Did the anime consider another rebrand for the Buu arc?

[pixie_misa]

I wish I could remember where I saw or read this, I'm pretty sure it was an old thread on here, but supposedly in the early 90s there were rumors that the Dragon Ball anime would get another relaunch like it did when DBZ started, with "Dragon Ball ZZ" or "Dragon Ball Double Zed" being thrown around as a title.

Now while we obviously know this didn't pan out, the show *did* get a bit of a refresh, with the brand new opening theme and animation and some of the first new music done specifically for the anime (and not one of the movies) by Kikuchi in quite a while.

What I'm wondering is if there's any grain of truth to this rumor at all? Is there any evidence the anime staff might've been considering a second rebrand?

Does anyone who was around the fan scene in the early 90s remember these rumors? Was it a rumor in Japan at all?

What if this actually had come true, do you think it would've helped or hurt the franchise?

What do you think of the idea in general? Would you have preferred it?

Just wanting to see if this provokes any interesting discussion

[MasenkoHA]

While it probably should have, this is the first time I heard of this. Also Dragon Ball ZZ sounds fake as shit. I have a hard time buying that was a serious considered title even if the rebrand was.

[Yuji]

I can see the reasons why, but it would be an odd decision to rebrand the series for one arc. I wonder if they did end Z at Cell and started some a new series with Boo, would they end it with Oob or start GT immediately after within the same series?

[MasenkoHA]

I can see the reasons why, but it would be an odd decision to rebrand the series for one arc.

Yeah but that one arc is 92 episodes long, which is still longer than GT.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I can see the reasons why, but it would be an odd decision to rebrand the series for one arc.

Yeah but that one arc is 92 episodes long, which is still longer than GT.

It's also what Kai did with TFC, which while shorter than the original Boo arc still ended up longer than GT with 69 episodes.

Strangely enough I have a vague recollection of rumours about some sort of change for the Boo arc, but I don't recall the title "Dragon Ball ZZ" ever being thrown around. I was very young when Z was ending in Japan and didn't have internet access, so I'm only going off years of browsing this site and others.

That said, as iconic as it is the "Dragon Ball Z" branding was never needed to begin with, so another rebranding would have been even more redundant.

[Yuji]

I can see the reasons why, but it would be an odd decision to rebrand the series for one arc.

Yeah but that one arc is 92 episodes long, which is still longer than GT.

It's also what Kai did with TFC, which while shorter than the original Boo arc still ended up longer than GT with 69 episodes.

Strangely enough I have a vague recollection of rumours about some sort of change for the Boo arc, but I don't recall the title "Dragon Ball ZZ" ever being thrown around. I was very young when Z was ending in Japan and didn't have internet access, so I'm only going off years of browsing this site and others.

That said, as iconic as it is the "Dragon Ball Z" branding was never needed to begin with, so another rebranding would have been even more redundant.

Kai's rebranding was unintentional, though. It was the product of them continuing a cancelled series due to the demand. It wasn't an intentional rebrand decision like Z was for example.

[MyVisionity]

I would have enjoyed another rebranding, as I like anime rebrandings in general.

GT should still be GT though, as that show's identity is distinct enough to merit its own branding in my view.

[WittyUsername]

I’ve never heard this rumor before, but I have seen people argue that the Boo arc easily could’ve had a rebrand for the anime, which I can’t exactly argue with. At least Toei didn’t call it something like “Dragon Ball: The Next Generation,” because that would’ve been inaccurate in hindsight.

[Alruneia]

I don't think I've ever heard of this idea before, though it does make sense in a way. Purely in terms of "eras", you could easily consider the Buu arc to be the start of the "era" that Super is also a part of, so there wouldn't have been anything wrong with another rebrand... had it not been for Buu being the last part of the original Dragon Ball story, anyway.

About the OP thing, to me it seems like that's something Toei is pretty good at doing, intentionally or not. The last arc of DBZ got a new OP, the last arc of the DBS anime got a new OP, the last arc of Sailor Moon got a new OP... I'm not a Toei connoisseur, but I feel like there's some kind of trend going on there.

[MyVisionity]

About the OP thing, to me it seems like that's something Toei is pretty good at doing, intentionally or not. The last arc of DBZ got a new OP, the last arc of the DBS anime got a new OP, the last arc of Sailor Moon got a new OP... I'm not a Toei connoisseur, but I feel like there's some kind of trend going on there.

That's actually something that bugs me, about DBZ and Sailor Moon. I don't like how they both get brand new openings for the final sagas when the rest of the show was all one opening albeit with different versions. To me it comes off as careless and/or shortsighted.

Maybe if I thought it was intentional, like in recognition of them being the final arcs, then I could understand. But I doubt that was the case.

[ABED]

About the OP thing, to me it seems like that's something Toei is pretty good at doing, intentionally or not. The last arc of DBZ got a new OP, the last arc of the DBS anime got a new OP, the last arc of Sailor Moon got a new OP... I'm not a Toei connoisseur, but I feel like there's some kind of trend going on there.

That's actually something that bugs me, about DBZ and Sailor Moon. I don't like how they both get brand new openings for the final sagas when the rest of the show was all one opening albeit with different versions. To me it comes off as careless and/or shortsighted.

Maybe if I thought it was intentional, like in recognition of them being the final arcs, then I could understand. But I doubt that was the case.

How was that short sighted? After hundreds of episodes, it's nice to change things up.

[MyVisionity]

How was that short sighted? After hundreds of episodes, it's nice to change things up.

It's nice to change things up but not in the final saga. You don't introduce an entirely new opening when the show is about to end.

I guess you could argue that Toei didn't know that the manga would end there, but then maybe they should have just played it safe and stuck with the old one instead.

[MasenkoHA]

It's nice to change things up but not in the final saga. You don't introduce an entirely new opening when the show is about to end.

Why though? Sounds like a pretty arbitrary rule to me.

Also about to end? The Buu arc was another two years. That’s not “about to end” in terms of a new opening.

[WittyUsername]

How was that short sighted? After hundreds of episodes, it's nice to change things up.

It's nice to change things up but not in the final saga. You don't introduce an entirely new opening when the show is about to end.

I guess you could argue that Toei didn't know that the manga would end there, but then maybe they should have just played it safe and stuck with the old one instead.

The Boo arc features the biggest shifts to the status quo since the Saiyan arc. It made perfect sense to use a new opening by that point, especially since Toei was led to believe that Gohan would be the new protagonist moving forward.

[MyVisionity]

Also about to end? The Buu arc was another two years. That’s not “about to end” in terms of a new opening.

Two years maybe but still only one arc. A new opening that only lasts for one arc is inconsistent with everything that came before it. Yes, you *can* do something like that but should you? Especially in the final arc?

The Boo arc features the biggest shifts to the status quo since the Saiyan arc. It made perfect sense to use a new opening by that point, especially since Toei was led to believe that Gohan would be the new protagonist moving forward.

It only makes sense if you're gonna rebrand the series. The Saiyan arc does this. If you only just change the opening, then you are breaking with the established pattern set forth previously.

[MasenkoHA]

Two years maybe but still only one arc. A new opening that only lasts for one arc is inconsistent with everything that came before it. Yes, you *can* do something like that but should you? Especially in the final arc?

Yes. Why should it matter? You keep saying one arc but it really doesn’t matter if it was one arc or five arcs at 92 episodes it’s nearly the length of the Saiyan and Namek arcs combined. This isn’t a brand new opening they dolled out for the final 10 episodes of the show it was an opening that was used for 2 years in real time. Dragon Super also pulled out a new opening for its final arc did that bother you too?

I’m of the opinion they should have rebranded the show’s title (Dragon Ball Butoden?) since they did a rebranding everywhere else i.e new eyecatches, new op and ed, new title card music, new tv series specific music since the beginning of Z, but they didn’t and oh well.

If you only just change the opening, then you are breaking with the established pattern set forth previously.

Again, its a tv show. These arbitrary rules you pull out of your ass don’t mean anything. There’s no rule or law or expectation that a tv show can’t update its theme song.

[ABED]

You make it sound like the rule that you don't introduce a new vital character at the very end of the story because it runs the risk of deus ex machina. This is an intro song, and not the same thing at all.

[MyVisionity]

Dragon Super also pulled out a new opening for its final arc did that bother you too?

This is the modern era of anime, where they change openings within shows all time. The standards are different.

There’s no rule or law or expectation that a tv show can’t update its theme song.

The audience is the law. You have to do right by the audience and respect their expectations. Those expectations are informed by preestablished patterns. When you go against those patterns, you throw everything off.

You make it sound like the rule that you don't introduce a new vital character at the very end of the story because it runs the risk of deus ex machina. This is an intro song, and not the same thing at all.

An intro song is a part of a show's identity and thus very important. You can't be careless when handling a show's entire identity.

[ABED]

Dragon Super also pulled out a new opening for its final arc did that bother you too?

This is the modern era of anime, where they change openings within shows all time. The standards are different.

There’s no rule or law or expectation that a tv show can’t update its theme song.

The audience is the law. You have to do right by the audience and respect their expectations. Those expectations are informed by preestablished patterns. When you go against those patterns, you throw everything off.

You make it sound like the rule that you don't introduce a new vital character at the very end of the story because it runs the risk of deus ex machina. This is an intro song, and not the same thing at all.

An intro song is a part of a show's identity and thus very important. You can't be careless when handling a show's entire identity.

Respecting their expectations is vague. Sure, an intro song is important, but DB's intro song has changed before. A change doesn't equal being careless. I'm sure they took great care in coming up with something memorable and fitting. And going against audience expectations isn't a negative.

[MyVisionity]

All I know is that the Boo saga sticks out like a sore thumb and in large part due to its OP/ED. Whether or not it's a good or bad thing, many viewers will undoubtedly be left scratching their heads.