“Adult Goku faces alien Raditz, learns Saiyan origins, and begins defending Earth with allies using Dragon Balls.”
Dragon Ball Z Kai
ドラゴンボール改
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AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Adult Goku faces alien Raditz, learns Saiyan origins, and begins defending Earth with allies using Dragon Balls.
Five years after the events of Dragon Ball, martial arts expert Gokuu is now a grown man married to his wife Chi-Chi, with a four-year old son named Gohan. While attending a reunion on Turtle Island with his old friends Master Roshi, Krillin, Bulma and others, the festivities are interrupted when a humanoid alien named Raditz not only reveals the truth behind Gokuu's past, but kidnaps Gohan as well. With Raditz displaying power beyond anything Gokuu has seen before, he is forced to team up with his old nemesis, Piccolo, in order to rescue his son. But when Gokuu and Piccolo reveal the secret of the seven mystical wish-granting Dragon Balls to Raditz, he informs the duo that there is more of his race, the Saiyans, and they won’t pass up an opportunity to seize the power of the Dragon Balls for themselves. These events begin the saga of Dragon Ball Kai, a story that finds Gokuu and his friends and family constantly defending the galaxy from increasingly more powerful threats. Bizarre, comical, heartwarming and threatening characters come together in a series of battles that push the powers and abilities of Gokuu and his friends beyond anything they have ever experienced.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 36 sampled reviews
What 36 viewers settled on.
Mostly aligned
σ 1.74 · some divergence
5.1 pts
Recommenders 8.6 · others 3.5
↑ 1.89
Running avg · May 2011 → Feb 2025
- 10 “Dragon Ball's triumphant return as my childhood favorite anime fills me with pure joy, especially with Kai's superior quality that finally removes all the unnecessary filler from the original...”
- 9 “Dragon Ball Kai delivers a satisfying, condensed viewing experience that successfully trims the original 200-episode Cell Saga down to a lean 97 episodes by removing filler content. While the...”
- 8 “Dragon Ball Kai delivers the definitive Dragon Ball Z experience with pristine quality, no filler, an outstanding new soundtrack matching the original's excellence, and superior voice acting. The...”
Watch Order & Related
Explore the Dragon Ball Z Kai universe
Cast
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See all credits →Production slate
- Format 97 × 23′ eps × min
- Total runtime 37h 11m all episodes
- Aired Apr 2009 – Mar 2011 Spring 2009
- Source Tv media type
- Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
- Ref. BS-4415 catalog
Produced by
- Fuji TV Producer
Licensed by
- Funimation Licensor