Why is the Nicktoons Kai era so remembered...

[Cure Dragon 255]

...In comparison to The CW and even Toonami on Adult Swim's uncut airings despite both having much higher ratings? Sure these people are starting to become quite rare but it seems airing the show in a healthy rerun schedule is also very important for exposure.

[MasenkoHA]

I dunno if it's more remembered. I think it just gets brought up because it was the less edited version. The Toonami airings were the same as what was on DVD so what was there for anyone to talk about?

[Cure Dragon 255]

I guess you are right. I did see one or two Kanzenshuu members be introduced by Toonami on Adult Swim so its not like its completely forgotten.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

It's also notable for having carried the Kenji Yamamoto score for longer than the DVD/BD releases here did, as the latter went up to episode 52 on the Part sets before changing over to the Kikuchi replacement score (Part 5, which originally was scheduled to have Yamamoto's music as well up to the last minute) due to the plagiarism controversy in 2011. While the Nicktoons broadcast had gotten up to ep 63 before the change happened there.

[VegettoEX]

I think what you're actually seeing is a very specific (at that time younger) audience who was introduced to the show in a unique way: via the network they were already watching, as opposed to coming in through other anime or other networking blocks.

It's the same thing with that specific audience coming online years later and having a notable voice exploring their new nostalgia, the same way many years back in my own history suddenly a bunch of folks were popping up online saying they loved the Faulconer Productions replacement score and "everyone" was shocked at this bizarre viewpoint!

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Probably because it was Kai's introduction to the US and the striking while the iron's hot factor. Naturally because the CW and Toonami were rerunning Kai it was less of a big deal and didn't have as big a pull as Nicktoons did when they could boast having the newest Dragon Ball show.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

Probably because it was Kai's introduction to the US and the striking while the iron's hot factor. Naturally because the CW and Toonami were rerunning Kai it was less of a big deal and didn't have as big a pull as Nicktoons did when they could boast having the newest Dragon Ball show.

Yes, and certainly considering that it was the first newly dubbed Dragon Ball content running on a dedicated network outside of Cartoon Network/Toonami. Considering that all of the previously run stuff had been run on the latter pretty much for a decade (between first run and repeats) after the syndicated run had ended back in mid 1998.

[Cure Dragon 255]

I think what you're actually seeing is a very specific (at that time younger) audience who was introduced to the show in a unique way: via the network they were already watching, as opposed to coming in through other anime or other networking blocks.

It's the same thing with that specific audience coming online years later and having a notable voice exploring their new nostalgia, the same way many years back in my own history suddenly a bunch of folks were popping up online saying they loved the Faulconer Productions replacement score and "everyone" was shocked at this bizarre viewpoint!

That's the thing I really dont think anyone watched Nicktoons before Kai lol. Sure there were plenty of kids and so on that probably watched Avatar but still.

[MasenkoHA]

I think what you're actually seeing is a very specific (at that time younger) audience who was introduced to the show in a unique way: via the network they were already watching, as opposed to coming in through other anime or other networking blocks.

It's the same thing with that specific audience coming online years later and having a notable voice exploring their new nostalgia, the same way many years back in my own history suddenly a bunch of folks were popping up online saying they loved the Faulconer Productions replacement score and "everyone" was shocked at this bizarre viewpoint!

That's the thing I really dont think anyone watched Nicktoons before Kai lol. Sure there were plenty of kids and so on that probably watched Avatar but still.

I mean if they had it they definitely did even if it was mostly a dumping grounds for Nickelodeon reruns

[mecha3000]

I meant to reply to this back when the topic was hot, so my bad for the lateness, but I think I can answer this question. I turn 26 in May, which is 13 years after Kai debuted on Nicktoons and home released back in May 2010 (I was 13 then). Since I was born in 1997, which is designated as the first year of Gen Z (no pun intended), my generation was in a unique situation where we grew up with BOTH the original Z dub and the Kai dub. I first got into DBZ in '04, if I remember correctly, and from 2004-2010, I watched the old DVD's (episodes/movies), Ultimate Uncut on Cartoon Network back in '05, and grew up on all the video games (Budokai 1 onwards). In about 2008, however, I was banned from watching Dragon Ball due to its content (mainly from the original). Then, when Kai came out, I turned 13 and was finally old enough to watch Dragon Ball again. And I LOVED it and still love it (I own all the Parts and Seasons on Blu-ray).

I say all this to give a clear picture of what makes Nicktoons Kai so special to my generation. We didn't grow up with a Toonami experience because we were too young, so Nicktoons gave us that chance (at least from Saiyan to Cell). But we still grew up on the old Z dub after its Toonami era through home media and the brief Cartoon Network reruns. And we were still young enough when Kai premiered. Because of this, we weren't married to the old Z dub in the same way the Faulconer-loving and "hope of the universe"-quoting fans are. Like I said, we grew up with between both eras so I feel like it made us open-minded to enjoy Kai (from the recasts, redub, and rescore). And since Kai debuted on Nicktoons first (which was shocking considering at the time, DBZ was known for airing on Cartoon Network) and closer to its uncut version than the Toonzai one, people tend to be more appreciative of it.

That's why as a teen, I was so confused by all the arguing online when it came to Goku's character and how Funimation messed it up in the old dub. Some preferred it, some didn't. It was jarring to see the Kanzenshuu crowd (moderators and otherwise) complain about the old dub and how it's so inaccurate. Since I never saw Z in its entirety until Kai, I missed a lot of those inaccuracies. Obviously, my generation grew up with both dubs, but I still prefer Kai's accuracy unlike some nostalgia-blind fans of the old dub. However, I can still enjoy the old dub for what it is: a relic of its time and piece of DB history, not matter how a lot of people dismiss it. Still, discovering Kai on Nicktoons opened my eyes to how Dragon Ball REALLY is and the chance to see the Saiyan to Cell Arcs all the way through, without just playing the video games or getting a DVD whenever I could as a kid, was an experience I deeply cherish.

Lastly, it's just nostalgic. Just like Millennials grew up watching Dragon Ball Z on Toonami when it first aired, my generation grew up with Dragon Ball Z Kai on Nicktoons. Even Zach Aguilar (voice of Dr. Hedo) grew up with the Nicktoons version, which makes sense considering he's one year younger than me. Whenever I hear the Kenji Yamamoto score or the Kai opening/ending songs, I get a rush of nostalgia from my eighth grade to ninth grade years (2010-2011) and all the fond memories associated with that time. It was also one of the last times in my life when TV airings mattered because streaming services weren't prevalent back then.

And let's not forget, back in 2010, Dragon Ball was dead in terms of an ongoing series, only surviving through it's merchandise (similar to now in a way). When Kai was announced and aired on Nicktoons, it revived interest (especially internationally) in Dragon Ball to the point where it got kids at my school talking about the series (similar to how Toonami must've felt). And it even gave me hope that eventually we'd finally get NEW Dragon Ball, until finally, we did. Sorry for the long post, but as you can see, I feel strongly about Nicktoons Kai.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Long Posts ARE ALWAYS WELCOME in my topics. Thanks for sharing!

[Hellspawn28]

It did help interoduce Gen Z to DBZ, but not the same level as Toonami did with Minneinals. It was on a smaller TV channel that most people had, and Kai had no zero merch here in the states.

[Catsenti]

I remember it because it was what got me interested in Dragon Ball in the first place. Sure I can remember Toonami's original run, but I had a ridiculously early bedtime when it was in its prime, and in 2004 I was like, 5 anyway. So when I saw this new Dragon Ball show on a channel I liked, I thought, this might be a good starting point! So I looked up the first few episodes dubbed on a...legally dubious site, and I was hooked. Heck, when I ran out of uncut episodes I switched to fansubs! Part 2 of the home release wasn't out when I started. And after I saw the whole show subbed, I kept watching the Nicktoons broadcast because I was curious how they would handle edits. It's actually partially why I learned to edit and am getting a film degree in college.

Sorry, bit of a tangent. But yeah, it did introduce Gen Z to the show, that's why it's remembered by people my age. Just like what Toonami did.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Not a tangent that's a very important part of your experience. And I am glad you liked it so much you wanted to learn how to edit. I got scared for a minute because I keep forgetting 2004 was like almost 20 years ago lol. I really dont like very young children going onto the internet.