Dragon Ball Z Kai
Remake of popular anime series is still very violent.
Parents say
Based on 13 reviews
Kids say
Based on 68 reviews
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Dragon Ball Z Kai
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this anime cartoon is heavy on violence, and characters wage war on -- and often kill -- each other with weapons and with their own superhuman powers. Although some do perish, many of the characters enjoy an unrealistic tolerance of the violence (they emerge unharmed from explosions or catch bullets in midair), which has its own set of issues for parents of impressionable tweens. Many of the characters will be frightening to kids, and the show favors action and entertainment over any meaningful content, so don't expect your tweens to glean anything worthwhile from the fast-paced adventures.
Community Reviews
Very, very nice anime!
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What's the Story?
DRAGON BALL Z KAI is an updated version that marks the 20th anniversary of the popular anime series Dragon Ball Z. Goku (voiced by Sean Schemmel) and his young son, Gohan (Colleen Clinkenbeard), join forces with their friends to ward off a barrage of threats to the human population from otherworldly creatures bent on dominating the planet. The father-son team packs a punch of superhuman strengths, but they're pushed to the limits by their equally powerful enemies, who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.
Is It Any Good?
This revamped show aims to draw a new generation of fans into the fold that originally started with Dragon Ball, one of the world's most popular manga series of all time. Although the modern version streamlines the extremely complicated plot of Dragon Ball Z, it will still take viewers a handful of episodes to fully grasp the story. The constant turnover of characters and story development make it tough to pop in on an episode here and there (which is probably the show's intent, after all).
Parents should give this series a hard look before handing their tweens over to it since the content is so rooted in violence. Physical clashes between good and evil constitute a good portion of every episode, and it's the only way the characters are able to resolve their differences. While most of the violence is fantasy-based (laser-shooting fingers and conjuring energy balls, for instance), many characters are injured, tortured, or die in the process, so it's important to assess your own tween's ability to handle this kind of content.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in this series. Do the characters try to solve their problems without violence? Would the show still be entertaining if there wasn't as much violence? How does watching the kind of fantasy violence this show portrays affect you?
Kids: Have you seen toys related to this series in stores? Do you think you're more likely to want to buy these toys now that you've seen the show?
TV Details
- Premiere date: April 5, 2009
- Cast: Colleen Clinkenbeard, Cynthia Cranz, Sean Schemmel
- Network: Nicktoons
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Space and Aliens
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: February 25, 2022
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