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I really liked the fact that Gohan being labeled as the primary force in tipping the scale in their favors wasn't just a red herring, it actually ended up coming to fruition.
DBZ Rewatch
- Thread starter Captain Cadaver
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Episode 36 - The attention given to the drama surrounding Bulma's sadness is good. Despite what the series tends to portray their relationship as, especially post-Freeza Arc, it's moments like this that show you how much Yamucha meant to Bulma. Chichi giving her entire focus to Gohan rather than her husband who actually died for a while can seem pretty obtuse of her, but it's understandable when considering one is a grown man who's dedicated his life to fighting whereas the other is a boy just getting out of his formative years, not to mention the typical maternal psychology of putting the child's safety first.
It's also good how this stands as the only arc after the Red Ribbon Army Arc outside of the Piccolo Daimao Arc to directly lead from one arc to the next rather than going through a timeskip, something the other arcs of Z would be fond of doing. Another aspect of continuity that's good here is how they altered Bulma's reaction and knowledge of who died to fit the filler they added with Baba.
During the imagining of the Namekians, we see one with a moustache. I won't say this is an inconsistency though when considering it was just Yajirobe imagining them.
Also, we see Roshi lamenting on how he was unable to do anything. Foreshadowing for his secret training motivation?
Episode 37 - The filler of Goku being in pain from getting bandages put on him is a nice addition as it lines up with how sensitive his damaged body was even prior to fighting Oozaru Vegeta to the point Yajirobe tapping his back was enough to be intense pain. We see Karin fly for the first time. Makes sense, considering he's an 800+ year old martial arts master and a teenage girl could learn to fly with pretty basic tutelage.
Mr. Popo's carpet of course, raises a potential plot hole with why he didn't use it to transport Goku. There are some explanations you could come up with such as it having been so long since he used it that it was an oversight on Popo's part or his carpet only works by video game fast travel rules in that he can only get there instantly if he's visited it before, but these explanations are still a bit contrived; even if the anime supports the former somewhat with him relying on a machine to teleport Goku during training. Maybe he was just busy making toast.2
The payoff to Piccolo and Kami speaking Namekian at the 23rd TB is good and shows one of the strong points of the Saiyan/Freeza Arcs in how they tied up many past mysteries to build a compelling premise. On that subject, the episode also establishes that Piccolo Daimao's evil was the result of being exposed to humanity's darker nature, which greatly informs his motivations retroactively and makes him compelling in that he wanted to dish out what he perceived as punishment for humanity.
Bulma accidentally activating the toilet and bed is a good scene not just for the comedy, but in how it points out how different languages can be. Even on Earth, a word can mean something completely different in two languages.
Episode 38 - Gohan standing up to Chichi not only another of the traits supporting that thing I said about Gohan and Piccolo, but shows Gohan isn't completely submissive to his mother's whims. It shows his later decisions of dedicating his time to studying after the Cell Game isn't him being pressured by Chichi as many like to theorise. It also says a lot that Bulma is able to become fluent in basic Namekian in a few days. Even considering her technical intelligence, it's pretty difficult to be a genius across all fields.
Also, we see what could be a cameo of Konkichi who appeared in the filler leading up to the 22nd TB.
Episode 39 - The image training shows Gohan as using an uncharged version of the Makankosappo. It makes sense Piccolo would've taught him it and that Gohan can only use a weaker version and, whilst not exactly canon to the anime or manga, Future Gohan is shown to use it in almost all of his video game appearances.
I don't find the addition of Kami's ship having a laser beam to be good. One of the things that makes the DB' universe's ships stand out and be commended for is that they don't have artillery and that this makes sense when most of the races aboard them are capable of using stronger attacks than the ship itself should dish out, something that makes combat in the series fairly consistent when it comes to terrain. I guess you could assume Bulma or her dad installed one though. What I find a bigger issue in is that she is able to deliver the order to fire back in Japanese (or Earthling..ese I guess) rather than Namekian despite it being shown she still had to say Piccolo to make the ship function.
The alien children being very humanoid both in appearance and cutlery is fairly disappointing. When you have a fantastical Earth such as DB where dinosaurs still exist and talking animals are commonplace, the sky's the limit when it comes to creative alien designs. Saiyans at least had their tails, transformations and primitive society to make them unique whereas the Tsufurians were suggested to be very short and were highly technologically advanced. Whilst these kids possess some advanced technology, they're basically just your stock sci-fi scavengers.
I'd also mention how it makes no sense for Bulma and co. to see a reflection of their ships when nowhere near a light source, though I'd be fine chalking it up to this universe having some different physics to ours and the ship's artificial light serving such a role.
Despite my complaints, I did find it good how it created an adventure aspect hearkening back to the original anime's arcs and one that's fitting when exploring the unknowns of space. Also, I have to wonder if Bulma's scantily clad outfit remaining her default for the conflict in this episode is a reference to Ripley's attire in the climax of Alien.
It's also good how this stands as the only arc after the Red Ribbon Army Arc outside of the Piccolo Daimao Arc to directly lead from one arc to the next rather than going through a timeskip, something the other arcs of Z would be fond of doing. Another aspect of continuity that's good here is how they altered Bulma's reaction and knowledge of who died to fit the filler they added with Baba.
During the imagining of the Namekians, we see one with a moustache. I won't say this is an inconsistency though when considering it was just Yajirobe imagining them.
Also, we see Roshi lamenting on how he was unable to do anything. Foreshadowing for his secret training motivation?
Episode 37 - The filler of Goku being in pain from getting bandages put on him is a nice addition as it lines up with how sensitive his damaged body was even prior to fighting Oozaru Vegeta to the point Yajirobe tapping his back was enough to be intense pain. We see Karin fly for the first time. Makes sense, considering he's an 800+ year old martial arts master and a teenage girl could learn to fly with pretty basic tutelage.
Mr. Popo's carpet of course, raises a potential plot hole with why he didn't use it to transport Goku. There are some explanations you could come up with such as it having been so long since he used it that it was an oversight on Popo's part or his carpet only works by video game fast travel rules in that he can only get there instantly if he's visited it before, but these explanations are still a bit contrived; even if the anime supports the former somewhat with him relying on a machine to teleport Goku during training. Maybe he was just busy making toast.
2The payoff to Piccolo and Kami speaking Namekian at the 23rd TB is good and shows one of the strong points of the Saiyan/Freeza Arcs in how they tied up many past mysteries to build a compelling premise. On that subject, the episode also establishes that Piccolo Daimao's evil was the result of being exposed to humanity's darker nature, which greatly informs his motivations retroactively and makes him compelling in that he wanted to dish out what he perceived as punishment for humanity.
Bulma accidentally activating the toilet and bed is a good scene not just for the comedy, but in how it points out how different languages can be. Even on Earth, a word can mean something completely different in two languages.
Episode 38 - Gohan standing up to Chichi not only another of the traits supporting that thing I said about Gohan and Piccolo, but shows Gohan isn't completely submissive to his mother's whims. It shows his later decisions of dedicating his time to studying after the Cell Game isn't him being pressured by Chichi as many like to theorise. It also says a lot that Bulma is able to become fluent in basic Namekian in a few days. Even considering her technical intelligence, it's pretty difficult to be a genius across all fields.
Also, we see what could be a cameo of Konkichi who appeared in the filler leading up to the 22nd TB.
Episode 39 - The image training shows Gohan as using an uncharged version of the Makankosappo. It makes sense Piccolo would've taught him it and that Gohan can only use a weaker version and, whilst not exactly canon to the anime or manga, Future Gohan is shown to use it in almost all of his video game appearances.
I don't find the addition of Kami's ship having a laser beam to be good. One of the things that makes the DB' universe's ships stand out and be commended for is that they don't have artillery and that this makes sense when most of the races aboard them are capable of using stronger attacks than the ship itself should dish out, something that makes combat in the series fairly consistent when it comes to terrain. I guess you could assume Bulma or her dad installed one though. What I find a bigger issue in is that she is able to deliver the order to fire back in Japanese (or Earthling..ese I guess) rather than Namekian despite it being shown she still had to say Piccolo to make the ship function.
The alien children being very humanoid both in appearance and cutlery is fairly disappointing. When you have a fantastical Earth such as DB where dinosaurs still exist and talking animals are commonplace, the sky's the limit when it comes to creative alien designs. Saiyans at least had their tails, transformations and primitive society to make them unique whereas the Tsufurians were suggested to be very short and were highly technologically advanced. Whilst these kids possess some advanced technology, they're basically just your stock sci-fi scavengers.
I'd also mention how it makes no sense for Bulma and co. to see a reflection of their ships when nowhere near a light source, though I'd be fine chalking it up to this universe having some different physics to ours and the ship's artificial light serving such a role.
Despite my complaints, I did find it good how it created an adventure aspect hearkening back to the original anime's arcs and one that's fitting when exploring the unknowns of space. Also, I have to wonder if Bulma's scantily clad outfit remaining her default for the conflict in this episode is a reference to Ripley's attire in the climax of Alien.
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I watched them together, then compiled my thoughts on each one when writing it out. Works out easier than posting each one individually when watching them on DVD.
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Contrary to most, I feel that this filler episodes before Namek enriched the conflict with Freeza a little. Presenting those kids' suffering at the hands of Freeza and showing Kiwi subduing one of them helped to introduce and escalate the new threat that was to come, making the whole entrance of the tyrant more epic and substantiated.
The other one with the fake Namekians tho was unwarranted and I feel that Kuririn and Gohan should be way past the point of struggling with the surrounding to get the DBs... this is something alike of Goku of the red ribbon arc.
The other one with the fake Namekians tho was unwarranted and I feel that Kuririn and Gohan should be way past the point of struggling with the surrounding to get the DBs... this is something alike of Goku of the red ribbon arc.
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Episode 40 - As ahill said, it's good that this episode sets up Freeza early and gives us an example of what he could do. Also, it makes Cui (or as the subs translate it and as I'll be calling him for the rest of the thread, Kewie) have more to do than just be fodder for Vegeta. I do think more could've been done with the orphans later on though, such as having a filler episode of Vegeta meeting them during his journey in space post-Freeza.
One part that just seems really dumb is when Bulma thought Kuririn was making a move on her and chastised Gohan for telling her it was a misunderstanding when saying he wouldn't know from being trained by Kame Sennin. Uh...Gohan's not Kid Goku. He was trained only by Piccolo and has only met Roshi about 3 times briefly.
This is where the anime first goes into its poor characterisation of Chichi. There was rationale for her prioritising Gohan prior, but now worrying over her boy when he's with a competent martial artist and scientific genius whilst chastising her wounded husband is the irrational, bitchy version of Chichi Toei would use in excess.
I do like the references to 80s sci-fi on Planet Freeza 79. There is the healing chamber being similar to the bacta tanks in Star Wars everyone mentions, though I also wonder if the scientist in charge of the medical facility was inspired by the Skeksis (and possibly a little by the urRu) from The Dark Crystal.
Episode 41 - So, Fake Namek begins. From the start, there are things to hint at it not being the real Namek such as Lychee's "goku" having some locomotive system far less advanced than Kami's ship and responds to language spoke in the universal standard rather than Namekian (though it could be easily assumed this is due to the change in technology since Namek's cataclysm). I'd say the adventure aspect of this filler is done mostly well, with things such as diving for long periods of time or figuring out how to get into an acid swamp being things that even those as strong as Kuririn and Gohan will not be able to do easily. The only part of this that falls flat here is Gohan not just flying out of the acid lake.
Episode 42 - The adventure aspect is pulled off better than in the last episode and shows a more interesting idea of Namek than the real one. A tornado that never ceases is a good way of tying to the already apparent fact that Namek went through terrible weather and having this along with ancient ruins stops the whole planet from simply feeling the same, something the real Namek failed at. I also have some praise for the outlandish science fantasy aspects such as birds with leafy feathers that disguise as forests or a stone giant in a castle whilst making these things that Gohan and Kuririn can struggle with without seeming nerfed. This is much like what GT tried to do with its first arc but Fake Namek manages to temporarily succeed here whereas GT failed due to power creep having become too much at that point. The giant's castle also further hints at the true nature of this place with how the books are written using the standard alphabet rather than being written in Namekian, something that's been a thing since Kami VS Piccolo. The filler episode provides a lot of good spectacle and, whilst spectacle isn't much without depth, being done well is still a positive when considering fantastical spectacle is a major aspect of what Dragon Ball sets out to achieve both as a Shonen anime and as art.
Episode 43 - So yeah, this is where the filler falls apart with the troll reveal that everything was an illusion. I wouldn't find it as bad if it was rewritten that Lychee and Zarkuro were stranded Namekians and the Dragon Balls were their only illusions, but just having it so they made a planet-wide illusion is as bad as the "it was all a dream" trope that's treat as bad writing 101.
Controversial as it is to say though, I wouldn't say that this or the Fake Namek filler are as damaging to the arc as people say or as a lot of other filler in the franchise because of what else is going on in the plot. This is the point when Vegeta is fully healed and the episode where it's revealed that someone terrible enough that Vegeta's only a soldier of his has already headed for Planet Namek and Vegeta is following in hot pursuit. Having all this going on when the main cast are trapped on a detour gone wrong creates a decent amount of tension by making their chances of succeeding seem even more slim, so yeah, I'd say Fake Namek surprisingly succeeds at what it set out to do. It's still an utter disappointment, but not a filler event without some merit.
Kewie taunts Vegeta with Raditz and Nappa's deaths whilst referring to them as the "supposedly invincible Saiyans", helping the soft retcon of the Saiyans' status fit in without issue and, as I've mentioned before, rationalises Vegeta's statements of being the strongest in the universe even further as just something he tells himself in the same manner Raditz claimed to be an elite warrior.
One part that just seems really dumb is when Bulma thought Kuririn was making a move on her and chastised Gohan for telling her it was a misunderstanding when saying he wouldn't know from being trained by Kame Sennin. Uh...Gohan's not Kid Goku. He was trained only by Piccolo and has only met Roshi about 3 times briefly.
This is where the anime first goes into its poor characterisation of Chichi. There was rationale for her prioritising Gohan prior, but now worrying over her boy when he's with a competent martial artist and scientific genius whilst chastising her wounded husband is the irrational, bitchy version of Chichi Toei would use in excess.
I do like the references to 80s sci-fi on Planet Freeza 79. There is the healing chamber being similar to the bacta tanks in Star Wars everyone mentions, though I also wonder if the scientist in charge of the medical facility was inspired by the Skeksis (and possibly a little by the urRu) from The Dark Crystal.
Episode 41 - So, Fake Namek begins. From the start, there are things to hint at it not being the real Namek such as Lychee's "goku" having some locomotive system far less advanced than Kami's ship and responds to language spoke in the universal standard rather than Namekian (though it could be easily assumed this is due to the change in technology since Namek's cataclysm). I'd say the adventure aspect of this filler is done mostly well, with things such as diving for long periods of time or figuring out how to get into an acid swamp being things that even those as strong as Kuririn and Gohan will not be able to do easily. The only part of this that falls flat here is Gohan not just flying out of the acid lake.
Episode 42 - The adventure aspect is pulled off better than in the last episode and shows a more interesting idea of Namek than the real one. A tornado that never ceases is a good way of tying to the already apparent fact that Namek went through terrible weather and having this along with ancient ruins stops the whole planet from simply feeling the same, something the real Namek failed at. I also have some praise for the outlandish science fantasy aspects such as birds with leafy feathers that disguise as forests or a stone giant in a castle whilst making these things that Gohan and Kuririn can struggle with without seeming nerfed. This is much like what GT tried to do with its first arc but Fake Namek manages to temporarily succeed here whereas GT failed due to power creep having become too much at that point. The giant's castle also further hints at the true nature of this place with how the books are written using the standard alphabet rather than being written in Namekian, something that's been a thing since Kami VS Piccolo. The filler episode provides a lot of good spectacle and, whilst spectacle isn't much without depth, being done well is still a positive when considering fantastical spectacle is a major aspect of what Dragon Ball sets out to achieve both as a Shonen anime and as art.
Episode 43 - So yeah, this is where the filler falls apart with the troll reveal that everything was an illusion. I wouldn't find it as bad if it was rewritten that Lychee and Zarkuro were stranded Namekians and the Dragon Balls were their only illusions, but just having it so they made a planet-wide illusion is as bad as the "it was all a dream" trope that's treat as bad writing 101.
Controversial as it is to say though, I wouldn't say that this or the Fake Namek filler are as damaging to the arc as people say or as a lot of other filler in the franchise because of what else is going on in the plot. This is the point when Vegeta is fully healed and the episode where it's revealed that someone terrible enough that Vegeta's only a soldier of his has already headed for Planet Namek and Vegeta is following in hot pursuit. Having all this going on when the main cast are trapped on a detour gone wrong creates a decent amount of tension by making their chances of succeeding seem even more slim, so yeah, I'd say Fake Namek surprisingly succeeds at what it set out to do. It's still an utter disappointment, but not a filler event without some merit.
Kewie taunts Vegeta with Raditz and Nappa's deaths whilst referring to them as the "supposedly invincible Saiyans", helping the soft retcon of the Saiyans' status fit in without issue and, as I've mentioned before, rationalises Vegeta's statements of being the strongest in the universe even further as just something he tells himself in the same manner Raditz claimed to be an elite warrior.
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Episode 44 - This is where the real cracks in the Fake Namek filler start to show. Zarkuro and Lychee not having probed Bulma's memory on the Namekian language fits with what we've been shown thus far, but seems so incompetent for those trying to do a thorough job of distracting the trio all for the sake of them not winning the conflict, thus being contrived. I guess you could assume they didn't have time for that before Bulma awoke, but it seems like a copout either way. Also, how would they know it'd take 50 years to get to their home planet when not knowing of this ship's speed? Did they know about it from the memory of it going to Jupiter (something they shouldn't have much knowledge of the distance between it and Earth anyway considering the distance of their homeworld) and, if so, how did they not gather the password was piccolo from the same event? At least the reveal of it being a wild goose chase served to create tension with the events going on with Vegeta and Freeza going to Namek. The conclusion of the Fake Namek events, however, is a contrived mess.
Interestingly, the time it took to get to Namek was 34 days as opposed to 39 days in the manga. Bulma mentions the orphans giving them a shortcut, though strangely Kuririn notes that this was only 4 days later than planned. You'd expect Toei to keep the amount on the higher end with the filler antics they threw in.
I like the moment of Bulma's reaction at Kuririn and Gohan carelessly going out onto an alien world. Even if Namek conveniently follows the sci-fi trope of most worlds being as habitable as Earth, it's good that Bulma acknowledges the more likely reality of just wandering out without equipment being dangerous. It in many ways draws back to how she'd react to the fantastical elements in early DB or how Kid Goku would react to sci-fi technology, which is fitting as Z makes many of the sci-fi and fantasy elements one and the same.
Episode 45 - The anime adds a filler moment that, whilst fairly short, is honestly terrible in how it characterises Kuririn in him wondering if they should go back to Earth. This spits in the face of his characterisation and determination by making him just a coward. Hell, in the manga, he seemed more resolute in staying than Gohan did.
We have the scene of him and Gohan seemingly killing the scouts. I used to bring this up as a moment that goes against Gohan's characterisation against Cell, but I'd say I was definitely wrong about that when looking deeper into his character. The Gohan we have here is one that's not only been just thrust into a situation where him reviving Piccolo has become difficult to do, but has spent a whole year in the wilderness training under him and without much other social interaction. It's understandable he'd be a far different case from his Cell Arc self who had more time to adjust to a normal life and more emotionally beneficial training from Goku. On the topic of the scene, the ship getting destroyed helps establish an aspect that allows the tension and stakes on Namek to remain quite high throughout in that being trapped on an alien world limits the options and plot devices of the heroes. This aspect to the tension would lessened somewhat with the later healing options, but it's a premise that still works more often in the arc than not.
We get the first instance of Freeza referring to his subordinates with "-san" showing the false politeness he has that makes him seem unique compared to other villains in the franchise even from his introduction.
Vegeta VS Kewie has some things that make it worth talking about beyond being a simple stomp match. Firstly, it presents a running them of this arc of Vegeta's power increases (and ultimately Freeza's downfall against Goku) was due to Freeza and his men getting complacent with their position whereas those beneath them sought to not stay in the status-quo. At risk of sounding somewhat pretentious, it's somewhat similar to the basic concept of Hegel's Master-Slave dialectic, which is the question of can a master who leaves all the work to his slaves truly be called a master when the slaves gain all the experience they need to become master themselves? Going more back to the core themes of the series, it also fits with the idea of self improvement and independence, whilst having a strong message about not living under those who don't prove their worth, something that remains a strong message in all eras. Away from the good thematic elements it brings to the table to be explored in this arc, it also establishes that despite the difference between them, Kewie was fully confident that even Vegeta would be killed if letting his guard down to a surprise attack. Quite interesting when it comes to judging Gohan being wounded by SPC and the implications on how large or small the gap between them may be. Also, the attack Vegeta used to kill Kewie is fairly interesting. In both the anime and manga, it seems to be some sort of kiai or telekinesis, which does raise the question of why he didn't use similar finishing moves on later fodder like Gurd, Jheese or Pui Pui.
One slight detail worth noting is that despite being treat as Freeza's most trusted and reliable subordinates, Zarbon hasn't bothered to get an upgraded scouter unlike Dodoria. This may inform us a bit about their personalities, with Zarbon only getting involved in combat when absolutely necessary whereas Dodoria enjoys revelling in slaughtering others, the former of which fits with his obsession with appearance and the latter of which will be shown soon as well as in the Bardock special.
Interestingly, the time it took to get to Namek was 34 days as opposed to 39 days in the manga. Bulma mentions the orphans giving them a shortcut, though strangely Kuririn notes that this was only 4 days later than planned. You'd expect Toei to keep the amount on the higher end with the filler antics they threw in.
I like the moment of Bulma's reaction at Kuririn and Gohan carelessly going out onto an alien world. Even if Namek conveniently follows the sci-fi trope of most worlds being as habitable as Earth, it's good that Bulma acknowledges the more likely reality of just wandering out without equipment being dangerous. It in many ways draws back to how she'd react to the fantastical elements in early DB or how Kid Goku would react to sci-fi technology, which is fitting as Z makes many of the sci-fi and fantasy elements one and the same.
Episode 45 - The anime adds a filler moment that, whilst fairly short, is honestly terrible in how it characterises Kuririn in him wondering if they should go back to Earth. This spits in the face of his characterisation and determination by making him just a coward. Hell, in the manga, he seemed more resolute in staying than Gohan did.
We have the scene of him and Gohan seemingly killing the scouts. I used to bring this up as a moment that goes against Gohan's characterisation against Cell, but I'd say I was definitely wrong about that when looking deeper into his character. The Gohan we have here is one that's not only been just thrust into a situation where him reviving Piccolo has become difficult to do, but has spent a whole year in the wilderness training under him and without much other social interaction. It's understandable he'd be a far different case from his Cell Arc self who had more time to adjust to a normal life and more emotionally beneficial training from Goku. On the topic of the scene, the ship getting destroyed helps establish an aspect that allows the tension and stakes on Namek to remain quite high throughout in that being trapped on an alien world limits the options and plot devices of the heroes. This aspect to the tension would lessened somewhat with the later healing options, but it's a premise that still works more often in the arc than not.
We get the first instance of Freeza referring to his subordinates with "-san" showing the false politeness he has that makes him seem unique compared to other villains in the franchise even from his introduction.
Vegeta VS Kewie has some things that make it worth talking about beyond being a simple stomp match. Firstly, it presents a running them of this arc of Vegeta's power increases (and ultimately Freeza's downfall against Goku) was due to Freeza and his men getting complacent with their position whereas those beneath them sought to not stay in the status-quo. At risk of sounding somewhat pretentious, it's somewhat similar to the basic concept of Hegel's Master-Slave dialectic, which is the question of can a master who leaves all the work to his slaves truly be called a master when the slaves gain all the experience they need to become master themselves? Going more back to the core themes of the series, it also fits with the idea of self improvement and independence, whilst having a strong message about not living under those who don't prove their worth, something that remains a strong message in all eras. Away from the good thematic elements it brings to the table to be explored in this arc, it also establishes that despite the difference between them, Kewie was fully confident that even Vegeta would be killed if letting his guard down to a surprise attack. Quite interesting when it comes to judging Gohan being wounded by SPC and the implications on how large or small the gap between them may be. Also, the attack Vegeta used to kill Kewie is fairly interesting. In both the anime and manga, it seems to be some sort of kiai or telekinesis, which does raise the question of why he didn't use similar finishing moves on later fodder like Gurd, Jheese or Pui Pui.
One slight detail worth noting is that despite being treat as Freeza's most trusted and reliable subordinates, Zarbon hasn't bothered to get an upgraded scouter unlike Dodoria. This may inform us a bit about their personalities, with Zarbon only getting involved in combat when absolutely necessary whereas Dodoria enjoys revelling in slaughtering others, the former of which fits with his obsession with appearance and the latter of which will be shown soon as well as in the Bardock special.
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Captain Cadaver said:
He also uses it against the Saibaimen after it lost to Tenshinhan. If I had to guess, It's likely him projecting his Ki into a specific target and detonating it like a bomb.
Probably similar in principle to how Nappa and Freeza blow the area up with the flick of their hands.
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Yeah, that's true, though it's a surprise he never utilised this efficient and stylish technique against some of his later easy victories rather than going for the larger Ki blasts.
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Episode 46 - It's good that Toei took into account previous filler and changed Brief's dialogue about Goku's pod to fit with the altered continuity rather than just retconning the filler episode. Also, Bulma's mother says she wants to go on a date with Goku, making it apparent Bulma's parents are probably in some sort of open relationship, swingers or whatever you want to call it. This goes quite the way in making Bulma's own unfaithful attitude towards Yamucha in Part 1 a lot more understandable when she grew up in this kind of household.
Roshi presents the idea that Goku's desire to fight strong opponents is part of his Saiyan blood. Whilst it was established early on that Saiyans love combat, trying to equate that this is purely due to his genetics when Tenshinhan has a similar set of priorities (evidence of Tenshinhan not being human?
) does seem to weaken Goku's characterisation a little when making this trait mainly fuelled by his genetics. I wouldn't say it does so to a great degree though, since genetics are of course an important aspect in someone's personality and psychology.
Episodes 47 and 48 - The early events on Namek provide some of the best tension in the series with how Gohan and Kuririn are forced to hide and keep their mindset consistent when knowing at least 3 people nearby could easily kill them, something that would only be replicated in a similar manner during the search for #20.
Freeza's face when he's about to kill the Namekians shows more of what made him stand out from prior villains with how it was all just a fun time for him. In some ways, you can see his search for the Dragon Balls as a dark reflection of how the earlier searches for them were treat as a fun adventure by the main cast, difference being Freeza's idea of a fun time is leaving a few dozens corpses in his path. Muri is told to speak in a language everyone can understand, which raises some questions on the chances the language spoken throughout the entire universe is one that is the same as a backwater planet like Earth. It's of course for convenience and was already established with Raditz's arrival, though when you've brought your series into space, it's something that does seem to raise some eyebrows in how much of a coincidence it must be.
It appears even the soldiers with arm blasters were confident in taking on 1k fighters. I would have assumed the arm cannons to denote a soldier as being too weak to even utilise proper Ki control, though I guess it isn't quite that clear cut. I wonder why the anime changed Cargot's killer from Freeza to Dodoria. It does fit with Freeza only getting involved when necessary, so it is one change I prefer.
Gohan getting so angry from the Namekians getting killed (particularly a child) does a good job in showing his righteousness and how he can sympathise with children being thrust into a situation they're powerless against. One addition that comes off pretty strange is that Zarbon says Gohan and Kuririn seemed to have higher battle powers than the Namekians. I can agree with the idea of an enraged Gohan having surpassed the 3k mark and that Zarbon misjudged Kuririn due to his surprise attack, but how would he even know when lacking a scouter? Sure, he can judge their movements, though that seems to go against the theme of Freeza's men relying solely on battle power measurements. Then again, Zarbon can be an exception when considering his age being enough to have served under Cold prior to his retirement ought to make him quite the veteran.
The filler of Kuririn managing to get away from Dodoria's grab by kicking him in the face seems fairly inconsistent. Then again, you could attribute it to Dodoria's complacency having made his battle skills rusty.
Roshi presents the idea that Goku's desire to fight strong opponents is part of his Saiyan blood. Whilst it was established early on that Saiyans love combat, trying to equate that this is purely due to his genetics when Tenshinhan has a similar set of priorities (evidence of Tenshinhan not being human?
) does seem to weaken Goku's characterisation a little when making this trait mainly fuelled by his genetics. I wouldn't say it does so to a great degree though, since genetics are of course an important aspect in someone's personality and psychology.Episodes 47 and 48 - The early events on Namek provide some of the best tension in the series with how Gohan and Kuririn are forced to hide and keep their mindset consistent when knowing at least 3 people nearby could easily kill them, something that would only be replicated in a similar manner during the search for #20.
Freeza's face when he's about to kill the Namekians shows more of what made him stand out from prior villains with how it was all just a fun time for him. In some ways, you can see his search for the Dragon Balls as a dark reflection of how the earlier searches for them were treat as a fun adventure by the main cast, difference being Freeza's idea of a fun time is leaving a few dozens corpses in his path. Muri is told to speak in a language everyone can understand, which raises some questions on the chances the language spoken throughout the entire universe is one that is the same as a backwater planet like Earth. It's of course for convenience and was already established with Raditz's arrival, though when you've brought your series into space, it's something that does seem to raise some eyebrows in how much of a coincidence it must be.
It appears even the soldiers with arm blasters were confident in taking on 1k fighters. I would have assumed the arm cannons to denote a soldier as being too weak to even utilise proper Ki control, though I guess it isn't quite that clear cut. I wonder why the anime changed Cargot's killer from Freeza to Dodoria. It does fit with Freeza only getting involved when necessary, so it is one change I prefer.
Gohan getting so angry from the Namekians getting killed (particularly a child) does a good job in showing his righteousness and how he can sympathise with children being thrust into a situation they're powerless against. One addition that comes off pretty strange is that Zarbon says Gohan and Kuririn seemed to have higher battle powers than the Namekians. I can agree with the idea of an enraged Gohan having surpassed the 3k mark and that Zarbon misjudged Kuririn due to his surprise attack, but how would he even know when lacking a scouter? Sure, he can judge their movements, though that seems to go against the theme of Freeza's men relying solely on battle power measurements. Then again, Zarbon can be an exception when considering his age being enough to have served under Cold prior to his retirement ought to make him quite the veteran.
The filler of Kuririn managing to get away from Dodoria's grab by kicking him in the face seems fairly inconsistent. Then again, you could attribute it to Dodoria's complacency having made his battle skills rusty.
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Episode 49 - Vegeta revealing he'd been able to pick up Ki sensing fits with how easily Goku has been shown to learn techniques in the past. Vegeta makes the point that Saiyans grow stronger each time they fight a strong opponent, an explanation this arc will milk to death and be a fair excuse for later parts of the franchise.
Vegeta purely caring about how Freeza used him rather than his planet's fate shows his selfishness in a manner that presents him as little different from Freeza, perhaps hinting that Freeza's attitude is something Vegeta's come to emulate.
Episode 50 - This episode helps show why the three party conflict for the Dragon Balls works. Freeza's forces have the power to obtain them, but are quite hopeless in where to start without scouters. Vegeta has Ki sensing, but isn't as skilled in it yet as Gohan and Kuririn. Meanwhile, Gohan and Kuririn have lower power than the other parties, but better Ki sensing and more appropriate technology for finding the balls. It helps make it an arc where, on the first time watching, you would have no idea how the story could go when everyone has an equal chance of getting the balls.
The filler of Goku's struggles in space improves his story for the arc as it provides him some parts of his journey outside of battle that actually feel like challenges rather than essentially being in stasis until the plot demanded. His Kamehameha allowing him to escape from a star's gravity is also a pretty impressive feat for the anime continuity.
Episode 51 - So, it's worth noting something about powerscaling here. Zarbon states that Appule is "probably" not capable of defeating a strong Namekian. This suggests even suppressed Lord Appule is still not far off from the 3k range, which makes sense as he wasn't oneshotted like his peers.
Again, Vegeta mercilessly killing not just the men, but the elders and the children too reminds us of how similar his actions are to Freeza's and that he's still very much a villain in this arc.
It's surprising Bulma is so shocked at the Namekians lacking genders and producing asexually, considering there are already some lifeforms on Earth that do so. In any case, it's a good way of reminding the audience that the Namekians are biologically alien and completely different from Earthlings, something always appreciated in good sci-fi.
Vegeta purely caring about how Freeza used him rather than his planet's fate shows his selfishness in a manner that presents him as little different from Freeza, perhaps hinting that Freeza's attitude is something Vegeta's come to emulate.
Episode 50 - This episode helps show why the three party conflict for the Dragon Balls works. Freeza's forces have the power to obtain them, but are quite hopeless in where to start without scouters. Vegeta has Ki sensing, but isn't as skilled in it yet as Gohan and Kuririn. Meanwhile, Gohan and Kuririn have lower power than the other parties, but better Ki sensing and more appropriate technology for finding the balls. It helps make it an arc where, on the first time watching, you would have no idea how the story could go when everyone has an equal chance of getting the balls.
The filler of Goku's struggles in space improves his story for the arc as it provides him some parts of his journey outside of battle that actually feel like challenges rather than essentially being in stasis until the plot demanded. His Kamehameha allowing him to escape from a star's gravity is also a pretty impressive feat for the anime continuity.
Episode 51 - So, it's worth noting something about powerscaling here. Zarbon states that Appule is "probably" not capable of defeating a strong Namekian. This suggests even suppressed Lord Appule is still not far off from the 3k range, which makes sense as he wasn't oneshotted like his peers.
Again, Vegeta mercilessly killing not just the men, but the elders and the children too reminds us of how similar his actions are to Freeza's and that he's still very much a villain in this arc.
It's surprising Bulma is so shocked at the Namekians lacking genders and producing asexually, considering there are already some lifeforms on Earth that do so. In any case, it's a good way of reminding the audience that the Namekians are biologically alien and completely different from Earthlings, something always appreciated in good sci-fi.
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Episode 52 - Kaio still using his joke test as a starter to train the group makes sense when, unlike Goku, they're not being trained to head into an impending battle. The hyperbolic nature of Ten saying his joke and his embarrassment at doing so makes the scene quite funny as well as fitting with his character.
Kuririn hoping Zarbon and Vegeta would kill each other suggests they're on comparable levels, much as the Daizenshuu claims with Zarbon being at 23k. This works with the theme of the arc, with the complacency Freeza's soldiers have making their skills sloppy compared to Vegeta and the Earthlings.
Episode 53 - Namek having three suns raises some questions. It makes the planet's erratic weather more understandable, though you'd expect it to be hard to grow anything on a world with three suns. I'd give it a pass though since DBZ has a focus on the fantastical aspects of a sci-fi setting and, much like the doctor on Planet Freeza 79, it may be a reference to The Dark Crystal in which the planet Thra has three suns.
So, the anime decided to completely cut out Zarbon's line of Freeza being able to transform too, which is one of the most baffling choices imaginable. It's not as though this was a throwaway line. This was one of the biggest Chekhov's Guns in the series, so Toei just cutting it out is one of the strangest choices they've ever made with anime changes.Did Vegeta overhear Zarbon having a casual conversation about Freeza's 2nd form with Lord Appule offscreen whilst being healed in the next episode?
With the filler on Kaio's planet, it's a shame the anime didn't have Piccolo's turban sink into the ground to show the planet's weight. It is quite impressive he's able to handle his weighted clothing regardless. I've also got to question how is Kaio able to get a fresh steak to eat? Did he materialise it, or are there farms in the afterlife that do express delivery?2 Goku handling 50G in what we're shown is less than a day is quite rushed. It would've been better had the anime shown him using Kaioken in an attempt to sustain himself or something similar.
Episode 54 - The Grand Elder's size brings up some interesting thoughts when considering Piccolo Daimao's initial portrayal as giant and Piccolo's giant form. It makes you wonder if the Great Namekian form is one that comes naturally to Namekians prior to the planet's cataclysm. The Grand Elder of course states that Katattsu's son had his power divided in half, though of course I'd take what is shown in Part 1 over someone getting a second hand account of Kuririn's memories. As for the potential unlocking, it's one of the few easy power ups in the series that I'd find acceptable, given one has to prove themselves worthy to the Grand Elder rather than it being a quick fix anyone can achieve and acts somewhat as the reward of a quest.
Grand Elder is also the first in this arc to bring up the Super Saiyan, which is quite interesting to consider when Namekians seemingly had no contact with Saiyans prior to Vegeta. This suggests the Super Saiyan legend was something quite popular around the galaxy and not just something spoke about in Freeza's circle and Saiyan society.
This episode is the one to feature Lord Appule's second-in-command Orlen
His addition and changing him to being the one to inform Freeza of the village works as Freeza killing him shows to both us and Zarbon what happens to those Freeza finds incompetent rather than Freeza providing Zarbon with only threats. It's strange that the Namekian Orlen kills would be aware Vegeta was a Saiyan when there are plenty of aliens with human appearances (eg. Reacoom). Perhaps he was able to tell from his Ki? Also, considering the situation with Cranberry in the Super manga, perhaps the return of the Super anime will treat us to the long awaited Orlen Arc. 
Orlen and Appule also talk with a filter on their voice in the Japanese version. Pretty nice touch as not all alien races will have voices similar to humans.
Along with the reference to Super Saiyan near the start, Freeza's foreboding feeling about a Saiyan growing in power helps set-up his eventual conflict with Goku in advance. It is quite on the nose, though does a decent job in making Goku feel more involved in the overarching story despite his current absence from the main plot.
Kuririn hoping Zarbon and Vegeta would kill each other suggests they're on comparable levels, much as the Daizenshuu claims with Zarbon being at 23k. This works with the theme of the arc, with the complacency Freeza's soldiers have making their skills sloppy compared to Vegeta and the Earthlings.
Episode 53 - Namek having three suns raises some questions. It makes the planet's erratic weather more understandable, though you'd expect it to be hard to grow anything on a world with three suns. I'd give it a pass though since DBZ has a focus on the fantastical aspects of a sci-fi setting and, much like the doctor on Planet Freeza 79, it may be a reference to The Dark Crystal in which the planet Thra has three suns.
So, the anime decided to completely cut out Zarbon's line of Freeza being able to transform too, which is one of the most baffling choices imaginable. It's not as though this was a throwaway line. This was one of the biggest Chekhov's Guns in the series, so Toei just cutting it out is one of the strangest choices they've ever made with anime changes.Did Vegeta overhear Zarbon having a casual conversation about Freeza's 2nd form with Lord Appule offscreen whilst being healed in the next episode?
With the filler on Kaio's planet, it's a shame the anime didn't have Piccolo's turban sink into the ground to show the planet's weight. It is quite impressive he's able to handle his weighted clothing regardless. I've also got to question how is Kaio able to get a fresh steak to eat? Did he materialise it, or are there farms in the afterlife that do express delivery?
2 Goku handling 50G in what we're shown is less than a day is quite rushed. It would've been better had the anime shown him using Kaioken in an attempt to sustain himself or something similar.Episode 54 - The Grand Elder's size brings up some interesting thoughts when considering Piccolo Daimao's initial portrayal as giant and Piccolo's giant form. It makes you wonder if the Great Namekian form is one that comes naturally to Namekians prior to the planet's cataclysm. The Grand Elder of course states that Katattsu's son had his power divided in half, though of course I'd take what is shown in Part 1 over someone getting a second hand account of Kuririn's memories. As for the potential unlocking, it's one of the few easy power ups in the series that I'd find acceptable, given one has to prove themselves worthy to the Grand Elder rather than it being a quick fix anyone can achieve and acts somewhat as the reward of a quest.
Grand Elder is also the first in this arc to bring up the Super Saiyan, which is quite interesting to consider when Namekians seemingly had no contact with Saiyans prior to Vegeta. This suggests the Super Saiyan legend was something quite popular around the galaxy and not just something spoke about in Freeza's circle and Saiyan society.
This episode is the one to feature Lord Appule's second-in-command Orlen
His addition and changing him to being the one to inform Freeza of the village works as Freeza killing him shows to both us and Zarbon what happens to those Freeza finds incompetent rather than Freeza providing Zarbon with only threats. It's strange that the Namekian Orlen kills would be aware Vegeta was a Saiyan when there are plenty of aliens with human appearances (eg. Reacoom). Perhaps he was able to tell from his Ki? Also, considering the situation with Cranberry in the Super manga, perhaps the return of the Super anime will treat us to the long awaited Orlen Arc. Orlen and Appule also talk with a filter on their voice in the Japanese version. Pretty nice touch as not all alien races will have voices similar to humans.
Along with the reference to Super Saiyan near the start, Freeza's foreboding feeling about a Saiyan growing in power helps set-up his eventual conflict with Goku in advance. It is quite on the nose, though does a decent job in making Goku feel more involved in the overarching story despite his current absence from the main plot.
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Episodes 55, 56 and 57 - With the training on Kaio's, the Earthlings show just how much their initial superiority in power and the results of training together has made compared to how Goku fared alone, which lines up with the gains they made from Kami's training in the time they did. We also get Kaio stating that they can't die again when already dead and the pain is just a leftover sense from when they were alive. These make sense all things considered, apart from how they'd line up with later arcs and how it would make those with one day in the living realm deus ex machinas otherwise, though it's easy to assume the killing of a dead soul can't be done in a dead vs dead battle or that Boo's magical nature made it possible for him to kill souls. Going back to the episode, these reveals do help show how infinitely effective sparring would be whilst dead and all these factors help explain the crazy gains the humans would make in this arc's filler.
As for Vegeta's story on Namek, it seems Appule lost the effect he had on his voice from the previous episode. I guess he obviously wouldn't be showing his full capabilities when being killed by the likes of Vegeta. Vegeta's strategy in getting the Dragon Balls is a rarity of tactics being used to great effect outside of battle and shows him as one of the most cunning characters in the series. Prior to fighting Zarbon, he notes he should be able to win due to Zarbon letting down his guard, showing power wasn't the only factor in battles at this point in Z. It does seem like a dumb choice that Toei would add filler of Zarbon fighting in base when he was already outmatched in their previous fight, though it's in line with him not wanting to show his transformed state willingly and perhaps hinting that he was at a loss of Yuuki in their previous fight at first. Vegeta not sparing Zarbon partially due to how he worked him to the bone and this being Zarbon's biggest crime also shows that Vegeta was treat as well by Freeza as a "slave" could be, helping show that his main motivations of freedom and defeating Freeza in this arc were purely selfish rather than the sympathetic light the dub showed him in and present him and Freeza essentially being the same; of which does a very good job in showing how Vegeta's life under him have moulded his personality.
Vegeta's statement about Saiyans getting stronger each time they survive near death of course acts as a major plot device of this arc and is essentially Nietzsche's "That which does not kill us makes us stronger" quote cranked up to 11. The way in which this is cut between with Goku's own struggles is also some very good editing and direction. On that subject, the filler of Goku being forced to endure 100G in a magnetic storm is the kind of thing we should've gotten in the manga. It shows the intensity of enduring so much gravity in a way that truly puts him at risk and makes his gains feel earned, not to mention explaining how he could make such an increase in intensity so quickly.
As for Vegeta's story on Namek, it seems Appule lost the effect he had on his voice from the previous episode. I guess he obviously wouldn't be showing his full capabilities when being killed by the likes of Vegeta. Vegeta's strategy in getting the Dragon Balls is a rarity of tactics being used to great effect outside of battle and shows him as one of the most cunning characters in the series. Prior to fighting Zarbon, he notes he should be able to win due to Zarbon letting down his guard, showing power wasn't the only factor in battles at this point in Z. It does seem like a dumb choice that Toei would add filler of Zarbon fighting in base when he was already outmatched in their previous fight, though it's in line with him not wanting to show his transformed state willingly and perhaps hinting that he was at a loss of Yuuki in their previous fight at first. Vegeta not sparing Zarbon partially due to how he worked him to the bone and this being Zarbon's biggest crime also shows that Vegeta was treat as well by Freeza as a "slave" could be, helping show that his main motivations of freedom and defeating Freeza in this arc were purely selfish rather than the sympathetic light the dub showed him in and present him and Freeza essentially being the same; of which does a very good job in showing how Vegeta's life under him have moulded his personality.
Vegeta's statement about Saiyans getting stronger each time they survive near death of course acts as a major plot device of this arc and is essentially Nietzsche's "That which does not kill us makes us stronger" quote cranked up to 11. The way in which this is cut between with Goku's own struggles is also some very good editing and direction. On that subject, the filler of Goku being forced to endure 100G in a magnetic storm is the kind of thing we should've gotten in the manga. It shows the intensity of enduring so much gravity in a way that truly puts him at risk and makes his gains feel earned, not to mention explaining how he could make such an increase in intensity so quickly.
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Episode 58 - Kaio states each of the Ginyus may be equal to Goku. I'm guessing he must have been keeping tabs on Goku's training, considering having Base Goku around the level of Reacoom, Butta and Jheese would make sense when he'd just started training in 100G and was only on the early stages of abusing Zenkais.
So, along with
, Vegeta meeting Gohan further shows what Vegeta said about not caring of his race's genocide to be true with how he immediately contrasts declaring he'll kill Kakarrot and destroy Earth with saying he, Goku and Gohan are the last remaining Saiyans.
Episodes 59 and 60 - Bulma's filler adventure does a decent job in making her not so irrelevant for this arc. I find the choice to make her escape capsule suit identical in design to the Pilaf Machine pretty lazy when the latter was purely Pilaf's invention and filler episodes still bothered to create new designs for his machines. It would've been better to have a suit like this show some Red Ribbon battle jacket and Pirate Robot inspiration due to such being things Bulma would have more familiarity with. Nevertheless, I do like the idea of Bulma using her technology to offer her some strength. It's a shame this was never utilised in canon, especially when the strength of robotics was a major part of the manga's next arc.
The crab's eggs hatching in the latter episode does raise some questions. Is it a different crab from the first? It would be a big coincidence for two giant crabs to be giving birth so close together. On the subject of Namek's sea life, it does make you wonder what happened to the animals of Namek at the end of the arc. Did they get transported to Earth and, if so, how did that affect Earth's wildlife? Anime-wise they most likely did if Frog Ginyu was brought to Earth...Or did they all conveniently get killed by the lightning sparking around Namek prior to Dende making the wish? Maybe a lot of the alien lifeforms on Namek interacting or interbreeding with those on Earth explains why there was a giant snake capable of giving Base Goten some difficulty in the early episodes of Super
So, along with
, Vegeta meeting Gohan further shows what Vegeta said about not caring of his race's genocide to be true with how he immediately contrasts declaring he'll kill Kakarrot and destroy Earth with saying he, Goku and Gohan are the last remaining Saiyans.Episodes 59 and 60 - Bulma's filler adventure does a decent job in making her not so irrelevant for this arc. I find the choice to make her escape capsule suit identical in design to the Pilaf Machine pretty lazy when the latter was purely Pilaf's invention and filler episodes still bothered to create new designs for his machines. It would've been better to have a suit like this show some Red Ribbon battle jacket and Pirate Robot inspiration due to such being things Bulma would have more familiarity with. Nevertheless, I do like the idea of Bulma using her technology to offer her some strength. It's a shame this was never utilised in canon, especially when the strength of robotics was a major part of the manga's next arc.
The crab's eggs hatching in the latter episode does raise some questions. Is it a different crab from the first? It would be a big coincidence for two giant crabs to be giving birth so close together. On the subject of Namek's sea life, it does make you wonder what happened to the animals of Namek at the end of the arc. Did they get transported to Earth and, if so, how did that affect Earth's wildlife? Anime-wise they most likely did if Frog Ginyu was brought to Earth...Or did they all conveniently get killed by the lightning sparking around Namek prior to Dende making the wish? Maybe a lot of the alien lifeforms on Namek interacting or interbreeding with those on Earth explains why there was a giant snake capable of giving Base Goten some difficulty in the early episodes of Super
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Episode 61 - Toei certainly like their naked Galu 
. The sport drink scene is also pretty funny in how direct it is.
It's hard to rate which version of the Ginyu Tokusentai's arrival is better between Z and Kai. Kai has a very catchy theme song exclusive to the group that plays into their persona, whereas Z has good juxtaposition in how a dramatic, menacing track is used to contrast with the flamboyant nature of the scene. Overall, I'd say Z did it better, particularly as the group's seiyuu in Z all bring more energy to the role than their recasts in Kai.
Episode 62 - Ghurd's flashback of being berated by Vegeta is good filler since his hatred of Vegeta provides him with more character than his manga self, which is greatly appreciated as a major problem with the Ginyu Tokusentai in the manga was that their personalities all seemed interchangeable other than Ginyu himself. There is the question of why Vegeta appeared in his Namek attire during the flashback, but considering he was sure his tail would grow back at the start of the arc, I'd say it's logical to deduce he had lost it prior and may have lost some armour at the time (or not having been as heavily armoured in the past as the Bardock special suggested).
It is entertaining to watch the Ginyus play janken to decide who'll kill Vegeta or Gohan/Kuririn. It adds to that juxtaposition I mentioned earlier, though with a reverse of a severe act being made to seem playful.
We of course also get Butta being "the fastest in the universe" which will soon be proven wrong. I guess it's just referring to travel speed?
Episode 63 - Gohan/Kuririn VS Ghurd is probably the most interesting battle of the arc's mid-point and a good deal of its third act until Goku VS Freeza. This is mainly since it had the main characters facing an opponent weaker than them who used unique abilities to do well, a reverse of most of the fights in Z up until this point. The anime also added in the rule that Ghurd can only stop time for as long as he holds his breath, which is better than the manga playing things loosely with how he can seemingly just keep going until he loses stamina from holding time in stasis.
ReaCoom betting Butta a chocolate bar on the fight and giving him it also adds a bit more personality to the group than just being a caricature of tokusatsu and super sentai tropes (and one that falls a bit flat in a series where characters already utilise such tropes seriously) by providing more interactions and oppositions within the group.
Might put the main rewatch on hold to rewatch the Bardock special seeing as it aired between episodes 63 and 64.
. The sport drink scene is also pretty funny in how direct it is.It's hard to rate which version of the Ginyu Tokusentai's arrival is better between Z and Kai. Kai has a very catchy theme song exclusive to the group that plays into their persona, whereas Z has good juxtaposition in how a dramatic, menacing track is used to contrast with the flamboyant nature of the scene. Overall, I'd say Z did it better, particularly as the group's seiyuu in Z all bring more energy to the role than their recasts in Kai.
Episode 62 - Ghurd's flashback of being berated by Vegeta is good filler since his hatred of Vegeta provides him with more character than his manga self, which is greatly appreciated as a major problem with the Ginyu Tokusentai in the manga was that their personalities all seemed interchangeable other than Ginyu himself. There is the question of why Vegeta appeared in his Namek attire during the flashback, but considering he was sure his tail would grow back at the start of the arc, I'd say it's logical to deduce he had lost it prior and may have lost some armour at the time (or not having been as heavily armoured in the past as the Bardock special suggested).
It is entertaining to watch the Ginyus play janken to decide who'll kill Vegeta or Gohan/Kuririn. It adds to that juxtaposition I mentioned earlier, though with a reverse of a severe act being made to seem playful.
We of course also get Butta being "the fastest in the universe" which will soon be proven wrong. I guess it's just referring to travel speed?
Episode 63 - Gohan/Kuririn VS Ghurd is probably the most interesting battle of the arc's mid-point and a good deal of its third act until Goku VS Freeza. This is mainly since it had the main characters facing an opponent weaker than them who used unique abilities to do well, a reverse of most of the fights in Z up until this point. The anime also added in the rule that Ghurd can only stop time for as long as he holds his breath, which is better than the manga playing things loosely with how he can seemingly just keep going until he loses stamina from holding time in stasis.
ReaCoom betting Butta a chocolate bar on the fight and giving him it also adds a bit more personality to the group than just being a caricature of tokusatsu and super sentai tropes (and one that falls a bit flat in a series where characters already utilise such tropes seriously) by providing more interactions and oppositions within the group.
Might put the main rewatch on hold to rewatch the Bardock special seeing as it aired between episodes 63 and 64.
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Thought it's worth mentioning how the Ginyu Tukusentai often refer to Vegeta with the ''-chan'' suffix, which already gives the idea of how much of a threat these guys must be to refer to the Saiyan prince in such a cute manner.
Also, Recoome is a way different character in the sub than he is in the dub. The dub made him sound like someone with an actual intellectual disability.
Also, Recoome is a way different character in the sub than he is in the dub. The dub made him sound like someone with an actual intellectual disability.
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I found the until then sequences at Kaio's planet pretty hilarious. Although offering some critic, I wouldn't imagine Tenshinhan as the type to struggle so much with some joke considering how edgy and sarcastic he seemed at the 22nd Budokai. Were it me I'd have him passing as easily as Yamcha to show his apparent not compromised social skills. Not saying he likes it, but struggling so much to the point he seemed to be heading to the toughest battle of his life pushed the bar a little too much to me.
I also kinda disliked how Piccolo undermined Kaio's training, the catching Bubbles sequence specifically. He may be ahead of this stage, but to call this a pathetic training seems a little too much as it's a pretty expected progress and to-overcome obstacle for whoever hasn't dominated the planet-gravity yet.
I also kinda disliked how Piccolo undermined Kaio's training, the catching Bubbles sequence specifically. He may be ahead of this stage, but to call this a pathetic training seems a little too much as it's a pretty expected progress and to-overcome obstacle for whoever hasn't dominated the planet-gravity yet.
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Yet those sort of retorts and insults were his only real form of comedy, which is far different from Kaio's taste in puns and wordplay.ahill1 said:
I'd say it's understandable when Piccolo is intent on not just surpassing a Goku that's undergoing for more difficult training, but is aware all of Kaio's training wasn't enough for Goku to overcome Vegeta alone and someone far above Vegeta's level is on Namek. It's expected for Piccolo to be so impatient when he didn't expect to stay long on Kaio's and was fully intent of challenging Freeza once he was revived.
