In the Japanese opening, Dragon Ball Kai emphasizes that it’s the Akira Toriyama cut. So, what does that even mean? For starters, this series cuts out all the filler arcs (meaning episodes that were never in the original manga) such as the Garlic, Jr saga, the afterlife tournament saga, and the (in)famous episode when Gokuu and Piccolo attempt to get their driver’s licenses. So by cutting out the fillers, you’re cutting down its excessive episode count.

If there is one thing that the original Dragon Ball Z has been notorious for, it’s the pacing. Fights tend to drag and even the power-ups can last an episode! If you’re familiar with the original Dragon Ball manga, things move rather quickly and Kai thankfully compliments that. As a result, you’re getting a shorter series without the excess.

In some select scenes, fans are treated to some updated animated scenes and in some scenes, they’re still the same quality as the original Z broadcast. Due to these inconsistencies, it can be hard on the eyes. In the end, if you just want to enjoy the action, then it still gets the job done. While we could want something along the lines as the latter half of Dragon Ball Super, but everybody knows anime, even big name anime such as Dragon Ball, don’t get the budget to re-animate it from scratch.

The music is entirely changed for this series. Unfortunately, Hironobu Kageyama doesn’t do a single song. If you’re someone who highly prioritizes music, his removal could turn you off. Try to imagine a Cowboy Bebop remake or remaster without the jazz and that’s what it equates to. Though the soundtrack features mainstream artists such as AKB48, the soundtrack fails to capture the intensity and excitement of the original. When you watch Gohan first turn Super Saiyan 2, the absence of Spirit Vs. Spirit makes the scene feel rather empty. In the end, it loses a lot of its original identity.

While the music is entirely changed, a large majority of the original seiyuu and English dub cast return to their roles. Due to the unfortunate passings of Daisuke Gouri (the voice of Mr. Satan) and Hirotaka Suzuoki (the voice of Tenshinhan), they are appropriately replaced by Unshou Ishizuka (who also unfortunately passed away after Dragon Ball Super) and Hikaru Midorikawa (who previously voiced Paikuhan, a filler character from DBZ). We admit that Gokuu’s Japanese voice has been a source of controversy to English speaking fans (we can’t speak for the fans who are native to other languages where the series is popular), Masako Nozawa still has it. When you hear her play Gokuu after almost more than 20 years, it’s as if she never left the role. Same with Ryo Horikawa as Vegeta, Toshio Furukawa as Piccolo, Norio Wakamoto as Cell, and Ryusei Nakao as Frieza.