The Series (3/5)

With the New series, DRAGON BALL SUPER, now showing in it’s prime, we finally get to see the finish to the interesting experiment DRAGON BALL Z KAI. In a way, it’s bittersweet but all fun things come to an end. Funimation have divided up the last 40 some episodes into two handsome sets. With Part 2 and 3.

Part 2 covers episodes 122 through 144, and part 3 covers 145 through 167. While part 1 had some lighter episodes and time to kill, here we get all the action of the troublesome Majin Buu arch of Z. The original run of DRAGON BALL Z was downright notorious for its long dragged out stories, but with the final bad guy of the series, they pushed the story ideas to the limit. Majin Buu is a unkillable ball of pink material that has taken the shape of a genie. When he is first introduced he is a unalarming jolly fat man. But like the first two major villains, Buu goes through numerous transformations and keeps coming up with new moves and power levels.

With the more streamlined and shorten run time of Kai, the series is saved from some of the unnecessary filler, but the tone is still all over the place, with a show that is begging to end. The issue with some of these episodes is the characters are shown to train to become more powerful, but to serve the plot, they suddenly do dumb things to be knocked out, eaten, or simply die. The stakes are high, but with the uneven mix of zany comedy and terror, it’s easy for the viewer to check out.

The zany comedy is here in most part thanks to Buu’s ability to change into almost anything and come up with new powers on the spot. On the plus side, Buu is an out of the box design choice. From his fat jolly man to his kill crazy kid form, He is a visual treat for the eyes. Influenced by Disney films like CINDERELLA and ALADDIN, the use of sight gags lightens up some of the stranger moments.

As for the action, this houses some of Z’s most inventive moments and battles. From flying chocolate balls, ghosts’ bombs, pink blobs, and fights in a time chamber, the show gets to push it’s self like never before. Fans are sure to enjoy this but it’s clear that the series was winding down and running out of steam.

Audio/Video (4/5)

Funimation releases another fine set of Blu-rays. Both sets come with 5.1 English dubbed Dolby True HD and Japanese 2.0 tracks. The dub id decent, but the Japanese is the sure-fire win. The sound mixes are bold and full of life. The soundtracks are never over powering and the dialogue is crisp. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD picture is slightly softer then Part 1 but a lot of this comes from the over lit sections of the later episodes. The black levels are smooth and the picture is sharply focused. There’s no print damage or digital noise.

Extras (3/5)

We get a Video Commentary from the production crew, Textless songs, and a Funimation trailer gallery.

Overall (4/5)

While the show started to drag badly in its final run, it’s still a blast to watch. If you’re a fan of Dragon Ball this release is a must have. Recommended.