Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Animé and Toons
Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
By Chris Zimmerman
January 14, 2011 - 11:06

ISBN: 1-4210-2090-4
$14.98 US
Starring: Colleen Clinkenbeard, Christopher Sabat
Directed by: Michael Donovan
Produced by: Toei Animation
Running Time: 50 minutes
Release Date: December 28, 2010
Distributors: Funimation Entertainment

Despite ending in 1996, the Dragon Ball franchise is as strong as ever. Every week, it seems as though there is a new release every week touting some sort of digital restoration or new voice work or just a complete overhaul of the product. Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies falls in line with the latter, with a new story, somewhat cleaner look, and new voice work.

The film has the unique distinction of being the first film in the franchise’s history. Another interesting note is the film’s approach. Unlike most anime films based on popular series, the story isn’t an extended filler episode but rather a retelling of the Dragon Ball crew’s first adventure with a few alterations. While the same story beats ring true, such as Goku’s meeting with Bulma and Yamcha, the circumstances are switched out in favor of a much more streamlined story better suited for a movie.

Those familiar with the series will not the elimination of the original antagonist, Pilaf, replaced instead with the much more formidable Gurumes. He is malevolent dictator cursed with an insatiable hunger. While he desires the artifact known as the Blood Ruby, he learns of the Dragon Ball’s abilities to grant any wish and thus begins hunting them as well.

Flash to Goku, a naïve monkey-tailed boy who runs into Bulma and learns of the Dragon Balls. The two join forces in a quest to capture the Dragon Balls and battle Gurumes after an encounter with his henchmen. From there, it’s the usual fare, with the pair running afoul of the desert thief Yamcha, Master Roshi, Oolong and the rest of the crew on an adventure spliced with equal parts action and comedy.

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies is presented on DVD in its original full frame aspect ratio. There are no extras here aside from trailers for other releases. This is especially odd considering the franchise’s significance to Funimation, whose past revenue has come by of their Dragon Ball DVD’s.

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies is an enjoyable little diversion from what most might be familiar with. The film does a fine job of packing in multiple episode’s worth of story into a relatively short runtime and adding a new story to boot. For Dragon Ball fans, it’s worth checking out, but those entrenched in the original mythos of the series might find the new story elements jarring. Still, new comers will find the film to be a fine jumping on point.

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