Dragon Ball Rewatch, Week 26 - DB episode 116-120

[Robo4900]

Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone between and beyond, and welcome to week 26 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 coming up on the end of the Piccolo arc now, and thus, the end of Goku's childhood. Tresure it while it lasts.

Previous thread: Week 25 (DB 111-115)
Next thread: Week 26 (DB 121-125)

Anyway, without further ado...

Episode 116 - Kame-Sen’nin’s Alive?!
Dub title: A Taste of Destiny / Is Master Roshi Alive?
Originally aired 22nd of June 1988
Episode director: Daisuke Nishio
Animation supervisor: Tomekichi Takeuchi

After passing through numerous difficulties and advancing deep into the labyrinth, before Goku’s eyes appears Kame House, which shouldn’t be in the ice labyrinth! Goku is tempted by the sweet words of the supposedly dead Kame-Sen’nin, Yamcha, and the others. However, it turns out that this was all the work of the labyrinth’s master, “Darkness,” who was testing Goku. After recognizing Goku’s power and granting him the Super Sacred Water, “Darkness” informs him that it is a powerful poison, and that powerless people who drink it will die. As soon as Goku braces himself and drinks the Super Sacred Water, he clutches his throat in pain, but…

Anime-only/filler content: Everything with Goku outside of him drinking the water. (Written by Michiru Shimada)

Episode 117 - Son Goku Finally Departs!!
Dub title: The Ultimate Sacrifice / Goku Gets A Boost
Originally aired 29th of June 1988
Episode director: Mitsuo Hashimoto
Animation supervisor: Katsumi Aoshima

Goku is filled by extreme pain. But despite Yajirobe’s worries, Goku awakens with his body swelling with new power from the Super Sacred Water. At that time, the world had fallen into a great pinch due to Piccolo Daimaō’s cruelty… After returning to Karin-sama‘s, Goku receives a new Kinto-Un and sets off for King Castle. Meanwhile, having learned the Mafūba through intense training, Tenshinhan hurries to King Castle as well…

Anime-only/filler content: Everything with the world going into chaos with Suno, Hatchan, the gang of kids, anything at Kame House. (Written by Keiji Terui)

Episode 118 - Tenshinhan’s Determination!!
Dub title: Prelude to Vengeance / The Determination Of Tien
Originally aired 6th of July 1988
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama

Piccolo Daimaō announces that in commemoration of May 9th, the day he became king, each year on that day he will wipe out one whole region. For this year, West City where Bulma’s parents live is chosen! Daimaō tries to head to West City, but Tenshinhan shows up, attempting to stop him. He challenges him to battle!! But Daimaō doesn’t fight himself, instead giving birth to a new Demon Clan Warrior, Drum, who serves as Tenshinhan’s opponent.

Anime-only/filler content: Chi-Chi and Gyu-Mao's appearance, Upa and Bora's scenes, anything with Bulma's parents and them evacuating West City, the thugs at Kame House. (Written by Toshiki Inoue)

Episode 119 - Will It Work?! The Legendary Mafūba
Dub title: Battle Cry / Testing The Mafuba Wave
Originally aired 20th of July 1988
Episode director: Minoru Okazaki
Animation supervisor: Minoru Maeda

In his battle with Drum, Tenshinhan is overwhelmed by Drum’s speed and power, and has a difficult fight! Meanwhile, Goku saves Gyūmaō and Chi-Chi as they are attacked by the army, and hurries off towards Daimaō… As Tenshinhan gradually begins to show signs of fatigue, he takes advantage of an opening to unleash the Mafūba on Daimaō! But the Mafūba fails due to Drum’s interference, and instead it looks like Tenshinhan will be finished off. At that point Goku arrives, defeats Drum with a single blow, and saves Tenshinhan!!

Anime-only/filler content: More Bulma's parents filler, Goku rescuing Chi-Chi and Gyu-Mao, the empty West City, Yamcha preparing to leave, extension to the end of Tien and Drum's fight. (Written by Keiji Terui)

Episode 120 - Goku: Anger at Full Power!!
Dub title: Goku Strikes Back / Goku's Fierce New Power Unleashed!
Originally aired 27th of July 1988
Episode director: Mitsuo Hashimoto
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama

At last, the showdown between Piccolo Daimaō and Goku! Daimaō declares that he will defeat Goku in five seconds, but is instead thrown flying by Goku. A stupendous battle develops, as Goku easily dodges the angry Daimaō’s attacks and shifts in to attack him! Goku’s power gradually begins to overwhelm Daimaō!! At a disadvantage, Daimaō finally challenges Goku at full power. A single, tremendous blast of ki hits Goku head-on! But even this blast didn’t affect Goku!!

Anime-only/filler content: Daimao's laser beams, the Dragon Ball gang in the airplane, two extensions to Goku vs Daimao. (Written by Keiji Terui)

-

Interesting trivia:

• In the Funimation dub, the scene in the fake Kame House has all the non-Goku actors provide a very fake and stilted performance to reflect that they're illusions. This doesn't particularly have a basis in the original Japanese as far as I can tell, and Blue Water didn't seem to have tried this approach either.
  (Cue someone making some dig at both English dubs along the lines of "very fake, stilted performances? so nothing's different, then?" ... There, I've said it. Now none of you have to. =P)
  • In the original Japanese, as well as in the Blue Water dub, 14 people have drunk the Super Sacred Water before Goku; in the Funimation dub, it's 13.
  • Funimation also removed a line that names one of the members of the biker gang in episode 117 as "Ken". I was unable to determine how Blue Water handled this line. I'll give it a second look later in the week.
  • Funimation also has the boar biker ask how to spell "Annihilation", rather than the original Japanese line where he asks how to write the symbol for "Demon", which Piccolo's symbol. Blue Water's dub changes this to him asking how you spell "Piccolo rules".
  • In the Japanese version, and in the Viz manga, Tenshinhan states he must beat Piccolo because of his pride as a martial artist; he will never be satisfied until he has brought him down. Funimation's dub changes this to him simply wishing to atone for his past evil deeds. Blue Water's dub kind of lands in the middle; he says "Somebody's gotta stop that demon, and it might as well be me."
  • When Goku senses Piccolo's ki in episode 117, Funimation's dub changes this to Goku sensing Piccolo's power level. Blue Water's dub does not have any reference to power levels, and errs more faithful to the Japanese script.
  • Piccolo Day is on the 9th of May in Japanese; Funimation changed this to the 13th of May, with the logic being that the number 9 has a certain stigma in Japan that it doesn't have in the west, with the number 13 being seen as a good English equivalent. Blue Water doesn't actually mention the date, just saying "Today's date shall henceforth be known as Piccolo Day."
  • Funimation also changed the number 29 on the piece of paper showing which sector West City is in, to 28. Piccolo's finger does partially cover the number on-screen, so if you only knew the number to be 28, you probably wouldn't particularly bat an eye at it (in fact, I speculate that the translator or scriptwriter simply made a typo, and no one corrected it). Blue Water's dub uses the correct number 29 in its dialogue.
• In the Kai recap of Dragon Ball's material, it shows Goku drinking the Super Sacred Water, but cuts around anything showing Darkness or where he even is, to maintain consistency with the manga.
• Episode 117 is the first time we see the "TV in a building" idea, which would become a recurring visual any time there's a shot of the public watching something on TV in mass quantities, such as Cell announcing the Cell Games.
• Goku being able to detect Daimao's ki is the first time a main character is able to sense ki in the series. This would be expanded on in the Heavenly Training filler, but wouldn't become common among the cast until the Saiyan Arc to set them apart from the Scouter-users of the Freeza forces. (Similar to how Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu are initially quite unique for being able to fly, then by the Namek arc, everyone is flying)
• The Kinto'Un that Goku chooses from Karin is the one that would stay with him and his family for the rest of his life, being passed on to Gohan, then to Goten, before finally being used by Goku one last time in the final moments of GT (though whether this was a real event, or merely a symbolic visual, is anyone's guess).
• When Goku sets off on Kinto'Un, we hear the cloud's theme music. Thanks to Goku not using Kinto'Un at the end of the Baba Saga, the last time it was played was in Episode 78, half a year prior, when Goku returned to Baba's Palace after Oopa's wish.
• Goku saving Chi-Chi and her father on the way to Daimao is the final time Chi-Chi has been inserted into the story before her manga re-introduction at the 23rd TB. What makes this inclusion different however is that by this point, Chi-Chi had already been revealed in the manga (which was in the middle of Goku vs Majunior when Episode 119 aired).
• The location of the final battle isn't actually in West City: Ten interrupts Daimao before he can leave the capital to destroy that sector, meaning the final battle actually takes place in whichever city the king's castle is in. (Possibly Central City; hard to say for sure)
• In the manga, Ten doesn't even attempt to use the Mafuba on Drum, because he realizes the rice cooker has been cracked. In the anime he successfully uses it (albiet on a different target than intended), which contradicts the idea that it kills the one who uses it. It is possible Ten has a tolerance for techniques of that sort, from his time using the Kikoho.

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]

Goku's arrival at King Castle is my favorite moment in this stretch of episodes, and his swiftly eliminating Drum in only one blow without any difficulty really hits that he has become much more immensely powerful compared to when he had initially faced Daimao back in episode 109. He's on such a level that Tien is in awe, and in particular that one moment where he is standing with a blue outline around him with that serious expression on his face after having thrown Piccolo (which also kills Piano inadvertently after he slams into him. ). It is there you really get the sense that the Super God Water gave him the immense boost of strength he really needed.

I also like where King Furry/Koku-o is watching Goku fighting Piccolo and says "Defeat him, for the sake of the world." as he didn't think after Piccolo's overtaking that there would be anyone who could actually face and stand in opposition against him and is placing his life and the fate of the entire world and it's people in Goku's hands.

[ABED]

I enjoy the second filler episode with The Darkness quite a bit. It's like the Darkness is testing Goku not just physically but mentally and ethically when he keeps telling Goku he can save himself if he just let Yajirobe go. That said, the scene where Goku is being tested by the illusions of his friends doesn't work. I like stories like this where the hero is faced with choosing between the pleasant lie and the harsh reality but it doesn't work here. I think in large part because Goku is never the type to even contemplate it and sees a daunting task like defeating Piccolo as a challenge whereas characters like Buffy Summers or Dean Winchester were constantly resentful of the life forced upon them and yearned for a sense of normalcy.

[MyVisionity]

I am a fan of Takeuchi episodes so visually episode 116 is a nice treat. I also really like the concept of Darkness and the episode's stylistic choices in portraying the character. The direction and editing really contribute to the overall ambience. Darkness is a good character.

Ep 117
They really don't hold back with the filler in these episodes, do they? I imagine the manga's pace in this arc was dramatically different from the anime.

"I survived, but almost everyone else died!" I found this line funny for some reason. Again I'm not a fan of Sno and Hacchan appearing in this filler material, but I do enjoy watching both of those characters together.

I thought I remembered that wannabe Mazoku gang from a manga image, or at least that group shot of them and their shirts at the end. I remember thinking how racist it was with the one Black kid wearing the ma in Hiragana while the others have Kanji. Did the anime add those scenes with the boar doing the drawing to make it seem less racist? Interesting.

Ep 118
Bulma's parents are always fun. Enjoyable with such simple writing. Two characters very much in the classic Toriyama style.

Ep 119
I like the gag in the beginning with the cars rear-ending one another and exploding!

Really not a fan of Ox and Chichi showing up in filler material, even though I like the characters.

Drum is a good minion. I like how intimidating and violent he is. The fight with Tenshinhan was both amusing and intense. This guy leaves an impression. I also like how loyal he is to Piccolo. "Crush his heart and gouge out his eyes." I like how demonic Piccolo can sound.

Goku arriving to the battle and killing Drum in one hit is a classic moment.

Episode 120
Great fight between Goku and Daimao. I like when Piccolo released his full power. It sounded great. Nice cliffhanger.

That said, the scene where Goku is being tested by the illusions of his friends doesn't work. I like stories like this where the hero is faced with choosing between the pleasant lie and the harsh reality but it doesn't work here.

I don't think it's supposed to be that type of story in this case. Goku wasn't facing some kind of difficult choice, the Darkness was attempting to manipulate him. His friends were supposedly hiding out underground, but Goku saw through the bullshit and kept going. If anything, Goku's heart and mind were being tested.

[ABED]

I don't think it's supposed to be that type of story in this case. Goku wasn't facing some kind of difficult choice, the Darkness was attempting to manipulate him. His friends were supposedly hiding out underground, but Goku saw through the bullshit and kept going. If anything, Goku's heart and mind were being tested.

Ummm, that's my point. The test doesn't work on an emotional level because he's not the type to be tempted by such an offer.

[MyVisionity]

I don't think it's supposed to be that type of story in this case. Goku wasn't facing some kind of difficult choice, the Darkness was attempting to manipulate him. His friends were supposedly hiding out underground, but Goku saw through the bullshit and kept going. If anything, Goku's heart and mind were being tested.

Ummm, that's my point. The test doesn't work on an emotional level because he's not the type to be tempted by such an offer.

I'm saying it's not supposed to work on an emotional level to begin with. It's not even an offer, just a trick. Goku sees through it. There was nothing to be tempted by in the first place. Unless you mean you prefer it to be a deeper, more emotional situation than it was?

[ABED]

I don't think that's true. I didn't literally mean it was an offer. I should've written trick but I thought you would get my point seeing as your screen name is "myvisionity". In every single example I've brought up it was a trick. It's always supposed to work emotionally for an audience. That's what stories are about - getting an emotional reaction from the audience. Since there was nothing Goku was going to be tempted by, why tell this story? It's clear why the writers of Buffy and Supernatural used it.

[Matches Malone]

I really like the change made to Tien's confrontation with Piccolo, as he didn't even get to try the mafuba in the manga.

[KBABZ]

I really like the change made to Tien's confrontation with Piccolo, as he didn't even get to try the mafuba in the manga.

It would have killed him!

[ArmenianPepsi]

In EP 119 I just like how Goku drops in at the last second to save Tien's life. The way he just stares at Drum and Daimao. That cold, dead serious face he has. You can just tell Goku is in full "No bullshit" mode. He is here, he means business, and he is not going to hold back. Really set the mood for the brawl that was going to happen.

https://i.gyazo.com/0b6dfb4d47f2ff8fef6 ... fd212f.jpg

[Robo4900]

I just made a couple of corrections to the OP; I fixed "Super God Water" being in various places instead of my preferred rendering, "Super Sacred Water" (that's how Mandelin rendered it, so I'm going with that), and I also fixed episode 120 not listing the dub titles.

I would like to note at this point that if you look at the dub titles in this period, Funi consistently makes up their own titles that sound vaguely like their titles for Z's episodes, meanwhile Blue Water's episode titles faithfully render the original Japanese titles, though often with some adjustment to make them work better as titles of an episode of an English TV show. Just thought that was an interesting thing to note; it kinda reflects the difference in approach between the two dubs at this stage.

Anyway, I haven't watched the episodes yet. Will probably binge them on the weekend. But, my memories of this period of the show are that the end of the Piccolo arc is fittingly brutal.

[MyVisionity]

I just made a couple of corrections to the OP; I fixed "Super God Water" being in various places instead of my preferred rendering, "Super Sacred Water" (that's how Mandelin rendered it, so I'm going with that), and I also fixed episode 120 not listing the dub titles.

I don't know if you caught it last week or not, but the name of the water in this arc is actually the Super God/Spirit Water (choushinsui), not the Super Holy/Sacred Water (chouseisui) from the Red Ribbon arc. Mandelin got the two mixed up in the subtitles.

It's your thread, of course, so whichever you prefer! I'm just pointing out the error.

[Robo4900]

I just made a couple of corrections to the OP; I fixed "Super God Water" being in various places instead of my preferred rendering, "Super Sacred Water" (that's how Mandelin rendered it, so I'm going with that), and I also fixed episode 120 not listing the dub titles.

I don't know if you caught it last week or not, but the name of the water in this arc is actually the Super God/Spirit Water (choushinsui), not the Super Holy/Sacred Water (chouseisui) from the Red Ribbon arc. Mandelin got the two mixed up in the subtitles.

It's your thread, of course, so whichever you prefer! I'm just pointing out the error.

Huh. Sorry, yeah, I read your post on that, but forgot.

Thing is, Herms refers to the Piccolo one as Super God Water, and the Red Ribbon one as the Super Holy Water, and his name for it is what's used in general on Kanzenshuu as well. Similarly, Mandelin goes with Super Sacred Water for the Piccolo one, and Super Spirit Water for the Red Ribbon water... They seem quite similar, so I presumed both were right, but differently adapted, but I usually err on the side of the subs for stuff like this.

I wonder if we could get Herms to weigh in on this. It seems unusual to me that Mandelin would make such a weird error.

'Course it has happened before. Steve Simmons consistently mis-attributed who wrote "HOPE!!" on Trunks's time machine (IIRC the subs for both Z and Kai say it was Bulma, but it was actually Trunks. I may have that the wrong way around), which Funi then carried over into their dubs.

[MyVisionity]

It seems unusual to me that Mandelin would make such a weird error.

I don't have a screenshot, but the pot containing the water that Goku drinks from in 116 has a clearly visible 神 (God/Spirit) symbol drawn on it, and yet the subtitle for the symbol says "Sacred". That tells me it was probably an intentional error, because there's no way Mandelin would confuse 神 for 聖 (Holy/Sacred).

My guess is that a mistake was made sometime back during the Red Ribbon arc, but by the time the Piccolo arc came around it may have been too late to fix it. So Mandelin may have possibly decided it would be best to switch the two around, ignoring accuracy. Maybe for the sake of the audience? Just a thought.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Episode 116 - Kame-Sen’nin’s Alive?!

One of the darkest and most mysterious episodes thus far. Not only is the cave Goku and Yajirobe have found themselves in dark and everlasting, but it will turn out to be full of trickery and twists. As Goku goes off on his own and punches a character shrouded in shadow trying to punch him it appeared to be Muten Roshi. Initially Goku is fooled by the appearance of Kame House, his friends except for Kuririn all being there and laughing at his idea of fighting Daimao again. The figure that appears to be Roshi follows him as he walks outside Kame House to test him more. This figure poses a significant threat swinging levitating rocks at Goku, and when Yajirobe falls on him and ends up hanging by his leg threatens to push Goku off the edge of a cliff. Interestingly it was Goku's determination to not allow Yajirobe to fall that causes him to eventually disappear and allow Goku to pass the test and the Darkness to present itself.

Much like earlier parts of this arc there is a sense of fragility once Goku is exposed to the Choshinsui Water he is presented with a life or death scenario. If he drinks he could either become stronger or die. Goku's decision to drink the water despite the Darkness telling him no one has ever survived works as another moment of accidental heroship for his character. Yajirobe taking a sip of the water and pretending to be poisoned was a funny moment and implies that despite his attitude he has grown to like Goku as a friend. The episode ends with a lot of tension between all the memories that come back to Goku as his body appears to be struggling to absorb the Choshinsui Water and Daimao continues to threaten King Furry.

Episode 117 - Son Goku Finally Departs!!

This episode wraps up another side quest nicely and necessitates the need for it to end by the horror of Daimao's reign intensifying. While there appears to be no physical change in Goku he comes across more confident in this episode and willingly leads himself and Yajirobe back to where they came from. Karin helps Goku and Yajirobe out by unleasing a gust of wind to levitate them towards the hole back to his tower.

At Central City the true danger of Daimao's rule as riots start to emerge. Nonetheless, Android 8 gets a good moment when a bunch of civilians try to threaten himself and Suno but he ends up showing he is very strong and shouldn't be messed with, which helps to fend off the growing threats while Goku is still absent. This fear and need for Goku to confront Daimao is strengthened by the cutback to Bulma and gang who concern for what is to come in isolation.

The episode ends with scenes of Goku leaving on a new Kinto Un through stormy clouds and seas and Tien flying through mountains. Both characters are determined to defeat Daimao and builds great expectations for the fight against Daimao.

Episode 118 - Tenshinhan’s Determination!!

The widespead fear of Daimao's reign continues as he threatens more havoc on live broadcasts, terrifying Bulma and gang. It seems that no one can stop Daimao's rule. Unsurpringly Chi-Chi has confidence in Goku. Yajirobe remains as cocky as ever telling Karin he can ride on a Kinto Un, only to fall to the ground but he survives so its a rather humorous moment.

As Daimao prepares to attack West City first we see more of the bond that has developed between our heroes and Tien as Bulma requests that he stop Daimao from going there and he agrees to confront him to prevent that from happening. Additional comradery is shown by Bulma, Yamcha and Lunch who defend themselves from a bunch of thugs that storm Kame House.

As Tien reaches Central City he expresses massive confidence in his ability to defeat Daimao especially now that he has learned the Mafuba. As the episode ends Daimao fathers his new son Drum, which although gets in the way of Tien's plans to defeat him shows his willingness to adapt to an unpredictable villain as he seems prepared to look at the fight as a warm up.

Episode 119 - Will It Work?! The Legendary Mafuba

In this episode we see escalation of the Central City situation with car crashes and Ox King defending Chi-Chi from attacks, as well as good character moments like Goku blocking a torpedo in front of Chi-Chi, and Lunch polishing her gun, a nice touch to show her preparing for the next conflict. During the fight between Tien and Drum we see some good strategization with the former trying to get to Daimao with the Mafube without going through Drum first. At first it appears Tien has the upper hand even when Drum gets in the way, although, as expected from antagonists we've seen thus far they always get a good shot against our heroes once the fight gets going. The moment when Daimao was petrified by Tien preparing the Mafuba was quite compelling as it emphasizes the fact even the most formidable foes can have their weaknesses, although unsurprisingly he manages to destroy the Denshi Jar just in time. As Goku arrives his ease in defeating Drum shows how much stronger he has become, especially given how amazed Tien was in his newfound skills.

Episode 120 - Goku: Anger at Full Power!!

Good action packed episode showcasing both Goku and Tien at their best. Tien's shock at how easily Goku defeated Drum remains a constant reminder for the strides Goku has made in his training, which during the fight serves to give the impression that Daimao is no match. After an impressive display of agility in the face of a barrage of beams from Daimao, Goku manages to knock the demon king down for the count. Although all this surprises even Daimao it sets up what is another example of the trope of villains initially toying with our heroes, as unsurprisingly Daimao had a trick up his sleeve to land a blow on Goku, making him hit the ground and cause a dent. It's not all too predictable however as Goku prepares a Kamehame Ha showing that he has a lot of stamina left, which leaves viewers exciting for what is to come next.

Now on to the current week

[MasenkoHA]

• In the Funimation dub, the scene in the fake Kame House has all the non-Goku actors provide a very fake and stilted performance to reflect that they're illusions. This doesn't particularly have a basis in the original Japanese as far as I can tell, and Blue Water didn't seem to have tried this approach either.
  (Cue someone making some dig at both English dubs along the lines of "very fake, stilted performances? so nothing's different, then?" ... There, I've said it. Now none of you have to. =P)

One of the most baffling decisions in the Funi dub. They’re suppose to be illusions why would they be such obvious liars? The fact that it was clearly a decision by the voice director makes it even worse.

Tenshinhan states he must beat Piccolo because of his pride as a martial artist; he will never be satisfied until he has brought him down. Funimation's dub changes this to him simply wishing to atone for his past evil deeds. Blue Water's dub kind of lands in the middle; he says "Somebody's gotta stop that demon, and it might as well be me."

Admittedly I prefer the Funimation line here. The Japanese line makes him still sound arrogant. The Blue Water line is good too

Funimation's dub changes this to Goku sensing Piccolo's power level. Blue Water's dub does not have any reference to power levels, and errs more faithful to the Japanese script.

It doesn’t even make sense since power level insinuates a quantifiable number. But gotta appeal to Ameriball Z fans I guess.

[Planetnamek]

• In the Funimation dub, the scene in the fake Kame House has all the non-Goku actors provide a very fake and stilted performance to reflect that they're illusions. This doesn't particularly have a basis in the original Japanese as far as I can tell, and Blue Water didn't seem to have tried this approach either.
  (Cue someone making some dig at both English dubs along the lines of "very fake, stilted performances? so nothing's different, then?" ... There, I've said it. Now none of you have to. =P)

One of the most baffling decisions in the Funi dub. They’re suppose to be illusions why would they be such obvious liars? The fact that it was clearly a decision by the voice director makes it even worse.

Tenshinhan states he must beat Piccolo because of his pride as a martial artist; he will never be satisfied until he has brought him down. Funimation's dub changes this to him simply wishing to atone for his past evil deeds. Blue Water's dub kind of lands in the middle; he says "Somebody's gotta stop that demon, and it might as well be me."

Admittedly I prefer the Funimation line here. The Japanese line makes him still sound arrogant. The Blue Water line is good too

Funimation's dub changes this to Goku sensing Piccolo's power level. Blue Water's dub does not have any reference to power levels, and errs more faithful to the Japanese script.

It doesn’t even make sense since power level insinuates a quantifiable number. But gotta appeal to Ameriball Z fans I guess.

That reminds me of some the changes made to the voice-acting in Spyro: Reignited, particularly Spyro 3, as moments in the third game that were originally played for laughs were played more straight in the remake(I.E. Hunter having a more "cool" sounding voice as opposed to his more dorky original voice) and that sounds similar to what happened here.