DBZ Rewatch

[Captain Cadaver]

Continuing from this thread. I decided to post treat the DBZ rewatch as a different thread due to the reset episode count and that thread already getting to a decent length, so feel free to join in or continue discussion for DBZ anime episodes in this topic.

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Episode 1 - The opening narration says that every day has been peaceful on Earth since Goku beat Piccolo. This tells us a lot when it would be hard to imagine Piccolo spending so long preparing for his next rematch with Goku, helping lay the foundation for the revelation of his internal change later on.
It's a nice touch that the early parts of the episode are a comparison to the first in the original series to help clearly define Gohan as his own character. Rather than handle a smilodon with ease as his father did in DB Episode 1, Gohan is completely scared. The beast running from his upset self and him managing to save himself from falling down a ravine in a way Goku couldn't understand also help foreshadow his hidden power.
So, a bit of trivia for this episode is the distance between Raditz's landing site and where Piccolo was training (likely the spot he later trains Gohan) is 4880 whilst the distance between the latter and somewhere near Kame House is 12909. He doesn't specify what measurement he's using, though it does create some kind of geographical point of scale for the world map.

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Episode 2 - As I pointed out in my Goku character analysis, it's a nice touch that Goku shows his fatherly side by pointing out locations to help educate Gohan as a parent should. On the subject of parenting, Chichi's change in direction may hold some sort of clue to the huge shift in DB's world between Part 1 and the Saiyan Arc when it comes to things such as Ki being forgotten and Mr. Satan being the best normal martial artists have to offer. Perhaps most of Earth had a similar mentality due to the peace and out of some fear of being targeted by a still living Piccolo.
There's an addition I like when the group is viewing Raditz arriving. Rather than not being keyed onto the gravity of the situation like Goku due to not being as adept at sensing Ki, Roshi is able to still make note of Raditz's sakki (bloodlust), the same phrase Popo used when explaining how Goku was so easy to read. Toei Roshi showing off why he's a master long before his Manly GAINZ in Super (though that's not to say Toei Roshi didn't have such GAINZ beforehand as we'll find out in the future).
The revelation of Goku being a Saiyan is, of course, one of the most iconic moments in the franchise as it's what changed it forever. So much prior material is recontextualised and fully explained in an excellent way whilst also adding a believable way to bring in greater threats by bringing space and other sci-fi elements into the series. Along with the tonal shift from comedic action to serious battles that the Piccolo Daimao Arc, this is another shift; a genre shift from mystical eastern fantasy to more western inspired sci-fi that will continue until the end of the Cell Arc for Z before being continued in full by GT and ocassionally by Super. This was another good change as Part 1 had already laid the groundwork for highly advanced technology and hints of alien origins for Goku and Piccolo/Kami. It also adds some dramatic irony in Goku having become Earth's greatest saviour despite him having meant to be a greater threat than all those he defeated combined, as well as being a nice twist on the Superman inspiration behind it to solidify Goku's origin story as his own (until DB Minus/DBS Broly retconned it and ruined the premise by making it just the Superman origin story).
One part of the direction I don't like for the episode is what seems to be a change in Goku's expression and Kuririn's reaction when Raditz tells Goku even their parents were killed being absent in the anime, since this was a good, subtle moment in the manga for showing Goku's innate disturbance at learning about his parents fate to hint he has some care for what he is that will have a good payoff in the Freeza Arc.
I find it interesting that despite the revelation that Vegeta was a prince only coming about in the Freeza Arc, Raditz still refers to the Saiyan homeworld as Planet Vegeta here, despite Vegeta only referring to himself as the greatest Saiyan warrior in this arc. Makes you wonder if Toriyama had his origin in mind from his arrival on Earth. On the subject of that moment and the Saiyans, the anime changes the dialogue after Raditz tells Goku of the Saiyan Survivors' fates. He says that he and another Saiyan were conquering one world whereas another Saiyan had been sent to his own planet much like Goku, suggesting they were an infant. This would suggest Toei had the idea in mind of Raditz being closer to Nappa's age than Vegeta and Vegeta being close to Goku's age. Of course, this is later explained in DB Minus of all things to be Raditz and Vegeta conquering one world whereas Nappa was conquering one on his own, though the wording here definitely painted a different picture.
I do like the part where Raditz says he wouldn't like to kill his nephew if possible. He says it in a mocking manner, though considering the lengths he went to in bargaining to Goku and even chose to come to Earth on the idea Kakarrot could help them despite him being far below Raditz and Raditz soon being revealed to be nothing compared to his comrades, it does show Raditz does care for his idea of family but is disgusted by what he considers softness and a lack of Saiyan pride. It does well in showing he's not quite as one-dimensional as many of the other tertiary villains in the series and made it so he may have had the potential to be somewhat a median between the character traits of Goku and Vegeta had Toriyama not killed him off.

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Episode 3 - Goku's plan was to grab Raditz's tail, despite him having trained his tail by himself and Raditz being someone who's well acquainted with true Saiyan society. It does seem like a massive oversight, though excusable when it was the only hope Goku had of victory.
Here is where we get the revelation that Shen Long can't grant the same wish twice. This isn't quite the same as the necessary limitation it'll have of not reviving the same person twice, though it could be that Kami only paraphrased it to Goku or that events that occurred as the result of one wish can't be replicated by another. As far as I remember, no same wish was made twice to Shen Long even in Super, so this is one thing that's at least remained consistent throughout the franchise.
Piccolo says his technique is far different from bukujutsu. I don't really see how when Chaozu was able to fly through great distances at the end of the previous arc, though I guess the distance between two points on one island is far different to flying across thousands of kilometres.
One thing worth questioning is how could Galu not suppress his Ki completely as he did in the 23rd TB when Kinto Un's the one doing the flying? I guess you could attribute it to his mind not being as calm or that there would still be a trace amount, plus Piccolo can't do the same whilst flying.
The anime makes the addition of Raditz having seemingly picked an entire large animal's carcass off to the bone whilst searching for food, helping show the more primal and savage nature of the Saiyans in a way that's not just subtle, but harkens back to Goku's own wilderness lifestyle to emphasise that his Saiyan traits were always present in some degree.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 4 - To add to the previous episode, seeing Goku and Piccolo work as a team must have been mind-blowing for audiences in 1989. We may have seen previous enemies become allies, but this was the first team up where the enemy was a full-fledged supervillain without being redeemed in the previous arc. One element of the team up that tends to be overlooked is how in sync they are during the melee scuffle and their movements following it. This is a surprisingly good way of conveying visually how similar their fighting styles are due to both Goku's training with Kami and their own experiences from fighting each other 5 years ago. Goku's reaction of fear to learning there's two Saiyans stronger than Raditz compared to his obstinate nature when fighting Piccolo at the 23rd TB also shows how he treats a life or death battle compared to a tournament one, helping inform his rationale for his infamous action in the Cell Game.
On that note, the Raditz fight stands out amongst the series battles in being one of the few where teamwork was used to great effect.
Raditz stops reading the Kamehameha's power at 925. Having it at that level works, considering he referred to it in the manga as 924 and increasing. Goku letting Raditz go fits with what seems to be a character trait of never striking an opponent when they're down or killing them when they beg for mercy, along with some unconscious acknowledgement Goku has of their familial bond.
Raditz declares himself as a top-class warrior. Looking at this retroactively, it works in much the same way as Vegeta declaring he was the strongest in the universe. It's more of him telling himself this and enjoying a situation where he can be the top dog rather than being made to feel inferior.

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Episode 5 - We get Gohan's first rage boost. Rather than do a thread revolving around a character analysis for him as I did for Goku and Vegeta, I'll post my thoughts of his character writing in this thread. There seems to be divide in the fandom of people being in one camp or the other when it comes to which side of his upbringing Gohan should embrace, being either definitely a fighter or definitely a scholar. Well, he says to Bulma that he wants to be a great scholar without Chichi around to coerce him into his answer, so we can say he did genuinely have this goal and eventually achieved it. The fighting aspect of his character is one more out of necessity in his situation, so it's understandable that he'd forego it in a time of peace.
Back on track though, we have Raditz comment that Gohan was the first to ever damage him so much, highlighting a major reason why he took so much damage from a single headbutt and why he's so much weaker than Nappa and Vegeta. He never really took the opportunity to fight battles beyond his level. As for the part where Goku says Raditz could cut his tail off if he wanted, I wouldn't say it's as questionable writing as some would argue. It would be pretty easy to burn through it for anyone adept at using Ki and it wouldn't factor into the first situation when Raditz was unaware they'd be aiming for his tail. One strange addition I find in the anime would be Raditz stating the 2nd Makankosappo is at 1,485. Makes little sense for the 2nd amplified attack to be anything but weaker than the first when doing the first one would lower some of Piccolo's Ki reserves. It is interesting that Piccolo notes Goku will be brought back with the Dragon Balls and doesn't choose to interfere prior to the revelation of Nappa and Vegeta's arrival. It shows a definite difference between the priorities of him and a later rival like Vegeta that help Piccolo still stand on his own as a character even when he's stopped being Goku's main rival.
It's surprising how well Nappa's mention of Super Saiyan works in later context. It seems to just be a joke here, though the context of how strong a Saiyan hybrid was opens up the idea he may have been considering it as a possibility.
An interesting detail to the anime during Goku's death is Piccolo's reaction. Rather than smirking as you'd expect of Daimao or his 23rd TB self, he has quite a serious and glum expression. This shows both the mix of him not being satisfied with the way he achieved his purpose in life and the worry of the impending Saiyan threat making it a fleeting success for him.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 6 - Toriyama's vision of the afterlife as a bureaucracy is quite an entertaining caricature of how it's structured in Hinduism/Buddhism, as well as possibly being a satire of the eternal cycle of Japanese salary men and office jobs. Wouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine, considering the subtle jokes in some of his prior imagery and admitting Freeza's villainy came from him being inspired by loan sharks.

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Episode 7 - Piccolo's line of "Curse your fate, as I do" tells us so much about his character at that point in so little time. Those 5 years would've been ones pondering many things such as his purpose making him just an enforcer of his father's will, his tie to Kami limiting what he could achieve and such limits to his life making it doubtful him achieving his life goals would have any meaning if he were to soon die as Kami noted about his premonition. He had already become less demonic in nature as made apparent by Goku and Raditz's souls going to Other World (and I must also praise Toriyama using Piccolo's arc to tie up a potential hole with more care than he would in later arcs) that couldn't just happen instantly, showing the audience he has undergone a distinct change in character. Moreover, when considering Kami stating Piccolo may want to leave his legacy behind through Gohan, it adds another layer to this statement when Piccolo's existence is purely to be Daimao's legacy and his limited lifespan will make him amount to just another failure in that goal. This existential turn of events is pretty subtle and showcases both Piccolo's character growth and depth in what's a great case of either accidental or intended genius.
It's during this scene that Gohan directly states he doesn't want to be a fighter and wants to be a scholar. Of course, we'll see that remain consistent throughout the series. It's also good to see how PIccolo reacts to raising Gohan by putting this 4 year old through a survival regime even most adults would fail in seconds. It shows how detached he is from a human's experiences due to his own unorthodox beginnings and this helps inform the Gohan's later shifts in actions.
I do like the filler of the Other World bar with Baba in how it shows a few various supernatural entities such as a mummy (hint at Mummy-kun having some Other Worldly aspects to him?) and the three-eyed lady (Tenshithands' ancestor? 2) as well as several Japanese Yokai such as the Tengu and Kappa.
Kuririn failing to break the news of Goku's death to Chichi is pretty entertaining. Interestingly, Gyumao says it's been a while since he saw Kuririn despite never meeting him in the original series, suggesting he may have visited Kame House at some point between Goku's wedding and Gohan's birth. Also, this is one of the few times we see Chichi having an appetite like Goku's. Pretty disappointing the anime didn't keep this trait.

 

[ahill1]

I commend you for doing this for DBZ as well. Will add my thoughts on things as you do your episode reviews.

 

[Papasmurf]

Are you going to watch the Garlic Jr. filler arc?

 

[Future Warrior]

You should do a Piccolo character analysis thread too. How he compares to his Daimao self, and the changes in his personality throughout the story.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Are you going to watch the Garlic Jr. filler arc?

I said I'd do all of the anime to the end of Z (maybe GT as well after a break as SSJ2 and Future Warrior said they may be interested in it), so seems I'll have to.

You should do a Piccolo character analysis thread too. How he compares to his Daimao self, and the changes in his personality throughout the story.

I was thinking about it, though it'd be difficult to do so after the Saiyan Arc due to his limited events on Namek and his post-Kami self essentially being a different character with the same name. Gohan would probably be a greater example for his own thread, given the different developments he goes through each arc.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 8 - I find it strange that Toei would switch the sequence of events so that Gohan spends an extra day on the mountain, considering it doesn't really change anything beyond letting the action be what ends the episode (which is a good ending point, but still...).
I've always found it strange that Roshi believes the scouter must be malfunctioning from registering Kuririn as superior when he'd admitted he couldn't keep up with the 4 main Earthlings anymore. Obviously, Roshi training in secret was foreshadowed long in advance.
I find Yamucha, Tenshinhan and Piccolo's numbers not being added improves the scene overall. Along with quickening the pace, it provides more to the filler to come of Kuririn and Bulma finding everyone, which would be far too easy to do with the scouter. Bulma telling Roshi to stand near her also gave off the impression that her adjustments were incomplete in terms of ranging, which makes more sense when dealing with an alien technology.
It's interesting that Chichi drives through the desert Yamucha used to live in, considering Toriyama would later establish the Son family live just south of it. The scene prior with Chichi also provides the first real insight into her change in attitude and does suggest her views in Part 1 may have held too much influence based on her sheltered lifestyle under her father before experiencing a more standard life.
The filler of Gohan watching a squirrel climb down would be surprisingly important to the next episode. Piccolo clearly knowing what urinating is provides a lot of questions about Namekian biology, or whether or not he learnt about this through interacting with humans. When Gohan transforms into an Oozaru, Piccolo is shocked at his power, though to nowhere near the same extent Raditz shocked him, suggesting perhaps that Raditz > Oozaru Gohan. Also, Gohan can shoot mouth blasts as an Oozaru, something Goku never showed the ability to do in DB. Whilst it's probably a stylistic thing, it does tie well into Gohan's potential. The scene also shows a good look at Piccolo's critical thinking skills as he quickly pieces together the moon's part in all this. Piccolo making Gohan a version of Goku's gi with the Ma kanji shows a good look at his unique sense of humour and the following part about Gohan making a fine Mazoku delivers on what Kami said about Piccolo's legacy in the last episode, with him wanting to twist his enemy's child into his own image as an act of vengeance. It helps show that despite the development he's undergone and will go through this arc, Piccolo is still very much a villain at this point in much the same way Vegeta was still very much a villain until Future Trunks' death. Piccolo even refers to himself as Piccolo-sama and talks about how Gohan will wish he was dead when going through the true training. This is surprisingly realistic to what such types of "Spartan/Assassin training" that's become a trope for young characters was meant to be about. It was less about drawing out someone's potential quickly and more about manipulating them into viewing the instructor as their God; decider of whether they live or die. Again, this highlights Piccolo's villainy is very much intact despite his major changes and makes his transition away from such traits all the more impressive.

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Episode 9 - Learning that the giant bird that tried to catch Gohan is called a Vimana and that the area he's training in used to be a settlement of the Nemurian civilisation. This is where you know it's filler...because this is more fleshing out of the history of DB's Earth than Toriyama cares to do. On the subject of history though, there's a major inconsistency with how this Capsule Robot C-6 has been buried in the Nemurian ruins for 80 years, which is far longer than Dr. Brief has been alive at this point. Maybe the "Capsule" branding was just a name that Brief's father or someone else came up with for the prototype?
Also, C-6 says he can cook the mushrooms in Chinese style. So..Toei Dragon World has its own version of China? I can buy it when some equivalent of Egypt is canon, I guess.
Seeing Gohan perfectly manage connecting wires and his trivia knowledge on the Capsule Robot does a good job in showing the results of Chichi's education and set him apart from his father's child self. It is a shame that this balance of general knowledge and fighting experience wouldn't be seen again until the Cell Arc where he educates a time traveller on time travel. Also, we see Gohan easily jump across the rocks to get back to C-6, tieing into observing the squirrel in the last episode and highlighting Gohan is capable when the need arises.

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Episode 10 - Yamucha being a baseball player is canon, seeing as how it was Toriyama's idea, and it's a choice that works very well in showing more to Yamucha's character. It makes him more realistic in being the only one of the main fighters until End of Z Gohan or DBS Kuririn/Goku that we'd see working a proper job to pay the bills. We also learn that not being able to pay for a date is what led to Yamucha standing Bulma up on their last date and why Bulma was angry with him. This says a lot about Yamucha as despite Bulma being rich enough to pay for a whole restaurant, Yamucha doesn't want to just leech off her wealth and was quite embarrassed about doing so. Yamucha really is a stand-out guy and it's a shame Toriyama didn't treat him with the respect he deserved. At least he's raking in millions with his Baseball career.
Seeing Gohan develop as he utilises knowledge he's gained through watching his father to survive on his own. Him being unable to save his dinosaur friend being eaten by the Wildsaurus is a direction the franchise's filler doesn't usually go, helping show the harsh reality of Piccolo's training as well as the noticeable tonal shift that's been developed since the Piccolo Daimao Arc (compare this to most of the 22nd TB training, for example).

 

[Future Warrior]

I was thinking about it, though it'd be difficult to do so after the Saiyan Arc due to his limited events on Namek and his post-Kami self essentially being a different character with the same name. Gohan would probably be a greater example for his own thread, given the different developments he goes through each arc.

I don't see how that's the case. You have the 23rd TB which already has him display key character traits that sets him apart from Daimao, the Saiyan arc has many instances of showing his relationship with Gohan, and while he doesn't have the most screen time on Namek, there's still quite a few moments to be had there especially after his fusion with Nail. The same goes for the Artificial Humans arc.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

I'd agree to most of that, though pointing out his 23rd TB details is something I did in the prior rewatch thread and may amount to me just repeating my words from that thread (though given I've done the same for Goku in the prior thread, perhaps that's not a good excuse). I'd say Namek Piccolo is a pretty difficult area to judge when it comes to what's due to natural development and what's artificially a result of Nail being a liar the fusion, though there are indeed a few select moments prior to fusing with Kami that show a difference between the two fusions' impact on Piccolo (him not being interest with living on New Namek, for instance).

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 11 - Whilst it's good the prior episodes showed Gohan's journey in becoming independent rather than a sudden timeskip, the anime still not showing him first managing to cut the Wildsaurus' tail does make it seem like that one extra step in showing his arc perfectly was missing. When Nappa fights Yedi, it takes a fair bit of effort from both of Nappa's arms to rip off one of Yedi's fingers even after powering up similar to how he would against the Z-Warriors and only oneshots him after he says he's done playing around (likely using the same effort he did against Goku). I guess this filler monster ought to be in the 4-5k range. I do like elements of Arlia being tributes to Star Wars such as the Arlians having faces reminiscent of one of the medical droids in ESB or Yedi being a nod to the Rancor. We then of course get Vegeta being able to breathe in space, though I guess you could argue that Saiyans can breathe in space for a limited time as opposed to Freeza being able to do so infinitely.

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Episode 12 - It's interesting to see Piccolo's lapse in his training affecting the world on a global scale, showing off how powerful these characters are and should be. I do like how Chaozu acknowledging Ten's head is hard from his training is a callback to Ten VS Goku in the previous arc, though it is strange that he doesn't reference his own when the anime made it a big thing during his fight with Kuririn.
Goku falling off Snake Road is something I'm mixed about. The manga did make it seem like a Chekhov's Gun that was never used, but it could've been intentional if the road was meant to represent staying on a true path and highlighting Goku's pure heart. I'd probably say I prefer the anime utilising this plot point as Goku's pure heart overcoming a great obstacle is something we already got with the Choshinsui and this filler adds more to Goku's journey than just constant running.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 13 - The events with Gozu and Mezu make a nice tribute to the franchise's Journey of the West roots. Along with that, it shows not just Goku's abilities in strength and speed, but also his sharp mind in tricking Mezu and bargaining with him. I also find it interesting how this implements the idea of a fruit only permitted to be eaten by a deity like Enma that also offers a boost in power called the Enseijuu when considering the similar premise the 3rd DBZ movie would use with the Shinseijuu. It was good that, despite the A Plot having something that would bring Goku back to square one, him quickly getting back to where he left off from the start is a good way at showing the results of his journey.
Mezu also states that this is the first time in 1,500 years a soul with a body has descended into Hell, showing how long it's been since someone last attempted to travel Serpentine Road before Enma and Goku. It's entertaining that Toei's idea of Hell in this series is separated into various streets within districts, further highlighting that bureaucracy element.
It's good to see Bora again and interesting to see Toei's interpretation of an adult Upa. It also appears even the stalwart Bora has trouble keeping his composure when faced with Lunch's extra thicc booty.
In the scene with Piccolo training, Gohan refers to Piccolo as "Uncle Piccolo" (Piccolo-ojisan) for the first time. This reverence shows the aspect of worship within such harsh training is bearing some fruit and is one of the early signs of showing how Gohan and Piccolo's bond is the result of Stockholm Syndrome (and yes, we'll get to that in due time).

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Episode 14 - It's stated that Hebihime/Jadoshin has been the Goddess of Serpentine Road for 1,500 years and that Enma ran across the road to train with Kaio around 500 years ago. I do find some things strange about this plot though. We're told that she was the winner of the Other World Beauty Contest, which raises some questions as to how many female souls are there that have retained their bodies? Grandpa Gohan implies there's a fair few. We then have one of her attendants trying to play Russian Roulette with Goku and even says the game by name. I can swallow Russia existing in DB's Earth, but how would such a game be brought all the way to such a corner of the afterlife? Was one of the many people Hebihime eaten an Earthling from Russia? Is Russia something completely different in the context of DB and somehow the same game still came from there? Then we have Goku's dream where he somehow perfectly envisions what Nappa and Vegeta look like. Seems Cell Arc Gohan wasn't the only one to get a contrived Toei dream after all 2
Also, despite the Enseijuu being stated to fill a person's appetite for 100 days, Goku is hungry by the time he meets Hebihime when the other plots such as the Earthlings training with Kami suggest this isn't even a day later. I guess it just shows Goku's appetite and the length of Serpentine Road.
I like Goku using his wit to overcome Jadoshin and didn't want to hurt her due to the obligation of her having fed him, which is consistent with the gratitude Goku can have. Also, if taking into account a DBZ Movie 3 promotional guide, she has a battle power of 900, showing Goku's already made some major GAINZ from his constant cardio workout and whatever GMO fruit Enma's diet consists of.
So yeah, this filler has some interesting ideas, but pretty poor execution when it comes to consistency. Also, can anyone tell me if there's some overarching reference to the Snake Princess in Asian folklore, considering this title is also used for the One Piece character Boa Hancock? The concept seems to loosely draw from the nure-onna and I'm aware that there was a Jidaigeki film in the 50s called The Idle Vassal: House of the Snake Princess, though the only older reference I can find is a Russian folklore tale and it seems as though it has some older roots given the mythological and folklore basis of the prior episode. Or maybe the term Hebihime originated from that 50s film which Toei got this episode's idea from and Oda got the idea for Boa Hancock from this filler episode.

 

[Papasmurf]

Femininity has been associated with snakes (as well as other animals) in Eastern folklore. In Korean, the term "flower snake" means femme fetale basically.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Yeah, I'm aware the links between snakes and femininity and/or temptation is pretty common in Asian cultures (and some European/Middle Eastern ones such as the temptation of Eve or the origins behind Medusa), though I'm curious as to whether the history of the phrase "Hebihime" goes back further in Japanese culture than just the 50s.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episodes 15 and 16 - The idea of Piccolo developing his own version of the Shishin no Ken for a sparring partner is good as it makes him making great gains and developing new techniques alone a lot more believable. We also see just how advanced the equations Gohan is able to work at and solve that in real-life would dub someone like him a child genius. His experiences with the orphans and refusing to go home due to knowing what's for the greater good also strengthens his character and does a surprisingly good job at supporting the idea that Gohan's bond to Piccolo is one born out of Stockholm Syndrome (once again, we'll get to that in time).
Piegero is a surprisingly unique filler character for the franchise. A leader of ruffian youths who acknowledges he isn't the right role model for his group that still have potential in life unlike him and he comes to this life-changing realisation without having it beaten into him. Stands out compared to most other one-off characters in the series.

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Episode 17 - We're shown that this is 6 months into Gohan's training with Piccolo, yet also told that the Earthlings have only been training with Kami for 2 months. I'd have to assume we're shown the two plots in a non-linear manner rather than entirely sequential, otherwise you'd have to assume it took Bulma 4 months to find everyone. For Gohan's training, Piccolo's regimen of Gohan fighting him whenever he's not eating or sleeping and just tells Gohan to get stronger if he doesn't want to die makes Gohan's wavering mental state in the fight with Nappa very believable as such training (especially for a child in their formative years) would hinder him more than help.
The Saiyan the Earthlings fight states they have a combined battle power of 1.507, suggesting they've already made some major gains. I do find it good that Toei reincorporated the Room of Time. It's a shame they didn't use it for future parts of the anime such as a way for the Earthlings to train in the Cell Arc when unable to keep up with the ROSAT training. It's also interesting to note the shorter Saiyan grabs people and slowly burns them with his Ki. That's a good Ki-based fighting style I'm surprised no melee specialist character in the manga ever used as opposed to large blasts in an attempt to vaporise an opponent.
Kami states those two Saiyans only had half the strength of a "full-fledged" Saiyan. It's hard to say what he's using as a benchmark, but I'd say Raditz when considering the Earthlings' initial confidence when arriving for the battle despite knowing this.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 18 - So yeah, the filler that makes up a lot of this episode is pretty dumb. Gohan is able to transform into an Oozaru as a result of a projection of the moon, despite the manga chapter where Vegeta explains the transformation requirements in detail and how it requires 17 million zenos reflected having been released 2 months prior to this. Not only that, but why would Vegeta even need a Power Ball if Saiyan pods had these artificial projection moons? Also, how is his pod even in Break Wasteland when Gohan found it near Mount Paozu? Compared to that, the later continuity issue of Piccolo destroying Goku's pod is pretty negligible, plus I think the anime (or at least the dub) brushed over this issue by having Goku's dialogue changed to his pod having been in a battered state when Brief found it.
The scene with Roshi and Bulma having gathered the Dragon Balls offscreen makes me feel that, with all the filler expanding on events and making some characters more relevant in this arc, not showing Bulma and Roshi gather the remaining Dragon Balls was a missed opportunity to make every character feel more involved.
The additions to Goku meeting Bubbles create a good visual reference to the myth of how Isaac Newton theorised about gravity that helps establish the main gimmick of Kaio's training.

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Episode 19 - Goku laughing at Kaio's jokes as soon as he catches on to Kaio not training him otherwise is a good way of showing Goku's quick to read the situation well, unlike his Super counterpart. The way in which Goku casually says he's a Saiyan without undergoing some typical identity crisis shows his strength of character in acknowledging what he is but not letting it define him. Kaio's training regime is also one of the best in the series as, along with having a unique approach to the weighted training aspect, it hearkens back to what Popo said in the filler episode with the phantom Saiyans about knowing the enemy. Training under the same conditions a Saiyan lives in is a good way to combat them as well as highlight Goku's roots.
The scene with Gohan and Piccolo sheds more on Piccolo's character with Gohan saying that Goku doesn't consider the new Piccolo as evil as Daimao. What we've been shown has already made this evident, but it also says a lot about Piccolo's change as this revelation is essentially an insult to his existence when he's meant to be Daimao's true successor. It fills in a lot of dots as to Piccolo's internal journey throughout the past 5 years.

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Episode 20 - Cutting back the time it took to catch Bubbles to fill it with Goku trying to hit Gregory is good in adding more to Kaio's training.
So, perhaps the most infamous part of the episode is the Saiyan history. In concept, the ideas about the raaces backstory and Toriyama's inclusion of their conflict with the Tsufurians being what provided their initial push into technological advancements is great. In execution, however, it has some problems. The flashback shows all the Saiyans as towering above the Tsufurians. Are we meant to assume the Tsufurians were a very small in stature race, or that previous generations of Saiyans were just YUGE? That nitpick aside, Kaio tells Goku that the Saiyans transform into monsters during a full moon, something that becomes a major revelation to Goku when fighting Oozaru Vegeta (something that had already happened in the manga). I guess you could assume Goku considered it just a figure of speech, but it seems like a stretch to assume a pre-Super Galu wouldn't make such a connection. The part about Planet Vegeta's Kami is excusable though, considering Kaio would have no reason to mention Freeza or allude to a greater threat.
Gohan deciding to try and play shiritori with Piccolo is funny in how it shows the difference between the two characters, though does seem fairly out of place.
With the scenes showing Kami's Tenkai, the Nyoibo is present unlike in the prior episodes showed it without it. The latter would make sense as Goku had the Nyoibo when arriving at the 23rd TB and wasn't given any indication of having returned to Kami's, though I guess keeping it there made sense when it came to Yajirobe getting up there. I do find it pretty funny how aware Toei was that Chaozu was to become irrelevant to the point he wasn't even sparring. The filler does a lot to respect the potential Yajirobe holds. This is a guy who could reach the levels of 22nd TB top tiers just from living in the outback mountain lands with some implied sword training, after all. Like the previous filler, it seems to suggest that at this point of the training Tenshinhan = Yamucha > Kuririn. Toei really did love making Yamucha seem more relevant than he should be in Z.

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Episode 21 - It's good how much focus is placed on the Ki control aspect of Kaio's training through the explanation of the Genki-Dama and the risks it carries. It is a shame that larger usages of the Genki-Dama later on ignore the risk of destroying a planet when sinking straight into it, though at least the case against Boo has the excuse of the Kaioshinkai's sturdiness.
It's interesting to note that the toilet in Kame House is completely different to how it was in Part 1 where it was part of the bathroom. Obviously, Roshi's been doing some installations during the past 5 years. I find the scene of Bulma and Oolong wondering if Roshi's gone senile when he's speaking to Goku pretty funny.
When training Gohan, Piccolo shows worry in having hit him too hard with his eye beams, showing another of the first few major cases in how Gohan's presence has changed Piccolo. This helps show Piccolo and Gohan's bond as one of the highlights of this arc in how the presence of the other drastically changes both characters. The later change of Gohan wearing Piccolo's gi also ties back to Piccolo wanting to make Gohan his legacy, giving him attire fitting of one following him.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 22 - The filler with Yajirobe is a good addition with him using his knowledge to his own gain. Seems that in an arc where all the main characters will lose so much, nobody is winning as much as Yajirobe. I also find it pretty funny how one of the television stations is called AHO, considering you'd have to be a real aho (idiot/blockhead) to think getting close to aliens who can instantly destroy a city is a good idea.
The revelation of Piccolo being a Namekian does act as a payoff to events such as his father's way of reproduction and the language he and Kami spoke at the 23rd TB, something that will be expanded more on in the next arc.

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Episode 23 - Vegeta killing the Saibaiman establishes a lot of things. This being a new event that shocks Nappa suggests that a Saibaiman has never performed so poorly against an opponent, which lines up well with Raditz having never been as wounded as he was against Gohan. Despite the Freeza Arc not having much plans to it when Toriyama drew this episode's equivalent chapter, this ties very well into Freeza not wanting the Saiyans to grow too strong and sending them on assignments where they wouldn't be able to progress much from battle experience. Vegeta killing the Saibaiman for poor performance also foreshadows what he'll do to Nappa, though there are some differences we'll go into later.
Gohan struggling to keep track of Yamucha and the Saibaiman does a good job at showing his lack of experience in a way that allows the Saiyan Arc to stand out compared to most others in Z. A lot of the attributes that come from powerscaling tend to be a one size fits all situation with the slight exceptions of Future Trunks finding 10x gravity heavy, Goten initially not being able to fly or use a Kamehameha well and Trunks struggling with 100x gravity, so seeing someone who's power doesn't match their experience is well done.
Yamucha's infamous death does have more weight behind it than the memes would like you to believe. Along with it being a legitimate way of presenting the gravity of the situation and removing the confidence the fighters had when arriving, what it means to Kuririn definitely shows and makes sense when considering he has lived with Yamucha for over 3 and a half years. It's a shame that their friendship isn't as pronounced throughout the franchise as Goku and Kuririn's is, despite their far greater time together.

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Episode 24 - Kuririn's Kakusandan is quite an underrated technique. Even when split into five, one blast is enough to oneshot a Saibaiman. If he could have the finishing blow target a single enemy after the slow start, it may have made a viable attack against far stronger opponents such as Reacoom.
Chaozu's death makes quite an impact at this point of the series despite its ineffectiveness due to the permanent nature it held due to having been wished back once (until the Namekian Dragon Balls removed this limitation). Also, the anime shows a flashback with him holding a young Inoshikacho despite it having been shown to have grown somewhat back when Roshi and Tsuru were young. I guess the one Galu met was a descendant of the one his master looked after.

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Episode 25 - Gohan failing to attack is quite realistic when this is a 5 year old being flung into a situation far out of his depth that his training wouldn't really prepare him for, the anime doing a particularly good job with showing how the deaths he's witnessed has given him some PTSD. Piccolo's negative treatment of him by saying it was a waste training him and that he's useless further shows how Gohan's positive reinforcement this past year has been minimal as well as furthering the idea that his bond to Piccolo has come about as a coping mechanism for his situation.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

So, one thing I forgot to mention about the previous episode is that Gohan's reaction in running away is not only realistic for a child, but realistic for one who's gone through the something like Piccolo's training. Many real-life martial artists have cited such tropes as Piccolo's no mercy training to be "edgy incompetence" where the students don't learn anything. This not only shows Piccolo as a flawed character, but also shows how ineffective his methods are compared to when Goku trains Gohan in the Rosat later on. I'm not sure if that was fully intentional on Toriyama's part, but it's something worth offering high praise to for a surprisingly great amount of realism.

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Episode 26 - Nappa being too impatient and finding fun by attacking Earth's military makes sense with his character. It's worth noting he seems interested by the kind of military Earth has, suggesting navies and air forces are rare on other worlds. This makes sense when considering the type of warfare within DB tends to focus more on armies and individual soldiers that would make other types of military ineffective on worlds where Ki control is common as we'd see with Freeza's army (unless they got ahold of some of Gero's tech, that is). Shame Toei were too lazy to think viewers wouldn't notice them reusing animation from back when Nappa had his scouter on 2
I find the addition to Nappa's reaction at Gohan's insult pretty funny, with him wondering how Gohan guessed his mother's belly button sticks out. Even Vegeta's got to laugh at that.
This marks the first time Piccolo gives Gohan positive reinforcement by telling him he can surpass Big Green if he puts his mind to it. The fact it's taken this long despite how much Gohan respects Piccolo says a lot about something I've been saying, but we'll get to that...

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Episode 27 - It says a lot about Vegeta's experience that he can deduce what kind of attack the Kienzan is. Makes you wonder if the version he used on Oozaru Gohan is one he had all along rather than copying it. It's worth noting how effective Piccolo's single case of positive reinforcement is as it's enough for Gohan to confidently attack Nappa and act as a distraction to try and let Piccolo escape.
We then get Piccolo's decisive moment of, in a split second, moving on instinct to protect Gohan. Much like Vegeta's later assault on SPC, this is a good case of a life or death moment causing a character to realise the importance of a bond they share with another, though Piccolo's case being stronger for reasons we'll get into for the next episode.

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Episode 28 - Piccolo reveals he saved Gohan because Gohan was the only one to treat him with compassion, which says a lot about how lonely Piccolo was and that the transformation he went through upon training Gohan is very understandable with all we've been given to know thus far. It also carries a lot of irony when considering his initial purpose for living and his desire to mould Gohan in his image when Piccolo was the one to truly be changed, with Kami even noting Piccolo surpassed him with this act. This redemption allows Piccolo's character to come full circle and, whilst he'd have more added to him in later arcs, it would've also made a fine sendoff to him with his death being one of the greatest moments in the franchise. This is followed by Gohan being shown about as angry as when Raditz was beating Goku, showing just how much Piccolo means to him.

Now, it's about time I address the elephant in the room about Gohan and Piccolo's bond in that, whilst powerful and well written in how it changes both characters, is the result of Stockholm Syndrome for Gohan. It's no secret that Piccolo's training and the Nappa fight has Piccolo being physically and mentally abusive to Gohan, who's still in his formative years where children simply accept what comes their way as normal unless told otherwise, acting as both a telltale symptom and a scenario for Gohan to not see this type of treatment as wrong.To sum things up, I'll go over the key symptoms:
* Positive feelings by the victim towards controller - Gohan tells Kuririn that Piccolo isn't as bad as people think when the former arrives for the battle. Gohan then tells Kuririn he respects Piccolo as much as he does his father when heading for Namek as well.
* Negative feelings to those trying to support/rescue them from the situation - Gohan's outburst at Chichi in the hospital.
* Support of abuser's reasons/behaviours - Same as the positive feelings examples. Also, Gohan agreeing that Piccolo can't be as bad as Daimao.
* Positive feelings by the abuser towards the victim - Piccolo's sacrifice, as well as worrying he hit Gohan too hard during training.
* Helping the abuser - Gohan's insistence on distracting Nappa to let Piccolo flee, Gohan insisting on going to Namek out of feeling responsible, etc.
* Inability to engage in things that would assist detachment/escape - The episode with the orphans definitely makes this apparent. Even manga-wise, Gohan never really does anything to detach himself, even requesting to wear Piccolo's clothes after the Rosat training.
* Evidence of a threat and belief the abuser would carry it out - Gohan's entire training is littered with them, Piccolo threatening to break his neck and then chucking him into a mountain on day one, for a start.
* Small kindness from abuser - Piccolo's encouragement and sacrifice.
* Isolation from other perspectives - Gohan spends near enough a whole year with just Piccolo.
* Perceived inability to escape the situation - On his first day, Gohan is told not to try escaping due to all the wild animals in the wasteland and, even when strong enough to handle them, the looming threat of the Saiyans couldn't be ignored.
So yeah, my point about Gohan having Stockholm Syndrome is backed up by some pretty hard evidence. This doesn't damage their bond when considering Piccolo isn't exactly someone who's had a childhood that would provide him with much better to use as a guideline. Being able to show how well Gohan's thought process links to a real life psychological analysis strengthens his character by painting him as very realistic. For someone who says he doesn't like to get psychological, Toriyama definitely did an excellent job portraying a grounded psychology of Piccolo's effect on Gohan that I can offer nothing but praise for.

Goku's anger at the deaths of his friends is a powerful moment that provides the most drama out of the four main "Goku to the rescue" moments (or at least tied with Vegeta's death). What was at that point a seemingly permanent loss makes it carry a lot of weight and it's good to see the type of anger a more balanced and controlled Goku than the one from the Piccolo Daimao showed. All in all, this is easily one of the best episodes of DBZ.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 29 - Goku landing a punch for each of his fallen allies shows how much their deaths meant to him whilst also showing him as a more controlled fighter when it comes to rage than his teenage self. I also have to wonder if this scene of Goku landing 4 punches out of vengeance was inspired by another Shonen Jump series turned into a Toei anime involving its protagonist inflicting 4 wounds on a masked man for each of the groups who's lives he ruined...
Nappa notes that Vegeta is such an esteemed warrior as to carry the name of Planet Vegeta. I'm sure the chapter in which Dodoria confirms Vegeta as the Saiyan Prince was already published at this point, so it's a surprise the dialogue wasn't altered in the same way Viz treat it as foreshadowing. Perhaps it shows Saiyan monarchy isn't strictly hereditary and that should the Saiyan King be usurped by a challenger, the new king would take up the name of Vegeta?
Vegeta says he has no use for a Saiyan who cannot move before killing Nappa. Seems Toriyama hadn't thought of the healing chambers just yet, I suppose That, or Vegeta didn't expect a Nappa with a broken back and the control for his pod nestled in his armour to even be able to leave Earth. It also shows how important the ability to fight is for everything to do with a Saiyan's life, much like how warrior groups such as the Vikings condemned the idea of dying in peace rather than dedicating life and death to battle.
For someone notorious for his bad memory, it's a surprise Toriyama would later deliver on Goku promising to go fishing with Gohan during the Cell Arc, with the anime even drawing back to the scene in this episode for a flashback.

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Episodes 30 and 31 - Goku VS Vegeta begins. The dialogue about hard work and talent is not only something that will be flipped on its head in the Boo Arc rematch for some great dramatic irony, but actually holds pretty true of what we see in the series. After all, Goku needed to undergo new training regimes and methods to keep one or two steps ahead of Vegeta later on, with Vegeta surpassing him several times through methods that weren't new. We even have confirmation from Toriyama and in Super that Vegeta has never been properly tutored in martial arts prior to Whis and he mainly got by through his own talent. The only time in which Goku got the better of Vegeta from the same situation was their Zenkais in the Freeza Arc, and even there you could argue Goku's better Ki control served to boost this biological factor. It really makes you wonder if Vegeta is indeed more talented than Goku and has simply been limited by lesser training regimes and not thinking outside the box as often.
Vegeta's power up shaking the Earth is good filler, since it shows us something Goku said rather than being told it. This also serves as the last time Lunch will appear in the anime until the Boo Arc. I guess she assumed Tenshinhan was dead for good and retreated to obscurity. A depressing end to her character arc, though a fitting one of her realising her ways of collecting money for money's sake was pointless. It fits better than her cameos in DBZ Kakarot where, while nice, her regular appearance despite being absent from the more "canon" events seems off; particularly for the Cell Arc.
Baba's crystal ball being unable to view the battle due to how great their Ki is does a surprisingly good job with how Roshi never thought to contact Baba for later events such as viewing the Cell Game. Also, Bulma using the scouter and creating tension for Chichi by only being able to read two battle powers shows it was a good idea to remove the scene of Yamucha, Tenshinhan and post-Raditz Piccolo's battle powers, otherwise picking up Gohan, Kuririn and even Yajirobe would be easy.
After using Kaioken x3, Goku is then able to overpower Vegeta in his base state. I wouldn't say this is Toei's inconsistent scaling, considering Raditz could be heavily wounded by Gohan due to not being used to facing someone on his level despite the gap being even lower and you could just assume the Gyallic Ho provides a good amp or brings him to the same peak regardless of damage. One of the best aspects of the battle and the entire climax is how prevalent battle damage and fatigue is compared to a lot of the later battles, such as the pain using greater levels of Kaioken puts Goku's body in our how much Vegeta's ki lowers with it being apparent every move is chipping away at each side. It's a far cry away from how later battles against the main villain would go, especially when regeneration became a major factor.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 32 - Gohan going to fight Vegeta despite knowing he'll serve no use shows his development from the Nappa fight and how Piccolo's death has impacted him well.
Goku lamenting him accidentally killing Grandpa Gohan does a good job showing the negatives that have come with his Saiyan heritage that the arc definitely needed to remind the audience of. It's a shame that with the anime's Cell Arc tying prior set ups in the Saiyan Arc well as discussed before, they never dedicated some filler with the Anoyoichi Budokai to showing Goku in the afterlife meeting with and apologising to his grandfather.
Vegeta getting mad that Goku damaged his face in the manner Nappa did with Kuririn's Kienzan is quite interesting with later continuity in mind. Even without knowledge of people stronger than Vegeta, it's hard to image there weren't races in the North Galaxy that couldn't give Nappa difficulty when the Namekians were established as a strong race already. Along with Gohan being the first to injure Raditz that much, it creates an interesting hypocrisy about the Saiyan trio. Despite their love for battle and superiority complex, they don't go out of their way to fully challenge themselves as Goku did, which was a deciding factor in his growth. A lot of this can later be attributed to Freeza's decisions, though it still seems unlikely there wouldn't be any challenges for even Raditz. It establishes them as essentially being big fishes in little ponds, which is quite fitting with what the next arc will bring.

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Episode 33 - Yajirobe trying to flee in his car seemed like a pointless addition, given he'd immediately come to the rescue a few minutes later. Also, the studio Toei got to animate the Kienzan for this episode were definitely the worst suited for the job.
Yajirobe being the MVP at this part of the fight really helps it be one of the best team efforts in the series. The scene of Chichi wanting Gohan to fight when seeing the state Goku is in is the kind of Chichi that Toriyama and, especially, Toei should've made her; a woman who places such value in the safety of her family yet isn't blinded by what's required of the situation.
This marks the first time Goku uses telepathy to speak to someone without Kaio's aid. It seems we're to assume it's a skill from his refined Ki control when training with Kaio, though more explanation would've been nice.

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Episode 34 - Vegeta mocks Gohan by saying "I thought a Super Saiyan would be stronger than that." The next episode title also translates to "Create a Miracle! Super Saiyan Son Gohan" It's interesting to look at in retrospect, considering the ease with which such hybrids would later gain the Super Saiyan form. One obvious error with Gohan fighting Vegeta though is that he says Kamehameha when clearly launching the Masenko. At least the dub fixed this error, despite all the dub's many other problems.
The Genki Dama is the moment that shows this as the best teamwork in the series. Whilst I'd cite the battle with Pure Boo as the biggest team effort due to how many different sources contributed in Boo's defeat, the Vegeta fight shows the best teamwork in the Genki-Dama being brought from Goku to Kuririn and then Gohan to hit Vegeta. As I said before, the Vegeta fight is where damage chipping away at both sides is shown at its best, this episode in particular with the injuries all fighters sustain.

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Episode 35 - Yajirobe again saves the day with a distraction. A shame he'd become just a delivery boy from then on. Oozaru Gohan VS Vegeta is a nice turn around as Vegeta is now on the run from an Oozaru, yet has the advantage of rationality to make things more balanced. Kuririn also theorises Oozaru draws out Goku and Gohan's Saiyan nature, which is an interesting take on things. We also see that hybrids can control themselves somewhat due to their Earthling side, which helps show the dual nature that comes with Gohan's heritage.
Goku sparing Vegeta is a controversial point, though something I'm fine with. Goku makes it apparent he's doing this one thing out of selfishness and he's only asking to do so this once, which is true when his prior and later controversial actions do have some selfless rationale behind them. It's not an illogical decision either, considering that a tailless Vegeta and prep time puts the Dragon Team at an advantage once healed.
Vegeta once again refers to himself as the strongest in the universe. As I said in my Vegeta character analysis, I don't see this as a direct plot hole when his psychology and narcissistic traits would point towards him using such a phrase as a confidence boost.
Kaio's comments about the "root of evil" is given more emphasis here. In the manga, it seemed more ambiguous as it would be near impossible to destroy the root of evil without the DB Universe having an equivalent to Satan (Dabura foreshadowing? ). The closing narration of the episode, however, uses it to hint towards a new threat; indicating it's referring to Freeza.

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I see this as the best cutoff point for the arc as the focus will shift to Planet Namek in the next episode.
That said, the Saiyan Arc is easily the best arc of Z and a contender for best in the franchise. It expands the scope of DB's universe in a natural way that ties many prior elements together, creates great amount of tension through its character deaths, has a realistic focus on accumulative damage in its fights and has some cases of great character writing such as Gohan and Piccolo's bond. Though some filler causes problems, a lot of them can be easily skipped over for how isolated they are and still don't outweigh the positives additional content brought to making the arc have a steadier pace and progression. Its anime self not quite as solid a piece in its writing as the Pilaf Arc but is still has some of the greatest high points of the series with far more consistency than the later arcs with great elements. For that, I'd rate it an 8/10.

Next, onto the Freeza Arc..