Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone between and beyond, and welcome to week 47 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.
KBABZ and I were both quite busy this week, so we'll be adding trivia and filler details a little later. Sorry if this disappoints anyone.
Previous thread: Week 46 (DBZ 48-52)
Next thread: Week 48 (DBZ movie 3)
Anyway, without further ado...
Episode 206 - Nothing but Goosebumps! The Handsome Warrior Zarbon’s Devilish Transformation (DBZ episode 53)
Dub title: Zarbon's Surprise (Funimation)
Originally aired 27th of June 1990
Kai equivalent: Episode 25 - It’s a Power-Up, Kuririn! Freeza’s Nagging Premonition
Edited dub equivalent: Episode 40 - Zarbon Transformed (first half) and Episode 41 - The Eldest Namek
Episode director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama
A fierce battle unfolds between Vegeta and Zarbon! But Zarbon was still hiding his true power. He transforms into an ugly form, powers up overwhelmingly, and comes at Vegeta!! Vegeta had had the upper hand up until that point, but his speed and power are no match for the transformed Zarbon, and he sinks to the bottom of a lake, beaten to a pulp. Meanwhile, after much effort, Kuririn and Dende finally arrive at the Eldest’s house.
Anime-only/filler content: The gang on Kaio's planet trying to catch Bubbles. (Written by Hiroshi Toda)
Episode 207 - Defend the Planet of Hope!! Kuririn’s Astonishing Power-Up (DBZ episode 54)
Dub title: Guru's Gift (Funimation)
Originally aired 4th of July 1990
Kai equivalent: Episode 25 - It’s a Power-Up, Kuririn! Freeza’s Nagging Premonition
Edited dub equivalent: Episode 41 - The Eldest Namek (first half) and Episode 42 - Get Vegeta!
Episode director: Minoru Okazaki
Animation supervisor: Tomekichi Takeuchi
The Eldest awakens Kuririn’s latent power! After powering up all at once, Kuririn receives the Dragon Ball from the Eldest, and returns to the cave to have Gohan’s latent power drawn out as well. Thinking that Vegeta might have hidden a Dragon Ball, Freeza orders Zarbon to go find him. The Dragon Ball that Vegeta hid turns up on the Dragon Radar, and Gohan hurries to pick it up!!
Anime-only/filler content: The flashback to Piccolo/God's original form arriving on earth and then splitting into two, Goku being unable to move as a result of his harsh training. (Written by Keiji Terui)
Episode 208 - Back from the Brink of Death — The Miracle Man, Vegeta (DBZ episode 55)
Dub title: Piccolo vs. Everyone (Funimation)
Originally aired 18th of July 1990
Kai equivalent: Episode 25 - It’s a Power-Up, Kuririn! Freeza’s Nagging Premonition and Episode 26 - The Plot is Smashed! The Counterattack, Vegeta vs Zarbon
Edited dub equivalent: Episode 42 - Get Vegeta! (First half) and Episode 43 - Vegeta Revived
Episode director: Tatsuya Orime
Animation supervisor: Masayuki Uchiyama
Yamcha and Tenshinhan’s training continues on Kaiō’s planet! At first they had a difficult fight with Bubbles and Gregory as their opponents, but the result of the training steadily increased. But Piccolo thought their training was stupid and wouldn’t join in on it. He finally participates in some sparring training, but is surprised at Yamcha and the others’ growth. On Planet Namek, Zarbon discovers Vegeta! Vegeta revives after receiving treatment from a medical machine!!
Anime-only/filler content: All scenes on Kaio's planet. (Written by Keiji Terui)
Episode 209 - An Enormous Battle Power!! Freeza’s Strategy is Shattered (DBZ episode 56)
Dub title: Zarbon's Mission (Funimation)
Originally aired 1st of August 1990
Kai equivalent: Episode 26 - The Plot is Smashed! The Counterattack, Vegeta vs Zarbon
Edited dub equivalent: Episode 43 - Vegeta Revived (first 3/4) and Episode 44 - A Heavy Burden
Episode director: Yoshihiro Ueda
Animation supervisor: Yukio Ebisawa
The revived Vegeta succeeds in stealing Freeza’s five Dragon Balls! What’s more, he discovers Kuririn holding a Dragon Ball, and begins pursuing him so that he can assemble all seven Dragon Balls right away. Kuririn is ecstatic at having become strong, and doesn’t notice Vegeta. The moment he arrives at the cave were Bulma is waiting, Vegeta overtakes him. But Zarbon also appears, having followed Vegeta, and the situation is absolutely desperate! Meanwhile, Goku’s spaceship is caught in a magnetic storm!
Anime-only/filler content: Gohan making a grave for the Namekians Vegeta murdered, Goku being unable to move due to the high gravity on his ship. (Written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa)
Episode 210 - I’m Back to My Old Self Again!! Goku Takes on 100 Times Gravity (DBZ episode 57)
Dub title: Gohan, the Hunted (Funimation)
Originally aired 8th of August 1990
Kai equivalent: Episode 26 - The Plot is Smashed! The Counterattack, Vegeta vs Zarbon
Edited dub equivalent: Episode 44 - A Heavy Burden (first 3/4) and Episode 45 - Immortality Denied
Episode director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Animation supervisor: Mitsuo Shindō
Due to the magnetic storm, the gravity generation device starts acting strange! Goku is hit with 100x gravity. Even for Goku, this gravity is too much. He manages to stop the device, but is seriously hurt. On Planet Namek, Vegeta and Zarbon fight before Kuririn and Bulma’s eyes. Having returned from the brink of death and powered up even further, Vegeta defeats Zarbon! Kuririn has no choice but to give his Dragon Ball to Vegeta…
Anime-only/filler content: Goku still unable to move due to the high gravity on his ship, Zarbon fighting Vegeta in his untransformed state. (Written by Takao Koyama)
-
Interesting trivia:
- At this point in time in the manga, Vegeta, Kuririn, and Gohan continue getting beat by Reacoom, Gohan has his neck snapped, Goku arrives on Namek and heals all three, and Goku fights Jheese and Butta.
- If the basis of this rewatch was the original edited dub, we would reach the end of the Saban era this week, as only 53 or 56 episodes (depending on if you count the Tree Of Might 3-part special) were produced. More on this when we reach the equivalent episodes to Saban 53/56.
- This of course won't be the first time Vegeta severely underestimates his opponent's ability to transform: he'll make the same mistake with Freeza and, most famously, Cell.
- Freeza mulling over the situation after Zarbon leaves to retrieve Vegeta is the first time the concept of Super Saiyan is introduced into the story. This would influence the Lord Slug movie, but wouldn't be introduced into the main story proper for a whole year. The English dubs of Z didn't render Freeza's original dialogue here, meaning the English versions of Z actually introduce Super Saiyan a little later than the Japanese version and Kai.
- Episode 54 is one of the few episodes to intercut between two different manga issues rather than adapting them linearly. In this case, Chapter 265 occurs first, but after Kuririn gets his powerup, we cut to the first half of Chapter 264 where Zarbon has to go back and fetch Vegeta, after which we swap back to 265 for Gohan. The rest of 264 plays out in Episode 55, with some added Kaio Training filler.
- Edits in the original dub:
- In uncut episode 53, Zarbon's mouth bleeding was painted over, him headbutting Vegeta was cut back to not show the initial headbutt connecting, and to cut the subsequent five hits, as well as two additional headbutts after we cut back to the fight. Blood on Vegeta's face was also painted over from after their fight, and three stars were painted over hits connecting in the fight. Dialogue was also very carefully worded in regards to the Grand Elder's impending death; "His time is near", "He's leaving", "I won't be around much longer", etc. It's actually handled quite well as far as cases of Never Say Die go. Overall, approximately 2% of episode 53's footage was cut.
- In uncut episode 54, Namekian corpses were painted out, and smoke rising from a dead Namekian a Freeza soldier kills is removed. Overall, no footage from episode 54 was cut.
- In uncut episode 55, a star was painted over the impact when Tenshinhan punches Piccolo in the face. Chris Psaros was very impressed with how well this episode was rendered in English on the whole. No cuts were made at all to uncut episode 55.
- In uncut episode 56, some dead Namekian bodies were painted out when Gohan flies over a Namekian village, and scenes of him walking around the village were cut (the only cuts in the episode). To go with this, Gohan's dialogue was rendered as "Vegeta's been here-I bet he was the one who hurt all the people and ruined the land like this..." and "I sure hope everyone got away all right..." Overall, approximately 4% of episode 56's footage was cut.
- In uncut episode 57, Goku's hand scraping the tether he's hanging off and getting a huge cut, was cut. Dr. Briefs' cigarette was painted out. When Vegeta punches Zarbon through his armour and skin, Funimation edited and reversed some footage so he just breaks his armour, then pulls his fist back out (it's actually a pretty clever edit). To accomodate this, Vegeta standing with his fist embedded in Zarbon was cut, and some of the gory shots when he fires his final ki attack to kill Zarbon. After this, shots that showed Vegeta's hand covered in Zarbon's blood were painted to remove this. Overall, approximately 1% of episode 57's footage was cut.
- This is the only time in the manga where Appule is mentioned by name. He's the first of Freeza's henchmen to be named, in this case after an apple, setting a trend for his henchmen to be named after fruit. This would carry on into the Broly movie, where we meet Cheelai and Lemo.
- In the manga, one panel with a text box is all that's used to explain Namek's three suns giving it an endless daytime. In the anime, a dedicated scene is given where Kuririn asks Dende about it.
- When the Grand Elder probes Kuririn's mind to learn Piccolo's past, he remarks that Piccolo is at half strength thanks to splitting in two. This concept would not be explored again until Piccolo fuses with God in order to take on the Androids (which of course goes to waste when Cell shows up). GT would also allude to this in its first episode.
- The matter of how the Grand Elder's power awakening differs from Elder Kaioshin's version of it is never explored or explained, making it appear as if Gohan has had his inner power awakened twice. Notably, Gohan does not have his power increase via an extreme emotional outburst, with the significant exception of his fight with Cell.
- In the anime (Kai included), Bulma makes an attempt to woo Zarbon thanks to his good looks, which doesn't work. This strategy didn't work against General Blue either, but for more problematic reasons.
- In the manga, the shot of Kuririn, Vegeta and Zarbon rushing at the camera one-by-one is shown in six panels. The panels of their blips coming up is literally a single drawing used three times.
- Despite Kuririn's claim, Goku never visibly got more powerful after recovering from the brink of death, at least not enough for him to note it. Possible moments where it would have include the Pilaf fight, the Jackie Chun fight, felling Muscle Tower, fighting Tenshinhan, losing to Daimao (which brought him to as good as death), defeating Daimao, defeating Majunior, and defeating Vegeta. It's unknown if being killed by Raditz would have also boosted his power.