CHA LA HEAD CHA LA - Dragon Ball Z Opening 1 - Dragon Ball Opening Songs Series

It's time for another installment of the Dragon Ball opening theme series, and this time Kyle is tackling arguably the most iconic Dragon Ball song ever recorded: "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA." We go back to the original Dragon Ball Z opening by Hironobu Kageyama, dig into lyricist Yukinojo Mori's surprisingly profound explanation of what "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" actually means, and discover that underneath the dinosaurs, fireballs and general Dragon Ball weirdness is a song about clearing your mind, letting go of what's happened to you, and finding the room to dream again.

Kyle also dives into Kageyama's memories of recording the song—including the bizarre alternate universe where CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA apparently sounded more like Bon Jovi—and revisits the many versions of Dragon Ball Z's opening theme that fans heard around the world. From Rock the Dragon and Funimation's nostalgic instrumental themes to English-language covers, international adaptations and Kageyama singing the damn thing himself in English, we're celebrating the strange history and enduring legacy of one of the greatest anime theme songs of all time. Plus: old-school DBZ VHS nostalgia, DragonBallZ.com, Super Survivor, questionable localization decisions, and an alarming amount of yelling about bass lines.

 

LINKS DISCUSSED IN EPISODE:

Makafushigi Adventure - Dragon Ball Opening Songs Series

Chozetsu Dynamic! Dragon Ball Super Opening 1 - Dragon Ball Opening Songs Series

Head Cha La - YouTube Playlist - Dragon Ball Super Dope

SoundCloud Playlist - BEST DBZ TUNES RIGHT HURR

Eizo Japan - Progress on Spotify

Hironobu Kageyama - POWER LIVE '98 애니메탈 마라톤 1 / Animetal Marathon 1 Hironobu Kageyama - CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA (Acoustic Version

 

 

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