To honor the legacy of Dragon Ball Z's creator, Akira Toriyama, Toonami announced that it will run a special marathon for the anime this weekend.
Toonami announced that the lineup for its programming block on Saturday, March 16, will include a Dragon Ball Z Kai marathon. The marathon kicks off at 2am ET and concludes at 5:30am, consisting of the first eight episodes of the anime.
"As a tribute to anime legend Akira Toriyama (1955-2024), we're celebrating his legacy Saturday night with a DBZ Kai marathon from 2a to 6a," Toonami wrote in the post. "May he rest in Super Saiyan power."
Dragon Ball Z Kai premiered in 2009 and is a recut version of the anime series Dragon Ball Z released to commemorate the anime's 20th anniversary. Alongside recutting the original series, Dragon Ball Z Kai also served as a remaster that improved the visuals and animation and included re-recorded dialogue.
While some may be confused that Toonami chose Dragon Ball Z Kai instead of the original anime that aired in the late 90s, this is likely since this version of the anime is a more faithful adaptation of the Dragon Ball Z manga by Toriyama, as the majority of anime-exclusive content found in the original anime, such as the Garlic Jr. Saga, has been removed in Dragon Ball Z Kai.
In our review of the DVD for season one, part one of Dragon Ball Z Kai, IGN wrote: "Dragon Ball Z has been around for a long time. It has been released on home video over and over and over again. It has to be said, though, that this new version of the series is very well-done – the technical aspects of the production are impressive, and the re-edited story cuts to the chase in a way that makes it much more exciting and accessible to new viewers."
As mentioned by Toonami, the marathon is set to honor the legacy of Toriyama, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this month at the age of 68. While Dragon Ball Z was not Toriyama's first project, it is arguably one of his most beloved creations, as Dragon Ball Z (and by extension, the greater Dragon Ball franchise) played an influential role in the anime and gaming industries.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
