[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dbkai_3820.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Revival}} They're Back]]. [[TwentyPercentMoreAwesome Now with 86% less]] ArcFatigue!]]'''''Dragon Ball Kai''''' ('''''Dragon Ball Z Kai''''' outside of Japan) debuted in April 2009 in time for the [[MilestoneCelebration 20th anniversary]] of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.

In a nutshell, ''Kai'' is a {{recut}} of ''Dragon Ball Z'' for the 21st century. Yes, it tells the same-old story of how Goku learned he was a Saiyan, his battle with Vegeta and Nappa and other villains. What else is new? Plenty!

The animation has been recycled from DBZ itself, while having some updates to the coloring, as well as being converted to HD. The [[InactionSequence talk breaks]] are fewer and far between, and there is next-to-no {{filler}} or {{padding}} (though some was left in when it couldn't be removed from the DBZ animation). End result is a sleeker, faster, more action-packed show than the original series. The original ''Dragon Ball Z'' had 194 episodes up to the end of the Cell arc, while ''Kai'' has only 98; this means a ratio of roughly 1 ''Kai'' episode for every 2 ''Z'' episodes. It was [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-11-06/dragon-ball-z-kai-japanese-cast-records-new-episodes revealed on November 5, 2012 that the Buu Saga is being produced for overseas markets]], albeit somewhat belatedly.

The vast majority of the original Japanese and English voice actors reprised their roles. MasakoNozawa returns as Goku's Japanese voice, while SeanSchemmel returned for the English dub. ChristopherSabat again directs the English dub by Creator/{{Funimation}}.

The English dub of ''Kai'' is noted to be considerably more accurate than the ''Z'' dub, without any of the character rewrites, replacement scores ([[HomeVersionSoundtrackReplacement though the entire Japanese score for Kai was replaced around the world with recycled music tracks from DBZ when it was discovered that the composer was infringing upon other artists' work]]), or massive dialogue changes (though there are a few [[NeverSayDie dialogue alterations]] in the Creator/{{Toonzai}}[=/=]Creator/{{Vortexx}} broadcast of ''Kai'') that the ''Z'' dub was most notable for.

[[Characters/DragonBall A character sheet can be found over here.]]

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!!This work features examples of:

* [[AuthorExistenceFailure Actor Existence Failure]]: DaisukeGouri, who was the Japanese voice actor of Ox King, Enma Daiou and Porunga, died partway through the run and his ongoing roles were recast with RyuzaburoOhtomo. Mr. Satan (whom he voiced in the original) was voiced by UnshoIshizuka.
** Similarly, the role of Tenshinhan, whose voice actor (HirotakaSuzuoki) died in the intervening years between ''Z'' and ''Kai'', and was replaced in ''Kai'' by HikaruMidorikawa.
** Likewise with Dende's voice actress (Tomiko Suzuki), who passed away in 2003; she was replaced by AyaHirano.
** TakeshiAono, Kami-Sama's Japanese voice actor, suffered a stroke in between the Freiza and Cell sagas, so BinShimada took over for his final few appearances. Aono subsequently passed away in 2012.
* AlasPoorVillain: Astoundingly, RyuseiNakao manages to make ''Freeza's'' suffering as he laid dismembered and begging for Goku's help invoke the pity and sorrow that the latter felt from the audience this-time-round; living and breathing the character for the last ''twenty one'' years helped him to bring a genuinely pathetic vulnerability and sincere "humanity" to his performance. Kenji Yamamoto's choice to use a heartbreaking cello score during the recut made the scene a borderline {{Tearjerker}} (when the score was replaced, the recycled music from DBZ worked very well too, but not quite the same way as Yamamoto's).
* AutoTune: On display in Sean Schemmel's version of "Dragon Soul".
* AdaptationDistillation: The intent of this recut was to distill the original show into a much faster-paced, action-oriented adventure more akin to the original manga. The efficiency of the recut is up for debate, but it has been largely praised for avoiding the filler, shortening the [[TalkingIsAFreeAction talk breaks]] that plagued the original show, and including ''flashbacks as far as the original Dragon Ball''.
** Prior to [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-11-06/dragon-ball-z-kai-japanese-cast-records-new-episodes the Buu Saga announcement]], ''Kai'' only goes to the end of Cell saga. The original ''Dragon Ball Z'' had 194 episodes at that point. ''Kai'' got to the same point in 97 episodes[[note]]The 98th episode mentioned earlier is a bonus episode[[/note]]. For those who don't feel like doing the math, that means exactly ''50%'' of ''Dragon Ball Z'' was able to be cut.
* AndZoidberg: King Kai once refers to Bulma as "that other lady" after talking about Gohan, Goku, and Piccolo.
* AnimationBump: Even disregarding the new opening, within the show there are some digital clean-ups alongside other moments of the series that really looks its age.
* ArtShift: An accidental and relatively minor example. Because of the recut of the story, the first episode ends up opening with scenes from n movie made much later in the series' run, then cuts to the original beginning of the series, and the difference in the art is pretty noticeable.
** For that matter, the fact episodes are made of several episodes cut-and-pasted togetehr makes for some obvious shifts when you go from a well-animated episode to a not-so-well-animated one (see Freeza's death).
* BigNo: When Goku seems to be stuck on the exploding Namek.
* {{Bowdlerization}}/EditedForSyndication: Three levels:
** Japanese broadcast[[note]](These are present in the "uncut" version.)[[/note]]
*** In ''DBZ'', Piccolo's Makankosappo leaves Goku and Raditz with big bloody holes in their torsos. This is changed to mere burn marks in ''Kai''.
*** Shots of baby Goku's and Gohan's genitals that were shown are covered in ''Kai''.
*** All instances of characters FlippingTheBird have been removed.
** Creator/{{Nicktoons}}
*** Here is a handy in-depth [[http://dbzkedits.3gkai.com/ Nicktoons edit guide]], the following is a basic summarization:
*** The ''Kai'' dub contains a considerable amount of [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtzXsyiKxes cursing]] which of course is censored on Nicktoons, often substituting swears such as "damn" with "darn it" much like on Creator/{{Toonami}}.
*** Though, there ''is'' one swear they missed in the "lost episode":
--->'''Android 18''': Now I'm '''PISSED'''!
*** Naturally, the TV version of the series has edited out heavy violence to accommodate it for younger audiences. [[http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/tanookikuribo/Tanooki%202/vlcsnap-2011-01-02-08h56m48s183.png The blood is left in, but it's usually colored brown to resemble dirt.]]
*** Actual mention of the words "death" or "die" as well as "kill" (and even "funeral" at least once) are [[NeverSayDie replaced with "destroy" or "defeat".]] However, there are still occasional instances where the word die and kill are still left in. This is definitely a step up from simply referring to death as "another dimension" like in the Saban/Ocean dub, and a step down from Toonami leaving in nearly ''all'' references to death for DBZ.
** [[Creator/TheCW4Kids TheCW4Kids]][=/=]Creator/{{Toonzai}}[=/=]Creator/{{Vortexx}}
*** Considerably more censored than the Nicktoons version, for example, one of the most confusing and rather pointless edits is the removal of [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NVxxYHfdcM Shenron]] from the opening.
*** Took the bullet that the farmer shot at Raditz, and turned it into a blue glowing... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COqnyplv1YE thing]]. [[HandWave I don't even think they bothered to explain what it was.]]
*** The dead now have a little ball of light over their head, rather than a halo.
*** [[http://twitpic.com/2ni9qm Mr. Popo is blue]], as the block has made it a policy to never show blackface stereotypes uncensored after [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Jynx]] caused a stir.
*** Two words: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFGUPfgt7UQ Spirit Blast]].
**** Gallick Blast too. Not nearly as bad, though, since Gallick Gun is only used twice in the series.
*** Goku punching Vegeta in the stomach while using the Kaioken is changed to a shot of Vegeta's surprised face and Goku looking constipated. The scene in the opening "Dragon Soul" where Vegeta punches Goku in the face is also cut.
*** Apparently when you explode and die you turn into [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8WLZDtIvJM glitter]].
*** Unlike Nicktoons, 4Kids care heavily about death. All references, even vague references to death (for example, sacrificed himself) would be edited (gave himself).
*** In one episode, Trunks cries out "Damn it!". The very same episode cut out ''every'' scene that showed #18 being absorbed into Cell.
* CurbStompBattle: The same as the original, but more apparent because some footage is cut out and the fights are shorter.
* CutShort: The original Japanese airing ends after the Cell Games. The Majin Buu arc will be covered, but it won't be airing in Japan.
** Due in part to the Earthquake and Tsunami in Sendai, the episodes were delayed by a week. Since they didn't have broadcast space to add an episode, the final episode (98) was delayed until August 2011 in Japan. It's available on {{DVD}} and BluRay as a bonus episode.
* DoItYourselfThemeTune: In the first volume {{DVD}}, Sean Schemmel, the voice of Goku, sang the opening [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkWdCU6m71A theme]] (with an unfortunate amount of AutoTune).
** Each successive volume has its own singer (JustinCook for the 2nd volume, VicMignogna for the 3rd volume and in the Nicktoons version, GregAyres for the 4th volume, SonnyStrait for the 5th volume, and BrinaPalencia for the 6th volume).
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In the uncut version, Roshi attempts to squeeze Bulma's boobs.
** He also reads porn magazines and utters, "Naughty, naughty girls, hee hee hee."
** Yes, even present in the edited version... this line here.
--->'''Trunks''': (to Goku) Please don't say anything, especially [Bulma and Vegeta getting together]! If things end up getting weird between the two of them, [[GrandfatherParadox I might blip out of existence]], because they won't have... well, they won't... you know!
* GoodNewsBadNews: The good news is Freeza wants his fight with Goku to last a bit longer. The bad news is that Goku will spend his remaining time in excruciating pain.
* HomeVersionSoundtrackReplacement: Due to the copyright infringements made by Kenji Yamamoto's compositions (as noted below), the show's soundtrack has since been replaced with Shunsuke Kikuchi's compositions from the original ''DBZ''.
* HostileShowTakeover: During the OnTheNext segment after Captain Ginyu uses his Body Change technique on Goku, he declares that ''he'' should be the star from now on and the show should be called "Ginyu Force Kai."
* InactionSequence: Very much absent this time around.
** Even acknowlodged/lampshaded by 18:
--->(Piccolo and 17 are staring at each other after a round of attacks)
--->'''18''': Hey! Stop staring at him like a fool! Or do I have to come up there myself?
* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne
-->'''Gohan''': You're stupid and ugly and -- you SMELL!
-->'''Nappa''' (genuinely horrified): Augh! I smell? Why you - it's not my fault! I've been cooped up in a space pod for a year, what do you expect?!
* LateArrivalSpoiler: The first five minutes of the first episode reveals that [[spoiler:Goku is an alien, and that Freeza destroyed the planet Vegeta.]] Both of these are plot twists in the original series, and treated as such in ''Kai'' itself when they come up again.
* LighterAndSofter: Editing laws in Japan have gotten much stricter since ''Dragon Ball Z'''s original run; some of the blood and nudity had to be cut out.
* MarketBasedTitle: The series is marketed internationally as ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''. This is likely to lessen confusion about which series this actually is.
* MilestoneCelebration: The series celebrates the 20th anniversary of ''Dragon Ball Z''.
* MyNameIsInigoMontoya:
-->'''Goku:''' "I'm a proud Saiyan who calls Earth home, and I'm here to defeat you. I am the warrior you've heard of in legends, pure of heart, and awakened by fury. That's what I am. '''I AM THE SUPER SAIYAN, SON GOKU!!!'''"
* NeverSayDie: Either played straight or averted with the edited dub; it uses "gone" and such usually, with mentions of "death" being rare but very much present and/or implied. A huge step up from the very first dub which sent the death concept into another dimension.
** Even the Toonzai/Vortexx version lets people die. But with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8WLZDtIvJM added sparkles]] and/or agonizing breathing beforehand.
** Granted, the world of the dead is still referred to as "Other-World"[[note]]a literal translation of the Japanese ''Ano Yo''[[/note]], but King Yemma does specifically mention "heaven" when he first meets Goku, and while it's a pretty generic term, it still has some minor religious overtones.
** Note, the line is clipped out of the Toonzai/Vortexx version, merely having Yemma state that Goku is a "shoe-in".
** All references to death on Toonzai/Vortexx get wiped out. For example:
---> '''Piccolo''': Your father gave himself.
---> ''Compared to:''
---> '''Piccolo''': Your father sacrificed himself.
** The Yemma scene is highly edited too.
---> '''King Yemma''': So even though (Goku) is a shoe-in, he still wants to risk training to meet with King Kai.
---> '''Goku''' (to Kami): So this is the place everyone goes when they... you know, right?
---> '''Kami''': Yes. Every being, human or not, gets judged to see where they will spend their time.
---> '''Goku''' (to Yemma): Yo! Did a big guy named Raditz come here?
---> '''King Yemma''': Yeah. He went, go figure.
---> '''Goku''': And he didn't give you any trouble? Hey, maybe I oughta stick around with this big guy here!
---> '''Kami''': Oh, no. King Kai is much stronger then him.
---> '''King Yemma''': What was that, Kami? Maybe you need a demonstration of just how strong I am!
---> '''Kami''': Oh no, sir. You must have the demon's own ears, the demon himself!
---> ''Compared to:''
---> '''King Yemma''': So even though (Goku) is a shoe-in to go to Heaven, he still wants to risk training to meet with King Kai.
---> '''Goku''' (to Kami): So this is the place everyone goes when they get killed, right?
---> '''Kami''': Yes. Every being, human or not, gets judged to see where they will spend their afterlife- heaven, or down below.
---> '''Goku''' (to Yemma): Yo! Did a big guy named Raditz come here?
---> '''King Yemma''': Yeah. He went, go figure.
---> '''Goku''': And he didn't give you any trouble? Hey, maybe I oughta stick around with this big guy here!
---> '''Kami''': Oh, no. King Kai is much stronger then him.
---> '''King Yemma''': What was that, Kami? Maybe you need a demonstration of just how strong I am!
---> '''Kami''': Oh no, sir. You must have the devil's own ears, the devil himself!
* OffModel: The openings, outside of a few scenes, tend to forget that Krillin has six spots on his forehead.
* OminousLatinChanting: Freeza's {{leitmotif}} contains ominous Japanese chanting.
** And during the moments before 2nd form Frieza guts Krillin, we actually hear this song in the English dub.
** Also present as Krillin, Gohan and Piccolo are attempting to fight Frieza's final form. Mind you, in the Nicktoons version, as well the Toonzai/Vortexx version, simply plays the instrumental.
* TheOtherDarrin: Used for quite a few characters whose original voice actors were either dead or unavailable. Several characters were replaced in the dub as well like Gohan and Bulma (the narrator was also replaced), among others.
** Most notable is Freeza's English voice. In the original Ocean dub and the early [=FUNimation=] dubs, [[CrossDressingVoices female voice actress (Pauline Newstone and Linda Chambers-Young respectively) played the role of Freeza]]. This along with Freeza's character design and effeminate personality led to ViewerGenderConfusion amongst Westerner viewers. In ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'', a male voice actor (ChrisAyres) was selected to portray Freeza.
** Invoked midway due to the death of Daisuke Gouri; his roles have been filled by Ryuzaburo Ohtomo.
** BinShimada later replaced TakeshiAono as Kami during his last appearances in the Android saga following Aono's hospitalization for a stroke (he subsequently passed away in 2012).
*** [[IncrediblyLamePun Oh my God]], Broly has become a God!!
** ToddHaberkorn, the voice of Allen Walker in ''DGrayMan'', took over duties as Android 19, sounding even ''more'' robotic than the original dub voice. Similarly, ColleenClinkenbeard now voices Android 18, although her original voice actress, Meredith [=McCoy=], was supposedly contacted, Clinkenbeard was brought in anyway as a last minute substitute (since she had filled in for a video game before, and was voicing Gohan anyway).
** The broadcast dub also switched Sean Schemmel for Vic Mignogna as the singer for the shortened opening, while the second DVD boxset switched him for Justin Cook.
** Subverted in the case of Cell. Many thought that TravisWillingham would play the role (as in the previous video games), but DameonClarke (who was the original English voice actor of Cell) [[http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/news/Dameon-Clarke-confirms-return-for-DBZ-Kai/ confirmed that he would reprise his role instead.]]
** The Mexican Spanish dub is heavily criticized for not bringing back half the cast, including the voices for Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Frieza. This was apparently because of the smaller budget, and the original voice actors asking for more money. However, Laura Torres (the original Spanish voice of Gohan) was brought back to voice Kid Goku in a few flashbacks.
*** The Mexican Spanish dub has another interesting case: Yajirobe is voiced by the daughter of the original Mexican voice actress, since her mother died in a house accident years ago between the original ''DBZ'' and ''Kai''.
* PowerLevels: Same as before involving the scouters, but they seem to have adjusted some bits of dialogue and how the whole process works to highlight the need for strategy along with their "combat rating." It was implied that although Goku had a higher power level than Nappa, if he actually focused, he could give Goku a good fight.
** Particular LampshadeHanging here comes from Vegeta in his CurbStompBattle with Jeice:
---> “Anyone ever tell you you fools put ''way'' too much stock in those silly little gadgets!? I think fighting these Earthlings would have taught you that by now!”
* {{Recut}}
* RetCon: At the end of the Cell Saga, [[spoiler: King Kai, Bubbles, and Gregory were revived along with everyone else wished back by the Dragon Balls in the ''Kai'' series finale. This is contrary to both the original anime where the wish only covered ''just'' the people on Earth and the manga where King Kai declined revival largely so that he could guide Goku around in Other World]].
* RoleReprisal: Quite a few. For some, ''Dragon Ball Z'' was their first voice acting role before becoming major players in the industry.
** If ScottMcNeil is to be believed, TheOceanGroup dub will do this as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UDd7vJkfVE well.]] (Although the American DBZ Kai dub is being used for all international English-speaking markets, including the UK. It appears Canada may be an exception).
* SeriesContinuityError: One conversation between Zarbon and Frieza before the former's death reveals that they knew about Goku and Gohan (that they are Saiyans, they live on Earth, and are father and son). But later, before Frieza's final transformation, he seems genuinely surprised that Gohan is a Saiyan from Earth, and also wonders who the father could be before settling on Raditz.
** The broadcast version had a minor case of this where Piccolo's attack name is "Special Beam Cannon" to accommodate the original dub name but then becomes the "Makkankosappo" in a flashback, which the DVD version uses.
** During the Vegeta saga on the Nicktoons airing, Krillin uses the Destructo Disc attack, but calls out the attack name by the original Japanese name, Kienzan. Krillin calls it "Destructo Disc" in later uses in the Nicktoons airings.
* StuntCasting: Arguably AyaHirano [[CrossdressingVoices as Dende]].
** His recast English voice actress MaxeyWhitehead could count given her recent breakout role of [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Alphonse Elric]], but she'd already developed a niche for voicing young boys by then.
* TalkingToHimself: Sean Schemmel as Goku and King Kai; Christopher Sabat as Yamcha, Piccolo and Vegeta; in Japanese, Masako Nozawa as Goku and Gohan.
** Also, ColleenClinkenbeard as Gohan and Android 18.
* ToiletHumor: When Goku first meets King Kai, the latter lists off benefits of his home planet, ending with being able to "pee for distance!" The edited version appears to have erased the urine streams.
** In the uncut version, Master Roshi was taking a crap. It was taken out in the Nicktoons version.
* TruerToTheText: It serves as a remastered AdaptationDistillation of the first ''Dragon Ball Z'' anime, with most of the filler removed, greatly reducing the original show's infamous abuse of TalkingIsAFreeAction.
** This is exemplified even more by the dub accurately translating the script, [[CutAndPasteTranslation as opposed to what happened to the original]] ''Dragon Ball Z''.
* UnCanceled: The show was cancelled in Japan after the end of the Cell arc, presumably due to [[MerchandiseDriven low merchandise sales]]. However, due to the show's [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff overseas popularity]], more episodes are being produced for the international market.
* VocalEvolution: Compare the Japanese/English voices from the original series in 1989/1999, and compare them to the voices now. Playing the same role for over 10-20 years works wonders. Even [[TheOtherDarrin those assigned new roles]] seem to fit in.
** For example, compare Christoper Sabat's Vegeta when [=FUNimation=] just started dubbing ''DBZ'''s season 3 in-house in 1999 (when they finally broke away from Saban) to his performance in ''Kai''. In 1999, Sabat was simply trying to imitate Brian Drummond's Vegeta. Only a few episodes later in the same dub, Sabat gave Vegeta his current deeper voice but gained a strange accent along the way (although Sabat later redubbed all of this for the Remastered boxsets with a voice fairly resembling his ''Kai'' voice). Sabat's ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZkT8ugTz8Y Kai]]'' Vegeta compared to his [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdGa-2BSFiI 1999]] Vegeta is worlds better.
** Compare Sean Schemmel's Goku voice & screams in ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrW2QFhBD-s Kai]]'' to that of Schemmel's voice back in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYZ2tkluZR4 1999]].
*** Hell, compare the original [=FUNimation=] dub of Goku's first transformation into a Super Saiyan to ''Kai''.
---->'''Goku (original dub):''' I... won't let you... get away... with this! I won't... let you...!
---->'''Goku (''Kai'' uncut):''' You, you ruthless... heartless... bastard! I will... make you... suffer!
---->'''Goku (''Kai'' edited):''' You, you ruthless... heartless... monster! You're going... to pay... for that...
** Also Sabat greatly improved his voice for Piccolo, whom in the original series had quite a hoarse and harsh sounding voice but in ''Kai'' sounds much cleaner, (it's somehow wiser due to that fact), and it's actually a lot closer to his natural speaking voice.
** Dameon Clarke's performance as Cell has also improved, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzlYcFtzaew The original]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KJKUl7yPso Kai]] versions of Imperfect Cell; [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ce6vKDZUmQ original]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6pNhwK0SP8 and Kai]] versions of Semi-Perfect Cell and finally [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4bgd8WY4pI original]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lpMxQpyWgY Kai]] versions of Perfect Cell
* YouShouldKnowThisAlready: To quote WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged: "Has anyone out there really not seen this show already?"
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''How many Saiyans does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Just one. And nowadays, they are actually doing it rather... efficiently.''