Do you guys feel that Kai was a quick Cash-In?

[Budogenkai]

Sorry if this may have been already discussed a lot, but I was just wondering..

Do you guys ever feel that Kai was developed too quickly and wasn't properly handled? I personally feel like that there could have been much more done with Kai and it just wasn't..

Thoughts?

[Cipher]

There's been some discussion of the idea that, with higher salaries for the veteran cast, Kai is actually quite an expensive proposition for Toei.

That said, I really ... don't enjoy it all that much. Mostly because, as you said, it feels like a cheap re-cut of an older show, and it doesn't hide it all that well.

[LeprikanGT]

Nope. Dragonball/Z was the greatest anime ever, so it deserves to get the "Kai" treatment. I would have MUCH more have liked them to have redrew the entire series like the opening and ending, but still it is amazing that they did it in the first place.

[Soul]

In all honesty? It's a sort of toss up in my opinion, you can definitely see it as a cash-in but at the same time, it does feel to me as the 20th Anniversary celebration of Z.

[Cowboy Dev]

It's kinda weird for me. I find it as just DBZ stock footage with rerecorded voices and new music, yet still enjoy watching it every week or so.

[Rocketman]

It's one of those weird quick cash-ins that absolutely beats the shit out of the previous product.

[Zephyr]

It's one of those weird quick cash-ins that absolutely beats the shit out of the previous product.

This. Yes it used was another perfect opportunity to milk Dragonball Z, but as a dubbie, Kai has been what I've always wanted; the characters say what they actually said in the original (closer than Funi's previous attempts at least), AND I don't have to read subs. Win-Win. So I can live with the fact that DBZ's being redone to death, since from my perspective, the quality is improving each time.

On a side note, some of the redrawn scenes just don't look quite right to me. Don't know what it is.

[LeprikanGT]

It's one of those weird quick cash-ins that absolutely beats the shit out of the previous product.

This. Yes it used was another perfect opportunity to milk Dragonball Z, but as a dubbie, Kai has been what I've always wanted; the characters say what they actually said in the original (closer than Funi's previous attempts at least), AND I don't have to read subs. Win-Win. So I can live with the fact that DBZ's being redone to death, since from my perspective, the quality is improving each time.

On a side note, some of the redrawn scenes just don't look quite right to me. Don't know what it is.

As a Dubbie, I miss all the old voices BUT I love DBZ and I'll buy anything that's put out pretty much. And as a FAN in general, I hate that it's STILL editted for the home release.

[penguintruth]

It's one of those weird quick cash-ins that absolutely beats the shit out of the previous product.

Eh, not really. The reduced filler/padding helps with the pacing, but the inferior music, lazy approach to the touch ups, tired-sounding cast, and censorship put a definite damper on it at times. Also, some of the filler was beneficial to the story.

Of course it's a cash-in. It's definitely a cash-in. It's still fairly enjoyable, a good alternative way to watch DBZ, but it doesn't really surpass it, or if it does, not by much.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Of course Kai's a cash-in. That's pretty much fact at this point.



And yes, I like Z better. Why would I prefer the lazy, "re-cut" version with inferior voices and music?

[Rocketman]

And yes, I like Z better. Why would I prefer the lazy, "re-cut" version with inferior voices and music?

It's not buried under mountains of shit filler.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

And yes, I like Z better. Why would I prefer the lazy, "re-cut" version with inferior voices and music?

It's not buried under mountains of shit filler.

I actually happen to like some of the filler. And for the filler that I don't like, I can just fast-forward through it.

[Adamant]

This. Yes it used was another perfect opportunity to milk Dragonball Z, but as a dubbie, Kai has been what I've always wanted; the characters say what they actually said in the original (closer than Funi's previous attempts at least), AND I don't have to read subs. Win-Win. So I can live with the fact that DBZ's being redone to death, since from my perspective, the quality is improving each time.

That's not even what Kai is, just what some random dub of it ended up being. And Funi didn't need Toei to make Kai before they could produce a non-shit Dragonball dub, either. If they wanted to, they could've done so whenever they felt like it.

[TheBlackPaladin]

This. Yes it used was another perfect opportunity to milk Dragonball Z, but as a dubbie, Kai has been what I've always wanted; the characters say what they actually said in the original (closer than Funi's previous attempts at least), AND I don't have to read subs. Win-Win. So I can live with the fact that DBZ's being redone to death, since from my perspective, the quality is improving each time.

That's not even what Kai is, just what some random dub of it ended up being. And Funi didn't need Toei to make Kai before they could produce a non-shit Dragonball dub, either. If they wanted to, they could've done so whenever they felt like it.

I wouldn't have minded that, but I try to think from both a fan perspective and from a business perspective. The fan perspective in me would have bought the entirety of DBZ all over again if they gave it a loyal re-dub with (most of) the original cast. From a business perspective, though....that would have generated a ton of confusion. How many re-releases of DBZ have there already been? And how confusing would it be to explain to the average joe why it would be worth purchasing? In admitting that their hypothetical re-dub was more loyal, that would essentially be admitting that their old product was bad in certain areas, generating confusion among buyers and decreasing the customer's potential to buy the products. With Kai, they can treat it as an entirely separate entity rather than re-release Z again.

Again, the fan in me would have LOVED that, but from a business perspective, I don't think that would have been a good move on FUNi's part. My first preference would have been a loyal re-dub of Z, but I will settle for Kai given the circumstances. Like Zephyr, I can truly say that my interest in Kai stems almost entirely from the prospect of a loyal re-dub with the voices that brought the characters to life for me.* From that perspective, each new dubbed episode of Kai that I see is a huge treat for me.

*The only one role that I desperately wanted re-cast was Freeza, and well...I got my wish.

[Adamant]

I wouldn't have minded that, but I try to think from both a fan perspective and from a business perspective. The fan perspective in me would have bought the entirety of DBZ all over again if they gave it a loyal re-dub with (most of) the original cast. From a business perspective, though....that would have generated a ton of confusion. How many re-releases of DBZ have there already been? And how confusing would it be to explain to the average joe why it would be worth purchasing? In admitting that their hypothetical re-dub was more loyal, that would essentially be admitting that their old product was bad in certain areas, generating confusion among buyers and decreasing the customer's potential to buy the products.

But isn't that what the current situation is? How would it be any different if Funi had done a new dub without Toei first making a new, cutup video for them?

[Soul]

That is the real bad thing:
If you like anime dubbed in English, with it being well done and you like the original Dragon Ball Z?
You're kinda shit out of luck, and it is kinda sad.

But really in terms of Kai and its quality as a recut, I do seem to see people have different opinions on it.
Some absolutely think it's a travesty while others absolutely love it.
And that's the thing, and I wonder how a lot of people feel about it:
Most casual anime fans are very "Meh" about even considering watching Z, but with Kai and it's removal of filler, a lot of different people have a interest in Dragon Ball in general.

[Zephyr]

Funi didn't need Toei to make Kai before they could produce a non-shit Dragonball dub, either. If they wanted to, they could've done so whenever they felt like it.

Yes, but Toei doing this gave them a perfect opportunity to make a decent dub, regardless of whether or not they were too lazy to redub Z on their own.

And I would enjoy a shorter good dub more than a longer good dub. I understand some people don't mind the filler and that's fine, but I can do without most of it. Also, fast forwarding, though not difficult to do, can get to be very tedious at times when I just want to sit back and watch without also being bored to tears.

One thing I do strongly dislike about Kai is the music though. Can't stand it. there are times when its almost as repetitive as some of Falconer's work got to be.

[Goku100xKamehameha]

I like it. It revives DBZ's popularity and gather new fans! I think DB fans should be grateful because of it and NOT being ungrateful little trolls.

Why would I prefer the lazy, "re-cut" version with inferior voices and music?

They probably not lazy at all. Maybe they actually working hard but because of the budget, They can't go beyond that point. Remember, Kai is expensive.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

They probably not lazy at all. Maybe they actually working hard but because of the budget, They can't go beyond that point. Remember, Kai is expensive.

How could remastering old footage (cut down footage, mind you) and occasionally animating new footage be overly expensive? Toei's really cheaped out with Kai.

[B]

They probably not lazy at all. Maybe they actually working hard but because of the budget, They can't go beyond that point. Remember, Kai is expensive.

How could remastering old footage (cut down footage, mind you) and occasionally animating new footage be overly expensive? Toei's really cheaped out with Kai.

Marketing, the veteran voice cast being more expensive than their original bit roles, the economy, producing new music, obtaining idol groups, anything like that?