Ok you are probably wondering "How the hell are you typing this since Oni Link dismembered you?" Well I had a feeling I'd be in a position where I'd be arm and legless, so I asked Professor Maple to whip up a telepathic typer Ala Tommyknockers. Needless to say everything I think about is what is being typed up in this review. My god Raven from Titans is ho--- Wait did I think that out loud? Ah screw it. Anywho I decided this time on Straight up Reviews I would review something I truly hated. The Buu Saga........now that I taken a moment to make sure Chu-ey and Squirty are guarding my door and protecting my maimed body from angry fanboys. I'll explain why in the review. But let's just say I almost lost interest in anime because of that Saga.
Now before I talk about the saga, like the first. I grew up around DBZ was still in production, watching reruns Dragon Ball. It was one of the first animes I seen in my childhood along with Sailor Moon, Escaflowne and Gundam Wing. When I first watched Z it was around the Saiyan Saga and I didn't watch much of it until I was a preteen. My personal favorite Saga was the Cell Saga and my favorite character was Gohan.
As for what is Dragon Ball/Z all about I explained it in my Could It Exist In Real Life? Article. If you didn't read that here is the gist of it: A group of adventurests comprised of a teen Scientist, a Pig, A thief, a Cat and a forest boy with a monkey tail go on an adventure to find 7 mystical balls that grant one wish to the one that summons the dragon. Along the way they make new friends and fight new enemies that want the balls for themselves.
Unlike Dragon Ball, Z focused more on the action and fighting and less on the storyline with a few exceptions, but we all loved it anyway. But the main story focused on Son Gohan, offspring of the hero Son Goku. Gohan's peaceful little world is shaken, when over the years he has to train for the battles ahead of him. From the battles against a race of space warriors known as the Saiyans, to their employer and world conqueror Lord Frieza who fears the Legendary Super Saiyan that Goku finally becomes. To Cell a Bio-Android bent on flaunting his perfection by destroying the world. It would seem as though, Gohan was gonna take up his father's mantle and become the next protector of Earth.......how wrong were we.
Then there was the Buu Saga. The Next Budokai is occuring and Gohan joins under threat of blackmail by his love interest Videl. Then and there, Goku, who died in the Cell Saga decides to come to earth for one day so he could compete. All seems well until an intergalatic Wizard named Badibi arrives and tries to steal all the power he needs so he can summon Buu: A god like being that is capable of destroying universes. This is where things go downhill. You have to see this for yourself. As for why I hate this season. Spoilers ahead.
First and formost, bringing Goku back. Let me go on record and say I don't hate Goku. I loved the adventures in Dragon Ball and Z. However two things made me cringe about this. 1. bringing Goku back would make him the main hero again overshadowing Gohan's accomplishments. I have read comment upon comment on youtube about how useless they claim Gohan to be and that Goku is the best. TFS even lampshaded this with their Frieza 419 joke. Because of this it made me feel like they wasted all time focused on Gohan, from his kidnapping, to him beating Cell, for nothing. 2. The method in which he was brought back was so pointless. The Namekian Dragon Balls have the power to bring back people more than once unlike the Earth Dragon Balls. The only reason they didn't do this, was because Goku chose to stay dead. I could forgive Goku being brought back, if not for that stupid overlooking of a major detail. Hell I could write it better in three lines of Dialogue.
Gohan: Buu's getting too much for me. I need Dad.
Dende: Elder we need the Dragon Balls.
Goku: I'm back. HANG ON GOHAN I'M COMING!!!
See was that so hard?
Second, making Gohan completely useless. Before the Buu Saga, Gohan had become so powerful that he could whoop Goku with just a finger. WHERE THE HELL WAS THAT!? Don't give me that "Oh he was studying all those years he simply powered down." He is Half Saiyan, they don't lose their power over time even if they don't train. They lose energy but not power, big difference. Replenishing that energy is more simpler than gaining more. Not only that but he's Super Saiyan 2. He achieved that before his dad, nor Vegeta showing full well that he had grown much stronger than them. Not only that but time and again he has shown that without Goku, the planet will be safe. Case in point the Garlic Jr. Saga. (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!) Continuity issues aside, it's main purpose was to show that when the world was in danger and Goku was not around, Gohan would be just as good or even better at handling the job. Hell just by bringing Goku back ruined any opportunities for Gohan to have his own fair share of Sagas. If you count Garlic Jr., he has had only 3 Sagas dedicated to him as a fighter. Goku had the rest of the fucking show.
Third, The Spirit Bomb. Let me go on record and say the Spirit Bomb is the shittiest technique ever conceived in Dragon Ball history. For those who don't know, the Spirit Bomb is a big ball of energy comprised of the life force of living things. And while explosive in power, it is one of the most useless techniques in the series. What's that you say? It's not useless, it worked in the movies? You're right, but the movies are not canon to the series. In fact it's been used too much in the movies, that many people invented a drinking game out of it. The series on the other hand; every time it had been used up until the Buu Saga, it failed miserably. Goku Vs Vegeta and Goku Vs Frieza. I at first thought that the bomb wipes out pure evil since Gohan was able to bounce it back to Vegeta without harm and Vegeta didn't die because he wasn't always evil. However the Frieza example threw that theory out the window. Frieza was pure evil he destroyed planets either because it amused him, or because of fear of the Legend, How would he survive a burining energy ball with only his tail burnt off? Did he rescue a puppy on the way to Namek or what!? IT MAKES NO SENSE. Now before we get to the final Spirit Bomb, let me share a moment with you that nearly killed anime for me. Gohan is taken to Kai world to pull out the legendary Z sword so he could fight Buu. Pretty straight forward, he trains with it and Goku helps him by throwing rocks to slice. Supreme Kai decides to use Katchin the strongest metal in the universe. The Sword breaks releasing Elder Kai. I was bummed out, but then EK decided to help unlock the rest of Gohan's hidden potential. Which was great and in the first few minutes, he mops the floor with Buu. Buu then absorbed him. Then and there I switched off the TV and simply lost interest. All I could think was "What the Fuck." I rewatched it a lot of years later and when all that was settled it was a Spirit Bomb that killed Buu once and for all. All I could think of "No they are seriously not doing this. This technique never worked on Vegeta. It never worked on Frieza. WHY THE FUCK WOULD IT WORK NOW!!!!!?" And then they had a dance party. The stupid was so strong that I hated anime. It was thanks to Hayao Miyazaki and Naruto that I didn't become completely anti-anime altogether.
However all of that is forgivable if not for this last straw.
The fourth and final reason I hate this saga is: It paved the way for Dragon Ball GT. Make what you will on that one.
When you're a reviewer or an analyzer we all have our Mt. Everest of Bad Mediums to climb. Nostalgia Critic had his when he reviewed Garbage Pail Kids. Linkara had his when he reviewed One More Day and Cry For Justice. Even Spoony had his for Pumkinhead. Me it was the Buu Saga.
As usual, debate, argue and let me know when I missed. Stay Tuned For More. I must rest while my limbs regenerate.
My god did they really show Jessica Rabbit flashing he---- DAMNIT PROFESSOR SHUT THIS THING OFF!!!!!
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