I thought I’d get back to the “storyline”, or bookend material, this month, because the videos are pretty short. I know you probably just skip to the review portion (I’m glad anyone even bothers with that much), but I like doing this sort of thing now and then, because it allows me to play with more sprites. I love playing with my (and Rob’s) sprites!
I have toyed with ideas I mentioned here about a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fanfic, but I feel like I’m getting a little too old to be writing anime fanfics. And yeah, I was going to do a separate video series, aside from Otaku Evolution, on the DC animated films that come out straight to DVD/Blu-Ray. I had a lot of things ready for it, too, like a rating system for each feature. I somehow just never got to it. Should I still do it? Eh.
Toei
Penguin Truth Recommends – Dragon Ball
My list of worthwhile DB/Z movies, my definitive take on Broly (and Broly fans), and the usual sub vs dub palaver.
Watch this on YT to support me with hits, and please check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/penguintruth
– Penguin Truth
(2015)
Dragon Ball Kai – DROPPED BALL Z
Pissing away all of the good will it built…
When I started churning out episodes of Otaku Evolution, my anime review video project, on a weekly basis, I fell behind doing text reviews for this site. The biggest victim of that wasn’t the reviews I always intended to start on Terror in Resonance or my occasional review of anime classics, but my weekly Dragon Ball Kai reviews. I’d reviewed over 100 episodes of Toei’s "manga cut" version of DBZ, from its shaky early days, to the highs of its Freeza and Artificial Human/Cell arc, to it’s current plot line involving Babidi and Majin Buu. By now, I’ve fallen so far behind, it would take quite an effort to catch up, but with a little elbow grease I could revive my Dragon Ball Kai reviews, right? I mean, it was Kai that restored my interest in the DB franchise back when news of its debut broke! It’s become an insistution of my blog, so why not?
Dragon Ball Kai – Episode 110 Review
Episode 110,"Who is the World’s Greatest?! A Battle Royal Match to Decide!!
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Kaioshin is perplexed and dismayed by the behavior of the three Saiyans, who all relish the prospect of fighting strong opponents. Dabura volunteers to be the next stage opponent, and goes into a room to meditate to be at full power. However, Gohan, whose turn it is next, becomes impatient waiting for him. At the Tenkaichi Budoukai, the officials are having trouble deciding what to do now that many of the fights have dropped out. Mr. Satan, high on confidence, suggests having a Battle Royal, where all remaining fighters battle at once. However, Mr. Satan begins to lose his nerve when faced with the reality of having to take on four opponents who will likely team up on him as the champion. Killa tries to team up with Mighty Mask (Goten and Trunks), while Jewel attempts to broker a deal with 18, but Goten, Trunks, and 18 have no interest in the offers. Angry, Killa and Jewel attack their respective deniers and are immediately knocked out of the ring. Mr. Satan thinks himself lucky to only have two opponents, but that attitude fades when he sees Mighty Mask and 18 exchange blows above the ring.
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods English Dub Trailer (And Thoughts On It)
The cast is as follows:
Sean "The Miracle" Schemmel as Son Goku/Kaio-sama
Chris "How Did I Get This Work" Sabat as Everybody Else (Vegeta/Piccolo/Shenron/Bubbles/Yamucha) (In Order Of Importance)
Kyle "Actual Talent" Hebert as Son Gohan/Gyuumao/Narrator (?!)
Sonny Strait as "Are You Talking About" Kuririn
Monica "Monimoni" Rial as Bulma Angelica Franchesca Hau Pepelu Brief/Oracle Fish
Laura Bailey as Trunks
Kara Edwards as Goten/Videl
Jason Douglas as "Don’t Call Me Bills" Beerus
Ian Sinclair as Whis
Cynthia "How Does She Keep Getting Work?" Cranz as Chi-Chi/Mrs. Briefs
Meredith "I Only Have One Line" McCoy as Lazuli
John "Scratchy McDoucheVoice" Burgmeier as "No Lines" Tenshinhan
Brad "Why Did They Bring Me Back?" Jackson as Oolong
Mike McFarland as Kamesennin
Chuck Huber as Pilaf
Chris "I Was An Even Worse Tenshinhan Than Burgmeier" Cason as Shu
Colleeen "Better Than Most Of This Cast" Clinkenbeard as "Hands" Mai
Chris "Ragin’" Rager as Mr. Mark Hercule Satan III
Josh Martin as Guttony … I mean, Buu
Brina Palencia as "Nobody Cares About" Chaozu/"Nobody Cares About" Puar
Justin Cook (Shouldn’t Have Been Cast) as Dende
Kent "Father" Williams as Kaioshin/Old Kaioshin
Mark Stoddard as Dr. "Not So" Briefs
Sailor Moon Crystal PV
The Debate That Got Me Ejected From Kanzenshuu Forums: Is Gohan Out Of Character In The Cell Games?
"I don’t need this shit."
PART I: The Preamble
I’ve been a fan of the Dragon Ball franchise off and on since about the time Dragon Ball Z first broadcast in syndication in September of 1996. I didn’t immediately latch onto the show. It took a while. A friend of mine, Jon Oakes, who I used to play SNES with at his house (I had a Sega Genesis, and we alternated homes for playing), introduced me to the series, and I didn’t quite latch onto it until I started watching it on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. When I started branching out into different types and titles of anime, I kept pushing the DB franchise back, exploring the more complex and compelling narratives of shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain, and Cowboy Bebop. And after all, I would argue, the English version of Dragon Ball Z was so poorly done it was impossible to stomach the show except with subtitles, and I didn’t even have a DVD player until around 2001. By then, I looked at my DB fandom as an object of nostalgia at best and embarrassingly poor childhood taste at worst.
Dragon Ball Kai – Episode 101 Review
Episode 101, "Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: After informing Kuririn, Artificial Human 18, and Piccolo about the Budoukai, Gohan tells his mother about his father returning to the living world for a day. Gohan begins training with Goten, discovering that he can also become a Super Saiyan, but asks him to keep it under wraps when Videl arrives to learn how to fly. Both Videl and Goten need to be taught to use Bukujutsu, but first Videl has to be taught how to use her ki. Eventually she manages to levitate, while Goten masters flying handily. Vegeta is aghast that Trunks can also become a Super Saiyan at his age. Videl arrives for training one day with shorter hair, as suggested by Gohan for safety during the tournament.