Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15

Discussion regarding the entirety of the franchise in a general (meta) sense, including such aspects as: production, trends, merchandise, fan culture, and more.

Moderators: General Help, Kanzenshuu Staff

User avatar
Xeogran
I Live Here
Posts: 3056
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:04 am
Contact:

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by Xeogran » Wed Jan 12, 2022 6:44 pm

The irony of Pan being turned into a doll is that for a brief while, Pan became much smaller in size than Kid Goku is.
It feels like these two are competing at out-shrinking each other :lol:

Luud's doll-turning ability seems to be pretty OP considering it worked on the quarter Saiyan in the first place. Maybe it even ignores one's PL?

In Episode 14, I like how first thing Pan does after getting turned back to normal is giving her small grandpa a big hug. So wholesome out of her :angel:
She was overall very expressive in this ep, most likely as a recompensation for being in the form of a doll for the last 3 of them.

Episode 15 is fun, it shows how Pan just wants to help the group and feel useful. Yeah she runs away but taking her age into account, it's pretty natural. Giru is really helpful and ends up being the star of this ep.

At the end of this ep they find an oasis and naturally Goku gets naked again, except this time nobody seems to mind it. In fact, Pan even joins to play with him in the water. Character development? :P

User avatar
Robo4900
I Live Here
Posts: 4383
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:24 pm
Location: In another time and place...

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by Robo4900 » Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:43 am

So, there's been some differing opinions on when we should watch the 10th anniversary movie (Path to Power).

I say it should go between GT 15 and 16, but KBABZ and some others argue it should go after GT 64.

So, here's a Strawpoll. Only vote if you do actually care one way or the other! Don't vote if you don't mind when we watch it.
https://strawpoll.com/33xkp8j53

If the vote indicates to watch it between GT 15 and 16, we'll be watching it this coming Monday. Otherwise it will come in the final week, after GT 64.
The point of Dragon Ball is to enjoy it. Never lose sight of that.

User avatar
MasenkoHA
Born 'n Bred Here
Posts: 6201
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:38 pm

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by MasenkoHA » Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:56 am

Robo4900 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:43 am So, there's been some differing opinions on when we should watch the 10th anniversary movie (Path to Power).

I say it should go between GT 15 and 16, but KBABZ and some others argue it should go after GT 64.

So, here's a Strawpoll. Only vote if you do actually care one way or the other! Don't vote if you don't mind when we watch it.
https://strawpoll.com/33xkp8j53

If the vote indicates to watch it between GT 15 and 16, we'll be watching it this coming Monday. Otherwise it will come in the final week, after GT 64.
This is my own Sophie’s choice. My brain and heart at conflict.

Part of me wants to get to Path of Power asap because it’s so good and worth talking about but the other part of me feels it just makes the most sense to watch it between Z and GT or after GT.

So I voted for after episode 64, but it was hard!

Dragon Ball Ireland
I Live Here
Posts: 3540
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 9:09 am
Location: Sligo, Ireland

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:06 am

I'm going to vote for between episodes 15 and 16, because I think this rematch should end with where the original run finished.
Do you have any info about international non-English broadcasts about the Dragon Ball anime or manga translations/editions? Please message me. Researching for a future book with Dragon Ball scholar Derek Padula :thumbup:

User avatar
Robo4900
I Live Here
Posts: 4383
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:24 pm
Location: In another time and place...

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Robo4900 » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:37 pm

Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:06 am I'm going to vote for between episodes 15 and 16, because I think this rematch should end with where the original run finished.
That's my thinking too.

It seems we're losing so far, though! :lol:
The point of Dragon Ball is to enjoy it. Never lose sight of that.

User avatar
PremiumSalt
Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
Posts: 466
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:58 pm

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by PremiumSalt » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:48 pm

Watched 12 yesterday but didn't have time to write up thoughts, so here's 2 for the price of 1.

Episode 12: The Oracle of God is Super-Annoying!! Lood Maneuvers

Positives:
-The first half of the fight with Mutchi is pretty alright, I like the incorporation of the swords, Mutchi's whip abilities, the tiles, etc.

Negatives:
-On the other hand, the latter half of the fight is pretty boring after Goku goes SSJ. In general, I think GT's fights are at their best when they're playing around with new and interesting abilities, but when they devolve into store-brand Z era fights, they get pretty bland.

Beyond Negative, what the fuck is wrong with you, Toei?:
-Dolltaki. Oh my lord. These are some of the most uncomfortable and embarrassing scenes in the franchise. And not in a "oh he's a villain so it's supposed to be creepy" kinda way as some in this thread have suggested. There's a line there, and this far beyond crosses that line, especially for what is ultimately children's television.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 13: This Guy’s in Charge?! Mysterious Scientist Mu

Positives:
-Not super sure how I feel about the execution of the fight, but I like the idea of Lood on paper. Again, fighting a giant mech baby is a change of pace from the same old same old DBZ fights.

-I liked the design of the room Dolltaki talks to Doctor Mu in, with the oval shaped monitors showing various different angle, one of which seems to lean in on Dolltaki as Mu scolds him.

Negatives:
-They don't seem to be terribly consistent on the rules of how well the Pan as a doll can communicate. She calls out for Goku and Trunks and they seem to react to it, but minutes later Pan remarks that Dolltaki can't hear her.

-Not a super big fan of Doctor Mu's design, and while I'm open to the idea of my opinion changing on this viewing, I recall thinking the character was more or less "Diet Doctor Gero".

-Dolltaki still sucks, I said my piece above.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I voted for watching the film after GT, but I'm still 51/49 on the idea. The film feels like it'd be a good cap off for the rewatch, but on the other hand, I feel it might lessen GT's ending a bit.
Dragon Ball Arc Rankings: 1. Piccolo Daimaō 2. Saiyan 3. 22nd Budōkai 4. 23rd Budōkai 5. Hunt For the Dragon Balls 6. Zamasu 7. Moro 8. Tournament of Power 9. 21st Budōkai 10. Broly 11. Battle of Gods 12. Boo 13. U6 Tournament 14. Freeza 15. Red Ribbon Army 16. Artificial Humans/Cell 17.Golden Freeza
Kunzait_83 wrote:No matter what twisted pretzel logic you contort yourself into to try and convince yourself otherwise, Raditz landing on Earth is the middle of the fucking story. Zero context, zero setup. Its in NO way meant to be seen as a "beginning point" for ANYTHING other than the next story arc. It flows precisely and fluidly from where things left off in the aftermath of the 23rd Budokai and mostly hits the ground running from there without really stopping to look back. You're plopping someone into the middle of a book starting at chapter 195 out of 519 for absolutely no good goddamn reason, with very minimal opportunity to look back at much needed context and character/story growth.

Dragon Ball Ireland
I Live Here
Posts: 3540
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 9:09 am
Location: Sligo, Ireland

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:50 pm

Robo4900 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:37 pm
Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:06 am I'm going to vote for between episodes 15 and 16, because I think this rematch should end with where the original run finished.
That's my thinking too.

It seems we're losing so far, though! :lol:
To clarify, "Rematch" was a typo, but it's funny now you put it like that :lol:
Do you have any info about international non-English broadcasts about the Dragon Ball anime or manga translations/editions? Please message me. Researching for a future book with Dragon Ball scholar Derek Padula :thumbup:

User avatar
Koitsukai
I Live Here
Posts: 4276
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2018 5:02 pm

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Koitsukai » Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:26 pm

I voted for doing it after GT, mainly so I can watch it first lol.

Dragon Ball Ireland
I Live Here
Posts: 3540
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 9:09 am
Location: Sligo, Ireland

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Thu Jan 13, 2022 4:21 pm

Just started this batch of episodes now. Have to say this is my favourite Tokunaga track but its placement at the beginning of this episode as Pan and Giru were being blasted off didn't work for me. Looking forward to getting to episode 63 as its placement then for the universal Genki Dama was perfection.

And if the Star Wars talk hasn't been enough Pan fell into a trash compactor :lol: , guess Masashi Kubota was excited for a certain 20th anniversary when writing this episode :)

I don't hate Pan as much as a lot of people, but man is she nasty to Giru.
Do you have any info about international non-English broadcasts about the Dragon Ball anime or manga translations/editions? Please message me. Researching for a future book with Dragon Ball scholar Derek Padula :thumbup:

User avatar
Robo4900
I Live Here
Posts: 4383
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:24 pm
Location: In another time and place...

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Robo4900 » Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:42 pm

Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 4:21 pm I don't hate Pan as much as a lot of people, but man is she nasty to Giru.
Yeah, episode 15 does a lot of good work when Pan realises she's been too mean to him. To my memory it's from this point on that she's more of a friend to Gill.

And while I'm on the subject, honestly I think episode 15 is the best episode of GT so far. It sorta mirrors episode 2 in some ways; it's primarily about everyone treating Pan like a helpless child, but by now we've seen her take charge inside of Lood in episode 14, we've seen her hold her own in a fight, be part of gathering the balls, etc., and yet Goku and Trunks are still not respecting her as one of the crew by this point. She is a child, but clearly an independent, capable fighter and a valuable part of the team. So, her situation is a lot more sympathetic here than episode 2, IMO.

GT episode 15 isn't perfect, but if you ask me it's the first in a pretty strong run of episodes (Planet M2 is next!) where GT actually finds its identity. The first 14 episodes weren't a total wash by any measure, but there's an increase in quality at this point in my opinion.

As for the Lood episodes this week, 11 and 14 were great. 12-13 felt a bit dragged out, and far too much uncomfortable Dolltakki shit.
The point of Dragon Ball is to enjoy it. Never lose sight of that.

MyVisionity
Banned
Posts: 1834
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:51 pm
Location: US

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by MyVisionity » Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:15 pm

Yeah let's go ahead and get this one out the way. I voted.

User avatar
Gilby1385
Not-So-Newbie
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:50 pm
Location: Merry Old England

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by Gilby1385 » Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:56 pm

Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:06 am I'm going to vote for between episodes 15 and 16, because I think this rematch should end with where the original run finished.
Yeah, same here.
Come out, come out, wherever you are! I see you! Well, it was worth a try.

User avatar
PremiumSalt
Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
Posts: 466
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:58 pm

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK) [Now with a poll! Vote to decide our destiny!]

Post by PremiumSalt » Sat Jan 15, 2022 12:18 am

Episode 14: Get the Rhythm Perfect?! The Strategy to Defeat Lood!!

Positives:
-The Para Para Brothers are still funny. Screw it, I'll die on this hill I guess, since the fandom at large doesn't seem to like them haha. The joke with them saying they had to sing for the telepathy to work, only for them to just casually reveal it was BS was pretty great imo.

-Certainly doesn't excuse anything on Toei's part, but seeing Dolltaki have the shit slapped out of him was nice to see.

Negatives:
-Goku "not having good rhythm" was a fairly contrived way to create tension and was not at all well executed imo. It seems fairly odd to write this in coming straight off of the Boo arc where a key plot point was a dance that required perfect rhythm and coordination, and at the beginning of the arc, Goku is the only one who knows how to do it. Additionally, it was introduced and resolved so fast that it's impossible to in any way worry about, and the resolution itself is...really strange. It in no way feels like an organic conclusion to the plot point, it's just "oh shit we don't know how to do this, okay never mind we do."

-Also, it's possible I missed something but...wow, Lood having the one cell that when hit can destroy his other cells is "Death Star exhaust port" levels of dumb, of course the difference is, the Death Star run is a masterclass in creating an engaging third act, this...was not.
Dragon Ball Arc Rankings: 1. Piccolo Daimaō 2. Saiyan 3. 22nd Budōkai 4. 23rd Budōkai 5. Hunt For the Dragon Balls 6. Zamasu 7. Moro 8. Tournament of Power 9. 21st Budōkai 10. Broly 11. Battle of Gods 12. Boo 13. U6 Tournament 14. Freeza 15. Red Ribbon Army 16. Artificial Humans/Cell 17.Golden Freeza
Kunzait_83 wrote:No matter what twisted pretzel logic you contort yourself into to try and convince yourself otherwise, Raditz landing on Earth is the middle of the fucking story. Zero context, zero setup. Its in NO way meant to be seen as a "beginning point" for ANYTHING other than the next story arc. It flows precisely and fluidly from where things left off in the aftermath of the 23rd Budokai and mostly hits the ground running from there without really stopping to look back. You're plopping someone into the middle of a book starting at chapter 195 out of 519 for absolutely no good goddamn reason, with very minimal opportunity to look back at much needed context and character/story growth.

User avatar
Gilby1385
Not-So-Newbie
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:50 pm
Location: Merry Old England

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by Gilby1385 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:55 am

I know it might not be appropriate to post this right now since we're apparently going to watch "The Path to Power" after the GT rewatch is done, but I still feel the need to say it: am I the only one who felt that the way that movie ended seems pretty abrupt in comparison to, say, "Curse of the Blood Rubies"?
Come out, come out, wherever you are! I see you! Well, it was worth a try.

User avatar
MasenkoHA
Born 'n Bred Here
Posts: 6201
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:38 pm

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by MasenkoHA » Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:14 am

Gilby1385 wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:55 am I know it might not be appropriate to post this right now since we're apparently going to watch "The Path to Power" after the GT rewatch is done, but I still feel the need to say it: am I the only one who felt that the way that movie ended seems pretty abrupt in comparison to, say, "Curse of the Blood Rubies"?
It definitely was. Curse of the Blood Rubies was the only Dragon Ball movie that knew how to do an ending. Sleeping Princess was also kind of abrupt and off. And Mystical Adventure playing the resolution over the end credits was….a choice.

User avatar
Robo4900
I Live Here
Posts: 4383
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:24 pm
Location: In another time and place...

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by Robo4900 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:59 am

Just thought I should give some advanced notice:

We'll be slightly late posting Week 105's thread. Neither KBABZ nor I have had time to write trivia yet, but by this point I think you're all accustomed to the idea that sometimes a thread gets posted a few hours (or even a full day) late.

The results are in on the poll, though; 7 votes for between GT 15 and 16, and 9 votes for after GT 64. So, we will be watching GT 16-20 next, and the movie will come after GT 64.
However, because GT lasted 64 episodes, or 66 if you count the special as two episodes, neither of which are multiples of 5 (dammit Toei! So inconsiderate to KBABZ and myself organising this rewatch 25 years later!), the movie will be in the same week as GT 64. One upside to this is that you could still follow along with the rewatch and put the movie before GT 64 so the rewatch still ends with GT 64, which should at least be some form of consolation to the high number of us who'd prefer to watch GT 64 last, but the "official" order for the rewatch will have 64 first. (Also worth noting that we're considering arranging things such that GT 63 will also be in that week, just so the whole finale is in the same place)

I'll also disclose that in the event of a tie, I planned to concede my own vote in the poll, so we would have defaulted to KBABZ's preference of putting the movie after GT 64. Just in case anyone was curious about what our plans were for a tiebreaker. We were a little worried we would have to resort to this, but the movie going after GT 64 has been the clear result for pretty much the entire lifetime of the poll, despite the gap closing slightly.

--

PremiumSalt: I agree with your thoughts on episode 14, though I'll note that despite it being a bit stupid, I still really enjoyed it.
The point of Dragon Ball is to enjoy it. Never lose sight of that.

User avatar
PremiumSalt
Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
Posts: 466
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:58 pm

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by PremiumSalt » Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:36 pm

Ironically enough, I was slightly behind myself because of irl stuff.

Episode 15: I’m Running Away!! Pan’s Desertion?!

Of all the episodes of Dragon Ball GT, this was definitely one of them.

Positives:
-Visually, this episode is gorgeous. I love how textured the sand is, and the greener skies as the sun goes down look nice.

Negative:
-I'll be blunt: this episode is boring. It seriously struggled to retain my attention. I dunno if it was the pacing, or what, but yeah. Very dull episode.

-If I found Pan's treatment of Gill up to this point to be in any way endearing, I might have felt something for the resolution here but...ugh. In particular, Gill's last line, "Pan, friend. Get along, danger level drops." was....yeaaahhhhh.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MasenkoHA wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:14 am
Gilby1385 wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:55 am I know it might not be appropriate to post this right now since we're apparently going to watch "The Path to Power" after the GT rewatch is done, but I still feel the need to say it: am I the only one who felt that the way that movie ended seems pretty abrupt in comparison to, say, "Curse of the Blood Rubies"?
It definitely was. Curse of the Blood Rubies was the only Dragon Ball movie that knew how to do an ending. Sleeping Princess was also kind of abrupt and off. And Mystical Adventure playing the resolution over the end credits was….a choice.
Honestly, the Mystical Great Adventure ending has always worked really well for me (as well as the whole movie, but, that's an unpopular opinion lol), maybe it's just because I really like the "Dragon Ball Legend" song, but something about Goku calling out Shenlong and then immediately jumping into the "Dragon Ball...Dragon Ball...Dragon Ball!" bit hits me in the feels.
Dragon Ball Arc Rankings: 1. Piccolo Daimaō 2. Saiyan 3. 22nd Budōkai 4. 23rd Budōkai 5. Hunt For the Dragon Balls 6. Zamasu 7. Moro 8. Tournament of Power 9. 21st Budōkai 10. Broly 11. Battle of Gods 12. Boo 13. U6 Tournament 14. Freeza 15. Red Ribbon Army 16. Artificial Humans/Cell 17.Golden Freeza
Kunzait_83 wrote:No matter what twisted pretzel logic you contort yourself into to try and convince yourself otherwise, Raditz landing on Earth is the middle of the fucking story. Zero context, zero setup. Its in NO way meant to be seen as a "beginning point" for ANYTHING other than the next story arc. It flows precisely and fluidly from where things left off in the aftermath of the 23rd Budokai and mostly hits the ground running from there without really stopping to look back. You're plopping someone into the middle of a book starting at chapter 195 out of 519 for absolutely no good goddamn reason, with very minimal opportunity to look back at much needed context and character/story growth.

MyVisionity
Banned
Posts: 1834
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:51 pm
Location: US

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15 (CURRENT WEEK)

Post by MyVisionity » Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:50 pm

Gilby1385 wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:55 am I know it might not be appropriate to post this right now since we're apparently going to watch "The Path to Power" after the GT rewatch is done, but I still feel the need to say it: am I the only one who felt that the way that movie ended seems pretty abrupt in comparison to, say, "Curse of the Blood Rubies"?
Yes, it's abrupt. I wonder if there wasn't something going on behind the scenes that resulted in that ending. But honestly, the entire finale of that movie is completely fucked anyways, with all of the Android #8 bullshit. The end credits were good though.


I disagree about the other DB movies endings though. They were unusual, but all felt natural. Road to Strongest's abrupt ending didn't feel natural.

Dragon Ball Ireland
I Live Here
Posts: 3540
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 9:09 am
Location: Sligo, Ireland

Re: Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 104 - GT 11-15

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:37 pm

Well I fell behind a bit, but finally catching up:

Episode 11 – Lood’s Curse?! Pan Turned into a Doll

With more exploration for the cult of Lood and the God of Destruction’s self-named home world this episode is a promising addition to Goku, Trunks and Pans’ journey and to GT as the series continues to veer toward hitting its stride.

While there are some odd choices in this episode, it does a great job at elaborating on the danger that is caused by Lood and his loyalists. The Tokunaga track that plays at the beginning of the episode as Pan and Giru are being plummeted through space, while brilliant in of itself was awkwardly placed and didn’t fit the scene at hand. Pan’s frustration with Giru also continues to feel overdone and doesn’t present her in a good light. As the episode continues however, getting to see what Lood is capable of and the animosity of being on his planet was very enjoyable by comparison.

Pan’s frustration with Giru makes her an unlikeable character for the most part. In particular Pan trying to step on Giru came across as a somewhat violent act for such a young girl to aim to inflict on an innocent robot. Pan’s decision to fly off when Giru started digging was less distracting however. Conversely Pan falling into a trash shoot works as an ironic consequence of how Pan has been treating Giru thus far.

There is an eerie feeling as Lood’s world is explored. The mythical music that plays as the planet is shown, the chanting Pan hears as she approaches the door and the continued sense of worship shown by Lood’s followers all deify this being and give an appropriate sense of danger that is necessary as the episode continues to unfold.

Of course there are moments where Pans’ naivety shows, such as when she seems to be on a winning streak kicking around Lood’s loyalists only to later be zapped and turned into a doll. Giru also shows compassion for Pan after stepping on her when she had been turned into a doll not knowing it was her. This is noteworthy because Giru is a very valuable member of the crew, and at this stage it is other characters like Trunks (who was delighted to see him) that recognize this, and Pan learning to get along with the robot can only become a crucial part of her development.

As far as humour is concerned, there isn’t as much as previous episodes, but there are some laughs to be had here and there as the Para Para Brothers’ chant continues to annoy Trunks, and it is them instead of Goku that appears to be thinking of food when they hang off the ship by the skin of their teeth. The Para Para Brothers who seemed initially an unlikely threat to Goku, Trunks and Pan have ironically fallen to their mercy, having been electrocuted by Trunks as himself and Goku land on Lood’s world.

The rituals were also very interesting. Apart from the chanting for Lood the concept that dolls thrown into the cauldron to revive him was neat and makes the act of transforming both the Para Para Brothers and Pan into more than just a wacky gimmick. Incidentally Lord Moochi Moochi appears disappointed Pan didn’t have the Dragon Ball, adding some more tension as it shows these adversaries realize the importance of them.

Although when Goku and Trunks broke in Leon didn’t pose much of a threat, the loss of Pan, and the whip that morphs into the head priest Moochi are sure signs that our heroes problems on the planet Lood have only begun.

Episode 12 – The Oracle of God is Super-Annoying!! Lood Maneuvers

There is some great more exploration of the religion of Lood in this episode, and exploration of the world, as well as plenty of great action, albeit with fallbacks to the style we’ve seen since the Freeza arc as Super Saiyan transformations make a return.

Moochi’s act of whipping Goku with great speed and velocity impresses our hero, and when Moochi begins to make the ground slabs levitate and fling towards Goku and Trunks they both become petrified. The action in these sequences is very good and focused on technique, much like a lot of fights in the original Dragon Ball did. Goku and Trunks initially fleeing before kicking them shows that while they were frightened to begin with they realized that they are well adjusted to such a situation. Although I can respect the use of wits in this instance it does come across like Goku and Trunks were not taking Moochi seriously, and only realized at that moment he could potentially be a threat.

The action takes a somewhat more predictable route when Goku begins to rely less on technique and more on ki energy and transforming into Super Saiyan. Both Goku and Trunks are shown to be struggling in their base forms in the fight against Moochi and the burden of carrying a huge pile of slabs respectively. Goku gets smacked against a wall, surrounded by swords and Trunks is shown to be struggling until he later turns Super Saiyan and is able to smash it to pieces. The fact Trunks waited to transform shows that despite his technical smarts he has been neglecting combat smarts.

The scenes with Goku being hit by flames, running away, accompanied by a goofy Tokunaga track and being held by arms rising from the ground turn Goku’s situation into more of a gag, although it seems somewhat out of character for Goku to be this naïve as he tends to be quite smart when it comes to fighting, especially as he grew older in the last few arcs.

Everything with Pan and Dolltaki was extremely unsettling and one of the lowest point for this series in terms of humour. Pan being treated to a glamorous dollhouse would have been an interesting turn of events if Dolltaki hadn’t attempted to undo Pan’s shirt. Luckily none of this lasts long, and Dolltaki’s attention is turned to Lood’s resurrection, which makes up the main crux of the episode, and one that is no where near as disturbing.

All of the material about Lood is fascinating. The word about Moochi’s impending demise being part of a greater plan, Lood’s resurrection being treated as a monumentous event, the followers being mercilessly sacrificed all add to the impending sense of doom. Additionally the concept of a false prophet, which Toriyama introduced with Mr Satan is reused, but for a villain. Lood’s followers being frustrated that they had worshipped a machine all along adds to the sense of the artificial being treated as more valuable than natural life, but also the sense of betrayal Lood’s followers feel. Moreover Lood’s worshippers being zapped, turned into dolls and being blown by a gust into the cauldron only adds to the sense of punishment for all their years worshipping him.

Interestingly the fight between Goku and Moochi, which our hero had begun to turn around appears to only have been a warmup as once Lood is resurrected, shocks begin to emerge and it becomes clear that the real battle is only about to begin.

Episode 13 – This Guy’s in Charge?! Mysterious Scientist Mu

Following on from the last episode there is an organic sense of progression as the tension surrounding Lood and the even more mysterious Dr Mu begins to escalate. In the case of Lood however, Goku finds himself in yet another major battle to decide the fate of his quest to find all the black star Dragon Balls.

Lood’s status as a God of Destruction is highlighted by the lights emanating from his statue, the shockwaves that envelop the area around the shrine and the cracks that begin to show as his statue cracks. The camera shots showing different parts of Lood was also an interesting technique as it adds to the theme of superiority of the artificial over the natural in this world.

There are some moments in this episode, which aren’t as enjoyable of course. Everything with Dolltaki and Pan remains disturbing and unsettling, as he caresses her face and looks for dresses to put on her. All of Dolltaki’s acts towards Pan are nothing short of disgusting given the fact she is only a young girl. Later on Dolltaki’s refusal to let go of Pan makes his acts even more revolting, despite Dr Mu having malicious intents for her to be used to give more energy to Lood. Goku pulling down his trousers and encouraging Lood to attack him also felt unnecessary and a weak attempt at humour.

Dr Mu comes across as a demanding and inpatient boss, frustrated by the lack of Dragon Balls, and by Dolltaki allowing Lood to be resurrected without his permission and before the God of Destruction could reach his full potential. Out of frustration Dr Mu has Dolltaki turned into a doll, which ironically was better for Pan’s situation than having her kept in the arms of a man that wouldn’t want to let go of her due to his own fetishes.

Goku and Trunks vs Lood is entertaining enough. The use of Super Saiyan for Goku and Trunks to make Lood tumble as a neat act of turning the tables, and Tokunaga’s track accompanying it did a great job of highlighting the power emanating from them both. Goku and Trunks managing to smack Lood around in their base forms and the playful track Tokunaga uses as he attempts to zap them back makes the battle feel somewhat like a game, perhaps because this is intended as a wacky grand adventure in space.

Honourable mentions for the fight with Lood include the ominous track from Tokunaga that played as Goku and Trunks realized they had to outsmart him, Lood swinging his arms, causing flames to envelop the area around his shrine, and the adventurous track used when Goku and Trunks start to fight back.

As another episode comes to a close, Pan’s situation becomes even more dire as she is absorbed and a red aura covers Lood, emphasizing in typical Dragon Ball fashion that the antagonist is about to become stronger.

Episode 14 – Get the Rhythm Perfect?! The Strategy to Defeat Lood!!

With plenty more action to be had the battle with Lood and Goku, Trunks and Pan’s extended side quest on the self-named planet reaches its climactic finale with some nice payoffs to previously established concepts along the way.

The tension remains high with a damning music track from Tokunaga to accompany Lood emerging from the glowing aura, and Goku and Trunks subsequently looking with fear as the proclaimed deity stares them down.

While Pan is inside Lood she shows her smarts by devising a plan whilst meeting the Para Para Brothers and the rest of Lood’s followers, all of whom share a common goal of being set free. Dolltaki being smacked by Pan as he tries to kiss her and getting zapped again, and being turned on by Lood’s followers were all very satisfying, and necessary addendums to the disturbing acts he had teased earlier.

When Dolltaki refuses to reveal how Pan and Lood’s ex-followers could escape she uses the Para Para Brothers and their irritating dance routine to her advantage by making Dolltaki dance along, unintentionally revealing Lood’s weak spot. This was a nice subversion of the dance previously being a nuisance and shows some cleverness and growth for Pan’s character. Suffice to say the Para Para Brothers only revealing later they know telepathy shows that they can still be a hindrance, just more on an inconvenience rather than as a threat.

Pan and Goku’s efforts to time their blasts effectively so they can both hit the red cell that is Lood’s weak spot was a neat decision, and adds some substance to the idea of a lack of rhythm, which became evident when Goku fell for the Para Para Brothers dance. Funnily enough it’s when names of food is involved rather than numbers that Goku can get himself into a pattern whereby he could follow Pan’s lead and cooperate with her to destroy Lood. It was rather charming that instead of another moment where Goku was hungry his love for eating was used to his, and Pan’s advantage.

With Lood broken apart, Pan, the Para Para Brothers and all Lood’s ex-worshippers return to their previous forms, and another side quest is brought to a satisfactory conclusion accompanied by some harmonious music from Tokunaga. Nonetheless an image of Dr Mu in the sky emphasizes that the quest to save the Earth from certain doom is not over yet.

Episode 15 – I’m Running Away!! Pan’s Desertion?!

Somewhat of a refresher after several episodes on the planet Lood, and with more necessary character growth for Pan to offer, this episode was an enjoyable addition to the intergalactic quest to find the Dragon Balls.

Once again Trunks is shown to be the most mature, being tasked with reminding Goku and Pan about the need to take the new threat in Dr Mu seriously. It’s ironic considering Trunks is technically the second youngest human on the crew, but given Dragon Ball is a gag series at heart it works wonders.

The conflict between Trunks and Pan causes the young girl of the Son family to feel neglected and unappreciated to the extent that she runs off. Of course excited at the prospect of finding a new Dragon Ball as their ship approaches the next planet Pan begins to take things into her own hands to try and find it. While it was nice to see that Pan is as enthusiastic about gathering all seven balls and saving the Earth as her grandfather has always been the way she was treated makes her more of a sympathetic character than how she was portrayed before.

While there is some action to be had as Goku and Trunks have to fend of a giant scorpion the premise of this episode, aside from Pan’s departure is rather sweet and simple – finding a source of water to help get the space ship going again, and given our heroes find themselves on a desert planet this is a challenge in of itself.

There are some reminders about the looming threat of Dr Mu. Dolltaki approaches what he thinks will be Dr Mu, only to see it is actually General Lock. The use of a damning track, which quickly goes silent as Dolltaki approaches did a great job at carrying that ominous feeling while also subverting expectations because while Lock still means trouble, its not the trouble expected. Lock subsequently blasts Dolltaki.

The best part of this episode was the resolutions that begin to emerge in Pan and Giru’s relationship. As Pan becomes dehydrated in the desert, finds herself in sinking sand and sees Giru attack the insect that was about to eat her she begins to see the small robot in a different light and develops feelings of gratitude towards him. Pan’s visions of her parents, Mr Satan, Goku and Trunks also remind her of all those she loves and would have lost had it not been for Giru. Moreover, when Giru thinks Pan is going to attack her she actually gives him a hug, both for saving her and finding the Dragon Ball, which was a sweet moment.

With a joyful track playing as Goku and Trunks reunite with Pan and Giru at a location with a lake and Pan and Goku have some fun in the lake this episode reaches a satisfying conclusion and acts as a great breather for the real action which is yet to begin.
Do you have any info about international non-English broadcasts about the Dragon Ball anime or manga translations/editions? Please message me. Researching for a future book with Dragon Ball scholar Derek Padula :thumbup:

Post Reply