Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 28 - DB episode 126-130

[Robo4900]

Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone between and beyond, and welcome to week 28 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.

We're getting to the end of Goku's childhood now.
Of course, before we watch the very last episodes of Goku as a child, next week we'll be watching the third Dragon Ball movie.
But first, the majority of Goku's heavenly training!

Previous thread: Week 27 (DB 121-125)
Next thread: Week 29 (DB movie 3)

Anyway, without further ado...

Episode 126 - Shen Long is Revived
Dub title: Eternal Dragon Resurrected / Shenron Resurrected
Originally aired 14th of September 1988
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Katsumi Aoshima

God breathes life into Shen Long after Mister Popo fixes it, and the Dragon Balls are revived. God tells Goku to stay and train in the Heavenly Realm until the upcoming 23rd Tenka’ichi Budōkai. He says that Piccolo Daimaō’s reincarnation will appear at the tournament. Meanwhile, Bulma and the others use the revived Dragon Balls to restore to life all those killed by Daimaō. Tenshinhan, Yamucha, and the resurrected Kuririn then begin to train, aiming for the 23rd Tenka’ichi Budōkai.

Anime-only/filler content: Opening with Ma-Junior encountering the fisherman in the ocean, Yajirobe being caught smuggling senzu beans, Lunch standing suggestively in the doorway, and Bulma deciding what underwear she should wear. (Written by Keiji Terui)

Episode 127 - Faster Than Lightning!!
Dub title: Quicker Than Lightning / Move Faster Than Lightning, Goku!
Originally aired 21st of September 1988
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama

Goku piles on training in the Heavenly Realm. After Goku asks to receive the same training that Popo did long ago, Popo gives him the task of taking the sacred crown from the Goro-Goro Mountains. Goku arrives at the Goro-Goro Mountains and obtains the crown, but just as he does so, he is struck by lightning and falls down the mountain! Goku is saved by a girl named Chu Lee. Goku learns from her how to see things with his heart, and he challenges the Goro-Goro Mountains once again! But he ends up failing just as he’s a step away from success…

Anime-only/filler content: All of it. (Written by Yoshiyuki Suga)

Episode 128 - As Quietly As the Sky
Dub title: Secret of the Woods / Goku Fights A Giant
Originally aired 28th of September 1988
Episode director: Mitsuo Hashimoto
Animation supervisor: Mitsuo Shindo

After failing the Goro-Goro Mountains training, Popo gives Goku a different training task. Sent to an unknown land, Goku is saved by the Mouse family, and learns of the strong man Yaochun, said to be able to dodge lightning. In order to meet this Yaochun, Goku is taken into the woods by the grandpa of the family, but ultimately doesn’t meet him. After meeting the grandfather again, Goku learns to clear his mind and nature as he fishes according to the old man’s instructions.

Anime-only/filler content: Completely filler. (Written by Keiji Terui)

Episode 129 - Time Traveling Goku
Dub title: The Time Room / Goku Travels Back In Time
Originally aired 12th of October 1988
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Tomekichi Takuchi

Having increased his ability somewhat, Goku sets off for new training. After arriving in the past through the Room of Time, he meets a young Kame-Sen’nin and Tsuru-Sen’nin. He then challenges the pair’s master, Mutaito, to a match, but is sent flying with a single thrust. Mutaito teaches Goku about the importance of controlling his ki, and demonstrates the technique of cutting a flowing waterfall with one’s ki. Goku tries to copy this technique, but only manages to succeed once, by accident. Goku still needs much more training…

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

Episode 130 - Goku’s Opponent is… Goku?!
Dub title: Goku's Doll / Goku VS Goku!
Originally aired 19th of October 1988
Episode director: Mitsuo Hashimoto
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama

This time Goku’s training is to fight himself. His opponent is a doll that looks just like him, which Popo created from one of his hairs. Popo tells them to fight until one of them uses up all their power. Though the doll has the same speed and power as him, Goku has a very difficult battle because he hasn’t trained his mind! But the doll’s lifespan runs out, and ultimately the match is undecided. Meanwhile, Tenshinhan and the others aim for the Karin Holy Land, in order to receive training from Karin-sama.

Anime-only/filler content: Entirely filler. (Written by Hajime Satsuki)

-

Interesting trivia:

• KBABZ hasn't watched these episodes before, so we will probably add more trivia in a couple of days, when he has. UPDATE: He now has. Additional trivia has been added.
• It's commonly-talked-about that the three-star evil dragon, San Xing Long, in GT, was birthed from the wish to revive Piccolo's victims in episode 126; this is false, and likely comes from Funimation's dub of GT (though I haven't been able to track this down exactly). The anime doesn't actually say what the wish was, but certain visual hints imply the correct wish, and the GT Perfect files, where the actual wish that birthed San Xing Long was first noted, were written by Shueisha and Toei, using information the Toei staff had worked out for GT but hadn't necessarily published/used. So we can categorically say that the wish to revive Piccolo's victims is NOT what birthed San Xing Long. His wish won't come until the very end of Z.
• In the manga, the close-up of Goku smiling as he meditates is the final time we see Goku as a child, outside of flashbacks.
• Episode 126 begins a rather lengthy new period of life for Yajirobe: he'll now consistently be paired and associated with Karin all the way to the end of GT. A radical change of pace considering he was implied to be a forest wanderer!
• Shen Long being revived uses the same sound effects as when the Dragon Balls disperse in this and prior episodes.
• Shortly before the Dragon Balls are restored at Kame House, Oolong is reading a manga. The cover reads "Shonen" and the spine "Jabon". What Jabon refers to is unknown: it could be the name of the boy on the cover, or an obfuscation of "janpu" as a nod to Shonen Jump.
• This episode is the final time Shen Long's theme music is used for him. In Z, this theme is used only twice more for Porunga's scenes in Episodes 76 and 107. The only other times anything close is used is in Episodes 21, 192 and 240, where the Garlic Jr. movie cue is used instead, and 283, where Porunga gets Shen Long's cue from Z movie 12.
• This is the first of two times Shen Long is summed at Kame House: the second time would be shortly before the arrival of the Saiyans to bring Goku back to life.
• Yamucha's request to Shen Long in addition to Bulma's wish is interesting, because technically Shen Long is consolidating two seperate wishes into a single task. In this case, he's rolling Bulma's "Bring back our friends Piccolo killed" wish with Yamcha's "Bring back all the innocents Piccolo killed" wish, since the latter fulfills the former.
  • This is also an anime-only situation: in the manga, Shen Long already knows what their wish is. How he knows this isn't explained, but it's probable that it's through Kami knowing after talking with Goku earlier.
• This is also the first time in the series Shen Long is asked to revive more than one person at a time. This will become important later as it's one of his main differences with Porunga, who can only restore one person per wish.
• This is the final time Shen Long's wish-granting is seen as literally ANY wish: restrictions would be introduced in his later appearances. Ultimate Shen Long from GT and Super Shen Long from Super would appear later with truly unlimited restrictions that Shenlong was thought to have.
• Since Chapa-o, Man Wolf and Bacterian were kills only depicted in the anime, so too are their revival scenes.
• Roshi mentions that since Goku is training under God, he can no longer even begin to compare to him in strength. This marks the point where Goku (and by proxy, Ten and Yamucha later) truly outstrip Roshi, which is important regarding how weird it is that he eventually returns to fighting in Dragon Ball Super.
• Pippi the bird is female in the Japanese version and in Blue Water's dub, but is male in the Funimation dub.
  • Towards the end of episode 129, the Japanese version and Blue Water's dub has Roshi vowing to train seriously to surpass Goku, and Fanfan saying she'll be there to support him; Funimation's dub changed this to Roshi attempting to take credit for teaching Goku the technique he used to split the fire, and Fanfan saying "I wasn't unconscious the whole time; I know what I saw."
• Episode 125 is also the last time in manga-based material we see Goku with a tail.
• Episode 128 seems to forget that Goku is capable of swimming, which he demonstrated at the very start of the series and during the General Blue saga.
• Appropriately, the music when the Mousse Kids come out uses the same military drums used for the Red Ribbon Army's theme.
• The Room of Time is not to be confused with The Room of Spirit and Time (known to dub-viewers as The Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and TFS-viewers as The Hypertonic Lion Tamer). The former transports the user to a different point in time and space. The latter allows access to a sub-space where time is compressed.
• The Time Room episode is the first time we've seen Chiaotzu since he was brought back to life.
• Fanfan has the same core design as Colonel Violet. Similarly, the two goons accompanying Crane use the same core design as the Orin Temple bullies.
• How real Goku's venture back in time was is up for debate. Certainly Roshi and Crane should have remembered somebody as extraordinary as Goku, and his meddling wound up tipping Crane to a much more evil position that should have got him expelled.
• Episodes 129 and 130 are one of the few times we see the Lookout at a time other than the afternoon, in this case early morning, sunset and night-time.
• The music that plays on the man's radio after he gets overtaken by Krillin and co. is The Teachings of Master Roshi, sung by Kohei Miyauchi himself! Neither English dub includes it.
• In episode 129, we find out that Roshi has been a pervert since he was a teenager. This is a little odd, given that Karin gave him a Kinto'Un, and he expected to be able to ride it when demonstrating it to Goku, implying he only became the gross old man we know later in his life. It is possible Goku didn't really travel in time, and this was all just an elaborate, illusory scenario Popo set up for him, which would also explain Mutaito being able to beat Goku, despite being unable to beat Piccolo later in his life, which Goku was able to do. I think the Funimation dub adds a line that outright states this to be the case, but I don't think that has any basis in the Japanese version; I think they just added it to address plot holes.
• Episode 129 is the second time Goku's able to sense somebody's energy, after he first did it shortly after drinking the Ultra Divine Water (although a case can be made for the fisherman appearing to disappear at the end of 237).
• Ep 129 is also one of the last times the Afterimage Technique is used in the franchise.
• The symbol on Goku's doll's gi is 神, God (Kami).
• Goku's doll doesn't have a tail... until after the ad break, when it does.
• The doll's gi is also closer to the manga colouring of the Turtle gi. The anime switches to a colouring closer to this when some animation staff shuffled for the "Z" rebrand. Z movies 8 and 9 would then colour Goku's gi even closer to the manga's shade.
• Tenshinhan suggesting Kuririn and Yamucha learn to fly is an allusion to Kuririn's match against Ma-Junior where he demonstrates knowing how to use it. This event had long since happened in the manga, which by this point was up to Goku and Piccolo fighting Raditz.

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

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

As i have mentioned previously, this is by far my favorite bit of filler of the original series. Unlike the majority of DBZ's barring some exceptions (Gohan's wilderness training, Anoyo-ichi Budokai.etc) this actually feels like it goes along with the manga's canon material and gives us a bridge between the Piccolo Daimao arc and the 23rd Budokai, and serving as a good means of transition over to Goku now being an adult in the latter.

-The episode where Goku seemingly travels back in time to the days of Roshi and Crane Hermit's younger years training under Mutaito does seem kind of off to me, because i find it a little hard to believe for Roshi to have been a lecherous skirt chaser ever since he was a young man when it would make more sense for that to have come when he'd gotten much older given everything noted above with the Kinto'Un/Nimbus and his receiving it from Karin-sama. This could as you say just have all been an illusion that Mr. Popo designed as another training test for Goku.

[MasenkoHA]

Pervy young Roshi is definitely weird and contradictory (especially some this seemed likely before he climbed Karin’s tower and drank the water and got kinto un?) that episode is also, I believe, the first time ki is referred to by name in the anime

Next to the wedding dress filler (which I consider incredibly skippable this chapter of the story ends at the 23rd Budokai) these are probably my least favorite stretch of filler episodes in og Dragon Ball.

[Robo4900]

As i have mentioned previously, this is by far my favorite bit of filler of the original series. Unlike the majority of DBZ's barring some exceptions (Gohan's wilderness training, Anoyo-ichi Budokai.etc) this actually feels like it goes along with the manga's canon material and gives us a bridge between the Piccolo Daimao arc and the 23rd Budokai, and serving as a good means of transition over to Goku now being an adult in the latter.

Next to the wedding dress filler (which I consider incredibly skippable this chapter of the story ends at the 23rd Budokai) these are probably my least favorite stretch of filler episodes in og Dragon Ball.

It's amazing how Dragon Ball fans tend to agree with each other on things.

-The episode where Goku seemingly travels back in time to the days of Roshi and Crane Hermit's younger years training under Mutaito does seem kind of off to me, because i find it a little hard to believe for Roshi to have been a lecherous skirt chaser ever since he was a young man when it would make more sense for that to have come when he'd gotten much older given everything noted above with the Kinto'Un/Nimbus and his receiving it from Karin-sama. This could as you say just have all been an illusion that Mr. Popo designed as another training test for Goku.

Pervy young Roshi is definitely weird and contradictory (especially some this seemed likely before he climbed Karin’s tower and drank the water and got kinto un?) that episode is also, I believe, the first time ki is referred to by name in the anime

Agreed about Roshi. I dunno if it's a Funi-ism or not, but the explanation that this is all just a test made by Popo is probably the easiest explanation. Besides, if Goku went back and met a younger Roshi, wouldn't Roshi and Crane both remember meeting Goku earlier on?
Another thing to consider is that if Mr Popo has access to time travel, surely Bulma wouldn't have had to bother building a time machine for Trunks to use in the future, they could have just gone to the lookout and got Popo to help them out. Since Piccolo (and God) died in the future timeline too, presumably Mr Popo would have done what he could to rectify the situtaion.

It's a fun standalone episode, but it's certainly contradictory.
Then again, I'm the one who said in the other thread that canon shouldn't matter in Dragon Ball, so I guess I should just take my lumps and go with "Who cares, it's just an enjoyable standalone story; don't take it too seriously."

[KBABZ]

I always figured it was an illusion as well. Didn't this same room get used in Saiyan Arc filler?

[MyVisionity]

Episode 126

I like how God has a bit of a sinister edge to him. It makes sense that someone that powerful and mysterious would carry that vibe. Of course part of the reason for it is because he shares Piccolo's looks and voice.

Those scenes at Kame House were great. The artwork, direction, music, acting, just wonderful work by everyone involved. Nice attention to detail.

Kenji Utsumi as Shen Long did nice work too. He has an interesting "howl" in this episode.

Episode 127

Much like the last filler arc, I appreciate that these episodes are essentially standalones. For me that always works out better than one multi-part filler story.

Picking up on that dark and sinister vibe of God's that I mentioned, you now have him and Popo operating some kind of weird space/time machinery inside the temple. It's almost like God is a mad scientist out of an old pulp magazine or something. Complete with a Middle Eastern-style manservant!

Once again you have Goku meeting Chinese filler characters in the countryside. Interesting however that Chu-Li and her mother live inside a Western-styled house that has a modern television set inside. And the mountain with the Holy Crown and ruins looks like something out of pre-colonial Latin America or something.

I like how the episode just ends after Goku is struck by lightning.

Episode 128

Goku mysteriously wakes up in bed at the temple like he's in a horror movie or something. He looks up to find Popo, of course, watching him sleep. Creepy! "You've been asleep for three days straight", Popo says. I wonder if Popo was just standing there watching the whole three days. He tells Goku that the last training was too advanced and he has something different for him to do now. "Follow me and you will understand." Run, Goku, run!!

But instead, Goku goes with Popo and agrees to take part in another weird-ass science experiment!

I'm glad to see more of naked Goku in this episode. I appreciate the manner in which nudity is used in this series.

Goku spending the night with that family is probably one of the last times that DB will feel so genuinely lighthearted and silly. It seems like once Goku and the others grow up, so does the series. The childlike spirit that the show once had fades away and you're mostly left with adults doing adult things.

The sequence with the old man and Goku fishing is well done. There is a surreality to it that is effective. And again, more great lessons for children. Some subtle, some not so subtle. This is probably my favorite of this filler arc.

Episode 129

We see Mr. Popo at the ol' sewing machine, repairing Goku's torn dougi. All finished! "It is important to approach new training with a new mindset", Popo says. It fits Goku perfectly. "You can do anything, can't you, Popo?!" Well of course he can! It ain't called the "Magical Negro" trope for nothing.

Goku is sent back in time where he meets young Kame/Tsuru as students of Mutaito. Fanfan looks especially Chinese. I like that she was being watched by a perverted monkey!

Mutaito: "What dojo do you train at?" "At God's place in Heaven!", is how Goku essentially replies. The subtitles again do a disservice to the scene, as they don't exactly explain why Mutaito's students burst out laughing. ("At Kami-sama's place in the Upper World!")

I enjoyed the action of this episode. Largely because it was a Takeuchi episode.

Episode 130

Got my man Popo makin' voodoo dolls now smh.

I like how the doll did that voiceless Kamehameha.

It's kinda sad watching Kuririn and the others on their journey talking about getting stronger and surpassing Goku. After Piccolo Daimao it all seems so fruitless, especially with Goku positioned so far ahead.

Agreed about Roshi. I dunno if it's a Funi-ism or not, but the explanation that this is all just a test made by Popo is probably the easiest explanation. Besides, if Goku went back and met a younger Roshi, wouldn't Roshi and Crane both remember meeting Goku earlier on?
Another thing to consider is that if Mr Popo has access to time travel, surely Bulma wouldn't have had to bother building a time machine for Trunks to use in the future, they could have just gone to the lookout and got Popo to help them out. Since Piccolo (and God) died in the future timeline too, presumably Mr Popo would have done what he could to rectify the situtaion.

I think that any weird inconsistencies of the episode are primarily due to it being a filler. Crane and Turtle shouldn't look or behave the way they do here, since we know how they appeared as Mutaito students previously. They probably shouldn't even be named "Crane" and "Turtle", since they likely only took those names later in life. I suspect all of this was done so that the children in the audience would easily recognize that it's supposed to be Roshi and Crane in the past. There's even a line from the narrator at the end stating the two's identities specifically.

As KBABZ mentioned, there was a filler episode in the Saiyan arc where the Z-Senshi are sent back in time from God's temple. If I recall, it was only their minds that time-travelled and not their bodies. So it may have been a similar situation for Goku in this episode.

That episode is also, I believe, the first time ki is referred to by name in the anime.

I think it may have been the first time it was written out in the subtitles, but they have referred to Ki by name in past episodes. This is probably the first time it has taken such explicit focus in the series, which is likely why Mandelin decided to translate it this time.

[Dbzfan94]

i really love the episode when everyone is revived. Its so nice. A small touch, but Launch slapping Krillin on the head is great. The whole mini journey up to Kami and mistaking him for Piccolo is really great too.

As for the filler, was never a fan of the doll episode, but love the young Roshi/Shen and Muitaito stuff.

[ArmenianPepsi]

Agreed about Roshi. I dunno if it's a Funi-ism or not, but the explanation that this is all just a test made by Popo is probably the easiest explanation. Besides, if Goku went back and met a younger Roshi, wouldn't Roshi and Crane both remember meeting Goku earlier on?
Another thing to consider is that if Mr Popo has access to time travel, surely Bulma wouldn't have had to bother building a time machine for Trunks to use in the future, they could have just gone to the lookout and got Popo to help them out. Since Piccolo (and God) died in the future timeline too, presumably Mr Popo would have done what he could to rectify the situtaion.

It's a fun standalone episode, but it's certainly contradictory.
Then again, I'm the one who said in the other thread that canon shouldn't matter in Dragon Ball, so I guess I should just take my lumps and go with "Who cares, it's just an enjoyable standalone story; don't take it too seriously."

The rules of time travel that Z would establish later on also makes things real complicated if we are to believe that Goku actually did travel back to the past instead of it being some illusion conjured by Popo as an exercise. But time travel is always a messy concept to throw into any story, and can easily make things convoluted and confusing if not done right. :

But as you just said, it's a one off episode, so it's not really all too important in the grand scheme, we shouldn't sweat the detail so much.

Besides that point, it's so surreal, the first milestone in this rewatch is just in sight. 24 more episodes before we get to the longest stretch of the marathon.

[KBABZ]

I watched these filler episodes for the first time! Here are my notes:

= Ep 126 =
- I've always liked the detail that Kami's Lookout has detailing that matches Korin's Tower to link the two. It's an amusing detail considering that, as a major DBZ location, Kami's Lookout VASTLY overshadow's Korin's Tower.
- Also, Popo has ordinary glue! Get the med-kit!
- Isn't it awfully convenient that Majunior would wait for the next TB to kill Goku?
- And WHY doesn't suicide work exactly?? Thanks for telling us!
- Much as it's a filler scene, I love the sunny, sleepy vibe with Puar in the window.
- LOVE the reveal of the Dragon Balls getting restored.
- Huh, when Bulma uses the Capsule, she sets it on the ground before pressing the delayed button rather than throwing it.
- Interesting, Launch hasn't witnessed Shenlong yet!

= Ep 127 =
- I like these scenes with Krillin and Yamcha training with Tien. It helps Tien feel more like a part of the group in a non-dramatic situation like in the Daimao arc.
- Aaaaaaaand of course Toei can't fucking help themselves.
- So, like... where are they getting things like bees and cats and stuff for this?
- And the teleportation machine is kiiiiiiinda out of nowhere. Wouldn't a spell of some kind fit better?
- So the crown magically pops back onto its pedestal every time Goku fails?
- I really don't like the way the anime dramatizes the continuation of the Faster than Lightning storyline and then just completely abandons it in the next episode. Not even GT changes storylines THAT quickly!

= Ep 128 =
- I find it kinda surprising that neither Kami nor Popo ever bothered to repair Goku's gi at all.
- So far I'm enjoying Goku's interaction with the Mousse family much more than with the girl from Faster than Lightning. While the girl was obviously recycling Suno, here it feels more genuine as Goku spends time with this vast family.
- Man, Goku being with the kids was AWESOME.
- I also liked Goku sitting on the rocks trying to figure out the puzzle that's befallen him. It's rare we get to see him in this sort of state all on his own.

= Ep 129 =
- He has a sewing machine now?! Oh well, at least he's fixing up Goku's gi finally.
- Of course! Goku's never heard of Mutaito!
- I like how Mutaito has to put Crane in his place.
- It's interesting here how Goku is able to so masterfully use the Kamehameha, but he's never actually learnt the fundamentals of ki and how it's used, which is something Mutaito has to teach him.
- Jesus Crane is a DICK here! Like an irredeemable dick. Why did Mutaito not expel him?!

= Ep 130 =
- It's nice seeing more of Popo here considering how little we see of him after this point.
- Right now I'm actually more compelled by the journey of Krillin and co more than Goku's!
- RANDOM SHOT OF POPO WITH A BALLOON.
- "It will do no good to become impatient and rely on brute force" Every DBZ villain just got called TF out!
- This empty the mind stuff sounds a lot like Ultra Instinct, but with less merchandise.
- I am overall getting sick of these "Goku appears to make progress, maybe!" endings that don't advance Goku's abilities at all.

Overall, the only episode of these that I liked was 128. The rest I felt was a lot of fluff that's just stalling for time. I have watched Episodes 131 and 132 and for me they aren't much better, just more stalling and nobody getting anywhere. That's the real let-down of this arc for me, they don't contribute anything and can't even manage their own fulfillment of the storylines they're telling. At least the Worldly Training arc was more self-contained with Goku having a short adventure in each of them. Here the multi-episode storylines literally don't go anywhere and we move on to the next thing.

[MyVisionity]

- Isn't it awfully convenient that Majunior would wait for the next TB to kill Goku?
- And WHY doesn't suicide work exactly?? Thanks for telling us!

Piccolo's power probably took three years to get to the point where he could face Goku. Also, as long as Goku is up in God's realm Piccolo would be unable to find him.

Suicide isn't an option because apparently, as God, he is not permitted to kill himself. Probably something about the "immoral" nature of suicide.

[KBABZ]

Piccolo's power probably took three years to get to the point where he could face Goku. Also, as long as Goku is up in God's realm Piccolo would be unable to find him.

Well what I'm getting at is more that Majunior would bother with the whole Tournament format when it'd be FAR more in character for him to just assassinate him on the street outside the grounds or something.

[Robo4900]

I always figured it was an illusion as well. Didn't this same room get used in Saiyan Arc filler?

It looks different, but it appears to have the same basic function.

Piccolo's power probably took three years to get to the point where he could face Goku. Also, as long as Goku is up in God's realm Piccolo would be unable to find him.

Well what I'm getting at is more that Majunior would bother with the whole Tournament format when it'd be FAR more in character for him to just assassinate him on the street outside the grounds or something.

IDK. Seems pretty in character for Piccolo to wait until he can make a grand spectacle of himself to the entire world, by defeating all the strongets martial artists who he showed such a disdain for before.

Piccolo and Ma-Junior are not exactly the same person, but Junior is still essentially a reincarnation of Piccolo; perhaps this plan was one Daimao came up with in his last moments alive.

--

I also love the mysterious stuff going on with Goku's training under Popo and Kami. Very mysterious and mystical. Will give some more in-depth thoughts when I've watched the episodes.

On that note, now that KBABZ has seen the episodes, here's some additional trivia, which I've now added to the OP:

• Episode 125 is also the last time in manga-based material we see Goku with a tail.
• Shen Long being revived uses the same sound effects as when the Dragon Balls disperse in this and prior episodes.
• Shortly before the Dragon Balls are restored at Kame House, Oolong is reading a manga. The cover reads "Shonen" and the spine "Jabon". What Jabon refers to is unknown: it could be the name of the boy on the cover, or an obfuscation of "janpu" as a nod to Shonen Jump.
• This episode is the final time Shen Long's theme music is used for him. In Z, this theme is used only twice more for Porunga's scenes in Episodes 76 and 107. The only other times anything close is used is in Episodes 21, 192 and 240, where the Garlic Jr. movie cue is used instead, and 283, where Porunga gets Shen Long's cue from Z movie 12.
• This is the first of two times Shen Long is summed at Kame House: the second time would be shortly before the arrival of the Saiyans to bring Goku back to life.
• Yamucha's request to Shen Long in addition to Bulma's wish is interesting, because technically Shen Long is consolidating two seperate wishes into a single task. In this case, he's rolling Bulma's "Bring back our friends Piccolo killed" wish with Yamcha's "Bring back all the innocents Piccolo killed" wish, since the latter fulfills the former.
  • This is also an anime-only situation: in the manga, Shen Long already knows what their wish is. How he knows this isn't explained, but it's probable that it's through Kami knowing after talking with Goku earlier.
• This is also the first time in the series Shen Long is asked to revive more than one person at a time. This will become important later as it's one of his main differences with Porunga, who can only restore one person per wish.
• This is the final time Shen Long's wish-granting is seen as literally ANY wish: restrictions would be introduced in his later appearances. Ultimate Shen Long from GT and Super Shen Long from Super would appear later with truly unlimited restrictions that Shenlong was thought to have.
• Since Chapa-o, Man Wolf and Bacterian were kills only depicted in the anime, so too are their revival scenes.
• Roshi mentions that since Goku is training under God, he can no longer even begin to compare to him in strength. This marks the point where Goku (and by proxy, Ten and Yamucha later) truly outstrip Roshi, which is important regarding how weird it is that he eventually returns to fighting in Dragon Ball Super.
• Episode 128 seems to forget that Goku is capable of swimming, which he demonstrated at the very start of the series and during the General Blue saga.
• Appropriately, the music when the Mousse Kids come out uses the same military drums used for the Red Ribbon Army's theme.
• The Room of Time is not to be confused with The Room of Spirit and Time (known to dub-viewers as The Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and TFS-viewers as The Hypertonic Lion Tamer). The former transports the user to a different point in time and space. The latter allows access to a sub-space where time is compressed.
• The Time Room episode is the first time we've seen Chiaotzu since he was brought back to life.
• As noted by the replies below Roshi being a raunchy person is confusing because in Episode 3, it was heavily implied that he could ride the Nimbus, which requires a pure mind and soul. It also wouldn't make sense that Karin would give him the Nimbus if he weren't able to ride it, similar to Yajirobe.
• Fanfan has the same core design as Colonel Violet. Similarly, the two goons accompanying Crane use the same core design as the Orin Temple bullies.
• How real Goku's venture back in time was is up for debate. Certainly Roshi and Crane should have remembered somebody as extraordinary as Goku, and his meddling wound up tipping Crane to a much more evil position that should have got him expelled.
• Episodes 239 and 240 are one of the few times we see the Lookout at a time other than the afternoon, in this case early morning, sunset and night-time.
• The music that plays on the man's radio after he gets overtaken by Krillin and co. is The Teachings of Master Roshi, sung by Kohei Miyauchi himself!
• Episode 239 is the second time Goku's able to sense somebody's energy, after he first did it shortly after drinking the Ultra Divine Water (although a case can be made for the fisherman appearing to disappear at the end of 237).
• Ep 239 is also one of the last times the Afterimage Technique is used in the franchise.
• Goku's doll doesn't have a tail... until after the ad break, when it does
• Tenshinhan suggesting Kuririn and Yamucha learn to fly is an allusion to Kuririn's match against Ma-Junior where he demonstrates knowing how to use it. This event had long since happened in the manga, which by this point was up to Goku and Piccolo fighting Raditz.

[KBABZ]

Overall I find Mr. Popo to be really frustrating as a teacher. He's attempting to teach Goku about ki control and how to sense it in others, but it's staggeringly clear that Goku has no idea what he's talking about. Instead of berating Goku for not doing it, Popo should instead do what Gohan did with Videl and break it down for him so that he can learn. Popo is also needlessly obtuse with his lessons, often putting Goku in the deep end and telling him the message at the end, rather than just telling him the message first. It's rather frustrating.

[MyVisionity]

Overall I find Mr. Popo to be really frustrating as a teacher. He's attempting to teach Goku about ki control and how to sense it in others, but it's staggeringly clear that Goku has no idea what he's talking about. Instead of berating Goku for not doing it, Popo should instead do what Gohan did with Videl and break it down for him so that he can learn. Popo is also needlessly obtuse with his lessons, often putting Goku in the deep end and telling him the message at the end, rather than just telling him the message first. It's rather frustrating.

Popo probably wants Goku to figure it out on his own instead of just telling him. Not only is it healthier for his brain to work it out himself, but it also allows the lessons to land deeper and be understood greater. This seems like it would be especially applicable for something like Ki mastery.

[KBABZ]

Popo probably wants Goku to figure it out on his own instead of just telling him. Not only is it healthier for his brain to work it out himself, but it also allows the lessons to land deeper and be understood greater. This seems like it would be especially applicable for something like Ki mastery.

I get that but at a certain point you have to realize that your student has no point of comparison to what you're talking about, and scolding them for not being able to grasp it is just unproductive to me. If I were Popo, I'd start with the Kamehameha and explain that its power comes from within, and it's that which Goku must learn to control and sense in others. To me that's better than saying "you must be a rock" over and over.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Episode 126 - Shen Long is Revived

As the bridge between the Daimao and Piccolo Jr arc continues this episode is a considerable breather for providing some payoff for Goku's efforts thus far while not having too much going on to process in addition.

There is a reminder at the start of the episode about Piccolo Jr's growing reign of terror, some more comedic moments between Karin and Yajirobe but apart from that most of the episode simply deals with the resurrection of Shenron and the relief of Goku's friends being revived. Goku's attempt to help reconstruct Shenron because he felt it was the right thing to do was quite charming. The reflections from Kami about the Dragon Balls being created for good but are used for evil with flashbacks to all the villains Goku has faced was also a nice moment of wisdom and a good point of reflection for this point in the series.

Once Shenron departs the lookout and the cheerful Kikuchi track plays everything Goku went through in the Daimao arc felt worthwhile and earned. While there were some wacky scenes like the scene of someone killed by Daimao arising from their own grave the resurrection of everyone was a great moment. Overall this episode leaves us with great anticipation for the next day Goku and his friends get to fight strong opponents.

Episode 127 - Faster Than Lightning!!

For the most part this was an enjoyable adventurous episode, with Popo's words of wisdom for good measure. Not only is the adventure intertwined quite effortlessly with Goku's need to achieve tranquillity but the examples in Goku's combat skills thus far are rather enticing to watch. Mr Popo teaches some good lessons like how simple things like a fly can distract Goku and how his eyes can deceive him when he is flinging a staff at him. Ironically we see that Goku can be too relaxed too, especially when it comes to his greatest love other than food and fighting - sleep.

The fact Goku got sent on an adventure to the Goro-Goro Mountains to work on dodging lightning himself was a nice addition as it allows him to savor the lessons he's learned. Goku being taken in by Chu Lee and her mother was your typical Goku gets respect from everyday villagers and learns something from them subplot, but it was fun for what it was.

The Roshi being a pervert moment still feels exhausted, although interestingly Bulma shows that she has grown to know Roshi and Oolong's ways because Puar was the one she trusted to put sunscreen on her back. Lunch shooting him was entertaining though.

The episode ends with Goku failing again, but it was worth seeing as the fact he's still pushing on shows his resilience and perseverance as he is gradually prepared for his greatest fight yet to come.

Episode 128 - As Quietly As the Sky

A deceptively fun slice-of-life episode for the most part as Goku continues, as we see Goku's continued adventures into what look like realistic locations. The notion that these places where Goku learns to be calm and collected was a unique concept, and a great way of emphasizing the importance of depending on senses other than sight. Crucially it is Goku that is learning to not see these experiences as a literal representation of his everyday life, but a metaphorical journey through what he perceives as his normal lived experiences.

We have one scene where Goku wakes up from a bed in the lookout and suddenly Mr Popo seems to have sent him to a jungle where Goku must save himself from becoming engulfed in a swamp using a Kamehame Ha and elevating his body upwards. Additionally while wandering Goku finds food. It seems no different from the survival instincts he's developed from his life on Earth.

It is when Goku is caught by a net and saved by the Mouse Family that the significance of his journey becomes clear. What seems like a chilled out feast with the family is when Goku learns about Yaochun and how he is able to dodge lightning. The next day Goku approaches Yaochun and is surprised by how easily he can defeat him, subverting expectations and leading Goku to the man he needed to meet. This man Korinto shows Goku how to fish and utilize his concentration effectively and sensing the movement of the river. The disappearance of Yaochun emphasizes the need for Goku to be calm and learn to not be distracted.

Episode 129 - Time Traveling Goku

An enjoyable episode for both Goku's time travelling experiences and the examples for the direction he must take with his training. The debut of Muten Roshi's master Mutaito was a nice touch as it means both Goku and his own master gained something from him, and it both a great justification for the introduction of time travel in this series, even if it is only an elaborate hallucination used to test Goku.

Quite amusingly it was Goku's need to be able to sense when an opponent like Mr Popo is attacking him that led Mr Popo to bring him to the Room of Time and send Goku to embark on this new test. There were also some good cutbacks to Yamcha, Tien, Kuririn and Chaoitzu training. In particular Goku's friends were walking around carrying huge boulders on their backs. Tien's decision to smash his boulder emphasizes that he is the most determined to surpass Goku. The fact they are all travelling to hone their skills reminds us of the importance of Goku undertaking the same solo training.

Fanfan's presence in this episode is an interesting choice as a hint for Goku that the mysterious young man he is interacting with could be Muten Roshi and also as bait for Goku to go after Crane and his students who kidnap her. Once Goku meets Mutaito he gets some good philosophical training in learning to use the power of his mind, his surprise at Mutaito's lack of a conventional defensive pose was the first instance of this as it ties in with the lessons Goku has been getting from Mr Popo to learn to read his opponents without depending on his sight.

The side adventure of saving Fanfan when Crane's students threatened to burn her alive offered Goku an opportunity to put Mutaito's lessons to the test. As Mutaito separated a waterfall Goku has to separate the flames when he becomes trapped by them. It was a simple, but a good lesson for him to learn in this episode.

Episode 130 - Goku’s Opponent is… Goku?!

A fun and engaging episode as we get some more fun action sequences along with some meaning to the difficulties Goku encounters in his fight against a mysterious masked doll that turns out to be a lookalike. Interestingly it is the Water of Life that is the key to this episode, which Mr Popo uses ever so casually to water his plants and amazing Goku at how effective it is at even reviving dead plants. Another recurring motif is how easily Goku is distracted.

Goku's meditating exercises have been a breath of fresh air for this arc, but the match with the doll makes it very clear that this is one area that he must master his discipline in this regard. The consistent surprises Goku faces in this fight show us that he is still quite naive and has focused too much on his technique in combat and needs to practice reading his opponent. These lessons make the fight enjoyable on more than simply a spectacle level but also a psychological one as it makes it not just about how fast and hard he hits his opponent but also about how much or less Goku is able to predict and analyze the doll's attacks.

The cutbacks to Tien, Yamcha, Kuririn and Chaoitzu running in search of the Karin Tower were a nice touch as it adds a layer of importance to Goku's training sequences, because while they may not know what Goku is going through they have every reason to believe it is desirable experiences. The wandering old man that is freaked out by the speed at which Tien and gang pass him out was a good scene as it highlights how extraordinary the training they have all been through truly is, and adds intrigue to what will become of Goku as he will likely be at a much more advanced point in his training by the end of the three years.

In Goku's fight he is surprised a number of times, including the doll not being fooled by his Afterimage, realizing he can't attack him from a distance and seeing the doll can hit him when he least expects it, such as when he wasd kicked in the back from behind. Nonetheless these were good lessons for Goku as it demonstrates the need for him to have a calm mind. Goku has a moment where he manages to hit the doll while having a calm mind, although, as he then sees it's not an easy feat to repeat. Goku falls back into eagerly defending himself from more attacks from the doll.

Ultimately Goku thinks he manages to land an attack with a calm mind once again to pass the test, but we get a great subversive ending with the doll being defeated by the Water of Life running out instead. Goku falls asleep, showing once more that while calming his mind may be an important lesson in this arc there may also be a balancing act to that as too much of that can also have its own consequences.