Why do North American fans say Kai has no blood in it?

[JEFFMAN219]

Why do a lot of people on youtube keep saying that Kai is the kiddy version of DBZ and that the show has no blood in it?

[TheBlackPaladin]

Why do a lot of people on youtube keep saying that Kai is the kiddy version of DBZ and that the show has no blood in it?

Because a lot of the more casual fans are not aware of several things that regular Dragon Ball fans are. I don't look down on them, as there is no law stating that people need to be familiar with the various English dubs of Dragon Ball-related shows. However, there are nevertheless many, many casual fans who are not informed of several key facts. Namely...

-That the versions shown on Nicktoons and the CW4Kids/Vortexx are edited.
-That there is an uncut home video release of Kai available (and FUNimation has not helped that cause by failing to mention in all of their commercials for Kai that it is uncut on home video).
-That the Toonami airing was edited.

Because Kai is visually edited on the TV networks that air it, the more casual fans make the assumption that everything about Kai is a censored, edited effort to make the show more watchable for younger audiences, including the dialogue.

The best thing you can do is politely explain that there is an uncut home video release with the blood they are used to and much more mature dialogue than the original DBZ dub ever had. Some will doubt you (I had one fan accuse me of making it up), but others won't. I've converted a few people into Kai fans by pointing this out.

[JEFFMAN219]

Why do a lot of people on youtube keep saying that Kai is the kiddy version of DBZ and that the show has no blood in it?

Because a lot of the more casual fans are not aware of several things that regular Dragon Ball fans are. I don't look down on them, as there is no law stating that people need to be familiar with the various English dubs of Dragon Ball-related shows. However, there are nevertheless many, many casual fans who are not informed of several key facts. Namely...

-That the versions shown on Nicktoons and the CW4Kids/Vortexx are edited.
-That there is an uncut home video release of Kai available (and FUNimation has not helped that cause by failing to mention in all of their commercials for Kai that it is uncut on home video).
-That the Toonami airing was edited.

Because Kai is visually edited on the TV networks that air it, the more casual fans make the assumption that everything about Kai is a censored, edited effort to make the show more watchable for younger audiences, including the dialogue.

The best thing you can do is politely explain that there is an uncut home video release with the blood they are used to and much more mature dialogue than the original DBZ dub ever had. Some will doubt you (I had one fan accuse me of making it up), but others won't. I've converted a few people into Kai fans by pointing this out.

Lool I tried to explain to some of them but they just won't listen.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Why do a lot of people on youtube keep saying that Kai is the kiddy version of DBZ and that the show has no blood in it?

Because a lot of the more casual fans are not aware of several things that regular Dragon Ball fans are. I don't look down on them, as there is no law stating that people need to be familiar with the various English dubs of Dragon Ball-related shows. However, there are nevertheless many, many casual fans who are not informed of several key facts. Namely...

-That the versions shown on Nicktoons and the CW4Kids/Vortexx are edited.
-That there is an uncut home video release of Kai available (and FUNimation has not helped that cause by failing to mention in all of their commercials for Kai that it is uncut on home video).
-That the Toonami airing was edited.

Because Kai is visually edited on the TV networks that air it, the more casual fans make the assumption that everything about Kai is a censored, edited effort to make the show more watchable for younger audiences, including the dialogue.

The best thing you can do is politely explain that there is an uncut home video release with the blood they are used to and much more mature dialogue than the original DBZ dub ever had. Some will doubt you (I had one fan accuse me of making it up), but others won't. I've converted a few people into Kai fans by pointing this out.

Lool I tried to explain to some of them but they just won't listen.

Yeah well, like I said, some won't. As long as you were polite about it, you did nothing wrong.

However, I would like to add one more thing to the list of misconceptions about Kai, that actually applies to us regular fans: a lot of us regular fans make the assumption that casual fans know what we know. Because of this misconception, it has encouraged something of a team/gang mentality, ie, "Are you on the Kai team or the DBZ team?" Some fans are so stuck in that mentality that they fail to recognize when another, more informed fan is not trying to win an argument, but rather, reaching out to them to show them another side of the story.

We need to keep in mind that that the casual fans have reasons for having the misconceptions that they do. Like I mentioned earlier, I think FUNimation is partially to blame for not clearing the confusion up. So it's not as though they all know what we know and, knowing what we know, came to the conclusion that the DBZ dub is superior. They reached that conclusion because of misconceptions that, if we politely clear up, could very well lead them to reach a different conclusion.

[90sDBZ]

To be fair, even though an uncut version of Kai exists it still has some instances were blood has been removed due to the stricter censorship in Japan. It's ironic how Uncut Kai's script goes out of its way to make the show seem more adult and hardcore with regular use of swear words but Kai is still considered to be the kiddy version.

[TheBlackPaladin]

To be fair, even though an uncut version of Kai exists it still has some instances were blood has been removed due to the stricter censorship in Japan.

Well, that's kinda tricky...it depends on how you look at it. If we look at Kai as its own show--which is how FUNimation and Toei are treating it--then strictly speaking, no blood was "removed." That's just how the show was animated. So, if you take the word "uncut" to mean that nothing has been visually censored from the original Japanese TV broadcast of Kai, then the term "uncut" still does apply to FUNimation's home video release. If, however, we look at Kai as an alternative version of DBZ--which is how pretty much everybody other than FUNimation and Toei are treating it--then yes, some blood was removed. Which is unfortunate in and of itself, but it's also unfortunate because it has fueled the misconception of FUNimation's release of Kai being edited in all forms, home video included.

Honestly though, the only memorable instance that I can think of with regard to this censorship was the ever-so-bloody scene when Piccolo kills Goku and Raditz with the makankosappo. I know there were other instances, but that's the only one I remember off the top of my head, so I don't think much else was censored.

It's ironic how Uncut Kai's script goes out of its way to make the show seem more adult and hardcore with regular use of swear words but Kai is still considered to be the kiddy version.

Agreed and then some! It's especially ironic on a number of levels when I see some fans saying that Kai "feels like such a changed show, it bears no resemblance to the show I originally watched and loved." How's that for ironic?

[TheGmGoken]

To be fair, even though an uncut version of Kai exists it still has some instances were blood has been removed due to the stricter censorship in Japan. It's ironic how Uncut Kai's script goes out of its way to make the show seem more adult and hardcore with regular use of swear words but Kai is still considered to be the kiddy version.

To be fair. Lots of blood edits is where there's also lack of blood in manga. Also what do you that it tries to be for Adult and hardcore? Multiple anime dubs meant for kids swear regularly. Not just Db.

[90sDBZ]

To be fair, even though an uncut version of Kai exists it still has some instances were blood has been removed due to the stricter censorship in Japan. It's ironic how Uncut Kai's script goes out of its way to make the show seem more adult and hardcore with regular use of swear words but Kai is still considered to be the kiddy version.

To be fair. Lots of blood edits is where there's also lack of blood in manga. Also what do you that it tries to be for Adult and hardcore? Multiple anime dubs meant for kids swear regularly. Not just Db.

It adds in swearing were there was none even in the Japanese version or manga. Like frequent use of the word "Bastard". I don't have a big problem with it as it sort of adds extra weight to the scene were Goku transforms but it is pretty clear they were going out of their way to say "This isn't a kids show".

@TheBlackPaladin I may be wrong on this but I think blood was also removed from Vegeta's death.

[MR.Mark]

Just seems like another nostalgic driven attempt to find ammunition against Kai. Yes, in many ways Kai was cheaply produced, but uh, Guess what, so was Z. There was no artistic vision behind at least 90% of the filler produced for the Z version of the anime. The horrible pacing in no shape or form, is better than Kai, the jpn performances in the Z version is the only redeeming factor. Which becomes a non issue if you can live with Kai's highly enjoyable, WAY superior to Z English dub.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

Why are people(by people I mean the Kai haters etc) hell bent on having blood in anime?
I hate when anime has blood in it. Which is one of the reason's I love Fairy Tail so much. Then again DB/Z has hardly any blood in there as opposed to the likes of Bleach.
So, yeah I really don't see the fuss in having blood.

[Valerius Dover]

What bugs me about them is that they're incredibly hypocritical. The Z dub was censored on TV, uncut on DVD. So is the Kai dub. Why is so hard for them to understand that?

[TheGmGoken]

To be fair, even though an uncut version of Kai exists it still has some instances were blood has been removed due to the stricter censorship in Japan. It's ironic how Uncut Kai's script goes out of its way to make the show seem more adult and hardcore with regular use of swear words but Kai is still considered to be the kiddy version.

To be fair. Lots of blood edits is where there's also lack of blood in manga. Also what do you that it tries to be for Adult and hardcore? Multiple anime dubs meant for kids swear regularly. Not just Db.

It adds in swearing were there was none even in the Japanese version or manga. Like frequent use of the word "Bastard". I don't have a big problem with it as it sort of adds extra weight to the scene were Goku transforms but it is pretty clear they were going out of their way to say "This isn't a kids show".

@TheBlackPaladin I may be wrong on this but I think blood was also removed from Vegeta's death.

Like I said multiple dubs do they on kids anime. Don't see how they're making it seem like it's for adults when they're dubbing it just like any other anime.

[TheBlackPaladin]

What bugs me about them is that they're incredibly hypocritical. The Z dub was censored on TV, uncut on DVD. So is the Kai dub. Why is so hard for them to understand that?

As I mentioned earlier, this is likely because they don't know. They don't know Z was censored on TV and uncut on DVD, just like they don't know that Kai is censored on TV and uncut on DVD. It's not hypocrisy so much as it is a lack of information. And I would again respectfully submit that FUNimation could have done better job at explaining this to fans, as not one of their commercials for Kai mention that it is uncut on home video.

Why are people(by people I mean the Kai haters etc) hell bent on having blood in anime?

I'd like to preface this by saying that while I understand why said Kai-haters are hell-bent on having blood in anime, I don't agree. But with that out of the way, it's not so much an issue of blood present so much as it is blood removed. The Kai-hating fans saw DBZ, which had blood in it, and now they saw Kai which, on TV, had no blood in it. So, many fans assume that when blood is removed, it essentially amounts to the powers-that-be (be it the dubbing company or the original animation company) telling fans that they aren't mature enough to handle it. They see it as though they're being told, "Alright little kiddies, that's blood, and blood is baaad, only the big kids get to see blood." They see it as an insult to their intelligence and maturity. Again, I would respectfully submit that those fans are misinterpreting both the facts and the intention of the censorship, but I believe that's their psychology behind their determination to have blood in the anime.

[DBZAOTA482]

It adds in swearing were there was none even in the Japanese version or manga. Like frequent use of the word "Bastard". I don't have a big problem with it as it sort of adds extra weight to the scene were Goku transforms but it is pretty clear they were going out of their way to say "This isn't a kids show".

Let's not forget "damn" and "hell". Might as well have "ass" in it or drop a f-bomb while they're at it.

[Hellspawn28]

Some fans blinded by nostalgia where they forget that DBZ was edited on Toonami as well. They see blood and they are like "OMG BLOOD!!! THIS IS NOT FOR KIDS! THIS IS A DARK AND GRITTY SHOW FOR ADULTS!!!".

[90sDBZ]

Well in fairness the tv cuts for Z were nowhere near as severe as TV Kai. Okay the Nicktoons/Kix! version isn't that bad overall (it got better after the Saiyan saga) but then you have the Vortexx version which had the most ridiculous and pointless cuts like Shenron being removed.

With that said I can sort of see how Funi might have had a dilemma with the marketing. They were advertising it as a condensed version of Z with stuff removed so if they were to also say "Uncut" that would sound confusing to those with limited knowledge of Kai.

[Flame Dragon]

Any excuse is good to praise the old Funi dub and bash the Kai dub.

I feel some fans are even aware of the Uncut version, they just want to bash Kai because of "No-Faulconer, No-Mondo Cool"

[TheBlackPaladin]

They were advertising it as a condensed version of Z with stuff removed so if they were to also say "Uncut" that would sound confusing to those with limited knowledge of Kai.

For a while, I wondered if it was for precisely this reason that they avoided the use of the word "uncut." However, their volume and season box sets (especially their earlier ones) often have a sticker noting that it's uncut, and in many cases the back cover notes that it's uncut. However, let's be honest for a moment...nowadays, it's difficult to get people to read those. Casual fans who only watch the commercials would have little if any reason to believe the home video release was uncut.

[TheWhiz]

To be fair, even though an uncut version of Kai exists it still has some instances were blood has been removed due to the stricter censorship in Japan. It's ironic how Uncut Kai's script goes out of its way to make the show seem more adult and hardcore with regular use of swear words but Kai is still considered to be the kiddy version.

To be fair. Lots of blood edits is where there's also lack of blood in manga. Also what do you that it tries to be for Adult and hardcore? Multiple anime dubs meant for kids swear regularly. Not just Db.

It adds in swearing were there was none even in the Japanese version or manga. Like frequent use of the word "Bastard". I don't have a big problem with it as it sort of adds extra weight to the scene were Goku transforms but it is pretty clear they were going out of their way to say "This isn't a kids show".

@TheBlackPaladin I may be wrong on this but I think blood was also removed from Vegeta's death.

Regarding the scene where Vegeta is peirced by Freeza's death beam, there were two instances, in the original japanese version where he coughed up blood. Yeah in Kai, Toei did edit it out. My memory is little bit fuzzy right now but I'm not sure if there was a similar instance, in the the original FUNi 99-00 in house dub where FUNimation did the same thing. Might have to get a hold of FUNi's original dub footage of the Freeza arc, and compare it alongside the Japanese version(Dragonbox) & Kai.

[TheWhiz]

What bugs me about them is that they're incredibly hypocritical. The Z dub was censored on TV, uncut on DVD. So is the Kai dub. Why is so hard for them to understand that?

Glad I'm not the only one that actually noticed this.