Just yesterday, Funimation announced that they would be licensing the popular web series Dragonball Z Abridged. The series reuses footage from it’s namesake, which is already licensed by Funimation, and inserts pop culture references under the disguise of actual jokes. The first box set is set for release this December, and will contain the first 13 five to ten minute episodes. The box set will be priced at $60, which many will agree is definitely a reasonable amount to be charging for a DVD set with no extras.

Abridged series creators Team Four Star were quick to dispel any concerns of their fans. After the announcement the group tweeted, “This new deal will in no way affect the quality of our series, TFS has not ‘sold out’. In unrelated news, be on the lookout for Psycho-Pass Season 1 on DVD and Blu Ray this September. And don’t forget to subscribe to Funimation’s simulcasts, disable ad-block on their site, and keep sending them your monthly tribute!”

Funimation’s newsletter indicated that if the first Abridged Box Set sold well, it may open up new opportunities to other abridged series. “It’s so much easier to licence a short gag video on YouTube than dubbing hundreds of bland shounen episodes. All the work has already been done for us, it’s even easier than buying up fansubs!”

The company also announced that they will now be abridging new episodes of Dragonball Super, mere hours after they air in Japan. Many Anime reviewers and bloggers speculate that cutting out up to twenty minutes of a Dragonball Super episode can only have positive effects, making the series actually more watchable than it was before.

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