The amount of work that Funimation has done in making these Dragonball Z episodes into a sharp and vibrant release is absolutely amazing. The collection comprises 40 episodes of the show, with full story arcs from episodes 251 to 291. This set comprises two distinct story arcs – the Kid Buu Saga and the Fusion Saga, while containing enough ancillary twists and turns during these stories to keep viewers at the edge of their seats. Enclosed alongside the DVDs is a booklet containing bits of back story and other information about the episodes captured here. One has to remember that the original airing of these episodes is over 15 years ago; there are specific mentions and other sides to the context that viewers simply will not have, unless they were in Japan during that period of time.
Saying that, Dragon Ball Z is one of the few shows that got stronger over time. The writers, designers, and everyone else associated with the show just feels “on” with each episode. The storylines blend perfectly ancient lore with a future/alternative planet feeling, tying in dialogue and fight-heavy episodes. The cast here is sufficiently large to make for different feeling episodes, while sticking with the same few main characters. Familiarity breeds complacency, but I believe this to be false with the episodes on Dragon Box Seven.
Make sure to pick up Dragon Box Seven ($32 at a number of online retailers) whenever you can; strong sales of this release will give Funimation the urging that they need to begin to release the different box sets for Dragon Ball GT and the original Dragon Ball. For those individuals that are fans of Dragon Ball Z, I would have to say that this may be a focal holiday or birthday gift.
Rating: 8.6/10
Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Box Seven (DVD Set) / 2011 Funimation / 1025 Minutes / http://www.funimation.com