Toriko Takes DBK's Slot On April 3 (Kai Ends with Cell)

[JulieYBM]

Something to not forget is we don't know how many 'seasons' of Toriko have been ordered. It could just be a twenty-six episode season, although that beckons the question of "why bother now?"

The Toriko comic that runs in Weekly Shônen JUMP is only up to 112 chapters, so Toei might just adapt a certain portion of those, take a break, and then wait for the comic to get further ahead by running Dragon Ball Kai's Majin Boo arc.

[Taku128]

If Kai really does end I hope FUNimation produces the Boo arc themselves. Since Kai is just recycling the old animation I'd have to imagine the cost of dubbing the show is what's making it unprofitable, so FUNimation would just pay Toei to edit, "animate", and score the show, and then FUNi would dub it and release dub only DVDs and Blu-rays. It couldn't cost too much for FUNi, and I'd imagine they'd easily make their money back on DVD/Blu-ray sales and TV airings.

[Codarik]

If they canceled Kai after Cell's defeat, I would cry and be severely pissed, lol. The Buu arc is my favorite and I've been waiting patiently for Kai to get there.

I have to agree with anyone else who says they are likely to move it to a different time/day.

[Chuquita]

That'd be awful if Kai never gets to the Buu arc!

I hope they just move it to a different day.

[Hujio]

Like I said in my update, Kai is still up in the air. There's no mention of it in that picture, but I'm sure Fuji TV knows what they're going to do with it, we just don't know yet.

Here are our options:

• the series will be relocated to a different time slot on Fuji TV
• the series will be put on a long-term hiatus
• the series will be canceled all together

Any one of them is possible at this point. We can speculate all we want, which is what we DragonBall fans do best, but until there's any confirmation from Fuji TV or Toei as to what's going on, we have absolutely no idea. It should be an interesting couple of months...

[Mewzard]

Why does a changed timeslot mean death?

And I refuse, absolutely refuse, to believe that Toei isn't making a massive profit on Kai between TV, DVD, Blu Ray, and International Licensing Fees (there is no way their half assed clean up job and new songs is costing more than any brand new anime, and, to my knowledge, has ratings better than the average anime).

Unless the original voice actors are charging out the ass AND AKB-48 has Toei's arm and both legs, I can't believe it.'

Even if it does get canceled, there's no way Funi would let it end there. They'd pay Toei to continue it just for America if they had to. DB is their cashcow.

[penguintruth]

Why would they cancel it outright? Isn't Dragon Ball-related stuff still a license to print money in Japan?

[Cipher]

One would think they'd fear for international sales if they end it at the Cell arc. I'd certainly expect Funimation's sales to drop, for example, if fans caught wind they were collecting an "incomplete" release before it's finished.

Even if it is only marginally profitable domestically, it really seems like they'd be shooting themselves in the foot in a lot of ways to cancel it. But who knows? I'm not particularly inclined to care either way.

[MR.Mark]

Lots of paranoia in fandom, I don't believe for a second Kai is canceled.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

Hmm, I wish there was like a conch shell you can blow and WatedWisher would appear. He might be able to shed a little light on what's happening.

Well, here is what I was thinking might be going on...

Instead of creating filler material for Toriko, they might wait until that anime\manga gap gets really close, then play the rest of DragonBall Kai to buy some time. I mean, those episodes after the Cell arc happen a few years later so, perhaps they want the audience to get a real sense of time passing....?

[Daimo-Rukiri]

I don't believe Kai is cancelled, but seriously.. it HAS been close to 2 years since Kai first aired and has continued to air, their's bound to be some hiatus and the cell arc is probably the perfect place to do this.. This also sucks cause FUNIs dub would be finished next summer..
The Boo arc wasn't filler.. don't end it toei! Or at least make a kai version of Dragon Ball than!!

Sent an e-mail to Toei, hopefully they'll answer..

Hello, I see Toriko will take Dragon Ball Kai's time slot next April. And a lot of fans are wondering if Kai is ending after the Cell arc or is it taking a long hiatus? We want the series to continue and end where the manga has ended as it'd be a shame to end it after the Cell Games.

- Erick

[Hujio]

Let's calm down a little bit people. We can't just go jumping to the conclusion that the series is canceled. We have no idea what's happening behind the scenes. Although, when we asked Mitsuya Yuuji about Kai at Otakon this last July, he did note that not only could they not afford him, but the director (Nowatari Yasuhiro) wasn't even sure if Kai would go on to the Buu arc. So I guess this really shouldn't come as too much of a shock based on that. It seems they were just doing it on an arc-by-arc basis. Anyway, until we know more, we can't just assume they're canceling the series.

Once we definitively know Kai's fate, then I'll be more willing to hear people freak out. Not that me saying this is actually going to make much of a difference.

[AoiKageNoChikara]

You've got to be freaking kidding me! Why would they name a game "DB Kai Ultimate Butouden" and put in the Buu saga if it's not gonna be in the anime?

If Kai ends, I'm gonna hate that Toriko anime for sure!!!!

Man... how can Kai be so expensive for Toei? Don't they get money with Japanese Dragon Boxes, games and other merchandise? I suppose Toei also gets profit from foreign releases. I think they want to torture us so we buy more DB Kai. I think it's (a?) strategy. I mean, Funi said DB Kai is doing well with sales and DBZ sales must be doing well enough, too. T.T

[ohaimynameiserik]

You've got to be freaking kidding me! Why would they name a game "DB Kai Ultimate Butouden" and put in the Buu saga if it's not gonna be in the anime?

Not to mention putting Majin Boo on the Kai calendar.

[Goku100xKamehameha]

Nah, that would be too retarded for Toei to cancelled the series, while it's doing really great in Japan. I expect a changing in timeslot for Kai, hopefully it will reduced the censoring.

[Turtle Marked Stone]

If worse comes to worse the original Boo saga dub isn't that bad and the filler isn't Namek level crazy. (Not that I hope Kai is gone or anything, just trying to find a silver lining if Kai were to end.)

[Daimo-Rukiri]

If anything I hope FUNimation just redubs the boo arc if kai is cancelled and edit out filler.

[ohaimynameiserik]

If anything I hope FUNimation just redubs the boo arc if kai is cancelled and edit out filler.

It'd look pretty inconsistent with the rest of the series but DAMMIT, they should do that anyway!

[Daimo-Rukiri]

They could actually spend good money and remaster the boo arc themselves and recycle title cards.

[Elite49]

I'm hoping for Toei to do it themselves but if it comes down to it... let Funi do it but please make it look like how Kai already does. I don't want it to end after Cell just to get finished in 2 years when no one wants/can't come back to it.