Funimation has announced that it has licensed Dragon Ball Kai, the new version of Dragon Ball Z now airing in Japan on Fuji TV. Kai is a cut of the show touched up for HD, with some redrawn scenes and filler removed for a smoother pace that resembles Akira Toriyama’s manga. A new musical score has been composed by Kenji Yamamoto, known for his work on Dragon Ball Z video games like the Budoukai series, Burst Limit, Infinite World, and Raging Blast. Most of the original Japanese cast, including Masako Nozawa (Son Goku/Gohan/Goten), Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta), Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo) have returned to their original roles, but some roles have been recast, such as Aya Hirano as Dende.
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Dragon Ball Kai – Episode 35 Review
Episode 35,"A Great Turnabout For Goku?! Super Shenlong, Come Out Right Now!", or "Mondo Cool!"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Vegeta attacks Ginyu, who is in Goku’s body, damaging him with his great power. Ginyu plans to switch bodies with Vegeta, however, waiting for his opportunity. Goku manages to get between Ginyu and Vegeta, regaining his original body, but Ginyu still intends to switch with Vegeta. However, as he begins to switch, Goku throws a frog in between Ginyu and Vegeta, and Ginyu ends up in the frog’s body. With the battle over, Vegeta offers Goku a chance to regain his healthy in one Freeza’s regeneration tanks. Gohan and Kuririn change outfits, getting smaller versions of Vegeta’s previous armor (Vegeta having taken an older model to replace his damaged one earlier). Nail reveals to Freeza that he’s just been distracting him, and angry, Freeza flies off towards his ship. While Vegeta naps, Kuririn goes off to find Dende and get the password for the Dragon Balls. Kuririn meets up with Dende. Gohan, Kuririn, and Dende take the Dragon Balls to an island closeby. Dende summons the dragon, which is huge.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 41 Review
Episode 41, "Hell"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Miles plans to kill Kimbley and his subordinates, but Edward is reluctant to take lives. Scar, Marcoh, and Mei try to decipher some of Scar’s brother’s notes. Later, they find Alphonse sticking out of the snow. After digging him up, he warns them about Central soldiers at Briggs. Scar tells them they can hide in a nearby Ishbalan refugee camp. Edward confronts Kimbley, who has figured out what Miles is up to. He uses his alchemy to evade the sniper, and his subordinates, who are chimera, attack Ed. Ed uses alchemy to disable them via their sense of smell and again confronts Kimbley, hitting the Philosopher’s Stone out of his hand. However, Kimbley has another stone in his mouth and uses it to destroy the mining tower, bringing it down on Ed and the chimera. Edward comes to with a giant metal pipe sticking out of him. With the help of the chimeras, he uses alchemy to remove it and heal himself, losing consiousness from exhaustion. The chimeras, feeling betrayed by Kimbley, decide to take him to safety.
New Gundam Unicorn Trailer
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 40 Review
Episode 40, "Homunculus"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Olivier Armstrong arrives at Central, where she is questioned by Fuhrer King Bradley about General Raven. She requests Raven’s position, and it amuses Bradley, who agrees to give it to her. Riza passes along information to Roy about Selim being a homunculus. Meanwhile, Father sleeps below Central and a flashback begins to the days of Xerxes. Hohenheim was once a slave who became an alchemy apprentice thanks to the help of a homunculus living in a flask in his master’s posession. The king of Xerxes requests from the homunculus the secret to immortality, which comes at the price of many lives. An alchemy array is constructed around the country so that the king can obtain immortality, but the homunculus has tricked him and it is Hohenheim and himself that end up at the center of the circle when it activates. The result is the death of all of Xerxes’ citizens, save for Hohenheim, and the transfer of those lives into the homunculi and Hohenheim. The homunculus decided to take the same form as Hohenheim, thus their similar appearance. In the present, Hohenheim meets with Izumi and Sig, and rearranges her internal organs to help her health, admitting to them that he is a Philosopher’s Stone in human form.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Simple People OVA
OVA, "Simple People"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: His automail arm damaged, Edward decides to go back to Risembool to have Winry repair it. He and Al decide to buy Winry earrings to calm her expected anger over Ed damaging the arm. This ends up working well. Sometime later, Edward fights a man with blades and his automail gets damaged again, so he decides to buy Winry more earrings. Ed asks Winry why she got her ears pierced, and she says it’s because she noticed Riza Hawkeye’s pierced ears on the day Ed decided to work for the military. Edward chides her for repeatedly piercing her ears just to wear all her earrings at once. In Central, Riza Hawkeye has grown her hair because of Winry. Her friend Rebecca comments on what a simple reason it is, and she says that people do things for simple reasons.
R.I.P., Daisuke Gôri
You will be missed.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 39 Review
Episode 39, "Daydream"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Edward prevents Kimbley from going at Scar, who has Winry captive. In a flashback, Winry confronts Scar about his killing her parents and he tells her he has the right to kill her. Instead, she bandages a bleeding wound of his, and while she says she won’t forgive him, she does it because it’s a life her parents saved. Scar asks Miles why he works for a country that hates him, and he says it’s to change their attitude towards Ishbalans from within. After much discussion, the group come up with a plan to get Winry out of the clutches of the homunculi and Central by faking a kidnapping by Scar, who agrees to cooperate. Winry, Yoki, the chimera (who desire to get their original bodies back), Marcoh, Mei, and Scar seperate from the Elrics and Miles. In the present, Miles discovers that the Briggs base has been taken over by Central soldiers. Alphonse goes out to inform them, but in the snow storm, sees a vision of his body and is concerned about his future.