I have shown my family the Kai version only. Mainly because of less filler and lower episode count. Rather than staring at character's faces for 5 seconds in the original, I went with the faster paced and main plot focused version.
DB Kai definitely has the blood, you just need to get the uncensored version. Also, the music in Kai is pretty good too, but in a different way. And also, Kai is far more well paced and engaging.
@@El3ctr0Lun4 actually that's not quite true, even the uncensored version of kai is censored to some extent (when compared to Z). Much if the blood throughout all of Kai is coloured black instead of red (not all, but it does happen)
@@karebushmarebu233 Yes you're right. Some minor changes, which include removing the middle finger sign from a few scenes, but a lot of the blood is still there. And as I said, the Raditz episodes are censored (black blood like you say). That aside, the animation is much cleaner, the pacing so much better, mostly no filler, and the story follows the manga much better.
@@El3ctr0Lun4 yeah Kai and Z both have up and downsides. For instance for me, the BF soundtrack for the Z dub is an integral part of the show, and Kai doesn't feel the same without it, Kai does have a more "accurate" translation for the most part, but sometimes it's more accurate in a literal sense while being less accurate in terms of conveying the intended emotioal effect. For instance some lines are translated much more directly, the problem this brings up tho is that certian lines said in Japanese have a certian impact to a Japanese speaker because of the cultural connotations around certian phrases, but when translated directly into English in a literal sense it looses its intended meaning even though the words themselves are more close to the English equivalents than the Z translation I can't remeber a specific example right now, but just as a parallel I'll use Chinese (Manderin) to English translation as an example since I'm more familiar with those languages 你吃了吗 is a Common Chinese phrase, 你 is you, 吃 is eat, 了 is a completion marker and 吗 turns the whole thing Into a yes or no question. So when translated directly into English it means something along the lines of "have you eaten?" Or "Have you ate yet?" The problem with this translation is that in English it seems like you are genuinly being asked if you have had any food today, but this phrase is actually just used as a greeting in Chinese. Its similiar to asking "how you doing?" When first seeing someone, you're not actually asking how they are doing, you are just saying "hello". So using this example, you can see why Kais translation, even though it is more accurate, sometimes falls short becuase it translates certian passages very literally and In doing so looses its orginal meaning. I think this is why some think certian lines sound more "badasa" in the Z version, since they more accurately convey the intended emotion as oppossed to the intended words. That being said, Kais translation is generally done better, for the most part. The pacing is a lot better aswell, as someone who's read the manga tho I enjoy the orginal anime as it's different enough from the manga to make it feel worth watching, with Kai I'd rather just read the manga as it's so similiar. But yeah I can understand why a lot kf people like Kai, I personally think the best experience would be if someone edited the two shows together. Keep most of the pacing of Kai, but keep some of the better filler episodes from Z like kid Gohams development, keep the soundtrack from Z dub, cleaner animation from Kai, and possibley a mix of the two translations (mainly kai but with a smidgen of Z at the most "epic" or "emotional" parts). The mixed translation thing might now work thigh cause of differing audio quality, eh it'll never happen anyways, just a pipe dream :)
@@karebushmarebu233 I'm not too attached to the Bruce Faulconer soundtrack. I grew up watching the original Dragon Ball series, with all the original Japanese music, but dubbed in my native language - Romanian. Later on I watched DBZ Saiyan and Frieza sagas on a German TV channel, so the show was dubbed in German with the original JP music, and soon after it was aired on Cartoon Netwoork in English, which had the Faulconer music. I doubt that Kai translates things word for word - normally when you dub or subtitle any movie or TV show, you do a translation and adaptation. The Funimation version of DBZ however had written an fully new script, changing the motivations and even backgrounds of some characters, Goku is portrayed as a saviour and protector of life (much like Superman) rather than a guy who likes to fight. The point of the KAI dub was that it respected the original script, while still translating and adapting the dialogue.
I watched dbz kai growing up on nicktoons. Currently i am watching the dragon ball z. I much prefer the filler, feels like i missed out on great story develpoment/ funny moments. Plus who wouldnt want more minutes of their favorite characters.
Actually some fillers is good , like training at Sayan planet, but most of them is just waste of time like many fillers about Gohan. Also American dub rewritten a lot of dialogue making Goku a Superman and Vegeta a jerk.
My issue comes with just how dragged out the fights end up being. Especially if it is non canon. Is it cool that Yamcha fought the Ginyu force in other world? Sure. But the factor wears off when you tie it to the long transformation going on and it not actually happening
I prefer the slower pacing of Z somehow. Maybe its nostalgia. Or maybe its just that I like buildup towards certain moments. Except when it takes 30 episodes for a planet to explode in 5 minutes.
Yeah definitely perfer Z. Goku's journey on snakeway is a single episode. Yamcha, tien and chotzu all die in the same episode as well... It takes the inpact away and changes something fundamental. Instead of having these suspenseful, tense moments, characters talk non stop
Great video. For me, the pacing is a HUGEEEE benefit to watching the original DBZ. In Kai, the most epic scenes happen so fast and are glossed over very quickly. The music in Z is superior, and the build up to epic scenes is incredible. In Kai, it is so fast that you don't get the epic release in tension that you get from Z.
I can get down with that logic but also the Frieza fight in Kai still goes on for like 15 episodes. I love dbz with everything in me but every time i try to go back and watch og dbz I get worn down by the filler really quickly. Some of them are entertaining but GOT DAMN its just so damn long. Kai hits all the story beats in a really satisfying way for me and I like the changes they made to the writing when dubbing it.
@@mantoslodge you gotta combine them! You can switch back and forth for the most epic parts in Z and then go to Kai when it lags. For example, when few episodes before goku does times 20 kaoken against freiza, switch to Z, then go back to Kai until right before goku finishes charging the spirit bomb! Somebody should make a guide to watching both lol
Me personally I’m not a fan of the Falconer score but I really wish Kai didn’t gloss over stuff like gohan training with piccolo, Kaio Ken x20, or even the stuff with imperfect cell. But overall Kai is the version I grew up with and I’d still take it over Z
Glad I grew up along with the dragon ball manga during the 90s...u wouldn't believe how immersive it was to read it with a torchlight under the blanket. Didn't had access to anime till much much later and it was another refreshing take into their world. To me the peak was during the cell arc and ended after bu saga. Battle of God piqued my interest again, and I'm glad they're still loved by many other generations.
I’m kinda jealous that you grew up during that time. I grew up during the early 2000s, but I am kinda jealous of you either way, both because of this, and just..the way things certain things were 🤣🤣
I also watched dbz back in the late 90’s on Cartoon Network @5 or 530 after sailor moon, and still a dbz fan to this day. For me personally the fillers were a horrible experience me, But still sat through it. Kai is the best option for someone who’s shares the same opinion as me. It’s perfect for someone with not much time in there Day who wants to feel the experience again, ITS AMAZING!.
I think the Voice Acting from Kai being so much modern makes it the easy choice. Also how can you not want to watch the late great Chris Ayers at his finest.
I love them both. I'm slightly biased towards Z, (Toonami version specifically, though the Kikuchi score is also amazing.) but I recognize the improvements Kai has brought as well. I just wish fans of both dubs quit acting superior over each other. Love what you love and stick with it. No need to crap on someone else for what they prefer. Edit: People may disagree, but in my opinion, the perfect dub of DBZ would be mostly the Kai version, but replace Gohan's new VA (Colleen) for the original VA (Stehpanie) and either have the Faulconer or Kikuchi score.
@@Detro_op Watch Z, it is more dramatic, more darker, more beautiful, better music, better impression. The only thing that i dislike are the filler episodes, but you can skip them.
@@Detro_op If you are watching the original, definitely the Japanese voices. If you are watching Kai, either version is fine but I think most prefer the English dub.
Kai has two dubs. An uncut dub that actually tries to stay as close to the original Japanese script as phonetically possible, which was aired on Adult Swim and was the primary DVD/Blu-Ray release of the series outside of Japan, and a censored dub with 4Kids level edits, produced to allow the show to air on Nickelodeon.
Actually there's 3 dubs. Uncut, Nicktoons and Toonzai(4Kids). The Nicktoons dub is censored but way less so than the Toonzai dub. The Toonzai dub is what spawned blue Popo
Choosing between Z dub and kai is like choosing between eating at taco bell (z dub) over eating at an authentic Mexican restaurant (kai). The americanized version is watered down and has nothing on the OG.
YES!!!!! The OG voice of Kid Goku and Gohan are the reason I watched DBZ in its original form. I’m now at the Frieza Saga and his old voice actor sounds like nails on a chalkboard. In my opinion it’s better to watch OG Saiyan saga and then Frieza saga in DBZ Kai
Really? I always hated the orignal smoker voice for Gohan. It's like nail on a chalk board for me. It's why I could never get into the film, because they had THAT Gohan voice.
in kai, gohan actually sounds completely natural and perfect for a 3-9 years old kid. if you never watched dbz and watched kai only then it wouldnt kill you, the reason why its killing you is because you are comparing them.
@@JenniferPoole.33272 he's probably like one of the only voice changes that I was fine with. Although I do prefer Linda Young because she gave Frieza a more androgynous and evil personality. Bulma's voice change is completely unnecessary, same with Gohan's, and actually hinders the show's quality. And Vegeta and Piccolo sound way too different from what they used to sound like.
Im from Argentina and I grew up with the latin version of DBZ , the thing was , 20+ years ago , dub and editing the original footage was harder than now with all the digital technology. So , voice actors had to make a few changes to the lines to keep the phase, and they gave the original dub a whole another feeling ( in a good way ). Now , the big sell point of kai is being closer to the original japanese manga, but for some reason they decided to base the latin version in the english version. So they keep the minor changes the english version did , and then added a few more of our own. Then Kai Isnt that closer to the manga than the original broadcast. Then , they changed almost the entire voice cast cause of money or age , and the original cast was well know in the Latin fanbase for givin the characters more dark or gruesome feeling in their dubs ( screams in particular ). But they keep the english version phasing that already most of the latin fans feels more soft. The result is a mixed bags of feelings and a lot of people asking why even Kai is a thing.
Sorry to mention this but the original Z didn't have the Bruce Falconer Music butt he actual classic DBZ OST which Kai uses at some point as well. The Bruce Falconer was only applied to the DBD Dub back in the day where fumination took the leisure to literally change all aspects of the Japanese version to make it their own version.
After purchasing Kai on DVD I have to say I regret it a little bit. I have realized now that I am definitely a fan of Z over Kai. The nostalgia factor with the music in Z as well as the drawn out epic moments are what made this show so special to me as a kid. So I would say Z all the way personally. Especially me being a 90's child.
I have both the original Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai season sets on DVD. But I choose the original Dragon Ball Z anime, because of nostalgic memories of watching the show on Toonami on Cartoon Network as a kid back then. Now as a adult, I can enjoy Dragon Ball Z Kai as well, because that has more faithfully to the Japanese manga rather than having filler in between the main sagas.
From someone who grew up watching Original Dragon Ball first, DBZ second and DBZ Kai for last. I got into Dragon Ball in the late 1990's. I can honestly suggest you to watch the First Arc of DBZ on it's original 90's version. The first Arc of Z is very similar to the OG DB Art Style, Tone and how amazing filler could help in there. Once the Saiyan Arc (First Arc) is concluded; i keep watching DBZ in the Kai Version. Fillers aren't really that necesary anymore.
@@loanwriter Awesome, but you cannot skip Original Dragon Ball; i mean the one where Goku is a kid. It's important to watch Goku's development from the beginning.
Z OR Kai I'm almost done the original and only interested in watching what's Canon order(that includes movies though that are a mix of good canon/filler) and any episodes in the shows itself that're good filler.
@@gamewriteeye769 I'll give you a few tips. None of the OG DB Movies are canon, they're retelling stories of the show, with a few changes. Like made up stories involving canon & non canon characters, if you're interested on watching the movies, once you're done w/ Dragon Ball, i will tell you in which order you should watch them: 1. Curse of the Blood Rubies 2. Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle 3. Path To Power 4. Mystical Adventure As far as Dragon Ball Z, i'd suggest you to watch the first Arc on the original Z version from the 90's cuz just like OG DB filler helps a lot in there. Not only that, but the Kai version made a big mistake on spoiling Goku's origins and his connection to an important villain from the Namek Arc (the 2nd arc of Z) in the pilot episode; making the first Arc of Z completely irrelevant. PS: Filler doesn't help DBZ that much (only in the first arc), that's why i always choose the Kai Version.
@@robertosoto2505 Alright that's good to know. I had a friend tell me to watch just all Z, and I'm not really sure about Kai if it's got no grit or blood with the censoring...really, I'm just trying to watch the series in the best way possible even if I combine both Z and Kai. The movies you said I'll keep in mind, and there's others I heard that's good like the Broly movie. The original series has been pain to get through though and that's why I'm considering Kai over Z to fix those older era show issues.
I watched both of them. But if you’d want to get the better translation, I’d say Kai. I like the og because of the Japanese soundtracks. Bruce Falconer is also good too. But my personal bias would be subbed.
For me the biggest issue with Z filler is that it tends to cut into the main plot a lot, really slowing down the pacing for the necessary episodes as well, the biggest example being the pre-super saiyan Frieza fight
@@hzeek4361it took that long on Z or Kai? I’m about to finish kid goku and don’t know if I should watch Z or Kai. I think I’d prefer Z, but Hulu only has Kai and I’d have to buy another subscription most likely for Z. So I want to watch Z, but idk if I should just watch Kai since I have that in Hulu already
So, I compiled the ultimate canon list of the DB series(as I'm watching it for the first time), given some fan favorite material as well as including filler that doesn't involve heavily destroying/altering the anime's timeline. Here it is as follows. Lemme know your input where it matters or might be wrong. All Canon Order(Best Way To Watch In Timeline) Dragon Ball - Watch episodes 1-153 - Watch Dragon Ball movies 1-4 (optional - summarizes the original). Curse of the blood rubies, Sleeping Princess In Devil's Castle, Mystical Adventure, Pursuit Of Power Dragon Ball Z and Kai - Watch Z episodes 1-35 - Watch Kai episodes 17-35 - Watch Z promo Bardock, The Father of Goku CANON - Watch Kai episodes 36-58 - Watch Z episode 125, Piccolo and Goku driving FILLER - Watch Kai episodes 59-66 - Watch Z promo the history of TRUNKS CANON - Watch Kai episodes 67-82 - Watch Z movie Broly, prologue to Cell Games saga CANON - Watch Kai episodes 83-98 - Watch Z movie Bojack Unbound, epilogue to Cell Games Saga CANON - Watch Kai Final Chapters episodes 99-165 - Watch Z movie: Wrath Of The Dragon, epilogue to the Kid Buu saga CANON - sets up Dragon Ball GT End of Z and Kai for now Dragon Ball Super - (optional) Watch Super episodes 1-15 - Watch Z movie Battle Of The Gods, same episodes - (optional) Watch Super episodes 16-27 - Watch Z movie Resurrection F, same episodes - Watch Super episodes 28-131 - Watch Dragon Ball Super Broly movie - Watch Dragon Ball Super Heroes (optional spinoff) FILLER - Watch Dragon Ball Super Movie: Super Hero CANON End of Dragon Ball Super Series epilogue Kai episodes 166-167 Dragon Ball GT - Watch Dragon Ball GT episodes 1-64 (optional, following ten year timejump) FILLER - Watch Dragon Ball GT Movie: A Hero's Legacy, GT's epilogue End of Dragon Ball franchise timeline What a complicated series to watch...oh my
I started with Kai, but I got too impatient to wait for the next episode every week on Nick. I found Z online and binged it and the first Dragon Ball. This was before streaming for anime took off, so the sites I used didn’t used different dubs at different points. I remember the first parts being the ocean dub, and at some point switching to Funimation. I saw the whole Funimation dub later and enjoyed it. Idk why but I liked Z more. Can’t speak on the original Japanese though because I could never find one with good audio, including official releases.
To me the music is the biggest difference that actually effects the overall experience. People should listen to a few tracks and go with the one that sounds best. For me Bruce Faulconer's music is way better and makes certain moments hit way harder.
have you heard the eu/jp ost? i grew up with that one and its still among my favorite music pieces. i never really could get in to listening the american versions, they feel really un-dragonball-like
Z's dub has more epic moments thanks to Faulconer's score, but Kai's dub has the cast putting over a decade of experience of voicing the characters to work. But behind-the-scenes stuff with the newer voice actors in Kai from the recent drama cast a shadow onto that dub that Z doesn't have.
@@trashboat5388 and I don't even think that was from the behind the scenes from Kai. They were using falconer music when Yamcha was getting gangbanged. LOL
Does Kai remove only the filler episodes or does it cut also the canon stuff for better pacing? I mean when the characters are just standing or powering up for ten minutes, stuff like that.
Yeah it cuts more than just the fillers. Like staring at someone's face for 5 seconds and long power-ups. All of that cut out. It's also censored version of Z.
@@OWmyDragonballz My comment is old, I‘ve already watched Kai. It cuts filler episodes, filler stuff in non-filler episodes, and dragged out scenes (like characters staring at each other, long power-ups, etc...).
@@vulfreydedid you feel it was a better watch? haven’t watched dragon ball in years but I only saw Kai as a kid, don’t know if it’s worth it to try the original this go round.
@@dontforgetsolstice1403 While I have nostalgia for the original anime, it is dragged out to ridiculous levels. When I tried to re-watch it after years, I just couldn't continue and switched over to Kai. The pacing is great in Kai, but there are cons. It is censored a bit (nothing extreme, though), it has a different OST, and there are these re-drawn scenes that can be quite jarring. I'd say the original is better, but the slow pace is a big issue. If you've already seen Kai and DBZ is too slow for you, I would suggest you read the manga. I am currently reading it and it's a great read. Especially if you haven't seen Dragon Ball (that's before DBZ), start reading from the start. The manga is probably the best way to experience Dragon Ball. At least for me.
I started watching Dragon Ball Z first back when it started to air in America bank in 1994 I think? Also at the same time I believe Dragon Ball was being aired. Thanks for a great childhood Cartoon Network!
I'm so not used to being told up I grew up with Super, because I actually grew up with (censored) DB Kai as a kid (I'm 22 now). It was my JAM. I loved it so much, it was one of the anime that got me into making characters and writing, lol.
It's weird to read that. I grew up on DBZ with Rock the Dragon being our theme. The original music for the us released was dope but the filler though. I'm 32 now just strange to things I accepted as a kid with DBZ.7 😂
I grew up with the Ocean dub and Funimation dub, but I've finally just got around to watching Kai for the first time. For as much nostalgia as the old dubs hold for me, if I were to recommend a version to someone new to the series, I would probably go with Kai. The original cuts episode count of 291 sounds like it would be intimidating to a newcomer. Kai was able to cut the series down to almost half of that, and the pacing is much better, not to mention most of the main cast was retained from the funimation dub, so there isn't that awkward period after the switch over from Ocean where the voice actors are trying to figure their characters out, so the line delivery is fairly smooth throughout the series. There are some weird animation moments where they tried to clean up certain frames and ended up making them look like they were done in flash animation, but overall I think Kai is the superior version of the story. Still miss Falconer's music though.
@marcoparada6652 I won't defend the whole Falcouner score. A lot of tracks ran from forgettable to pointless noise, but he had some damn good tracks, too. The Super Saiyan theme, Cells Theme, Hell's Bells and Final Flash for Vegeta, Gohan's theme, and Goku's Sacrifice were all memorable tracks.
It is different for me. I watch Z for the Saiyan arc alone because of the fillers that provide character development, and a better build up of the Saiyan invasion. I then view Kai for the rest of the series.
If I'm being honest I would recommend someone watch the first saga in Z, watch everything up to when they actually get to namek in Kai, watch The Ginyu Force saga in Z again, watch the Frieza saga in either Z or kai, same with the Android saga. The cell games Saga too me feels like it needs to be watched in Z, Same with the Buu saga.
I love OG DBZ but it doesn’t hold up as well today. The filler is mostly bad and ruins the pacing and continuity overall. And as far as the dub goes at least; it takes a bit too many creative liberties especially with the characterization of Goku. Kai on the other hand obviously looks nicer and has near perfect pacing, it has little to no filler, and the dub is almost perfectly manga-accurate unlike og DBZ. And ik people don’t like the censorship of Kai but there is an uncensored version of it.
If you watched the NickToons version of KAI, Vegeta says "It's over 8000". I got introduced to KAI with the NickToons edit. I also got into DBZ from the Ocean Dub when I could watch it on Sunday mornings. When Toonami came along, that's when I got into DBZ. I'll watch DBZ either in 4x3, or 16x9 I don't care.
The music clip u used while Gomis transformation is all I need for which I need to watch , Kai 's music didn't make me feel anything whereas z literally have the chills
The way I describe it is…..if it’s your first time watching it go with the original…..if you’re rewatching it…..go with Kai. I have both and I love rewatching Kai.
Original Z is at least completely uncut, includes everything...all of the iconic meme worthy moments, all of the violence and fan service, al of the sometimes memorable filler, and all of the iconic Faulconer score. Kai is just an edit. Sure, overall stronger voice acting...but if you replace and iconic and quotable line with a "better" line, sometimes it is just different. And something is lost in changing it. Kai also ends up with a lot of visual inconsistencies. There are some frames and scenes that are re-animated which always pulls you out of the moment. Due to the edited and cut content it also sometimes creates weird issues like the Goblins Goku meets in hell never appearing in Kai, but then they show up in the Kai final chapters. Plus oddly...Kai is broken up into 2 sections of Kai and "the final chapters" and they were remastered and re-edited differently. So the Kai version of the show is almost 2 different remastered and re-edited versions of the show. With different aspect ratios and score and etc. With Z...you don't have to worry about ANYTHING being left out. It is all in there, all the blood, all the fanservice, all the filler and all of the Insanely epic Bruce Faulconer music. If you are looking for a speed run, sure just watch Super. If you are looking for the full on unfiltered experience, watch all of Dragon Ball and Z, absorb everything.
Kai is for someone who wants an experience closer to what the manga creator intended, I grew up with Z but it's very slow plus the voice acting is better in kai which is a huge plus.
I loved the manga as a kid, but found the way the anime drew things out unbearable… that and my country‘s awful dub. Also, Kai is preserved the way the producers of the show and Toriyama as the creator wish it. So for me it’s a no-brained. Kai > Z. But if you grew up loving the show in its original form, I understand.
I would love a Kai version without all the weird colors. The way Sean says "KAIOKEN TIMES THREE" in the Kai version of the first Goku vs Vegeta fight is so epic.
@@jaded9436We are on a video to decide whether we should watch Dbz or Kai and not a DBZ review so its pretty evident that there a people here who haven’t watched the show yet 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Regarding Dragon Ball Z original... I often found myself fast forwarding through sections multiple times of episodes on rewatching just to get to the "good bits". Especially through the Freiza Saga. I actually remember being in school and being disappointed sometimes because there were only 1 episode a day and sometimes an episode would start and end at pretty much the same point where it began without anything really happening of significance inbetween (charging up a spirit bomb or something). Which was kind of frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I loved the series... but GEEZ did a few parts really drag its heels to beyond ridiculous "eyerolling" degrees at times. Even as a kid of like 9 I remember wondering just how stupid the creators of the show must have thought I was to not realise what they were obviously doing. It would sometimes feel a little patronising. I mean sometimes they even were reusing images and animated sequences repeatedly in the same episode just to drag it out even longer without giving any expansion on characters or motivations or anything at all of any real substance. So that they streamlined the show sounds appealing just for potentially that aspect alone... however to date I still haven't seen the Kai version yet. So I can't really make any comparison.
@history of dragon ball here's a bit of a crazy idea. i think you made a video on mystic(ultimate) gohan and explained how he could possibly still go super saiyan while in his ultimate form because the super saiyan transformation is a power multiplier. i'm not sure where i saw/heard it, but it was possible that old kai could have done the same to goku and unlocked his ultimate form if given time. so here's my thoughts. 1- if old kai had unlocked goku's ultimate form, could it have been combined with anything other than the super saiyan transformations? could it have been combined with goku's god forms? dragonball super showed that goku was able to combine the kaio-ken with super saiyan blue, so could his ultimate form be combined with super saiyan god and super saiyan blue like the kaio-ken was? what kind of power boost would goku get? 2- could goku's ultimate form be combined ultra instinct? what kind of power boost would result from this? what you're basically getting from the 2 is the max potential of the ultimate form combined with no limitations on movement for ultra instinct, which results in much greater reaction speed, giving the user a huge boost in strength/power for attacks and dodging opponents attacks.
what vesion of dbz is on funimation rn? Because I'm not getting the same soundtrack you're talking about. is the original broadcast version or the dragon box or remastered? Im not hearing any of the bruce faulkner music
You should try and mix the original with Kai it's a crazy good experience!But if have to choose, pick Kai for the better English dub and a full HD upgrade and for Japanese the original all the way!
Prefer the music of Z and personally enjoy the fillers. But Kai definitely wins on quality and pacing. If showing someone for first time I'd recommend Kai now.
Grew up with Z on Club Dorothee in French language. Then streamed Dragonball - Z - GT in Afghanistan 2010-2011. Today I going to restart from Dragonball and stay with Z because its the one I loved when I was a kid born in 1981. KAI feels like I would miss essentials. Would recommend Dragonball any day because seeing Goku growing up with Master Roshi and Krilin is the best...
My father grew up with the original while I grew up with Kai. I’m watching the original and find it to be pretty good. I still have a bias towards kai but I would recommend watching both versions.
Wow your comment must be like an anomaly. Usually people just completely shit on the FUNimation dub. I personally just can't get into kai, but I can see why others have fallen in love with it. I'm just personally not a fan of the elitism that a lot of Kai fans have, and the constant shit talking of the OG dub that is done by the fanbase.
@@LukeRojas Well, Kai does get to the point faster, better dub, and slightly better animation and quality. I think it's safe to say the younger audience have been spoiled and have higher expectations. I just don't care enough for higher animation and quality as long as the story is good.
@@LukeRojas as a "kai elitist" myself, gonna be honest with you, it's very possible that it comes from a place of vengeance. I watched the OG with my older brothers when I was a kid, like 7 or 8 years old. I saw the Kai dub on Nicktoons and when I noticed the differences, I shat on Kai half because I believed it, but also I wanted to look cool to my older brothers. Then when I got older and compared scenes from both, I became a Kai fan through and through. I tried to tell my brothers about it but they dismissed me entirely, citing stuff that doesn't really matter in the end, like censorships that should be attributed to 4Kids than the Kai dub overall. So when I saw them react that way without even trying to see the real differences, I got REAL bitter. I'll admit though despite preferring Kai, certain things only available in the OG are pretty cool. Like Vegeta's speech on how he became a Super Saiyan. Really fleshes out the character.
I’m doing a rush of all the dragon ball series (except GT because I’m rewatched it recently) and after dragon ball I’m a little bit tired of the film scenes that stares at the character’s face for 20sec… So I’m gonna watch Kai instead (never watched Kai before) of Z that I’ve seen so many times. So I can watch only 100 episodes and I don’t have to skip all the unnecessary scenes
there are certain clips in kai that are "remastered" that look like the art has bee traced in paint. it's horrible and ruins the whole show. any idea why they did this?
It's because it's basically was traced lol. According to Wikipedia, the majority of the series' sketched and cels were discarded after the final DBZ episode, so for Kai they reanimated by tracing still frames of existing footage
I actually started binging the OG dragon ball. And watching the movies in order with the shows. Once I finished dragon ball and watching the first movie, I decided to go for Kai. I really enjoy it!
I couldnt get into to kai cause it took all the nostalgia away for me. I enjoy all non cut filler and build up from the way i remember it growing up in the 90s with toonami
Imo if you want to experience Z without any of the unnecessary filler and an edit that’s more faithful to the original writing by Toriyama himself, watch Kai. If you want to experience Z at its full raw uncut form and not care about the filler, watch Z
Most of the actors with the exception of a few replacements are the Dana actors(I will agree that kid gohans actor fits better for Kai Coleen fits him, Stephanie nadolny fits kid Goku though, and Chris Ayres does a phenomenal job as Frieza and should have been the first actor from Z in the first place)
This question has caused a battle between my soul and my spirit. Because the most epic transformations all happen in Z. When it comes to transformations OG DBZ Hit hardest. Kai does a damn good job, but it cannot hold a candle to DBZ when it comes to these moments. Experiencing the moment Goku transformed into a super Saiyan for the very first time “ I won’t let you get away with this” bruh I damn near transformed. And then experiencing Gohan become a super Saiyan two for the very first time oh my God, is beyond words. I was there, I was right there I felt as though, no I went through a great deal of emotions from that transformation alone. The Bruce falconer score hits your soul it will make a grown man cry. I literally got Scheels the same thing happened to me with Goku’s on Namek, but this was a higher level I felt the power, I thought like I was going to transform I damn near cried. Don’t get me started on Super saying three Goku, the first time I saw him transform was actually on UA-cam it was a clip of the OGDBZ anime, I was literally blown away pause no Homo. I got chills I don’t know what to think I don’t know what to do all I could do was filled the intense power come from Goku I thought like the earth was about to destroyed. I love how demonic and disaster Lee Goku‘s power felt at this level. Nobody ever felt a power like this before. On top of that his Chi energy was filled from earth all the way to the sacred planet of the Keis not only that once I took a deep dive into power scaling I learned that this was only a small fraction of Goku‘s power level as a super Saiyan three he wasn’t nowhere near his maximum power level. This shit was beyond I’m telling you each one of these transformations unlock something in your mind in your body that you never knew was there. And OGDBZ hit this was the key to unlocking these moments this emotion are you feeling a connection to these characters you’ve never had for any other anime in your life. Now I will say this DBZ Kai is technically better when it comes to everything else no lie I give love and respect to everything I did the art animation style the Chris clean look, cutting down the filler to bare minimum all filler in Chi is Canon because it is exclusive to the manga and enhances the story. But yo I’m so glad I got to experience OGDBZ transformations. OGDBZ is full of flaws the episodes are too long we love the screaming so that’s never a problem, but when you experience those transformations that I just described, it didn’t matter how many years an episode took to get up to that point you were fully immersed in the moment of power of transformation. DBZ Kai is greater all around than OGDBZ. But what OGDBZ did do far greater then Kai was the elemental moment of each Super Saiyan transformation.
3:15 What do you mean "of course the quality of the animation is going to be of a higher level?" Being more recent does not equate to better animation. And in the case of DBZ and Kai this isn't even a comparison because Kai is just re-edited footage from DBZ. EDIT: Okay so just a few minutes later you do say that Kai is the same animation as Z, but then you go on and seem to conflate animation quality and image quality. It's the same animation regardless if you're watching it on a VHS taped off TV broadcast or on a remastered Blu ray
Kai is great but for the love of God, skip the first few minutes of the first episode, where they spliced Bardock footage into the episode. It totally spoils all of the Raditz revelations and shows off Frieza way too early. Better to watch the Bardock special when it was meant to be watched, while they're on Namek.
@spicyNacho they basically didn’t get rid of much. Since that is the case, might as well watch it all is my take. Watch the Z Buu Arc and compare it to Kai. It was better done imho. Again only my opinion.
While Kai may be an option to get through the plot quicker. I feel the original Z being very drawn out gives you more sentimental attachment to the world and characters.
I couldn't keep watching Z. Entire Episodes spent charging an attack and screaming are not my idea of entertainment, but i don't want to miss out on those other character building moments.
Same!! Love original DBZ! Both ocean and Funimation dubs! Sub is good too even though I don’t like Goku’s Japanese voice. And don’t understand why Krillin sounds like a pre-pubescent kid instead of a grown man.
You should definitely watch Z. And parts of/the entirety of Kai later if you want, as a mere curiosity. You cannot just reduce everything to "better pacing" and then choose Kai solely because of it, as there's a lot of artistic stuff (OST, scene montage, scene placement) Kai just doesn't do right. The OST implementation is far far worse, and lots of scenes which were made to induce tension in the viewer just do not produce that effect. What's more, plenty of "filler" episodes that help explain the cultural landscape that made DBZ the phenomenon it was back in the 90s (no kid distinguished "canon" from "filler" back then) You'll be self-sabotaging by watching Kai. Don't let biased anime fans who are already suffering from the nausea and anxiety of their never ending backlogs (and thus lacking the natural patience to watch a series properly) convince you otherwise.
I ❤️ Dragon Ball Z Now and Forever! Dragon Ball Kai is ok! But if they found a way to fuse both with Bruce Faulconer’s music and have Z violence it would be perfection!
I almost found a way by just combining the two shows when you watch them, it's a lot of work but it works for me and you get all of the music tracks from both and depending on what version you have of the original you can even have the Kikuchi score and if you got lucky with Kai you can also have the Yamamoto score that is truly perfection.
@@amadorcortinas2749 I don't like the Yamamoto score. Far too repetitive during the Saiyan and Namek arcs even compared to Kikuchi's. The Android arc with Yamamoto had more variety at least. Kikuchi and Sumitomo all the way for me.
@@amadorcortinas2749 I'm not really into cheesy Faulconer score either. It's good but over does things a little. Always music non-stop. I would actually watch the enitire series in Japanese again with the Faulconer score.
I've been working on the original for a while and I just couldn't suffer through the glacial pacing and unnecessarily high episode count, so I switched to Kai. I can get over the toned-down bloodshed if it means the show is more concise and enjoyable to watch.
@@Ftedits208 i prefer Z over kai because kai miss alot of episodes and i love dbz so much the more episodes the better theres some really cool filler like the entire garlic jr saga is missing on kai , also kai suddently changes the aspect ratio to 16:9 half way through very anoyying and i love bruce falconers music for me its Z all the way
I would suggest Kai. Original Z is still relevant and in my opinion still worth watching, but only as a big fan. Someone who's just getting into it and isn't a fan yet will have a better time with Kai given the pacing and remastered visuals. Everytime I introduce someone new to the Dragon Ball franchise I start them from first training with Roshi (Pilaf saga isn't terribly relevant given the different genre. It also can be too crude for some people), the rest of DB, DBZ Kai, Dragon Ball Super. I don't show them DBGT or most of the movies besides The TV specials History of Trunks and Bardock. Fusion Reborn is also fun imo, but I usually don't show that one either. I also don't bother with Battle of the Gods or Resurrection F since they're covered by the series. I really like starting with Dragon Ball, otherwise all the deaths in the Saiyan Saga are really underwhelming and Krillin's death triggering Super Saiyan doesn't make much sense.
Z> Kai even for new watchers. Kai has some reanimated parts. It's noticable when it transitions from the original footage to the reanimated one. Looks like it's fanmade and not in a good way. Also the coloring in Kai looks off, not as nice as DBZ's. Also the recent DBZ remaster looks way cleaner than Kai. Short clip of the new DBZ remaster on my channel (goku vs vegeta beam clash) Another reason i'd stay away from Kai is because they slaughtered the Buu. Toei put little effort in that arc and it shows. It has a weird green tint to it, animation not as good and its only available in cropped 16:9. Imaging watching Kai up to the Cell saga which is good, then having to watch the Kai Buu Saga...
@@Napolii69 I definitely agree about the buu saga. Did you know that it's technically even a different series? There was a gap between the production of Kai and kai the final chapters. But yeah, honestly I have most of my stuff on a server that I've created a meta series for because there are bits and pieces from both that I prefer and I can pretty much combine them in any way at my leisure.
I recommend this…. Start at Dragon Ball when Goku is a kid with Japanese voices and subs then go to Z with Subs also. A lot of story was lost in the dubs (Kai Fixes a lot of that tho. But I think the Japanese voices are the best way to watch.
@@donut2123 I agree. After watching through Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z’s subs I noticed that Funimation the 1st time around rewrote certain parts and straight up made changes to the script.
😅Dang, I like both. That Faulconer score from the English dub holds a special place in my memory and I like being able to watch the closer translation and faster story from Kai as well. Like you said, really no bad options here.
@@Ejjeje37 exactly! Also the original Japanese soundtrack is masterfully integrated. OST gives me chills multiple times thru the show. Season 1-4 Kai on blu ray is a must own imo. Plus fixed aspect ratio
@@Maxaveli98 yea I was wondering if I should watch Dbz now in 2022 for filler but I’m gunna wait a year so I forget what happens, because I am finishing Dbz kai
I have shown my family the Kai version only. Mainly because of less filler and lower episode count. Rather than staring at character's faces for 5 seconds in the original, I went with the faster paced and main plot focused version.
Were u watch it
where’d u watch it
@@jaykay3119 i watched all of naruto on that website and use it whenever i wanna go back to rewatch any cartoon or anime
WHERE IS IT!?!......oh it’s on dvd.....for $100.....so that’s why it’s nowhere else....greedy arses.
It also has better dialogue. For the Buu saga though they changed alot of the dialogue that was actually good in the original DBZ.
DB Kai definitely has the blood, you just need to get the uncensored version. Also, the music in Kai is pretty good too, but in a different way. And also, Kai is far more well paced and engaging.
What’s the unscensored version
@@El3ctr0Lun4 actually that's not quite true, even the uncensored version of kai is censored to some extent (when compared to Z). Much if the blood throughout all of Kai is coloured black instead of red (not all, but it does happen)
@@karebushmarebu233 Yes you're right. Some minor changes, which include removing the middle finger sign from a few scenes, but a lot of the blood is still there. And as I said, the Raditz episodes are censored (black blood like you say).
That aside, the animation is much cleaner, the pacing so much better, mostly no filler, and the story follows the manga much better.
@@El3ctr0Lun4 yeah Kai and Z both have up and downsides. For instance for me, the BF soundtrack for the Z dub is an integral part of the show, and Kai doesn't feel the same without it, Kai does have a more "accurate" translation for the most part, but sometimes it's more accurate in a literal sense while being less accurate in terms of conveying the intended emotioal effect. For instance some lines are translated much more directly, the problem this brings up tho is that certian lines said in Japanese have a certian impact to a Japanese speaker because of the cultural connotations around certian phrases, but when translated directly into English in a literal sense it looses its intended meaning even though the words themselves are more close to the English equivalents than the Z translation
I can't remeber a specific example right now, but just as a parallel I'll use Chinese (Manderin) to English translation as an example since I'm more familiar with those languages
你吃了吗 is a Common Chinese phrase, 你 is you, 吃 is eat, 了 is a completion marker and 吗 turns the whole thing Into a yes or no question. So when translated directly into English it means something along the lines of "have you eaten?" Or
"Have you ate yet?"
The problem with this translation is that in English it seems like you are genuinly being asked if you have had any food today, but this phrase is actually just used as a greeting in Chinese. Its similiar to asking "how you doing?" When first seeing someone, you're not actually asking how they are doing, you are just saying "hello".
So using this example, you can see why Kais translation, even though it is more accurate, sometimes falls short becuase it translates certian passages very literally and In doing so looses its orginal meaning.
I think this is why some think certian lines sound more "badasa" in the Z version, since they more accurately convey the intended emotion as oppossed to the intended words.
That being said, Kais translation is generally done better, for the most part. The pacing is a lot better aswell, as someone who's read the manga tho I enjoy the orginal anime as it's different enough from the manga to make it feel worth watching, with Kai I'd rather just read the manga as it's so similiar.
But yeah I can understand why a lot kf people like Kai, I personally think the best experience would be if someone edited the two shows together. Keep most of the pacing of Kai, but keep some of the better filler episodes from Z like kid Gohams development, keep the soundtrack from Z dub, cleaner animation from Kai, and possibley a mix of the two translations (mainly kai but with a smidgen of Z at the most "epic" or "emotional" parts). The mixed translation thing might now work thigh cause of differing audio quality, eh it'll never happen anyways, just a pipe dream :)
@@karebushmarebu233 I'm not too attached to the Bruce Faulconer soundtrack. I grew up watching the original Dragon Ball series, with all the original Japanese music, but dubbed in my native language - Romanian. Later on I watched DBZ Saiyan and Frieza sagas on a German TV channel, so the show was dubbed in German with the original JP music, and soon after it was aired on Cartoon Netwoork in English, which had the Faulconer music.
I doubt that Kai translates things word for word - normally when you dub or subtitle any movie or TV show, you do a translation and adaptation. The Funimation version of DBZ however had written an fully new script, changing the motivations and even backgrounds of some characters, Goku is portrayed as a saviour and protector of life (much like Superman) rather than a guy who likes to fight. The point of the KAI dub was that it respected the original script, while still translating and adapting the dialogue.
I watched dbz kai growing up on nicktoons. Currently i am watching the dragon ball z. I much prefer the filler, feels like i missed out on great story develpoment/ funny moments. Plus who wouldnt want more minutes of their favorite characters.
True ❤
Yeah its like side quests in video games, it makes you understand the world and characters more.
Actually some fillers is good , like training at Sayan planet, but most of them is just waste of time like many fillers about Gohan. Also American dub rewritten a lot of dialogue making Goku a Superman and Vegeta a jerk.
My issue comes with just how dragged out the fights end up being. Especially if it is non canon. Is it cool that Yamcha fought the Ginyu force in other world? Sure. But the factor wears off when you tie it to the long transformation going on and it not actually happening
The filler is fun, in places. But for the most part it’s completely unnecessary and creates world building plot holes not found in the original work.
I prefer the slower pacing of Z somehow. Maybe its nostalgia. Or maybe its just that I like buildup towards certain moments. Except when it takes 30 episodes for a planet to explode in 5 minutes.
Why would you say "maybe it's nostalgia"?! Now you're entire post credibility goes out the fn window
Yeah definitely perfer Z. Goku's journey on snakeway is a single episode. Yamcha, tien and chotzu all die in the same episode as well...
It takes the inpact away and changes something fundamental. Instead of having these suspenseful, tense moments, characters talk non stop
maybe unemployed
Great video. For me, the pacing is a HUGEEEE benefit to watching the original DBZ. In Kai, the most epic scenes happen so fast and are glossed over very quickly. The music in Z is superior, and the build up to epic scenes is incredible. In Kai, it is so fast that you don't get the epic release in tension that you get from Z.
I can get down with that logic but also the Frieza fight in Kai still goes on for like 15 episodes. I love dbz with everything in me but every time i try to go back and watch og dbz I get worn down by the filler really quickly. Some of them are entertaining but GOT DAMN its just so damn long. Kai hits all the story beats in a really satisfying way for me and I like the changes they made to the writing when dubbing it.
@@mantoslodge you gotta combine them! You can switch back and forth for the most epic parts in Z and then go to Kai when it lags. For example, when few episodes before goku does times 20 kaoken against freiza, switch to Z, then go back to Kai until right before goku finishes charging the spirit bomb! Somebody should make a guide to watching both lol
@@darklight1030yea, there would be no way to tell without one :/
Just wish they had Kai with the original music. That was a huge part of it for me
Me personally I’m not a fan of the Falconer score but I really wish Kai didn’t gloss over stuff like gohan training with piccolo, Kaio Ken x20, or even the stuff with imperfect cell. But overall Kai is the version I grew up with and I’d still take it over Z
Glad I grew up along with the dragon ball manga during the 90s...u wouldn't believe how immersive it was to read it with a torchlight under the blanket. Didn't had access to anime till much much later and it was another refreshing take into their world. To me the peak was during the cell arc and ended after bu saga. Battle of God piqued my interest again, and I'm glad they're still loved by many other generations.
I’m kinda jealous that you grew up during that time. I grew up during the early 2000s, but I am kinda jealous of you either way, both because of this, and just..the way things certain things were 🤣🤣
I also watched dbz back in the late 90’s on Cartoon Network @5 or 530 after sailor moon, and still a dbz fan to this day. For me personally the fillers were a horrible experience me, But still sat through it. Kai is the best option for someone who’s shares the same opinion as me. It’s perfect for someone with not much time in there Day who wants to feel the experience again, ITS AMAZING!.
I think the Voice Acting from Kai being so much modern makes it the easy choice. Also how can you not want to watch the late great Chris Ayers at his finest.
Exactly! Best Frieza voice ever!!
Love and respect to Mr. Ayers (RIP) but i have always preferred the OG US frieza
Grew up on the DBZ OG but I would definitely recommend DBZ-KAI. Modern but true to the Saiyan soul 😎
If you want true original, read the manga.
Dbz is more exciting
The Buu Saga is Kai's biggest bottleneck. Afwul animation and coloring and forced to watch in cropped 16:9 instead of the original 4:3 aspect ratio
@@lambaqueen428DBZ is boring😂
@@alexzero3736 Dragon Ball in general is boring.
I love them both. I'm slightly biased towards Z, (Toonami version specifically, though the Kikuchi score is also amazing.) but I recognize the improvements Kai has brought as well. I just wish fans of both dubs quit acting superior over each other. Love what you love and stick with it. No need to crap on someone else for what they prefer.
Edit: People may disagree, but in my opinion, the perfect dub of DBZ would be mostly the Kai version, but replace Gohan's new VA (Colleen) for the original VA (Stehpanie) and either have the Faulconer or Kikuchi score.
True ❤
*kai = dbz 1080p[HD]*
The Japanese score is so generic.
Honestly as a die hard DBZ fan i gotta say watch Z Kai, it cuts most of the fluff and the voice actors are probably at their best there
And whenever anyone is watching it first time so what should do i watch dragon ball z or Z kai
@@Detro_op Watch Z, it is more dramatic, more darker, more beautiful, better music, better impression. The only thing that i dislike are the filler episodes, but you can skip them.
@@awarehedgehog8841 And what language should i watch in
I just don’t like the music score as much. But sometimes OG DBZ has some bad music
@@Detro_op If you are watching the original, definitely the Japanese voices. If you are watching Kai, either version is fine but I think most prefer the English dub.
I love all versions of Dragonball multiverse but I am more traditional leaning towards Z as my ultimate fave 💕
True ❤
Kai has two dubs. An uncut dub that actually tries to stay as close to the original Japanese script as phonetically possible, which was aired on Adult Swim and was the primary DVD/Blu-Ray release of the series outside of Japan, and a censored dub with 4Kids level edits, produced to allow the show to air on Nickelodeon.
Same for the blood.
Actually there's 3 dubs. Uncut, Nicktoons and Toonzai(4Kids). The Nicktoons dub is censored but way less so than the Toonzai dub. The Toonzai dub is what spawned blue Popo
How do I find the adult version is it online
@@JRigby90 The Blu-Ray version is uncensored. Get that.
Then why not watch the jap dub with English voice actors?
Choosing between Z dub and kai is like choosing between eating at taco bell (z dub) over eating at an authentic Mexican restaurant (kai). The americanized version is watered down and has nothing on the OG.
It's Gohans Kai voice what kills it for me. The original Gohan kid voice is a million X better
YES!!!!! The OG voice of Kid Goku and Gohan are the reason I watched DBZ in its original form. I’m now at the Frieza Saga and his old voice actor sounds like nails on a chalkboard. In my opinion it’s better to watch OG Saiyan saga and then Frieza saga in DBZ Kai
Really? I always hated the orignal smoker voice for Gohan. It's like nail on a chalk board for me. It's why I could never get into the film, because they had THAT Gohan voice.
@@wholockedholmes5600 Fr. Since when tf is a kid supposed to sound like that? Nostalgia is actually worse than coke for people I swear.
in kai, gohan actually sounds completely natural and perfect for a 3-9 years old kid. if you never watched dbz and watched kai only then it wouldnt kill you, the reason why its killing you is because you are comparing them.
I can't help but watch DBZ. It is forever etched in my heart. ❤️
The ever lasting love!
Same. Kai is okay but I prefer original Z more. I do like Chris Ayres as Frieza but I still didn’t continue watching Kai.
@@JenniferPoole.33272 he's probably like one of the only voice changes that I was fine with. Although I do prefer Linda Young because she gave Frieza a more androgynous and evil personality. Bulma's voice change is completely unnecessary, same with Gohan's, and actually hinders the show's quality. And Vegeta and Piccolo sound way too different from what they used to sound like.
Im from Argentina and I grew up with the latin version of DBZ , the thing was , 20+ years ago , dub and editing the original footage was harder than now with all the digital technology. So , voice actors had to make a few changes to the lines to keep the phase, and they gave the original dub a whole another feeling ( in a good way ).
Now , the big sell point of kai is being closer to the original japanese manga, but for some reason they decided to base the latin version in the english version. So they keep the minor changes the english version did , and then added a few more of our own. Then Kai Isnt that closer to the manga than the original broadcast.
Then , they changed almost the entire voice cast cause of money or age , and the original cast was well know in the Latin fanbase for givin the characters more dark or gruesome feeling in their dubs ( screams in particular ). But they keep the english version phasing that already most of the latin fans feels more soft.
The result is a mixed bags of feelings and a lot of people asking why even Kai is a thing.
Sorry to mention this but the original Z didn't have the Bruce Falconer Music butt he actual classic DBZ OST which Kai uses at some point as well. The Bruce Falconer was only applied to the DBD Dub back in the day where fumination took the leisure to literally change all aspects of the Japanese version to make it their own version.
After purchasing Kai on DVD I have to say I regret it a little bit. I have realized now that I am definitely a fan of Z over Kai. The nostalgia factor with the music in Z as well as the drawn out epic moments are what made this show so special to me as a kid. So I would say Z all the way personally. Especially me being a 90's child.
Lol you can literally download the entire DVD you don't need to buy
I have both the original Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai season sets on DVD. But I choose the original Dragon Ball Z anime, because of nostalgic memories of watching the show on Toonami on Cartoon Network as a kid back then. Now as a adult, I can enjoy Dragon Ball Z Kai as well, because that has more faithfully to the Japanese manga rather than having filler in between the main sagas.
I can't stand nostalgia losers who can't see past poor and good art
Just make sure if you watch Kai, to go back and watch the filler from Z where Goku and Piccolo learn to drive. Best Filler ever.
From someone who grew up watching Original Dragon Ball first, DBZ second and DBZ Kai for last.
I got into Dragon Ball in the late 1990's.
I can honestly suggest you to watch the First Arc of DBZ on it's original 90's version.
The first Arc of Z is very similar to the OG DB Art Style, Tone and how amazing filler could help in there.
Once the Saiyan Arc (First Arc) is concluded; i keep watching DBZ in the Kai Version.
Fillers aren't really that necesary anymore.
@@loanwriter Awesome, but you cannot skip Original Dragon Ball; i mean the one where Goku is a kid.
It's important to watch Goku's development from the beginning.
@@loanwriter You're welcome
Z OR Kai I'm almost done the original and only interested in watching what's Canon order(that includes movies though that are a mix of good canon/filler) and any episodes in the shows itself that're good filler.
@@gamewriteeye769 I'll give you a few tips.
None of the OG DB Movies are canon, they're retelling stories of the show, with a few changes. Like made up stories involving canon & non canon characters, if you're interested on watching the movies, once you're done w/ Dragon Ball, i will tell you in which order you should watch them:
1. Curse of the Blood Rubies
2. Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle
3. Path To Power
4. Mystical Adventure
As far as Dragon Ball Z, i'd suggest you to watch the first Arc on the original Z version from the 90's cuz just like OG DB filler helps a lot in there. Not only that, but the Kai version made a big mistake on spoiling Goku's origins and his connection to an important villain from the Namek Arc (the 2nd arc of Z) in the pilot episode; making the first Arc of Z completely irrelevant.
PS: Filler doesn't help DBZ that much (only in the first arc), that's why i always choose the Kai Version.
@@robertosoto2505 Alright that's good to know. I had a friend tell me to watch just all Z, and I'm not really sure about Kai if it's got no grit or blood with the censoring...really, I'm just trying to watch the series in the best way possible even if I combine both Z and Kai. The movies you said I'll keep in mind, and there's others I heard that's good like the Broly movie. The original series has been pain to get through though and that's why I'm considering Kai over Z to fix those older era show issues.
After somewhat watching both, i found most of kai to be better paced but some dramatic scenes felt too fast
True ❤
I agree 100%
I watched both of them. But if you’d want to get the better translation, I’d say Kai.
I like the og because of the Japanese soundtracks. Bruce Falconer is also good too. But my personal bias would be subbed.
where’d you watch kai
@@leonardoalvarado6848 They showed it on TV.
For me the biggest issue with Z filler is that it tends to cut into the main plot a lot, really slowing down the pacing for the necessary episodes as well, the biggest example being the pre-super saiyan Frieza fight
Bro goku just killed frieza and it took damn near 20 episodes, i cant believe i waited that long each week as a kid 😂
True
@@hzeek4361it took that long on Z or Kai? I’m about to finish kid goku and don’t know if I should watch Z or Kai. I think I’d prefer Z, but Hulu only has Kai and I’d have to buy another subscription most likely for Z. So I want to watch Z, but idk if I should just watch Kai since I have that in Hulu already
So, I compiled the ultimate canon list of the DB series(as I'm watching it for the first time), given some fan favorite material as well as including filler that doesn't involve heavily destroying/altering the anime's timeline. Here it is as follows. Lemme know your input where it matters or might be wrong.
All Canon Order(Best Way To Watch In Timeline)
Dragon Ball
- Watch episodes 1-153
- Watch Dragon Ball movies 1-4 (optional - summarizes the original). Curse of the blood rubies, Sleeping Princess In Devil's Castle, Mystical Adventure, Pursuit Of Power
Dragon Ball Z and Kai
- Watch Z episodes 1-35
- Watch Kai episodes 17-35
- Watch Z promo Bardock, The Father of Goku CANON
- Watch Kai episodes 36-58
- Watch Z episode 125, Piccolo and Goku driving FILLER
- Watch Kai episodes 59-66
- Watch Z promo the history of TRUNKS CANON
- Watch Kai episodes 67-82
- Watch Z movie Broly, prologue to Cell Games saga CANON
- Watch Kai episodes 83-98
- Watch Z movie Bojack Unbound, epilogue to Cell Games Saga CANON
- Watch Kai Final Chapters episodes 99-165
- Watch Z movie: Wrath Of The Dragon, epilogue to the Kid Buu saga CANON - sets up Dragon Ball GT
End of Z and Kai for now
Dragon Ball Super
- (optional) Watch Super episodes 1-15
- Watch Z movie Battle Of The Gods, same episodes
- (optional) Watch Super episodes 16-27
- Watch Z movie Resurrection F, same episodes
- Watch Super episodes 28-131
- Watch Dragon Ball Super Broly movie
- Watch Dragon Ball Super Heroes (optional spinoff) FILLER
- Watch Dragon Ball Super Movie: Super Hero CANON
End of Dragon Ball Super
Series epilogue
Kai episodes 166-167
Dragon Ball GT
- Watch Dragon Ball GT episodes 1-64 (optional, following ten year timejump) FILLER
- Watch Dragon Ball GT Movie: A Hero's Legacy, GT's epilogue
End of Dragon Ball franchise timeline
What a complicated series to watch...oh my
I personally say DBZ. I'm 31. Soooo I grew up with Z. Toriyama sensei got me into anime.
I started with Kai, but I got too impatient to wait for the next episode every week on Nick. I found Z online and binged it and the first Dragon Ball. This was before streaming for anime took off, so the sites I used didn’t used different dubs at different points. I remember the first parts being the ocean dub, and at some point switching to Funimation. I saw the whole Funimation dub later and enjoyed it. Idk why but I liked Z more. Can’t speak on the original Japanese though because I could never find one with good audio, including official releases.
I loved Kai's faster pace, but Z has one of my personal favorite arcs, "Garlic Jr.".
No offense but his arc had nothing to do with Z at all his arc only continued after what happened to him in the first movie that’s it
@@Code1Lyoko I know, it was still a fun watch. Besides, Garlic Jr is one of those forgotten foes.
@@Code1Lyoko It was a good filler though. I really enjoyed it. I even enjoyed the filler were Goku and P learn to drive 😂
you are the first person ive ever seen who likes garlic jr
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To me the music is the biggest difference that actually effects the overall experience. People should listen to a few tracks and go with the one that sounds best. For me Bruce Faulconer's music is way better and makes certain moments hit way harder.
have you heard the eu/jp ost? i grew up with that one and its still among my favorite music pieces. i never really could get in to listening the american versions, they feel really un-dragonball-like
The stupid faulconer music never stops playing
I grew up with Kai and their voices. I still went back and watched Z later on.
What did you prefer? :)
Z is trash, English version atleast
@@TonyFontaine1988L
@@Lowclasswarrior778 no. Take off your nostalgia glasses
I came back to relieve this extra minute! This was one of a kind and was my first and favorite anime next to Naruto!!
If you don't have too much time you should watch kai, but if you have alot of time you should want dragon ball z
Z's dub has more epic moments thanks to Faulconer's score, but Kai's dub has the cast putting over a decade of experience of voicing the characters to work. But behind-the-scenes stuff with the newer voice actors in Kai from the recent drama cast a shadow onto that dub that Z doesn't have.
No it didn't those leaked voice clips were funny.
@@trashboat5388 and I don't even think that was from the behind the scenes from Kai. They were using falconer music when Yamcha was getting gangbanged. LOL
if you are talking about the funimation leaks... those happened before kai was even a thing... and they still have the same va regardless
Gotta say z is my fav because I love the music and the filler episodes just how much blood there was in it.
Does Kai remove only the filler episodes or does it cut also the canon stuff for better pacing? I mean when the characters are just standing or powering up for ten minutes, stuff like that.
Yeah it cuts more than just the fillers. Like staring at someone's face for 5 seconds and long power-ups. All of that cut out. It's also censored version of Z.
Kai cuts out filler. It doesn’t cut out canon.
@@OWmyDragonballz My comment is old, I‘ve already watched Kai. It cuts filler episodes, filler stuff in non-filler episodes, and dragged out scenes (like characters staring at each other, long power-ups, etc...).
@@vulfreydedid you feel it was a better watch? haven’t watched dragon ball in years but I only saw Kai as a kid, don’t know if it’s worth it to try the original this go round.
@@dontforgetsolstice1403 While I have nostalgia for the original anime, it is dragged out to ridiculous levels. When I tried to re-watch it after years, I just couldn't continue and switched over to Kai. The pacing is great in Kai, but there are cons. It is censored a bit (nothing extreme, though), it has a different OST, and there are these re-drawn scenes that can be quite jarring.
I'd say the original is better, but the slow pace is a big issue. If you've already seen Kai and DBZ is too slow for you, I would suggest you read the manga. I am currently reading it and it's a great read. Especially if you haven't seen Dragon Ball (that's before DBZ), start reading from the start. The manga is probably the best way to experience Dragon Ball. At least for me.
I started watching Dragon Ball Z first back when it started to air in America bank in 1994 I think? Also at the same time I believe Dragon Ball was being aired. Thanks for a great childhood Cartoon Network!
You can watch DBZ while skipping filler episodes.
I'm so not used to being told up I grew up with Super, because I actually grew up with (censored) DB Kai as a kid (I'm 22 now). It was my JAM. I loved it so much, it was one of the anime that got me into making characters and writing, lol.
It's weird to read that. I grew up on DBZ with Rock the Dragon being our theme. The original music for the us released was dope but the filler though. I'm 32 now just strange to things I accepted as a kid with DBZ.7 😂
Dude never mentioned how much the dialogue changed for the better in Kai.
The voice acting in Kai sounds like the actors are reading off a cars owner manual giving the characters a soulless and lifeless interaction.
@@StarlynightlightWe are just lying now
@@eliravioli8233 no you're just delusional ;)
I grew up with the Ocean dub and Funimation dub, but I've finally just got around to watching Kai for the first time. For as much nostalgia as the old dubs hold for me, if I were to recommend a version to someone new to the series, I would probably go with Kai. The original cuts episode count of 291 sounds like it would be intimidating to a newcomer. Kai was able to cut the series down to almost half of that, and the pacing is much better, not to mention most of the main cast was retained from the funimation dub, so there isn't that awkward period after the switch over from Ocean where the voice actors are trying to figure their characters out, so the line delivery is fairly smooth throughout the series. There are some weird animation moments where they tried to clean up certain frames and ended up making them look like they were done in flash animation, but overall I think Kai is the superior version of the story. Still miss Falconer's music though.
Falcouner had some of the cringiest scores an anime show ever had.
@marcoparada6652 I won't defend the whole Falcouner score. A lot of tracks ran from forgettable to pointless noise, but he had some damn good tracks, too. The Super Saiyan theme, Cells Theme, Hell's Bells and Final Flash for Vegeta, Gohan's theme, and Goku's Sacrifice were all memorable tracks.
@@grimlockprime1972*KAI* Has A Better & Accurate Dub.
I actually watch a hybrid. For the saiyan and frieza saga I mostly watch Kai. For cell and buu I mostly watch Z
It is different for me. I watch Z for the Saiyan arc alone because of the fillers that provide character development, and a better build up of the Saiyan invasion. I then view Kai for the rest of the series.
@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA I can understand that. When I watch the Saiyan saga last I would stop Kai and put a few of the filler episodes on in between
@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA Majin Vegeta's speech to Goku was more impactful in Z than Kai in my opinion
@@KoalaTContent Cool
If I'm being honest I would recommend someone watch the first saga in Z, watch everything up to when they actually get to namek in Kai, watch The Ginyu Force saga in Z again, watch the Frieza saga in either Z or kai, same with the Android saga. The cell games Saga too me feels like it needs to be watched in Z, Same with the Buu saga.
Kai versions (ENGLISH Dub)
- Uncensored (Adult Swim)
- Little Censor (Disney XD)
- Partially Censor (Nicktoons)
I grew up with Z Kai, so this is a pretty biased choice, but Z Kai for me.
I love OG DBZ but it doesn’t hold up as well today. The filler is mostly bad and ruins the pacing and continuity overall. And as far as the dub goes at least; it takes a bit too many creative liberties especially with the characterization of Goku.
Kai on the other hand obviously looks nicer and has near perfect pacing, it has little to no filler, and the dub is almost perfectly manga-accurate unlike og DBZ. And ik people don’t like the censorship of Kai but there is an uncensored version of it.
If you watched the NickToons version of KAI, Vegeta says "It's over 8000". I got introduced to KAI with the NickToons edit. I also got into DBZ from the Ocean Dub when I could watch it on Sunday mornings. When Toonami came along, that's when I got into DBZ. I'll watch DBZ either in 4x3, or 16x9 I don't care.
The NickToons edit of Kai does have Vegeta say "It's over 9000!". It's only the uncensored Kai DVDS and Blu-rays that Vegeta says "It's over 8000!"
@@theassortedhobbyist That's right, I got that mixed up. Duh me!!
The music clip u used while Gomis transformation is all I need for which I need to watch , Kai 's music didn't make me feel anything whereas z literally have the chills
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this. I grew up on kai and never watched Z, but that music gave me chills and kai’s didn’t register the same at all.
>Z: "over 9000"
>kai: "over 8000"
conclusion: Z wins
The way I describe it is…..if it’s your first time watching it go with the original…..if you’re rewatching it…..go with Kai. I have both and I love rewatching Kai.
Original Z is at least completely uncut, includes everything...all of the iconic meme worthy moments, all of the violence and fan service, al of the sometimes memorable filler, and all of the iconic Faulconer score.
Kai is just an edit. Sure, overall stronger voice acting...but if you replace and iconic and quotable line with a "better" line, sometimes it is just different. And something is lost in changing it.
Kai also ends up with a lot of visual inconsistencies. There are some frames and scenes that are re-animated which always pulls you out of the moment. Due to the edited and cut content it also sometimes creates weird issues like the Goblins Goku meets in hell never appearing in Kai, but then they show up in the Kai final chapters.
Plus oddly...Kai is broken up into 2 sections of Kai and "the final chapters" and they were remastered and re-edited differently. So the Kai version of the show is almost 2 different remastered and re-edited versions of the show. With different aspect ratios and score and etc.
With Z...you don't have to worry about ANYTHING being left out. It is all in there, all the blood, all the fanservice, all the filler and all of the Insanely epic Bruce Faulconer music.
If you are looking for a speed run, sure just watch Super.
If you are looking for the full on unfiltered experience, watch all of Dragon Ball and Z, absorb everything.
Lmfao Faulconer score iconic 😂🤣😭💀
Kai is for someone who wants an experience closer to what the manga creator intended, I grew up with Z but it's very slow plus the voice acting is better in kai which is a huge plus.
I loved the manga as a kid, but found the way the anime drew things out unbearable… that and my country‘s awful dub. Also, Kai is preserved the way the producers of the show and Toriyama as the creator wish it. So for me it’s a no-brained. Kai > Z.
But if you grew up loving the show in its original form, I understand.
What country are you from?
@@johnleone1996 Germany
@@fgdj2000 Ich wohne in den USA. Ich stimme. Für mich ist Kai einfach besser als Z. Aber ich schaue beide sehr gern.
I would love a Kai version without all the weird colors. The way Sean says "KAIOKEN TIMES THREE" in the Kai version of the first Goku vs Vegeta fight is so epic.
Those are the normal colors.
@@trashboat5388 There are some redrawn scenes and some of the characters looked misplaced.
thanks for spiler hate ya
@@erdal2356 DBZ came out in 1989 and you're on a video about DBZ.... You don't get to be mad for spoilers, it's your own damn fault.
@@jaded9436We are on a video to decide whether we should watch Dbz or Kai and not a DBZ review so its pretty evident that there a people here who haven’t watched the show yet 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Regarding Dragon Ball Z original... I often found myself fast forwarding through sections multiple times of episodes on rewatching just to get to the "good bits". Especially through the Freiza Saga.
I actually remember being in school and being disappointed sometimes because there were only 1 episode a day and sometimes an episode would start and end at pretty much the same point where it began without anything really happening of significance inbetween (charging up a spirit bomb or something). Which was kind of frustrating.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the series... but GEEZ did a few parts really drag its heels to beyond ridiculous "eyerolling" degrees at times. Even as a kid of like 9 I remember wondering just how stupid the creators of the show must have thought I was to not realise what they were obviously doing. It would sometimes feel a little patronising. I mean sometimes they even were reusing images and animated sequences repeatedly in the same episode just to drag it out even longer without giving any expansion on characters or motivations or anything at all of any real substance.
So that they streamlined the show sounds appealing just for potentially that aspect alone... however to date I still haven't seen the Kai version yet. So I can't really make any comparison.
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@history of dragon ball here's a bit of a crazy idea. i think you made a video on mystic(ultimate) gohan and explained how he could possibly still go super saiyan while in his ultimate form because the super saiyan transformation is a power multiplier. i'm not sure where i saw/heard it, but it was possible that old kai could have done the same to goku and unlocked his ultimate form if given time. so here's my thoughts.
1- if old kai had unlocked goku's ultimate form, could it have been combined with anything other than the super saiyan transformations? could it have been combined with goku's god forms? dragonball super showed that goku was able to combine the kaio-ken with super saiyan blue, so could his ultimate form be combined with super saiyan god and super saiyan blue like the kaio-ken was? what kind of power boost would goku get?
2- could goku's ultimate form be combined ultra instinct? what kind of power boost would result from this? what you're basically getting from the 2 is the max potential of the ultimate form combined with no limitations on movement for ultra instinct, which results in much greater reaction speed, giving the user a huge boost in strength/power for attacks and dodging opponents attacks.
what vesion of dbz is on funimation rn? Because I'm not getting the same soundtrack you're talking about. is the original broadcast version or the dragon box or remastered? Im not hearing any of the bruce faulkner music
I am getting back into DBZ for nostalgia and didn’t even know there was a “Kai” version 😂
Wow so you don’t know about boo
You should try and mix the original with Kai it's a crazy good experience!But if have to choose, pick Kai for the better English dub and a full HD upgrade and for Japanese the original all the way!
@@unruly7516 Buu was in the original DBZ!
@@amadorcortinas2749 so true
The Kai is like the American version
Prefer the music of Z and personally enjoy the fillers. But Kai definitely wins on quality and pacing. If showing someone for first time I'd recommend Kai now.
1989 -2009 = 30 years later 😂 👍
Grew up with Z on Club Dorothee in French language. Then streamed Dragonball - Z - GT in Afghanistan 2010-2011. Today I going to restart from Dragonball and stay with Z because its the one I loved when I was a kid born in 1981. KAI feels like I would miss essentials.
Would recommend Dragonball any day because seeing Goku growing up with Master Roshi and Krilin is the best...
My father grew up with the original while I grew up with Kai. I’m watching the original and find it to be pretty good. I still have a bias towards kai but I would recommend watching both versions.
Wow your comment must be like an anomaly. Usually people just completely shit on the FUNimation dub. I personally just can't get into kai, but I can see why others have fallen in love with it. I'm just personally not a fan of the elitism that a lot of Kai fans have, and the constant shit talking of the OG dub that is done by the fanbase.
@@LukeRojas Well, Kai does get to the point faster, better dub, and slightly better animation and quality. I think it's safe to say the younger audience have been spoiled and have higher expectations. I just don't care enough for higher animation and quality as long as the story is good.
@@LukeRojas as a "kai elitist" myself, gonna be honest with you, it's very possible that it comes from a place of vengeance. I watched the OG with my older brothers when I was a kid, like 7 or 8 years old. I saw the Kai dub on Nicktoons and when I noticed the differences, I shat on Kai half because I believed it, but also I wanted to look cool to my older brothers. Then when I got older and compared scenes from both, I became a Kai fan through and through. I tried to tell my brothers about it but they dismissed me entirely, citing stuff that doesn't really matter in the end, like censorships that should be attributed to 4Kids than the Kai dub overall. So when I saw them react that way without even trying to see the real differences, I got REAL bitter. I'll admit though despite preferring Kai, certain things only available in the OG are pretty cool. Like Vegeta's speech on how he became a Super Saiyan. Really fleshes out the character.
I’m doing a rush of all the dragon ball series (except GT because I’m rewatched it recently) and after dragon ball I’m a little bit tired of the film scenes that stares at the character’s face for 20sec… So I’m gonna watch Kai instead (never watched Kai before) of Z that I’ve seen so many times. So I can watch only 100 episodes and I don’t have to skip all the unnecessary scenes
there are certain clips in kai that are "remastered" that look like the art has bee traced in paint. it's horrible and ruins the whole show. any idea why they did this?
It's because it's basically was traced lol. According to Wikipedia, the majority of the series' sketched and cels were discarded after the final DBZ episode, so for Kai they reanimated by tracing still frames of existing footage
I actually started binging the OG dragon ball. And watching the movies in order with the shows. Once I finished dragon ball and watching the first movie, I decided to go for Kai. I really enjoy it!
1989 > 2009 is 30 years? Time flies
Its 20 years?
Idk why I’m tweaking over the episode count on Z when I watched over 500 episodes of One Piece, I think I’ll watch Z
Would appreciate a video about all the filler episodes :>
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I couldnt get into to kai cause it took all the nostalgia away for me. I enjoy all non cut filler and build up from the way i remember it growing up in the 90s with toonami
I started watching with Kai ten years ago and and watched everything else after
After some research, I realized that DBZ Kai is the one I grew up with. I now realize why my cousin said they were all re runs from back In the day
Good video I prefer the original all the way I honestly don’t mind the filler I actually like it I prefer Z all the Way.
True 😊❤
After watching dragon ball super : broly. What should I watch next?
wait for Dragon Ball Super Super Hero or just read the Dragon Ball Super Manga
@@richadoruisuthegod3674 ouh ok, but 1 more questions, can I watch super dragon ball heroes now?
@@daemon8037 the movie is coming out later this year so not you can't watch it now
@@richadoruisuthegod3674 ok thanks
@ᗪⴺᗉ⟝ℍ ℕO⟝Ꭼ out of the question
There is a fan release that has the Falcouner, Kikuchi and Yamamoto score. So everyone can be happy.
#TeamZ !!!
I don’t know why people don’t like filler, tells more of a story in my opinion. Original all the way and I like the music in z as well
I remember watching DBZ Kai on CW 4Kids
On channel 5 😢
on KIX 😢
@@MAELINGBOPPER it was on Channel 61
@@redcr33perproductions never heard of KIX
@@yaboijuanito1460 it’s a kid’s tv channel that used to air in the UK between the early 2000s and mid 2010s
Imo if you want to experience Z without any of the unnecessary filler and an edit that’s more faithful to the original writing by Toriyama himself, watch Kai.
If you want to experience Z at its full raw uncut form and not care about the filler, watch Z
Dragon ball Z is OK. But DBZ Kai has better actors and the theme song is better. Stick with kai.
Most of the actors with the exception of a few replacements are the Dana actors(I will agree that kid gohans actor fits better for Kai Coleen fits him, Stephanie nadolny fits kid Goku though, and Chris Ayres does a phenomenal job as Frieza and should have been the first actor from Z in the first place)
This question has caused a battle between my soul and my spirit. Because the most epic transformations all happen in Z. When it comes to transformations OG DBZ Hit hardest. Kai does a damn good job, but it cannot hold a candle to DBZ when it comes to these moments. Experiencing the moment Goku transformed into a super Saiyan for the very first time “ I won’t let you get away with this” bruh I damn near transformed.
And then experiencing Gohan become a super Saiyan two for the very first time oh my God, is beyond words. I was there, I was right there I felt as though, no I went through a great deal of emotions from that transformation alone. The Bruce falconer score hits your soul it will make a grown man cry. I literally got Scheels the same thing happened to me with Goku’s on Namek, but this was a higher level I felt the power, I thought like I was going to transform I damn near cried.
Don’t get me started on Super saying three Goku, the first time I saw him transform was actually on UA-cam it was a clip of the OGDBZ anime, I was literally blown away pause no Homo. I got chills I don’t know what to think I don’t know what to do all I could do was filled the intense power come from Goku I thought like the earth was about to destroyed. I love how demonic and disaster Lee Goku‘s power felt at this level. Nobody ever felt a power like this before. On top of that his Chi energy was filled from earth all the way to the sacred planet of the Keis not only that once I took a deep dive into power scaling I learned that this was only a small fraction of Goku‘s power level as a super Saiyan three he wasn’t nowhere near his maximum power level. This shit was beyond I’m telling you each one of these transformations unlock something in your mind in your body that you never knew was there. And OGDBZ hit this was the key to unlocking these moments this emotion are you feeling a connection to these characters you’ve never had for any other anime in your life.
Now I will say this DBZ Kai is technically better when it comes to everything else no lie I give love and respect to everything I did the art animation style the Chris clean look, cutting down the filler to bare minimum all filler in Chi is Canon because it is exclusive to the manga and enhances the story. But yo I’m so glad I got to experience OGDBZ transformations. OGDBZ is full of flaws the episodes are too long we love the screaming so that’s never a problem, but when you experience those transformations that I just described, it didn’t matter how many years an episode took to get up to that point you were fully immersed in the moment of power of transformation. DBZ Kai is greater all around than OGDBZ. But what OGDBZ did do far greater then Kai was the elemental moment of each Super Saiyan transformation.
3:15 What do you mean "of course the quality of the animation is going to be of a higher level?" Being more recent does not equate to better animation. And in the case of DBZ and Kai this isn't even a comparison because Kai is just re-edited footage from DBZ.
EDIT: Okay so just a few minutes later you do say that Kai is the same animation as Z, but then you go on and seem to conflate animation quality and image quality. It's the same animation regardless if you're watching it on a VHS taped off TV broadcast or on a remastered Blu ray
It's the same animation yes, but it's remastered in higher quality. It also has some scenes added in which is entirely new animation.
Kai is great but for the love of God, skip the first few minutes of the first episode, where they spliced Bardock footage into the episode. It totally spoils all of the Raditz revelations and shows off Frieza way too early. Better to watch the Bardock special when it was meant to be watched, while they're on Namek.
Kai up to Cell Saga. Z for Buu. There simple.
@spicyNacho they basically didn’t get rid of much. Since that is the case, might as well watch it all is my take. Watch the Z Buu Arc and compare it to Kai. It was better done imho. Again only my opinion.
While Kai may be an option to get through the plot quicker. I feel the original Z being very drawn out gives you more sentimental attachment to the world and characters.
So u enjoy watching to characters literally staring at each other for 5 minutes straight
@@jxg2273 It’s not that I enjoy it. Just the more time u spend on something, the more attachment you will have towards it.
I couldn't keep watching Z. Entire
Episodes spent charging an attack and screaming are not my idea of entertainment, but i don't want to miss out on those other character building moments.
DBZ is definitely the better version of the two, but you won't be wrong starting with either DBZ or DBZ Kai.
Thx, I'm getting either the 3 seasons or the complete series on my b-day. And I will pick Z, so thanks for telling the difference.
True ❤😂😂😂
Yeah dbz over kai sorry I like the filler
TeamZ!
Same!! Love original DBZ! Both ocean and Funimation dubs! Sub is good too even though I don’t like Goku’s Japanese voice. And don’t understand why Krillin sounds like a pre-pubescent kid instead of a grown man.
I mean, if you don't enjoy watching Goku and Piccolo learning how to drive, then I don't trust you as a person.
Where do you find the DBZ Faulconer dub? Either for purchase or streaming?
Where can I watch the dub with the Bruce Faulconer score?
The Kai fans keep talking them down.
Kai is wet fart juice
You should definitely watch Z. And parts of/the entirety of Kai later if you want, as a mere curiosity.
You cannot just reduce everything to "better pacing" and then choose Kai solely because of it, as there's a lot of artistic stuff (OST, scene montage, scene placement) Kai just doesn't do right. The OST implementation is far far worse, and lots of scenes which were made to induce tension in the viewer just do not produce that effect. What's more, plenty of "filler" episodes that help explain the cultural landscape that made DBZ the phenomenon it was back in the 90s (no kid distinguished "canon" from "filler" back then)
You'll be self-sabotaging by watching Kai. Don't let biased anime fans who are already suffering from the nausea and anxiety of their never ending backlogs (and thus lacking the natural patience to watch a series properly) convince you otherwise.
I ❤️ Dragon Ball Z Now and Forever! Dragon Ball Kai is ok! But if they found a way to fuse both with Bruce Faulconer’s music and have Z violence it would be perfection!
I am in the major minority of liking the revised music of Kai using the Kikuchi score.
I almost found a way by just combining the two shows when you watch them, it's a lot of work but it works for me and you get all of the music tracks from both and depending on what version you have of the original you can even have the Kikuchi score and if you got lucky with Kai you can also have the Yamamoto score that is truly perfection.
@@amadorcortinas2749 I don't like the Yamamoto score. Far too repetitive during the Saiyan and Namek arcs even compared to Kikuchi's. The Android arc with Yamamoto had more variety at least. Kikuchi and Sumitomo all the way for me.
@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA That's why you fill in the blanks with The Faulconer score and the Kikuchi score!
@@amadorcortinas2749 I'm not really into cheesy Faulconer score either. It's good but over does things a little. Always music non-stop. I would actually watch the enitire series in Japanese again with the Faulconer score.
Just watch original dbz and skip the filler episodes it's not too hard. The music is iconic nothing can replace it
I have watched all of Dragon Ball Z and now I am rewatching it as Kai. I am on episode 49 at the moment.
I'm jealous!!
my dog
@@HistoryofDragonBall my dog
where you watch it?
I've been working on the original for a while and I just couldn't suffer through the glacial pacing and unnecessarily high episode count, so I switched to Kai. I can get over the toned-down bloodshed if it means the show is more concise and enjoyable to watch.
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I have been researching for a whole day which to watch, thank you for the video bro.... 🥰
What will you watch now z or kai?
@@Ftedits208 i prefer Z over kai because kai miss alot of episodes and i love dbz so much the more episodes the better theres some really cool filler like the entire garlic jr saga is missing on kai , also kai suddently changes the aspect ratio to 16:9 half way through very anoyying and i love bruce falconers music for me its Z all the way
Watching Dragon Ball Z way back when was always exciting to watch after school.
I would suggest Kai. Original Z is still relevant and in my opinion still worth watching, but only as a big fan. Someone who's just getting into it and isn't a fan yet will have a better time with Kai given the pacing and remastered visuals.
Everytime I introduce someone new to the Dragon Ball franchise I start them from first training with Roshi (Pilaf saga isn't terribly relevant given the different genre. It also can be too crude for some people), the rest of DB, DBZ Kai, Dragon Ball Super. I don't show them DBGT or most of the movies besides The TV specials History of Trunks and Bardock. Fusion Reborn is also fun imo, but I usually don't show that one either. I also don't bother with Battle of the Gods or Resurrection F since they're covered by the series.
I really like starting with Dragon Ball, otherwise all the deaths in the Saiyan Saga are really underwhelming and Krillin's death triggering Super Saiyan doesn't make much sense.
Z> Kai even for new watchers. Kai has some reanimated parts. It's noticable when it transitions from the original footage to the reanimated one. Looks like it's fanmade and not in a good way. Also the coloring in Kai looks off, not as nice as DBZ's. Also the recent DBZ remaster looks way cleaner than Kai. Short clip of the new DBZ remaster on my channel (goku vs vegeta beam clash) Another reason i'd stay away from Kai is because they slaughtered the Buu. Toei put little effort in that arc and it shows. It has a weird green tint to it, animation not as good and its only available in cropped 16:9. Imaging watching Kai up to the Cell saga which is good, then having to watch the Kai Buu Saga...
@@Napolii69 I definitely agree about the buu saga. Did you know that it's technically even a different series? There was a gap between the production of Kai and kai the final chapters. But yeah, honestly I have most of my stuff on a server that I've created a meta series for because there are bits and pieces from both that I prefer and I can pretty much combine them in any way at my leisure.
I was born in 1986, I saw the OG long version of DBZ
I recommend this…. Start at Dragon Ball when Goku is a kid with Japanese voices and subs then go to Z with Subs also. A lot of story was lost in the dubs (Kai Fixes a lot of that tho. But I think the Japanese voices are the best way to watch.
No dub and watch from kai, since that’s when the action stuff happens.
@@Player-yc9ts the dub is worse then the sub
@@donut2123 I agree. After watching through Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z’s subs I noticed that Funimation the 1st time around rewrote certain parts and straight up made changes to the script.
😅Dang, I like both. That Faulconer score from the English dub holds a special place in my memory and I like being able to watch the closer translation and faster story from Kai as well. Like you said, really no bad options here.
Falcouner score was so awful.
Faulconer score was so awesome.
Kai is so good
Yea ik the color, and the voice acting in dub is insane,and maybe later on in my life I’ll watch Z but for now it’s kai
@@Ejjeje37 exactly! Also the original Japanese soundtrack is masterfully integrated. OST gives me chills multiple times thru the show. Season 1-4 Kai on blu ray is a must own imo. Plus fixed aspect ratio
@@Maxaveli98 yea I was wondering if I should watch Dbz now in 2022 for filler but I’m gunna wait a year so I forget what happens, because I am finishing Dbz kai
DBZ. Strictly for the superior soundtrack.
Nah that shits ass, you’re just blinded by nostalgia
@@stillchill6984copium