Vodka

Vodka
ウォッカ (Wokka)
Anime
English Name(s)	Vodka
Name Pun	vodka, Russian alcoholic beverage
Anime Debut	Dragon Ball Episode 92
Appears in	Anime-only
Japanese VA	Kōzō Shioya
Personal Data
Classification	Human-type Earthling
Occupation	Athletic manager / crime boss

Vodka is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball universe by Akira Toriyama. Son Goku encountered Vodka twice in his travels, both times as a minor villain whose deception is not noticed or understood thanks to Goku's naiveté. Vodka's first appearance was in filler material written by Keiji Terui set during the 22nd Tenka'ichi Budōkai. He was later brought back into the series as a one-time antagonist in the run up to the Cell Games, in a filler episode scripted by Hiroshi Toda.

Biography

Sometime prior to the 22nd Tenka'ichi Budōkai, Vodka became Panput's manager. Although Panput was a capable fighter, Vodka identified matches that Panput may have lost and used underhanded tactics to ensure his client's victory. Panput noticed that several of his competitors lost by default by not showing up at matches, but he assumed that they were just intimidated by his prowess. In Son Goku's case, Vodka and his henchmen lured Goku away from the tournament grounds by telling him that the match had been moved, not expecting him to be able to return in time. With Lunch's assistance, Goku discovered the ruse and was able to return in time, defeating Panput.

Years later, Vodka has become the self-proclaimed "emperor of gangsters" but fears being killed by Cell. To protect himself, he begins gathering the dragon balls and is able to purchase two balls from Tao Pai-pai. Unfortunately, Son Goku arrives and wants the dragon balls for himself. Vodka discovers Son Goku's strength as he has no difficulty waltzing through his trap-filled fortress. Tao Pai-pai eventually fools Goku into solving a difficult puzzle involving metal rings while he and Vodka flee to safety with all of the balls. Goku solves the puzzle and uses teleportation to find Vodka, not even realizing that he was being cheated. He collects the balls for himself. Vodka is not seen again in the series.

Name

Vodka is named directly for the Russian beverage, one of several filler characters in the lead up to the Cell Games who have alcohol-related names including Bourbon, Lao Chu (a type of Chinese alcohol), and Lime (used for mixed drinks).

Production

Due to the production schedule challenges inherent in producing a weekly anime series based on a weekly comic, the writers of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z interjected anime-only material both as a means of extending the runtime and to flesh out the Dragon Ball universe. Vodka and his related adventures were written by Keiji Terui and Hiroshi Toda. His initial appearance was to provide additional drama around Goku's short battle with Panput, while the latter fleshed out how Cell's attacks affected society.

Notable Skills

Vodka is an underhanded criminal who is able to successfully fool a naieve teenager and a still-naieve adult.

Performance

Vodka is played by Kōzō Shioya, a Japanese voice actor who is best known for voicing Gurd and Majin Boo. The character is uncredited in his original Dragon Ball appearance, although Shioya played many small roles in that portion of the series and may have voiced him in his original appearance as well.

Notable Appearances

• Dragon Ball Episode 92 - Vodka's first unnamed appearance as Pamput's manager.
• Dragon Ball Z Episode 174 - Vodka's reappearance in Dragon Ball Z.