Dragon Ball Z Kai Part 1
(Funimation Entertainment, 325 minutes)
http://www.dragonballzkai.com/
A long time ago, in country far, far away, we were blessed with a little comic called Dragon Ball, and from there, the entire world fell under its grip. What came next, not even its creator Akira Toriyama could have imagined, as the title about a boy with a tale turned into an anime (three to be exact), video games, card games, posters, art books, a live action movie (the less said about that the better), and so much more. To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Toei Animation went back and digitally restored the series, in the process cutting out several episodes of filler to improve the oft criticized pacing, giving us what would be dubbed Dragon Ball Z Kai.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Dragon Ball follows the story of Goku as he searches for, what else, Dragon Balls, magical orbs that when gathered together grant almost any wish. As the series progressed, Goku matured, taught himself some martial arts and combated deadly warriors. Dragon Ball Z is a continuation of the story. Set several years after the first series, Goku is now a proud papa and the world is at peace. Unfortunately, alien menaces arrive to conquer the Earth and collect the Dragon Balls for themselves. While the first series was driven by adventure, the second tended to focus more on action, quickly becoming the more popular of the two.
As stated previously, Dragon Ball Z Kai is reworking of the second series; almost something of a director’s cut. Footage is taken out or shuffled to give a better sense of pacing. Considering the old series had at least one hundred episodes of filler, this is a vast improvement. The series is also redubbed using many of the original cast, a welcome relief considering many of them are better known for their takes on the characters. A new score was also produced, giving the series a more modern edge.
Contained in the first set are episodes 1-13. This set covers nearly all of the first season or “saiyan saga” which originally comprised over thirty episodes. After defeating the evil King Piccolo, Goku and his friends went their separate ways. Sometime later, an alien visitor arrives claiming to not only be Goku’s brother, but that Goku was originally sent to Earth to conquer it. A partnership with Piccolo allows the two defeat their mutual threat but not before Goku suffers a fatal wound. Making matters worse is the fact that two more invaders are on their way, both stronger than the last.
Presented on two DVDs, the series itself looks fantastic considering its age. Colors are vivid and for the most part the image is clean save for a few of the darker scenes. There aren’t any real extras to be found here, which is a shame. A commentary would have been appreciated but with 13 episodes here, there isn’t much room to complain.
If you’ve never seen Dragon Ball and have wanted to find out what all the hubbub is about, this is the release for you. A nice little recap at the beginning of the first episode will get you up to date to ensure you don’t miss anything. For everyone already familiar to the franchise, this is definitely a release worth checking out, if for no other reason than to see a new spin on an old favorite.
Dragon Ball Z Kai part 1 - A
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