How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

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Cure Dragon 255
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How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Fri Mar 31, 2023 9:20 pm

My first topic as I return from the Shadow Ban Realm!

Now its the prime time to aswer this! Much like other kids growing up to love initially controversial aspects of Dragon Ball now is the time for all the kids who grew up with it to be adults who can speak their mind online. If you grew up with The CW's broadcasts of DBZKai feel free to say so here!
Marz wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:27 pm "Well, the chapter was good, the story was good and so were the fights. But a new transformation, in Dragon Ball? And one that's ugly? This is where we draw the line!!! Jump the Shark moment!!"

This forum is so over-dramatic that it's not even funny.
90sDBZ wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:44 pm19 years ago I was rushing home from school to watch DBZ on Cartoon Network, and today I've rushed home from work to watch DBS on Pop. I guess it's true the more things change the more they stay the same. :lol:

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by simtek34 » Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:12 am

I've mentioned this to you many times over my seven years on these forums, but I did. It was what mainly got me into the franchise. I was 6 back in 2010 when it aired, so memory isn't the greatest, but I was already an avid watcher of 4KidsTV and The CW4Kids in my early childhood. My very first exposure to Dragonball was a month or two beforehand though, and it all ties together. During that summer, I was visiting some extended family in Germany and kind-of remember observing some cousins of mine watching Dragonball Z on TV. I believe it might've been some Saiyan arc filler? I don't remember but I know Gohan was involved. Those same cousins also had recently purchased Dragonball Z: Burst Limit for the PS3.

I probably would've forgotten about Dragonball or have not cared much about it, if it wasn't for Dragonball (Z) Kai airing on The CW4Kids. I vividly remember going to the basement and seeing Nappa and Vegeta on my TV, they were planting the Saibaimen. That would've been Episode 9 of Dragon Ball Kai. I watched 4Kids every Saturday morning back then, mostly for Sonic X, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, but I don't have any memories of seeing Dragonball Kai before that. Back in the day, Sonic X would air at 8:00AM, and the Yu-Gi-Oh! shows would air at 11:00AM, with Dragonball Kai airing at 10:00AM. Maybe I somehow ignored it the first month or two it was on TV, maybe I just don't remember, and the reason I remember seeing Episode 9 so much is maybe that's when things clicked, when I realized this was the same show my cousins were watching a few months ago, the same one they were playing the Video Game about. But ever since Fall 2010, I've been a fan of Dragonball, and was eager for whatever I could see, read, or get my hands on. But that's a story for another time.

Now, as someone who grew up in that era, almost thirteen years removed from my introduction to Dragonball, and seven years removed from joining the Kanzenshuu Forums, as an eighteen, almost nineteen year old, I DO believe that many kids grew up on Dragonball Kai through 4Kids. The ratings say enough, scoring in the millions, while airing at 10:00AM nationwide on Saturday Mornings, in an era where Cable was still king and streaming was slowly on the rise in the background. I knew many people back in Elementary School who were watching Dragonball Kai. And while not all of them went on to become hardcore Dragonball or Anime fans, they enjoyed the series. And once Junior High and High School came around, I was very surprised to see a handful of people who I knew watched Dragonball Kai become big Dragonball and Anime fans. And now I'm in college, and my two roommates, who are both Anime fans, watched Dragonball Kai on The CW4Kids.

So in short Cure Dragon 255, yes. Yes it did.
Cool to see you back! I recently came back, not from a ban, but from a lack on engagement with the forums. Always enjoyed posting in your threads, telling my stories half a decade ago back when I was more active. Back then, I was one of the youngest, maybe vine the youngest on the Forums in 2016. And it was cool to share my stories, being unique as the only person who grew up on 4Kids' airing of Dragon Ball Kai back then.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:17 am

I am so glad to see you again and I apologize if this thread is annoying and or constantly asking you the same question over and over. I know these kids were plentiful but not many have joined Kanzenshuu. I think that despite their growing up with a censored version they'd be quite welcome. Because despite so much censorship it did introduce many kids to the franchise... and showed you can show kids the Kikuchi score and they wont get bored to death lol.
Marz wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:27 pm "Well, the chapter was good, the story was good and so were the fights. But a new transformation, in Dragon Ball? And one that's ugly? This is where we draw the line!!! Jump the Shark moment!!"

This forum is so over-dramatic that it's not even funny.
90sDBZ wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:44 pm19 years ago I was rushing home from school to watch DBZ on Cartoon Network, and today I've rushed home from work to watch DBS on Pop. I guess it's true the more things change the more they stay the same. :lol:

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by simtek34 » Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:55 am

Cure Dragon 255 wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:17 amI am so glad to see you again and I apologize if this thread is annoying and or constantly asking you the same question over and over.
No worries! I don't mind sharing my stories. It's also been a long time since I've shared anyways.
Because despite so much censorship it did introduce many kids to the franchise...
Yes, definitely. Some of the censorship was a bit extreme, but what had to be done, had to be done. The FCC, S&P, and Soccer Moms are a crazy bunch.
and showed you can show kids the Kikuchi score and they wont get bored to death lol.
Completely agree. I love the Dragonball Kai and Dragonball Z soundtracks, composed by Yamamoto Kenji and Kikuchi Shunsuke respectively, and always have. I hate the notion that Dragonball wouldn't work with it's Soundtrack. It worked fine and became a global smash-hit around the world outside of the US, Canada, UK, and Oceania between 1995-2005 with it's proper Soundtrack, and was still a big hit with it in English-speaking territories with Kai. Even Dragonball Super was getting millions of viewers airing at 10:30PM CT Saturday nights on Adult Swim* with Sumitomo Norihito's original score. Changing the music doesn't do jack besides change what the show is. But Barry Watson, Gen Fukunaga and early FUNimation were all about that.
But yeah, I love Kikuchi's score for the Dragonball series. It IS and forever be what the sound of Dragonball is forever and ever, no doubt. When I watch Kai 1.0 though, I watch it with the Yamamoto score. He stole and arranged some GREAT Background Music and Insert Songs. He's not Kikuchi good, but that's not saying much. None tops him, Rest In Peace. Another reason why I watch Kai 1.0 with Yamamoto is every Dragonball fan's favorite music reasoning, nostalgia! I'm really nostalgic for Yamamoto Kenji's "compositions" for Dragonball Kai.

*Part of me really wishes Cartoon Network aired the edited Kai and Super English dubs on the network alongside the Uncut airings on Adult Swim, just to maximize the Dragonball and get as many new fans/kids as possible. I know they're mostly the Teen Titans Go! network now, and not as many folks have cable as they did in 1999 or 2010, but hey, a man can dream.
Last edited by simtek34 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:03 am

Thank you so much simtek for sharing your wonderful experience. And I think the below 7 demographic was an important one for 4kids. Sure the advertisers wanted 7-11 but I just know many small kids also loved the show and were the reason they reached 1 million. You were so little and now you are an adult that's so very wonderful I want DB to always be accessible and available to kids. Sure, my obsession with Broadcast Television is a bit weird, but I would hate it if Dragon Ball was only available behind a paywall. In Latin America, where I live, Dragon Ball has literally never ever been truly off the air. and that came to happen thanks to broadcast television and the fact that Dragon Ball is just that wonderful. It will never ever die.
Marz wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:27 pm "Well, the chapter was good, the story was good and so were the fights. But a new transformation, in Dragon Ball? And one that's ugly? This is where we draw the line!!! Jump the Shark moment!!"

This forum is so over-dramatic that it's not even funny.
90sDBZ wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:44 pm19 years ago I was rushing home from school to watch DBZ on Cartoon Network, and today I've rushed home from work to watch DBS on Pop. I guess it's true the more things change the more they stay the same. :lol:

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by simtek34 » Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:39 am

Cure Dragon 255 wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:03 am Thank you so much simtek for sharing your wonderful experience. And I think the below 7 demographic was an important one for 4kids. Sure the advertisers wanted 7-11 but I just know many small kids also loved the show and were the reason they reached 1 million. You were so little and now you are an adult that's so very wonderful I want DB to always be accessible and available to kids. Sure, my obsession with Broadcast Television is a bit weird, but I would hate it if Dragon Ball was only available behind a paywall. In Latin America, where I live, Dragon Ball has literally never ever been truly off the air. and that came to happen thanks to broadcast television and the fact that Dragon Ball is just that wonderful. It will never ever die.
I completely understand what you're saying and it makes sense. Here in the United States, Dragonball has been on Television very consistently. Through new episodes and reruns, the many Dragonball anime have been on American television in 1989, 1995-2008, and 2010-2021. Out of those years, 1989, 1995-1997, 2001, and 2010-2014 were the only years to feature Dragonball broadcast on OTA Television. Only 10 years out of 27 years of Dragonball on US Television was OTA. And in reality, it's more like 8 years rather than 10, because 1989 was the 5 episode Harmony Gold English dub of Dragonball, and 2001 was part of the Kids WB! Toonami block on The WB network, which Dragonball Z was only apart of for a few weeks.

Damn, that just made me realize that 2022 was the first year since 2009 that nothing Dragonball-related was broadcast on TV here in the US. That's sad to realize.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Sat Apr 01, 2023 4:50 am

I of course didn't grow up with the CW broadcasts, or Kai in general, as I come from the generation of Dragon Ball fans before that but I just wanted to say welcome back Cure Dragon 255. Your threads are always very interesting.
Do you have any info about international non-English broadcasts about the Dragon Ball anime or manga translations/editions? Please message me. Researching for a future book with Dragon Ball scholar Derek Padula :thumbup:

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Wrigglything » Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:51 am

I didn't really grow up with the Toonzai/Vortexx version of Kai, more so it was the weird mishmash cut from Cartoon Network in Asian regions. But even then I don't think it aired much or I just didn't bother with it much.

Which is funny considering what I did years later since I did get into the franchise and become quite invested in it anyway. I guess they just have to wait until streaming became viable.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Sat Apr 08, 2023 3:14 am

I was WRONG. Nielsen registered 6-11 NOT 7-11 as I previously assumed.
Marz wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:27 pm "Well, the chapter was good, the story was good and so were the fights. But a new transformation, in Dragon Ball? And one that's ugly? This is where we draw the line!!! Jump the Shark moment!!"

This forum is so over-dramatic that it's not even funny.
90sDBZ wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:44 pm19 years ago I was rushing home from school to watch DBZ on Cartoon Network, and today I've rushed home from work to watch DBS on Pop. I guess it's true the more things change the more they stay the same. :lol:

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by FoolsGil » Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:45 pm

I felt so bad for anyone who grew up on CW or Nick's version of Kai. I thought Blue Popo was a DBZA joke. Then I found out no, no it was not.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by WittyUsername » Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:55 pm

FoolsGil wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:45 pm I felt so bad for anyone who grew up on CW or Nick's version of Kai. I thought Blue Popo was a DBZA joke. Then I found out no, no it was not.
As much as everyone at the time was clowning on it, Blue Popo was honestly one of the more understandable edits the Toonzai broadcast did. The edit was really sloppily done, though.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by MasenkoHA » Sun Apr 09, 2023 12:34 am

FoolsGil wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:45 pm
I felt so bad for anyone who grew up on CW or Nick's version of Kai. I thought Blue Popo was a DBZA joke. Then I found out no, no it was not.
The Nick version didn't have Blue Popo
WittyUsername wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:55 pm


As much as everyone at the time was clowning on it, Blue Popo was honestly one of the more understandable edits the Toonzai broadcast did. The edit was really sloppily done, though.
I want to second this.

In a version that turned halos into orbs of lights and cricket aliens being feasted on into blue mushroom things (both of which were a-okay with freakin Saban in 1996 btw!), randomly removed Shenron from the opening and colored in crotches..it's blue Popo that everyone harps on. One of the few edits that actually had a justification behind it

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by FoolsGil » Sun Apr 09, 2023 12:40 am

Well back in my day, Only Popo's single tooth was removed and he was given eloquent diction, and nothing else was changed - and we liked it! :wink:

Everyone harps on Blue Popo because it's the most outrageous. Dialogue, clothing, fights, it's annoying but it's expected. Blue Popo? that's like the hammer gun from 4kids' One Piece. And yes Popo does harken back to racist subject matter. But Funimation did what I and plenty others thought was sufficient for censorship.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by SuperSaiyaManZ94 » Sun Apr 09, 2023 1:54 pm

I mean, this "recolor a character with problematic design" thing isn't even new relative to Mr. Popo on Toonzai/CW's edit of Kai. One of the best examples is OLM going back and recoloring Jynx/Rougela in older Pokemon (Pocket Monsters) episodes from black to purple after the controversies over her former original design after a certain point. Except for certain places, her appearances have been with the recolor for the most part. That said, on the English side of things 4Kids (and later TPCI/PUSA) elected at some point later on to just cut her admittedly short appearances in later eps rather than bring over the purple edits.

Hell, ep 252 late in the Johto saga (The Ice Cave) was not even dubbed in a similar fashion to the Dratini and Porygon eps because it had the old Jynx design with a significant role so they didn't bother.
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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Thu Jun 15, 2023 12:26 am

This is prime time to share my fave most violent scene in The CW's version of DBZKai.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEjHDcXu0RI
Marz wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:27 pm "Well, the chapter was good, the story was good and so were the fights. But a new transformation, in Dragon Ball? And one that's ugly? This is where we draw the line!!! Jump the Shark moment!!"

This forum is so over-dramatic that it's not even funny.
90sDBZ wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:44 pm19 years ago I was rushing home from school to watch DBZ on Cartoon Network, and today I've rushed home from work to watch DBS on Pop. I guess it's true the more things change the more they stay the same. :lol:

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Hellspawn28 » Thu Jun 15, 2023 10:57 am

FoolsGil wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:45 pm I felt so bad for anyone who grew up on CW or Nick's version of Kai. I thought Blue Popo was a DBZA joke. Then I found out no, no it was not.
More people have access to the Internet than most of us did as kids. A simple Google search won't be a hard thing to do.
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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by TheGreatness25 » Sun Jun 18, 2023 11:48 am

Whoever grew up with Nick Toons Kai still grew up with a more authentic version of Dragon Ball Z (that's right, I'll say "Z") than my generation did with the cut down, rearranged, replacement scored, dialog changed, and heavily censored Ocean dub, which led into the replacement scored, dialog changes Funimation in-house dub.

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Re: How many kids have grown up with The CW's DBZKai?

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:19 am

Oh and one final thing. People already though Saturday Mornings were dead... in 1988. I think what happened here is that people just felt airing stuff aimed at adults was more profitable, despite how many kids were watching. The article readily admits this. And keep in mind back then WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more kids watched. This shows is just greed. I know Broadcast Networks are NOT charities but still. Viewers are viewers and so on.

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/19/busi ... toons.html

Oops forgot to put the article.
Marz wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:27 pm "Well, the chapter was good, the story was good and so were the fights. But a new transformation, in Dragon Ball? And one that's ugly? This is where we draw the line!!! Jump the Shark moment!!"

This forum is so over-dramatic that it's not even funny.
90sDBZ wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:44 pm19 years ago I was rushing home from school to watch DBZ on Cartoon Network, and today I've rushed home from work to watch DBS on Pop. I guess it's true the more things change the more they stay the same. :lol:

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