‘Dragon Ball Z Kai’ Concludes with the Buu Saga This Winter

The news keeps pouring in Dragon Ball fans, as shortly after the announcement that Dragon Ball Super will premiere next January on Adult Swim, it was also revealed that the final chapters of Dragon Ball Kai will conclude with the Buu Saga, also starting January 2017.

 Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters premieres on the Toonami block of Adult Swim, beginning January 7, 2017 at midnight ET. 

We’re sure you know what happens, but here’s the official synopsis: 

Seven years have passed since Cell’s defeat, and the Z Fighters have returned to normal life. Goku has continued his training in the Other World, Krillin has gotten married, and Gohan has his hands full attempting to navigate the pitfalls of high school. But with the new World Martial Arts Tournament about to begin, it’s time for Goku and the Z Fighters to reunite and face off against the greatest warriors on Earth!

Meanwhile, the evil wizard Babidi has traveled across the galaxy on a quest for revenge, hoping to fulfill his father’s thwarted dreams of universal domination. The Supreme Kai has come to enlist the aid of the Z Fighters in his effort to prevent Babidi from awakening a monster of unimaginable terror—Majin Buu!

For those unfamiliar, Dragon Ball Z Kai is a high-definition remaster and re-cut of the Dragon Ball Z anime. This means the original series has been considerably edited to make it more similar to the DB manga, as well as modified for HD broadcasting. 

Specifically, the series cuts all filler episodes and sagas from the DBZ anime, such as the Garlic Jr. saga. Minor continuity errors are changed as well, including Vegeta’s unique color palette when he is first introduced.

Additionally, Kai uses a 16:9 aspect ratio to deliver a cleaner digital picture, at the expense of cropping the original animation. 

In the past, Dragon Ball Z Kai has received mixed receptions from fans. While streamlining the anime and cutting filler has been praised, the extensive content editing found in the Funimation version of the series has been panned. Specifically, halos appearing over dead characters became spheres, and most notoriously, Mr. Popo became blue. 

It’s important to note that these controversial changes were implemented when Kai initially aired on Nicktoons. With Dragon Ball returning to Toonami, perhaps the final chapters of Kai will not be as harshly edited. (At least we hope.) 

Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters premieres on the Toonami block of Adult Swim on January 7, 2017. 

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