Western fans of Dragon Ball Z have long celebrated the unique soundtrack that accompanied the series during its original run on Toonami. This iconic score, often referred to as the ‘Faulconer soundtrack’, was an integral part of the Dragon Ball Z experience for many viewers. Yet, despite its popularity, it never made its way into Dragon Ball Kai (known as Dragon Ball Z Kai in the West). However, thanks to the dedication of one fan, this beloved music is now part of Dragon Ball Kai.
DBZ Faulconer Retrospective
The story of the Faulconer soundtrack begins with Bruce Faulconer, an accomplished American composer known for his work in feature films, television, and orchestral music. Faulconer was brought on to create the score for the English dub of Dragon Ball Z starting in 1998. His music debuted in the third season of the series on Cartoon Network in 1999, replacing the original score by Shuki Levy, whose company, Saban, had exited the project.
Sample clip from the latest released episode! Faulconer Edition’s Super Saiyan THREE! Enjoy!
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Faulconer’s work became synonymous with the intense and dramatic moments of Dragon Ball Z, contributing to its success and cementing its place in the hearts of fans. His score was used in the series from episode 68 through to the final episode, 291, and was also featured in the film “Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug.” The music played a significant role in Dragon Ball Z achieving top Nielsen ratings for children’s programming on cable TV.
The Unsung Heroes: Mike Smith, Scott Morgan, and Julius Dobos
While Bruce Faulconer is often credited as the mastermind behind the score, much of the music was actually composed by his team: Mike Smith, Scott Morgan, and Julius Dobos. These composers were instrumental in creating many of the memorable themes that fans associate with the series.
- Mike Smith was responsible for many of the iconic themes, including Vegeta’s theme.
- Scott Morgan created the hard-hitting beats that accompanied Imperfect Cell’s scenes.
- Julius Dobos composed the beloved Super Saiyan 3 theme.
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Despite their significant contributions, these composers often went uncredited, with Faulconer receiving the bulk of the recognition. This has led to a long-standing debate within the fan community about proper attribution and recognition.
How to Watch Dragon Ball Kai with the Faulconer OST
For fans who miss the Faulconer soundtrack and wish it were part of Dragon Ball Kai, there is a solution. A dedicated Reddit user, known as JC Dragon Ball, has painstakingly hand-edited every episode of Dragon Ball Kai, as well as Dragon Ball Super, to include the Faulconer score. This monumental effort was driven purely by passion and a desire to fulfil the wishes of the Dragon Ball Z fan community.
Dragon Ball Z Kai: Faulconer Edition – Goku vs Vegeta preview sample!
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We reached out to JC Dragon Ball for comment, and here’s what they had to say:
“I’ve never cared for or about money, I just wanted to do something that everyone wanted but nobody seemed to be willing to roll up their sleeves to actually do. Not a dig or a knock on anyone, because as most would probably guess correctly, this is an insane amount of work. Basically, I’m trying to be the very change I’d like to see in the arts. More art and less greed!”
For those interested in experiencing Dragon Ball Kai with the Faulconer soundtrack, you can email JC Dragon Ball at JCDragonBall@outlook.com for access to these edited episodes. If you can afford it, make sure to head over to their Patreon and drop him a subscription too!
