Japanese Budokai intro (and other thoughts)

[PsyLiam]

I was bored today, so I decided to replay through Budokai (1, as I've got a Gamecube, not a PS2). And while doing so, a couple of thoughts struck me:

1/ It's pretty obvious that the introduction has "Cha La Head Cha La" on the Japanese version, right? Now, is it the version that played on TV? Or did they get Hironobu and a band to rerecord it? And, if anyone has the Japanese version, d'you think it would be possible to rip it? I'd really like to see it. I'm almost tempted to get the Japanese version just for that, in fact.

2/ Something I've never noticed before: when you play through the Android saga, the intro is actually changed to feature Trunks and Vegeta, as well as the different group pose shot at the end. A really nice touch, I think.

3/ I noticed one mistake with the costumes of people (which is impressive, really. They are almost fanatically accurate in that respect, even making sure that #16 has a Capsule Corp sticker on his chest at appropriate moments). Anyway, while using Porunga to wish back those killed on Namek, Gohan is standing wearing his Saiyan armour and sporting his pudding bowl haircut. Hadn't his hair grown out by then, and wasn't he wearing regular clothing?

And, er, that's it. Yup. Buh bye.

[Ash]

Something I've never noticed before: when you play through the Android saga, the intro is actually changed to feature Trunks and Vegeta, as well as the different group pose shot at the end. A really nice touch, I think

Actually, it changed with every saga: you'll see a SSJ Gokuu & co. in the Freeza saga, and when you finish the game, it features a shot with all the people from the game in chibi mode. Too bad the game only loads a save when you already see the Saiya-jin title-screen, so you don't often see the other screens. [when you've 'unlocked' them, they appear randomly as a title screen]

And there are all minor 'mistakes' in the movies, I think to make it easier for people who haven't seen the show. I.e. Freeza's intact when Gokuu flies away.

[Deus ex Machina]

And there are all minor 'mistakes' in the movies, I think to make it easier for people who haven't seen the show. I.e. Freeza's intact when Gokuu flies away.

I don't think it was a mistake, more likely it was censorship. At the time's in the game when Piccolo loses his arm to Raditz, and Tenshinhan's arm to Nappa, the severed end is always convienantly off screen. But they would have a hell of a time trying to cover up that Freeza was missing 65% of his body. I guess they decided against just trying to cleverly disguise it like the dub.

Freeza: Ah! Cut by my own attack! Just you wait until my legs grow back!

[Xyex]

Yeah, Frieza was just a censorship thing. But there are other mistakes througout the cut scenes. For example, 16 is missing when Vegeta challanges 18 to a fight on the road. Piccolo knows Cell's name before he's told. And some others, but it's been a month or more since I've played B1 so I don't remember them all. Still, it's much better than B2's cruddy Dragon World crap.

Actually, it changed with every saga: you'll see a SSJ Gokuu & co. in the Freeza saga, and when you finish the game, it features a shot with all the people from the game in chibi mode. Too bad the game only loads a save when you already see the Saiya-jin title-screen, so you don't often see the other screens. [when you've 'unlocked' them, they appear randomly as a title screen]

Actually, I think Liam was refering to the actuall animation itself, not the BG from after. During the Saiyan and Namek sagas it ends with the 'Goku & Pole' pose. For the Android Saga they added in the glimpse of Gero, the robotic hand and energy blast, and did the SSJ Trunks/Vegeta/Goku ending, just as the series did.

[PsyLiam]

That is what I was referring to, yup. Pity they don't use the first animation for the first saga (although that was only used for about half that saga on TV anyway, wasn't it)?

And being a nerd, I'd quite like a big list of mistakes made in the Budokai cut scenes. The other mistakes you've mentioned sound (as said) like things done to make things easier to understand for those who haven't seen them. The Gohan hair thing is clearly just a mistake though, since Bulma's hair has grown, but his hasn't. The fact that the shot is used as the cover for the final "Namek" saga DVD makes it even more obvious.

And did they try and cover up Freeza's missing bottom half on TV? I thought they weren't as graphic, but still showed it.

[Ash]

OIC. ^^;

Hmm...mentioning that...I always wondered why the Rock The Dragon animation for the Saiya-jin saga ended with a Trunks and a SSJ Gokuu... ~_~;;

Censorship? I just think it was more logical the way they did it with a intact Freeza and such, because you don't see those parts in the CG movies, and if they would be included, the movies would be even longer than they are now O_o.
If a person didn't see DBZ and played the game, he wouldn't understand why Freeza was cut in half, or why Tenshinhan's hand was gone. I assume they changed it a little, so people who just play through the game would understand it.

Or censorship, whatever you want.

[B-kun]

I wanna see this list too. o_o

And yeah, they showed Freeza missing a good chunk of his body in the edited anime.

One thing I don't understand, though. Why can they show Gohan (I think) coughing up blood, but not someone missing a hand?

[PsyLiam]

I think that they could show someone missing a hand, they just didn't want to. As Deus says, they keep the missing hands and arms off-screen (oh, you know what I mean). That way, if you don't know they are suppossed to be missing limbs, then it's not obvious that they are, but if you do know, then you can tell. Kinda like the cover of the Trunks special DVD. If you know that Gohan is missing an arm, then it's obvious that it's missing there. If you didn't know that, then you are quite likely to miss that fact (which happened to me. I didn't realise he didn't have an arm, watched the special, then rechecked the cover and realised that it was missing).

There's also the fact that they'd have to alter the CGI models, which would take at least a little bit of work, and if they could avoid it, they did.

But I think Ash is right. If it was censorship, then it was rather strange that they'd show both Goku and Trunks with massive holes through their torsos.

(And as to why the Rock the Dragon intro ended with Super Saiyan Goku/Trunks/Vegeta/other things that didn't seem appropriate, I'd guess that it was a combination of FUNi not realising their relevence, and also going with the idea that the Android era group shot is far cooler than the Saiyan/Namek era one.)

[Super Sonic]

I think the reason they did some of those things is just to make it go by faster. That or the dismembered body parts weren't really important for the game.

[Xyex]

Hell, I can make one of those. Sometime. When I'm not as busy. But yeah, I'll work on it, it'll be my first little FAQs for Gamefaqs! ^_^ It'll probably take me a couple weeks though.

[PsyLiam]

I was thinking of doing it too. Possibly posting it here, doing one "episode"...whenever I get time. Listing what part of the anime it's taken from, comparing the US script with the European subtitles, commenting on various doowickies, and then everyone can chip in and add things.

It's going to have to wait until I get my copy of Freeloader back off my nephew though.

Of course, I've been planning on doing Dragon Ball episode commentaries for about a year now...