Dragon Ball Season 4
(Funimation, 720 minutes)
http://www.funimation.com/dragonball/
When people think of anime, three series usually come to mind; Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball, the latter of which being considered the most iconic. The series has achieved an unparalleled level of popularity that it has become standard viewing for anime fans, casual and hardcore alike. The series has certainly left its imprint on the US with countless releases that span from the original Dragon Ball to its predecessor Dragon Ball Z to the controversial and ill liked Dragon Ball GT. Twenty years later and the show about a little alien boy named Goku, originally sent to conquer the Earth only to become its greatest protector, is only now being released in complete season sets.
The previous box set gave us a the final moments of Goku’s struggle against the “Red Ribbon Army”, a militaristic organization bent on global conquest, as well as his battles against numerous supernatural foes as per the challenge of a fortune teller named Baba. From there, Goku and company once again entered into the “World Martial Arts Tournament” where they discovered new and powerful foes waiting to challenge them. Season 4 picks up in the middle of the tournament as Goku is forced to confront his toughest opponent yet, the three-eyed Tien shinhan.
When the two finally meet in the center of the stage, an explosive battle erupts that over shadows everything that has come before, as both combatants try out new techniques and out maneuver one another to gain the advantage. While one of the fighters comes up short, the tournament leads directly into the next arc where the story really starts to get going.
When the others discover Krillin murdered, they are shocked to find out that it was at the hands of King Piccolo, a demon king that ravaged the Earth several years prior, having now been freed once more. His goal is to collect the Dragon Balls in order to regain his youth, sending his demon minions after the strongest martial artists who might one day challenge him. Of course this puts him in direct conflict with Goku, setting the stage for several battles with his followers.
From a quality standpoint, the fourth season is far and away the superior grouping of episodes. From the story to the action, everything screams epic. It also helps that Funimation has gone back and digitally restored the series, supplying fans with a pleasing transfer.
Extras are once again minimal, sporting a marathon play feature that allows the viewer to watch the entire series as a whole, eliminating opening and closing credits. There is also a nifty booklet that gives us character bios and episode summaries.
If you’re already a fan of Dragon Ball then you know this set is essential viewing. At over thirty episodes a set, Funimation is really giving the fans a bargain, making it easier than ever to discover the magic of Akira Toriyama’s classic series.
Dragon Ball Season 4 - A
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