DragonBall Kai BGM Documentation

[kenisu3000]

Some time ago, even before DragonBall Kai began airing, SSj_Rambo began a project to document the music by episode. But without any OST releases at the time to make clear what songs are what, and lay the groundwork, things quickly got out of hand. The project fell on the backburner until further notice. However, volume 1 of the Original Soundtrack has since been released, and now, Rambo and I are collaborating to finish what he started.

So take a look: We're all up to speed.

DB Kai's soundtrack is composed by Kenji Yamamoto, and sounds very strange to the ears of veteran fans, who are more familiar with the work of Shunsuke Kikuchi; and not many are willing to accept it as part of the DragonBall universe. I for one was fighting it tooth and nail, scared to death people would bin Kikuchi's dated score and embrace Yamamoto's fresh new sound (and thereby kill any fan enthusiasm that would have otherwise paved the way for any future OSTs from Kikuchi). But as time went on and the music grew on me (though it still occasionally showed up in the episodes in ways that felt unnatural and unfitting of whatever scene it tried to back up), I realized I could enjoy this almost as much as the old score.

You'll notice that, including the alternates of the vol. 1 pieces, there's almost enough unreleased pieces already to merit a second OST. And unlike with the previous three series, none of the unreleased pieces gave me too much trouble in identifying, with the exception perhaps of "Lords Of The Afterlife", which is either two or three different takes on the same composition, or one composition rolled into one. They don't seem to have used the full, unedited version of it in the episodes yet, so we don't know.
My personal favorite of these, and the one I'm vying most for to be on OST vol. 2, is a gorgeous piano/strings orchestra combo which has only been used twice so far: In episode 17 when the full weight of the loss of the DragonBalls crashes in on Bulma, and again in the very next episode, when Gohan pleads for permission to travel to Namek. This theme is simply and beautifully heart-shattering. I've fan-dubbed it "They Can Never Come Back."

I've actually been getting quite a few emails lately from different people wondering when I'm going to finish my documentation for DBZ, but rest assured, I'm still working on it. I've been updating more frequently recently, and am at the beginning of the Androids saga.

[Super 17]

My personal favorite of these, and the one I'm vying most for to be on OST vol. 2, is a gorgeous piano/strings orchestra combo which has only been used twice so far: In episode 17 when the full weight of the loss of the DragonBalls crashes in on Bulma, and again in the very next episode, when Gohan pleads for permission to travel to Namek. This theme is simply and beautifully heart-shattering. I've fan-dubbed it "They Can Never Come Back."

That was the first BGM that I was looking when the DBkai soundtrack came out, and I was sad. . I think it might show up in the 2nd volume. That tune is so incredibly great. I'm a sucker for the sad bgm's. By the way, holy shit, thats a lot of alternate BGM's. Keep it up you two with the DBkai documentation.