Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Discussion specifically regarding the "refreshed" TV version of DBZ created in Japan for its 20th anniversary, including individual threads for each episode.

Moderators: General Help, Kanzenshuu Staff

User avatar
Takomaster87
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri May 22, 2020 11:58 am
Contact:

Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Takomaster87 » Sun May 31, 2020 6:23 pm

So as we all know Buu Kai is in 16:9 but the rest of it is in 4:3. And that when Kai 1.0 aired on TV in Japan it was in 16:9 as well. which had me wondering, if Buu Kai didn't replace Toriko and was only aired on TV for international audiences like it was originally intended too, would it have stayed in 4:3? Or do you guys think Toei would have been lazy and sent everyone 16:9 versions like they actually did. I recall Kai 1.0 being in 4:3 on Nicktoons and on Toonami here in the US, unlike Japan which was in 16:9. Or do you guys even think a full 4:3 version exists anymore? Considering that no home release of a 4:3 Buu Kai exists I'm inclined to believe it no longer does. Curios to know what anyone else thinks/knows.

User avatar
JulieYBM
Patreon Supporter
Posts: 16491
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:25 pm

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by JulieYBM » Sun May 31, 2020 8:34 pm

The entire project was funded from Toei Animation alone so the fact that they only mastered the project in 16:9 tells us that it was purely for cost reasons. Shit's tough, yo.
She/Her💕 💜 💙
progesterone princess, estradiol empress
Lucifer's bimbo daughter

User avatar
PremiumSalt
Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
Posts: 466
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:58 pm

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by PremiumSalt » Sun May 31, 2020 9:22 pm

Given that to my understanding the international version was produced before the version that aired in Japan, I doubt that the Japanese airing affected the aspect ratio at all.
Dragon Ball Arc Rankings: 1. Piccolo Daimaō 2. Saiyan 3. 22nd Budōkai 4. 23rd Budōkai 5. Hunt For the Dragon Balls 6. Zamasu 7. Moro 8. Tournament of Power 9. 21st Budōkai 10. Broly 11. Battle of Gods 12. Boo 13. U6 Tournament 14. Freeza 15. Red Ribbon Army 16. Artificial Humans/Cell 17.Golden Freeza
Kunzait_83 wrote:No matter what twisted pretzel logic you contort yourself into to try and convince yourself otherwise, Raditz landing on Earth is the middle of the fucking story. Zero context, zero setup. Its in NO way meant to be seen as a "beginning point" for ANYTHING other than the next story arc. It flows precisely and fluidly from where things left off in the aftermath of the 23rd Budokai and mostly hits the ground running from there without really stopping to look back. You're plopping someone into the middle of a book starting at chapter 195 out of 519 for absolutely no good goddamn reason, with very minimal opportunity to look back at much needed context and character/story growth.

Matches Malone
Banned
Posts: 3308
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:12 am

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Matches Malone » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:42 am

When Toei decided to make Kai 1.0, Anime was still being produced and aired in 4:3, so they decided to remaster it in that aspect ratio. When it was time to air Kai, the majority if not all anime moved completely to 16:9, which is why that's how it aired in Japan. When Kai 2.0 was being made, there was never a need to produce a 4:3 version due 16:9 being the norm in every country, not just in Japan.

In terms of your first question, I don't think it airing in Japan had anything to do with the decision, as 16:9 was the expected aspect ratio in both Japan and worldwide.

For the second question, the west got the 4:3 version because the episodes were either completely or partly sent out before Toei decided to crop it for the Japanese broadcast, which is the same reason we ended up with the longer version of Kai 2.0.

User avatar
Ajay
Moderator
Posts: 6195
Joined: Sun May 26, 2013 6:15 pm
Location: Surrey, UK
Contact:

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Ajay » Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:46 am

Matches Malone wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:42 am When Toei decided to make Kai 1.0, Anime was still being produced and aired in 4:3, so they decided to remaster it in that aspect ratio. When it was time to air Kai, the majority if not all anime moved completely to 16:9, which is why that's how it aired in Japan. When Kai 2.0 was being made, there was never a need to produce a 4:3 version due 16:9 being the norm in every country, not just in Japan.
You're almost there with this, but not quite. Anime and largely everything was in 16:9 long before Kai came about. What you're thinking of is the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Up until midway through Kai's production, you could produce new shows in 4:3 or 16:9. Although basically anything new was 16:9, there was at least the option.

It was announced that it would become mandatory for new content to be 16:9, which put them in a tricky situation since although it's old footage, it's a new show. This is why the TV version is cropped with certain scenes' width extended. They had produced it with one thing in mind, but were forced to change it through production.

With Boo Kai, that law was already in place, so they had no incentive to do anything but 16:9.
Follow me on Twitter for countless shitposts.

Deadtuber.

LostTimeLord
Beyond Newbie
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:14 pm

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by LostTimeLord » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:19 am

Ajay wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:46 am It was announced that it would become mandatory for new content to be 16:9, which put them in a tricky situation since although it's old footage, it's a new show. [...] With Boo Kai, that law was already in place, so they had no incentive to do anything but 16:9.
Is this just a thing that the broadcasters insist on or an actual law? Because the latter sounds bonkers.

User avatar
Takomaster87
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri May 22, 2020 11:58 am
Contact:

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Takomaster87 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:23 am

Ajay wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:46 am With Boo Kai, that law was already in place, so they had no incentive to do anything but 16:9.
It makes me wish that they would have just done the whole series during the Kai 1.0 days (I know why they didn't), then we probably wouldn't have this format issue (nor Toei's weird green tint). But at least we have that fan project that uses Dragon Box footage.

Matches Malone
Banned
Posts: 3308
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:12 am

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Matches Malone » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:27 am

Ajay wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:46 amUp until midway through Kai's production, you could produce new shows in 4:3 or 16:9. Although basically anything new was 16:9, there was at least the option. It was announced that it would become mandatory for new content to be 16:9, which put them in a tricky situation since although it's old footage, it's a new show.
Thank god they kept producing the episodes in 4:3 despite this, as it would've been terrible to get half way through Namek (for example) only for everything to out of nowhere switch to 16:9.
Takomaster87 wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:23 amIt makes me wish that they would have just done the whole series during the Kai 1.0 days (I know why they didn't), then we probably wouldn't have this format issue (nor Toei's weird green tint).
With the Buu arc being a completely new arc and there being a major time skip, they may still have gone the 16:9 route. Although I could do without the green tint, I can't say I missed those re-drawn scenes during 2.0.

User avatar
Takomaster87
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri May 22, 2020 11:58 am
Contact:

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Takomaster87 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:34 am

Matches Malone wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:27 am With the Buu arc being a completely new arc and there being a major time skip, they may still have gone the 16:9 route. Although I could do without the green tint, I can't say I missed those re-drawn scenes during 2.0.
Oh yeah definitely on the re-drawn frames. So in that aspect I do like what Toei did. But the green tint is just my big issue with it (minus being in 16:9 but that's not too big of a deal as I'm sorta used to it thanks to Funi home releases, just kinda wish it was still in 4:3)

User avatar
TheGreatness25
I Live Here
Posts: 4922
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:36 am

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by TheGreatness25 » Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:31 am

I think that Boo Kai feels like a totally different beast fromKai "1.0." From the intro to the aspect ratio to the background music, I don't know, it just feels like a totally different product. The closest comparison I could make is when DBZ aired on Toonami and went from the Ocean dub into the Funimation dub. It was like a sharp turn. That's how disjointed Boo Kai feels for me.

User avatar
Takomaster87
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri May 22, 2020 11:58 am
Contact:

Re: Would Buu Kai be in 4:3 if it didn't air in Japan like originally intended?

Post by Takomaster87 » Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:02 am

TheGreatness25 wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:31 am I think that Boo Kai feels like a totally different beast fromKai "1.0." From the intro to the aspect ratio to the background music, I don't know, it just feels like a totally different product.
I'd say it sorta is a different product. probably didn't help there was a 4/7 year time gap between Kai 1.0 and 2.0. It's a shame really. Kai could have been the best way to visually look at the whole series in HD if it stayed in 4:3 (If only the level sets got finished)

Post Reply