How much did the score change affect your opinion of Kai?

[dbzfan7]

The poorly Kikuchi (except for 96-98) kinda ruined Kai. I got rips with the Yamamoto score from 53-80 so I'm good. If only someone would rescore Yamamoto into 81-98.

[Metalwario64]

If you have no problem with this, then buy the Kikuchi version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqaBhnHgrmM

While there are moments with terrible music placement, I don't think it reflects the whole score. I think a couple of moments are superior to their Z placement, such as the "I am a Super Saiyan" scene, where I like that the new placement capitalizes on Goku's rage, rather than sounding triumphant like Z and Yamamoto's score did.


It's a definite downgrade, but I think overall it's still decent. Doesn't take away from the superior dub in the least for me, but it does make me prefer Z for the Japanese side of things.

[Saago]

I agree. This portrayal of the Kai replacement score as if it systematically put happy music in sad scenes and sad music in happy scenes is, at least in my experience, quite unfair. Admittedly, I haven't watched the whole series, but I have seen many scenes with the Kikuchi replacement score and they were, as a whole, perfectly serviceable. Definitely worse than the use of the score in Z, yes, but nothing as blatantly ludicrous as it is sometimes described. And nothing that should merit tracking outdated, out of print, more expensive sets just to avoid it for some episodes, if you ask me.

If we are to compare the experience to Dragon Ball Z, well, personally, I would say that having to deal with literally more than a hundred episodes worth of intertwined filler and cutaway scenes is much more damaging than the occasional poorly placed track.

[TheMightyOzaru]

If you have no problem with this, then buy the Kikuchi version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqaBhnHgrmM

Wow.... that was terrible!

[Weejus]

The UK broadcast of Kai used the Kikuchi score throughout its run, and while I can't say anything about the Yamamoto score since I've never heard it, I can say that the Kikuchi score feels like they plucked about 6 songs from Z and played them in a loop. Really does suck the emotion out of it. Still enjoyed Kai, though.

[kei17]

Haha, true, but the ending would be the reason I made use of the word "borderline." The beginning and middle were flawless, and then it is a teeny bit weird that it continues to play hopeful music after the Kamehameha is blown off. Not weird enough for me to consider it a bad music placement, but just weird enough to be noted.

And it is weird enough for me to dislike it. Anyway, if I were in charge of music placement for Kai, it would be like this. http://youtu.be/F7JKE0yynLA

[Jackal puFF]

If you have no problem with this, then buy the Kikuchi version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqaBhnHgrmM

Wow, the truth hurts.

How is the score placement in Parts 5-8? Does it get any better? (Can it get any worse?)

Whoa.. that was the weirdest music placement ever. Hm.. I don't know if I can say it gets better than that but it's way more fitting.

They really play the same song over and over again in parts 5-8 I feel. That to me seems to be the only problem I have.

The only really bad music placement is when Trunks arrives to fight Frieza.. It's so awkward.

[90sDBZ]

Kikuchi is repetitive in Kai but I can still look past that because of the great performances. And it's still not as repetitive as the Westwood Z score. And I actually feel like they improved the Spirit Bomb episode on Namek compared to Japanese Z by using the Spirit Bomb theme from movie 7 instead of the generic music Kikuchi used originally.

[penguintruth]

It's true that the example provided from the Saiyan arc is pretty poor placement of Kikuchi's music, but I submit this as a counter example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM9SlgWRqgo

[Metalwario64]

And I actually feel like they improved the Spirit Bomb episode on Namek compared to Japanese Z by using the Spirit Bomb theme from movie 7 instead of the generic music Kikuchi used originally.

That "generic music" is the movie 3 Spirit Bomb theme.

I agree though, the movie 7 theme is my favorite one.

[KentalSSJ6]

It's true that the example provided from the Saiyan arc is pretty poor placement of Kikuchi's music, but I submit this as a counter example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM9SlgWRqgo

I still cant watch that scene without the Ginyu Transformation theme playing in my head.

[sangofe]

Okay, so I'm thinking of picking up Kai on Blu-Ray soon, but I'm not sure because of how much stick I've heard people give the Kikuchi score. Is the score placement really that bad? Should I avoid any home release of Kai?

This is highly subjective, but personally, if the French dub hadn't been really good, I would never had picked it up because of the lousy job done with the Kikuchi replacement score...

[G1GACANN0N]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HTSgfx5HE

Did Yamamoto compose this? IMO best music in DBZ ever.

Still love Kikuchi but in Kai it's too repetitive.

[kei17]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HTSgfx5HE

Did Yamamoto compose this? IMO best music in DBZ ever.

That's not his.

[JulieYBM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HTSgfx5HE

Did Yamamoto compose this? IMO best music in DBZ ever.

Still love Kikuchi but in Kai it's too repetitive.

Check the Kanzenshuu Theme Guide to find out who composed which song.

[G1GACANN0N]

Odd that none of the American or Ocean openings are shown in the themes guide...nor the shred guitar movie intro.

[Metalwario64]

Odd that none of the American or Ocean openings are shown in the themes guide...nor the shred guitar movie intro.

Not really, considering the site specifically focuses on the Japanese version.

[90sDBZ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HTSgfx5HE

Did Yamamoto compose this? IMO best music in DBZ ever.

Still love Kikuchi but in Kai it's too repetitive.

That's probably my favourite music in Kai . I wish there'd have been more like that actually. It suits the show much better than Kikuchi's stuff in my opinion.

[G1GACANN0N]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HTSgfx5HE

Did Yamamoto compose this? IMO best music in DBZ ever.

Still love Kikuchi but in Kai it's too repetitive.

That's probably my favourite music in Kai . I wish there'd have been more like that actually. It suits the show much better than Kikuchi's stuff in my opinion.

Since that wasn't a Yamamoto piece, I'm not sure why they took it out in the replacement score versions...they left in the Ginyu theme and one or two other rock tunes, but took Super Dragon Soul out for some reason. I was watching Goku turn SSJ for the first time and was shocked to not hear it. That was a really underwhelming Kikuchi placement in Kai.

THIS is perfection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnS-0XdLfks (nice with Yamamoto+Faulconer).

THIS is awesome too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYEXzgkZeyE (Trunks vs Frieza/King Cold)

[90sDBZ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HTSgfx5HE

Did Yamamoto compose this? IMO best music in DBZ ever.

Still love Kikuchi but in Kai it's too repetitive.

That's probably my favourite music in Kai . I wish there'd have been more like that actually. It suits the show much better than Kikuchi's stuff in my opinion.

Since that wasn't a Yamamoto piece, I'm not sure why they took it out in the replacement score versions...they left in the Ginyu theme and one or two other rock tunes, but took Super Dragon Soul out for some reason. I was watching Goku turn SSJ for the first time and was shocked to not hear it. That was a really underwhelming Kikuchi placement in Kai.

THIS is perfection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnS-0XdLfks (nice with Yamamoto+Faulconer).

THIS is awesome too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYEXzgkZeyE (Trunks vs Freeza/King Cold)

They actually left in Super Dragon Soul in the replacement version for the scene were he comes out of the healing chamber. I didn't realise it ever played for him going Super Saiyan.