Kai OST IV + Kai Complete Song Collection

[VegettoEX]

Easier for me to just paste the update from the website. It's about two CDs, sure, but there's a lot of other discussion to have, here...

Two New (Final?) DragonBall Kai CDs in February
VegettoEX @ 2:58 pm EST -- It seems as if these are only just starting to make the rounds to retailer listings! Amazon Japan currently has pages for two new DragonBall Kai CDs, both due out the same day in Japan on 23 February 2011, and both of which have heavy implications for the fate of the "refreshed" version of the show:

DragonBall Kai Original Soundtrack IV will be a single disc retailing for ¥2960, and while a track listing has not been divulged, it will likely follow the style of November 2009's DragonBall Kai Original Soundtrack 2 with TV-sized versions of the opening and ending themes, along with a decent amount of background music from the show (see: Amazon Japan).

DragonBall Kai Complete Song Collection is another single disc which will contain all eleven tracks from the previously-released DragonBall Kai Song Collection (sans-"Complete") from November 2009. In addition to those songs, it will also contain the three new vocal songs (all also used as insert songs in the show) from this past September's DragonBall Kai Soundtrack III & Songs, as well as the current ending theme, "Kokoro no Hane". The track order has yet to be finalized, but those will indeed be the contents of the disc. The disc will retail for ¥2625 (see: Amazon Japan).

One has to wonder that with the word "Complete" tossed into the title and having a release date so soon after a prior compilation, does this add fuel to the fire of speculation that Kai is indeed coming to a close before it reaches the Majin Buu story arc?

It is unfortunate to see a collection add a mere four songs to what already exists as a disc, which I can only speculate is another last-ditch grab at their audience.

Yeppers.

[JulieYBM]

Wow, that's more one nail in a proverbial coffin if I've ever seen one. Why would they do the Majin Boo arc but not do insert/vocal themes like they have for the first two? I'd love to see a Goten and Trunks duet.

[kenisu3000]

The weird thing is that DragonBall Kai's Artificial Human/Cell saga already has *virtually* all of its music available on Soundtrack III, and considering what happened with the Saiyan and Freeza sagas, I wasn't expecting any more from Yamamoto until the Boo arc.
Kai's music is comprised primarily of layers - the isolated layers of the different compositions, placed one on top of another; and the way these tracks have been released on CD so far have always been the "complete" versions, with every layer present. Here's a couple of examples from Soundtrack III: if you listen to "Creature Of Marvel", you might recognize the orchestrated theme underneath the heavy techno beat. And if you give "Ominous Silence" a listen, it's the same exact track as heard in a couple of episodes in the show, but with a harmonica layered in on top of it. The only things that *completely* haven't seen a release are the three sponsor credits themes.
The fact that this is coming out in February, before the Cell saga will be over, seems to speak volumes.

So in short, the way I see it, Soundtrack IV could be one (or two, or all) of three things:

1. Boo saga BGM (nooooot likely, I'd say)
2. There might still be more new tracks yet to be released for the Cell saga (also unlikely, I think), which will be contained in this volume
3. The remaining "unreleased" tracks (with or without the sponsor credits BGM), that is, a collection of isolated layers

Okay, there's a fourth possibility, that it will be a hashing together of selected already-released tracks, but I seriously doubt they'll do this.
If it turns out this is the third possibility, I might point out the irony: corporate executives trying to milk this franchise for all its worth, normally frowned down upon as a bad thing, might be the one thing that gets us every track from the show released! If only they had been this greedy when Kikuchi was around...

[jpdbzrulz4sure]

The only things that *completely* haven't seen a release are the three sponsor credits themes.

Actually, I'm gonna correct you on one thing.

The Kokoro No Hane sponsor theme was released. Confused? Well, it may be a bit hard to catch while hearing voices over it, but the Kokoro No Hane sponsor theme is just a short sample taken from Kokoro No Hane (off vocal ver.), which was released in the Kokoro No Hane CD single. So, while it may be unreleased in that paricular form, it was still technically released.

I was actually listening to them while I was typing this, so I know.

You're right about the Dragon Soul and Yeah! Break! Care! Break! sponsor themes, though. Those ones are unreleased.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

About OST IV, ditto everything else you said.

[Son Wukong]

I will donate these two to DaizenshuuEX if Kai continues to the Buu arc.

[Chuquita]

Wow; I still think it would be awful for them to stop Kai at the end of the Cell arc. o_O
Not only does it leave Kai "incomplete", but how in the world is Funi going to be able to market it and how many people will be turned off from buying the DVD's abroad once they find out Toei abandoned the project with no intent to finish it. I know I wouldn't want to buy a version of Kai with no ending.

(I have been buying Funi's DBoxes though, but I'd be really surprised if they didn't complete those.)

[kenisu3000]

The only things that *completely* haven't seen a release are the three sponsor credits themes.

Actually, I'm gonna correct you on one thing.

The Kokoro No Hane sponsor theme was released. Confused? Well, it may be a bit hard to catch while hearing voices over it, but the Kokoro No Hane sponsor theme is just a short sample taken from Kokoro No Hane (off vocal ver.), which was released in the Kokoro No Hane CD single. So, while it may be unreleased in that paricular form, it was still technically released.

Ah, OK. That's what I get for not bothering to grab the single.

[KKZ]

Maybe all of the music in the Buu portion will be completely rehashed? That would kind of suck but it would be better than having no Buu at all...

[Bura]

Hm, I predicted another song collection so I guess my first prediction for 2011 came true!

[Ringworm128]

I'm hoping for that song about Cell doing laundry.

[Cold Skin]

My opinion so far is that Dragon Ball Kai will go on hiatus when the Cell era ends, so to conclude the first run of the series, they release the as-of-yet-unreleased tracks, meaning all stripped-down versions of available tracks that we've been able to hear so far in the show (see Kenisu's explanations about the layers). It's kind of a way to say "we're stopping for a year, but before having the break, we give you all the remaining variations of tracks you still don't possess", so that this whole "first run" is really classified as "completed once and for all", like "we've done all we had to do so far and you fans have nothing more to ask until the show returns").

I wouldn't worry about the "Complete" part of the updated song collection: after all, it's not a lie, it's complete... for now! Then one day, there'll probably be an "ultimate complete" and possibly a "supreme ultimate complete" song collection when the Majin Boo arc is done. I don't know anything about Japanese airing habits, but I estimate Kai will return after something like a year-long break, returning only in March 2012 or so. But I'm no expert at all, so it's just a wild guess, based on the long non-stop run so far and the will to "get all soundtracks out of the way", like wanting to classify the file for some time, which makes me thinks of a complete year-long break!

[SSJSteve]

Amazon Japan has updated the listing with the cover art.

[JulieYBM]

Looks like stock art, probably drawn in bulk back when the arc was still fresh.

[Chuquita]

Those words in big red font make it all seem so final.
I don't want Kai to end before finishing the Buu arc, I really don't.

I do however, like how cool and collected Piccolo looks on the cover compared to the others. :3

[jpdbzrulz4sure]

The release date for OST IV on both Amazon Japan and CD Japan has been pushed back to March 23, 2011.

[JulieYBM]

The release date for OST IV on both Amazon Japan and CD Japan has been pushed back to March 23, 2011.

Just a few days after #98 should air. ~_~

[Rory]

The release date for OST IV on both Amazon Japan and CD Japan has been pushed back to March 23, 2011.

Just a few days after #98 should air. ~_~

Woooow.
So it's over, right? I mean, this pretty much just.... wooooow.

[kei17]

本商品には、2009年より発売されている「オリジナルサウンドトラック」に収録されていないCD初収録の音源を30曲以上収録。
ドラゴンボールシリーズのファンや劇伴ファン必聴の一枚です！！

This product contains over 30 pieces which have never been released so far on the Original Soundtrack series from 2009. This will be a must-have item for the fans.

They don't say it contains new musics.. but the number of unreleased BGM's in Kai still doesn't reach even 20. Maybe there are many pieces which have never played in the show yet?

[gokusousukefan]

Hey, let's hope they'll have instrumental versions of Yeah Break Care Break and Dragon Soul.

[JulieYBM]

本商品には、2009年より発売されている「オリジナルサウンドトラック」に収録されていないCD初収録の音源を30曲以上収録。
ドラゴンボールシリーズのファンや劇伴ファン必聴の一枚です！！

This product contains over 30 pieces which have never been released so far on the Original Soundtrack series from 2009. This will be a must-have item for the fans.

They don't say it contains new musics.. but the number of unreleased BGM's in Kai still doesn't reach even 20. Maybe there are many pieces which have never played in the show yet?

Yeah, I think that's certainly possible. Then again, we're only a few episodes from the end of the series and the editor has continued to use the same selection of music that has been used a dozen times over. I wonder if Yamamoto wrote music for the Majin Boo arc that isn't going to be used with the series likely ending with Cell's defeat...?

I guess time will tell...