Dragon Ball Z. We
all know the name. There was an era when
this was the show that got many hooked on Anime. Whether it was watching it in network
syndication or on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, there was hardly a kid out
there who wasn’t singing the praises of this little action show that changed
lives forever. So, as a companion T5W
for the ongoing ROCK THE DRAGON Movie Marathon, I figured I’d take a look at my
five favorite arcs, or sagas, from Dragon Ball Z. I’m picking these based on personal fond
memories. Everyone’s got favs that
differ from mine (kind of like how I like most of Z before the Buu Saga and
really dislike any material featuring Kid Trunks and Goten in the later
series). But for me, these arcs mark the
best of Z for me. Also, there is no way I’m
going to ever review Dragon Ball Z, in full, on this blog, just because it is
soooooo freaking long. It would take
forever, even if I did a saga every once in a while. So this is a close to a review of the Z
Series as you might get here. So without
further ado…
#5-The Saiyan Saga
The one that started it all for Dragon Ball Z. And actually this was the saga I had to work
hard to try and find at first. The
network that first aired DBZ only aired the Namek and start of the Ginyu
sagas. So I had never seen any of Goku’s
fight against the Saiyans except in brief flashbacks. Any time I tracked down a volume of this saga
on VHS was an exciting moment. The first
appearance of Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz.
A chance to see the original Z-Team in action. And, of course, the legendary first duel
between Goku and Vegeta. The epic
Kamehameha vs Galick Gun face off was the stuff of legends and full of
intensity. It was a good start for what
has been hailed as one of the best action shows on TV.
#4-The Kid Buu Saga
And here we take a tearful look at the end of the Z
era. By the time we got to Kid Buu, it
was time to wrap things up. The fights
were fine and the resolution wasn’t bad either.
What makes me add this saga to the list though is the growth I see in
Goku and especially Vegeta. During the
final battle with Buu, Vegeta watches on as Goku makes one last, life or death,
attack against the pink demon. And
finally, he does something none of us ever thought Vegeta would do…he admits
defeat and calls Goku his superior…all with a smile on his face. Granted this was all in Vegeta’s head and he’d
never say this out loud. Still, the Buu
saga was where Z was starting to fall off for me, especially where eternal
annoyances Goten and Kid Trunks were concerned.
Bringing Goku and Vegeta back to the forefront for one last fight was a
smart move and it paid off. It was the ending
this show deserved.
#3-The Frieza Saga
We waited FOREVER for this one. When it was first aired in the US, Dragon
Ball Z was dubbed by The Ocean Group and distributed by Funimation and Saban
Entertainment. Only 53 episodes were
aired (edited down from the first 67 episodes which comprised the first two
sagas), plus a three part version of the Tree of Might Movie. Everytime it looked like we were going to get
to see Goku take on Frieza and the Ginyus…the series restarted (or Tree of
Might aired) and we were left wondering what the hell was going on. WELL…1999 rolled around. Funimation got full control of the series and
on the now infamous Z-DAY on Toonami…new Dragon Ball Z finally aired. And we got to see it all: the battles with
the Ginyu Force; the Namekian Dragon; Frieza taking on Piccolo, Vegeta and Goku
all in turn; the deaths of Vegeta and Krillin; and, most importantly, the
ascension of Goku to Super Saiyan. There
was only one other time when it was a good time to be a fan of Dragon Ball
Z. But the Frieza Saga delivered on more
than a years worth of expectation…and we couldn’t wait for more.
#2-The Trunks Saga
This should be my favorite saga. For it being so short, The Trunks Saga
introduced a lot of what I would come to love about Dragon Ball Z at the
time. Trunks was a bad ass and given the
best intro any character could receive.
His showdown with Cyborg Frieza and King Cold was perfect. And to cap it off, he even sliced Frieza in
half with his sword in true bad ass fashion.
Id also be lying if I said I didn’t like the power up/Super Sayian music
that was given to Trunks in the English Dub…sooooo epic. We also got a nice teaser of things to come
thanks to Trunks. A darker threat worse
than any foe before was right around the corner. But until “they” arrived, I was content with
my two Trunks Saga VHS tapes and watched them in continuous repeat. So why wasn’t this my #1 on this list? Well…
#1-The Androids Saga
Because what came after Trunks was the apex of Dragon
Ball Z. I still remember when the
Androids Saga was released. It was one
of the few times Suncoast actually played the series in store. Just before I blew my money saved on the four
tapes, I enjoyed a small glimpse of the saga in a crowded store. We got to see the Goku vs. Android 19 fight
and then…Vegeta asked an Android if he ever experience fear…and went Super
Saiyan…and the whole store went crazy.
This was probably the last good time we saw the original Z-Team in
action together before the Super Saiyans took over the proceedings. And the Androids themselves, well 16, 17 and
18, were all the threats promised and more.
They were ruthless opponents and It was easy to see why they raised so
much hell in Trunks’s future…which made the appearance of 19 and 20 all the
more scary when Trunks came back since they weren’t in his timeline. We were in uncharted territory and even down
a Goku for much of this saga. This saga
raised the bar and was, for me, the best time to be a fan of Dragon Ball Z.
The ROCK THE DRAGON Movie Marathon continues all this
week here on the Anime Corner.
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