Variations on the DBZ openings.

[Adamant]

How many different versions of Cha-La Head-Cha-La are there (Different animation, not different credits, of course) I think I've seen 3 or so.

Also, are there more than one variation of We Gotta Power?

[VegettoEX]

I believe there's three different versions of CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA. There's the original one that's only used for a few episodes (it doesn't have Nappa & Vegeta walking through the fire). Then it switches to the one with Nappa & Vegeta. Much later on, there's the "Jinzoningen"-type one with the artificial hand that fires the blast, etc.

WE GOTTA POWER only has the one animation.

I should really get back to work on the "Animation Gallery." ^^;;

[Sun_Wukong]

Technically there are four, if you want to count "Rock the Dragon".

[Dai]

Technically there are fifteenhundred, if you want to count every other foreign opening ever produced for the show in the history of mankind.

Sheesh.

[theslug]

Yeah but the question was how many variations on Cha-La there are, not how many intros.

In the one without Nappa and Vegeta, is this the one that has that birds-eye shot of some land and water? This seems to be the rarest of the three.

[Dai]

Yeah but the question was how many variations on Cha-La there are, not how many intros.

Precisely. I wouldn't exactly consider '"Rock the Dragon'' a variation of Head Cha La, now would you?

Anyway, I wonder... Will FUNi have that original first intro up when they re-release the Saiya-jin Saga? It's only there for a tiny few episodes after all, and FUNi looking over it wouldn't surprise me.

[B-kun]

Well, I know this technically doesn't count, but when Pioneer released Sailor Moon S, they kept the first opening (which had Neptune and Uranus as shadowed figures) for the 2 or 3 episodes it aired. It was only in SuperS where they were lazy.

So, erm, yeah. FUNi could probably use the first opening.

[Izlude]

Hmmm isnt Toei (Who also did Sailor Moon) stingy with stuff like this though?

[PsyLiam]

Yup. That's why all of the Dragon Ball DVDs only have one set of opening and ending credit animations on them. Evil TOEI (although the wrong credits being on some Freeza-saga discs are FUNi's fault).

From what I remember, here are the exact animation changes:

Original intro:
1/ Has a bird's eye shot of some mountains, while the crazy, crazy lyrics talk about...mountains.
2/ Shows big scary flames, with (I think) Kinto'un flying past way, way in the background.
3/ Big moon seems to fall towards us just before an Ozaru appears.
4/ Just before Goku does that weird electricity thing, we see Kuririn doing his double-ki blast attack (same as he used against the Saibamen), Tenshinhan doing some sort of attack that I forget, and a close-up of Yamcha's face as he raises a ki-cackling hand.
5/ Final shot has Kuririn, Gohan (in Piccolo-sponsored red outfit), Yamcha (with girly long hair), Tenshinhan, Chaotzu (in Emperor's outfit), Kame Sen'nin (in suit) all standing haphazardly around before Goku leaps down with his Nyoibo staff that he shouldn't have you stupid animators I hate you.

Second intro:
1/ Replaced with animation of Gohan running along Shenlong, while Kuririn (looking quite tall), Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Chaotzu fly past trying to knock him off. The bastards. Yajirobe also runs along the dragon in the background.
2/ Big flames now have Vegeta and Nappa walking through them, all scary like.
3/ A face now appears in the moon. I think it's Vegeta's, but I'm not sure.
4/ The same.
5/ The same.

Third intro:

1/ Same as second intro.
2/ Big flames now replaced with a close-up of an old wrinkled face, for some reason (is this suppossed be Gero? Why's it red? Why doesn't it look anything like him?) There's then a close up of some wires that then get covered with skin, forming a human (and quite girly) hand. This fires an energy blast at us, WITH DRAMATIC EFFECT.
3/ Same as before.
4/ Because the humans are now shit, they've been replaced by a shot of Vegeta in space feeling intense rage at the TOEI animators for not remembering that Saiyans can't breathe in space. His anger turns him Super Saiyan, shortly before his (off camera) death. We don't have any time to feel sorry for him though, because Super Saiyan Dreamboat Trunks appears and chops Mecha-Freeza in half. Yay! The previous shot of everyone running away from the dinosaur is also shortened, meaning that Roshi only appears in this into for approximatly half a second. The poor pervert.
5/ Someone obviously realised that no-one wants to see haphazard posing with everyone looking happy, so the good guys were sent on an intensive three week course entitled "How to stand in line and look moody". The original line up of Kuririn (now with vest and boots), Yamcha (now with short, cool haircut), Tenshinhan (now in different outfit), Chaoutzu (also in different outfit, although god knows why he's even here since he's in the Android/Cell era about as much as Yajirobe), and Gohan (now in Piccolo-type outfit, with early Android-era hair) are still there. And much cooler looking they are. BUT WAIT! They are also joined by Piccolo (also staring forward moodily), Vegeta (half turned to the side, because he's NOT DOWN WITH THIS POSING SHIT, Y'DIG?) and Trunks (minus his jacket and with one hand on his sword hilt, sending out mixed messages about his sexuality). Goku then falls to the ground without bending his legs, no doubt shattering his back and making him now a cripple both in mind and body. He then turns Super Saiyan without moving a muscle, because he can't.

Er, I think that's all the changes anyway. I haven't paid that much attention, to be honest.