Anime Review: Dragon Ball Kai: The Final Chapters Part 2 Page 1

Anime Review: Dragon Ball Kai: The Final Chapters Part 2

Dragon Ball Kai The Final Chapters Part 2 (UK Rating: 12)

Previously on Dragon Ball Cubed3, the team looked at the first instalment of the Dragon Ball Kai: The Final Chapters releases, the World Tournament Saga. Now, the second instalment is here and the story is hitting the Majin Buu arc. The most powerful enemy ever to face off against the Z warriors has awakened (in episode two, thanks to a silly choice on these discs) but it's nothing like anyone expected. This podgy, pink monster toddler is nigh-omnipotent and it will take reaching a whole new level to overcome this threat. This new release is available 12th November, courtesy of Manga Entertainment, and contains episode 122 (the final episode of the World Tournament Saga) to episode 144, meaning all of the Majin Buu Saga and the beginning of the "Evil Buu Saga."

In the previous collection, much of the time was spent establishing the world that has developed while Goku has been gone. Gohan is trying to live a normal life, including enrolling into a high school. Vegeta has been training to overcome his rival. The next generation of Goten and Trunks has already achieved Super Saiyan. Krillin has gotten married to Android 18, and even had a daughter. The world has moved on and the first episodes of this new season follow Gohan as he lives a "Clark Kent: The Teenage Years" style life, balancing his everyday school life with being a town superhero. He gets a love interest in the form of Videl, daughter of the legendary Mr. Satan, and is talked into taking part in the latest World Martial Arts tournament with her.

The tournament attracts the interest of more than just Gohan and Videl, though, and soon enough all of the Z Fighters are signed up to take part, as are some mysterious competitors. Most noticeably, a pair of clear steroid abusers with the letter 'M' tattooed on their forehead along with a pair of aliens, a diminutive Mohican-styled blue chap, and a large attendant. The muscle heads are working for an ancient, alien wizard called Babidi, son of Bibidi, and they are at the tournament to find individuals of great power to drain energy from, to awaken the ancient being of pure destruction known as Buu. The chibi Mohawk'd chap with the killer earrings turns out to be the Supreme Kai. In a universe ruled over by four grand beings known as the Kai, they each report to the Grand Kai, but above the Grand Kai is the Supreme Kai. He has made his way to Earth with his attendant in search of Babidi and Buu.

The muscle brothers steal Gohan's energy and then head off, leaving Android 18 and the kids facing off against the regular humans in the tournament, while the Z fighters head off to take on Babidi's minions, something they have little trouble with. However, just when it seemed the good guys were going to prevail, it was all ruined thanks to the darkness in Vegeta's heart. Babidi has a power to imbue an individual with abilities, while also bringing them under his thrall, and Vegeta did it willingly so that he could finally address something that had been eating away at him for years. He was royalty, the prince of the Saiyans, and he was trounced by Goku, a commoner. Constantly beaten, and worse, he was saved by Goku. All those indignities and now Vegeta had become what he hated. He had a wife, a kid, he found himself caring about them, and he had been taught that this was soft; weak… but Goku was back, just for one day, and he had a chance to show he was strong. That day, though, was being taken away from him - wasted chasing stories from the Kai when every threat seems a joke to his power. He disregards the threat of Buu, then, and takes the power to finally have his showdown with Goku - a mistake that could prove fatal.

Now, onto The Final Chapters Part 2. When the first collection came to a close, the silly decision was made to move the final episode of the World Tournament Saga onto this new collection, meaning the first episode of this collection sees Goku and Vegeta throwing down. Meanwhile, Buu has awakened from his slumber. A ton of episodes focus on Majin Buu facing off against various characters and it's interesting to see. From its inception, Dragon Ball focused on martial arts, even if in Z that went out the window somewhat with the super speed, flying, teleporting, energy blasts, and the like. The combat was still based on martial arts with stylish and impactful choreography - not with Buu. This portly powerhouse makes for some unique fights, hopping and skipping along, absorbing the blows of his opponents like a giant ball of chewing gum.

After the heroes realise they have no chance against Buu, they step away to try and muster their forces, splitting into different groups to try and come up with a new power to take him on. Gohan travels with the Supreme Kai to train in the Arthurian style. Trunks and Goten take up the responsibility of taking on Buu by learning to dance. Goku showing another numbered version of the Super Saiyan form. It's very much a training arc for the majority of this collection.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, either. There are tons of funny moments with each of the characters, especially when it comes to Buu and his new slave, Mr. Satan, as they play happy families, the young boys realising a flaw in a dance can have some strange circumstances, or Gohan testing out the durability of legendary weapons and dealing with yet another pervy old sage.

8/10

Great - Silver Award

With a series as legendary as Dragon Ball, there are always going to be rifts and divisions in the fandom. There are even some super fans out there that enjoyed GT. The Buu arc is the cause of a lot of division. This is mostly due to the antagonist. Buu is… unique and can no more stand up to the memorable villains, such as Frieza and Cell as the arc as a whole can stand up to the Cell Games or Namek Saga. However, there are some truly amazing moments throughout Dragon Ball Kai: The Final Chapters Part 2. Take the episode "For his beloved ones, the end of the proud warrior" - it is quite possibly Vegeta's defining moment, finally showing not the cold arrogant prince, not the softened family man, but something in-between and his best possible "final form."