Dragon Ball Zis indisputably one of themost influential anime series of all-time. From Akira Toriyama’s original manga series reshaping the landscape ofShōnen Jump, to its 1989 adaptation placing anime on an international stage,Dragon Ballhas become a legendary name in the world of entertainment. With each passing year, the franchise’s fan base continues to grow through games and the occasional film or TV series, like the recently completedDragon Ball Daima. However, as time continues to pass,a major issue continues to grow only more pressing.
ThoughDragon Ball Zintroduced countless fans to the world of anime,the series has aged rather poorly, and Toei Animation is aware of that fact. 2009’sDragon Ball Z Kaiwas createdin an effort to polish the original anime series, but, as is the case with any modern update of a beloved work, certain fan-favorite aspects of the show were changed in the process. Now, over 15 years afterKai’s premiere, does the series hold up as the definitive version ofDragon Ball Z? Or is the original anime still the way to go?
Dragon Ball Z Hasn’t Aged Well
Over Three Decades Since Its Conclusion, Dragon Ball Z Is Showing Its Age
Despite the occasionally stilted or inconsistent animation quality,Dragon Ball Z’s visuals are surprisinglythe least pressing of its issues. In fact, throughout the majority of the anime, its artwork and action sequences hold up well, and are even able to outshine the much more recentDragon Ball Superon many occasions. Instead, what has aged the iconic series is a mixture of pacing issues andan abundance of filler. The former is a much bigger problem, as numerous sections of the anime are stretched to frustrating lengths.
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BecauseDragon Ball Zaired alongside the serialization of Toriyama’s manga, Toei was often forced to stall or add fillerin order to keep from catching up to the source material. These sections aren’t ever egregiously bad, though constant cutting away from the action and long stare-downs between fighters can become tiresome. It was clearDragon Ball Zhad issues for some time, and in celebration of the anime’s 20-year anniversary, those issues would be addressed.
Dragon Ball Z Kai Updated the Iconic Series
The 2009 Anime Aimed to Give Dragon Ball Z a Cleaning
In an effort to modernizeDragon Ball Z, 2009’sDragon Ball Z Kaitargeted the original anime’s most glaring issues. Original footage was reformatted for HDTV, while dialogue was re-recorded with nearly an entirely new script in the case of the English dub. The most notable changes, however, were the cuts to many unnecessarily slow moments and the removal of anime original filler sections. By the timeDragon Ball Z Kaireached its conclusion,the originalDragon Ball Z’s 291 episodes were cut down to 167.
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What resulted was an adaptationthat stuck quite a bit closer to its source material. Unfortunately, some original damaged frames had to be noticeably redrawn in many scenes, or simply removed entirely. However, any visual alterations hardly took away from the viewing experience. In terms of accuracy to the original manga and well-paced storytelling, it would seemDragon Ball ZKaioffers a greater viewing experience, but not all changes were received well.
Not Every Change Was Well-Received by Fans
Dragon Ball Z Kai Made Some Questionable Alterations
Cutting down on running time wasn’t the only changeDragon Ball Z Kaimade to the original anime. Fans of the English dub especially were not happy to hearDragon Ball Z’s Faulconer Soundtrackreplaced, while new additions to the cast taking on the roles of familiar characters left many with a bad taste.Sections of the series were also censored, though not heavily. Moments that featured copious amounts of blood were often toned down, and then further edited before airing on North American TV.
Home releases and streaming, however, seemingly contain the unedited for TV versions of certain episodes. Though the removal of filler helped to drastically cut down the series' total runtime, many in theDragon Ballcommunity actually enjoy quite a few ofDragon Ball Z’s filler arcs, and were sad to see them go.Others have always enjoyed the original English dub’s dialogue, despite its inaccuracies, and continue to return to the originalDragon Ball Zjust for the performances.
Pleasing everyone is an incredibly difficult task, especially when reworking a series as beloved asDragon Ball Z, and it’s likely that whichever version of the series is superiorlargely comes down to individual taste.Kaioffers a more manga-accurate adaptation that entirely foregoes filler for a faster-paced experience, complete with updated visuals and dialogue. The original series, on the other hand, has a certain charm that longtime fans can’t refuse, whether that be the soundtrack or original performances.
Would Dragon Ball Benefit from a Full Remake?
Fans Aren’t the Only Ones Who Would Be On-Board
ThoughDragon Ball Z Kaiis an easily consumable, worthwhile version of one of the most iconic anime series ever, it isn’t a complete modernization ofDragon Ball Z. Its visuals have aged quite well,but they aren’t anywhere near the quality of a standard modern shōnen series, andDragon Ball Daimahas only recently showcased what the series can look like with modern technology. A full remake of the anime, faithfully covering the entirety of Akira Toriyama’s original manga from start to finish, would likely make for an incredible addition to the franchise.
It seems fans aren’t the only ones on-board for a remake, either. Long-time animator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, who has lent his talents toDragon Ballsince the original 1986 anime,revealed in an interviewthat he would be happy to work on a full remake of the series. Until that day comes, however, potential viewers have two options for watchingDragon Ball Z, and both offer their own strengths and weaknesses. Longtime fans of the series might want to consider givingKaia shot, for a tighterDragon Ballanime experience.
Dragon Ball Z
Cast
Dragon Ball Z follows Goku, who lives a peaceful life with his family until the arrival of Raditz, a mysterious warrior claiming to be Goku’s brother. This revelation unveils their true heritage as Saiyans, a formidable warrior race known for conquering planets.
