I don't get "Wuxia" from the Kikuchi score

[MasenkoHA]

Honestly even with how weird that boing sound effect is Upa’s theme is really beautiful. My second favorite Dragon Ball character theme after Piccolo

[ABED]

One of the things I love about Piccolo's theme is how pliable (for lack of a better term) it is. It can be dark and ominous like in the Piccolo Daimao arc, or it can be used to set the mood of an exciting action scene.

[Apollo Fungus]

Huh, what a happy coincidence! I've been thinking of checking out music from Wuxia films/games/shows for a couple of days now, and then this thread pops up out of the blue. It might be the kick in the arse I need to finally start checking things out!

...Here's some examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGlMyXT1YkU

I listened to all the songs you posted, but I think this one might be my favourite due to how effortlessly it manages to build a very palpable sense of tension despite being so minimalist. Seriously, the song comprises of 19 bars in 3/4 time (barely just over thirty seconds long when played); it only uses a timpani, a piano, a small strings and brass section, along with something resembling a xylophone; it only has a couple of chords used throughout the piece. And yet, it manages to convey a far stronger sense of dread than four-minute walls of noise performed by 60-piece orchestras for big name Hollywood movies. It's incredible, and I'm so thankful that you posted it amongst other examples!

One of the things I love about Piccolo's theme is how pliable (for lack of a better term) it is. It can be dark and ominous like in the Piccolo Daimao arc, or it can be used to set the mood of an exciting action scene.

I think versatile might be a more apt description, but I know what you mean. Like a lot of character themes in Dragon Ball (I noticed it with the multiple arrangements I heard of Gohan's theme from the first 20-something episodes I watched of Z early last year), Piccolo's theme can be arranged in so many ways to suit the various moods that the series goes through while still being recognizable as his theme. It's one of many things that I adore about Kikuchi's music for the original TV run, and something that hasn't been repeated since. (Do Kai and Super even have distinct character themes? I'm not being snooty or anything; I haven't watched much of either and genuinely don't know.)

[ABED]

Versatile is good, but I chose pliable because I was trying to get across that they made changes to the song. Versatile sounded like the same version (arrangement?) of the song fit a bunch of different situations. God I wish I was more knowledgeable about music to be able to communicate that point better.

[KBABZ]

Upa/Bora's theme has a weird boing effect that plays through it. Was that a common element in wuxia scores?

Are you talking about the Juice Harp? Yeah, that's certainly used a lot in a bunch of martial arts film soundtracks of the era - particularly for more lighter, comedic ones, though its used in more serious/dramatic scenes too - though Kikuchi's score for original/pre-Z Dragon Ball seems to really play it up more in a ton of his pieces for that series (its use is dialed way, way back by Z).

There was also this "bom" sound that played in several tracks, such as in the track when Goku and Krillin first remove their turtle shells. I really liked it!

Honestly even with how weird that boing sound effect is Upa’s theme is really beautiful. My second favorite Dragon Ball character theme after Piccolo

Agreed, although at the same time the show also liked to use it a LOT as it was the ONLY theme for both Upa and Bora. It's a great piece, but when it gets overused it becomes an immediately obvious sympathy play on the part of the score, and that takes me out of the moment. It would have been nice if there were a second version of the theme just to mix it up a little bit, one that was a little lighter in terms of the instrumentation.

Me and my friend were watching the Cell arc in Kai, and some of the emotional moments were ruined because the piece chosen for the replacement score had this ridiculous slide whistle that completely shattered the mood.

One of the things I love about Piccolo's theme is how pliable (for lack of a better term) it is. It can be dark and ominous like in the Piccolo Daimao arc, or it can be used to set the mood of an exciting action scene.

Or serve as a recap theme in Kai! Er wait...

And while Dragon Ball Classic wasn’t afraid to use Mystical Adventure as a motif, particularly for Goku, Dragon Soul instrumental seemed to play once an episode just so you didn’t forget what the opening sounded like.

I actually disagree. Maybe it's because I haven't seen the Cell Arc with the original Kai score, but I can only remember three places it played: The Dragon Ball recap, Goku on Snake Way, and Bulma using the Yunzabit spaceship to get to Jupiter. Of course, that doesn't count its use in the eyecatches, or the sum-up at the end of the Cell arc.

(speaking of which, anyone know where I can "acquire" the Yamamoto Cell arc? PM, obviously)

This music thread has also got me decided on something. Between the Japanese VAs and the better Kikuchi soundtrack, I've decided that I will buy the 30th Blu-Ray release of Z and finally, FINALLY watch the show subbed to see it all in its prime (I only own Z through Kai). Should help educate me on the original release of the show, and it'll mix things up in "rewatching" the Z portion that I'm now so familiar with through Kai, and I'll get to hear the new music too. I've always been curious as to how much Z re-uses material from the original anime in paticular; I remember catching one in one of the EoZ episodes on the web a while ago.

(I also intend to do the same with the movies so I can figure out what the movie-altered timeline might look like, haha)

[MasenkoHA]

Huh it’s been a while since I watched Kai but I genuinely remember Dragon Soul instrumental playing close to once an episode at least in the Saiyan saga.

Granted sometimes it felt like Kai only had 10 pieces of music in its library.

[KBABZ]

Huh it’s been a while since I watched Kai but I genuinely remember Dragon Soul instrumental playing close to once an episode at least in the Saiyan saga.

Granted sometimes it felt like Kai only had 10 pieces of music in its library.

Agreed, whichever score it had. Again why it's such a disappointment that when the Kikuchi score was subbed in, they went for a track match on Yamamoto's pieces rather than authentically putting the old ones in.

[Gligarman]

I Love Kukuchi's score! I listen to it all the time. The vibe I get is a combination of old-school martial arts films and Tokusatsu shows. Both inspired the series so it's only fitting.

[8000 Saiyan]

And while Dragon Ball Classic wasn’t afraid to use Mystical Adventure as a motif, particularly for Goku, Dragon Soul instrumental seemed to play once an episode just so you didn’t forget what the opening sounded like.

One of my (many) big problems with Kai was this. Dragon Soul would easily top my list of absolute WORST pieces of Dragon Ball music that aren't from FUNimation. Absolutely teeth-gnashingly unlistenable tune that calls to mind everything sappy, drippy, and sanctimoniously unbearable about 2000s Shonen drivel, and gives DB far, far too much of that kind of maudlin One Piece-esque tone.

So of course, Kai just HAD to lay that shit on SUPER thick in like practically every single episode, making an already bland-ified version of the series almost outright unwatchable at times.

What about "Yeah! Break! Care! Break!"? What do you think of that song? I find it kinda cheesy, but it's even cheesier in English.