The following is a fan-based PARODY. Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, and Dragonball Super are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama.
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Fans of Team Four Star know this intro well. Many an unscrupulous copy cat has tried to get it right. Its ironic, in a way, how many fans of their show have built youtube channels just by reacting to their videos, or compiling some of the greatest and most quotable moments from a monster youtube giant that just started out as a little project for fun.
In fact, the now all-too-familiar intro used to have the words "non-profit" fan based parody. Some low key recording equipment and a free video editor is all it took to launch a legendary internet series. And now they get to do this for a living. The main cast includes:
- KaiserNeko (Scott Frerichs)
- Lanipator (Nick Landis)
- Takahata101 (Curtis Arnott)
- MasakoX (Lawrence Simpson)
- Antfish (Anthony Sardinha)
- hbi2k (Ben Creighton)
- Megami33 (Corinne Sudberg)
- LordMoonstone (Kirran Somerlade)
- AinTunez (Cliff Weinstein)
- GanXingba (Marc Soskin)
- MasterWuggles (Grant Smith)
The story of these young voice actors begins ten years ago. That's long enough to create their own nostalgia and reboot their own franchise if they wanted. For a few years, few people even knew their real names. Some of them tried to get started with Abridged Series like Naruto Abridged or Yugi-Oh Abridged, and though I was a fan of those as well, they sort of fizzled out compared the the juggernaut Dragon Ball Z Abridged became.
I'm not blogging to tell their story. They are open about it on their website and on their own wiki.
I'm blogging to gush about how glad I am to have them back.
Its been an honor for me to have been with them since that very first episode ten years ago. In the Air Force while deployed we would quote some of their funniest moments while on mission to pass the long hours on station with an E-3 AWACS. In spring of 2012 I got to meet most of the main cast at a comic con in Dallas, and it was strange to have them sign part of my Assassins Creed costume, but its all I had. That was the release of the epic finale where Goku goes Super Saiyan. It was their first truly serious moment sandwiched between their hilarious comedic approach to the series.
Their episodes have always been something to look forward to - made by people with humble backgrounds like me. Meeting them was like meeting the new neighbor in the house or apartment next door more than meeting some giant TV or movie celebrity. And I think that is part of the draw of them and their show. They serve to remind us that all you have to do is find what you love, find what you are good at, put the two together and you can make that your dream. Dreams of this nature often have the ability to come true - and thus define not just the American Dream, but the Human one.
And then they were gone. For a full year. Some of us wondered what we would do. Other fans began to believe they might be done with their beloved series once they did come back with a finale. There might have been a brief time were it might have been the end. But it wasn't.
Three weeks ago they returned with part 1 of 3 of their 60th episode. My short and simple review is their return was triumphant. I am linking that particular episode in this post. But if you have never seen the series before, I recommend starting from the beginning. It will be a better binge-watching experience than most things on Netflix. The good news to us fans is they have announced they intend to keep going.
But I want to hear from you all, fellow fans of Team Four Star. What have been some of your favorite moments in the series, and have you met any of the super talented voice actors?
Did you get into Dragon Ball Z because of them, and were you a kid when they started?
Just as Team Four Star has returned, so have I to blogging. So I hope you will stick around and look forward to my weekly posts! Lets all EAT THAT HORSE!
DBZ Abridged Episode 60 Part 1
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