Our latest translation comes from the Dragon Ball Z series’ second background music collection (released in May 1993, exclusively covering the eighth Dragon Ball Z film), whose inside pamphlet included an introductory comment from Toei Animation Producer Hiruta Sei’ichi:

“So, for this piece, since it’s going to be playing during the scene where Kaiō-sama is sensing danger due to the destruction of the South Galaxy, please don’t use a somber melody, but a heavy one instead.”

“Not somber, but heavy…? Without something more concrete, it’s kind of hard to picture… Could you please be a little more specific?”

“Um, so… I want something with a solemn and oppressive atmosphere, but that doesn’t feel too dark.”

“…”

The Ongakushū (“Background Music Collection”) series was followed by several movie-specific releases in the coming years, as well as 2006’s three-disc Dragon Ball Z BGM Collection, still the most recent (and unfortunately largely incomplete) collection of Dragon Ball Z background music.

This comment has been archived in our “Translations” section.