The fighting has finally finished. The Super-Huge Genki Dama, forged as the last hope for the universe by Son Goku, struck Freeza down to Planet Namek's ocean floor. Gohan, Kuririn, and Piccolo join our hero, looking out at the horizon as a job well done. Kuririn admits he didn't think he'd ever make it off Planet Namek alive, and he's glad he did... because he really would like to get, well, married. (I think in the dub he wanted a pack of skittles or something. Fuck FUNi. Fuck 'em so hard.) The heroes of the universe share a well-earned laugh.
But suddenly, Kuririn's face darkens.
They forgot about Bulma!! Goku tells him he thought, by the look on his face, Freeza had returned. But Kuririn insists that, in many ways, Bulma is the scarier of the two...
Inspired by Goku's victory, the boys under Kaio-sama make to finish off the Ginyu Tokusentai!
Yamcha, Chaozu, Tenshinhan: B-Team, Assemble!
(Wait... is Tenshinhan doing the Kaioken?!)
(Yeah, that's definitely the Kaioken...)
And with that, Reacoom, Butta, Jheese, and Ghurd are sent to Hell. And unlike Goku, Gozu and Mezu will not be helping them back onto Serpentine Road.
Then we learn that Kaio set the whole thing up anyway.
(Pictured above: The B-Team not quite sure how mad they are.)
But the time for celebration is at its end...
Something...
... diabolical...
... has returned.
Freeza lives.
And he's not happy.
His Death Beam fires straight for Son Goku, who is saved by Piccolo...
... taking the Death Beam in the chest for his former arch nemesis.
"Free... za...."
"Even I questioned whether or not I would die this time." Freeza says, coolly.
"I, Freeza-sama, ALMOST DIED!!" He screams in a panicked fury.
And this time, Freeza's death grip is aimed at Kuririn...!!
"STOP THIS, FREEZA!!!"
"GOKU!!!"
And with a flash too quick for the weakened Gohan and Goku to prevent, Kuririn dies. His plans for marriage, for leaving Planet Namek a hero, for living the rest of his life out in peace... dashed. And since he had already been wished back by Shen Long, and Porunga is dead, Kuririn is gone... forever.
"Shall I do the little brat next?"
But despite all of Freeza's remaining ki...
... and all of his fury ...
... Freeza has made the biggest mistake of his entire life.
"Y-you're going to pay for that... How... dare you... HOW DARE YOU?!"
The last mistake he'll ever make.
Summoning a storm with his fury, something has changed in Son Goku's heart.
Something unlocked, once buried deep within his very core.
Only now, in his pure, blinding rage, can he see the truth.
He is the Legendary Super Saiyan...!!!
"Gohan, take Piccolo with you and get yourselves back to Earth. He's barely still alive."
Gohan hesitates...
"GO HOME NOW WHILE I STILL HAVE SOME SLIVER OF REASON LEFT!!!"
Gohan quickly moves to gather Piccolo. This, we can take from the implication, is the first time Gohan has ever been shouted at by his father. Goku is through holding back his limits.
He is about to avenge Kuririn, his very best friend...
The real battle begins now.
In the series, it's a nice moment where Piccolo pushes his former enemy out of the way, but I still prefer how it happens in the managa. It's more in keeping with Freeza's character to make his enemy suffer. It's way more vicious of him to kill off Goku's friends and son before he kills his main target.
ReplyDeleteYou could make the argument that Freeza guessed one of the Earth fighters would jump in the way to save Goku. The way the blast is fired, it's clearly a slower Death Beam than the one shot at Dende. In an almost Joker-like fashion, he left it to them to decide who dies first.
DeleteI was so excited for this entry and I am not disappointed.
ReplyDeleteYou really did this episode justice (as if it needed it, hehe. with your write-up! Seriously, fab work.
ReplyDeleteIt also speaks to how often I've watched this episode, considering when I see just the screencap of Goku shouting, I hear Nozawa's terrifying roar.
Lol, I laughed at your blast at FUNimation, but they didn't say Skittles (or any candy for that matter). I believe Krillin said he wanted either a girlfriend or he wanted to get married.
ReplyDeleteI love this though! :D Great work!
And I have no idea how this "Comment as" thing works, so I'll just go as anonymous. XD