June is here and 2019 is half over. A part of my New Year’s resolution was to bring us more varied reviews. As a kid, I loved cartoons but my childhood friend Violet, like much of what’s brought me to this point, helped me discover something brand new: anime. Blood, tons of fights, flashing lights, and a complex story of complex characters we care about; this was a whole new world for me. It would be much later in later when I’d journey farther into anime ( unsure it was a genre at the time and merely thinking it was just an anomaly) So let’s begin to start the epic saga that is Dragonball Z…
Years after Dragonball ended, Goku defeated Piccolo and the world was safe. He settled down with Chi-chi and had there son Gohan, named after Goku’s grandpa. His old friends are having a get-together at old Master Roshi’s place, so Goku and Gohan set out to meet them. Meanwhile, an alien crash lands on Earth, and searches out Piccolo on accident, mistaking him for someone named “Kakarot”. This alien is a Saiyan named Radditz and he’s looking for his brother- Goku. After kidnapping Gohan, Goku and Piccolo have to team up to face Radditz, just barely beating him but not without a heavy cost. Goku dies and Radditz promises two more Saiyans will come to earth in search of the mystical Dragonballs in a years time. Goku’s friends: Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chotzu and Yajarobe train with Kami as Goku had as a child. Piccolo, after seeing the incredible power inside him during the fight against Radditz, takes Gohan for training. Meanwhile Goku journeys across Snake Way in search of King Kai for training. The time passes and the Saiyans arrive, Vegeta and Nappa, and as promised there powers go far beyond Radditz. With Goku wished back, can the Z fighters last against the terrible duo?
The Saiyan saga is the first season of DBZ and as you’d expect, it’s a bit slower and more adventure based but no less awesome. My favorite character to follow was Piccolo, starting as the villain who begrudgingly helps his enemy out of necessity and develops a heart through helping Gohan. The final fight between Goku and Vegeta will go down as one of anime’s greatest battles but the Radditz and Nappa fights are also pretty badass. The season is a slow burn but it’s a hell of a climax and the characters and adventure are well worth the time. In the end, for new anime fans it’s a must watch. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
