TeamFourStar

Lore & Background

TeamFourStar was created in 2008 by Scott "KaiserNeko" Frerichs, Nick "Lanipator" Landis, and Curtis "Takahata101" Arnott. That same year, they launched Dragon Ball Z Abridged, a non-profit parody series using footage from the Dragon Ball Z anime interspersed with dark humor. The series satirized story elements such as the power level system, the "over 9000" meme, and the character Broly, and gained online popularity with episodes accumulating millions of views.

In 2014, TeamFourStar's channel was listed in the Google Preferred program, but faced copyright issues from Toei Animation, which sent numerous copyright strikes. These issues led to the temporary removal of the Dragon Ball Z Abridged series and the channel briefly going offline. In 2018, episode 60 was released after a year-long hiatus, and the channel initially promised a fourth season covering the Buu Saga, but ended the series in 2020, citing the changing climate of YouTube regarding copyright.

TeamFourStar also produced Hellsing Ultimate Abridged from 2010 to 2018, and in 2017 moved into official dubbing work with the English dub of the anime film Hells. They created Final Fantasy 7: Machinabridged. In August 2023, they collaborated with YouTuber Totally Not Mark on "Buu Bits" clips from the Buu Saga. In November 2025, they released Toonami Abridged - Sailor Moon, and in December 2025, they collaborated again with Totally Not Mark on Dragon Ball Magic, a parody of Dragon Ball Daima.

Reader's Guide

TeamFourStar's Dragon Ball Z Abridged series became a landmark in online fan-produced content, demonstrating how parody could achieve widespread acclaim and influence. The series was praised for balancing humor with faithfulness to the original anime, and for its satirical depiction of the series' tropes. Critics noted that the abridged series added layers of realism and character-driven narrative that the original lacked, with some outlets considering it superior in voice acting, character development, and dialogue. The series' success helped TeamFourStar's channel reach over 4.45 million subscribers and 2.6 billion views. Their work also led to official dubbing opportunities, such as the English dub of Hells. The ending of Dragon Ball Z Abridged in 2020 highlighted ongoing tensions between fan parody and copyright enforcement on YouTube, marking a significant moment in the platform's history. Later collaborations, including the Buu Bits and Toonami Abridged, showed the group's continued relevance in the parody space.

Did You Know?

• The channel faced multiple copyright strikes from Toei Animation, leading to temporary removal of the series.
• In 2017, TeamFourStar produced the official English dub of the anime film Hells.
• TeamFourStar collaborated with YouTuber Totally Not Mark on Buu Bits in August 2023 and Dragon Ball Magic in December 2025.