Blair Loveday
Dragon Ball Z is one of the all time anime greats.
If you were a teen in the 00’s in Aotearoa one of the few anime shows that was easy to access was Dragon Ball Z. I used to rush home from my paper route to watch it. Seared into my brain is the joy of the Namek saga unfolding over the weeks that it took.
Also seared into my brain is the awful fake Namek saga that I swear was the most common reruns. Well after checking out Dragon Ball Z Kai and seeing all the unnecessary faff in it, I wanted to watch the original version again.
Well you can pick it up now as a giant Bluray box set.
So what is the difference between the two versions?
Dragon Ball Z Kai cuts the series from just under 300 episodes, to just under 170 episodes. So almost half. They do this by cutting a lot of the extra filler.
Some faff should be cut, like the awful Fake Namek saga, but there is still some boring stuff left in Kai. As such, with the bits I hated most still being in Kai, I was left wondering whether the original version is still worth checking out.
Rewatching the original series, it becomes clear.
I love the additional faff. Sure it’s always a joke about how long it takes for anything to happen in Dragon Ball Z, but in either version hat is still the case. What it cuts are some episodes making things like the Snake Way series is a little shorter. But also, the really silly side stories and extra episodes, is kinda what makes Dragon Ball Z great.
It gives us more time with the characters in different settings, and just really adds to what makes Dragon Ball Z great.
There was tweaking done to animation and voice acting for Kai, but rewatching the old series on Bluray I kinda love the jank. Animation can be patchy, but it’s an anime that was animated in the 80’s and 90’s in Japan. That is part of the show’s DNA, and it’s as iconic as anything.
This Bluray package includes it all, the silliness, the chaos. And yes, the awful Fake Namek episodes. It’s like four episodes, but god I hate those four episodes so much.
The Bluray also comes with an awesome marathon mode that lets you watch the full disc without the opening video and stuff. It still includes things like the piece at the end of the episode which tell you what’s happening in the next episode, which feels silly, but still. It’s a cool addition.
On top of this each season has some special features which does include some great interviews.
Dragon Ball Z: Seasons 1 – 9 Complete Boxset has 291 episodes of brilliance, well slightly less because you need to skip the fake Namek episodes. But the rest of it is awesome.
If time is limited you can absolutely get the bulk of Dragon Ball Z’s brilliance in Kai, but I’m here for the chaff. This Bluray is a fantastic way to enjoy the anime series that has retained its place in my heart for so many years!
