Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 17 - DB episodes 76-80

[Robo4900]

Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone between and beyond, and welcome to week 17 of the first Dragon Ball rewatch of the decade.
We're doing five episodes a week, and we'll be watching every single episode of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. All 508 episodes. Plus the TV specials and the movies.
I encourage you all to watch in Japanese with subtitles, especially if you have never done so before, but watch along in whichever way brings you the most joy.

And now, the second hunt for the Dragon Balls is over! I really like this filler material, I think it's among the franchise's best. And of course, next week, we have my favourite of the original movies!

Previous thread: Week 16 (DB 71-75)
Next thread: Week 18 (DB movie 2)

Anyway, without further ado...

Episode 76 - The Masked Man’s True Identity?!
Dub title: True Colors of the Masked Man / Goku's Grandfather Gohan
Originally aired 26th of August 1987
Episode director: Minoru Okazaki
Animation supervisor: Taiichiro Ohara

Grabbing onto Goku’s tail, the fox mask man knocks Goku around! But then Goku’s tail comes off!! As Goku is about to counterattack, having lost his weakness, the man quickly surrenders. His identity was Goku’s adoptive grandfather Son Gohan after all!! Goku rejoices in their reunion! Thanks to Uranai Baba, Gohan was able to return from the afterlife for a single day. After the brief reunion, Gohan returns to the afterlife once again!

Anime-only/filler content: Expansion of the first Pilaf scene, the montage of Bulma summing up Goku's achievements.

Episode 77 - Pilaf’s Great Strategy
Dub title: Pilaf's Tactics / Emperor Pilaf's Evil Plot
Originally aired 2nd of September 1987
Episode director: Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Animation supervisor: Yukio Ebisawa

After having Uranai Baba divine the location of the seventh Dragon Ball, Goku immediately sets off on Kinto-Un to find it. But it turns out that the ones in possession of the Dragon Ball are Pilaf and his lackeys, who had previously given Goku and the others a hard time. Goku ends up in a showdown over the Dragon Ball with Pilaf, who is plotting to rule the world! Pilaf confidently challenges Goku in his mecha, the Pilaf Machine. He puts up an unexpectedly good fight, but loses in the end! Goku finally obtains the last Dragon Ball!!

Anime-only/filler content: The Pilaf Gang flashing back to earlier encounters with Goku, a lengthy extension to the fight where the mechas best Goku, anything involving Baba's Palace while Goku is away.

Episode 78 - Once Again, Shen Long
Dub title: The Eternal Dragon Rises / The Mighty Shenron
Originally aired 9th of September 1987
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama

Having collected the seven Dragon Balls, Goku returns to Karin Tower with Upa. Then in response to Goku’s summons, Shenlong appears once again! While he’s afraid of the gigantic Shenlong, Upa still speaks his wish! Hearing the wish, Shenlong brings Upa’s father Bora back to life, who was killed by Tao Pai-pai!! Goku says his parting words to Upa and his father, then returns to his friends. Then at Kame-Sen’nin’s advice, he sets out on a trip in search of even greater power!

Anime-only/filler content: Yamucha asking Roshi if he can train him and Bulma "convincing" Roshi, the Blue Travellers sequence, Upa briefly getting scared and running away from Shen Long.

Episode 79 - Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s Man-Eating Gourd
Dub title: Terror and Plague / Goku's First New Adventure
Originally aired 16th of September 1987
Episode director: Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Animation supervisor: Mitsuo Shindo

Having set off on his own journey of training, Goku visits Chao’s village, a boy he met along the way. The village where Chao lives is plagued by the outlaw brothers named Kinkaku and Ginkaku! Goku confronts Kinkaku and Ginkaku, but ends up sealed inside a mysterious gourd that sucks you in if you don’t reply when your name is called!! However, Goku is saved thanks to the Nyoi-Bō. He steals the gourd away from the two and punishes them!

Anime-only/filler content: The entire episode. (Written by Keiji Terui)

Episode 80 - A Crucial, Honorable Match! Goku vs Tenlong
Dub title: Goku vs. Sky Dragon / Goku Fights Sky Dragon
Originally aired 23rd of September 1987
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Taiichiro Ohara

Continuing on his training journey, in the city Goku learns of a martial artist named Chin Taiken, and ends up taking the place of the ill martial artist in an important match! But Taiken’s son, Shōken, doesn’t like the idea of Goku participating, and feeds him laxative-spiked food. The match with Tenlong, master of Hyūga-Ryū, then begins! An intense battle unfolds, but Goku’s stomach starts to feel strange due to the laxative! However, he somehow endures this to win the match!!

Anime-only/filler content: The entire episode. (Written by Toshiki Inoue)

-

Interesting trivia:

• Episode 76 is the only time Goku cries in the original run, aside from when he's a baby. (Much to Broly's relief, I'm sure)
• These episodes mark the first time the Pilaf Gang have appeared in a manga storyline in two years, however by now they had already appeared in not just Pilaf Arc filler but also three episodes of the Colonel Silver expanded saga. Whether this influenced Toriyama having them appear again in the manga both here and in the Piccolo Daimao Arc is unknown.
• In the Funimation dub of Episode 76, Shu and Mai theorize that Goku could use the Dragon Balls to locate their position. This is then contradicted in the next episode where they're surprised he found them.
• The car driven by the Pilaf Gang is a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL.
• In Funimation's dub, Shu suggests that the Pilaf gang should cease searching for Dragon Balls. In the edited version, Pilaf says "You're fired!", while in the uncut version, he says "Shut up!" (Anecdotal)
• In the manga, both Chapter 40 and Chapter 107 share the same title: Goku's Tail. Appropriately, they both feature Goku's tail either re-appearing or disappearing.
• This is the first time a Saiyan's tail is directly pulled off; the next time will be when Piccolo removes Gohan's tail early into the Saiyan Arc.
• In the manga, Yamucha states that Gohan is Roshi's Number One student, a fact not previously mentioned.
• The exact point in time Goku killed Gohan by accident has never been specified, and by extension how much time Goku spend in Mount Paozu alone. This leaves the amount of time Gohan had to teach Goku about the world, and how to behave, up in the air.
• The Funimation dub of Episode 78 adds a lot of dialogue for Goku and Upa during the Blue Travellers scene, but with no additional sound effects. It kept the song itself, however. Blue Water's dub cut the scene (unknown if this was how it was on the masters AB Groupe gave them).
• Goku's wish to revive Bora here is responsible for the negative energy that birthed Liang Xing Long, the Two-Star Evil Dragon in Dragon Ball GT -- much to his gratitude.
• In the manga, Toriyama took advantage of the timeskip to age Goku and Krillin a little bit by lengthening their limbs. Before this point, their normal limb lengths were too short and were extended for action/combat panels. The timeskip meant that their "standing" and fighting proportions were consistent with each other.
• While Dragon Ball has had a few blocks of filler episodes such as the Colonel Silver expansion, the Solo Training Arc is the first dedicated filler arc. It's also the first time Dragon Ball has had no overarching story linking the episodes together.
• The Solo Training Arc never actually depicts Goku training his tail strength as revealed later in the Goku vs Krillin fight, despite Goku saying he will before Gohan leaves.
• Episode 79 is a filler episode directly based on a story in Journey To The West with Ginkaku, Kinkaku, and their magical gourd (Dragon Ball would only base its filler on Journey To The West stories twice in its history). For more information, check out episode #249 of the Kanzenshuu Podcast.
• The fact that Kinkaku and Ginkaku are brothers is never referenced in the English dubs.
• The liquid in the gourd was originally just something the brothers enjoyed drinking, but this was changed to be a potion that gives them power in the English dubs.

Episode summaries, airdates, and titles courtesy of Kanzenshuu's episode guide. Filler breakdowns and Dragon Ball logo provided, and trivia co-written, by KBABZ.

[MasenkoHA]

[*]In Funimation's dub, Shu suggests that the Pilaf gang should cease searching for Dragon Balls. In the edited version, Pilaf says "You're fired!", while in the uncut version, he says "Shut up!" (Anecdotal)

This reminds me of the whole “Bite me/Turkey” from Z.
I wonder what makes Funimation decide what tame language needs to be censored for kid friendly television. Kai had this issue at times too I think.

[*]In the manga, Yamucha states that Gohan is Roshi's Number One student, a fact not previously mentioned.

In the anime at least, Gyumao says Gohan was Roshi’s number one student and he was number two.

[*]The liquid in the gourd was originally just something the brothers enjoyed drinking, but this was changed to be a potion that gives them power in the English dubs.[/list]

Sake in the original Japanese version. Not sure if Funimation took issue with the fact that it was alcohol (even though they had Roshi tell Goku to fetch him a brewski in the past and show Roshi drink from cans labeled beer in the uncut version) or they didn’t think the average American viewer would know what sake is, as it’s not a super common drink in the states unless you’re going to a Japanese restaurant



Anyways I really enjoyed the end of the Baba arc. Episode 77 being the weakest but still fun. Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Blue Travelers scene is one of my favorite scenes in Dragon Ball just a nice soft soothing scene.(In the Japanese version at least)

Of the Goku’s solo training episodes episode 79 and 80 are easily the weakest of the five, although neither are horrible. It was nice for Toei to use Journey to the West for reference again for anime exclusive material.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

Spoiler:

[*]In Funimation's dub, Shu suggests that the Pilaf gang should cease searching for Dragon Balls. In the edited version, Pilaf says "You're fired!", while in the uncut version, he says "Shut up!" (Anecdotal)

This reminds me of the whole “Bite me/Turkey” from Z.
I wonder what makes Funimation decide what tame language needs to be censored for kid friendly television. Kai had this issue at times too I think.

[*]In the manga, Yamucha states that Gohan is Roshi's Number One student, a fact not previously mentioned.

In the anime at least, Gyumao says Gohan was Roshi’s number one student and he was number two.

[*]The liquid in the gourd was originally just something the brothers enjoyed drinking, but this was changed to be a potion that gives them power in the English dubs.[/list]

Sake in the original Japanese version. Not sure if Funimation took issue with the fact that it was alcohol (even though they had Roshi tell Goku to fetch him a brewski in the past and show Roshi drink from cans labeled beer in the uncut version) or they didn’t think the average American viewer would know what sake is, as it’s not a super common drink in the states unless you’re going to a Japanese restaurant



Anyways I really enjoyed the end of the Baba arc. Episode 77 being the weakest but still fun. Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Blue Travelers scene is one of my favorite scenes in Dragon Ball just a nice soft soothing scene.(In the Japanese version at least)

Of the Goku’s solo training episodes episode 79 and 80 are easily the weakest of the five, although neither are horrible. It was nice for Toei to use Journey to the West for reference again for anime exclusive material.

The battle Goku has with Pilaf, Mai and Shu in their mechs is my favorite bit in ep 77, and when they discover Goku's tail is missing after making such a point about using his weakness against him (because they never found out he had strengthened it to overcome that flaw) which their reactions really make for me.

The language thing is so bizarre, it seems even some of the tamer stuff used in the uncut version wasn't seen as acceptable to the network censors. Given this was quite a good while before FUNi started actually using much stronger ones like damn and bastard even in the Ultimate Uncut dub and later Kai's. Although, given what those were going for compared to the old Z dub and DB's i can see why.

[Robo4900]

The language thing is so bizarre, it seems even some of the tamer stuff used in the uncut version wasn't seen as acceptable to the network censors. Given this was quite a good while before FUNi started actually using much stronger ones like damn and bastard even in the Ultimate Uncut dub and later Kai's. Although, given what those were going for compared to the old Z dub and DB's i can see why.

This reminds me of the whole “Bite me/Turkey” from Z.
I wonder what makes Funimation decide what tame language needs to be censored for kid friendly television. Kai had this issue at times too I think.

Yeah, the language changes are rather weird.
I believe Chris Sabat talked about this in his Geekdom interview. I don't have the timestamp, but off the top of my head, he said something like "We had these broadcast regulator people, and they must've been like a group of nuns or something, because they would object to absolutely everything -- we weren't allowed to say 'scumbag', because according to them, 'Scumbag actually originally refers to a used condom, which is not safe for kids' TV.'"
So, it sounds like they were under a lot of scrutiny. And I'm frankly not all that surprised things were still weird in 2010 when they were doing Kai.

[*]In the manga, Yamucha states that Gohan is Roshi's Number One student, a fact not previously mentioned.

In the anime at least, Gyumao says Gohan was Roshi’s number one student and he was number two.

Ah, nice!
KBABZ found this trivia, but neither of us found the time to check what the anime equivalent is. So... Thanks for clearing this up a little for us.

[*]The liquid in the gourd was originally just something the brothers enjoyed drinking, but this was changed to be a potion that gives them power in the English dubs.[/list]

Sake in the original Japanese version.

Wait, really? LOL.
I suppose I wasn't totally off, but I kinda missed the point there. I should probably check more thoroughly when I use trivia I found on DB Wikia, but in my defence, I was a little pressed for time.

Not sure if Funimation took issue with the fact that it was alcohol (even though they had Roshi tell Goku to fetch him a brewski in the past and show Roshi drink from cans labeled beer in the uncut version) or they didn’t think the average American viewer would know what sake is, as it’s not a super common drink in the states unless you’re going to a Japanese restaurant

Probably a little of column A, a little of column B.
Mind you, if the concern is an American audience not recognising what sake is (which, honestly, I'd argue is a silly concern for Funi to have ), a more accurate dub could've just adapted it to bourbon.
But, then again, they were ultimately producing this to work on TV and uncut, and rewriting it to remove the alcohol references probably required A LOT of rewriting, and probably they decided it wasn't worth recording so many alternate lines for the uncut version, so they prioritised the TV version. Whereas, in other places, it's not hard to just have the odd alternate line like "Get me a brewski" vs "Get me a soda."
That's my guess, anyway.

Anyways I really enjoyed the end of the Baba arc. Episode 77 being the weakest but still fun. Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Blue Travelers scene is one of my favorite scenes in Dragon Ball just a nice soft soothing scene.(In the Japanese version at least)

Been a little busy with studying, so I'm still about a week behind on this rewatch at this point.
Still, I remember this stuff being great too. The Baba arc is a great mini tournament, and the Gohan stuff is very sweet. Arguably a little ill-advised to have a little tournament here, right before the big tournament next arc, but personally I dig it. Always been a big fan of the tournament arcs.

Of the Goku’s solo training episodes episode 79 and 80 are easily the weakest of the five, although neither are horrible. It was nice for Toei to use Journey to the West for reference again for anime exclusive material.

I dunno. From my memory, it's the very last of the solo training episodes that's the weakest; the one with the green fox in the city. Meanwhile, I always quite liked these first two. I dunno, maybe they won't hold up as well as I remember.
Still, I agree, it's nice to see Toei using the original inspiration of the manga to feed some extra content for the show.
I'm currently reading through Arthur Waley's translation of JTTW, Monkey, which probably I should've read at some point before now -- at the very least, I'd probably have some neat trivia for times like these -- but I'm either not far enough to have reached this particular story, or it's not in Waley's translation (very possibly both; I've only read the first ~10 chapters; the actual titular pilgrimage to the west has not yet begun, where I've got to, so I have no idea if this story is in there ).

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

Spoiler:

The language thing is so bizarre, it seems even some of the tamer stuff used in the uncut version wasn't seen as acceptable to the network censors. Given this was quite a good while before FUNi started actually using much stronger ones like damn and bastard even in the Ultimate Uncut dub and later Kai's. Although, given what those were going for compared to the old Z dub and DB's i can see why.

This reminds me of the whole “Bite me/Turkey” from Z.
I wonder what makes Funimation decide what tame language needs to be censored for kid friendly television. Kai had this issue at times too I think.

Yeah, the language changes are rather weird.
I believe Chris Sabat talked about this in his Geekdom interview. I don't have the timestamp, but off the top of my head, he said something like "We had these broadcast regulator people, and they must've been like a group of nuns or something, because they would object to absolutely everything -- we weren't allowed to say 'scumbag', because according to them, 'Scumbag actually originally refers to a used condom, which is not safe for kids' TV.'"
So, it sounds like they were under a lot of scrutiny. And I'm frankly not all that surprised things were still weird in 2010 when they were doing Kai.

[*]In the manga, Yamucha states that Gohan is Roshi's Number One student, a fact not previously mentioned.

In the anime at least, Gyumao says Gohan was Roshi’s number one student and he was number two.

Ah, nice!
KBABZ found this trivia, but neither of us found the time to check what the anime equivalent is. So... Thanks for clearing this up a little for us.

[*]The liquid in the gourd was originally just something the brothers enjoyed drinking, but this was changed to be a potion that gives them power in the English dubs.[/list]

Sake in the original Japanese version.

Wait, really? LOL.
I suppose I wasn't totally off, but I kinda missed the point there. I should probably check more thoroughly when I use trivia I found on DB Wikia, but in my defence, I was a little pressed for time.

Not sure if Funimation took issue with the fact that it was alcohol (even though they had Roshi tell Goku to fetch him a brewski in the past and show Roshi drink from cans labeled beer in the uncut version) or they didn’t think the average American viewer would know what sake is, as it’s not a super common drink in the states unless you’re going to a Japanese restaurant

Probably a little of column A, a little of column B.
Mind you, if the concern is an American audience not recognising what sake is (which, honestly, I'd argue is a silly concern for Funi to have ), a more accurate dub could've just adapted it to bourbon.
But, then again, they were ultimately producing this to work on TV and uncut, and rewriting it to remove the alcohol references probably required A LOT of rewriting, and probably they decided it wasn't worth recording so many alternate lines for the uncut version, so they prioritised the TV version. Whereas, in other places, it's not hard to just have the odd alternate line like "Get me a brewski" vs "Get me a soda."
That's my guess, anyway.

Anyways I really enjoyed the end of the Baba arc. Episode 77 being the weakest but still fun. Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Blue Travelers scene is one of my favorite scenes in Dragon Ball just a nice soft soothing scene.(In the Japanese version at least)

Been a little busy with studying, so I'm still about a week behind on this rewatch at this point.
Still, I remember this stuff being great too. The Baba arc is a great mini tournament, and the Gohan stuff is very sweet. Arguably a little ill-advised to have a little tournament here, right before the big tournament next arc, but personally I dig it. Always been a big fan of the tournament arcs.

Of the Goku’s solo training episodes episode 79 and 80 are easily the weakest of the five, although neither are horrible. It was nice for Toei to use Journey to the West for reference again for anime exclusive material.

I dunno. From my memory, it's the very last of the solo training episodes that's the weakest; the one with the green fox in the city. Meanwhile, I always quite liked these first two. I dunno, maybe they won't hold up as well as I remember.
Still, I agree, it's nice to see Toei using the original inspiration of the manga to feed some extra content for the show.
I'm currently reading through Arthur Waley's translation of JTTW, Monkey, which probably I should've read at some point before now -- at the very least, I'd probably have some neat trivia for times like these -- but I'm either not far enough to have reached this particular story, or it's not in Waley's translation (very possibly both; I've only read the first ~10 chapters; the actual titular pilgrimage to the west has not yet begun, where I've got to, so I have no idea if this story is in there ).

I've read both Waley's abridged and Anthony Yu's unabridged editions of JTTW, and the former is quite heavily cut down in terms of the chapters and segments as i believe Mike has noted himself in one of the podcasts previously because if you read Yu's translation it's very heavy on the poetry which can really take some concentration to make sense of. I definitely had quite a bit of difficulty my first time reading through it, although you'll eventually start to understand how the story is laid out even if the poetic nature of the writing can throw it off at times because they really do constantly go into sometimes almost excruciatingly specific detail about certain things during the course of the book's stories every so often.

[Robo4900]

I've read both Waley's abridged and Anthony Yu's unabridged editions of JTTW, and the former is quite heavily cut down in terms of the chapters and segments as i believe Mike has noted himself in one of the podcasts previously because if you read Yu's translation it's very heavy on the poetry which can really take some concentration to make sense of. I definitely had quite a bit of difficulty my first time reading through it, although you'll eventually start to understand how the story is laid out even if the poetic nature of the writing can throw it off at times because they really do constantly go into sometimes almost excruciatingly specific detail about certain things during the course of the book's stories every so often.

Yes, I have heard assessments to that tune.
The general sense I get is that Waley's is the easier/better read for just enjoying the story, but if you're looking to take a more scholarly look at the book, or are looking for something of a reading aid for the original, untranslated work, Yu's translation is better, though it's apparently quite a difficult read, and in general, I hear Journey To The West is quite tiring and repetitive in its full, unabridged form.

[MasenkoHA]

Mind you, if the concern is an American audience not recognising what sake is (which, honestly, I'd argue is a silly concern for Funi to have ),.

It is, but keep in mind this is the same company that insist on the characters using the imperial system despite what little sense that actually makes.

I also don’t think we would he hearing Goku refer to Bulma’s butt as a fanny if they thought for two seconds that oh yeah this dub might air outside the US

But, then again, they were ultimately producing this to work on TV and uncut, and rewriting it to remove the alcohol references probably required A LOT of rewriting, and probably they decided it wasn't worth recording so many alternate lines for the uncut version, so they prioritised the TV version. Whereas, in other places, it's not hard to just have the odd alternate line like "Get me a brewski" vs "Get me a soda."

That would be my assumption too but I dunno the more I hear about it the more it just seems like Funimation did prioritize their uncut release it’s just Funimation decided to sanitize the uncut dubs and even that wasn’t enough for BS&P apparently.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

I've read both Waley's abridged and Anthony Yu's unabridged editions of JTTW, and the former is quite heavily cut down in terms of the chapters and segments as i believe Mike has noted himself in one of the podcasts previously because if you read Yu's translation it's very heavy on the poetry which can really take some concentration to make sense of. I definitely had quite a bit of difficulty my first time reading through it, although you'll eventually start to understand how the story is laid out even if the poetic nature of the writing can throw it off at times because they really do constantly go into sometimes almost excruciatingly specific detail about certain things during the course of the book's stories every so often.

Yes, I have heard assessments to that tune.
The general sense I get is that Waley's is the easier/better read for just enjoying the story, but if you're looking to take a more scholarly look at the book, or are looking for something of a reading aid for the original, untranslated work, Yu's translation is better, though it's apparently quite a difficult read, and in general, I hear Journey To The West is quite tiring and repetitive in its full, unabridged form.

Yeah, that's basically the impression i got when initially reading the "Monkey" version by Waley before next going through Yu's translation. My thinking is if you want something to get the general gist of the story then the former should be read first because Yu's is far more dense and explicitly detailed in much the same way as the story's original ancient Chinese writings were which can be really tough to get through first time around, so if you're someone who has a short attention span and the flowery, almost painfully specific to a fault nature of the poetry throws you off then the unabridged version definitely shouldn't be touched right off the bat.

[KBABZ]

Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Funi dialogue here breaks my heart every time Goku says "I looked for you everywhere and I couldn't find you!"

The battle Goku has with Pilaf, Mai and Shu in their mechs is my favorite bit in ep 77, and when they discover Goku's tail is missing after making such a point about using his weakness against him (because they never found out he had strengthened it to overcome that flaw) which their reactions really make for me.

Not accurate! Goku hadn't trained his tail yet; he'd do that in the timeskip between the Solo Training and 22nd TB arcs. He catches the Pilaf Gang off-foot because his tail was accidentally pulled off by Gohan, which happened after they stopped using their surveillance.

[MasenkoHA]

Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Funi dialogue here breaks my heart every time Goku says "I looked for you everywhere and I couldn't find you!"

Yes, it was a nice big of a dialog and while I don’t think much of Nadolny’s acting in general I do think she did a decent job with that scene.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

Episode 76 is a prime example of why the original Dragon Ball is a must watch for any Dragon Ball Z fan . As Goku’s reunion with grandpa Gohan is one of the sweetest most memorable moments in the series.

The Funi dialogue here breaks my heart every time Goku says "I looked for you everywhere and I couldn't find you!"

The battle Goku has with Pilaf, Mai and Shu in their mechs is my favorite bit in ep 77, and when they discover Goku's tail is missing after making such a point about using his weakness against him (because they never found out he had strengthened it to overcome that flaw) which their reactions really make for me.

Not accurate! Goku hadn't trained his tail yet; he'd do that in the timeskip between the Solo Training and 22nd TB arcs. He catches the Pilaf Gang off-foot because his tail was accidentally pulled off by Gohan, which happened after they stopped using their surveillance.

Oh that's right, i haven't watched that part of the series in a while so i forgot he didn't yet because it didn't grow back until the span of time between those episodes.

[MyVisionity]

I love how Gohan smashes Goku into the ground over and over again! I like that he is so firm but loving at the same time. His reunion with Goku is a great moment. I also like how he mentions that there are plenty of pichipichi girls in the Next World, to Roshi's surprise!

Gohan has a cool design by the way. The mask was badass. What are those on his jacket, pineapple slices? Funyuns?

Pilaf and the gang in mecha is nice. And yay for more naked Goku, this time while fighting!

I don't think I really like Yamcha training under Roshi. I prefer the "lone wolf" angle. Plus, it never really seems like Yamcha clicks as a Turtle student. Roshi doesn't seem like he even ever gives a shit about him like he does Kuririn/Goku.

These filler episodes are some of my favorites. Typically I prefer filler arcs that do one-shot episodes instead of single-story arcs.

Kinkaku/Ginkaku was cool, and I like the JttW stories being adapted. I enjoyed the Tiger who tried to eat the girl in the episode. I also like Goku peeing inside the gourd!

Another thing about these filler episodes is how Goku tends to meet up with so many Chinese folks. It seems that in the Dragon World, the more rural you get the more Chinese things get.

I liked the rivalry between the two martial arts schools and Goku's fight with Tenron, or "Ten Long"(?). Goku fighting off the dump is a nice touch. Seems like something that would come right out of a classic Kung-fu movie or whatever.

Sake in the original Japanese version. Not sure if Funimation took issue with the fact that it was alcohol (even though they had Roshi tell Goku to fetch him a brewski in the past and show Roshi drink from cans labeled beer in the uncut version) or they didn’t think the average American viewer would know what sake is, as it’s not a super common drink in the states unless you’re going to a Japanese restaurant.

Sake is just the Japanese term for liquor/alcohol, which is what the episode is referring to. Not the English word "sake" which refers to a specific kind of Japanese drink from fermented rice.

[ABED]

Amazing that a series that typically doesn't go for the heart can be so effectively heartwarming at times such as Goku and Gohan's reunion.

[Robo4900]

I liked the rivalry between the two martial arts schools and Goku's fight with Tenron, or "Ten Long"(?).

Mandelin's subs use "Ten Long", Kanzenshuu uses "Tenlong".
Personally, I favour Mandelin's adaptation.
"Tenron" would be much like "Shenron" in that it's a Japanese pronunciation of something using Chinese lettering, if I'm understanding correctly, so Tenlong or Ten Long would be the way to go.

Sake in the original Japanese version. Not sure if Funimation took issue with the fact that it was alcohol (even though they had Roshi tell Goku to fetch him a brewski in the past and show Roshi drink from cans labeled beer in the uncut version) or they didn’t think the average American viewer would know what sake is, as it’s not a super common drink in the states unless you’re going to a Japanese restaurant.

Sake is just the Japanese term for liquor/alcohol, which is what the episode is referring to. Not the English word "sake" which refers to a specific kind of Japanese drink from fermented rice.

Interesting!

So, you could argue that it would be perfectly valid to adapt the dialogue to refer to it as whiskey, beer, or wine, for a western audience.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Amazing that a series that typically doesn't go for the heart can be so effectively heartwarming at times such as Goku and Gohan's reunion.

I'm a sucker for sentimentality in my stories, and this is one of those aspects of Dragon Ball that always keeps bringing me back to it. The reunion with Gohan feels earned because of how much Goku looks up to him, and treasures his possession (i.e. the 4-star Dragon Ball) throughout the series. It also makes Goku much more empathetic during his realization in the Saiyan arc he accidentally killed this man who meant so much to him.

Something that occurred to me is that a lot of the secondary characters, like Suno and Oopa always admire Goku for his courageousness, which may have led to TOEI's impression (for better or for worse) of him as a heroic character that we see mostly later on in the movies, and filler episodes like Episode 79 where more antagonists like Kinkaku and Ginkaku are introduced for him to stop

[MyVisionity]

I liked the rivalry between the two martial arts schools and Goku's fight with Tenron, or "Ten Long"(?).

Mandelin's subs use "Ten Long", Kanzenshuu uses "Tenlong".
Personally, I favour Mandelin's adaptation.
"Tenron" would be much like "Shenron" in that it's a Japanese pronunciation of something using Chinese lettering, if I'm understanding correctly, so Tenlong or Ten Long would be the way to go.

The issue here is that the character's name is presumably taken from tianlong, which, like shenlong, is another kind of dragon god from Chinese mythology. The Japanese reading is tenryuu.

However, unlike with Shen Long, Mandelin has chosen to use what appears to be some kind of Japanese/Chinese hybrid with "Ten Long" instead of "Tian Long".

Looking at the episode's title card, I see that the Furigana written above the Kanji has his name as tenron, using Hiragana. So it may indeed be that the name should be translated as "Ten Long". What I questioned is if ten could actually be an approximation of tian (I didn't think it was, but I don't know enough to say), and whether Mandelin made an error. I was also confused by the Furigana being written in Hiragana, and not Katakana which is used to indicate a foreign (Chinese) name. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

It may also have something to do with Toei's intentions for the audience's perceptions of the characters. Like maybe "Chinese but not really"? I'm not really sure.

Someone with a greater understanding might know better but overall it was just something confusing that I noticed.

[Robo4900]

I liked the rivalry between the two martial arts schools and Goku's fight with Tenron, or "Ten Long"(?).

Mandelin's subs use "Ten Long", Kanzenshuu uses "Tenlong".
Personally, I favour Mandelin's adaptation.
"Tenron" would be much like "Shenron" in that it's a Japanese pronunciation of something using Chinese lettering, if I'm understanding correctly, so Tenlong or Ten Long would be the way to go.

The issue here is that the character's name is presumably taken from tianlong, which, like shenlong, is another kind of dragon god from Chinese mythology. The Japanese reading is tenryuu.

However, unlike with Shen Long, Mandelin has chosen to use what appears to be some kind of Japanese/Chinese hybrid with "Ten Long" instead of "Tian Long".

Looking at the episode's title card, I see that the Furigana written above the Kanji has his name as tenron, using Hiragana. So it may indeed be that the name should be translated as "Ten Long". What I questioned is if ten could actually be an approximation of tian (I didn't think it was, but I don't know enough to say), and whether Mandelin made an error. I was also confused by the Furigana being written in Hiragana, and not Katakana which is used to indicate a foreign (Chinese) name. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

It may also have something to do with Toei's intentions for the audience's perceptions of the characters. Like maybe "Chinese but not really"? I'm not really sure.

Someone with a greater understanding might know better but overall it was just something confusing that I noticed.

Hm. Interesting.

I can't find this character listed in the name pun roundup, so I've PM'd Herms to ask if he can shed some light on this.

[MyVisionity]

Hm. Interesting.

I can't find this character listed in the name pun roundup, so I've PM'd Herms to ask if he can shed some light on this.

He is listed in there, under "Tenron":

Hyouga Tenron
豹牙/Hyouga means “leopard-fang”, and 天龍/Tenron means “heavenly dragon”.

This doesn't really explain Mandelin's choice, but it's interesting that Herms uses the "Tenron" spelling.

[Robo4900]

He is listed in there, under "Tenron":

Huh. Oops. Was sure I searched for that.

Hyouga Tenron
豹牙/Hyouga means “leopard-fang”, and 天龍/Tenron means “heavenly dragon”.

This doesn't really explain Mandelin's choice, but it's interesting that Herms uses the "Tenron" spelling.

I believe Herms tends to favour romanising the Japanese readings in general? IDK.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Episode 76 - The Masked Man’s True Identity?!

This is an episode with a dreary start, but it ends up being quite endearing. We see some harshness in Gohan slamming Goku on the arena floor and Goku's friends all being concerned both for his safety, and for how his grandpa could be treating him. On the side we have more Pilaf antics with this character showing off in his mechanical suit and how powerful he thinks it makes him, which was quite entertaining. The latter part of Goku and Gohan's fight showcases the shift in tone. Interestingly Goku seems to have become aware of how useful his tail is despite being a weakness, so once it is broken off he seems ready to fight Gohan back knowing when he is not in the arena not having the tail will be an inconvenience to him. Gohan, aware of exactly who he is fighting simply surrenders knowing how Goku will feel seeing him apparently alive and healthy. Gohan's naivety shows here, but not in a bad way as he gives Gohan a big hug being thrilled at the thought that he is finally back with him. There's also some more sweet moments with Gohan thanking Muten Roshi for training Goku, and of course Goku's awe when Gohan vanishes knowing he's going to miss him again.

Episode 77 - Pilaf’s Great Strategy

Another enjoyable wacky action episode involving Goku and the Pilaf Gang to segue into help segue into more filler content prior to the next arc. With Pilaf fantasizing about how powerful he thinks he can become and Goku tasked with finding the next Dragon Ball we get a story where both their expectations will be subverted. Goku never expected the Pilaf gang to be in the car Baba picked up on, and of course Pilaf and crew were no match for him, especially after all the training he has had. Moreover although Goku made an offer for their Dragon Ball they were never going to accept. Amusingly Goku only knows the Pilaf gang are in this car after jumping from the Kinto Un. Goku manages to one shot Pilaf in his mechanicl suit with the Nyoibo. Following on from this there is more wackiness with Pilaf, Shu and Mai realizing Goku no longer has his tail, and although they join together they still can't defend themselves from a Kamehame Ha blast. There was also more banter with Goku's friends and Baba with Oopa continuing to show some care and loyalty for Goku.

Episode 78 - Once Again, Shen Long

An enjoyable, if simplistic episode. There is some nice humour with Yamcha wanting to train with Muten Roshi, Roshi being skeptical until Bulma says he will see her more if he does train. Shenron's summoning was relatively enjoyable, although with a bit less momentum than the last summoning. The best part this time was Oopa getting to see the Dragon for the first time and looking completely in awe. As expected Oopa's reaction to seeing his father being revived was a touching moment, as was Bora's admiration for the bond that Goku has developed with his son. As the Dragon Balls prepared to scatter across the world we get another nice moment where Goku expresses his loyalty to grandpa Gohan by catching the four star Dragon Ball before it disappears. With another adventure and conflict resolved Goku seems eager to continue training with Roshi. Roshi's revelation that he has taught Goku all he knows gave a sense of payoff for all the training sequences he has had already. Overall it was an entertaining and promising episode that carries on the adventure goes on motif present throughout much of the series, as our heroes prepare for another tournament and more adventures to come.

Episode 79 - Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s Man-Eating Gourd

A serviceable, but nothing special filler episode. The sequences with Goku rinning around the world without the help of Kinto Un was fun, as it shows that the more he trains the more he will need to challenge himself and not rely on crutches of any sort. Ironically enough it was the nyoibo that saved Goku from the obstacle he faces from the guord. The fight with Kinkaku and Ginkaku was quite funny, especially with Goku overpowering their sword with the nyoibo. The village is saved and we are left to look forward to hopefully another short mini-adventure from Goku.

Episode 80 - A Crucial, Honorable Match! Goku vs Tenlong

A nice little self-contained adventure in this episode. We get to see the fruits of Goku's labour. The continued attempts to train his body and movement has great payoff when Goku meets Taiken and has to take on Hyoga Tenron (also known as Sky Dragon). From the onset we see Goku really pushing himself, striving to climb a mountain in the rain with a massive rock on his back, and after this he attempts handstanding while running. The moment where Goku ends up flinging himself, landing on a branch saved by his regrown tail was quite funny, and it once more shows the benefits to him during training sequences and while on adventures in general. The fact the head of the Chin Star School got sick brought a sense of realism to this episode as it shows that even great warriors are not immune to the health risks everyone has. The irritation of Taiken's son Shoken at Goku having the opportunity to fight Hyoga Tenron also provides a great juxtaposition to the motif of Goku making new friends along the way that care deeply for him. The fight with Tenron had some neat choreography, although it was too brief to make much of an impact. Overall it was a decent filler episode with some good moments and a nice moment of Goku continuing his journey across the land at dusk in the end.