Synopsis: Goku still doesn't know why 'Name Withheld' would be so angry with him, so he asks if maybe she has him confused with someone else. She knows that he's Son Goku however, and all of Goku's friends can't figure out who she could be either. The announcer declares a start to the match, and 'Name Withheld' furiously strikes at Goku, who is able to dodge every blow. Goku asks if she's really sure they've met before, and when she says yes, he asks when. That makes her even angrier, and she says that's exactly why she's mad – he doesn't even remember her, and she spent a long, long time waiting for him! Kuririn is shocked as it seems that Goku really must know her after all, as she says she was waiting for Goku to live up to his promise. Goku continues dodging her attacks, and a watching Roshi notes that while he's still not sure what's going on, her fighting style seems eerily similar to the Turtle style. Goku asks 'Name Withheld' what in the world he promised her, and she stuns everyone by saying that he promised to ask for her hand. She thinks that she's jogged Goku's memory now, but Goku turns to Kuririn at the ringside and asks what that even means. Kuririn explains that asking for someone's hand means asking to marry them, and Kuririn is outraged that Goku managed to ask someone so cute for something like that. Yamcha explains that marriage means living together with someone for the rest of your lives, and Goku can't figure out why he'd promise something like that to someone he doesn't even know. He asks her for her name, and 'Name Withheld' says she'll tell him if he manages to beat her in this fight. Goku is thrilled, as he really didn't like the idea of living forever with someone who's name he doesn't even know, but his opponent calls him out for already assuming he's going to win. Oolong laughs and says he can't believe Goku still can't figure out who she is. When Bulma asks him if he knows, Oolong says that she, Puar, and even Roshi should all know who she is too, and that the 'hick talk' should be a clue. 'Name Withheld' prepares to continue the fight, but Goku punches out into the air quickly, and she's sent flying out of the ring, earning Goku a victory. As Goku is declared the winner, Roshi explains to a confused announcer what must have happened – Goku punched the air with enough force that it caused a shockwave that blew the girl back without even touching her. As Goku checks on his opponent, Piccolo remarks that it's strange Goku knows how to do that, as it's a move that demon folk such as himself use. 'Name Withheld' admits that she's impressed, not having expected even Goku to get as strong as he apparently is, but happy that the man she chose for a husband is that great. When Goku still doesn't seem to recognize her, she reveals who she is at last – Gyu-mao's daughter, Chi Chi. Everyone that met her before is taken aback, and Goku suddenly remembers that he did promise to come ask for her hand. At the time, he'd thought that meant to ask for some food, but seeing as he did promise...Goku says they should probably get married then, and Chi Chi is delighted, as is the audience. Goku's friends however are dumbstruck as Goku walks out of the ring with Chi Chi clinging to his arm. Goku warns Kuririn that his next opponent is no ordinary guy, so he should go all out from the very start, and Kuririn confusedly agrees as the announcer calls for both he and Demon Junior to step out into the ring. Kuririn doesn't feel like he's in any mood to fight now, but gets a little more fired up as he sees Demon Junior descend into the ring. Review: We're only halfway through the first round of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, and already we've seen an attempted murder followed immediately by a marriage proposal - talk about a crazy first two matches. Much like the reveal of Taopaipai's strength however, the reveal of who Chi Chi is and what she's come for does unfortunately de-fang what could have initially been thought of as a lead-in to something bigger in the combat sense. Compared to Taopaipai though, who was only there to give Tenshinhan some further growth, Chi Chi is actually here to stay. Whether that's largely for the better or for the worse is something to discuss another time however. For now, I'll just say that bringing her back out of seemingly nowhere is something that's almost uncharacteristic for Toriyama, as usually once a character in Chi Chi's position is done with in the story, they're really done with. I mean, outside of her minor connection to him through her father and Roshi, Chi Chi's not really any different from the likes of Suno – she's a young girl that Goku encounters, that he ends up helping in some fashion, and she seemingly takes a liking to him (though for Chi Chi it's far easier to say for sure that she liked him in a romantic sense), and then the story moves on without ever looking back. Much like Suno, we haven't seen Chi Chi since her introduction, outside of the occasional bit of filler here and there. So for Toriyama to bring her back and have Goku make good on his promise to her, now that the series is almost a completely different beast from what it was when she was last shown, is a really surprising choice. I also stand by the idea that I don't think many people experiencing this story for the very first time, with no knowledge of further adventures via Z, would likely have guessed her identity before this chapter, though it is possible some may have guessed prior to the actual reveal, as we do get some hints dropped here and there before Chi Chi spills the beans. The hints are laid out almost in the same way that the identity of Baba's Masked Fighter being Grandpa Gohan were as well. Oolong's the first one to figure things out based purely on Goku's promise to marry her, and he gives further hints by saying that he, Bulma, Puar, and even Roshi have all met her too. For it to be someone that all of those characters know but not Kuririn or Lunch, who came along just one arc later, it'd have to be someone from the first hunt for the Dragon Balls, and there's really only one person who fits the bill there. It's interesting though that Kuririn notes that Puar should know her too. It's true that Yamcha and Puar both met her as well, but...did Oolong know that? As best as I can recall, Yamcha and Puar being there at that point in the story is something that would only be known to themselves and Chi Chi. Weird. Moving beyond this shake up in the story – and the idea of Son Goku, the most oblivious man on Earth, marrying someone, is definitely quite the shake up – the fight does give us one brief further hint of what Goku is capable of now. Being able to create a shockwave in the air just from punching out hard and fast enough is definitely one hell of a power move, and it's made even more interesting by Piccolo's explanation of such a feat being a demon-style move. Seems Piccolo doesn't know that Goku trained at Kami's, and seems like Kami knows a few tricks that Piccolo does, making them less demon-style moves and more...well, something inherent to themselves. As the chapter draws to a close, we're immediately set up for the next fight, and it's a pretty safe bet that this one won't end with a marriage proposal, but the jury's still out on the likelihood of an attempted murder. Until next time! Favorite Panel: Next Time: Kuririn struts his stuff!
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