It's not often that I receive something here at “;Cel Shaded”; Central that's technically obsolete the moment it hits my desk.

But that's what happened Thursday when I received what's become a rather steady stream of anime screeners from Funimation. One of the included sets was the second “;Dragon Box,”; the latest reissued edition of the popular “;Dragon Ball Z”; series. It's a gorgeous DVD set with 42 remastered episodes and a spiffy-looking 48-page hardcover art book packed in a sturdy yellow box.

It's just that with the announcement last Tuesday that Funimation had picked up the license for “;Dragon Ball Z Kai,”; the publisher virtually assured that once fans finish collecting these lovely “;Dragon Boxes,”; they'll go back and buy the same series all over again.

To be fair, “;DBZ Kai”; isn't exactly the same series that American fans have known for close to 14 years now. The series, which aired in Japan last year to commemorate “;Dragon Ball Z's”; 20th anniversary there, has new opening and ending sequences and a new soundtrack.

“;DBZ Kai”; is also a more streamlined version of the story that follows the pacing of Akira Toriyama's original manga more closely. So where it may have taken main character Goku 10 episodes to throw a punch (and perhaps another 10 for his opponent to dodge it and counter with an attack of his own), it now might take only one or two episodes.

Further details, including a cast for the English dub, the format in which the series will be released and how much everything will cost, have yet to be released. I can guarantee this, though: Unless Toei Animation pulls the license for the “;Dragon Ball Z”; franchise from the U.S. — as it did in the early 2000s with “;Sailor Moon”; — this probably won't be the last time we see the series reworked and reissued.

Last call for 'Gordon Rider' art

With a Sunday deadline fast approaching, it's time for a friendly reminder to aspiring artists that you have only a few more days to submit art for Jon J. Murakami's “;Gordon Rider”; sketchbook and fan art book.

Chatting with Murakami (who also draws this newspaper's “;Calabash”; comic strip) recently, it seems that a good number of you have already sent in pieces depicting the hapless superhero. Really nice pieces, in fact; Murakami says he's impressed.

However, there have been a few pieces featuring copyrighted characters. Just remember: If you've seen a character outside of the “;Gordon Rider”; universe and it isn't your own creation, there's a good chance there's a copyright on it. So please, shelve any thoughts of that picture of Gordon Rider fighting Goku.

For more information on how to enter, visit the recently launched home of “;Gordon Rider”; on the Web.

In Sunday's 'Drawn & Quartered'

Also coming up on Sunday is Valentine's Day. A few days later, next Tuesday, “;Halo Legends,”; a collection of seven anime stories based on the popular video game, comes out on DVD and Blu-ray. So for Valentine's Day, join tag-team partner in fandom Wilma Jandoc (in her return to “;Drawn & Quartered,”; yay!) as she looks at “;Halo Legends.”;

Because nothing says lovin' like a bunch of guys in armored suits battling an alien alliance intent on eradicating humanity.

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Jason S. Yadao is the author of Rough Guides' “;The Rough Guide to Manga,”; now available. For more anime and manga news and commentary, check out “;Otaku Ohana”; at blogs.starbulletin.com/otakuohana. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jsyadao or e-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).