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by Dragon Ball Ireland » Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:10 am
Episode 26 - Gohan and Goten… The Worst Brotherly Quarrel?!
The terror of Baby continues to build as we see the battle between himself and Goten underway, and the threat himself and further inhabitants poses to other characters, causing even more tension with Goku, Trunks and Pan still on some faraway planet.
The fight between Goten and Baby is exciting, both because of the showcase of Baby’s powers, and Goten continuously trying to impress Palace. While Goten vs Baby is a short fight it serves as a great reminder of how sly and devious Baby can be. Tokunaga’s music captures both Baby’s surprise antics and his sneakiness as he finds a way to control Goten when he loses focus by focusing on his Kamehame Ha and not his bodily position and awareness. While GT fights often suffer from lackluster choreography Baby’s tactics were clever writing on Junki Takegami’s part. Goten taking a call from Palace and ensuring her he was doing everything he can do to keep her safe was also a sweet and charming moment. The fact Palace was also in denial about Goten not being himself when Baby took over was also bittersweet, as it shows her naivety and is unfortunate to see her being silently rejected.
Interestingly this episode would be without humour in the absence of Mr Satan. The comic relief of Mr Satan hanging by Palace’s waist, showing his fear retains his status as the false prophet that subverts any expectations of allegedly being the strongest martial artist on Earth. Baby Goten shows awareness of Mr Satan being a bumbling fool as he drops Mr Satan without hurting him, likely doing so to put the man out of his misery. To a lesser extent, Goku attempting to find the Dragon Ball was charming in its own right, being a show of Goku’s childlike love of adventure he never lost even when he was physically an adult. The dinosaur crying after being shrunk and he needed a bandage on his stomach was somewhat unsettling though, as it was undeserved and took away from the innocent humour of Goku simply going inside him to get a Dragon Ball.
While Baby’s reign continues to be developed there are also signs of growing awareness alongside the ignorance of those oblivious to what he’s capable of, like Palace. In the midst of the party on Goku, Trunks and Pan’s ship to celebrate gathering six Dragon Balls, Goku begins to ponder what Baby must be doing elsewhere, which shows his awareness, which Pan needed to become more conscious of. Although given Goku’s experience with fighting numerous villains to date its to be expected, but a welcome reminder that being turned into a child didn’t negate everything he learned as an adult. Similarly, the shot of Piccolo sensing something was neat to demonstrate his cognizance, and a great re-introduction to the ever meditating character.
The scenes with Chi-Chi and Bulma are exactly what this episode needs to juxtapose the awareness of characters like Goku and Piccolo with the obliviousness, or perhaps idealism of those that want to live a regular day on Earth. Chi-Chi plays the ever concerned, loving mother taking care of Goten with reassurance from Bulma, like an older sister. Gohan also provides some assurance Goten will be alright, although his presence and Goten’s return soon deprive Chi-Chi and Bulma of any typical day, merely worrying about Goku, Trunks and Pan’s safety, and makes no secret of the fact the danger to the Earth is far greater even before a year has passed since the Dragon Balls being used.
While Baby is typically treated as the generic major villain, having him try to follow Earth’s social cues while looking for Vegeta was a neat storytelling decision, and gives him a challenge in the form of seamlessly blending in to control other human’s bodies when they least expect it. Chi-Chi being slammed in the back of the head and being pushed away were failures for Baby when it comes to proving Goten is still Goten. Although Chi-Chi may not realize her son is being controlled it does raise some flags and alert her to something being up. The conversation with Baby Goten demanding to be told where Vegeta is was appropriately awkward, due to Baby’s anger towards the saiyans he struggles to remain calm, and at the same time it doesn’t help him conceal Goten’s everyday composure. Baby Goten’s screaming out of frustration when he isn’t told where Vegeta is can also be attributed to the bitterness he holds over what the saiyans did to his people.
Following another short fight between Gohan and Goten, Baby also manages to control the former, highlighting his growing dominance on Earth even though he was able to figure out something was different about his brother. Additionally since Gohan had a special bond with Piccolo his Kamehame Ha at Piccolo adds a sense of tragedy to Baby’s reign, and questions regarding his survival.
At this stage what Baby will do next, and whether Goku, Trunks and Pan manage to make it back to Earth in time is anyone’s guess.
Episode 27 - Ambition Achieved?! Vegeta is Taken Over
For the episode that has been built up to as the decisive moment when Baby confronts Vegeta there is some lightheartedness in it, although it helps to add more context to everything that will be at risk as Baby continues to dominate the Earth and its people.
Vegeta and Bra’s return from their shopping trip was nice to see, both in terms of how the saiyan prince handles having a daughter, and to see how settled he has become on Earth. The goofy Tokunaga does a great job at highlighting the simplicity of the father-daughter shopping trip and Vegeta’s embarrassment over shaving cream being one of the items they purchased. Vegeta driving a car made on Earth was also neat for the purpose of telling how much he has adapted to life on Earth, which ironically is far more than his rival Goku has. The scene with the young males trying to chat up Bra was rather unsettling though, given the face she was only a little girl. Vegeta seems aware of this and very willing to protect Bra though, given he bumped into the other car, tore off the steering wheel and sent the boys and their vehicle into the sea. It may have been harsh, but it shows how much Vegeta cares for his family.
Evidently there is still some unawareness of Baby’s growing dominance. Chi-Chi continues to be the loving mother, being the first to look after Goten, although with support from Bulma, Videl and Gohan. Videl was also unaware of Baby controlling Gohan when she notices her husband walking out, which shows that Baby is learning how to blend into life on Earth, adding a little bit of growth to his character. Goten’s sudden awakening may be seen as a source of relief for Chi-Chi, although his eyes turning red makes it harder for even the most naive to not even suspect mind control.
As with Goku, Trunks and Pan’s quest thus far the fact there will always be some obstacles to find the Dragon Balls remains, although funnily enough this time Goku has no one to blame but himself for not bringing a coat on such a freezing planet. Goku caught a cold and fell into a hole, but given he managed to secure the last black star Dragon Ball it was all worth it. The victorious Tokunaga track played as Goku, Trunks and Pan celebrate on their ship gives some reward to their quest, even if with Baby still around it is doomed to be short-lived.
The fight between Vegeta and Baby (currently inhabiting Gohan’s body) was unique given it was Dragon Ball’s first battle at night. While Vegeta also, like Piccolo earlier shows awareness of Baby’s threat it could be argued he senses the tsufurian’s power a little late given the fact he had to jam on his car breaks, causing Bra to hurt her head. Additionally, Vegeta was quick to realize both Gohan and Goten were being controlled, but for a character as experienced and from a civilization as advanced as the saiyans no less could realistically be expected. Regarding the disrupted return from shopping, Vegeta remains a caring and protective father as he escapes Baby’s initial blast managing to carry her down to safety. Its arguable that Vegeta flinging Bra backwards into the car could be considered a bit much, although the fact he allows someone so young to drive indicates that he is not exactly strict either, as long as she can be away from harm. Its possible that Bulma could have taught Bra to drive and earned both herself and Vegeta’s trust, which leaves little reason to expect recklessness on their part.
Vegeta and Baby’s fight, despite being newfound territory for Dragon Ball in terms of setting isn’t that well choreographed. The speaking moments between the two characters when Vegeta comes to realize who Baby’s race were was good, but the fight itself doesn’t offer anything special since it largely focuses on ki blasts, which are fired mid-air and spread in all directions. The one notable tactic in this fight was Baby grabbing Vegeta by the head, dragging it along the ground and later flinging him, which was rather brutal and shows the extent Baby will go to have his revenge. While Vegeta remains confident powering up and showing Baby what he’s up against the sly creature manages to find his way into the saiyans muscle, just as he did with Goten in their fight, though even then he isn’t fully controlled. The silence used during the panning shot of Goten and Gohan lying on the ground captures the horror caused by Baby, further amplified by the shot of Baby appearing on Vegeta’s face assuring the saiyan that he won’t be able to resist any longer.
Baby’s revelations about the tsufurian homeworld and culture, both of which were eliminated by the saiyans was a nice touch for adding some context to what he has endured, and also sets the stage for his plan to resurrect it.
With a wish in mind the threat of danger to the Earth lingers once again, as even Goku, Trunks and Pan’s long awaited return to the planet can no longer guarantee its safety.
Episode 28 - Goku Returns… All of Earth is my Enemy?!
For this episode its good to see some more focus on Goku, Trunks and Pan, especially given the fact that their return to Earth was not all as great as they may have hoped for.
Initially there is some necessary celebration for the gathering of all seven Dragon Balls. The peaceful Tokunaga track played as Goku and Pan see the Earth through the window of their ship, and prepare to land on the heavenly realm was good for giving our heroes a sense of accomplishment while it lasts. With some nice banter between Goku and Pan with the latter trying to get all the credit for being responsible for their success gathering the Dragon Balls was cute, although threatening Dende to be grateful was a little much, and shows Pan still has some growing up to do. Pan giving Giru a cape as a sign of gratitude was nice though, especially given how she treated the robot for many parts of their journey.
Goku and Pan’s return to the Son household has a very sombre feel. Not only are Goku and Pan not greeted, but they are given complete silence when Chi-Chi and Videl do nothing but wash dishes and serve food. Trunks is also surprised when he returns to Capsule Corp to find it has become a complete ghost town, although he finds his father at the top of the stairs and decides to follow him, although, as with Goku and Pan’s experience it wasn’t what he expected from seeing his family again. Trunks’ father who appears to be Vegeta makes no secret of the fact he is Baby however, as his hair turns white and he’s quick to attack Trunks, leading him to warn Giru who was hovering above to get away, only for him to be blasted by Baby.
Luckily Goku had the awareness to know when Goten and Gohan weren’t themselves, while he was initially delighted to see the former it was when the latter arrived and they both transformed he realized both were being controlled. Moreover, Pan shows care for Pan placing his hand on her forehead and ensuring her her father and uncle weren’t themselves.
The bond between Mr Satan and Majin Boo was also great for the comic relief, even if its largely because he is scared of Baby, and is taking advantage of his friend’s ability to sense ki. Mr Satan’s fear shows when he notices something unusual inside Boo’s body, and gets out as soon as he realizes he is a match for everyone around them. When Boo fails to sense Baby, Mr Satan emerges and punches through all the people who were outside their mansion, although they manage to stand back up. Mr Satan also realizes what has happened to Gohan and Goten and arrives with Boo to where Goku is in case he needs support.
As Vegeta arrives it becomes clear that the ultimate battle of the living saiyans, driven by the desire for a tsufruian to undo the damage their race has done is yet to begin.
Episode 29 - This is Super Awful?! Super Saiyan 3 is Defeated!!
An episode filled with tension and drama as Goku is forced to fight his own friends and family and struggle for his own safety as Baby is willing to stop at nothing to enact his revenge.
The lingering music at the beginning of the episode as Mr Satan and Majin Boo look up and Goku looks further at Baby and his inhabitants emphasizes the potential hopelessness of the situation should our hero lose this fight
Mr Satan shows some smarts revealing he saved the remaining Earthlings by having them absorbed inside Boo’s body, although the fact he runs away when Baby Vegeta launches a ki blast is very telling - that he is still the bumbling fool he’s always been. Suffice to say Mr Satan laughs as he escapes, particularly because himself and Pan can both take shelter in Boo’s body, as Baby is distracted by Goku. Specifically, Baby Vegeta stopping Gohan from blasting Boo and insisting that they fight Goku shows his commitment to first taking revenge on the saiyans.
Of course no one is as smart as Baby, not only did he manage to take control of almost all Goku’s friends and family, but in the story he tells he reveals that he planted an egg in Trunks’ body, which ensured that even with his best resistance he would eventually fall under the tsufruian’s control.
The fight between Goku and Baby Vegeta is more entertaining than the other battles in GT, which can be attributed to what’s at stake and it being old rivals. For instance Goku not being able to handle the immense power of super saiyan 3 was great conceptually for once again showing being turned into a kid was detrimental to his fighting ability. The scene where Goku is backed into a corner at the foot of the cliff, only allowing Baby Vegeta to launch an array of air smacks on him further elaborated on this extra vulnerability. In general Baby Vegeta has the upper edge throughout the battle dodging many of Goku’s attacks, blasting him to make him fall, leaving Goku with scratches all over his body, and smacking him down by hitting him on the head.
This sense of doom is alleviated briefly when the ever resillient Goku bites Baby Vegeta’s arm, although there’s no other humour in this episode, which is definitely not a weakness as this is not an episode that needs any wacky moments, although one is fine given its a staple move for Goku.
Baby Vegeta’s transformation, as he gathers energy from Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Bra was appropriately ominous and threatening. As red clouds emerge, lightning strikes and Baby Vegeta speaks the Earth gathering energy from its inhabitants under his control its clear that he is beginning to reach his peak in power, which culminates in the Revenge Death Ball he launches at Goku causing shocks all around the area where they fought.
Since Goku has only died two times in the entirety of the series leaving the episode with the possibility of him being killed once again adds to the seriousness of the battle he just lost, though whether he can quickly come back from it remains to be seen.
Episode 30 - Goku is Annihilated?! I’m Dead
Earth’s fate continuously hangs in the balance as Baby Vegeta receives the seven black star Dragon Balls, and Goku has another chance to live in what can be described as a traditional Dragon Ball adventure with a supernatural twist.
As Baby Vegeta summons the black star dragon the same Tokunaga track plays as the first time the dragon was called out, which is a rather nice touch of continuity, and brings with it an abrupt undoing of Goku, Trunks and Pan’s quest throughout the cosmos to gather them all. Pan witnessing the sight of the dragon adds to the magnitude of failure, and as she still has some growing up to do it is a great lesson not to get too excited, even if she believes she was the one who deserves the credit for gathering all the Dragon Balls. Nonetheless, as Pan breaks down in tears she carries with her an immense feeling of despair, a relatable trait for anyone that would have experienced what she did regardless of their age.
The ethereal sound of Tokunaga’s track played as the tsufurian planet is restored gives the impression that this is a planet that must have endured a lot, and despite being restored to its former state it leaves a lot of mystery. When it comes to all the conflict the saiyans and tsufurian may have had, the revival of the planet without those who were involved in the conflict means a lot is left to the imagination.
The game Goku plays is quite entertaining, particularly as its the one time where having more common sense and general knowledge would be to his benefit, which is refreshing as it means for once having great combat knowledge doesn’t help. Even powering up won’t work in the world Goku currently finds himself in. Initially the game seems easy, although Goku soon learns that Suguro is full of surprises. The quiz questions Goku has to answer, particularly as he sits on the riddle space become quite the obstacle given the hole continues to enlarge and there’s nothing but spikes at the bottom. Funnily enough Goku’s obsession with food saves him from certain death as he lands holding on to some spikes by his arms and others by his teeth. Interestingly similar powers to Majin Boo are found in this strange world, as Suguro manages to change the numbers on the dice. Goku also has to overcome an unlikely challenge, having to not cry, which is something he has consistently avoided doing in his life, although even he struggles when onions fall on him followed by a swarm of knifes. This was a funny scene, like something Toriyama would write and a nod to Goku’s lack of domestic skills.
There are some nice character moments for Goku’s friends and family, particularly Mr Satan, Boo, and the Kais. Mr Satan shows his kind, compassionate grandfatherly side as he comforts Pan reminding her that Trunks is being controlled. The scene with elder Kai finishing only for Kibitoshin to fall into the lake, frustrating him was funny too, but the latter’s revelation that he saved Goku only to fail to hold on to him was nice as it shows him doing his job as a god by taking responsibility for someone of his universe, albeit one that is a friend, and its the second time he has saved Goku from being destroyed.
Nevertheless, even if Goku manages to find his way back to the living world, with Baby Vegeta’s ship that he will bring to the tsufurian planet marks the beginning of a new chapter in this saga, and one that will lead to our heroes greatest battle to date.
. Suffice to say, and even before seeing the earlier episodes I quickly caught on.
