I love your videos Charles! I was wondering if you could review and analyze the song from Super Mario Odyssey - "Jump Up, Super Star". I really think you'll like it a lot!
From the same era, you should check out the opening and soundtrack of Plawres Sanshiro. That obscure anime had absolutely no business having music that slaps so hard!
Check out the songs from Evangelion, like "Everything you ever dreamed" and "If i can't be yours", both of which have some mind blowing avant garde elements.
I’ve been watching your videos for a good while now and the way you explain music is just so amazing! I bought your courses today knowing that I will be in good hands and ready to better my piano skills! Can’t wait to learn from you! 🎶
Fun Fact: according to an interview Takeshi Ike composed Makafushigi Adventure in just 2 days left before the deadline to compose both the opening and ending (and he ended up winning both, therefore Romantic Ageru Yo was also composed by him, which was rare at the time)
@@IslandFenixWords both creators involved in Dragon Ball lived by. Toriyama would start his draft on Wednesday or even further in the week, not be able to finish on Friday and work himself to the bone during the weekend. He'd state this as evidence he was "lazy". And there's the iconic Super Saiyan hair and color which only came about cause the whole manga crew working on Dragon Ball got tired of inking his hair all the time.
This song is no small part of the reason why the original Dragon Ball is my absolute favourite in the franchise, it perfectly encapsulates the whimsy and pure hearted adventure that the show radiates. Fans of the newer shows who have never watched the original, I implore you to do so, it's so charming and magical that i don't personally have the words to adequately explain it. It's pure of spirit, pure of heart and pure brilliance and unless you have a rock where your heart is I guarantee that you'll spend most of the show's whole run with a big grin on your face.
Dragon ball is the best part of the whole franchise, a master piece. I loved the chapters where they went to get the dragon balls, it is so awesome. Here (southamerica) we have a dubbed version which was so good, the singers were really good and matched the lyrics as champions. Dragon ball, the dubbed version in southamerica, is amazing. The voice actors made a really really good job.
@@EstamosDe That's wonderful to hear, it's always awesome to have VA's in your own language (as much as I do usually prefer to watch in Japanese because there's so many dubs in English that are so uninspired) who truly appreciate the material and give their all to their performance and character. I have a handful of shows/movies that I absolutely adore the English dub of for that very reason, and I couldn't imagine watching those shows any other way. All the best to you dude.
6:42 I'm 34 now, and Dragon Ball has been in my life pretty much for as long as I can remember. I've listened to this intro a million times, and I never noticed how fun the bass was right there. Thanks for pointing it out.
I hope you'll consider doing an analysis on why both CHA-LA HEAD CHA-LA and Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku are so timeless! Two of the best Dragonball themes in my opinion, honestly! Maybe even Yu Yu Hakusho's Smile Bomb, since we're talkin about classic anime songs? 😄
Glad you're giving this song recognition. I know the original Dragon Ball theme is not nearly as popular as the Z counterparts, but in my view it's by far the most magical, expansive, fun and grand scale song of all the DB OPs. Absolute magic. Not a note out of place.
This is kind of just a general anime thing. When western TV was saying, "let's write a catchy ditty for the intro," Japan was calling in the full orchestra to compose a 15-minute magnum opus for every kids' show.
@@Ultracity6060 Yes, they don't watch it, cause of workacholic culture, they don't have time for that, but they read manga magazines, cause you can read it anywhere.
What I really love about this song is how it uses the Oriental Riff as its basis but plays around with it to make its own original sound. Dragon Ball was created as an homage to the wuxia films of Hong Kong and also pulls a lot from Chinese mythology, so the theme pulling inspiration from music associated with China is just super cool.
Japanese composers have always been absolute powerhouses. Joe Hisaishi, Nobuo Uematsu, Koji Kondo, composers of Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and other anime... the list goes on and on.
@@RobinsMusic Yoko Shimomura 100%. Also Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger), Michiru Yamane (many Castlevania games), Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of... and Star Ocean games), Kenji Ito (Mana series), Masayoshi Soken (modern Final Fantasies)... the list goes on and on and on. Japan "produced" so many legendary composers, it's absolute nuts.
I find it WILD that here in Latin America, this opening is well known by three or four generations of DB fans. I mention this song to my students (some 20 years younger than me) and they can sing it along, with me, from memory. That's some testament to the talent and hability of people behind this song.
you just keep hitting the most oddly specific songs that i love. great taste from you/the audience. this show *specifically* the original dragon ball has some kick-ass music.
It is so sad Saint Seiya never gonna get a video analysis like this, but the way Seiji Yokoyama took the opening and ending melodies to build a lot of the OST themes would make John Williams blush. Love the enthusiasm here, I think the second ""documentary" camera takes away a lot of the personal feeling of you talking directly to us. Great channel!
So, fun fact: back in the 80s this was the OP that was used for the first Italian airing of Dragonball, on a minor TV network. Which might not sound strange, but consider that 95% of Anime that was imported in Italy had new Italian OPs (only a handful had Italian VERSIONS of the Japanese OP, like Mazinger or Jeeg, most had original songs). The Dragonball song was so memorable that Italian kids used to try to sing it by just imitating the sounds (because of course, nobody knew Japanese :-D ). It was probably just a way to save some money: Italy was importing Anime by the boatloads (literally hundreds of titles, from the famous to the very obscure) and many, many Italian OPs were amazing songs from the late Disco era, often with absolutely insane bass lines (search for "Fantaman sigla iniziale" or "Daitarn III Sigla" or... I could go on. "Sigla" is the Italian for OP. And while they were actually made for very little money... there probably just weren't enough musicians free/available! You'd probably like some of those "golden era" Italian OPs (sadly, the style changed sharply right in the late 80s).
Broooo. First time I ever watched dragon all was in Italian. My friend brought back VHS cassettes from Italy and I got introduced to DB (Z>) was so awesome. I used to watch one movie in particular over and over “la minacia del demono malvaggio” I’m pretty sure that’s what it was called, the Bojack movie and just as you mouthed words to the songs, I was mouthing the entire movie in Italian. Still know entirety of Gokus speech and then gohan s speech when he goes SSJ2 in Italian 😂 good times. gotta say. The VA’s sounded awesome
One of my favorite shows EVER. Watched it as a kid and recently rewatched it as an adult and it was like watching it for the first time, fell in love with it all over again. So much charm
music is like an appreciation sandwich. You first appreciate the song and music for what it is, then you understand the theories, and understand the individual parts of the little things here and there spread out, like that "tasteful" little blep or like the base that i never really paid attention to until this video, and then you appreciate the song again, in all it's glory from the greatness of how you witnessed it before, but with a deeper more profound appreciation for the tiny techniques and flare in the crevasses of the shimmering spectacle of the melody
I'm so unbelievably happy to see you do a breakdown on such an iconic and nostalgic opening, I definitely remember Dragon Ball being a huge part of my childhood and this theme was the coolest thing I had heard at that point. It's filled to the brim with unbridled energy, optimism and joyful adventurous spirit. It's the theme of childhood innocence and curiosity, there's so much going on, with inspiration from martial arts movies into the instrumentation, the sick ass slap bass line and busy percussion, it all comes together in such a complete package, and that switch in the middle of the song? ecstacy inducing, it's such bright uplifting moment that makes the song that much more memorable, I love it to death. Other Dragon Ball openings all have legendary status as well, but this one is simply a masterpiece. I'd suggest DBZ and GT openings respectively for the future, both beautiful songs in their own right.
@10:00 and on, the "try try try" section of the song It's even cooler than just the ii V I progression on Ab Major, it tonicizes Bb minor not just with a secondary dominant in F7, but the Cm7 also functions as a secondary predominant, creating a functional (ii-V-i)/ii V I progression (I (Ab Major) > iii7 in the home key functioning as ii7/ii -- a pivot chord (Cm7) > V7/ii (F7) > ii temporarily functioning as tonic (Bbm) > V (Eb7) > I (Ab Major)) creating a small chain of circle of 5ths movements We hit the Ab major chord. Then once we hit the Cm chord, we see the circle of 5ths play out with these root movements C > F > Bb > Eb > Ab. God, it's actually so good.
A special shoutout to the legend Kohei Tanaka, who personally arranged both the opening and the ending themes. You might know him for his extensive work on the Sakura Wars game series, Gravity Rush, and not less important, some 1000+ episode anime named One Piece.
I have no idea about music theory, but I fully FEEL all those chord progressions and note changes, and the DB theme is way up on my list. From that sort of Chinese melody intro (capped off by a giant GONG which is sadly not on the soundtrack version, only in the actual TV show theme) and then alllll the things that come in after that. It’s a go to at Karaoke for sure and just a wonderful song in general. So happy you picked it, it’s great to see a real musician appreciate it. ❤
I just love how in Greek, the first words for the opening thing is translated to say Prepi kai Mboro, Psaxno kai tha vro" "I must and I can. I seek and will find." Even as a none Greek born when I moved there in the 90s, seeing this show for the first time there and how HUGE it became there, this beat was always so much fun.
The short singer version of this song for the commercial breaks was my ringtone for my years. I manually extracted it and cut it from a DVD. Still have it somewhere. It makes a great ringtone.
The keychange to F dominant is my favourite part. That bridge/chorus is so uplifting and childlike 🎉 the spanish version of the track is great too. Check it out! This is my favourite dragon ball track ever.
I absolutely love Dragon Ball and music (I wanna be a composer) and your enthusiasm over this theme is literally my attitude towards Dragon Ball as a whole. Love your videos and this was a surprise to see!
Came here for this comment lol, and actually this is my first time hearing it in the original japanese, needless to say the latinamerican version kicks ass
I remember Dragon Ball's Latin American Spanish dub intro was so catchy that there was a cassette with it, the ending song and some additional tracks. I remember owning that cassette and listening to it when I was in preschool on my Casio Walkman
1:13 "I don't know exactly what they're playing" A metric sht tonne of synthesizers! The bulk of this track is very in your face with a Yamaha DX and LinnDrum from note one. The DX range can do excellent brassy tones, and are one of the few synthesizer families ever to have a breath controller built right in on some models, allowing the player to get those trumpet swells (could also buy it as an external plug in MIDI module IIRC). I'm fairly confident that it's layered with real trumpets, but you can hear the distinct overtones the DX makes in those trumpet stabs: you can hear the patch isolated as sustained chords just before the "lets fly" line.
Having heard so many times this song, as a kid and then in company of my son I must say that it’s a pleasure to enjoy it once again with you inspecting why and how it haves all those nice details inside. A timeless experience
I like this channel because you cover all this great hidden gem video game and cartoon show music that many composer/musician channels probably aren't aware of or don't take seriously.
And the fact that so many arrangements of this song pop up all the time in the anime score is also awesome. Not sure if it was kept in Eng dubs but I distinctly remember it showing up constantly.
As someone who loves thos franchise and is probably my favorite thing in the world, i love hearing your in depth analysis with this theme. For 40 years this song has always been incredible.
Funny thing with the bass SOUND is that I hear both a synth (Yamaha DX7?) bass and also sometimes a real bass?? Did they put a bit more into this track than meets the eye? (I mean, there's a LOT of things that didn't meet MY eye immediately.) If you think slap bass, it sounds like the thumb hammering is a synth bass and the pulls are an actual bass (or a sample). The brass sounds like an Akai S-series sampler (since it's "crispier" than for instance a Roland S-20). I have no idea about the drum synth. It doesn't sound similar to anything I have at hand. But, apart from the sampler, I'd bet my butt that all the synths are FM synthesizers (which would make sense at the time of the recording). Useless info, yes, but if somebody would want to recreate the track then maybe it's helpful.
The American re-dub vversion afrom around 2001 also goes hard, but not nearly as hard as the Japanese version. You should review the American version too! Very similar to the OG, but very different.
Charles, I am so happy you did this video. The original Dragon Ball series (and consequently this opening theme) are so near and dear to my heart, and in so many ways I love and cherish it more than DBZ even. The sense of whimsy, adventure, discovering the good and bad in the world, friendship, loss, competition, etc. are all themes I loved as a child. I rewatched it recently and it still holds up. This show had it all and Makafushigi Adventure encapsulates it all beautifully!
I'd argue that the re-do of this song for the English version is even more insane. The production is so bright and tight it's mind-blowing. Otherwise the 1989 J opening of DBZ "Cha-La Head Cha-La" has an incredible stylistic fingerprint that would be super fun to dive into. Thanks for picking this song!! It rules
It's equally as insane because it's literally just an English cover, unlike future DBZ songs which are completely different sometimes. I have so much nostalgia for it
@@thefreshvince879 if i remember the funi dubbed Z first and when it comes to dub music ost lack of budget for the original ost is usualy the reason. I assume after Z's success Funi had the money to use the og OST for the 86 series. Only exception being the OPs and I think copyright reasons could be why they did a cover / rearrangement than sing over the karaoke of the original Would be nice to hear the dubs with the og japanese composition though
Oh dude, this is a good piece. Thanks for doing a Dragon Ball song, bro. I appreciate the work that went into this! The harmonies feel so much in line with the story.
The song is littered with what the Japanese consider "Chinese-style" elements. Although there may never be many Westerners who can distinguish between the respective musical Japanese and Chinese characteristics when watching Hollywood movies, which tend to mix Japanese and Chinese together. Dragon Ball is inspired by Journey to the West, so there are many Chinese elements in early Dragon Ball. Well, that is really only the beginning though
I love this song so much! Great analysis :) Would love to see even more on the many incredible pieces composed for anime. Cruel Angel's Thesis or Komm Süsser Tod (its a bit on the simple side composition-wise but it could still be a cool vid) from Evangelion would be AMAZING.
The Dragon Ball original theme, I have always thought that it is super inspiring in the Chinese traditional music, maybe also for the traditional Chinese story used in the creation of dragon ball story.
Well, if you haven't notice yet...The name GOKU came from the chinese novel journey to the west. And some silly characters name also came from chinese words, like yumcha (literally mean drinking tea)
@@fantastiCkiLler92 wooow, I was actually thinking on that game from a Chinese studio Wukong, "Sun Wukong" I believe is the name of the principal character of the original story from the Chinese tradition, but yes it is very inspired on that. But, what I found so amazing, is that even the music was super full of this Chinese culture, so cool!!
You should definitely check out Kick Back from Chainsaw Man, Ｗ●ＲＫ from Hell's Paradise, and Cry Baby from Tokyo Revengers, they've all got some interesting patterns and nuances that you'd enjoy breaking down.
YES, especially Crybaby. Official Hige Dandism is now my favourite band since they released that song. Show kinda mid, but one of the best op songs. Charles has already reacted to their SpyxFamily opening. I think he would absolutely get a kick out of Crybaby with all insane the Key Changes.
@@Doomacam ya Cry Baby is always a joy to listen to. I hope he does all 3 at some point in time tbh, especially Kick Back cuz it's strange nature goes even beyond the key changes.
Charles, apparently you studied at Purchase around the same time as my best friend Cian McCarthy. The musicality that comes out of Purchase is staggering!! I love your videos so much. It's a fantastic way to wake up and learn something useful while getting a little hit of that sweet nostalgia-driven dopamine 😂❤ Thanks so much for all you've created!
Omg, I've loved this song for so many years, yet why haven't I paid that wonderfull BASS LINE the attention it deserves?? It's simply on fire. I'll look for a bass cover 🔥🔥🔥
As someone who is very much a oblivious to any meaningful actual music theory but who played as a dj for many years I’d love to chat with you one day. You remind me of the conversations I had with a few select friends, we were excited af about every piece of those tracks and we would chat with just about the same enthusiasm, you made me deeply nostalgic
The vocals are actually timed to end on the half-beat so that the bass line at 6:39 sounds immediately after accentuating that beat, the singer Hiroki Takahashi mentioned.
IT IS SO GOOD! check out yuyu Hakusho opening that one I love because it takes you back to the 80s in a way that only a theme song could, soul eaters opening or closing "I wanna be", and then naruto ending theme, is so good! From the first season "Wind"
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The Black Friday sale is LIVE right now!! cornellmusicacademy.com/blackfriday
No brainer deal!! 🤩
I love your videos Charles! I was wondering if you could review and analyze the song from Super Mario Odyssey - "Jump Up, Super Star". I really think you'll like it a lot!
From the same era, you should check out the opening and soundtrack of Plawres Sanshiro.
That obscure anime had absolutely no business having music that slaps so hard!
Check out the songs from Evangelion, like "Everything you ever dreamed" and "If i can't be yours", both of which have some mind blowing avant garde elements.
I’ve been watching your videos for a good while now and the way you explain music is just so amazing! I bought your courses today knowing that I will be in good hands and ready to better my piano skills! Can’t wait to learn from you! 🎶
Fun Fact: according to an interview Takeshi Ike composed Makafushigi Adventure in just 2 days left before the deadline to compose both the opening and ending (and he ended up winning both, therefore Romantic Ageru Yo was also composed by him, which was rare at the time)
"The best inspiration is last minute panic." - Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes
i cant believe takeshi stole the name of “fushigi” in his song…. HES FOREVER A TRAITOR.
@@IslandFenixWords both creators involved in Dragon Ball lived by. Toriyama would start his draft on Wednesday or even further in the week, not be able to finish on Friday and work himself to the bone during the weekend. He'd state this as evidence he was "lazy".
And there's the iconic Super Saiyan hair and color which only came about cause the whole manga crew working on Dragon Ball got tired of inking his hair all the time.
romantic ageru yo is also an amazing ost, that guy was or still is a genius XD
@@MyLifeHasBeenRuinedwhat?
This song is no small part of the reason why the original Dragon Ball is my absolute favourite in the franchise, it perfectly encapsulates the whimsy and pure hearted adventure that the show radiates.
Fans of the newer shows who have never watched the original, I implore you to do so, it's so charming and magical that i don't personally have the words to adequately explain it. It's pure of spirit, pure of heart and pure brilliance and unless you have a rock where your heart is I guarantee that you'll spend most of the show's whole run with a big grin on your face.
You said it better than I ever could
Dragon ball is the best part of the whole franchise, a master piece. I loved the chapters where they went to get the dragon balls, it is so awesome.
Here (southamerica) we have a dubbed version which was so good, the singers were really good and matched the lyrics as champions. Dragon ball, the dubbed version in southamerica, is amazing. The voice actors made a really really good job.
DB >>>> DBZ, DBS all the way
OG Dragonball is just peak shonen adventure. If you like fun adventures, you’re gonna have a good time
@@EstamosDe That's wonderful to hear, it's always awesome to have VA's in your own language (as much as I do usually prefer to watch in Japanese because there's so many dubs in English that are so uninspired) who truly appreciate the material and give their all to their performance and character.
I have a handful of shows/movies that I absolutely adore the English dub of for that very reason, and I couldn't imagine watching those shows any other way.
All the best to you dude.
One thing about all the Dragon Ball osts I love is the insane baselines that accompany it
Adding to the charm is that this one definitely sounds fm-based for the most part, be it a Yamaha DX7 or one of it's numerous relatives.
6:42 I'm 34 now, and Dragon Ball has been in my life pretty much for as long as I can remember. I've listened to this intro a million times, and I never noticed how fun the bass was right there. Thanks for pointing it out.
I hope you'll consider doing an analysis on why both CHA-LA HEAD CHA-LA and Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku are so timeless! Two of the best Dragonball themes in my opinion, honestly! Maybe even Yu Yu Hakusho's Smile Bomb, since we're talkin about classic anime songs? 😄
Definitely down for Smile Bomb! ❤
I join the request. If he analyzed Head Chala with the energy that Charles puts into the videos, it would be something simply great.
Heck ya
Head Cha-la is a certified banger
I grew up with DBZ in Spanish, and Head Cha-La in Spanish ABSOLUTELY SLAPS
Glad you're giving this song recognition. I know the original Dragon Ball theme is not nearly as popular as the Z counterparts, but in my view it's by far the most magical, expansive, fun and grand scale song of all the DB OPs. Absolute magic. Not a note out of place.
This is kind of just a general anime thing. When western TV was saying, "let's write a catchy ditty for the intro," Japan was calling in the full orchestra to compose a 15-minute magnum opus for every kids' show.
Yes, they go all in even it's for kids show
@Truck_kun007 Sure, but they did this for kid's shows, too. Also, that's kind of a meme; apparently in Japan, most adults don't watch anime.
@Truck_kun007 Pokemon.
@@Ultracity6060 Yes, they don't watch it, cause of workacholic culture, they don't have time for that, but they read manga magazines, cause you can read it anywhere.
R.I.P Akira Toriyama 😢
20 years early
Shinsuke Kikuchi died 2 years ago.
😢
Npc
@eddieviccardenas21 Yes, you are indeed. Thanks for letting us know.
Props to covering the original Dragon Ball theme. Not enough of the fanbase are exposed to their own show.
...Of the English speaking fanbase
I don't think that's as much the case anymore as it used to be a decade or two ago.
@@lancekemal8989agreed
I swear this is one of the most interesting and informative music channels.
Your enthusaiasm and presentation are unmatched dude
What I really love about this song is how it uses the Oriental Riff as its basis but plays around with it to make its own original sound. Dragon Ball was created as an homage to the wuxia films of Hong Kong and also pulls a lot from Chinese mythology, so the theme pulling inspiration from music associated with China is just super cool.
Yeah Son Goku is literally the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from Journey to the West
Japanese composers have always been absolute powerhouses. Joe Hisaishi, Nobuo Uematsu, Koji Kondo, composers of Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and other anime... the list goes on and on.
I'd like to add Yuji Ohno (from the Lupin franchise) and Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop).
What about Yoko Shimomura (FF15, KH,Mario RPG)
Yasunori Mitsuda, Isamu Ohira, too many too name seriously
@@RobinsMusic
Yoko Shimomura 100%. Also Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger), Michiru Yamane (many Castlevania games), Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of... and Star Ocean games), Kenji Ito (Mana series), Masayoshi Soken (modern Final Fantasies)... the list goes on and on and on. Japan "produced" so many legendary composers, it's absolute nuts.
Kajiura Yuki
Cant tell if charles is a massive dragonball fan, or if his editor is the massive dragonball fan 😂
Why not both?
The nut punch clip shows they know their DB memes lol
Japenese rock/pop is veeeery different from western or even korean. They do not shy away from more complex interesting harmonies. Amazing video
You can thank deep purple for that. They did a big tour there and it was televised too iirc, the prog/hard rock sounds are still hanging around
@@j377yb33nJapan fucking love Deep Purple. Who can blame em though when they made classic shit like Speed King and Smoke on the Water.
@@GoyBenius_0901 let's not forget highway star
@@GoyBenius_0901Child in Time my dude.
Yes, its worse
Japan sucks ass
I find it WILD that here in Latin America, this opening is well known by three or four generations of DB fans. I mention this song to my students (some 20 years younger than me) and they can sing it along, with me, from memory. That's some testament to the talent and hability of people behind this song.
And in almost every country except English speaking ones lol
you just keep hitting the most oddly specific songs that i love. great taste from you/the audience. this show *specifically* the original dragon ball has some kick-ass music.
It is so sad Saint Seiya never gonna get a video analysis like this, but the way Seiji Yokoyama took the opening and ending melodies to build a lot of the OST themes would make John Williams blush. Love the enthusiasm here, I think the second ""documentary" camera takes away a lot of the personal feeling of you talking directly to us. Great channel!
Saint Seiya's music in general is all around phenomenal. Sad Brothers is such a beautiful theme!
Saint Seiya has probably the best OST in anime history. Yokoyama was a genius.
Saint Seiya is sampled in orchestras all over Latin America. It deserves more attention
Stumbled onto this video right after finding out about Toriyama’s passing. Funny how the world works sometimes. Great work as always, thank you.
So, fun fact: back in the 80s this was the OP that was used for the first Italian airing of Dragonball, on a minor TV network. Which might not sound strange, but consider that 95% of Anime that was imported in Italy had new Italian OPs (only a handful had Italian VERSIONS of the Japanese OP, like Mazinger or Jeeg, most had original songs). The Dragonball song was so memorable that Italian kids used to try to sing it by just imitating the sounds (because of course, nobody knew Japanese :-D ).
It was probably just a way to save some money: Italy was importing Anime by the boatloads (literally hundreds of titles, from the famous to the very obscure) and many, many Italian OPs were amazing songs from the late Disco era, often with absolutely insane bass lines (search for "Fantaman sigla iniziale" or "Daitarn III Sigla" or... I could go on. "Sigla" is the Italian for OP. And while they were actually made for very little money... there probably just weren't enough musicians free/available!
You'd probably like some of those "golden era" Italian OPs (sadly, the style changed sharply right in the late 80s).
Equally at the same time japan was including italo disco in their modern music. They played off eachtoher equally
Giorgio Vanni does SUPERB work. Squadra Del Cuore and Gundam got INSANELY GOOD openings, same goes for Manga Boys' works with Digimon.
@@jomon324 pls... Vanni for one good one maded 15 crap intros. Mediocre at best.
Broooo. First time I ever watched dragon all was in Italian. My friend brought back VHS cassettes from Italy and I got introduced to DB (Z>) was so awesome. I used to watch one movie in particular over and over “la minacia del demono malvaggio” I’m pretty sure that’s what it was called, the Bojack movie and just as you mouthed words to the songs, I was mouthing the entire movie in Italian. Still know entirety of Gokus speech and then gohan s speech when he goes SSJ2 in Italian 😂 good times. gotta say. The VA’s sounded awesome
Che bei ricordi 🥹
One of my favorite shows EVER. Watched it as a kid and recently rewatched it as an adult and it was like watching it for the first time, fell in love with it all over again. So much charm
This song is what put Hiroki Takahashi in the books, holy crap. Dragonball and killer music go hand in hand.
music is like an appreciation sandwich. You first appreciate the song and music for what it is, then you understand the theories, and understand the individual parts of the little things here and there spread out, like that "tasteful" little blep or like the base that i never really paid attention to until this video, and then you appreciate the song again, in all it's glory from the greatness of how you witnessed it before, but with a deeper more profound appreciation for the tiny techniques and flare in the crevasses of the shimmering spectacle of the melody
I'm so unbelievably happy to see you do a breakdown on such an iconic and nostalgic opening, I definitely remember Dragon Ball being a huge part of my childhood and this theme was the coolest thing I had heard at that point. It's filled to the brim with unbridled energy, optimism and joyful adventurous spirit.
It's the theme of childhood innocence and curiosity, there's so much going on, with inspiration from martial arts movies into the instrumentation, the sick ass slap bass line and busy percussion, it all comes together in such a complete package, and that switch in the middle of the song? ecstacy inducing, it's such bright uplifting moment that makes the song that much more memorable, I love it to death.
Other Dragon Ball openings all have legendary status as well, but this one is simply a masterpiece.
I'd suggest DBZ and GT openings respectively for the future, both beautiful songs in their own right.
One of my favorites cartoon openings is "Chala head Chala" from Dragon Ball Z.
The build up of pre-chorus it's simply beautiful.
0:29 is the best 'gnome woo' I've ever heard
I hate that you made me go back and listen to it again and yeah I agree😭
YESSSS FINALLY I’ve been hoping you or anyone covered this bc this sound track is crazy
Let's just save time and say that EVERYTHING from the 80's went so hard
@@The_T-Boneyou’re definitely 13 years old commenting “10th!” on RUclips videos
@@d3rpybac0nlmao
this,the 80s was a great time with all the synths experimentations coming in
@@The_T-Bone
Ok Gen Z
Only the best are remembered in time, there's plenty of utter shit from the 80s that has just been forgotten to time for good reason.
@10:00 and on, the "try try try" section of the song
It's even cooler than just the ii V I progression on Ab Major, it tonicizes Bb minor not just with a secondary dominant in F7, but the Cm7 also functions as a secondary predominant, creating a functional (ii-V-i)/ii V I progression (I (Ab Major) > iii7 in the home key functioning as ii7/ii -- a pivot chord (Cm7) > V7/ii (F7) > ii temporarily functioning as tonic (Bbm) > V (Eb7) > I (Ab Major)) creating a small chain of circle of 5ths movements
We hit the Ab major chord. Then once we hit the Cm chord, we see the circle of 5ths play out with these root movements C > F > Bb > Eb > Ab. God, it's actually so good.
Absolutely one of the best anime opening themes! The bass line is amazing!
A special shoutout to the legend Kohei Tanaka, who personally arranged both the opening and the ending themes. You might know him for his extensive work on the Sakura Wars game series, Gravity Rush, and not less important, some 1000+ episode anime named One Piece.
I have no idea about music theory, but I fully FEEL all those chord progressions and note changes, and the DB theme is way up on my list. From that sort of Chinese melody intro (capped off by a giant GONG which is sadly not on the soundtrack version, only in the actual TV show theme) and then alllll the things that come in after that. It’s a go to at Karaoke for sure and just a wonderful song in general. So happy you picked it, it’s great to see a real musician appreciate it. ❤
I just love how in Greek, the first words for the opening thing is translated to say Prepi kai Mboro, Psaxno kai tha vro" "I must and I can. I seek and will find." Even as a none Greek born when I moved there in the 90s, seeing this show for the first time there and how HUGE it became there, this beat was always so much fun.
Siii, Debería estar en el Salón de la Fama de los mejores Openings de la historia. Mi favorito de toda la saga DB.
The short singer version of this song for the commercial breaks was my ringtone for my years. I manually extracted it and cut it from a DVD. Still have it somewhere. It makes a great ringtone.
It was insane that they had this song on a kid's show in the eighties.
The keychange to F dominant is my favourite part. That bridge/chorus is so uplifting and childlike 🎉 the spanish version of the track is great too. Check it out! This is my favourite dragon ball track ever.
I was waiting for a video like this
0:29 You've been GNOMED old chum!
I absolutely love Dragon Ball and music (I wanna be a composer) and your enthusiasm over this theme is literally my attitude towards Dragon Ball as a whole. Love your videos and this was a surprise to see!
The first dragon ball intro in latinamerican spanish is EPIC!!!! The singer really put effort into it 🤘🏻
Because they changed nothing but the language and that made it awesome.
Came here for this comment lol, and actually this is my first time hearing it in the original japanese, needless to say the latinamerican version kicks ass
@@NueThunderKing Why change something that goes that hard to begin with? Instead we get cringe stuff like Rock the Dragon
I remember Dragon Ball's Latin American Spanish dub intro was so catchy that there was a cassette with it, the ending song and some additional tracks. I remember owning that cassette and listening to it when I was in preschool on my Casio Walkman
1:13 "I don't know exactly what they're playing"
A metric sht tonne of synthesizers! The bulk of this track is very in your face with a Yamaha DX and LinnDrum from note one. The DX range can do excellent brassy tones, and are one of the few synthesizer families ever to have a breath controller built right in on some models, allowing the player to get those trumpet swells (could also buy it as an external plug in MIDI module IIRC). I'm fairly confident that it's layered with real trumpets, but you can hear the distinct overtones the DX makes in those trumpet stabs: you can hear the patch isolated as sustained chords just before the "lets fly" line.
Yeah that’s SO forward with the DX sound that some tracks in that mix almost sound like a Mega Drive. I dig it
Love how u just have so much fun making these. Such an awesome energy on ur videos 🤩
For me its the drum rhythm its really interesting. I been a dragon ball fan for like 20+ years and had only gave this tune a listen this month
EVERYTHING went hard in the 80s.
0:28 We've been gnomed.
I'm not a big music guy, sometimes I wish I was, but I must say it's refreshing to hear how hype you get just listening to these compositions
This opening song is great. Surprisingly, the English version also sounds really good as well.
Having heard so many times this song, as a kid and then in company of my son I must say that it’s a pleasure to enjoy it once again with you inspecting why and how it haves all those nice details inside. A timeless experience
Oh sh1t!!! That tune is nasty RIGHT AWAY! I haven't heard it so long...gotta watch OG Dragonball again...
I love these videos so much! I think making a video about the music of Dragon Quest would be right up your alley!
Ah yes, this and the Sailor Moon opening are the two most iconic intros at that time
And similar in that even the english versions slap
I like this channel because you cover all this great hidden gem video game and cartoon show music that many composer/musician channels probably aren't aware of or don't take seriously.
And the fact that so many arrangements of this song pop up all the time in the anime score is also awesome. Not sure if it was kept in Eng dubs but I distinctly remember it showing up constantly.
OG DB kept all the tracks in the dub and they even dubbed the vocal tracks including this song
@@oracle222 Good to know! Cuz I know the Z dubs stepped all over the score.
おすすめに出てきたので視聴しました。
DRAGON BALLを幼少にリアルタイムで視聴していましたが、オープニングテーマからワクワクして見ていました。
この時代のアニメソングは日本的な曲が多く、このDRAGON BALLのオープニングテーマも、聞き方によっては日本の合唱曲などのコードも感じられると思っています。
時代を超えて愛されるものは良いですね。
This, Saint Seiya, Fist of the North Star and Yoroiden Samurai Troopers were my childhood.
Thanks, that's the first time I hear about Yoroiden Samurai Troopers. Looks kinda interesting, gotta add it to my "to watch" list.
As someone who loves thos franchise and is probably my favorite thing in the world, i love hearing your in depth analysis with this theme. For 40 years this song has always been incredible.
Funny thing with the bass SOUND is that I hear both a synth (Yamaha DX7?) bass and also sometimes a real bass?? Did they put a bit more into this track than meets the eye? (I mean, there's a LOT of things that didn't meet MY eye immediately.) If you think slap bass, it sounds like the thumb hammering is a synth bass and the pulls are an actual bass (or a sample). The brass sounds like an Akai S-series sampler (since it's "crispier" than for instance a Roland S-20). I have no idea about the drum synth. It doesn't sound similar to anything I have at hand. But, apart from the sampler, I'd bet my butt that all the synths are FM synthesizers (which would make sense at the time of the recording). Useless info, yes, but if somebody would want to recreate the track then maybe it's helpful.
You certainly do have a great deal of knowledge about these things!
Hell yeah, I LOVE how you played along with the tracks and added depth and context to how they were created. Big thanks from me here, nice job!
The American re-dub vversion afrom around 2001 also goes hard, but not nearly as hard as the Japanese version. You should review the American version too! Very similar to the OG, but very different.
Thanks I love that tune.
Honestly when i think about it, this opening is my sleeper greatest of all time. The melody is just so memorable.
For me it is the greatest of all time 😁
My favorite son as a kid. 40 years later I still get goosebumps listening to the intro!!
Charles, I am so happy you did this video. The original Dragon Ball series (and consequently this opening theme) are so near and dear to my heart, and in so many ways I love and cherish it more than DBZ even. The sense of whimsy, adventure, discovering the good and bad in the world, friendship, loss, competition, etc. are all themes I loved as a child. I rewatched it recently and it still holds up. This show had it all and Makafushigi Adventure encapsulates it all beautifully!
I remember arranging this theme for 4 hands some years ago, it was a lot of fun! 😁
I'd argue that the re-do of this song for the English version is even more insane. The production is so bright and tight it's mind-blowing.
Otherwise the 1989 J opening of DBZ "Cha-La Head Cha-La" has an incredible stylistic fingerprint that would be super fun to dive into.
Thanks for picking this song!! It rules
It's equally as insane because it's literally just an English cover, unlike future DBZ songs which are completely different sometimes. I have so much nostalgia for it
@@thefreshvince879 if i remember the funi dubbed Z first and when it comes to dub music ost lack of budget for the original ost is usualy the reason. I assume after Z's success Funi had the money to use the og OST for the 86 series. Only exception being the OPs and I think copyright reasons could be why they did a cover / rearrangement than sing over the karaoke of the original
Would be nice to hear the dubs with the og japanese composition though
Your enthusiasm is contagious! Your videos are educational and enjoyable!
0:29 You've_been_gnomed.jpg
Twice! The fastest gnome in the west passed by twice! 🤣
I love watching this channel for your energy and excitement at discovering new music. It's gold to me. Makes me smile
I don't think I've heard this theme song in over 23 years. Thank you 😍🤩
Oh dude, this is a good piece. Thanks for doing a Dragon Ball song, bro. I appreciate the work that went into this! The harmonies feel so much in line with the story.
Speaking of anime, I hope you do a similar analysis of an absolute masterpiece "Watashitachi Naritakute" (from Sailor Moon).
Having watched it orchestrated live, gotta say, you hear all the subtleties so well and clearly. I love this song!
Anime theme/ending songs hit so much harder than other theme songs
Agree, and Consouls fans went insane when they did their 'Radio #29' on anime themes - 2 sets of great jazz covers played live
Ive loved this song and played it on the piano for decades! thanks for reviewing it!
The song is littered with what the Japanese consider "Chinese-style" elements. Although there may never be many Westerners who can distinguish between the respective musical Japanese and Chinese characteristics when watching Hollywood movies, which tend to mix Japanese and Chinese together. Dragon Ball is inspired by Journey to the West, so there are many Chinese elements in early Dragon Ball. Well, that is really only the beginning though
The bass on that song is unbelievable. Another favorite, I programmed the melody of that into my old Nokia cellphone in 2007...lol
rip toriyama
That song was and still is epic as hell. Rest in peace Akira Toriyama
Speaking about anime soundtracks...
You should check out Lupin the Third OST by Yuji Ohno. He's such an interesting composer. His work is really cool.
I love this song so much! Great analysis :) Would love to see even more on the many incredible pieces composed for anime. Cruel Angel's Thesis or Komm Süsser Tod (its a bit on the simple side composition-wise but it could still be a cool vid) from Evangelion would be AMAZING.
I loved the original Dragon Ball better than Dragon Ball Z
Much less campy & fun.
First time here. You're amazing! Keep up the hard work!
The Dragon Ball original theme, I have always thought that it is super inspiring in the Chinese traditional music, maybe also for the traditional Chinese story used in the creation of dragon ball story.
Well, if you haven't notice yet...The name GOKU came from the chinese novel journey to the west. And some silly characters name also came from chinese words, like yumcha (literally mean drinking tea)
@@fantastiCkiLler92 wooow, I was actually thinking on that game from a Chinese studio Wukong, "Sun Wukong" I believe is the name of the principal character of the original story from the Chinese tradition, but yes it is very inspired on that. But, what I found so amazing, is that even the music was super full of this Chinese culture, so cool!!
damn chill with the uploads we cant handle the amount of awesomeness!😀
You should definitely check out Kick Back from Chainsaw Man, Ｗ●ＲＫ from Hell's Paradise, and Cry Baby from Tokyo Revengers, they've all got some interesting patterns and nuances that you'd enjoy breaking down.
yes to Cry Baby. Amazing OP for a meh story. It had potential but the author rushed his ending instead of going on hiatus.
YES, especially Crybaby. Official Hige Dandism is now my favourite band since they released that song. Show kinda mid, but one of the best op songs. Charles has already reacted to their SpyxFamily opening. I think he would absolutely get a kick out of Crybaby with all insane the Key Changes.
@@Doomacam ya Cry Baby is always a joy to listen to. I hope he does all 3 at some point in time tbh, especially Kick Back cuz it's strange nature goes even beyond the key changes.
Holy thanks for doing a video on this song ive been hoping for a long time now. Much love 🙏
Man, I was hoping it was the Japanese dbz theme. CHALA! HEAD CHALA! Lol, I need to know if there's some musical goodies in that Jam too
10:13 , I really love this part of the theme .it's really the calmest part of this happy adventurous theme
A cruel angel thesis breakdown would be so cool
Charles, apparently you studied at Purchase around the same time as my best friend Cian McCarthy. The musicality that comes out of Purchase is staggering!! I love your videos so much. It's a fantastic way to wake up and learn something useful while getting a little hit of that sweet nostalgia-driven dopamine 😂❤ Thanks so much for all you've created!
J'adore Dragon ball😊🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
I've always found this theme particularly fascinating, thanks for helping me appreciate it even more by understanding a bit better its subtleties.
I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS VIDEO! THANK YOU IT'S AMAZING
Omg, I've loved this song for so many years, yet why haven't I paid that wonderfull BASS LINE the attention it deserves?? It's simply on fire. I'll look for a bass cover 🔥🔥🔥
As someone who is very much a oblivious to any meaningful actual music theory but who played as a dj for many years I’d love to chat with you one day. You remind me of the conversations I had with a few select friends, we were excited af about every piece of those tracks and we would chat with just about the same enthusiasm, you made me deeply nostalgic
The vocals are actually timed to end on the half-beat so that the bass line at 6:39 sounds immediately after accentuating that beat, the singer Hiroki Takahashi mentioned.
Thank you for giving this song some love. It's so underrated. But I can listen to it everyday.
IT IS SO GOOD! check out yuyu Hakusho opening that one I love because it takes you back to the 80s in a way that only a theme song could, soul eaters opening or closing "I wanna be", and then naruto ending theme, is so good! From the first season "Wind"
@10:09 bro almost turned into Pee-Wee during mail time😂😂😂