Dragon Ball Z Kai Season One Review (Anime)
The first season of Dragon Ball Z Kai, which covers the Saiyan and Namekian Sagas, has always been a slow burner for me as I feel that the Saiyan arc is weakest arc of the series but it only goes from strength to strength from here on.
I find the Saiyan Saga a chore to watch but as a DBZ fan, it’s vital to watch before getting to the stronger arcs of the series as it introduces Vegeta and sheds light on the Saiyan race. Starting with hero Goku’s son, Gohan, being kidnapped by his brother Raditz, we see Goku and the other Z Fighters team up to try and fight this new threat. It also covers the Namekian Saga which leads into the Frieza saga, and this arc is much more enjoyable. The DBZ story has always been fairly simple but it’s the fights, characters, high stakes and fantastic English dub that always bring me back for more.
You might be wondering, ‘what’s different in the Kai edition?’ and DBZ Kai is an edited version of the original anime with the filler removed, allowing for a truer experience that closely resembles the manga and creator Akira Toriyama’s original vision for the anime. It’s the best way to experience Dragon Ball for both returning fans and newcomers alike, and it’s much less daunting when a good chunk of episodes have been removed which would’ve turned many away.
Whilst it does a lot to establish the DBZ universe and many of the characters that you’ll be watching for a long time, it certainly does show its age in many aspects. I’ve only got my hands on the DVD version but there’s only so much that upscaling and remastering can do to a show so old where even the still frames seem to jutter around. For all intents and purposes, Manga UK seem to have done the best that they could with what they were given to work with and whilst it’s old with a 4:3 aspect ratio, (black borders but we can the full image whereas in widescreen it would be slightly zoomed in) the animation itself is still respectable and easily appreciated.
Some animation has been redrawn, which is usually noticeable, but a huge bulk of footage has been pulled from the original art. The OP has been completely redone and looks more like the more recent films, and I’d have loved to have seen the entire series redone with art like that and, well, not quite like Dragon Ball Super. Where the filler has been removed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss some of the scenes you might’ve loved watching if you grew up with DBZ, and sometimes transition from scene to scene isn’t quite as smooth as it could be but on the whole, it’s nice having a condensed version of the story and I think Kai is a brilliant idea. If other long-running shows such as One Piece and Naruto did the same thing, I’d happily support it.
Many people know DBZ for its fantastic dub and whilst the audio is clearly showing its age, the actual voicework is still outstanding and I vastly prefer it to the superior version – it’s almost as if it was made to be dubbed in English. The OST is great too and I really enjoy the new OP, although I can’t help but miss ‘Rock the Dragon’ somewhat. There’s been a lot of love and attention that’s gone into the audio here and, again, whilst it’s clearly old, it’s still so easy to enjoy. Seriously, I love this dub! You may as well get used to the voices now as many of the voice-actors and actresses still voice these characters to this day, even with the latest films in both English and Japanese.
The beginning of DBZ might be aged in many aspects but it’s still an anime classic, and it’s one well worth owning. Chances are many of you have already seen DBZ and will be interested in purchasing Kai due to the filler being removed and so if you want to revisit the series, or join the world of Dragon Ball for the very first time, then Kai is the best way to enjoy the series as originally intended.
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