It's time to KICK ARSE... (Dragonball Z)

Member Name: angry chris

Product:	Dragonball Z
Date:	17/11/02 (865 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Utterly addictive., Good stories., Ideas are fresh

Disadvantages: Animation is pants, Complex-can't just dive in and enjoy, Long, drawn out saga's

I have a some confessions to make. I am 21 years old. I am a Law student. I am supposed to be intelligent, or so I'm told. Yet, here I am, about to write a review about a cartoon shown on the Cartoon Network and it's little offspring, CNX. The cartoon in question is called "Dragonball Z".

Dragonball Z is the sequel to a Japanese "anime" cartoon called, unsurprisingly, "Dragonball". I must admit that I know nothing about this original, only what I have read on the website. I am also aware that this cartoon is a direct descendant of the Japanese version, which is particularly gory, more violent and contains sex scenes. This too, I have not seen. What I have seen and intend to write about is the good old UK version which I watch far too regularly to be healthy. It is meant to be aimed at young, violently minded young males(like moi), aged between 11-25. Honest...

Dragonball Z is a cartoon about planet Earth, and a group of fighters with a variety of origins and fighting abilities who protect the earth from some rather unsavory characters, who in turn have a variety of different objectives, origins and abilities.
In order to enjoy Dragonball Z, you have to know who is who, and what it what. Otherwise it becomes an utter nonsense. This, unless you have watched from the very beginning, can be confusing and bloody frustrating. Allow me to attempt an explaination:
There are a posse of good-guys. The main one is a guy called Goku. He is not human: he is from a planet called Vegeta, which was filled by a fighting race called the Saiyens. The saiyens used to destroy races and then steal and sell the planet they used to inhabit. Goku was sent to earth to do just that, but instead he had a bump on the head when his ship landed, forgot his mission and began to fall in love with earth, it's people and his now wife, Chi-Chi. He is the hero, the guy who everyone relies on when the sh*t hits the fa
n. In short, he is rock hard.
Goku has a son, named Gohan. He is half Saiyen, half human and is also a strong fighter. Initially, he is
a bit of a wimp, but with some training from Piccolo(I'll come to him in a minute), he beomes very strong. He has hidden power, which he usually releases when his friend are in dire trouble. Eventually, he learns to harness this power and becomes even stronger than his father.

Crillin is the best friend of Goku. He started of training with Goku and they were closely matched, but because Saiyens become stronger after every fight, and Crillin is a human, he is soon well surpassed by Goku. He is the comic relief, and is loyal, brave and rather feeble.
Piccolo initially tried to destroy the earth. Big and green, he comes from the planet Namek, although he doesn't know this for a while, and is a foe of Goku's initially, until he is defeated and joins the Z-fighters. He is strong and devoted, and a loyal friend of Gohan.
Vegita is also a Saiyen. He comes to earth to find out why Goku had not destroyed the Earth. He always refers to Goku with his Saiyen name, Kakarot, and is very strong, though not as strong as he thinks. He is defeated by Goku, and later reluctantly joins the Z-fighters. Unlike the others, he does not care about saving earth, but more about being stronger than Goku, and eventually Gohan. He always talks a great fight, and usually gets knocked onto his arse. He is stubborn, fiercely loyal to his (now extinct) race, and he is a true blood Saiyen- he was a prince and heir on planet Vegeta. He is by far my favourite character.

Other Z-fighters include Tien, Yamcha, Trunks, Goten and others. In the main, they are only bit-parts, until the latest saga (Majin Buu) when Trunks and Goten become prominent. For more info, go to the website: www.Dragonballz.com

Now this lot are always fighting Bad-guys. The thing with Dragonball Z is that it has a chronology
, unlike most cartoons. There is a plot, and a time scale. Each baddie is dealt with over a period of time, known as "Saga's". For example, wh
en Vegeta arrives to whip Goku's ass, it is known as the Saiyen Saga. The baddies who get saga's named after them are:
The Saiyen Saga- Vegeta and pals get beaten up.
The Freiza Saga- This guy is really hard and strong. He lands on planet Namek looking for the Dragonballs, wiping out Nameks as he goes.
The Android Saga- The nasty DrGiro creates 3 androids to wipe out Goku and mankind. Cue a series of battles.
The Cell Saga- Another DrGiro creation: he is sent out to absorb the androids and become "Perfect Cell". He hosts the Cell Games, and challenges fighters to save the world. Goku tries, and this time is not strong enough.
The Majin Buu Saga- A being 1000 times stronger than Freiza is released by the evil Mage Babadi, and told to destroy the earth. He too evolves, batters everyone, turns people into chocolate and is generally rather unpleasant. He destroys the earth.

Very brief summaries here. Go to the website for more indepth info: I wouldn't want to spoil it and tell you what happens, would I?

There are other things you need to know before you can get into this:
The Dragonballs. Seven orange balls which are scattered around earth. Find them all, summon the dragon and make a wish.
SuperSaiyen. The evolved stage of a saiyen, making him much, much stronger. Also makes them glow yellow. Super Saiyen 1 comes in during the Freiza saga. Super Saiyen 2, an ascended Saiyen, comes in the Cell Saga, and Super Saiyen 3 comes in the Majin Buu saga.
The Other Dimension/Snake Way. Basically, it is the place you go when you die.

As I say, go to the Website for more info.

Currently showing on Sky Digital channel 244, CNX, is the conclusion to the Majin Buu saga. It is the final 15 episodes before it finishes.
Yup, just like a TV drama, it is about to end. How many cartoons do that, eh???

Now, this all sounds a bit much, and it probably is, but remember, IT'S JUST A CARTOON. And to be fair, it is very, very slow. The action could be condensed into much less airtime. Also the baddies tend to be really dumb, and are like those in James Bonds films at time. They could just win instead of goading a transformation out of their opponent, surely. Also, the good-guys always win, after initial setbacks (usually Vegeta getting battered). And some of the scenes are very, very corny. The animation is awful- it could have been done by a five year old with a etch-a-sketch.

Despite all of this, I think it is great viewing. For some reason it is utterly compelling, and moreover totally addictive. I joined it during the Cell Saga, because my 18yr old brother was watching it. I have since watched all the sagas, just to get myself to speed. The good-guys are well believable, and you want them to win. It becomes thoroughly immersing.

Trust me, it is not everyone's cup of tea. My missus, for example, finds it utter nonsense, and literally leaves the room when it comes on. And she does so in the wake of a stream of bad-language on her part. Fair enough. But go on, try it. At first you'll hate it (I did), but then it will get you. I bet it does...

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