Wednesday 26 August 2015

ANIME REVIEW: DRAGON BALL Z KAI - SEASON ONE

Dragon Ball Z Kai - Season One
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 650 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: 3/8/2015
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

When Goku faces-off against the evil Saiyan, Frieza, he doesn't defeat him as many would have thought, but instead is killed by a blast of immense power thrown back at him by his enemy. Now it is up to his son, Gohan to take on his work and defeat the evil Saiyan invaders, but is he up to the task?

Before Gohan takes over, the story takes us back to when Gohan was much younger and Goku had married his childhood sweetheart to settle down to a good, relaxed life. That is until another Saiyan crash landed on their planet. His only interest is in finding others who are strong enough to fight him as he hates weaklings. By this time, elsewhere Goku is helping his son realise his potential even though he needs to be saved from drowning in a river. It's only when Goku points out he had jumped into a tree that he realizes he wasn't as helpless as he thought.

As we see this, Frieza has returned and Goku's wife has forbid him to train Gohan in the martial arts as their planet has been at peace for so long. This, to anyone who has seen how the Saiyans treat Earthlings is a bad idea as no one knows when they will strike next. Doubts are cast as to Goku's true lineage when Frieza talks to the family for the first time and for once, Goku is speechless.

The animation is flawless, the colours are as fresh as though they were new and the characters drawn as they should be. The writer of the manga has done a lot to keep the anime looking like it should for the many fans it has in both the UK and US. Goku's secret could shatter his friendship with his family but this also should measure how close they are to him and whether they will understand, and possibly stand up for him. Again, with the help of some strong characters, a great script and comical episodes in-between serious ones Dragon Ball Z Kai Season One is the best series yet!

Of special note are Krillin, Bulma, Chi-Chi and the crazy farmer at the beginning.
The Japanese voice cast consists of Masako Nozawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Naoko Watanabe, Shoseru Chiba and Ryusei Nakao. In the English voice cast, recognisable names include; Monica Rial, Mike McFarland, Christopher R. Sabat and Colleen Clinkenbeard.

Bonus Material: Textless Songs & Trailers.

Verdict: With the help of some strong characters, a great script and comical episodes inbetween serious ones Dragon Ball Z Kai Season One is the best series yet!

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