Kai is overdue for a new home release

[mecha3000]

Funimation/Crunchyroll have re-released DBZ MULTIPLE TIMES while ignoring the other series and even recently, Super got the steelbook set and double-season sets. Obviously, this has been discussed already, but something I find truly odd is that despite Kai being 14 years old now as far as the dub goes, it's only gotten the "part" and "season" releases. And The Final Chapters didn't even get season sets.

In many ways, Kai has replaced the OG Z dub (not the sub of Z, obviously) for it's better voice work, more accurate script, and better pacing. It's even aired on multiple channels now like Nicktoons, CW4Kids, and Adult Swim (even now re-airing Saturday nights and on the upcoming Friday Toonami Rewind block). Kai is also available on streaming.

So, it's just odd that most of Kai's releases come from the early 2010s back when it first released and the "part" sets are now out of print. The season sets aren't always so easy to get either and same goes for The Final Chapters. We're in the 2020s now and I feel like with how much Funimation milked Z for all it was worth, why not Kai, the superior dub, too??? The license holders have to realize Millennials and their inaccurate experience of Z through the old dub has now been replaced by Gen Z's more accurate experience.

Crunchyroll has already re-released Z, Super, and GT so I do feel like OG Dragon Ball (which is basically hard to get now because the Blue Bricks are out of print and mostly bootlegs now) and Kai are next to get Crunchyroll branded releases. I just hope if Kai gets re-released, they give it a complete series box set release or maybe even a cool steelbook like Super got.

Again, in my opinion, the Kai dub IS the Z dub now for the more modern fans and those who prefer it. I've even seen younger fans get introduced to Z THROUGH KAI!!! It deserves a new home release, especially because I don't like having to rely on the ones I own always working well.

Thoughts?

[Cure Dragon 255]

You always bring a new and interesting perspective to topics that interest me and I really like that about you.

I will jokingly suggest making an Ocean Kai release to join the Sailor Moon crowd that "NO ONE is nostalgic for this dub."

Now on serious, good faith mode, I really do think a newer release could do a lot of good.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I think we all know the biggest hurdle to a new release of Dragon Ball Kai... Crunchyroll can't use the Kenji Yamamoto score, so it's doomed to be inferior to the old Parts for more fans.

As Cure Dragon 255 suggested though, there is a way around that, which would be a MASSIVE selling point for a new Kai Blu-Ray set and that's releasing the Ocean dub of Kai, as it has its own score and is a production no one has ever seen, and highly sought after as this forum's 379 page as of now thread shows.

Unfortunately though Crunchyroll have the license for Kai, not Discotek, and unlike the latter the former isn't exactly known for its ambition. I don't think Discotek would risk getting an angry phone call from TOEI by releasing Kai with the Yamamoto score, but if they could miraculously nab the rights from Crunchyroll I could see them putting out the Ocean dub.

It's a shame though, I'd love to see a Rock the Dragon-style boxset for the Nicktoons version of Funi Kai, as it has a lot of different lines than the uncut dub, and I know a lot of fans have nostalgia for it. Ocean Kai could also be a second audio track on such a release as there is a very good chance both dubs can be synced to the cut seen on Nicktoons as Ocean themselves created that edit.

[mecha3000]

I think we all know the biggest hurdle to a new release of Dragon Ball Kai... Crunchyroll can't use the Kenji Yamamoto score, so it's doomed to be inferior to the old Parts for more fans.

As Cure Dragon 255 suggested though, there is a way around that, which would be a MASSIVE selling point for a new Kai Blu-Ray set and that's releasing the Ocean dub of Kai, as it has its own score and is a production no one has ever seen, and highly sought after as this forum's 379 page as of now thread shows.

Unfortunately though Crunchyroll have the license for Kai, not Discotek, and unlike the latter the former isn't exactly known for its ambition. I don't think Discotek would risk getting an angry phone call from TOEI by releasing Kai with the Yamamoto score, but if they could miraculously nab the rights from Crunchyroll I could see them putting out the Ocean dub.

It's a shame though, I'd love to see a Rock the Dragon-style boxset for the Nicktoons version of Funi Kai, as it has a lot of different lines than the uncut dub, and I know a lot of fans have nostalgia for it. Ocean Kai could also be a second audio track on such a release as there is a very good chance both dubs can be synced to the cut seen on Nicktoons as Ocean themselves created that edit.

You both make good points. Honestly, the reason Kai still has staying power within the fandom isn't just the superior dubbing. It's relevance now mostly comes from the desire for the Ocean dub of Kai. After years of fans on this forum waiting for the release of Funi Kai Buu Saga, when it finally got released in 2017, it quickly got replaced by the desire for the Kai Ocean dub.

I appreciate that Kai still has relevancy through the Ocean dub. Kai means a lot to me having grown up on it in my teen years after watching parts of Z as a kid. So, a new release of Kai from Crunchyroll with the Ocean dub as the selling point would be EPIC.

Crunchyroll, why not re-release the uncut Kai dub but with the added bonus of the Kai Ocean dub, which we know has been completed at least up to 98 episodes (correct me if I'm wrong)??? If Discotek held the rights, I'm sure they'd at least be fighting for it along with the Yo! Son Goku, Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans, and Episode of Bardock specials.

When it comes to Funimation/Crunchyroll, we always get screwed with the home releases.

[Vegard Aune]

I mean... What is there for them to offer with a new home release? Kai, unlike Z, seems to have been released in a fairly sensible way from the get-go, with the only major issue being the removal of the Yamamoto score which... they are literally not legally allowed to release anymore. As far as I can see the old season sets are still in print and quite easily available. I suppose one could make a push for a version of The Final Chapters that isn't green, but that too might very well be a thing Toei put their foot down on and were like "NO! You will release the EXACT footage we gave you, with no alterations!" much like what apparently happened with Super Hero more recently.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I suppose one could make a push for a version of The Final Chapters that isn't green, but that too might very well be a thing Toei put their foot down on and were like "NO! You will release the EXACT footage we gave you, with no alterations!" much like what apparently happened with Super Hero more recently.

I think Ajay has talked about it before, but "fixing" the green tint on Kai The Final Chapters is not exactly easy. Apparently basic colour balance can mitigate some of the problems, but ironically enough the way Piccolo was rendered you would need to isolate his scenes from scenes with other characters and correct them on its own, so you only end up breaking certain scenes.

I don't recall TOEI demanding other distributors release Super Hero as-is, I actually contacted someone from Crunchyroll UK prior to our release and he told me they would try and fix it but if the Japanese Blu-Ray had the tint they may be stuck with it. They didn't fix the green tint on Super Broly, an external authoring house named Visual Data London did, so I take this to mean TOEI wouldn't stop Manga/Crunchyroll UK from using whatever masters they required for their release but if a version with no tint existed (which wasn't the case for Super Broly) there was nothing they could do because they are not set up to fo their own remasters.

All we know for sure is TOEI flat out denied the tint's existence, claiming what was on the discs was exactly as the production team intended. In a frustratingly ironic way I think fans making their voices heard even more than they did for Super Broly only made things worse, as I can imagine a lot of companies took TOEI's word as gospel and didn't try change it, as companies like Visual Data did for Broly.