Synopsis: As Gohan and Vegeta continue fighting overhead, Kuririn asks Goku what he means by saying he'll “give him” the Genki Dama. Goku explains what the Genki Dama is and that he thinks it should be just enough to take Vegeta down now that he's weakened, and asks Kuririn to grab hold of his hand before Gohan gets killed. Kuririn holds Goku's hand and notices that Goku's arm is broken, but Goku pleads with him to hold on regardless as he transfers the Genki Dama's energy to Kuririn. Gohan and Vegeta's clash continues overhead while all of this is happening, and Kuririn is overwhelmed by the power he feels as the Genki Dama is transferred to him. Goku tells him to hold his palm up and concentrate until it forms a ball, telling Kuririn that it's up to him as Gohan couldn't handle power like this. Kuririn does as instructed and forms an energy ball above his hand, and Goku praises Kuririn for pulling it off. Goku tells Kuririn that he has to hit Vegeta with the attack the first time as he's too weak to make another one, and Kuririn tells Goku to leave it to him. In his fight with Vegeta, Gohan keeps coming up short, and he laments that even though his dad weakened him a lot, the Saiyan is still way too strong. Nearby, Kuririn leaps onto a tall rock pillar and watches the fight, waiting for his chance to throw the Genki Dama. Gohan and Vegeta exchange energy blasts, and while Gohan is just barely able to dodge Vegeta's attack, Vegeta is easily able to dodge Gohan's. Kuririn thinks Vegeta is too fast and wonders if he'll ever get a chance to hit him. A voice suddenly speaks to Kuririn, telling him not to aim with his eyes but to feel Vegeta's evil ki and to throw the Genki Dama at that. Kuririn is confused, and Kaio-sama explains who he is and tells Kuririn that the hope of the entire Earth rests in his hands. As Vegeta taunts Gohan, telling him that no matter how many lesser being challenge an elite such as himself it'll never make a difference, Kuririn tries to follow Kaio-sama's advice. Seeking to end the fight at last, Vegeta hurls a barrage of energy blasts at Gohan, who has to leap repeatedly backwards to avoid being caught in the assault. Kuririn closes his eyes to focus just as Gohan is thrown against a rock face by the blasts. Yajirobe notices the massive energy Kuririn has and wonders what he's up to. With Gohan downed, Vegeta rushes in for the kill, and Kuririn thinks he finally has a lock on Vegeta. Just as Kuririn prepares to throw the Genki Dama however, Yajirobe shouts at him to hurry up and throw it, causing Vegeta to notice him at last. Cursing Yajirobe, Kuririn throws the Genki Dama, and it hurtles towards Vegeta. Kuririn pleads with it to hit Vegeta...but Vegeta leaps up over the energy ball at the last second. Review: While Gohan gets all of the action with Vegeta in this chapter, I'd argue that the real focus of this chapter isn't on the fight at all – or rather, it's not about that part of the fight. While seeing Gohan rise to the occasion is a great moment, it's made very clear from the get go that this isn't his fight to win, he just has to keep Vegeta's attention away. Believe it or not, it's going to be Kuririn who's taking center role on taking the Saiyan down. This probably came as a bit of a surprise even for fans who read Dragon Ball from the beginning. Kuririn has never been the central focus of any fight before now, and nothing has ever really relied on him either. He's been a character free of any real narrative weight, and the one time a rather major plot point was appointed to him, it was at the expense of his own life – he died to inspire Goku to fight King Piccolo. Now however, the only hope our heroes have of winning the day actually rests on Kuririn's shoulders. This is quite the boost from his place within the franchise before now, and it's something that I think has been being built ever since the Saiyans arrived. Before this arc, Kuririn was probably the third strongest active hero at best, behind both Goku and Tenshinhan. With this arc though, while he's arguably slid down to fourth (behind Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan if we take his hidden powers into account), this puts him in a position as probably the strongest non-alien Earthling, a position he'll arguably hold for the rest of the series. A boost in power and in relevancy status bodes well for my favorite short fighter, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows just yet either. While Goku entrusts Kuririn with the Genki Dama and suggests only he can use it (though I think that has far more to do with Kuririn's advanced levels of training in comparison to Gohan than it does his power itself), he still has to hit Vegeta with it. Despite the beating Vegeta has taken so far too, the Saiyan is still way faster than everyone, and with only one chance to take him down, there's far more riding on Kuririn than he's used to. With some guiding words from Kaio-sama however, Kuririn rises to the occasion and... ...and Yajriobe mucks it up. I guess it was time for the pendulum to swing back towards Yajirobe being useless again after his saving throw a few chapters ago, but it couldn't have swung back at a worse time. With only one chance to take Vegeta down, the Genki Dama misses. But was that really the last hope left? Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: The End of Vege-oh, wait, scratch that...
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Synopsis: As Vegeta reverts back to normal, Kuririn thinks there's cause for celebration, but a hidden Yajirobe is sure things are about to get a lot worse. Gohan tries to figure out why the big monster disappeared, and Vegeta accuses them all of being suicidal and asks if they truly know the cost of making him angry. Vegeta rushes towards Gohan before Kuririn can shout at him to run, and Vegeta tells him he can be the first before slamming a fist into the young boy's stomach. As Gohan doubles over in pain, Vegeta tells him to act like he truly does have Saiyan blood and show him his power. Kuririn tries to fly in to save Gohan, but Vegeta spots him and kicks him away, causing Kuririn to ricochet off of the ground and various large rocks around. Vegeta turns his attention back towards Gohan, picking him up and headbutting him. As Gohan starts to bleed, Vegeta mocks him and says he'll at least be kind enough to let him die next to his father, and tosses Gohan down beside Goku. Goku weakly talks to Gohan and tells him that his body is too banged up to fight now and asks Gohan to fight in his stead, saying that Vegeta should be a lot weaker now as well. As Vegeta scoffs and calls Goku stubborn for still being conscious after all that was done to him, Gohan tells his father that Vegeta's too strong for him to fight. Vegeta says that he'll kill Kakarot first after all, then his kid, then 'the bald one', and finally the coward who cut off his tail – hearing this, Yajirobe is disappointed to find that Vegeta hasn't forgotten about him at all. Goku insists to Gohan that he doesn't have to win, just hold Vegeta off, and that Kuririn will be the one to finish Vegeta off. As Vegeta leaps from up above and Kuririn tries to struggle to his feet, Gohan weakly tells his father that it hurts too much to fight, causing Goku to chastise his son for being a coward and asking him if Piccolo really taught him to do nothing after everyone has died. Goku's words are cut off as Vegeta's knee slams into his stomach, causing him to cough up blood and scream in pain. Vegeta begins to attack the downed Goku again, causing a watching Gohan to get angry enough to stand back up and scream for him to stop. Threatening to kill Vegeta, Gohan fires an energy blast at Vegeta that the Saiyan has to dodge, leaving Gohan to move quickly into the air and kick him away. Vegeta is hurt, but he quickly retaliates by violently kicking Gohan in the face. As the two fight in mid-air, with Vegeta seemingly having the upper hand but Gohan refusing to back down, Kuririn struggles his way over to Goku. Kuririn tells Goku that it's hopeless and asks him why he didn't tell Gohan to run, but Goku says that as long as they're both still alive, there's a chance – he can give Kuririn the Genki Dama. Review: Just as things seemed like they couldn't possibly get any worse, that they surely had to get better now that Vegeta had been forced to revert from his Oozaru form, they instead find a way to be just as bad if not actually worse than before. Sure, Vegeta's not as powerful as he was moments before, but he's just as angry, and he's also still way stronger than anyone left standing on the battlefield right now. Even in his weakened state, the Saiyan is still more than Gohan or Kuririn can handle, and he's definitely in the mood to drive that point in as painfully as possible. Oh, and as a small aside before moving on, there's a moment of Gohan wondering why the Oozaru went away when it's tail was cut off. This reminds us that despite having transformed into an Oozaru once before himself, Gohan really doesn't know how any of that works himself. Foreshadowing, perhaps? Hmm... Much of the rest of the chapter is just Vegeta pummeling away our heroes – save for Yajirobe who has hidden himself away again, but Vegeta makes it a point to say he hasn't forgotten about him – and their various reactions to said pummeling. Kuririn gets hurt and manages to get back up and walks over to Goku to ask him what the plan is; Gohan gets hurt and wants to stay down rather than get hurt further; but Goku, the most injured of all? Goku doesn't want to give up. He encourages Gohan to keep fighting, already hinting that he still has a plan to avenge everyone and save the planet, but Gohan doesn't want to get hurt. Goku calling his own son a coward is probably a little harsh – I feel the need to once again remind people that he's like FIVE at this point – but he does raise a valid point. If Gohan doesn't stand up and fight, they're all doomed, and everyone died for nothing. It's for this same reason that Goku didn't tell his son to run as Kuririn thought he would. Where exactly is Gohan going to run if Vegeta blows up the whole planet, after all? It's also kind of why some of Vegeta's threats ring hollow as well. We already know he wants to kill them all and to blow up the planet, so calling them foolish or suicidal for fighting back is really kind of pointless banter at this point, you know? Gohan might be too young to really understand what Goku is telling him, but he does still love his father and he does still have that hidden power deep within him, so seeing Vegeta mercilessly beat the downed Goku in front of his eyes is more than enough to get Gohan back in action. Gohan's power is at least enough to help him keep Vegeta's attention for a time, and that's all Goku ever wanted him to do in the first place, as his real plan still involves the Genki Dama. But what I'm sure anyone new to this storyline might be wondering is how he can just “give” it to Kuririn? Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Finally – the Genki Dama! Synopsis: Goku screams as Oozaru Vegeta crushes him in his massive hands, causing Yajirobe to lament that it's all over, apologizing to Goku from afar that he'd help if there was even a chance he'd make a difference, honest. As Vegeta continues to squeeze, the sound of Goku's bones breaking echoes through the air along with his screams, a dual sound that Yajirobe covers his ears to try to escape. Gohan and Kuririn continue to hurry back to the battlefield, with Kuririn still feeling curious about that big energy ball in the sky that reminds him of the sun. As they get close enough to see the fight, Kuririn suddenly shouts for Gohan to get down, and as they descend to the ground – their arrival being noticed by Yajirobe – Kuririn remembers that Saiyans can transform like this and recognizes the Oozaru as Vegeta. Vegeta laughs and says he can feel Goku's bones starting to break, and Kuririn leads Gohan to try to sneak along on the ground. Yajirobe stops them and tries to warn them about what the monster really is, and Kuririn says he already knows and that they can stop him by cutting off his tail. Kuririn tells Gohan and Yajirobe to attack Vegeta from the front to distract him while Kuririn moves behind him to take care of the tail, but while Gohan listens, Yajirobe blows him off and says that Vegeta's still stronger than all of them put together even if he does revert to normal. Gohan mentally pleads with his father not to die as Kuririn senses that Goku's energy has almost run out. Just then, Vegeta picks up on the presence of others on the battlefield, and Gohan shouts at him to let go of his father. Vegeta laughs and tells Goku that his son has come to watch him to die, while Kuririn appears behind him and creates a Kienzan. As Vegeta focuses on killing Goku, Kuririn throws the Kienzan towards his tail...and Vegeta dodges it by leaping into the air, the Kienzan slicing through the rock Gohan is standing on instead. Kuririn is shocked, but Vegeta laughs and says he knew that Gohan wouldn't have come to face him alone so he knew that Kuririn had to be there somewhere. Vegeta counts himself lucky, saying that as soon as he's killed Goku, he can move on to them next. Kuririn curses their own luck, unable to believe that Vegeta has kept his wits while transformed, entirely different from how Goku was as a kid. He mentally apologizes to Goku for not being able to save him, and as Vegeta laughs and goes back to crushing Goku, Gohan screams for the Saiyan to stop. Suddenly, a look of pain comes over Vegeta's face, as Yajirobe is shown having cut off Vegeta's tail in one slice of his sword. Vegeta's tail falls to the ground before a shocked Kuririn's eyes and Yajirobe quickly hides himself behind some rocks. Vegeta curses, saying he never anticipated there was still someone else here he hadn't accounted for, and drops Goku as he reverts back to his humanoid form. Gohan looks on with concern at his father's limp body, as Yajirobe says that whatever happens next isn't his problem. Review: While much of this chapter shows the more major characters and what's happening with them – Goku getting crushed by Vegeta, & Gohan and Kuririn coming to save him – the real focus of this chapter is put on a rather surprising character here: Yajirobe. Before I talk further about him however, let's talk about that rest of the cast featured here. As soon as they get back, Kuririn sees what's happening and immediately goes into action. He may have only been around an Oozaru once before, but he still knows how destructive they can be just from that one encounter – it's not exactly the sort of thing you forget about. It's also why he so quickly comes up with the one plan of action they can do to help stop the beast – cutting off it's tail. Hey, at least he's not thinking about blowing up the moon, which would have gotten difficult considering it's already gone by this point (though couldn't they try blowing away Vegeta's power ball?), so Kuririn was clearly paying attention to what the others talked about on how they stopped Goku's Oozaru rampage the first time. At any rate, Kuririn's plan is a decent one, but it's failing comes in the form of Vegeta being much smarter than he'd anticipated, especially while in this ape form. Actually, if you look through the pages here carefully, Kuririn is never shown close enough to Vegeta for us to say for sure he's hearing him talking (though one panel has Vegeta dialogue while Kuririn is preparing to make the Kienzan, so you'd think that would imply Vegeta's voice is booming loudly enough for him to hear it) – he's clearly under the impression that Vegeta's just a big dumb rampaging beast just like Goku transformed was. It's just his bad luck that Vegeta isn't, and that Vegeta is wily enough to realize that if Gohan has come back, then Kuririn likely has as well. But Vegeta didn't count on Yajirobe, and normally neither would anyone else. Yajirobe's involvement in this arc has been extremely minimal. He first appeared to tell everyone that they're due for training at Kami's sanctuary along with himself, and once we saw said training, it was rather clear that he wasn't as invested in it as everyone else was. Once it came time to fight the Saiyans, he straight up didn't even come along to help fight. Nobody ever mentioned that fact either, so I don't think any of them were remotely surprised even – they just spent the better part of a year with the guy, so they definitely knew what he was like. Even when he finally did pop back into the story, it was only because Goku had moved the fight closer to where Yajirobe was hiding and despite his cowardice, Yajirobe does like to watch these fights on occasion – it's something we've seen from him twice before after all. He only talked to Goku directly once he thought it was safe to do so, and the minute he found out that it wasn't, he went back to hiding. Yajirobe is so dead-set on not getting involved here that he won't even try to save Goku as he's hearing his friend's screams of pain echo out around him. That said, in a curious way, you can tell that it's actually kind of bothering Yajirobe a bit here – he insists that if he actually thought there was a chance he'd make a difference, he'd try to save Goku, and even covers his ears as the screams get to be too much. In a lot of ways, Yajirobe and Kuririn's basic, default reactions to meeting overwhelming odds are similar – they both show fear because they know that they're in over their heads. The difference between the two comes immediately after that initial moment of hesitation however. Whereas Kuririn swallows his fear and does his best to fight, to help in any way possible even if he knows he's not going to be able to make much of a difference, Yajirobe stays back and refuses to risk his own life for anyone else. His own life and comfort are his own priority every time, which usually makes for a pretty shitty friend – it would be enough to make you wonder why anyone bothers with him at all beyond this point, truth be told. But then, Yajirobe does something surprising, even to himself – he DOES help. In Vegeta's biggest moment of distraction, when he seemingly cannot be stopped and already knows who he's facing or thinks that he knows who he's facing, Yajirobe takes center point and cuts off his tail. Granted, this is a far safer option for his involvement than what Kuririn had originally proposed to him, so maybe there's a chance he would have more willingly gotten involved if Kuririn had proposed that he and Gohan distract Vegeta while Yajirobe did what he did...but I'm not so sure about that. While I do think the only reason Yajirobe ultimately decided to help is because it was finally a moment he deemed safe enough to do so in, I don't think he'd quite reached his breaking point at the time of Kuririn's plan going into motion. It was a split second decision, a realization that they were all going to die probably, that pushed Yajirobe to do something completely unlike him, and act. He probably wasn't even conscious of deciding to do it, his body probably 'moved on it's own' as it was. I can't praise Yajirobe as a hero the same way I do Chaozu (which is funny considering I actually like Yajirobe as a character, far more than I do Chaozu), but this moment proves that there's at least a flicker of courage inside him that could make him into something more if he ever got over his own selfish nature. I just uh, wouldn't count on that in the long run. It does however make for one of the most exciting and surprising moments of this entire arc. Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Last Ditch Efforts to Stop Vegeta! 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: 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... |
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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