing most of the characters to feel identical from a basic combo standpoint.

– Story mode is far longer than it should be, failing to keep an already repetitive experience interesting for long.

– Some modes like Victory Road are artificially lengthened by withholding challenge requirements, while the rest of the modes don’t offer anything new.

-Online is a mess.

Final Score: 3/5

Geekscape Reviews ‘Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F’ (Possible Minor Spoilers!)

by Josh JacksonApril 12, 2015

*Note: While there won’t be any major plot reveals in this mostly spoiler free review, small details will be covered throughout the review. Read at your own risk!

In the years that I’ve been a Dragon Ball Z fan, it’s been really easy to get caught up in things like power levels and storyline hype. As time has passed, my memories of the classic anime series has shifted from the impressive power of villains like Majin Buu to a growing appreciation for what Frieza represented as a character. The self proclaimed emperor of the universe brought DBZ to a much darker place by serving as both the one responsible for the plight of the entire Saiyan race with his immense strength and the perfect antithesis to the eternally pure hearted Goku. Arrogant, powerful, and cruel, the only likable thing about the guy was that he was so much fun to root against! So to say I was thrilled when the follow up to Battle Of Gods would revolve around the revival of the iconic villain would be an understatement, but not without a few worries. Namely, how would Frieza be able to stand a chance after the main cast had grown so much since their time on Namek? Fortunately, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F does a mostly satisfying job of giving the villain the showing he deserves, with plenty of surprises to keep Akira Toriyama fans as a whole happy. However, it’s not without a few concessions to the established lore.

Resurrection F wouldn’t be much without an actual resurrection, which comes to pass thanks to Sorbet, who continues the trend of food based names. As a member of the famed Frieza Force who has taken over as its leader since the destruction of Namek, Sorbet and the remnants of the army have had to bide their time before being able to accomplish their true aim, the return of their leader. After tracking down some familiar faces on Earth who have accumulated six of the seven Dragon Balls, Sorbet intimidates them into giving up their wishes after uncovering the final ball, leading to the return of one of Goku’s greatest foes. Except… he’s revived in the same form as he was when he died. So… in pieces. After a trip to the regeneration pod and a bit of plot magic, Frieza is fully restored, and eager to pay Goku back for the humiliation caused by his defeat.

Golden Frieza shines in his battle against Goku. Get it?

Right off the bat, Resurrection F amps the audience up for what’s sure to be what promises to be an adrenaline filled rematch that revisits what I feel is the most iconic battle in franchise history, and it delivers on all fronts. Being able to watch Frieza be so unapologetically evil is just so much fun, whether he’s terrorizing his enemies, or abusing his henchmen. Even more impressive however, is how this fairly early enemy is made to seem like such a threat early on. Veering a bit into spoiler territory, the most impressive reveal of the entire film to me was when the catalyst for his much talked about Golden Frieza transformation is the result of him training for a mere four months. While not a big deal on its own, it’s mentioned that he was so naturally powerful, that he had never trained before this point. Sure, it’s a bit of a convenient plot point, but the fact that four months of training puts him at a level where he can go toe to toe with Goku, who has an additional decade plus of experience since their previous fight, helps explain where his characteristic overconfidence comes from.

Naturally, an antagonist is only as good as the protagonists he goes against, leading to the assembly of one of the most varied supporting casts in any DBZ movie. While most movies revolve around the Saiyans and their immense power, it was great to watch forgotten favorites like Tien, Krillin, and even Master Roshi, (who hasn’t had a significant battle since World’s Strongest), take on hundreds of foot soldiers in an incredible fight sequence against an entire army. Knowing that a common complaint of the series has been about how most of the cast has been pushed aside for Goku and Vegeta, you wouldn’t be able to tell in this film, since each gets a decent amount of time to shine. In fact, even a non Dragon Ball character gets a chance to show what he can do, but I won’t give away the surprise here.

Master Roshi with some much needed screen time.

Speaking of, the attention paid to the cast goes for both inside and outside of fights, since a few refreshing scenes show what life is like in the world outside of the fighting bubble. Despite some of these scenes dragging to the point that it slows down the movie a bit, it was great to see how normal society functions for those who aren’t shooting energy out of their hands. I mean, Krillin has a job! Doesn’t get any more real that that.

But despite each character getting their moment in the spotlight, the focus eventually shifts back to Goku, who remains as simple minded and kind as always. Picking up after Battle Of Gods, him and Vegeta have spent the last few years training with Beerus, the God of Destruction, and his handler, Whis, in order to master the Super Saiyan God form. At this point, it’s expected. I mean, when are Goku and Vegeta NOT training? But get this… Is it possible that these two actually get some character development from Whis’ guidance? When the inevitable battle on Earth takes place, Goku’s usual demeanor won’t cut it, leading to some shocking developments that force him to change the way he approaches his enemies. Will it stick? Probably not. But it was an interesting development to experience as a longtime fan, especially when anime movies have the reputation of being mostly irrelevant to the overall story.

Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan? Or is it Super Super Sayian God? Super Duper Saiyan?

Sure, this all sounds super serious, but I’m happy to say that in between all the doom and gloom surrounding revenge plots and threats of planetary destruction lies a strong sense of humor that was more often found in the original Dragon Ball series compared to Z. If Battle Of Gods had one flaw, it was that it was too silly, leaving some fans dissatisfied with the amount of action that came with the final fight. While I might have been afraid of a knee jerk reaction to eliminate all humor going in to Resurrection F, I was pleasantly surprised to see every character, from top to bottom, delivering laugh out loud moments even during the fights. And yes, even Frieza gets to have a few lighthearted moments. Just one thing though, Toriyama really needs to drop his pink, swirly poop obsession.

It might be impossible to put together all these plot pieces without creating a few continuity issues. All things considered, this film does an amazing job of re-establishing old characters into a post Majin Buu world. Yet, the film’s biggest flaw lies with ignoring previous established rules that ended up being ignored. Why can Goku turn into a Super Saiyan God without the help of other pure hearted Saiyans? Why is Gohan degrading in power even more than before? Why does he even need to go Super Saiyan when Mystic Gohan was supposed to be his stronger, permanent form? Why is Frieza’s version of Hell, (which is hysterical, by the way,) so different from the established Hell he was in at the end of the Majin Buu saga? And on that note, while I appreciate addressing Majin Buu at all, why does Frieza act like he didn’t know Buu was awakened when he was watching Goku fight him?

Considering that these small nitpicks are the worst the movie offered, it shows how solid of a film Resurrection F truly is. Acting as a crowd pleasing film that satisfies on all levels, and what we get is one of the most well rounded films in the DBZ catalog. Dare I say, though I might need the hype to die down a little to say for sure, as of now, I feel like F is a strong contender for best movie in the entire franchise! Featuring a more varied cast, a great sense of humor, incredible fight scenes and a surprising ending, F is a can’t miss experience for any DBZ fan. And honestly, who isn’t?

tl;dr:

+ Solid writing that manages to create believable scenarios, character growth and endless excitement.

+ Gorgeous animation that isn’t reliant on 3D animation.

+ Manages to find a near perfect balance of humor vs. action.

+ Satisfying scenes that find ways to surprise while making every character feel important.

– Inconsistencies with the established canon is bothersome.

– Middle portions of the movie drag a bit.

– Toriyama’s strange poop obsession.

Final score: 4.5/5

Kari’s Anime Corner: ‘Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods’

by Kari LaneJuly 8, 2014

It is hard to believe that it has been 17 years since release of the last Dragon Ball feature film! If you had cable in the early to mid 90s you probably have seen some Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z or at least heard the phrase “Next time on Dragon Ball Z!” Fans can rejoice because this new film, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, is an original work by Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama!

Following the events from the internationally renowned animated television series, Dragon Ball Z, after the defeat of Majin Buu, a new power awakens and threatens humanity. Beerus, an ancient and powerful God of Destruction, searches for Goku after hearing rumors of the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to their home planet, the Z-fighters must find a way to stop him before it’s too late.

The film is super funny and, as one would expect, it has some awesome action scenes! They did an excellent job of making a film that anyone can enjoy regardless of how much of the TV show/films one has seen. There are inside jokes for those who know the series well but many of those jokes are explained without being bothersome to the veteran viewers. I only watched some of the show as a kid but I never felt lost while watching the film. It was nice to see old characters again and the film did a good job of capturing the feel of the TV show. The animation is sharp with vivid colors while still retaining the look of the original material.

I was able to speak with Kyle Hebert (best known as the English DBZ narrator) and asked him about his experience working on the new film.

It’s been amazing to get to return to characters I first voiced well over a decade ago, with brand new adventures. Dragon Ball is where my career began so it will always be special to me.

If you are looking for an anime with lots of action and humor or if you have ever seen any Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z, then you will definitely want to check out Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods!

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods hits theaters nationwide on Tuesday, Aug 5, 2014. For more details about the US theatrical release, visit www.dragonballz.com

‘Dragon Ball Z: Rock the Dragon Edition’ Brings Back Original Dub

by Josh JacksonJune 4, 2013

Funimation is going to run out of ways to re-release Dragon Ball Z eventually, right? I mean first there were the individual DVDs, then there were the box sets… Multiple remasters, HD collections and abridged versions that shaved the series down to a mere 98 episodes, there’s apparently one more way to repackage the anime classic. As it turns out, the latest release will recapture many of our first experiences with Goku and friends.

The Dragon Ball Z: Rock the Dragon Edition box set brings together 53 episodes and three movies from the original Ocean Group voice actors that were commissioned to dub the series in the early days before DBZ became a phenomenon. Bringing us classic lines like the infamous “Over 9000!” scene, the short time that the Vancouver group acted out the series has left a big impression on anime fans, many of which can be found scouring YouTube pages saying how much they miss it.

Well, miss it no more. The Rock the Dragon Edition will release on August 20th for $99.98 and includes a ton of goodies. Check out the press release below!

The original broadcast version of DBZ!

The last survivors of a cruel, warrior race, the Saiyans have carved a path of destruction across the galaxy, and now they have set their sights on Earth! They will stop at nothing until they have the wish-granting powers of the seven magic Dragon Balls for their very own.

With the fate of his family, friends, and the entire human race hanging in the balance, Goku, the Earths greatest hero, must rise to meet the approaching threat. As he prepares for the fight of his life, Goku embarks on an epic journey that will take him to other worlds, pit him against new and old enemies alike, and force him to confront the dark secrets of his own past. At the end of this path, the most powerful opponent he has ever faced awaits: the evil Saiyan Prince Vegeta!

This collector’s edition features the original Canadian voice cast and opening theme song, “Rock the Dragon”!

Contains episodes 1-53 plus movies 1-3 (Dead Zone, The World’s Strongest, and Tree of Might) and a hardbound, full-color 48-page book which showcases the characters, history, and tropes that helped elevate Dragon Ball Z to the pop culture phenomenon it is today.

What does the scouter say about your hype levels? I haven’t bought a DBZ DVD in over a decade, but with all the content and extras included in this box, that might have to change come August.

Source: kanzenshuu.com