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Dragon Ball Super CG Fusion World has always been on my radar, but as a collector of some of the best card games they never stood out enough to find their way into one of many binders - that was, until I feasted my eyes on the Manga Booster 01 release.
Launched just last month on June 27 (June 28 in Japan), the latest Fusion World set harkens back to the classic original manga by legend Akira Toriyama. Even common cards are breathtakingly beautiful, as every single card in this set is a foil version and features intricate reprinted renditions of the famous manga art.
Grabbing a $171.99 MSRP (£143.76 here in the UK) booster box didn't come cheap, but that was to be expected with how unique these cards looked compared to previous sets. What wasn't expected was just how badly they'd unlock the Dragon Ball fangirl within me, as it's only been days since launch, and I've already ordered another box.
Ever since Toonami graced my TV screen growing up, I've been a Dragon Ball fan. In the decades since, I've gone on to do everything from cosplaying from the series multiple times, to turning my living room into what is essentially a shrine to the classic shonen series.
This adoration for everything super Saiyan only heightened once I met my now-fiancé, who lives and breaths everything Akira Toriyama - which is why we had to get our hands on these new Fusion World cards.
Sure, buying not one, but two booster boxes has put a dent in our plans to pay off the mortgage, but I knew it was entirely worth it once we had them in our hands for the first time. One box entitles you to 24 packs in total, with 12 cards to a pack. In total, this entire set contains 5 leader cards, 37 commons, 32 uncommons, 25 rare cards, 10 super rare cards, 1 secret rare, and 21 energy maker cards.
Of course, like with any popular TCG, you aren't going to get every card in the set in one booster box. Instead, you have the chance to find 4 leader cards, 2 alt art cards, 2 energy markers, and 12 SR cards if you care about your rarities.
Luck was on my side when I opened up the first box with my fiancé, but to be honest, the cards are that gorgeous that every single one gave me a rush of anime-fueled serotonin. From that one box, we managed to pull everything from a gold foil energy marker card, featuring Kid Goku taken from the manga while he's standing on a green car, to the alt art version of the Son Goku card, where he's riding on the back of a dinosaur.
One of the best from the bunch was undoubtedly the card featuring the ending panel from the manga, which even has a tiny version of Akira Toriyama's signature to the side. Of all of them, any card featuring Bulma, especially with her original purple hair, stood out to me the most, but the wedding Goku and Chi Chi card was an extra thrill to pull, especially as the art is already featured elsewhere in our Dragon Ball-themed figure cabinets.
If you're curious about what cards are best for your Fusion World decks, I couldn't tell you. Annoyingly, I'm one of those people who collects cards rather than play them, so all the best pulls from the first box are now sitting in a binder waiting to be stared at lovingly and then stored away again.
On the plus side, similar to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the Manga Booster card packs come with codes you can redeem for the digital Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World game, so you can actually test them out for yourself.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend these cards to anyone with a passing interest in Akira Toriyama's masterpiece, as the cards are so stunning that they make a great display piece, whether you care about card games or not.
It's a perfect time to start collecting, too, as the second set, Manga Booster set SB02, is planned for release this November. So far, none of the new cards in this upcoming set have been unveiled online, but I don't have to make a wish with Shenron to know they'll be just as incredible-looking as the last.
Want an idea of what you should play next? Be sure to drop in on the best board games and the best tabletop RPGs.
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