Toei Officially Acknowledges Yamamoto's Kai Rip-Offs

[Turtle Marked Stone]

If Funi re-releases those sets with the original score I will scoop them up so quickly. Who would have seen something like this coming?

If there is a potential for lawsuits from other studios; it's either pay up or replace the music. This is how it's been with other shows that never get release or get their music replaced. It's all about the money. This is one of the reasons why Malcolm in the Middle will probably never get a second season DVD release. This is just a conjecture, but it is possible.

So essentially Funimation will HAVE to go back and re release the sets to replace the music? There's zero reason for me not to go buy Kai now if that's the case.

[Tweaker]

Wow, I just got ridiculously giddy at this news. Kikuchi's score was one of the best parts of Dragon Ball, in my opinion; while Yamamoto's music was okay, it didn't feel the same. I can't wait to hear it in action again!

[Krycek7o2]

If Funi re-releases those sets with the original score I will scoop them up so quickly. Who would have seen something like this coming?

If there is a potential for lawsuits from other studios; it's either pay up or replace the music. This is how it's been with other shows that never get release or get their music replaced. It's all about the money. This is one of the reasons why Malcolm in the Middle will probably never get a second season DVD release. This is just a conjecture, but it is possible.

So essentially Funimation will HAVE to go back and re release the sets to replace the music? There's zero reason for me not to go buy Kai now if that's the case.

I'm wondering that myself. Because FUNimation got the license from Toei, does that dictate that FUNi's release also follow Toei's changes?

Wow, I just got ridiculously giddy at this news. Kikuchi's score was one of the best parts of Dragon Ball, in my opinion; while Yamamoto's music was okay, it didn't feel the same. I can't wait to hear it in action again!

I was just listening to the Z BGM Boxset a few days ago pondering what Kai would be like with Kikuchi's score.

[The Time Traveller]

Yamamoto's score was a fun alternative, I'm gonna have to get Parts 3 and 4 sooner than I was expecting in case there is a recall since it's one unexpected thing after another.

He didn't compose Dragon Soul, did he...?

[Metalwario64]

Wow, I hope this spills over to the US side of things, and fast if it indeed does.

Yamamoto's score was a fun alternative, I'm gonna have to get Parts 3 and 4 sooner than I was expecting in case there is a recall since it's one unexpected thing after another.

He didn't compose Dragon Soul, did he...?

Even if they keep it, what's going to happen to the title cards, recap, and next episode preview tracks? Are they using the Cha-la Head Cha-la themed ones, or sticking with Yamamoto's Dragon Soul ones?

[Gozar]

Wow, a dull afternoon of rain just got a lot more interesting with this piece of news. I log on to Twitter to see my timeline flooded with this news. I don't even know where to begin.

Well, for me this is a bad thing. While Kikuchi will forever be my favorite DragonBall composer of All-Time, suddenly inserting his music into Kai will completely ruin the feel of the series to me. I liked watching Kai with its quick pace and newer look and sound. I highly doubt Mr. Kikuchi is composing brand new music for this. It will likely just be the old Z stuff, so in other words, you'll have older sounding audio quality music on the new fresh everything else about Kai. I like having Yamamoto's soundtrack in Kai because it gave a different feel. I like mixing it up from time to time. Watching DragonBall for so many years with so many different voices and so many different musical tracks has typically been viewed as a negative thing by many fans. I myself enjoy the prospect of having different feels of music to compare and contrast (GT's Score for example, while no Kikuchi, was phenomenal).

So I guess what I'm getting at is that, DragonBall Kai IS DragonBall Z. It's nothing "new", just a refurnished old product. A different musical score helped aid in the series feeling new as it provided a new aspect, view, and feel. If I wanted to watch a less filler-ized version of DBZ with the old feel I'd just pop in the Dragon Boxes and have my finger ready on the Fast Forward button. I really enjoy that variety in my collection, where I can watch the DBOX one day and Kai the next. I really hope the revised music doesn't make its way into the US release (Aside from these final 3 Episodes, which will no doubt be changed).

Then again, we really don't know what FUNimation has at this point as far as fully scored episodes go. This will be insanely interesting to see how this whole situation pans out. I will most definetly be watching Kai during it's initial broadcast for the next 3 weeks.

[Ryu-Ken Bakuhatsu]

In my wildest dreams, and boy they can be wild, I would never have imagined anything would come of Yamamoto's plagiarism afterall he has been doing it for so long now.

I have just this moment bought Z Kai Part Four just incase the American DVDs do end up being recalled because I want to own all that is possible of Kai with the Kenji Yamamoto score. Of course as of now it is all speculation as to what happens with the dub of Kai but I for one do hope that the FUNimation release continues with Yamamoto's score and, if need be, replace it on future releases. (And we know there will be more releases, it's FUNimation after all!)

[Chuquita]

I wonder whose music they're going to use on the last couple new episodes of Kai...

Do you think we'll have the Kikuchi score instead on episodes 96-98?

[SonGokuGT]

They're gonna replace the music NOW? We're at the finish line! IT would do more harm than good. Just take out the infringing music and call it a day.

[dbgtFO]

They're gonna replace the music NOW? We're at the finish line! IT would do more harm than good. Just take out the infringing music and call it a day.

Then there'd just be absolute silence except for when characters talk and fight!

[Ahiru77]

Toei Animation officially acknowledged Kenji Yamamoto's rip-offs in the score of Dragon Ball Kai. They are going to replace every rip-off piece used in the episodes with other music.

http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/pdf/110309.pdf

This is obviously a piece of news related to Kai and probably the topic shoud have been posted in the Kai section, but since I thought this problem could spread to the entire Dragon Ball franchise, I posted this here. If it's inappropriate, please move the topic.


*Edit: These are probably the rip-offs Toei mentions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTqo-mrU4ak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDcPv6olllQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc0CP4kGbxA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI0DIr5btss

These tracks are ripped from the most awesome movie scores!!!

[KaiserNeko]

So I guess what I'm getting at is that, DragonBall Kai IS DragonBall Z. It's nothing "new", just a refurnished old product. A different musical score helped aid in the series feeling new as it provided a new aspect, view, and feel. If I wanted to watch a less filler-ized version of DBZ with the old feel I'd just pop in the Dragon Boxes and have my finger ready on the Fast Forward button. I really enjoy that variety in my collection, where I can watch the DBOX one day and Kai the next. I really hope the revised music doesn't make its way into the US release (Aside from these final 3 Episodes, which will no doubt be changed).

I promise not to get TOO far off topic here, but that isn't watching a show. That's annoying and totally takes you out of the experience of WATCHING A SERIES.

Sorry, but that argument has always grated on my nerves. I want to be able to sit back and watch the series, not have to constantly fast forward when things are dragging or when there's filler. Not to mention, they don't just cut the filler. They cut down on lingering shots, too. A lot of the filler is also woven into the story. In Kai, everything is tightened up. To get the same experience, you'd be fast forwarding EVERY OTHER MINUTE.

Anyway, I'm really interested in seeing some of the Kikuchi score in Kai. I'm also curious to see if this will effect the US version at all, along with other international releases. I honestly hope it doesn't effect it too much as I actually really enjoy the Artificial Human and Cell saga score, as ripped off as it is.

[Echo64]

I knew there was a reason why I was buying those Dragon Ball Z Kai Blu-rays on release day!

[Perfect]

Well I have mixed feelings about this. Kai already has some amazing pieces in it that far beat some of the old stuff you can tell was composed 20-30 years ago. However there are also a vast amount of bad arrangements in Kai I would love to see gone. The plagiarized Terminator soundtrack is definitely not one of them, I'm afraid. Kikuchi's score did have some fantastic music in it, don't get me wrong. I see a few issues however if he's not making songs just to replace the music that's plagiarized and the finishing episodes.

1.) We'll lose fantastic music pieces and insert songs (Tatta Hitori no Senshi & Tada Kogoeru Elegy, though neither composed by Yamamoto).
2.) We'll lose the partial feel of Kai being refreshed, as it's using the same soundtrack as the old series.
3.) They'll have to go over each and every episode, changing the music. Which in turn, creates slower DVD releases for us (As well as new episodes).

If he is to only be replacing said music pieces and composing the final few episodes, then my only concern would be it clashing with the rest of the Kai soundtrack. I would hope, being the brilliant composer he is, that he'd make it work (Better yet, outclass everything we've heard so far).

All in all, I really don't hope to see the old Zetto score being used for the entirety of Kai, really. What's the point in it being refreshed? New? I'd love to hear similar pieces such as this used, but nothing like the theme used when Freeza impaled Krillin.

[jpdbzrulz4sure]

I know I'm a bit late, but I noticed some interesting news on the homepage, and I gotta say, this is quite an unexpected turn of events. And I guess it's why "DBK OST 集" got shot down. DAMMIT!!

[kenisu3000]

Yeah, okay. So I'm late. Way late.

But ugh, this obviously means more work for me. Just when I was ready to bid Kai farewell, this means that I'll have to go back to the beginning and revise my charts according to whatever Kikuchi score shows up in the episodes. Unbelievable.

However - and I'm surprised that, by skimming this thread, nobody seems to have mentioned this yet - if this eventually leads to a complete soundtrack release of Kikuchi's DragonBall & DragonBall Z score, I'm all for it.

[Tsukento]

1.) We'll lose fantastic music pieces and insert songs (Tatta Hitori no Senshi & Tada Kogoeru Elegy, though neither composed by Yamamoto).

Pretty sure this only affects the BGM, not the lyrical pieces that weren't made by Yamamoto.

Also, I seriously hope Goku's sacrifice gets its BGM changed. Good god, did they ever choose the wrong piece to use in Kai.

Z - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndB9fajvUnU
Kai - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLJIgobZLg

[Perfect]

Well so I hope at least. I very much enjoyed both pieces.

Edit:
Well the original definitely has its influence on the scene, seeing that it fits rather well. The Kai version, well it kinda fits. It gave me this kinda feelings, "Okay... Yuck... Awesome... Terrible... Okay... Good... Trash.... Terrible..."

One thing I liked about FUNi's Z dub for that scene is the fading piano music after Cell blows himself up.

[CODii]

I know I'm a bit late, but I noticed some interesting news on the homepage, and I gotta say, this is quite an unexpected turn of events. And I guess it's why "DBK OST 集" got shot down. DAMMIT!!

I went ahead and made that last sentence larger in the quote because it was what I want to comment on. That's actually a very good point. I had just assumed that the CD was cancelled because of Kai ending. That always seemed strange to me though. I mean, why not release it even though the show is over? This Yamamoto news seems like a much more logical reason for that cancellation.

[jpdbzrulz4sure]

But ugh, this obviously means more work for me. Just when I was ready to bid Kai farewell, this means that I'll have to go back to the beginning and revise my charts according to whatever Kikuchi score shows up in the episodes. Unbelievable.

Or you could just make a separate documentation page and call it something like "Dragon Ball Kai replacement BGM".