Dragon Ball hits 10

Anime is where most of the “hot” kids' entertainment properties come from and Japan has more than enough to send over to the United States. Deciding what to bring over from the Land of the Rising Sun can be a daunting task.

“My uncle was in the anime business in Japan and it gave me access to research properties and to see what was available. What I came across was the Dragon Ball franchise and it was one of those things where you just know a great thing when you see it,” says Gen Fukunaga, president of FUNimation Productions, Fort Worth, Texas.

It was this decision that brought Dragon Ball to the United States in '96 and it has become a staple on the Cartoon Network lineup ever since.

The real strength behind DBZ's success has been the storylines, characters, and having just about every type of emotion a cartoon can have—from comedy and action to tragedy and romance. Having strong licensing partnerships with Atari, SCORE Entertainment, JAKKS Pcific, ODM and others helps sustain the brand and drive its strength, too, Fukunaga adds.

The Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Uncut Special Edition releases consist of the first 63 episodes of the Dragon Ball Z saga. The voices will be re-recorded and the episodes will re-launch in April '05. These episodes were originally only released in their edited-for-TV form, making this the first time these episodes will be available uncut in the United States. There are more than 110 SKUs of DVDS for the Dragon Ball franchise.

DBZ also enjoys a wide success on the various video game consoles. In March of 2005 Atari, New York, will be releasing Dragon Ball Z Sagas. It is the first action-adventure title with role-playing game elements to cover the major plot points in the animated series, from the Saiyan Saga through the Cell Games Saga. DBZ, however, isn't the only kids' anime property to last beyond a few seasons.

MegaMan from ShoPro Entertainment, San Francisco, was first released as a game on Nintendo's home console entertainment system (NES) in 1987 and has been around in some game, cartoon, trading card or comic book format ever since.

The most current is MegaMan NT Warrior, out now on DVD and airing Saturdays on the Kids' WB. There are currently 108 episodes of the show and several new video games based on the TV episodes and characters.

Both companies offer standees, counter displays, sales kits and posters to help boutique merchandise in a store. And there are far more than just DVDs and video games in the DBZ and MegaMan merchandise stables.

There is some type of merchandise for every store type, price point and nearly every category. Everything from books, school supplies and backpacks to toys, playsets, and vehicles and all types of apparel are available. DBZ and MegaMan are two of the anime brands leading the way in the new cartoon revolution.