Dragon Ball Z Kai Cast Announced (and Analysis)
(From Funimation’s blog, a few days ago:)
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Reprising their roles from Dragon Ball Z:
Goku – Sean Schemmel
Vegeta and Piccolo – Christopher R. Sabat
Raditz – Justin Cook
Master Roshi – Mike McFarland
Tien – John Burgmeier
Ox King – Kyle Hebert
Chi-Chi – Cynthia Cranz
Nappa – Phil Parsons
Episode 1, "The Fullmetal Alchemist"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: A man named Isaac McDougal is terrorizing Central, the capital of Amestris, with his use of water alchemy, heating it up to burn his victims or freezing it to freeze them alive. The President, Fuhrer King Bradley, puts Colonel Roy Mustang in charge of capturing Isaac, who fought alongside him in Ishbal. Mustang calls on the help of the Elric brothers, Edward (the "Fullmetal Alchemist") and Alphonse. Isaac plans to kill the Fuhrer using his ice alchemy, which is boosted by a Philosopher’s Stone, but it is the Fuhrer who ends up killing him, and the stone in him dissolves before the miltary has a chance to check.
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Episode 43, "An Ant’s Bite"
*****SPOILERS****
Synopsis: In Briggs, the bloody crest is made by the death of Drachma soldiers, who were tricked by Kimbley into thinking they could win the battle. In Central, Bradley admits that while his family and position were given to him, he chose his wife himself. In the Ishbalan slum, Envy arrives disguised as an Ishbalan, but is lured into a trap by Zanpano, set by Mei. Envy transforms into his true state, and takes Marcoh captive, threatening to destroy the slum town. Marcoh uses his skill in creating Philosopher’s Stones to break down Envy’s body, and Envy reverts to a small slug-like being, who they contain in a jar. Envy informs Alphonse that Edward has gone missing. Scar gives Envy to Mei, who heads back for Xing. Alphonse takes Winry and the chimeras to Lior. At Central HQ, Olivier is shown a room full of homunculi dolls. In Lior, Alphonse meets Rose again, who asks about Edward. Suddenly, Hohenheim appears in front of his son.
Episode 42, "Sign of a Counterattack"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: In an abaondoned warehouse, Winry, Marcoh, Scar, Mei, and the chimeras wait for Alphonse to regain consciousness, which he eventually does. As they try to put him back together, Mei comes up with an idea, and lays out the pages of Scar’s brother’s journal. When put together the right way, they make a diagram of the nationwide alchemy circle. When Yoki sneezes, and pages turn over, Alphonse gets an idea. They turn the pages over and a diagram of a new alchemy circle can be drawn, using Xingese techniques. Meanwhile, Kimbley meets with Pride, who tells him to concetrate carving the crest of blood at Briggs. In Lior, the people are rebuilding the town, and Hohenheim arrives. He meets Rose, who shows him the Leto church, where he goes underground and meets with Pride, telling him to deliver a message to Father that he’ll be seeing him soon. At Briggs, Drachma troops attack, aided by Kimbley.
Episode 36, "An Enraged Freeza Draws Near! Porunga… Grant This Wish!", or "Wishes and Rage"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: With Porunga summoned, Gohan and Kuririn try to come up with the right wishes, as one one person can be wished back to life at a time. So they wish Piccolo back to life, as it revives Kami on Earth, and wish Piccolo to Namek, so he can help them fight Freeza. However, he isn’t wished right to them. Vegeta awakes from his nap to discover the Dragon Balls are being used without him and he flies to where the group is, demanding his wish for immortality. However, before it can be granted, Saichoro dies, the dragon fades away, and the Dragon Balls turn into stones. Vegeta is enraged, but doesn’t have time to retaliate, as Freeza arrives, just as angry about missing his own chance at immortality.
Funimation has announced that it has licensed Dragon Ball Kai, the new version of Dragon Ball Z now airing in Japan on Fuji TV. Kai is a cut of the show touched up for HD, with some redrawn scenes and filler removed for a smoother pace that resembles Akira Toriyama’s manga. A new musical score has been composed by Kenji Yamamoto, known for his work on Dragon Ball Z video games like the Budoukai series, Burst Limit, Infinite World, and Raging Blast. Most of the original Japanese cast, including Masako Nozawa (Son Goku/Gohan/Goten), Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta), Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo) have returned to their original roles, but some roles have been recast, such as Aya Hirano as Dende.
Episode 35,"A Great Turnabout For Goku?! Super Shenlong, Come Out Right Now!", or "Mondo Cool!"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Vegeta attacks Ginyu, who is in Goku’s body, damaging him with his great power. Ginyu plans to switch bodies with Vegeta, however, waiting for his opportunity. Goku manages to get between Ginyu and Vegeta, regaining his original body, but Ginyu still intends to switch with Vegeta. However, as he begins to switch, Goku throws a frog in between Ginyu and Vegeta, and Ginyu ends up in the frog’s body. With the battle over, Vegeta offers Goku a chance to regain his healthy in one Freeza’s regeneration tanks. Gohan and Kuririn change outfits, getting smaller versions of Vegeta’s previous armor (Vegeta having taken an older model to replace his damaged one earlier). Nail reveals to Freeza that he’s just been distracting him, and angry, Freeza flies off towards his ship. While Vegeta naps, Kuririn goes off to find Dende and get the password for the Dragon Balls. Kuririn meets up with Dende. Gohan, Kuririn, and Dende take the Dragon Balls to an island closeby. Dende summons the dragon, which is huge.
Episode 41, "Hell"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Miles plans to kill Kimbley and his subordinates, but Edward is reluctant to take lives. Scar, Marcoh, and Mei try to decipher some of Scar’s brother’s notes. Later, they find Alphonse sticking out of the snow. After digging him up, he warns them about Central soldiers at Briggs. Scar tells them they can hide in a nearby Ishbalan refugee camp. Edward confronts Kimbley, who has figured out what Miles is up to. He uses his alchemy to evade the sniper, and his subordinates, who are chimera, attack Ed. Ed uses alchemy to disable them via their sense of smell and again confronts Kimbley, hitting the Philosopher’s Stone out of his hand. However, Kimbley has another stone in his mouth and uses it to destroy the mining tower, bringing it down on Ed and the chimera. Edward comes to with a giant metal pipe sticking out of him. With the help of the chimeras, he uses alchemy to remove it and heal himself, losing consiousness from exhaustion. The chimeras, feeling betrayed by Kimbley, decide to take him to safety.
