Synopsis: With no other hope for defeating the Oozaru Vegeta, Goku begins gathering energy from all life on Earth for the Genki Dama. As Vegeta struggles to regain his eyesight after Goku blinded him with the Taiyo-ken, Goku knows he won't have long before Vegeta finds him. Vegeta looks around as his vision clears, and Goku can feel that Vegeta's found him just as he gathers the energy for the Genki Dama. Goku prepares to throw the attack at Vegeta, but the Oozaru fires a large beam of energy at him from it's mouth, knocking Goku to the side and sending a hidden Yajirobe flying as well. As Gohan and Kuririn continue flying back to the battlefield to help, Goku finds himself collapsed on the ground and curses himself for not having gotten further away from Vegeta before gathering energy. He struggles to his feet and thinks that he has nothing left, as the Oozaru Vegeta also accuses him of having nothing but spunk left to give. Goku admits that he used the last of his energy to gather the energy for the Genki Dama, and Vegeta thinks this fight is his now. Vegeta raises his foot to stomp on Goku, who is just barely able to jump into the air to dodge, only to get swatted away into some nearby rocks by Vegeta. Vegeta leaps after him then, and with Goku unable to dodge, Vegeta stomps hard down onto his legs. Feeling Goku's energy growing smaller and smaller, Gohan and Kuririn try to get back to the battlefield as quickly as they can. Goku screams in agony as his legs are now broken, and Vegeta laughs, claiming to have meant to kill Goku with that one. He raises a finger into the air, telling Goku that he'd better hope his aim is more true this time or he's going to be in a lot of pain – unless, that is, he'd rather be alive to watch the Earth be destroyed. Goku chastises Vegeta, warning him that while he's turned out to be far stronger than any of them expected, he's still going to pay for his ways someday. Vegeta laughs and tries to squash Goku with his finger, and Goku uses the last remnants of his energy to blast Vegeta in the eye. Vegeta recoils in pain while holding his face, and Goku tells him to think of that attack as something to remember him by, though he now can't even move his arms. Vegeta yells at Goku for scarring his face, and picks Goku up in his hands, squeezing him hard in them, promising to crush Goku to death for this. Review: While we had to wait until the actual fight with the Saiyans to see how the Kaio-ken functioned, we already saw on Kaio-sama's planet how the Genki Dama works. Goku gathers a little bit of energy from everything on the planet and makes a powerful attack out of it, one that's far stronger than anything he could have achieved on his own (even with the use of the Kaio-ken). That said, the one we saw before was extremely small – it only would have gathered energy from Kaio-sama, Bubbles, Gregory if we're taking the anime into consideration, and Kaio-sama's planet and the trees and grass on it as well. There's seemingly not even a sun or moon or anything there to gather energy from, so it's scope was relatively small. The Earth is a MUCH more massive source of energy in comparison, so any Genki Dama Goku makes here is bound to be far, far stronger than the first one. ...You know, if he can actually use the technique, that is. Unfortunately for Goku, he didn't go far enough away from Vegeta who also recovers from the Taiyo-ken quicker than he may have anticipated as well, and while Goku is successful in gathering the energy, he's unable to throw the attack before Vegeta interrupts him. The mouth blast seems to be something that Oozaru can innately do as we've previously seen Gohan do that in Oozaru state as well, though it must come down to a certain level of power as well – I'm pretty sure we never saw Goku do it in that form as a child. It kind of makes me wonder if Nappa's mouth blast was him harnessing that same attack in his base form, perhaps another way of showing just how strong he truly was as a Saiyan. Gohan and Kuririn are going to have to get back to the battlefield quick if they hope to have any chance of helping Goku, as the poor guy once again ends up in a situation where he can't move any of his limbs. If this sounds at all familiar, it's definitely a case of Toriyama repeating himself to some degree yet again. Goku's legs were taken out of commission by both King Piccolo and Piccolo, and Piccolo likewise took both of his arms out of the equation as well – something Vegeta is going to achieve as well once he starts squishing Goku in his hands. It's a good way to show how dire things are, but it's definitely noticeable and I think Toriyama himself noticed as well, because I'm pretty sure this is the last time we see this particular line-up of injuries in the final battle of a storyline. Before it gets to that point though, Goku does manage to get in one last shot on Vegeta, both verbally and physically. He tells the Saiyan that someday he's going to pay for the way he is, and while Vegeta can laugh those words off, he's not quite as able to laugh off getting BLASTED IN THE EYE. That just sounds painful beyond belief, so no wonder Vegeta's pissed about it. Until next time! Favorite Panel:
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Synopsis: Gohan and Kuririn are still flying back to Kame House when they suddenly spot a bright spot in the sky behind them, almost like a star. Immediately following that, they sense a massive surge of energy as if someone's power just exploded, with both of them soon realizing that it doesn't feel like Goku's, meaning it must be Vegeta's. Realizing that his dad is in trouble, Gohan starts to fly back towards the battlefield even as Kuririn tries to reason with him. Gohan says he knows there's probably nothing he can do but he has to go, and Kuririn says he must be crazy...but so is he, as he turns back as well. Goku watches Vegeta in horror as the Saiyan finishes his transformation into a gigantic Oozaru. Vegeta asks Goku what he thinks of this, and Goku can remember having heard of gigantic ape-like monsters like this before. Vegeta explains that Saiyans with tails are at their most powerful during the full moon due to this transformation, prompting Goku to think. He first remembers Grandpa Gohan warning him not to go outside on full moon nights due to these monsters, and then remembers Kami offering to remove his tail permanently, saying that it must 'get in the way'. Goku realizes at last that he must have been capable of turning into an Oozaru as well, meaning he was the one that destroyed the buildings at the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai...and that he was the one who killed his grandfather. Goku apologizes to Grandpa Gohan and vows to beg for his forgiveness when he meets him in the other world, as he's not at all confident he's going to be able to save the Earth from the Oozaru Vegeta. As Yajirobe looks at the Oozaru form of Vegeta in horror, realizing that it must be the Saiyan due to it still wearing the armor, Goku thinks that even if he can't win, he can give Vegeta one heck of a parting gift – the Genki Dama! Before Goku can do anything however, Vegeta punches at him with a massive fist, destroying the rock Goku was on as Goku dodges out of the way. Vegeta kicks Goku next, knocking him down to the ground. As Vegeta tries to punch him again, Goku activates the Kaio-ken out of desperation and flies up out of the way, only to get smacked away and sent flying through the air by a swipe of Vegeta's tail. Vegeta tells Goku not to die until he can kill him properly, and Goku can't believe that Vegeta is this fast while being so gigantic. Realizing that he needs to buy time to gather energy for his attack, Goku quickly realizes he only has one chance. As Vegeta lunges forward, Goku tells his friend Tenshinhan in the afterlife that he's borrowing his move, and blinds Vegeta with a Taiyo-ken. With the gigantic Oozaru Vegeta blinded, Goku flies away to a nearby pillar of rock and begins gathering energy for the Genki Dama, begging the Earth, the ocean, and every living being on it to give him a little bit of their energy. As Goku raises his hands into the air to receive the energy, Vegeta peers at him as he tries to clear his vision, swearing to kill Goku. Review: For the first time in a while, this chapter checks in on what Gohan and Kuririn are doing while Goku's trying his best against Vegeta. All things told, they really haven't had much time to do anything though – this battlefield is seemingly a good ways away from Kame House, and Goku's not been fighting that long. Based on their distance from the fake moon power ball, they definitely don't seem to have gotten all that far away in the grand scheme of things. This works out pretty good in their favor though as, sensing that things aren't going well, they decide to turn around and head back. That's all we get of them in this chapter, but it certainly puts them down as far more heroic than poor, cowardly Yajirobe at least. This is especially nice to see for Gohan, as it further demonstrates a change in him since losing Piccolo. We'll have more on that soon enough though. The bigger revelation this chapter comes with Goku. Faced for the very first time with an Oozaru, Goku immediately thinks back to the monsters that his grandpa warned him come out on the full moon. Vegeta explains that this is just something that Saiyans with tails can do, and that makes Goku look back on past comments made to him and make a horrifying realization about himself. We don't see it, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he also remembers additional moments, like the first encounter with Pilaf and even the way his friends questioned him about Gohan's tail and if he'd ever seen the full moon. The chapter and as a result the series itself doesn't linger on this revelation for long – partially because it's not in Goku's nature, and partially because it's not in the nature of the series itself either – but it is clear that it DOES bother Goku. And why wouldn't it, he just found out that he killed his grandfather, the man who raised him after finding him in the woods. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Goku also flashed back to the time he met Grandpa Gohan again at Baba's and wondered why Gohan didn't tell him the truth then. If this were a more realistic series or a more realistic character, this would absolutely be the kind of thing that would weigh heavily on Goku's mind and heart for the rest of his life. But this is Dragon Ball, and this is Goku, so...basically, it's not really going to come up again after this. I'm of two minds about this, honestly. Part of Dragon Ball's charm is it's simplicity – it's a series where, no matter how dire things get, our heroes and villains are named after food groups and other puns. Goku himself is also a character that, while he can get serious when there's need for it, largely exists as a laidback guy who just enjoys all of the food and fighting he can find in life. Going too far in a grim direction could make the series lose the very thing that makes it this series in the first place – and yes, there's definitely room to argue that later story arcs tread that line VERY carefully. At the same time though, finding out that you're the reason your grandparent died, and not in some convoluted way but were straight up the person that killed them, SHOULD be a bigger deal than this. It should absolutely be something that we see Goku deal with in some manner at some point, and the fact that we never do is a little bit disconcerting. I guess basically for me it boils down to this: if Toriyama was going to have Goku finally make this revelation, then he really should have committed to it fully and figured out some way to make dealing with that work with Goku's character. Since he didn't, maybe it would have been better if Goku didn't realize it at all, and just continued to labor under the illusion that some other kind of giant ape monster killed Grandpa Gohan. Toriyama effectively tries to have his cake and eat it too here, and frankly, I'm the guy that's slapping the plate out of his hands on this one. Now that said, I DO like that the Oozaru transformation comes back up here. It's a big part of what makes the Saiyans actually feel alien in some way, and the series has always used them to bring a sense of power and drama to the field before. Seeing Goku actually be on the receiving end of one instead of becoming one himself feels like things are coming full circle, and also serves as another way that Goku is defying his Saiyan nature here. It's also the first time we're really seeing an Oozaru in real combat, and that's also a real treat to see. Unfortunately, this does also start the trend of final villains transforming however...but we'll talk more about that later on. Vegeta's Oozaru state immediately proves to be more than Goku can handle, likely more than he could handle even if he hadn't already wrecked his body for that matter too. He was already thinking that the other technique he learned from Kaio-sama, the Genki Dama, might be his only hope against the previous Vegeta, and now that he's faced with a much, much stronger version of the Saiyan, things couldn't possibly be any more grim than they are right now. Goku has to buy time to prepare the technique however – a plot point lifted right from Piccolo's Mankankosappo – and he chooses to do so by also borrowing a move from Tenshinhan's book. It's kind of funny, especially if you go by the anime, as people start using flight and even the Taiyo-ken all over the place. I hate to say it, but Tsuru-sennin's teaching might actually have a bigger lasting impact than we thought... Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Goku, without a leg to stand on...! Synopsis: As Goku's body is wracked with pain, Yajirobe gets up from where the wind from the beam struggle knocked him away. Rushing over to Goku, Yajirobe congratulates Goku on his victory, causing Goku to comment that he didn't even know Yajirobe was there. As Yajirobe concedes that Goku really is the best and pats him on the back, Goku reacts with pain, revealing that he may have definitely done too much for his body to handle. He tells Yajirobe that he might want to run for it, and much to Yajirobe's horror, he reveals that Vegeta is still alive – if he were that easy to kill, things wouldn't be this bad right now. Yajirobe thinks that surely Goku is stronger than him if he comes back down, but Goku reminds him again that his body is a wreck right now and that he might be at the limit of what he can do. Hearing that, Yajirobe runs off again and wishes Goku luck. In the sky, Vegeta finally pulls himself out of the Kamehameha that launched him there, immediately screaming to the heavens with the frustration that Goku's power is higher than his own. It should be impossible, he thinks, as he's the greatest Saiyan warrior of all. With his frustration vented, Vegeta decides to use his ultimate trump card, and transform into an Oozaru. He wanted to save that for destroying the planet quickly if needed, and even made it a point to arrive on Earth when there would be a full moon, but never imagined he'd need that power just to deal with a low-level such as Kakarot. Vegeta soon runs into a problem however – there's no moon in the sky even though there should be. Watching from his planet, Kaio-sama laughs at Vegeta's folly while praising the wisdom of the fallen Piccolo in destroying the moon, and thinks that if Goku can just manage to hit Vegeta with a Genki Dama, then he might win this fight yet. Unable to find the moon, Vegeta is left with no other choice, thinking that although he'll lose a bit of power using 'that', the shock on Goku's face will be worth it. As Goku starts planning to use the Genki Dama, Vegeta lands back down before him and interrupts Goku's thoughts by saying he must think he's outsmarted him by destroying the moon. Goku is confused, and grows even more confused as Vegeta explains how the Saiyan transformation works. When the light of the sun hits the moon, a particular energy is created, and when it reflects off the large surface of a full moon, the amount of that energy exceeds a set amount. When a Saiyan's eyes take in that amount of the energy, a gland in their tail is triggered and the transformation begins. Without a full moon, there's normally no way to trigger the transformation, but some Saiyans – such as himself, Vegeta explains – can create an energy ball capable of becoming a fake moon and reflecting the needed amount of energy. Vegeta caps off this explanation by doing just that, confusing Goku further as his energy drops. Vegeta tosses the ball high into the sky and prompts it to explode, and in it's place forms a large static energy ball. Kaio-sama reacts in horror as he realizes what's happening, and a confused and horrified Goku watches as Vegeta begins to transform into an Oozaru while taunting the 'traitor' Kakarot for not having a tail to transform with. Review: Oh hey there Yajirobe – even I halfway forgot you were there. Fans who started with the 'Z' era of material were probably mystified why this fat samurai was even invited to go train with the others at Kami's sanctuary, but for longtime fans and readers, we know that Yajirobe is a lot stronger than he might appear. Unfortunately, that means we also know what his personality is like, and sadly, this level of cowardice is pretty much par for the course. Don't get me wrong, I think Yajirobe's a pretty amusing character – but he's definitely not anyone's first choice to bring into a fight, no matter how strong he might be. And sadly, there's really no way to tell just how much he did or didn't improve from the training at Kami's, as, spoiler alert, we're not going to get to see him fight. On the one hand, this is disappointing, as the chubby guy has more potential than you'd think at first glance (remember, he was on Goku's level post-22nd Tenkaichi Budokai). There's at least a good chance he could have gotten stronger than Chaozu if nothing else, though Chaozu's psychic powers could still be a problem for him. As things stand though, there's really no way of knowing. On the other hand, it makes perfect sense that he wouldn't come to help everyone else, despicable as that might be. Yajriobe has never shown himself to be all that interested in fighting, he just wants to eat. He's also a complete and total coward, and we've seen before that he'll sit on the sidelines to watch a fight without ever joining in. It's just the sort of guy that he is. Still really doesn't speak well of him as a person though, letting everyone else die without at least trying to help. All of that said? Maybe don't count him entirely out just yet. The story arc's not over yet, after all. Beyond Yajirobe's status in the series, this chapter brings things to a point of no return. Goku's body is wrecked, and there's every chance he doesn't have a way to fight back against Vegeta if he comes back. Likewise, Vegeta is now worried that Goku really can best him in terms of power, and has to resort to something that he never thought he would have to try and win the battle. And that trump card is exactly the same trump card that Piccolo tried to ensure wouldn't happen when he blew up the moon – a wise decision at the time all things told. Hell, Kaio-sama even praises him for it, which I at first guessed meant he was occasionally glancing at the Earth while training Goku, but that happened BEFORE Goku got to his planet, so...I...guess he can look at the past, somehow? Either that or he talked to Kami or something. Hmm. Either way, the chapter ends up giving us a bit of a lore dump on how the Saiyan transformation works. I'm not entirely sure it's something we ever needed, and I can't say for sure that it makes a lot (or any) sense scientifically...but it tracks well enough to work within the context of the series, so who am I to judge? The transformation has always been basically the werewolf transformation except instead of a wolf a Saiyan becomes a kaiju monkey, and this explanation works perfectly in line with what I'd expect for how a werewolf transformation would function too, so it's fine. The best part of this explanation though is Goku's confusion over the explanation. He clearly has no idea what the heck Vegeta's talking about – remember, he hasn't transformed himself since the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, all the way back in chapter 50 of the manga, and here we are nearly 200 chapters later. Goku's confusion about Oozaru transformation is something I'll touch on more in the next chapter review. For now, this chapter comes to a close as things go from bad to much, much worse – typical for story beats Vegeta's involved in, honestly. Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: The Grandpa Gohan Revelation Synopsis: As both Goku and Vegeta try to catch their breath after their last clash, Vegeta curses this turn of events. There should be no way a low-class warrior such as Kakarot is able to fight evenly against him, much less to dominate him, as Vegeta thinks himself the strongest in the universe. Meanwhile, Goku can already feel his body throbbing from using a Kaio-ken x3, and thinks that it won't be able to hold up much longer if he drags this fight out. A watching Yajirobe urges Goku to win this fight already. Vegeta wipes blood from his mouth, and screams that he cannot endure the knowledge that it was someone weaker than himself that drew it. He proclaims that he's going to reduce both Goku and the Earth itself to ashes, and launches himself into the sky while channeling an attack. Goku pleads with him not to go that far, but Vegeta gives him an ultimatum – either dodge the attack to save himself, or doom the Earth. As Yajirobe watches the proceedings in horror, Goku resolves that he has no choice and fires up the Kaio-ken x3 again while preparing a Kamehameha. Vegeta proclaims that nothing Goku can do will stop his own attack, the Gyarikku-ho (Galick Cannon), and tells Goku to prepare for death. Yajriobe wishes he'd eaten more food before dying as both Saiyans fire their attacks, and the massive energy beams meet in mid-air. Vegeta remarks that Goku's blast looks similar to his own, and can't believe that it's holding his back for even a moment. Both fighters struggle to overpower their opponent's attack, and as Vegeta surges more power into his Gyarikku-ho, Goku makes a desperate choice – he temporarily channels a Kaio-ken x4, causing even more power to rush into his Kamehameha, eventually blowing away Vegeta's attack and overwhelming the Saiyan, launching him high into the sky as the energy carries him away. His body all but wrecked, Goku pants and doubles over in pain. Has the fight come to an end? Review: Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed a change in Vegeta's manner right at the very start of this chapter – and by eagle-eyed fans, I mean anyone reading this or the manga chapter itself. Whereas Vegeta was calm and confident before, the very second Goku does actual damage to him, he breaks. This goes from a game he's enjoying playing because he's confident he's going to win, to trying to flip the table over the instant he starts to lose. There's a lot I could say about this side of Vegeta, but I'm going to be holding off on commenting too far on this side of him until we see even more shades of it, but suffice to say – I don't like it. Though really it's more than dislike, because honestly, this side of Vegeta is exactly why I honestly can't stand him and come pretty close to outright hating him most of the time. Where a lot of fans see a badass, I see a sore loser that just blatantly refuses to admit his own failings, and a fanbase that equally refuses to see them as well. And now that I've turned a large chunk of Dragon Ball's fanbase against me probably, let's move on. As Vegeta launches his next offensive on Goku, one he means to put an end to the fight for Earth itself, we get yet another named attack, the Gyarikku-ho, which roughly translates to 'Galick Cannon'. You could be forgiven for not getting what Galick is a pun on, but the pun is pretty easy to see all the same – 'Garlic'. Good ol' Toriyama and his puns. Like the source of it's pun, this attack seems to be really strong, and definitely seems capable of blowing away the entire planet, basically making Vegeta's threat of Goku dodging or dying pretty moot honestly. Even if he dodges, he'd die when the planet exploded. ...Hmm. Shelving an idea for later, perhaps? At any rate, Goku is left with no choice but to put his already wrecked body through a second usage of Kaio-ken x3, and while he might not be jumping all over the place this time, there's a chance it's even more arduous. The Kaio-ken works on the premise of perfectly controlling your energy, and if Goku is firing off an energy attack at the time, then...well, let's just say it's a good thing he used his old standby of the Kamehameha and not some sort of move he's less familiar with. The beam struggle itself is absolutely one of the best such struggles the series has to offer, and it's one way that this fight sets itself apart from even the majesty that is the Goku V.S. Piccolo fight – before the Saiyans, you didn't tend to get struggles like this, but they'll become much more of a thing moving forward from here. Personally, I like a good bit of fisticuffs more than I do energy clashes, but I would absolutely be lying if I said I didn't get hyped for these when done well too, and this one? This one is definitely done well. If putting his body through a Kaio-ken x3 for a second time wasn't bad enough though, Goku even has to resort to using a Kaio-ken x4 – as in, he puts his power up to a point that's FOUR times it's normal limits. That means over the course of this fight already, Goku has output about ten times more power than he'd naturally be capable of (just not all at once, obviously). This power is definitely more than enough to overtake the power of even Vegeta, but the question remains – was it enough to put an end to this fight for good, the same way Vegeta was planning to? Until next time! Favorite Panel: Synopsis: Goku wonders how long his body will last if he really does use Kaio-ken x3, as Vegeta taunts him and asks if he's all out of tricks. Goku decides that he really doesn't have any other choice and will just have to risk it. Vegeta taunts Goku further, telling him that he was the strongest Saiyan on their entire planet, so it doesn't matter how much Goku has trained – he was pre-destined for failure the moment he chose to fight him. Watching this, Yajirobe worries that Goku doesn't have a chance of winning and wonders if he should try running away while he can. Goku readies his body and pleads for it to hold on as long as it can before using a Kaio-ken x3. Watching this from his planet, Kaio-sama pleads with Goku not to go through with this, though admits that there doesn't seem much chance of him winning without doing so – he can't believe that Vegeta is as strong as he is. From Kame House, Bulma keeps an eye on the fight via the Scouter, informing the others (Roshi, Chi Chi, Gyu-mao, Oolong, Puar, and the turtle) that Goku's power is rising quickly. As the reading reaches 21,000, the Scouter explodes. Back on the battlefield, Vegeta watches in horror as Goku's power continues to rise. Glaring at Vegeta, Goku launches himself at the Saiyan, immediately knocking him away with a powerful punch to the face. Before the Saiyan can respond, Goku whips around behind him, kicking him into the air. Vegeta readies himself and tries to counterattack, even spotting when Goku once again moves behind him and launching a blast at him in retaliation. Goku disappears as he dodges the blast however, reappearing to Vegeta's left and kicking him through a few mountains. Outraged, Vegeta breaks out of the debris and curses Goku, aiming a powerful punch at him as he approaches him. Goku easily leaps over him however, landing behind Vegeta and kicking him hard in the back. Vegeta takes the attack but leaps back in towards Goku, aiming a punch at his head – Goku dodges this as well, and slams a powerful punch into Vegeta's stomach with the last of his Kaio-ken boosted strength. Vegeta coughs up blood and stumbles backward before leaping away to a nearby rock pillar. Vegeta can't believe it, but there's no way around the obvious – somehow, Goku found a way to surpass Vegeta's power! Panting, Goku can feel his entire body throbbing and thinks that Vegeta is tough, so he's going to have to end this quickly if he stands any chance of winning. Watching from nearby, Yajirobe smiles as now it looks like Goku might just be able to win this after all. Review: After the last two chapters made it very clear that Vegeta was in an entirely different league compared to Goku, this chapter finally puts a light at the end of the tunnel again. And that light is...the Kaio-ken? But wait, you might be thinking – we've already seen that fail against Vegeta, twice even. Why is this time any different? Well, let's look again at exactly what the Kaio-ken is. It's a technique that bolsters the user's power and speed by augmenting what they're naturally capable of – to be more precise however, it multiplies it. The default Kaio-ken is effectively a 'x2' maneuver, it takes someone's power level and doubles it. The reason it wasn't working before is because Vegeta is more than twice Goku's power, so even doubling what he was capable of wasn't enough to put him on proper footing here. That's where the Kaio-ken x3 comes in – instead of doubling Goku's power, it triples it, and THAT is more than Vegeta's power. By doing more than twice what he's normally capable of however, Goku does more than gain immense power, he also puts his body at a much higher risk of not being able to handle the power he's using. That's why Kaio-sama warned him not to do it, and why Bulma watching with the scouter notes that Goku's power is rising too quickly – even for someone like Bulma, who's not a fighter and knows nothing of power levels, she can tell that this is unnatural. As an aside though, it is nice to see that she and the other non-fighting cast are still trying to keep some kind of eye on what's happening out there. In Kaio-sama's case, it's also nice to see that he's watching his latest student's progress in the hopes that he'll be able to win, and while he doesn't like Goku breaking their deal not to go beyond a normal Kaio-ken, he understands that it's really the only chance Goku has. And if there's any proof that sometimes great risk comes with great reward, Goku himself becomes evidence of that as the Kaio-ken x3 suddenly allows him to wreck the previously impervious Vegeta's absolute shit. It's moments like this one that make it very easy to see why this is such a beloved fight in the franchise. I might be an unapologetic believer that Goku V.S. Piccolo at the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai is the best fight in the entire franchise, but there's no denying that Toriyama's choreography for fight scenes is absolutely still at it's peak here as well. There's a sense to the speed of proceedings here that's impossible for me to summarize with descriptions alone – definitely put this one down as another chapter that you need to see for yourself to grasp just how good it really is. As the chapter comes to a close, Vegeta's actually on the back foot now, but despite Yajirobe's hopefulness, things are far from over. There's still every chance Goku's body won't be able to hold out long enough to actually put Vegeta down for good. We're still in the woods folks, and it's gonna be a bit longer before we see the end of the trees. Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: One Beam Clash to Rule Them All! Synopsis: With even the Kaio-ken proving incapable of besting Vegeta, Goku seems sure to lose this fight, but rather than give up, Goku simply smiles. Vegeta wonders if he's given up hope or just has more power to pull out, but even Goku himself doesn't know the truth – Goku's innate Saiyan nature is awakening, giving him an even deeper craving for battle than he's ever had before. Vegeta tells Goku that he thinks he's hit his limit, so he decides to show Goku something before finishing him off – the overwhelming power of an elite Saiyan. Goku tells him to go ahead, and Vegeta says he's looking forward to wiping that smirk off of his face before unleashing his true power. As Vegeta's power grows, storm clouds gather overhead and rain lightning around the pair, and Goku says it feels like being stuck in the winds of a hurricane and like the whole planet is shaking all at once. As soon as Vegeta stops gathering his power, the skies calm and the clouds are gone, leaving only Vegeta's insane power that Goku can still feel. With a malicious smile on his face, Vegeta launches towards Goku, easily battering him around. Goku tries to brace himself to stop Vegeta, but the Saiyan just moves too quickly for him to stand a chance. After getting knocked away a second time, Goku looks up to the sky just in time to see Vegeta hurling a powerful blast at him. Goku uses the Kaio-ken technique to dodge, but Vegeta spots him and fires a second blast. Goku tries to dodge it as well, but even using Kaio-ken the best he can manage is barely dodging out of it's path, the ki blast ripping off much of the right side of his shirt. Goku is forced to realize that not even the Kaio-ken is enough to match against Vegeta's power. As he rips off the remnants of his gi top, Goku decides that he doesn't have much choice – he'll have to risk using a Kaio-ken x3, as it's better to blow himself up trying to win than just letting Vegeta do it. Unaware of what Goku is planning, Vegeta laughs and says that he made that blast easy to dodge, as he doesn't want to kill Goku just yet. Watching the two Saiyans from a nearby rock, a hiding Yajirobe says he only decided to watch as they suddenly came so close, but now it feels like he's in some sort of nightmare due to how strong they both are. Review: As Goku and Vegeta's fight continues, one might think back to the fights with either version of Piccolo, or even his fight with Tenshinhan – fights where Goku was outclassed in at least some ways, but the fights go back and forth with practically every chapter, making it feel like the fight could go either way at any second. That's not what's happening here however – Vegeta is very much the one in control of this fight, and that only grows to be all the more true as he unleashes his full power. Which speaking of – still pretty sure what we're seeing from Vegeta here would absolutely count as “powering up” if any of the Earthlings did it, but since the spacemen who don't understand altering your power level are doing it, it's not. Toriyama, I love your story, but this element has and never will make any sense to me. My issues with that aside however, Vegeta unleashing his power is definitely a visual spectacle on par with Nappa blowing up the city and it being visible from space. From the mere act of going all out, Vegeta is able to make the entire planet itself shake, and to alter the weather in the sky above him and Goku – that's just NUTS. Almost even scarier than that however is how calm things get in the moment immediately following that before he starts to attack Goku. It's very much a 'calm before the storm' moment. All of that said, I can't help but feel that in some ways, this chapter wasn't really that needed. It basically serves to show that Goku's Kaio-ken isn't going to be enough to combat Vegeta, which is something that was already established last time. The only real difference this time is that it's shown Goku also can't rely on it to dodge Vegeta either, which...we really could have just inferred already as is, you know? Basically this can't help but feel like a stop-gap before moving the story further along. It does end on a couple of really fun teases however, the most enticing of course being that Goku's about to use a higher level of Kaio-ken, something that just might even the odds but runs the risk of killing him before Vegeta can – those are some entertainingly high stakes. The less enticing but no less interesting reveal is that Yajirobe, the one fighter who failed to turn up to fight the Saiyans earlier, is now in the area watching Goku and Vegeta's fight. Maybe we'll get to see what he's capable of yet? ...Well...maybe...put a pin in that one. Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Turning the tide! Synopsis: Vegeta tells Goku that he's lucky – it's not every day that a lower-class Saiyan such as himself gets to fight with someone of Vegeta's status. Vegeta explains that all Saiyan children are tested for their potential at birth, and those with lower power levels are sent off to weak planets. Goku thinks that if that's why he was sent to Earth, then he's lucky, because he's learned that even the weakest can grow strong if they put in enough effort. Vegeta laughs and says that he'll show Goku the wall between them that no amount of hard work can overcome. The two Saiyans go into combat position, and Goku launches himself at Vegeta. The two warriors exchange blows, leaping back and forth and fighting in both the air and on the ground. Though Goku gives it his all, he's unable to land a decisive blow on Vegeta, prompting the arrogant Saiyan to taunt him and ask him where the power he used to defeat Nappa has disappeared to. Vegeta eventually knocks Goku away, and the two stare each other down from afar once again. Goku can't believe how good Vegeta is – he's not even trying and he's outdoing Goku in both power and speed. Left with no other choice, Goku agrees to show Vegeta how he beat Nappa, and uses the Kaio-ken. Now twice as strong and fast as he was before, Goku launches a quick energy blast at Vegeta, who dodges into the air. Goku pursues him, catching the Saiyan off guard with a flurry of blows, and eventually chasing after him in the air – at the last second, Vegeta turns around and knocks Goku back with a vicious kick. Falling out of Kaio-ken state, Goku is shocked as Vegeta laughs and expresses disappointment in Goku if that's really his best. Goku is amazed that Vegeta is this strong, but has to admit – he's actually starting to get excited about this fight. Review: Goku and Vegeta's fight starts off as intense as you'd expect a fight between the two strongest characters in the series to, and right from the start, it's shown that this fight is about more than who's stronger, or even whether or not the Earth will be saved – it's a clash between two different ideologies. The fate of the Earth might be the bigger issue at hand here, but it's Goku and Vegeta's different outlooks on life and fighting that makes this fight much more personal. Vegeta's outlook is cold, clinical even – he thinks that only those born strong are ever meant to be strong. A lot of this no doubt stems form the Saiyans as a whole believing that, to the point that they put their entire species into different brackets based on...how strong they are when they're born. I'd say that sounds pretty crazy, but a lot of real life society basically dictates your place in life (or at least tries to) based on the region you're born into and how much money your family does or doesn't have, so for a fighting-based society such as the Saiyans, this rings pretty true. Vegeta seems to take this belief system to a whole other level however, in that he doesn't even think other strong beings, not even his fellow Saiyans, are worth anything once they're compromised. He had no interest in reviving Raditz nor in keeping the beaten Nappa alive. Given that the only other pure-blooded Saiyan left to his knowledge other than himself is Kakarot, a man that he means to kill, proves just how psychotically focused on strength Vegeta is – power will win out, and nothing else matters. Conversely, Goku's outlook is flexible and warmer – he believes that if someone puts in hard work and truly keeps at it, then their efforts will be rewarded in the end. Goku has seen this happen countless times throughout his life up until now, but most importantly, he's lived it. While Goku has always had a leg up in some ways, he was only rarely and sporadically treated as the absolutely strongest character around. In the beginning of the series, he was strong but still unskilled enough to get taken down by weaker opponents. After going through Roshi's training, he likewise learned that no matter how strong he was, there was always going to be someone else out there who was stronger still. He ended up seeing that first hand on many occasions, as he came up against the likes of Taopaipai, Tenshinhan, King Piccolo, the reborn Piccolo, and eventually his own brother Raditz. Goku went into each of those fights, save for the second Piccolo, being the weaker option, and in each case (this time save for Tenshinhan), he came out of the fight the victor. Goku knows that hard work and training can make anyone stronger than they were before, and that the only limits as far as your own performance goes are the ones you place on yourself – if you do your best, you'll get your best, whatever that might be for you personally. These two ideals clash, and as said before, it's one hell of a clash of personalities and fists both. Depressingly, Vegeta seems to have the upper hand, and he's already pushing Goku far beyond what he's able to do naturally. He goads Goku into using the same power he used to take down Nappa, and Goku does just that – he uses the Kaio-ken, and instantly becomes a better match for Vegeta. ...Until Vegeta shows up even that. Vegeta is on enough of a different level that not even twice Goku's power is able to combat him effectively. This is not looking good for the Earth or our heroes, and it's certainly a depressing outcome to come out of their two different ideologies. That said however, the fight is far from over yet, and a real conclusion hasn't yet been reached. And Goku especially doesn't seem to consider himself out of this just yet, as he's actually getting excited by this fight. I mentioned before that Goku getting excited at the prospect of fighting someone way stronger than him rather than getting scared was going to be a new element of his personality that we'll be seeing more and more of, and that's already proving true here. It's certainly a curious reaction to being this overpowered, and it's one that keeps this from feeling like it's over just yet. If Goku hasn't given up hope after all, how can we as the audience? Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Far more than they counted on... Synopsis: With Nappa lying at his feet and pleading for help, Vegeta muses over what he just witnessed, unable to figure out how Goku was able to make his power surge so quickly like that. Kuririn is also confused and asks Goku if that's something he learned from Kaio-sama, and Goku explains how the Kaio-ken works. By taking control of every bit of energy in your body, the user of the Kaio-ken can multiply their own power and speed by a set number, doubling or better what they're normally capable of. As Vegeta wishes he could overhear what Kakarot is telling his friends, Kuririn suggests that this means Goku could have just used this at the start and won instantly. Goku explains however that it's not as simple as all that, and if he messes up controlling his energy perfectly, he'll only end up hurting or even killing himself in the end – Kaio-sama even warned him before he left to remember his own limits and not to go beyond a basic x2 Kaio-ken. Nappa continues to plead with Vegeta for help getting up, resulting in Vegeta eventually taking his hand. Nappa thanks Vegeta for the help, but Vegeta smirks before hurling his injured Saiyan comrade high into the sky. As Goku, Gohan, and Kuririn watch on in horror, Vegeta tells Nappa that he's no good to him if he can no longer fight, and suddenly raises his own power before firing a large burst of energy that kills Nappa in a large explosion. As the dust clears, Goku is revealed to have fled into the air with Gohan and Kuririn to avoid the dust cloud kicked up by Vegeta's blast. The trio are horrified that Vegeta would kill his own partner, and realizing how dangerous things are about to get, Goku tells Gohan and Kuririn to head back to Kame House. Gohan objects, but Kuririn tells him that they'll just be in Goku's way if they stay, as Goku concedes that Vegeta is even stronger than he'd imagined. Gohan reluctantly agrees to leave, and Kuririn asks Goku to take the fight somewhere else if he can so that the bodies of their friends won't get damaged further before they get brought back to life. Goku is confused as Piccolo and Kami dying should mean there aren't Dragon Balls to bring them back at all, but Kuririn promises to explain later what he's thinking, if Goku can just win this fight. Goku agrees to lead Vegeta elsewhere as the Saiyan calls out to him, and Kuririn asks Goku to promise him not to die. Goku promises, and also promises Gohan that they'll go fishing after this is all said and done, before heading over to Vegeta. Goku convinces Vegeta to follow him, and the two fly over the wasteland, with Goku noticing that Vegeta is keeping up to him without any trouble whatsoever. Eventually spotting a section of desert where nothing lives, Goku lands there with Vegeta following suit, suggesting that this will be the perfect place for Goku's life to end as well then. Review: There are three main points of interest I want to talk about in this chapter, which honestly makes it one of the better ones that exist primarily to get the next stage of the story going. A lot of those chapters tend to just check in on things we already know, but this one gives us new information, delves further into something else that we know, and also gives us a memorable death for a character – it's definitely a stand-out in that regard. First, we get a thorough explanation at last for the other move that Goku learned from Kaio-sama, the Kaio-ken. The move itself is unique, especially compared to pretty much every other technique that we've had so far, in that it's not really an attack in of itself. It's more of a status buff, an ability to make the user far stronger than they are without it, during which time they'll be able to hit way harder and move way faster than they could before. The way the technique works means that it's user can basically combine it with any (or at least most) other attacks they might have in their arsenal, be that a really good punch or kick, or even an energy blast, and hit that much harder. Basically, it's almost more of a power-up than an attack – there's a reason that a lot of the video games treat it as a transformation. Personally however, I still think of it as more of a technique than a true transformation, but I can definitely see how it'd be considered one by some people – it really does fall in a rather nebulous territory. If the Kaio-ken sounds too good to be true however, that's because it is. The technique definitely has it's uses, and we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in regards to how helpful it's going to be in Goku's fighting style moving forward. It's not without it's risks however, as Goku explains that using it when you're not in complete control can lead to it wrecking your body. Pushing yourself too far beyond your limits also carries a big risk of over-extending beyond what your body can handle, and damaging you or worse – it's far from a definitive trump card that will always win the day, and that's why Kaio-sama has restricted Goku from going past the standard Kaio-ken that doubles his power. Secondly, we have the death of Nappa. Nappa has been the main driving force attacking our heroes since the beginning of this section of the story, and he's more than done the most damage to our heroes out of all of the threats they've been facing. Seeing Goku utterly humiliate him was definitely something we as an audience were looking forward to seeing, and even if Goku had killed him it would have been a fitting ending for him. Rather than that however, Nappa goes out in an unexpected, vicious fashion, a way that isn't undeserved, but is shocking nonetheless. Which brings us to the third and final thing presented to us in this chapter – Vegeta's cold, brutal nature. Prior to this, we'd seen how scared Nappa was of Vegeta, and while that perfectly indicated that Vegeta was stronger than him, it didn't fully indicate Vegeta's nature or the scope of how much stronger he was. That allows the moment both of these facts about Vegeta are revealed to hit as hard as they do. The Saiyans are a brutal lot, but Nappa and Raditz were both shown to have at least some care towards their own kind in their personalities. Vegeta lacks even that level of empathy, coldly killing Nappa in an even more brutal fashion than he's ever shown, even colder than when he dismissed the idea of bringing Raditz back to life. His power is also far greater than we could have guessed, as not only does he kill Nappa with ease, his power surprises even Goku – and Goku was previously mopping the floor with Nappa himself. This is where the final battle of the Saiyan arc finds us as an audience – Goku, the Saiyan who came to Earth and grew to have empathy and kindness; versus Vegeta, a Saiyan more powerful and cruel than even most Saiyans themselves. There's absolutely no more fitting finale this arc could be going out on. Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Hard Work V.S. Natural Gifts Synopsis: Nappa says that the only reason Goku was winning before was because he'd tricked him into a state of rage, but now that his mind is clear, Kakarot doesn't stand a chance against him. Goku says this is what he really wanted and looks forward to fighting Nappa at his best, causing Nappa to say that he's bluffing, though a watching Vegeta thinks Goku's confidence isn't unfounded and that he has plenty of power to spare. Nappa channels energy into his hand and uses the same explosive technique he used to blow up a city earlier, but Goku leaps from the explosion unharmed. Nappa sees this and follows him into the sky where the two begin a furious exchange of blows, ultimately separating without either managing to do any real damage to the other. Goku praises Nappa, saying that he's doing much better now, and Nappa vows to make sure that's the last wisecrack Kakarot can make. Opening his mouth wide, Nappa fires a blast of energy from his mouth at point-blank range, but while Goku is caught off guard by this, he's still able to move quickly enough to deflect Nappa's attack with an energy blast of his own, resulting in large explosion. As the dust clears, Gohan and Kuririn cling to each other to keep from being blown away by the wind kicked up by the attacks clashing. Meanwhile, Vegeta can't believe Goku was able to react at such a short distance. Goku admits that that attack even made him sweat a bit, but a dumbfounded Nappa can't believe he didn't just kill his opponent – after all, that was his best attack! Goku thinks that this fight might actually take longer than he'd predicted, but just then, Vegeta calls out to Nappa, telling him to leave Kakarot to him to deal with, annoyed that he's having to deal with the likes of him himself. Although Kuririn is happy to see Nappa reduced to being scared for once, the large Saiyan curses Goku again for showing him up enough that Vegeta is taking over fighting him. Nappa smirks however and says that Goku will regret this, saying that there's a reason the smaller Saiyan is named after their home planet after all. Nappa says he won't be satisfied leaving things as they are however, and turns his attention back towards Kuririn and Gohan. Seeing what's about to happen, Goku shouts their names to warn them, but as Nappa flies towards them, Goku follows and realizes that he's not going to catch up in time. Left with no other choice, Goku uses the Kaio-ken, suddenly flying much faster and slamming his fists into the small of Nappa's back before flying even more quickly to the ground beneath to catch the large brute in one hand. Goku tosses Nappa back towards a stunned Vegeta, telling him that Nappa won't be fighting anymore and they should both go back where they came from. As Nappa pleads with him for help, Vegeta can't figure out how Goku's speed and power seemed to skyrocket even higher so quickly. Review: After his poor showing in the last chapter, Nappa actually gets to put in a greatly improved performance in this one. He's still far from dominating the way he was against the human characters earlier, but at least he's not getting tossed around like a ragdoll anymore. In fact, Goku himself seems both impressed with Nappa's performance now...and also pleased. It's a small thing, but it's an interesting part of Goku's changing character here. Goku's always enjoyed a good fight, but think about this in comparison to how he acted when fighting King Piccolo when he finally came back stronger than he was before. There, he didn't seem to enjoy the fact that Piccolo was able to still put up a fight, but here, Goku actually likes the challenge. He's still outraged from what the Saiyans have done, but he's also enjoying getting a good fight – this is basically the leading part of Goku's character moving forward. Once Nappa uses his ultimate technique – a blast fired from his mouth, something that's actually pretty unique at least as far as standard blasts go, and definitely a good way to get a drop on your opponent – and Goku is able to overcome it, things quickly change course again. While Goku is even more impressed by what Nappa can do and thinks this fight won't be quite as easy as he thought, Nappa is shocked that Kakarot can still hang with him, and Vegeta has seen enough. The smaller Saiyan calls an end to the fight, saying that he'll take care of Goku himself, and ordering Nappa to stand down. Shockingly, Nappa is more inclined to listen now than he was earlier, perhaps because even he knows this fight isn't as in the bag as he thinks it should be, though he does taunt Goku with the fact that his fellow Saiyan is named after their planet itself for a reason. That's something I don't think I talked about yet, but yeah, Vegeta's name is also the name of the Saiyan home world itself as has been mentioned a few times prior. There's a couple of reasons for that actually, but we'll get to that in due time. And then Nappa makes his biggest mistake to date by trying to go after Goku's son and remaining friend right before his very eyes. Left with no other way to stop the brute, Goku finally uses that mysterious Kaio-ken technique, something he'd been holding back from doing, and makes the evidence all too clear – Nappa never stood any chance at all against him, not when he's going all out. The Kaio-ken is so potent in fact that, even without a scouter, Vegeta can tell that it made Goku's power and speed both skyrocket. But what exactly IS this Kaio-ken anyway? Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Neon Genesis Saiyiangelion: The End of Nappa Synopsis: As Nappa gets back to his feet, he threatens to destroy Goku, but Goku says he talks a lot for someone who doesn't seem able to back it up. Gohan and Kuririn are mystified as to how Goku managed to do that, Vegeta notes that Goku's power seems completely different from it was before, and Nappa is outraged at Goku's accusation. When Goku says that he can tell Nappa's mostly talk from his last attack, Nappa asks him what he can tell from the next one as he immediately rushes Goku with a flurry of punches and kicks – but Goku is able to dodge each and every one, eventually disappearing and reappearing at Nappa's side. Gohan and Kuririn are still unable to see any of Goku's movements either, as only Vegeta is shown to perhaps have been able to follow them, wondering to himself how Kakarot managed to gain so much more power so quickly. Dashing in, Goku manages to stand on top of Nappa's head, and as Nappa tries to grab his opponent, Goku moves quickly down before him and punches him hard in the stomach. As Nappa reacts in pain, Goku tells him that attack was for Chaozu. Nappa tries to retaliate by kicking at Goku, but Goku ducks underneath before sending Nappa flying with an elbow strike, saying that attack is for Yamcha. As Nappa is sent flying towards a rock, he repels off of it and curses Goku before hurling an energy blast at him. Rather than dodging, Goku takes the blast head-on, dispelling it with his own energy and a kiai, shocking both Nappa and Vegeta. Jumping quickly into the air above Nappa, Goku slams his fists overhead into the brute, telling him this attack is for Tenshinhan. As Nappa is sent flying crashing towards the ground, Goku speeds past him, catching up before Nappa can hit the ground and kicks him forcefully into another rock, declaring this final attack to be for Piccolo. Outraged, Nappa bursts out of the rubble screaming curses towards Goku, who is somewhat surprised to find out that Nappa's more resilient than he thought. Nappa says that there's no way a low-level warrior like Kakarot can push around a true Saiyan like himself, while Gohan and Kuririn wonder if Goku might actually be able to win this after all. Vegeta yells for Nappa to calm down and clear his head, assuring him that there's no way Kakarot can beat him if he keeps his head. As Nappa takes his advice and thanks him however, Vegeta thinks that at this rate, he might actually have to fight personally after all. Review: After watching Nappa absolutely wreck our heroes in general, kill Piccolo and cause the deaths of Tenshinhan and Chaozu, and even be related to Yamcha's death as well, it's soooo cathartic to see Goku knock him around for a while. You can tell that Gohan and Kuririn are somewhat enjoying this change in the status quo as well, as they should – things just went from being completely hopeless to actually feeling like there's a chance they'll get out of this situation alive. Nappa however seems to feel quite differently about it, which to be entirely fair, is also understandable. He's been on top of the world ever since coming to Earth, Vegeta has left all of the fighting post-Saibamen up to him and him alone. After a year in cryogenic sleep, it probably feels pretty great to get out and stretch your legs for a while...just, you know, most of don't get our exercise in by killing folks. I hope. Goku's anger towards Nappa for the deaths of his friends – even if he's somewhat incorrectly attributing Yamcha's death to him as well – comes full circle as well, as he makes it a point to not only embarrass Nappa, but to hit him really, really hard one time each for each one of his fallen friends. The choreography in this section of the fight is great too, ranging from dodging physical attacks, to just disappearing and reappearing in inexplicable places like on top of Nappa's head, to outright tanking an attack similar enough to the ones that injured Kuririn and killed Piccolo. And keep in mind that this is all just Goku barely even trying – we haven't seen so much as a Kamehameha from him, to say nothing of his two new techniques, the Kaio-ken or Genki Dama. All of this goes a long way to show that Vegeta's words to Nappa about Goku being unable to beat him if he keeps his cool are a complete lie, and Vegeta likely knows that too. Goku is just as far out of Nappa's league as he was towards all of our other heroes, if not more so. And with even Vegeta showing some concern towards how strong Goku is, things definitely seem to be in the clear now...right? Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Kaio-wha - ACK! |
About the AuthorAspiring author and big anime/manga fan, just trying to do my best in the world. For more details, go to About Me. Archives
September 2022
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