Kai Episode 1 (05 April 2009)

Super Ghost Kamikaze · Post by **Super Ghost Kamikaze** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:04 pm

When I watched Dragon Ball first, it was on at 7 AM.

I watched it because it ran right before Pokemon.

Kai runs before One Piece, the big kids' show in Japan right now. Don't ignore the power of that boost.

obiwan23s · Post by **obiwan23s** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:11 pm

Forgotten Hero wrote:
Kunzait_83 wrote:Epic Quote
Holy fucka Moses! That totally killed my review. You said exactly what some people wouldn't dare to say. I felt rushed too or at least miss cued like you said. Kai is great for me, but it's not perfect for sure.

I didn't think Kai was rushed at all, and it certainly wasn't "racing to the finish line" like that Hunter S. Thompson up there suggested.

Rory · Post by **Rory** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:14 pm

Tsukento wrote:Found a few comparison shots over at 4chan.

Lies. Productive things do not happen at 4chan.

jjgp1112 · Post by **jjgp1112** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:24 pm

Rory wrote:
Tsukento wrote:Found a few comparison shots over at 4chan.
Lies. Productive things do not happen at /b/.

Fixed.

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:28 pm

alakazam^ wrote:- Could it be that the fact that some of us did watch it "live" would raise the audience rate?

I don't think it works that way if you watch over the internet, but I don't know for sure.

- What's the difference between airing on Sundays at 9am or airing on Wednesdays at 7pm? Aren't both "power hours"?

Sunday at 9am = kids
Wednesday at 7pm = all demographics

- Did anyone notice something strange when Chichi was asking Goku about Gohan? I'm referring to the scene where she is walking from the left of the screen and there seems to be... "something" near her hair. Could someone provide a screenshot from Kai?

Don't have a screen shot, but it looks like a spot of light flaring off the animation cel. It usually happens if the cels are not perfectly flat, or maybe the light caught the edge of the glass just wrong, who knows. This is just my guess, though, it could be something from much later down the line (film development or even during remastering).

Tsukento · Post by **Tsukento** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:30 pm

Super Ghost Kamikaze wrote:Kai runs before One Piece, the big kids' show in Japan right now. Don't ignore the power of that boost.

Boy, you best not be insisting that OP is more "mature" than Dragon Ball. Cause they're on the same level of awesome kids shows.

jjgp1112 wrote:Fixed.

Truth. I found 'em on /a/.

Super Ghost Kamikaze · Post by **Super Ghost Kamikaze** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:33 pm

Tsukento wrote: Boy, you best not be insisting that OP is more "mature" than Dragon Ball. Cause they're on the same level of awesome kids shows.

...bwah?

I said that One Piece is the big kid's show in Japan right now. That it's the kind of thing like what I got up at 7 AM to watch when I was six. If I was insinuating anything of the sort(which I wasn't), it would be that One Piece is MORE immature and childish.

Besides, I'm not fond of One Piece myself anyway.

Zenkai Power · Post by **Zenkai Power** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:18 pm

So I finally watched episode one. I have no real problems with it. I felt the pacing was fine. I felt the touch-ups were BARELY noticeable and it does look better... but the jump from that FINE FINE animation of the OP to the 20 year old animation is quite a big jump lol. I guess now I see just how old DBZ is haha. It still makes me wish they had just re-animated it everytime I see new animation. I hope they change the OP for different "sagas" if you wanna call 'em that. So that we can see some SSJ Goku fighting Frieza and etc. Just because I love the new animation so muuuch.

The new music is also great IMO. I loved it. I thought it was different but still felt Dragonball-ish. Again, I wish they'd re-animated it with the new music too lol.

I know some of you think it's being ungrateful or something to TOEI or whatever. Yeah well, I'm glad they're doing this but I still wish I'd gotten a little more out of DB Kai than mainly remastered HD footage. I'm more excited at the possibilities this might lead to... like new games, new movies or possibly even a new series. But I can't help but imagine how cool it would have been if they had just re-animated the show. I mean come on. You're all thinking the same thing.

But DB Kai. Pretty cool for what it is I suppose.

MCDaveG · Post by **MCDaveG** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:29 pm

I think that openings will be tematically about the 4 Sagas. Now it's Vegeta/Saiyans, then will be Freeza/Namek, Cell/Androids and last Majin Buu

Tsukento · Post by **Tsukento** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:00 pm

Well, the opening and ending does show some Freeza saga stuff. If they choose to keep the songs, I imagine they'll just do what they did with CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA and switch up the animations with updates.

Milton · Post by **Milton** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:02 pm

Got to watch it last night via YouTube. Some thoughts:

- felt a tad bit rushed, but honestly, I've been so used to the pacing of the original series that that could have something to do with it.

- Hiromi Tsuru really phoned it in. Everyone else sounded great, but she was just NOT into voicing her character again.

- the color is SOOOO damn nice! I could give a hoot how old the animation looks, they did such a nice job making the colors more vibrant.

- I actually enjoyed the BGM. For the most part, they kept it in the spirit of the original series while adding a new touch to it. In particular, I loved the music for the next episode preview.

- the new opening and ending themes are sort of catchy. Had to chuckle at "Paradice" in the lyrics to Dragon Soul, though. I dunno...it'll be pretty hard for these songs to replace Cha-La and Zenkai Power for me.

- the new animation in the opening and ending made me sad. I want MOAR!

Bottom line, it'll be interesting to see how the series progresses. Hoping for the inevitable Blu-Ray release, too.

Sentou Ryoku · Post by **Sentou Ryoku** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:20 pm

Any word on whether Vegeta's messed up color scheme will be corrected in his upcoming debut episode?

Also, Hiromi Tsuru's Bulma sounded so bored...I mean damn, she's supposed to sound angry about Yamcha and it just came off as if she's just deadpanning her lines.

SonEric84 · Post by **SonEric84** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:47 pm

Oh man, I'm definitely going to check this out when I get home. The new animation in the opening is pretty sweet. Damn not having speakers on this computer at work.

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:51 pm

Nothing will ever truly "replace" Cha-La and We Gotta Power as openings, so I'll do my best to not hold these new songs to such a standard.

Kunzait_83 · Post by **Kunzait_83** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:52 pm

Super Ghost Kamikaze · Post by **Super Ghost Kamikaze** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:33 pm

One thing I notice every time I watch is that every time Raditz flies away and Piccolo looks up in shock, basically the top half of his face is gone. What happened there? Are his eyes not supposed to be in the shot? Is his mouth the focus?

Son Wukong · Post by **Son Wukong** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:35 pm

SeiferA wrote:I'm gonna have to side with the dozens in the group and agree that Bulma's seiyuu was probably the weakest link in the entire cast. I'm sure it's cause of her age as to why she isn't really giving a performance, but then again you look at Masako Nozawa and wonder if that's a feasible excuse (then yet AGAIN, she IS a pro at being a seiyuu)...

It really is only that part where she gets mad over Yamucha and should have had an itsy bitsy more pitched voiced. But the rest is not bad AT ALL. Other than that it really is just one episode you are basing this one.

Hero 004 · Post by **Hero 004** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:50 pm

I have some more thoughts after re-watching in HD.

I was able to notice just how much the sound and music has shifted. Unlike the picture which is an improvement, the audio is an alternative to the original. It's more big and cinematic (i.e. right after Raditz flies away from Piccolo), and like someone mentioned earlier, pop sounding.
I wouldn't give up the original, full screen Dragon Ball Z for any version because it's my preference overall, but it's really cool to have an alternate version of the series with these refreshments to fit 2009.
Just a supplement to my previous thoughts.

Rod · Post by **Rod** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:56 pm

Taught about it, the reason I didn't find it rushed was, I think, because I've read the manga a lot, and I haven't watched the anime as much, so the pacing felt fine with me

ShinRogafuken · Post by **ShinRogafuken** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:57 pm

Is there a false rumor going around that DBKai is going to end at the Freeza Saga?

Several people have commented on my DBKai Episode 1 Review over at YouTube saying this.