Dragonball Z Movie: Fusion Reborn
Old Man Kangaroo
It’s rare for the actual content of a Dragonball dvd to be eclipsed by the additional material. However, on the recent Dragonball Z: Fusion Reborn release Funimation has included an announcement of a new Funimation Channel. Now before you drool all over your keyboard, causing a short that ends up frying your whole computer, anime fans should keep in mind that the nascent network has only been picked up by a few cable services. However, the public demand for anime might just create enough pressure for the big cable and satellite providers to jump onboard and bring 24 hour a day anime programming to a national level.
Like most Dragonball movies, the plot of Fusion Reborn is a good deal more rushed than the series episodes. The movie begins after the Buu Saga and finds both Goku and Vegeta dead. Goku is representing King Kai in another Otherworld tournament and facing Pikon again in the final round. Vegeta has ended up in Hell for… well, it’s a long list.
Meanwhile, an accident at King Yama’s has caused thousands of years of evil energy cleansed from souls to be released, turning a worker into a monster named Jamempa. Yama and the check in station are sealed within a barrier while Jamempa uses his powers to alter Otherworld and remove the barrier between the land of the living and the land of the dead.
Goku and Pikon go to see what the trouble is and the battling soon ensues. Eventually, Vegeta shows up, having been released from Hell by the warping of Otherworld. On earth ghosts and zombies are roaming the streets. Frieza makes an appearance to be soundly whipped by Gohan (who doesn’t even have to turn Super Saiyan). Trunks and Goten, on the other hand, battle Hitler and his army of zombies. Yes Hitler, and the zombies have tanks.
Fusion Reborn has pretty much what you would expect from a Dragonball movie. There are big, satisfying explosions, and amount of humor, and, of course, fusion. However, due to the warping of reality caused by Jamempa, Fusion Reborn has some of the most interesting artwork I’ve seen in the Dragonball series. Even the credits are unusual with impressionistic pictures of the Dragonball characters.
Entertainment: 9
The normal Dragonball fare is buttressed with some top notch artwork, plus Hitler’s army or Nazi zombies.
Technical: 8.5
The dvd is a little low on extras compared with the Ultimate Uncut Special Edition releases but has the standard set.
Overall: 9
Fusion Reborn has interesting artwork, some good fights, and a touch of humor. The extras are a little thin but not worth worrying about.
Extras: Character Profiles, Trailers (Dragonball Z Trading Card Game, Dragonball Z, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Mr. Stain on Junk Alley, Z Store)
