The only thing Funi could do at this point to make themselves redeemable is to reproduce their DBZ level box sets at the OG 4:3 aspect ratio and complete the 4:3 remasters from start to finish. The widescreen shit was just a garbage marketing move and nothing more. I refuse to believe the common DBZ fan doesn't want to watch the most profitable animu ever made in its actual aspect ratio and it's the whole reason I haven't touched their blu ray discs. The fullscreen editions didn't sell because they didn't advertise, simple as that. Fuck your 'theatrical experience'.
The abject amount of money to be made from that would literally be their one redeeming moment to Toei. I would scoop up a 4:3 blu ray remastered DBZ box set in a heartbeat, bonus points if I can customize the audio setup with different soundtrack options.
Oh and blu ray remasters of Dragon Ball, that would help. Package both of them as part of the same box set.
Don't tell me they can't fucking do it either.
Oh shit, they are doing it.
There is one thing that does piss me off about this project though, apparently they're actually cropping the raw footage to force it into a 4:3 ratio rather than just centering the raw footage. I would much prefer to see the whole work print than another crop job, especially considering that in all the examples they gave of the intended blank space, there is no missing background or foreground art.
This new crop job is just another way they can extend their own shelf life as the distributors of DBZ by making tip toed steps toward a finalized home video product, and the fact they'd deny paying customers footage by such a petty margin pisses me off all over again. Just give me the whole fucking frame already, I don't care if it's got rounded corners.
For comparison.
I guess you could make the argument that they are treating it with real care by making sure you're getting as much as possible without the scope look, but also look at how much footage is lost in service of creating the high definition image. Getting rid of the film grain as shown on the right is still a must, however. If we can have the best of both worlds meet, that would be perfect.
Still no DB on blu ray. Get to it, Funibitch.
