"Boku ni Makasete! Gohan, Ikari no Daibakuhatsu"
(Leave it to Me! Gohan's Great Explosion of Anger)
89-11-22
"Times Up!" and
"The Return of Goku"
97-4-12
97-4-19

Piccolo devises a strategy to grab hold of Nappa's tail, the Achilles heel of a Saiya-jin, while Kuririn and Gohan attack head-on. The plan fails, however, since Nappa's evolved status as a warrior makes his tail non-sensitive. Kuririn's new technique, the Kienzan, fails as well, only managing to graze Nappa's cheek. All of those assembled begin to sense a powerful Ki approaching, which Vegeta knows can only be Kakarotto. He orders Nappa to finish off the three remaining warriors, and Gohan attacks with a last-ditch effort against Nappa, which only makes the Saiya-jin furious. He launches a massive energy beam at the boy, and at the last second, Piccolo steps in, acting as a shield and taking the full brunt of the blast.

This one's got a little bit of everything we've come to know and hate, an average "battle" episode with the usual painting, snipping, and stupid-sounding threats, one in particular which is in my top ten worst lines of English DBZ. (I'm always talking about my "top worst" this and that aren't I? Hmmm, I sense a poll coming...)


English episode 20 continued

A big, purple bruise on Piccolo's head when Nappa elbows him. It goes away pretty quick though, so FUNimation didn't have to do too much painting.

(1 sec.) Nappa kicks Gohan square in the stomach, then it cuts to the static on Kame Sennin's TV. In the English version, some later footage is used which looks like Nappa winding up for a punch. Then it cuts to the static.

Buruma says "Tienshinhan" when she's looking at the picture of the group.

WEEIIRRDD!! I NEVER thought I'd hear this said in the English version, and indeed, it is never said again. Sure, her pronunciation is horrible, and it's still "Tien" (rather than "Ten") but hey, getting closer!

Perhaps this episode was recorded very early on for some reason, at a time before FUNimation changed the character's name to Tien. Or maybe somebody screwed up when rewriting the script? Who knows? It was nice to hear, at least.

(3 sec.) Nappa kicks Gohan in the stomach, (shown again) and as he's reeling, he winds up and whacks him into the mountain. All you see in the English version is Gohan hitting the mountain.

Kuririn's Kienzan cuts Nappa's cheek, and of course, blood comes out. But, since no one in the English version has any blood, all you see is the cut itself. Now, does that make any sense at all?? I have never, EVER seen a cut that did not bleed. Come to think of it, I've never seen anyone fade into another dimension either, but oh well.

Nappa: "...you'd be waiting for a bus somewhere in the next dimension! How'd you get so mighty all of a sudden?"

To which Piccolo replies: "Haven't you ever heard the story of David and Goliath?"

OK, now this is just downright disgusting. The bus stop next dimension thing is self-explanatory, I'm talking about Piccolo's dialogue here. Where do I start with what's WRONG with this line...

1. No, Nappa is an alien, he has not heard the story of David and Goliath. I don't believe missionaries came bringing Bibles to the planet Vegeta
2. Piccolo is a demon. Piccolo is a character in a Japanese anime based on a Chinese folk tale. WHY IS PICCOLO PREACHING BIBLE STORIES??
3. How could Piccolo possibly know this story in the first place???

How dare FUNimation put this ridiculous line here in a pathetic attempt to appeal to the religious majority. "Hey, maybe if we please the parents with Christian messages, they'll let their kids keep watching!" What an insult to Christians, non-Christians, and Dragon Ball Z itself.

End English episode 20 (about 16 and a half minutes in)

Nappa has blood all over his face, as well as here and there on his body after Gohan kicks him around.

Notice that the things Piccolo is remembering during his flashback were never shown (except for the training in the desert thing) in the English version. Like when Gohan was asking what happened to his father, and him not liking the apples. And the training in the desert flashback is still altered to cover Gohan's swollen-over eye. So, in an ironically funny coincidence, this flashback ends up being a collection of clips of stuff that FUNimation screwed up.

English episode 21 continues...

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