Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Dragon Ball Super – Part 5 (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray Disc Review)

Goku and Vegeta accompany Future Trunks to his storyline to take on a new enemy… Goku Black! Another awesome “Dragon Ball Super” Blu-ray release that I definitely recommend!

TITLE: Dragon Ball Super – Part 5

DURATION: (Episodes 53-65) 325 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16×9), English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV PG

Release Date: October 2, 2018

Originally created by Akira Toriyama

Directed by Kimitoshi Chioka

Script by Atsuhiro Tomioka

Produced by Kazuya Watanabe, Kohei Obara, Kyotaro Kimura, Makoto Seino

Character Design by Tadayoshi Yamamuro

Music by Norihito Sumitomo

Art Design by Shinzo Yuki

Anime Production: Toei Animation

Featuring the following voice talent:

Masako Nozawa/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Son Gohan

Masako Nozawa/Sean Schemmel as Son Goku

Hikaru Midorikawa/John Burgmeier as Tenshinhan (Tien)

Hiromi Tsuru/Monica Rial as Bulma

Masaharu Satou/Mike McFarland as Kame-sennin

Mayumi Tanaka/Sonny Strait as Krillin (Kuririn)

Naoki Tatsuta/Brad Jackson as Oolong

Naoko Watanabe/Cynthia Cranz as Chi-Chi

Ryo Horikawa/Christopher R. Sabat as Vegeta

Brina Palencia as Chiaotzu/Puar

Tohru Furuya/Christopher R. Sabat as Yamcha

Toshio Furukawa/Christopher R. Sabat as Piccolo

Ayano Hirano/Justin Cook as Dende

Eiji Hanawa as Jiren

Eiko Yamada/Carmen Smith as Mai

Kouichi Yamadera/Jason Douglas as Beerus

Kozo Shioya as Majin Buu

Masakazu Morita/Ian Sinclair as Whis

Miki Itou as Cyborg #18

Mitsuo Iwata as Champa

Takeshi Kusao/Alexis Tipton as Trunks

Following their first encounter with Goku Black, the Saiyan trio are itching to dish out some payback! It’s a mystery as to why Black has a Time Ring, so it’s off to the Tenth Universe for a discussion with the Supreme Kai and his suspiciously well-mannered apprentice. With everyone’s lives on the line, the Z Fighters must face the problem head-on or try to alter the timeline at the source!

Just when you think that Goku, Vegeta and the group can get some needed rest and then get some training done, Future Trunks arrives as his world is being destroyed by an evil Goku known as Goku Black! Is there a connection between Goku and Goku Black?

Find out in “Dragon Ball Super” Part 5 now available on Blu-ray and DVD!

What is “Dragon Ball Super” about?

With the completion of the hugely popular anime series “Dragon Ball Z”, while a new story was created titled “Dragon Ball GT” (1996-1997) and not based on Toriyama Akira’s previous work, Toriyama would return to create an overall plot outline for a new series titled “Dragon Ball Super” produced by Toei Animation.

The series is considered as the true sequel to “Dragon Ball Z” and would take place four years after the DBZ storyline.

The series began airing in Japan on July 2015 and concluded on March 2018 with a total of 131 episodes having aired. Funimation is releasing part 5 which consists of episodes 53-65 which focuses on the Goku Black Arc.

In this future we learn that Future Mai is the leader of Earth’s resistance movement against Goku Black defending the survivors of humanity. Goku Black’s intention is to eliminate all humans who are seen as inferior.

As Future Trunks time travels to timeline to get some assistance from Goku and Vegeta, Goku goes with Beerus and Whis to find out who Goku Black may be.

As the three arrive on Universe Ten’s Sacred World of the Kais, they meet the Supreme Kai known as Zamasu, who is an apprentice Supreme Kai of Gowasu (Zamasu’s master).

While Gowasu is a kind-hearted Supreme Kai, Zamasu despise mortals who are “inferior” and can’t stand to watch inferior beings in planets fight against each other and would rather exterminate them. But his master Gowasu tries to calm those tensions in hopes that Zamasu can eradicate those emotions.

While Beerus and Whis realize the energy may becoming from Zamasu, when Zamasu takes on Goku for a sparring match, the cocky Zamasu is shocked to learn that he is no match for Goku.

Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta accompany Future Trunks back to his timeline. What will they discover?

VIDEO:

“Dragon Ball Super” is created in 1080p High Definition (16×9 HD Native). The episodes are colorful and absolutely vibrant. Great detail with character designs and wonderful animation for fight scenes. I saw no major softness, banding issues or artifacts during my viewing of the series.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Dragon Ball Super” features a wonderful soundtrack on Blu-ray. The series is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English) and Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (Japanese). Featuring the return of the original Dragon Ball Japanese and also English voice dub talent, the quality of the series voice acting continues with this newer series.

Because the English is mixed and utilizes more channels, there is a dramatic difference in sound, although for those with a modern receiver and have a solid 5.1 or 7.2 setup, can easily switch their receiver to stereo on all channels for the Japanese soundtrack for a more immersive soundscape.

There are online stores showing that the Japanese is Dolby Digital 2.0 but this is incorrect, it is indeed a lossless Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 soundtrack. And both soundtracks sound great!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Dragon Ball Super – Part 5” comes with the following special features:

Coffee Break with Mai and Trunks – (13:19) Featuring a featurette with Mai and Trunks English dub voice actors Colleen Clinkenbeard and Eric Vale.
Textless Opening Songs
Textless Closing Songs
Trailers – Trailers for upcoming or currently available titles from FUNimation.

EXTRAS:

“Dragon Ball Super” Part 5 comes with the Blu-ray and DVD of episodes 53-65.

I grew up watching “Dragon Ball” and “Dragon Ball Z” (as well as “Dragon Ball GT”) and at the time, I was a college student watching these episodes in straight Japanese until over a decade later, they were released on DVD and eventually on Blu-ray courtesy of Funimation.

I played the Japanese video games and always purchased the Japanese animation magazines every month back when Tower Records existed in the US.

So growing up with the anime series and now as an adult with a teenage child who watches “Dragon Ball”, it’s a bit of a surreal feeling that the storyline of Goku and friends are continuing for a new generation of anime fans but also entertaining both young and old.

A series taking place not long after Goku defeated Majin Buu, I liked how the new anime series are now more condensed in storyline arcs. Where battles would last for months (many, many episodes long), I liked how there were only 14 seasons in season one and completed the fight between Goku vs. Beerus and I think any fan couldn’t help but be happy to see Goku’s powers evolve.

And with this part 5, we get a fascinating storyline involving Future Trunks.

This brought back memories of the “Dragon Ball Z” Special in which Future Trunks and a one-armed Gohan took on the Androids. It was a story that no one could predict but it was no doubt exciting when I first watched it and now here we are with another future storyline involving an evil Goku, Goku Black, literally destroying the world of Future Trunks and trying to eradicate all humans.

Just when you think things would get better in Future Trunks’ world after the androids, it’s one conflict after another and this one is quite bleak.

But what happens when Future Trunks brings back Goku and Vegeta who have since managed to achieve Super Saiyan Level 4? Can they beat Goku Black?

Needless to say, this is an action-packed arc that will continue into Part 6. But I will say that this storyline is quite exciting, action-packed and I like the fact that it’s not stretched out too long like the “Dragon Ball Z” arcs.

Another awesome “Dragon Ball Super” Blu-ray release that I definitely recommend!

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