Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone between and beyond, and welcome to week 83 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.
Great stuff this week.
Next week we have to suffer through the second Broly movie, though. I'm not entirely satisfied with my placement of it in the rewatch, but placing this movie in the timeline is a bit difficult, and putting it here leaves it halfway between the previous and next one.
For now though, we'll continue on with the Great Saiyaman arc. (And according to Funimation, we finish that "saga" this week)
Previous thread: Week 82 (DBZ 200-204)
Next thread: Week 84 (DBZ movie 10, episodes 210-212)
Anyway, without further ado...
Episode 358 - Goku’s Also Resurrected?! He’s Participating in the Tenka’ichi Budōkai!! (DBZ episode 205)
Dub title: I'll Fight Too!
Originally aired 3rd of November 1993
International Kai equivalent: Episode 103 - Entering the World Martial Arts Tournament! Goten Shows Off His Explosive Power During Training!
Japanese Kai equivalent: Episode 101 - Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight (some footage also incorporated into episode 100)
Written by: Aya Matsui
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Masahiro Shimanuki
With his identity as the Great Saiyaman having been discovered, Gohan ends up participating in the Tenka’ichi Budōkai with Videl. Vegeta resolves to participate as well when he learns Gohan is going to. Then Goku’s voice somehow called out from the afterlife! Goku says that he will return from the afterlife for a single day and participate. Gohan is overjoyed, and advices Kuririn and Piccolo to enter as well. After receiving permission to enter from Chi-Chi, Gohan begins his training straight away.
Anime-only/filler content: Gohan saving a plane from crashing, the farmer from episode 1 coming back (even though he's supposed to be dead; maybe it's his son), the shenanigans on the movie set.
Episode 359 - Even Gohan is Surprised! Goten’s Explosion of Power (DBZ episode 206)
Dub title: The Newest Super Saiyan
Originally aired 10th of November 1993
International Kai equivalent: Episode 104 - Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight
Japanese Kai equivalent: Episode 101 - Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight
Written by: Aya Matsui
Episode director: Osamu Kasai
Animation supervisor: Tadayoshi Yamamuro
The Z Warriors all begin their various training for the Tenka’ichi Budōkai. Even Goku is in the middle of special training in the afterlife. Gohan then continues training, with his younger brother Goten as his opponent. While still very much a child, it turns out Goten possesses extraordinary potential. Gohan is shocked to see that he can already transform into a Super Saiyan!! However, as Gohan is in the middle of his training, Videl shows up. She presses Gohan to teach her how to fly.
Anime-only/filler content: The scene on the lookout with Piccolo and Dende, Kuririn and 18 sparring at Kame House, a scene of Chichi nagging Goten, Goten briefly distracting Gohan from his training, Grand Kaio telling Baba off for not asking his permission before offering to take Goku to earth for a day, the flashback to Chichi training Goten and him going Super Saiyan.
Episode 360 - Ah, I Flew!! Videl’s Introduction to Flight (DBZ episode 207)
Dub title: Take Flight, Videl
Originally aired 17th of November 1993
International Kai equivalent: Episode 104 - Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight
Japanese Kai equivalent: Episode 101 - Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight
Written by: Hiroshi Toda
Episode director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Animation supervisor: Keisuke Masunaga
Gohan ends up teaching Bukūjutsu (flight) to Videl and Goten. But Videl doesn’t even know what “ki” is. Gohan is forced to teach her starting from the very basics. Videl progresses faster than expected, and becomes able to manipulate ki. However, because of this Gohan’s training doesn’t advance one bit. Meanwhile, as Vegeta is in the middle of training, Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan right in front of him. Vegeta is shocked at the childrens’ bottomless potential.
Anime-only/filler content: Papoi's presence in the scene with South Kaio visiting North Kaio, Goten's first successful attempt at flying resulting in him falling to the ground, general significant extensions to Videl's flying and ki lessons.
Episode 361 - Welcome Back, Goku! The Whole Z Team Assembles!! (DBZ episode 208)
Dub title: Gather for the Tournament
Originally aired 24th of November 1993
International Kai equivalent: Episode 105 - The Dragon Team, All Assembled! Son Goku has Returned!!
Japanese Kai equivalent: Episode 102 - The Dragon Team, All Assembled! Son Goku has Returned!!
Written by: Hiroshi Toda
Episode director: Kazuhito Kikuchi
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama
The special training continues, and Videl progresses nicely, being able to fly freely through the air. Even Gohan is finally able to train. The day of the Tenka’ichi Budōkai then arrives, and Kuririn, Piccolo, Vegeta, and everyone gather at the tournament grounds. Goku then finally returns from the afterlife, having been brought back by Uranai Baba! Everyone is joyous at their reunion, and then Goten meets his father Goku for the first time.
Anime-only/filler content: Mr. Satan worrying about Videl being late home, an extension to Gohan and Goten sparring, Goku meditating in other world, Goten and Goku's first meeting (in the manga, this is glossed over)
Episode 362 - You’re in Danger, Saiyaman! Guard Yourself Against a Perfectly Timed Photo?! (DBZ episode 209)
Dub title: Camera Shy
Originally aired 8th of December 1993
International Kai equivalent: Episode 105 - The Dragon Team, All Assembled! Son Goku has Returned!! and episode 106 - Who Is the World's Greatest? The Tournament Preliminaries Begin!
Japanese Kai equivalent: Episode 102 - The Dragon Team, All Assembled! Son Goku has Returned!!
Written by: Takao Koyama
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Yūji Hakamada
After coming to support Videl, her classmate Shapner doesn’t like that she is friends with the Great Saiyaman. After resolving to expose the Great Saiyaman’s true identity, Shapner gets a picture of his bare face after much struggle. But he ultimately fails, since Piccolo destroys all the cameras on the tournament grounds. Meanwhile, the Punch Machine-based preliminaries begin, and the Z warriors get a succession of high scores. In the end, Vegeta destroys the punching machine.
Anime-only/filler content: Sharpner's presence in the episode.
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Interesting trivia:
- At this point in time in the manga, Spopovic and Yamu fly off with Gohan's ki, Kibito and Kaioshin give the backstory on Babidi and Boo, Videl correctly guesses that Gohan killed Cell, Dabra turns Kuririn and Piccolo to stone, Goku, Vegeta and Gohan enter Babidi's ship, Vegeta defeats Pui-Pui, and Goku begins to fight Yakon.
- Missed Trivia: Videl's eyes are fully outlined. This is a subtle allusion to her family name pun: in Toriyama's works, good characters like Goku and Kuririn only have partially-outlined eyes, while evil ones like Piccolo and Freeza have them fully outlined. Videl's family are all named after evil beings and concepts.
- In the ViZ manga, Bulma puts "World Martial Arts Champion" in air-qoutes to indicate sarcasm. This alludes to Mr. Satan being incredibly strong for a non-Dragon Team human but not at all talented in martial arts techniques, which is reflected in the fact that his daughter is a skilled fighter but has no idea what ki is.
- The joke with the Saiyaman bandanna and sunglasses of course is that we're expecting Bulma to come up with another high-tech solution like she did with the costume watch.
- You'd think Bulma would be smarter than to start smoking, given how knowledgable she is. Guess the nicotine from her father's habits were that strong.
- In the anime, Gohan's Saiyaman bandanna was coloured white. However in his own artwork (like the cover art for Tankobon #30 and Kanzenban #29), Toriyama coloured it orange, likely in reference to the original orange helmet. This is the colouring that the Full Colours would use, which hemmed closer to Toriyama's colours unless it was noticeably different from the anime, such as with Kaio's garb.
- Further, Kanzenban #29's artwork is a digital redraw of Chapter 420's title page.
- It's quickly skipped over when Goku chimes in, but for about a page there was the possibility that Vegeta would fight with Gohan in the ring over the fact that Gohan has slacked in his training. For Vegeta this was possibly the closest he'd come to having a rematch with Goku, by fighting the remaining martial artist of the Son family.
- It says a lot about Goku that the day he'll return to Earth is the first Tenkaichi Budokai any of the Dragon Team will participate in since the 23rd, as opposed to, say, his wedding anniversary, or Goten's birth.
- One potential flaw with Goku's plan exists only in the anime: the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai took place over two days. Considering who the competitors are, it would have been likely that the tournament would have lasted more than a day and Goku would have to return to Other World and thus be disqualified.
- Also, Goku competing does NOT disqualify his opponent on principle. The rule is that you're disqualified for killing your opponent, not for your opponent being dead.
- Though Robo imagines MasakoX would have a lot of fun exploring the what-if of the rule working this way.
- The first panel with Kuririn in the manga, as well as the first scene with him in the anime, has Gohan speak directly to the reader to explain why he has hair. This leaves one to wonder why he didn't let it grow after the 23rd TB, whose time skip was 5 years compared to the Cell Arc's 7. KBABZ postulates that it's because Piccolo was still at large back then, whereas after the Cell Games there was no big bad.
- Similarly, this page is the first time we get confirmation that Kuririn and 18 are officially a couple, after she rejected him after the Cell Games. See boys, if you're persistent women will HAVE to like you! (please for the love of god don't do this no matter how much TV tells you it works)
- Another detail of Kuririn's design is that his incense burns are missing. These dots are incense burns from a ceremonial ritual he underwent as a part of his becoming a shaolin monk on a path to enlightenment over earthly pleasures. This is part of the joke of his early days, being a perverted monk in the same way Master Roshi is a perverted martial arts master.
- In the manga, Gohan's clothes are called absurd on the last panel of two pages in a row, first by Kuririn, and then by Piccolo.
- In the original Japanese manga, Dende says he can't compete because he isn't a Fighting-type Namekian. This must mean he's either a Bug or Psychic-type.
- Gohan not knowing where Tenshinhan is isn't too surprising, but what is surprising is that he doesn't think to sense his ki to find out.
- Chichi being concerned about money has become a running concern with her, and a well-justified one. Gyuumao doesn't seem to have the same kingdom he used to, and Chichi is too busy looking after her two sons to have a job in the countryside. Similarly, before the Cell Games she made Goku promise that he'd get a job afterwards to help them earn money, and then he died.
- Recurring death tallies:
- River fish: 8 (latest death, caused by Goten)
- Son Goku: 2
- Piccolo: 2
- Chaozu: 2
- The moon: 2
- Yamucha: 1
- Tenshinhan: 1
- Roshi: 1
- Kuririn: 1
- The final panel of Chapter 426 is the first time we see Goten in his training gi. As is now famous, it's a riff on Goku's, only with a long-sleeved undershirt. The other two differences are the lack of any symbols (since Goten never officially gains a master), the belt's knot being offset to the left, and wearing boots (Goku didn't gain these until his teenage years).
- We also get to see Gohan's training gi, which are similar to Piccolo's but with an offset bow. In the anime his gi is blue-and-red, but in the Full Colors it's purple and orange, possibly to reference both Piccolo and Goku.
- The fact that Gohan has never sensed Goten going Super Saiyan is further evidence that he doesn't sense ki anymore.
- Goten and Trunks' ease at becoming Super Saiyans is partially explained by Toriyama's infamous "S-Cells", which according to him become more abundant in the body when a Saiyan is in a relaxed state. Goku had a much more relaxed upbringing than most Saiyans, hence why he was the first to accomplish it. Comparatively Goten and Trunks had even MORE relaxed childhoods (and in Super, so do the Universe 6 Saiyans), meaning their midi-chlorian count is higher than Master Yoda's!
- Gohan should have realized that Goten can't fly, otherwise him giving his little brother Kinto'un would have been very redundant!
- Granted, using Kinto'Un is a bit less strenuous than flying, but given Goten is a little ball of chaos and energy, Gohan really should have just kept it.
- This is the third time Kinto'Un has been shafted by a member of the Son family because they've learnt how to fly, after Gohan and Goku (although Goku still used it during the Saiyan Arc after flying in the 23rd TB). Goten is notable in that we never even see him use it before he flies!
- For those wondering, kumite is one of the three portions of karate training where you use what you learned in the other two portions against an opponent, aka, sparring!
- The anime adds a scene where Chichi trains with Goten, where he first becomes a Super Saiyan in front of her (and is kept in Kai). This scene is the first time she's been seen fighting somebody since her match with Goku in the 23rd Tournament.
- The Mr. Satan plane that Videl uses has a slight joke on it. Normally Capsule vehicles have a big number on the side, but the plane Videl is using is the first to have "No." on it. Appropriately, Mr. Satan's plane is therefore "No. 1".
- The famous "ki training" part of the story is only 7 panels long in the manga, with much more emphasis placed on the lunch break where Chichi learns how rich Videl is and the scene where Goku meets South Kaio. The first "half" before the lunch break is only a single panel that is more of a wide shot showing what Goten is up to. The anime expands this into the centerpiece of the episode, with a large helping of sexual tension between Videl and Gohan. KBABZ and Robo agree that this filler is the best Toei ever devised for the anime, as well as the fleshing out Gohan and Videl's relationship in general.
- Notably the anime moved the Goku scene to the beginning of the episode, possibly to give more momentum to the Videl scenes and to hype the audience up with the star character.
- The scene with Goku training in Other World is the first time we see one of the other Kaios in the manga.
- The title page of Chapter 429 is an advertisement for Jump Multiworld, touting an immersive game experience, Dragon Ball video games, original artwork and a replica of Toriyama's workspace. Considering its promotional nature, it was left out of the Tankobon release.
- Vegeta saying to Trunks that he never said he wouldn't fight back is similar to when Piccolo used his eye beams on Gohan while training with him back in the Saiyan Arc.
- The narrator boxes at the end of Chapter 429 are actually provided by Gohan himself, as he says "Goten and me" in the second box.
- The large capsule plane the Dragon Team flies to the Tournament in only has seatbelts for the pilot seats, not the bench seats, and neither of them are used.
- It isn't known who says that going Super Saiyan is cheating, but it can be assumed it's Kuririn given he was shaky about competing against the Saiyans earlier.
- Yamucha says he won't compete to avoid embarassing himself. He's probably thinking of his last ever TB match where he fought against God.
- In the Saiyan Arc, Goku is dead for a grand total of 8 chapters. The second time, he's dead for 17, just over twice as many!
- While looking up this Trivia, KBABZ discovered another script change: in the original work, Kaio thought that there was another month left before the Saiyans arrived on Earth, tying in to Roshi saying that they're a month early. In the English dubs (including Kai), Kaio forgot to account for the journey back down Snake Way. They're both equal amounts of idiotic on Kaio's part.
- Goku's return is the first time Baba has been seen in the manga since the lead-up to the arrival of the Saiyans.
- In another positive Toei addition, the scene where Goku meets Goten is given a dedicated scene, where in the manga it was only two panels.
- Gyuumao and Oolong are both portly legacy characters from the original arc who now wear a T-shirt and suspender shorts in their ever-dwindling irrelevancy and advanced ages.
- Having a youth division makes a lot of sense for a fighting tournament, and Roshi is lucky he never had one while he was training any of his students!
- Goku notes that he thought Kuririn was naturally bald. This is a (well-remembered for Toriyama) call back to when Kuririn pointed out that he shaved way back in Chapter 25, using Roshi as an example of serious martial artists shaving their heads (Roshi then saying he's naturally bald). Clearly Goku wasn't paying attention.
- Missed Trivia: Of the major Arc villains, only two of them AREN'T bald: Commander Red and Vegeta. Every other one is bald: Pilaf, Tenshinhan, Piccolo, Freeza, Cell and Boo! Staff Officer Black, Nappa, Captain Ginyu, and Androids 19 and 20 also count.
- Kuririn confirms that he and 18 live at Kame House. By Resurrection of 'F', they have their own place, thank goodness.
- Due to the way that they translated "jinzoningen" to "Androids", both the ViZ manga and Funimation dub both have to explain that 18 is technically a cyborg, and thus part organic, when Goku asks Kuririn how it's possible he had a kid with her.
- When destroying the camera, Piccolo performs the manga's first glare-based kiai.
- Piccolo destroying the camera would be a lot less effective today given the proliferation of mobile devices with cameras on them and the ability to upload them to the internet from practically anywhere.
- Speaking of which, this is the first Tenkaichi Budoukai we've seen that would be televised, a sign of its increased popularity as an event (thanks in part to Mr. Satan, no doubt).
- Piccolo is asked by an official if he's green because he's ill. This is something he seemingly didn't have to put up with back in the 23rd Tournament despite dressing exactly the same.
- The Announcer asks Piccolo not to destroy the grounds this time. He isn't the first to do that: Tenshinhan destroyed the entire ring in the 22nd Tournament, and Goku wrecked the main building as an Oozaru in the 21st (not to mention the uncountable number of times the walls were destroyed).
- The previous champion is automatically seeded in this Tournament's finals, something which Jackie Chun and Tenshinhan didn't benefit from in the past.
- The fact that the Tenkaichi Budoukai uses a punching machine to seed the competitors can be seen as a sign that it, like a typical uninformed Dragon Ball character/fan, values strength over technique (something which both Kuririn and Vegeta point out as being ridiculous for what's supposed to be a martial arts competition). Out of universe, it was likely devised as a more interesting way to quickly get the Dragon Team to the knockout round than doing the Preliminaries against strangers again for the fourth time, which were always rushed through when they were around.
- While Piccolo may have been well-intentioned with destroying the cameras, he's forgetting that every Budokai has had a not-insignificant crowd, and as we see later, Gohan's class-mates can totally be in the audience anyway.
- Vegeta destroying the punch machine is possibly the only joke in Dragon Ball that the typical western fan has found funny for the reasons intended by the joke.
