Which one is Superior? Dragon Ball Z JP version or Dragon Ball Kai JP version?

[Champion Vic]

Which do you think is superior when it comes to voice acting as well as script and even the voices they changed?

[OmegaRockman]

The script is essentially the same between the two, though in Kai they did correct Gohan's Masenko when he accidentally called out Kamehameha. Steve Simmons' subtitle translations on the home releases read a bit more naturally in Kai, but the translations both perfectly good for both Z and Kai. Some of the acting in Japanese Kai is a drop from Japanese Z, but not by enough to say that Kai is bad. In fact, I personally find Ishizuka's Mr. Satan to be every bit as good as Gouri's, adding his own spin to make a distinct but equally good performance. The only clear advantage Z has over Kai is better music. Yamamoto is simply not as good as Kikuchi (and that's leaving the plagiarism aside), and while Kikuchi Kai is a lot better than people give it credit for and is a huge improvement on Yamamoto IMO (I particularly like the moment when Trunks kills Freeza in Kikuchi Kai), Z still has better variety and placement. Then there's the Sumitomo score in TFC, which even on its best days can't touch Kikuchi. Overall I like Kai better for its pacing, but if watching subbed Z is great as well. It really comes down to if you'd prefer better pacing or better music placement and slightly better performances from the main cast.

[MasenkoHA]

It’s universally agreed that the Japanese cast gave a better performance in Z, I don’t think you’ll find a single fan who will challenge that notion. In Kai many of them sound bored (“we said this shit 20 years ago” type thing) and some of them just sound older and tired. They’re not bad performances but definitely weaker.


The script is like 99 percent the same.

[Koitsukai]

I prefer the colouring and shading of DBZ. Kai reminds me of fanwork in that regard. Not because it's amateur or anything, but I just don't like it.

[Saiya6Cit]

I would say dragon ball Z because even though it has fillers it is the original and was made during the hype. DBZ Kai is like a reboot.

I know that the english version is much much better and the voice actors themselves suggest watching it but since you asked for japanese versions, well...

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

The Japanese cast's performances in Z were definitely superior to Kai, although Z can be a slog to get through at times. I'm rewatching Japanese Z on the Manga UK Blu-Rays, and was hoping to be done by now, but currently just starting the Freeza arc. Kai flows far better by comparison, as by the time I'd have watched a similar number of episodes I'd be well into the Cell arc. Kai isn't perfect though, as it can be too fast in parts as well, like the Saiyan arc. For future rewatches I may switch between Z and Kai as there are parts the former works better than the latter and vice versa.

[coola]

I also think, that save for Aya Hirano as Dende, almost every voice replacement was bad, especially Ginyu Force, Nappa and Old Kaioshin. From old VA, Cell and Vegeta were worse (especially Vegeta, he kept sounding like he had pack of Marlboro)

[KingVegetto]

Definitely prefer the original version, the re-animated scenes in Kai look quite bad and are distracting and the censored violence is a bit of a turn-off. The voice-acting is fine but not as good as in the original.

[GurixDr34]

I havent seen Dragon Ball Z in Japanese yet but i plan to watch Kai in Japanese since i think they cut some scenes in the episodes in the international versions i believe the best way to watch Kai is in Japanese but American fans definitely have to watch the Japanese version of Dragon Ball Z since in the US version they change the original soundtrack I'm from Mexico and the Latin American version has almost all the elements of the Japanese version i wont watch Kai in my language because its the cut version from Cartoon Network

[M16U3L2015]

Strictly in terms of voice acting and soundtrack, Z is superior in every way. The voice actors were at their best, and the soundtrack was much better placed than Kai. (Speaking only of the version with Kikuchi, Yamamoto's soundtrack was well placed).

The only advantage Kai has is its pacing (although it suffers from being too fast at times, the worst example being the Saiyan saga).

And even the argument for better pacing is questionable with The Final Chapters, and the difference with Z is not that great in terms of editing.

[Vegard Aune]

Script is 99.5% the same, voice acting is across the board stronger in Z, with several actors' voices sounding a lot more strained in Kai (Vegeta is like... It's hard to even square the fact that it's the same actor in both because Horikawa had just messed up his lungs something fierce in the years between), and while I don't think I actively disliked any of the recasts, I also can't say I think any of them were notably better than what came before. And then there's the music... Honestly even Yamamoto's score was underwhelmingly implemented to me, with a much smaller catalogue of tracks to choose from than what Z had. I won't comment on the Kikuchi replacements as I've only ever watched Kai with Yamamoto. And then of course there's the plagiarism... And Sumitomo, who was at his absolute worst in The Final Chapters.

Honestly I think the only respect wherein Kai is better is audio quality, but even there, if you use the fan recordings of the original broadcast audio, the gain in Kai is minimal.


...There are absolutely reasons to go for Kai, I feel like it is easily the more accessible option due to cutting a lot of the padding, and it has a far better English dub, but if one talks strictly about the Japanese audio track... Yeah nah, Z is better.

[Trouser]

The original version is superior. Seiyuu's were younger with more energy. Also, soundtrack by Kikuchi is just pure awesomeness. The only "bad" part is filler but it kind of gives a nice vibe and extra sauce to the whole series. And the OG cast just sounds better than the "newcomers" of DB franchise.

[GurixDr34]

Kai is only better in the Japanese version avoid the dubs and is the closest thing to seeing a true adaptation of Dragon Ball Z from the Manga i watch Kai in Japanese and Z in Latin American Spanish dub i would like to see both Z and the Original Dragon Ball Anime in Japanese someday

[Cold Skin]

I prefer Kai, with less filler, the story that progresses faster in each episode, the modern music that accompanies the scenes in a better way (when not replaced by old Kikuchi tracks), the modern opening/ending animations, etc.

It's a good update that renders the previous version obsolete to me overall. I don't feel the need to ever watch Z again, I'll always go for Kai.

[Scsigs]

Kai is only better in the Japanese version avoid the dubs and is the closest thing to seeing a true adaptation of Dragon Ball Z from the Manga i watch Kai in Japanese and Z in Latin American Spanish dub i would like to see both Z and the Original Dragon Ball Anime in Japanese someday.

Uh, I don't know if it's just a language barrier thing leaving you to not say everything as you meant it, but Kai is very good in English, I don't know what you mean by "avoid the dubs" for Kai since from what I know every dub of Kai is really good, doubly so if Z didn't get a good dub, like the English Z dubs.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Uh, I don't know if it's just a language barrier thing leaving you to not say everything as you meant it, but Kai is very good in English, I don't know what you mean by "avoid the dubs" for Kai since from what I know every dub of Kai is really good, doubly so if Z didn't get a good dub, like the English Z dubs.

As far as I'm aware the Latin American Spanish dub of Kai was a huge disappointment because of the change of cast, particularly Mario Castañeda as Goku, and the fact its based on the Nicktoons edit, so a lot of Latin American fans prefer Z.

The English dub is obviously a different story, but that's not the dub GurixDr34 is referring to.

[Scsigs]

As far as I'm aware the Latin American Spanish dub of Kai was a huge disappointment because of the change of cast, particularly Mario Castañeda as Goku, and the fact its based on the Nicktoons edit, so a lot of Latin American fans prefer Z.

The English dub is obviously a different story, but that's not the dub GurixDr34 is referring to.

The way he worded it, it read like he was saying avoid all dubs of Kai in general. I already knew that the Mexican Spanish dub was a disappointment due to the recastings, though.

[Tian]

As far as I'm aware the Latin American Spanish dub of Kai was a huge disappointment because of the change of cast, particularly Mario Castañeda as Goku, and the fact its based on the Nicktoons edit, so a lot of Latin American fans prefer Z.

It didn't really help that the most of the recasts were chosen through voice match from FUNimation voices. The most notable examples are Idzi Dutkiewicz's Piccolo being almost a goddamn carbon copy of Sabat's and Luis Fernando Orozco's raspy Trunks a la Eric Vale.

FUNimation voices and performances may (and I really mean, may) work for English audiences but not for Latin American audiences.