Movies / Animé and Toons

Dragon Ball Z Kai: Part 2

By Chris Zimmerman
September 21, 2010 - 10:17

Regardless of whether you consider yourself an anime fan or not, chances are good you’ve at least heard of Dragon Ball. Akira Toriyama’s beat-em-up martial arts epic began life in 1984 as an unassuming manga before going on to achieve legendary status for establishing many of the shonen archetypes still present in many series today. The series has been adapted into three animated series, no less than 13 animated movies, two live action films (the less said about those the better), and a slew of video games and toys. To commemorate Dragon Ball’s 20th anniversary, Toei Studio decided to return to the series and give it a director’s cut of sorts, patching up damaged cells, a digital remastering, and all new voice work. All filler not associated with the manga was cut, giving the series a much tighter feel.

Dragon Ball Z Kai presents audiences with the further adventures of Son Goku. Having saved the world a few times as a child and more than a handful of death defying battles under his belt, Goku and his friends finally settled into a life of peace. As fate would have it, that peace didn’t last long as a group of alien invaders decided to pay the Earth a visit searching for the legendary dragon balls, said to possess the power to make any wish come true. Further complicating things was the revelation that Goku was also an alien. After a hard fought struggle, many of his friends were killed, leaving Goku to face his ultimate foe Vegeta in one-on-one combat.

Part Two picks up directly where the previous set left off. Goku and Vegeta continue their epic show down, beating the tar out of one another until the other gives in. Despite throwing everything at his nemesis, Goku finds himself on the receiving end when Vegeta transforms into a giant ape, multiplying his power tenfold. When all hope seems lost, Krillin and Gohan are forced to re-enter the fray.

Afterward, the scene shifts to the mysterious planet Namek where our heroes travel to collect the dragon balls to wish their friends back to life. Unfortunately, not only has Vegeta followed them but a greater threat looms on the horizon. The evil emperor Frieza also desires the dragon balls and with an army of minions whose powers rival Vegeta, it appears all hope is dwindling fast.

Dragon Ball Z Kai has a lot going for it. The animation looks better than ever thanks to the touchups and the digital remastering, surpassing even the popular dragon boxes to an extent. Everything about this series screams new, from the music which walks a fine line between the serious and the playful to the new voices that may actually be better suited to their characters. While purists are sure to gripe, those looking for a fresh take on Dragon Ball will definitely find a lot to love here.

It’s a shame that with all the effort that went into Kai, there are still no bonus features to speak of. Sure, there’s the usual clean opening and closing but a commentary from the cast or even a side by side comparison of the changes would be appreciated. Those who researched the series will also be disheartened to know that despite being shown in widescreen on Japanese televisions, the video release is fullscreen format, which is peculiar but hardly Funimation’s fault given it was released on video in Japan like that as well.

Die hard Dragon Ball fans will probably pick up Dragon Ball Z Kai without hesitation. That said, this is a release geared toward both new and older audiences who may or may not have heard of the franchise but never took the plunge to give it a chance because of its daunting episode count. While the original Dragon Ball will always hold a place as a classic, Kai is easily leaps and bounds above it in every facet and should hold a place in every fan’s library.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12