Dragon Ball Z Movie 04: Super Saiyajin da Son Gokuu

Gohan Son and Piccolo are peacefully playing when they sense a powerful entity approaching Earth. It soon reaches everyone's ears that this entity is in fact a small planet on a deadly collision course with Earth. Gokuu Son and Kuririn attempt to change the small planet's path with a Kamehameha, but the attack fails and the two warriors are blown away. However, after coming very close to Earth's surface, the object changes direction on its own and explodes soon after.

The small planet reveals itself to be a vehicle for what seems to be a castle. A large army emerges out of the structure and declares that the planet is now in possession of Slug, king of the universe. While defending the city against the invaders' attack, Gohan loses his Dragon Ball, allowing Slug to take it. After reading Bulma's mind and stealing her Dragon Radar, Slug commands his army to collect the wish-granting relics. With the Dragon Balls in his possession, he uses them to wish his youth back. Now young, wise, and very powerful, Slug commences world domination.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Episode 1

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Parent story:	Dragon Ball Z
Prequel:	Dragon Ball Z Movie 03: Chikyuu Marugoto Choukessen

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Characters & Voice Actors

Son, Gokuu

Main

Nozawa, Masako
Japanese

Son, Gohan

Main

Nozawa, Masako
Japanese

Piccolo

Main

Furukawa, Toshio
Japanese

Slug

Main

Utsumi, Kenji
Japanese

Bulma

Supporting

Tsuru, Hiromi
Japanese

Muten-Roushi

Supporting

Miyauchi, Kouhei
Japanese

Kuririn

Supporting

Tanaka, Mayumi
Japanese

Chi-Chi

Supporting

Watanabe, Naoko
Japanese

Yajirobe

Supporting

Tanaka, Mayumi
Japanese

North Kaio

Supporting

Yanami, Jouji
Japanese

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Staff

Cook, Justin

Producer

Watson, Barry

Producer

Burgmeier, John

Script

Koyama, Takao

Script

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Opening Theme

"Cha-La Head Cha-La" by Hironobu Kageyama

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Ending Theme

"'Ya' na koto ni wa Genkidama!!" by Hironobu Kageyama

Reviews

Dec 4, 2021

Roving

Recommended

This movie is very underappreciated considering the plot is very well-written. This review will contain spoilers, so you've been warned! The movie gets straight to the point after a light-hearted scene between Gohan and Piccolo. The sudden news of an extinction-level asteroid is about to collide with the Earth. Shortly after, we see Goku and Krillin in a fantastic scene showing them perform a double Kamehameha wave at the asteroid. That scene alone was just amazing, so I won't spoil what happens next! Later on, the movie reveals the antagonist called "Lord Slug" who turns out to be an Ancient Namekian who, along with the ...

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Jun 12, 2022

WhatAGoodShow

Mixed Feelings

Dragon Ball Z Movie 4: Super Saiyan Son Goku, also known Lord Slug in America, is disliked by fans for the main antagonist being similar to King Piccolo:
- both have demonic henchmen
- both are evil Namekian
- both use the Dragon Balls to regain their youth to regain lost power
And Lord Slug also doesn't have many of the features that make other popular villains memorable, but he has motivations unique to him.

At the start of the movie Slug and his men invade earth and use a machine to shield the planet from the sun creating an environment where the demonic aliens can flourish. This plan ... also has side effects on the planets inhabitants as many characters succumb to the cold created by that change. In other words, the movie does a great job displaying the destruction caused by Slug arriving.

This movie has some of the most brutal action scenes in the franchise even some done by the good guys. For example Goku would counter an energy blast of an opponent sending it back inside his mouth. Or Goku breaking the ankle of an opponent.
The setting is also very well used to show tragedy. They move their fight into a theme park which is normally associated with happiness but because of the invasion its dark and lifeless.

The fight against Lord Slug is also entertaining since he uses known Namekian abilities in a very good style especially when he turns into a giant. There is also a very creative way how Goku and Piccolo fight it instead of the boring charging into random body parts to attack like in most Dragon Ball fights. Piccolo being also a Namekian does a good job in knowing how to handle him using what normally is a strength of a Namekian and turning it against it.

Lastly the false Super Saiyan form which is considered by many the most underwhelming or bad. And it did come out of nowhere and considering we got so many forms, it feels like another pointless transformation. In terms of release it did come out before regular Super Saiyan and is a form that you can only stay in while enraged. But honestly it feels no different than a golden colored Kaioken, but then again it turned Goku more aggressive which isn't anything knew after seeing the real Super Saiyan. However, it does look far more powerful than many forms you will see in Dragon Ball Super.

The characters in the movie are well used. While in many other movies characters feel like filler sometimes because they don't accomplish anything. In this movie, even if they don't nor affect the movie, they feel relevant simply because they are affected by the invasion.
Gohan and Piccolo were crucial to beat Slug and Goku obviously does the heavy lifting.

Lord Slug doesn't feel like he is deserving his power and even him being a Super Namekian feels like a rip off of Super Saiyan without the deep lore behind it. But it did foreshadow the Super Namekian in the manga I guess. So isn't very memorable, but not a bad one. As I mentioned Slug has motivations besides regaining his youth, that being turning earth into an utopia for him and his men. And it feels he wants to succeed in it and manages to do so.

There were obviously some issues. Like how Goku used defeated the bad guy with the same technique as in the prior movies. Piccolo continuing the tradition from prior movies to come safe Gohan. Not outrageous since this is the third time, but it will happen more often.

Overall this movie is better than I remembered. The name is kinda a false advertisement since it doesn't have THE Super Saiyan, but a Toei interpretation what a Super Saiyan is.
If you are a Piccolo fan, I think his movie does really feel as brutal as you know him in the past. Not a nanny of the son family.
Action is good with fluid animation and the Japanese music is great setting the atmosphere well.
Not one of the best movies and it doesn't stand out, but an enjoyable experience regardless.

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May 6, 2020

Thedude3445

Not Recommended

This is the EXACT SAME PLOT as Tree of Might, but with a Namekian instead of a Sayian this time. There's a lot more humor this time around, and the fights are better thanks to some really creative villains. The movie is still really stupid, but it's at least mild entertainment.

The minor characters get to shine here a lot more than by this point in the show-- Chi-Chi gets to fight again, yay! Oolong has more screentime than most of the TV series combined, yay! Piccolo has a cool fight all to himself where he doesn't get blown up by the end of it.

What's really ...

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Dragon Ball Z Movie 04: Super Saiyajin da Son Gokuu

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Dragon Ball Z Movie 04: Super Saiyajin da Son Gokuu

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