Synopsis: Piccolo thinks it should be impossible, but Goku's friends cheer him on and remark that Piccolo's attack didn't even knock Goku down. Goku tells Piccolo that he should be able to tell that it's over now, as he no doubt spent all of his energy on that attack. Piccolo grimaces, and Goku confidently states that Piccolo can't win now. Goku begins to charge his own energy and stares down Piccolo, who can't believe this is happening to him. Goku gets into position and then rushes Piccolo, catching him hard in the face with an elbow strike. Goku follows this up with a serious of vicious kicks that catch Piccolo repeatedly across the chest and shoulders, before ending his physical assault with a hard enough punch to Piccolo's gut to make him cough up blood. It doesn't stop there however, as Goku leaps high into the air as Piccolo falls to the ground. Turning back to face the ground, Goku fires another huge Super Kamehameha, and as he sees it coming, Piccolo can do nothing, and is hit full force by the blast. As Goku lands back into the ground that was once the ring, Piccolo lies in a crater inside as well. Goku calls for the announcer to start the ten count, and remembering that this is technically still the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, the announcer rushes over. He asks if Piccolo is dead, but Goku assures him that he's too sturdy for that, and Kami says the fact that he's still alive is proof enough that Piccolo is still breathing. Deciding to roll with that, the announcer starts his ten count, assisted by Goku's friends. As the numbers count up, Goku turns and gives his friends a thumbs up. Just as the nine count is called however, Piccolo lurches up without warning and fires an energy blast from his mouth, catching Goku completely off guard and piercing him through the left side of his chest. Review: Ho. Ly. CRAP. After how the last chapter was basically a repeat of events, this one does it's best to recapture the fight's momentum, and damn if it doesn't do that and more. This fight hasn't really slowed down since it started, but I still don't think it's been quite this intense since it first started. I've said it before, and I'll say it again – you've really got to witness this one for yourselves, as my description is absolutely doing it a disservice. As good as this part is in the manga however, this is one of those moments where I fully recommend watching the anime as well. I could watch Goku's beatdown here on loop for the rest of my life and never get bored... Goku's beatdown is so brutal in fact that it takes up a majority of the pages this time around, as well as seeming like it would have to be the final note of this tournament and arc. Piccolo's defeated though not dead, meaning that Goku can be declared the victor of the Tenkaichi Budokai for the very first time, and he doesn't have to worry about Kami having died either. There's sure to be some debate about what to do with Piccolo next in the following chapter of course, but- And then it happens. The fight that was over isn't actually over at all, and Piccolo manages to wound Goku in a way he's never been wounded before. It's a shocking end to the chapter, and definitely something that I don't think any first-time fans would have seen coming. Admittedly though, I can't help but feel that Toriyama ever-so-slightly botched it out of having the full effect it could have. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great moment, but the surprise is dulled a little bit by how the panels are laid out. I can't remember how the pages are lined up across from each other in the physical volumes, much less how they would have been laid out in the original magazine releases, as I'm using Viz's Shonen Jump app and my tablet. That said, the panel with Piccolo's surprise attack first shown is on the same page as Goku's thumbs up and his friends shouting 'Nine!'. It would have been even more shocking if the pages had been set up a bit differently, especially if that would have worked out with the way the pages would lay out physically. I mean, just picture this. You turn the page, and on one page you see Goku and Kami explaining that Piccolo's still alive, and the ten count gets up to nine (rather than eight as it does). On the next page without turning, you see Goku's friends all looking overjoyed in a smaller panel, and the larger panel is dedicated to Goku's thumbs up. You then turn the page, and the first thing you see is Piccolo lurching up and firing a beam. Your eyes immediately dart to the opposite page and see Goku impaled on the blast. Just think how much more shocking that'd be! But alas, that's not how it was done, and again, I'm not even sure that would have worked with the pages as they're laid out physically in the volumes (as that's largely dictated by every page that comes before it.) It would've been great though. Until next time! Favorite Panel:
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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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