Category: Anime review

Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell)

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Last we saw, things weren’t looking good for the Z fighters. Despite the medicine, Goku is struggling against the heart virus while his family is trying to keep away from the androids who easily beat Vegeta at Super Saiyan. Piccolo, seeing no other option goes to merge with Kami, making him stronger than a Super Saiyan but leaving Earth without Dragonballs. It’s a discovery that raises a whole new series of questions when another time machine is found, same model as Trunks’s but in the brush they find a broken exoskeleton. Entire towns are seeming to vanish, leaving clothes behind. Piccolo mistakes what he feels are the powers of his friends only to discover the monstrosity at work: enter Cell. Dr Gero’s ultimate creation, an living machine made from the cells of all the Z fighters and Frieza, Cell has come from the future to absorb Android 17 and 18 to become perfect. The only real hope they have is finding a level beyond Super Saiyan, but can Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks find this power before Cell becomes unstoppable?

The Android Saga continues to get better with who I’d say is the best villain of the series. Cell in his earlier forms is creepy as hell but always intimidating; I love seeing the other characters abilities and attacks biting them in ass. What’s great is this is one of the last times the other characters besides the Saiyans are relevant; Krillin and Tien have great moments but I love Piccolo’s fight against 17 which is one of my favorites of all DBZ. Vegeta vs Cell was pretty badass too but Cell’s turnaround makes you fear for the Z fighters. This is DBZ at it’s best and I highly recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Trunks)

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So we come to what many consider to be the best saga Dragonball Z has to offer: the Android Saga. It all begins with the conclusion to Dragonball Z:The Frieza Saga with the reveal that despite being cut in half and the destruction of a planet, Frieza is not dead. His remains were found in the vastness of space by his father, King Cold; Frieza is restored with a host of mechanical pieces and is pissed, taking Cold and his soldiers to Earth for revenge. The Z fighters sense him coming, but without Goku there chances of survival as well as Earth’s are slim. Frieza and Cold land, to be greeted by a young man they’d never seen. Easily he slays the soldiers and faces Frieza and his father, demonstrating his true power- he’s a Super Saiyan. He destroys Frieza and Cold once and for all and continues to wait for Goku to return. The young man is Trunks, Vegeta and Bulma’s  son from the future. In the future, Goku dies of a yet undiscovered heart virus. Years later, 2 androids emerge created by Dr Gero of the fallen Red Ribbon Army and systematically kill the Z fighters one by one. Trunks brings Goku the medicine he’ll need to survive the virus and delivers the date the androids will arrive, years from then. Three years later, they arrive as Trunks predicted but when Trunks arrives to help, he finds the terrible fact that the androids he warned about aren’t the same. History has changed but can the Z fighters survive?

This is where I truly began to love DBZ. Trunks’s debut is one of DBZ’s most epic moments and he is one of my favorite characters. Also, I love that Vegeta becomes a Super Saiyan. Android 19 and 20 were cool but 17, 18, and 16 are a great, likable trio as well as badasses; watching 18 fight Vegeta was brutal. The season ends with an awesome cliffhanger of the horrors to come. There are some filler episodes but I don’t mind them, especially when Goku and Piccolo compete learning how to drive. Definitely worth a watch and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Dragonball Z: The Garlic Jr Saga

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So Dragonball Z:The Frieza Saga left us with a cliff hanger, what became of Goku after Namek finally exploded? Well, you ain’t finding that answer here. Months after getting back from Namek, the gang goes on with there normal lives. Gohan is studying, Goku’s friends are partying and Krillin has a new girlfriend. Life goes on, until the Black Water Mist is unleashed, turning nearly everyone evil. Garlic Jr ( from Dragonball Z: The Dead Zone ) has found himself freed from the Dead Zone, and has come back with a new scheme. It’s up to Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo to stop him before its too late..

If this review seems unenthusiastic, it’s because this tiny saga is strictly filler. There is no real weight to the rest of the series, except to add something else to a point made later in the series. Garlic Jr is a pretty weak villain compared to Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, or Frieza. If you decide to watch this arc, it is short but if you chose to skip feel free and skip to Trunks. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell Games)

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*spoiler alert: due to a posting error, my Cell Games review came out ahead of schedule. The first part will come out July 3rd, and the second part on the 4th.

We come to the finale of the Android Saga and one of the greatest climaxes in anime. Cell, confident he is all powerful, issues a challenge to the world; face him in the Cell Games for the fate of the world. Goku and Gohan emerge from the hyperbolic time chamber, far stronger than before. Unlike the others who are dreadfully training, Goku urges Gohan to relax and enjoy life. The young Super Saiyan agrees, wearing Piccolo’s colors during the games to come. The Z fighters arrive with a famous fighter named Hercule Satan who Cell bitch slaps away like a fly. Goku is first up. Cell and Goku clash but Goku isn’t able to put Cell down as hard as he tries. Instead, Goku promises there is someone far stronger than him among them that can beat Cell. Gohan, the youngest Super Saiyan. It becomes apparent though Gohan doesn’t have the same urge to fight as the other Saiyans but he understands why he will kill Cell; all his life, Gohan has shown explosive leaps of power when enraged, leaps of power he couldn’t control. Cell finds this intriguing and tortures Gohan trying to make him snap; when that doesn’t work, he spawns his twisted Cell Jrs. that attack the others, each as powerful as Cell. Gohan still doesn’t snap. When Android 16 is destroyed, he tells Gohan he understands his fear but to protect life, sometimes you have to fight. When Cell crushes 16’s head, Gohan explodes and becomes stronger than any of them ever imagined but can this new power finish Cell once and for all…

I love this ending. Throughout the series and especially this saga, Gohan has always been more of a background character but during this saga we get a very well done look at his character. Super Saiyan 2 is amazing and the fight between him and Cell is beyond epic. There’s a goodbye that may bring some to tears (Violet) but its well done. This finale is equal parts action and epicness and I feel its the best way the show could have ended. In fact I’m pretty upset it isn’t. I highly recommend the Android Saga as some of the best anime I’ve seen and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

DragonBall Z: The Return of Cooler

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So of the DBZ movies, there’s only two villains who appear for a second go around. Cooler is the first. Like his brother, he simply refuses to die.

The poor Namekians simply can’t seem to catch a break. After a brief bout of peace on there new world of New Namek, a new threat emerges. Dende calls Goku and friends for help. When they arrive, they discover a metal monstrosity latched onto there world and robots walking around. The robots are disposable but soon Goku finds a familiar foe with a new look is controlling them- Cooler. His body is no longer flesh but a living metal; after being blasted through the sun by Goku, what remained of Cooler made contact with the Big Gete Star, creating Meta-Cooler. Despite being a Super Saiyan, Cooler’s metal form constantly regenerates. Vegeta, now a Super Saiyan himself, comes to the rescue and they destroy him or so they think; the Gete Star replicates a nearly infinite amount of Coolers. Can the Super Saiyans survive the mechanical onslaught?

I must admit, I’m pretty hit or miss with this movie. While the fights are sweet, especially watching Super Saiyan Goku and Vegeta tearing Cooler apart in tandem, the beginning drags a bit. I also have to say Cooler’s voice was a bit annoying as the movie progressed and without a transformation, I felt he lacked presence. Regardless the action was cool and it was a good means to have Goku and Vegeta team up. In the end, it’s a serviceable movie. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

DragonBall Z: Cooler’s Revenge

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So why wouldn’t Frieza have a brother whose stronger? Cooler watched his little brother swoon over the destruction of planet Vegeta by his hand and felt the ever present hate and annoyance for him.Years later, the ultimate humiliation to the family when a monkey killed Frieza. Cooler and his trio of henchmen come to Earth to find Goku, camping with friends. The trio is no match for Goku, but Cooler wounds Goku. The trio blasts through the woods to search for him to no avail; Gohan sneaks away to get Sensue Beans so they can heal up. When caught on the return trip, Piccolo jumps in and slays the henchmen but is decimated by Cooler. Goku is restored and seems evenly matched with Cooler until, like his brother, he reveals a transformation; can the Super Saiyan defeat a brother stronger than Frieza?

Once again, like Dragonball Z: Lord Slug  this movie is a fast paced blast. I love the old school nu-metal music from Deftones, Drowning Pool, Disturbed, and Finger Eleven; I love watching the Super Saiyan transformation at the end to Change by Deftones personally. Cooler is a good villain and a good contrast to Frieza both in character and appearance. The movie was really fast paced but it never feels hurt by it. In the end, it’s a damn DBZ movie and well worth a watch. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z:The Frieza Saga

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After defeating Ginyu at the end of the Dragonball Z: The Namek Saga , Goku is rushed into a Revitalization chamber while Ginyu hops around, stuck in the body of a frog. Frieza, a tyrant of seemingly unstoppable power, is approaching. While Vegeta sleeps, Gohan, Krillin, and Dende attempt to summon the dragon undisturbed. They manage to revive Piccolo and there Kami as well, and have Piccolo sent to Namek where he fuses with a dying Nail, becoming stronger than he thought possible. Frieza finds them, unleashing a new transformation just when our heroes believe they can win. Frieza brutally kills Vegeta, who tearfully tells Goku that he was a slave under Frieza his whole life and he never had a chance to be anything else. Angered Goku faces against Frieza’s final form but even with all his strength he can’t match Frieza’s might. His final solution: drop the biggest Spirit Bomb on Frieza he possibly can, having his friends try to hold him off. At first, it appears the bomb worked, but there hopes are quickly smashed when Frieza emerges, wounded and pissed, killing Krillin and mortally wounding Piccolo in a blink of the eye. Goku is furious, unleashing his rage in a frightening display, becoming the golden haired, aqua eyed Super Saiyan of legend. Suddenly the tables turn on Frieza, who is suddenly completely outmatched. However, he has a final transformation under his belt and uses his power to destroy the planet. Can Goku defeat Frieza before Namek explodes?

Here is where DBZ sold me. Frieza is a simple villain but his multiple, strange transformations and iconic voice make him one of the series most memorable bad guys. We see Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, and Piccolo at some of there most badass but let’s face, Goku steals the show with his Super Saiyan transformation. Super Saiyan Goku vs Frieza on dying Namek is on of anime’s greatest battles and Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation set the standard for epic transformations in anime for decades to come. The finale is suspenseful as hell and ends on a great cliff hanger. This is one of my favorite sagas, despite the fact it’s pretty much one fight and Frieza does get annoying at times ( not to mention that son of a bitch can’t tell time to save his ass) but because of the awesomeness that is Super Saiyan and the suspenseful as hell climax and satisfying as hell end to Frieza, it’s one of my favorites and well worth a watch. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z: Lord Slug

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Here is where the DBZ movies turned for the awesome, part of which helps is the badass soundtrack featuring old school Deftones, Disturbed, and Finger Eleven to name a few.

The Earth is in panic as a colossal meteor is about to collide with the planet, a planet inhabited by life. Goku and Krillin intercept only to get blasted away as it lands and an army emerges lead by an ancient tyrant known as Lord Slug. Slug has come for the Dragonballs to give himself eternal youth. After being restored to his prime, him and his army set off to terra-form the Earth to create a new cruiser out of it. Goku and his friends can’t compete with young Slug who is revealed to be a Super Namekian, but Goku finds a strange power of his own, but can it bring down a towering Slug?

The Lord Slug movie is badass. The fights are epic and the music perfectly compliments them. Slug as a villain is pretty solid and his henchmen are interesting to watch. How Slug is defeated is pretty creative and it brings a cute scene early in the movie. If you want a quick, fun, badass DBZ film I highly recommend this to anime fans. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z: The Namek Saga

dbz 2  We continue on with the epic tale that is Dragonball Z. After saving the Earth, Vegeta has fled, Goku is wrecked, and with Piccolo and Kami dead there are no more Dragonballs. Mr Popo shows Bulma the ship Kami came in as a baby and she’s able to find the coordinates to Planet Namek, which has it’s own Dragonballs. Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan set off for Namek to restore Piccolo and there friends. Vegeta, pissed at his defeat, is stronger than ever after being beaten nearly to death because of Saiyan genetics and sets off to Namek as well. Despite Piccolo’s original bitter nature, Gohan and Krillin discover the Namekians are a peaceful people who are being slaughtered by Vegeta and a much darker force- Frieza. His army and right hand men Zarbon and Dedoria are searching for the balls as well so Frieza can achieve immortality. Before killing Dedoria Vegeta discovers the Saiyans weren’t destroyed by an asteroid as he was led to believe but Frieza himself, which boosts Vegeta’s blood lust. While a cat and mouse game ensues between Krillin and Gohan and Vegeta, Bulma tries to survive the alien world, and Goku trains with gravity as he races to help his friends on Namek. When the Dragonballs are in there grasp, the pair find themselves having to join forces in order to face Frieza’s squad of strange but powerful mercenaries- Enter the Ginyu Force…

Season 2 was a good blend of adventure and fights. I like how half of the story is Vegeta going on a murderous rampage and he does have most of the best fights in this season. The Ginyu Force is goofy but they are pretty cool. The pacing is a bit off and it it is slower than last saga but it’s worth the wait for what will come next. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dragonball Z: Tree of Might

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Admittedly Tree of Might was my intro to the DBZ movies and it’s a fair place to start. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Dragonball Z: The Dead Zone and Dragonball Z: The World’s Strongest , these were the early years of DBZ.

Much like the story of Dragonball Z ( The Saiyan Saga) , a band of aliens come to Earth, only this time pirates. Gohan and Krillin save a young dragon from a massive forest fire and they set off to find the Dragonballs to undo the fire. Meanwhile a band of space pirates sets down, led by Turles, who plans on destroying the world to grow the Tree of Might. The fruit from the tree grants incredible tree, but the tree itself feeds off of the world it’s planted on until it dies. The Z fighters face the pirates but are no match for Turles, who looks exactly like Goku. Can Goku beat his doppelganger and save the world?

Of the original 3 movies, I’d say Tree is the best. You get to see all the Z fighters in action which is pretty cool. The fight against Turles has some decently brutal moments and the story is pretty solid. If you are a fan of the series, I’d definitely check it out and may the gaming gods bring you glory.