Dragon Ball Z Special 2: Zetsubou e no Hankou!! Nokosareta Chousenshi - Gohan to Trunks

Intro
This is a pretty good movie, if you watched Dragonball, Dragonball Z or Dragonball GT, you must be a fool to not watch this atleast once.

Story
In the future of Dragonball Z in th alternate world, where Goku dies from the heart disease and there are few survivors including Trunks and Gohan. This movie got me very close to tears midway through, and i felt I could really connect with how the characters was feeling. This is why this is my favourite Dragonball Z movie, there seems to have been alot more effort put into this movie.

Animation
The animation quality of this movie for me seemed ... really good, seeing the fights in the rain and things you have never seen on previous Dragonball Z.

Sound
The sound went well into the movie and added alot more to the feeling, unlike Dragonball Z which only seems to have music up to the build up of a major battle, theres appropriate sound for most events in this movie, which adds alot of feeling.

Characters
What you'd expect from Dragonball Z, unique characters.

Enjoyment
Considering I've watched this movie about 6 times...I'd say i fairly enjoyed it... lol :]

Here we go, the last DBZ film that I would consider to be really good. As a matter of fact, it's my favorite of the 13 movies and I think it's better than the first special. Plus, it doesn't feel like a chore to watch at all. This movie does several things right which sets itself far away from most of the redundant pack. It almost feels like a different animal.

The History of Trunks is normally referenced along side Bardock: The Father of Goku. Besides being a special feature along with the aformentioned movie, the reason for me is the similarities between the two. This ... movie is just as dark for one thing and it contains character development. The small cast it has to work with are developed really well in a short time. Trunks is a character that is easy to relate to despite coming off a bit too whiny at first; but at least his angst is perfectly understandable because of the miserable state the world is in. Now, unlike the aforementioned movie, this feels a lot more like a real prequel which is canon to the Trunks Saga. Mainly because it provides detailed insight to his past which I feel is better covered here than in the TV series.

The two androids which are male and female, both named #17 and #18 respectively, aren't exactly the cookie cutter characters you will see in many of the franchises movies. Instead of having the personalities of robots, or just being simple minded and one sentenced dimwits you will see in the other movies, they seem to be somewhat human themselves; but they have a thirst for carnage, and hopping into a car and running down people seems to get 17 off.

I have to mention that I'm very impressed with the writing. Among the most annoying elements in this series is characters standing around and making funny constipated looking faces, while also waiting until near death to "reveal their true power". That is not the case here, especially when taking Gohan under consideration. He understands the danger of the androids, and he wastes no time at all going full power with intentions on killing them.

The action scenes at times contains the re-used cels simulating combat thing, and I won't say that the scenes have good choreography, but some of the fights are very cool to watch. So cool, that at least one scene is rehashed for a later movie. Also, the fights aren't very one sided either.


The artwork is pretty good and at times seems better than the TV series. I also like the soundtrack, but I'm also impressed with the use of it as well. The more upbeat songs brings out the best in the action scenes, but I also notice that the music isn't incredibly loud to the point where the writers are trying to cover up the flaws in the action. Certain key moments are better worked out due to the choice of the song and even the lyrics. I think the final song worked well into the drama towards the end. Now remind you, this is a DBZ movie we're talking about here.

The movie does have issues with its story. The most notable for me would be people going to public amusement parks, with the full knowledge of two killer androids completely blowing up cities. I don't know, but if that was me. I would take Master Roshi's idea, which was grab a submarine and hide in the bottom of the ocean.

Even though I like the premise of this particular movie. I just can't shake the possibility of the entire story being borrowed from X-Men: Days of Future Past. Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard. Another problem that I have with the movie is actually the length, which is something you're not going to hear me complain about again. It's no secret that the Z-fighters are killed, any product description will mention it; but it would have been better had the battle been shown in its entirety.

In any case, The History of Trunks is a very solid movie that I recommend to fans of the series. For those whom are new to the series, but haven't made it to the Trunks Saga yet. I recommend watching this first for a better experience.

Highs: Interesting premise, doesn't follow usual DBZ formula, some good fights, hot soundtrack

Lows: Could have used more battles, minor story issues, length

Overview:

Since I reviewed the 2011 Bardock 2, considered the worst DBZ special, now I will review what is arguably the best DBZ special: History of Trunks! Can something as silly and lighthearted as DBZ pull off tragedy?! Well...it sort of can actually. I am not saying this is Clannad or anything, but when I watched this at 12 years old, it was depressing as SHIT!

Background:

I bought the VHS in the year 2000, when it first came out in the US. As mentioned before, I was 12 at this time. Obviously this is a highly nostalgic review for me, so someone seeing this for the ... first time in 2014 may feel completely different. Also keep in mind that I had really only seen very campy and "happy go lucky" anime at this point in my life. I didn't have an elder brother or sister that showed me uber violent and depressing anime at age 6 to see what my reaction would be. I WAS the elder brother and this little DBZ special caught me totally unprepared. Unlike so many anime fans of this current generation, I was "weened" on Pokemon, Digimon, and Yugioh, NOT Berserk, Hellsing Ultimate, and Elfen Lied. If the latter 3 had been my first anime, then obviously something like History of Trunks wouldn't have had any impact at all. Now that we have some perspective, lets begin!

Oh and spoilers!!!


Story: 8/10

The story shows what happened during Trunks' timeline before he came back in time and created an alternate universe. The story was clearly inspired by the Terminator movies with machines wiping out most of mankind and a strong resistance fighter having to go back in time to defeat the machines. The difference is that in Terminator, mankind starts winning the war and it is the machines out of desperation that go back in time to try kill the mother of the human resistance. In DBZ, the androids streamroll mankind and it is the human resistance that has to go back out of desperation. Literally, EVERY ONE of the characters gets brutally murdered in this special. This is the action Shonen version of the Eclipse Saga from Berserk! We see Gohan train a young Trunks while occasionally trying to fight the androids and repeatedly getting the shit beat out of him. Gohan even gets his arm blown off trying to protect Trunks. The now one armed Gohan fights the androids one last time and is killed like you would expect at this point. Trunks is furious at his teacher's murder and turns Super Saiyan out of anger and grief. Although in the manga, Trunks was already a Super Saiyan when Gohan died. That transformation scene was made up for this special. It IS actually very effective though. We don't even see how Trunks transforms in the original manga! Trunks then fights the androids himself, but is brutally beaten and nearly killed. He then finally goes to Bulma and travels back to fight Freeza and meet the Z fighters!

Characters: 8/10

One thing that is different in this special vs. the main anime DBZ is that when characters die, they stay dead! That forces the characters to grieve in a way that is completely different than in the main series. Trunks and Gohan in this special have to deal with loss the same way we all have to deal with loss in real life. There is no hope that it is going to be fine and our loved one that died can just be brought back to life with a magic dragon. The fact that Gohan and Trunks have to suffer in a realistic manner this time makes them far easier to identify and empathize with. Trunks grows up living in constant fear in a world where every day he is still alive is a miracle. This helps shape his personality and explains why he is FAR more dark and serious than the alternate Trunks that grew up in a happy world with 2 parents, friends, and not so much danger. Even when everyone was killed by Buu, they didn't stay dead for longer than a few days. That means the Trunks of the main timeline never had to overcome the pain of losing someone. This makes future Trunks a far more interesting character in my opinion. The androids (technically they are cyborgs) in the future are purely evil and nothing like the fun loving and silly 17 and 18 from the main timeline. Future 17 and 18 may be simplistic characters, but they serve the role of antagonists in a very effective manner. You the viewer will actually REALLY hate them and want them to die! An antagonist is effective if the viewer finds himself or herself constantly cheering for their death to occur.

Art: 5/10

This was originally made in 1993, so it is par for the course early 1990s anime. It isn't very good by today's standards, but it certainly looked fine for the time.

Sound:7/10

This was one of those late 90s, early 2000s dub anime that for the US release had a new soundtrack with Western rock bands. The same thing was done for the Street Fighter 2 movie. The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin in this special! This was before "AMVS" even existed, so seeing popular music mixed with our favorite anime was AMAZING! Those were simpler times!

Enjoyment: 7/10

Ok, so watching all of your childhood heroes get butchered doesn't sound like a fun time, but this is a very well made special and mandatory viewing for any DBZ fan.

Overall: 7/10

DBZ was a precious anime of my childhood and this special is one of the DBZ moments that had the biggest emotional impact on me. You could even say that THIS was my first "dark and edgy" anime I had ever seen! It was a small step in the process of maturing my tastes and not just watching slice of life rainbows, puppies, and sunshine all the time. I avoided tragedy and brutality as a kid, and this helped me see the psychological drama and value in tragedy that has made it the most respected and enduring form of storytelling throughout human history across cultures.

Some bloke ones told me, that the History of Trunks is like a DBZ, mixed with the Last of Us, that's nursed by Terminator, and boy, was he wrong!

Now, don't get me wrong - I gave this movie... well, special, the highest score yet, out of the whole franchise! True, I'm not a fan, and thus my opinion maaay be just a liiiitle bit biased, knowing of how much this franchise hurt me... but still... there're just too many details, and flaws, that keeps reminding me why I'll never gonna be a fan of the series! That aside, what do I think about this ... mov... no, special! Special...

The story? Goku is dead, cyborgs are killing people, everything is horrible. That's it. That's just as deep as it gets, and boy... it is shallow as hell!

First of all, Goku's dead, so that's a huge plus! Only downside is... no! No downsides here! Goku's dead and burried, so now's the chance for all the other left-over-fighters in the series to actually nutt it up, and do something, rather than doing nothing, right?! Heck no! We all know, that the rest of the Z-fighters are utterly useless, and truly incompitent, without this one, stupid, sadistic knucklehead, inable to do, or accomplish anything on their own, so... why take the chance to improve now, when the world is about to end - again! Instead of just letting all the stupidity take place, they could've easily take advantage of Krillin's plan to find androids beforehand, and destroy them before activation! After dying, Goku's not there to insist on fighting them, so why be so stupid now?! Seriously! And what's even stupider, is that how stupid these stupid idiots - heroes - are, by taking these cyborgs out in... one-on-one- style. Like real man/hero/fighter/stupid alien would do... right?! But hey, obviously I'm not a fighter, a man, nor a alien, so... what do I know?! Expect that, when your enemy is out numbered, yet still stronger than you, or your party, just suck it up, and take them out together - simple RPG logic here, guys! If they really are so stupid, that they would rather die meaningless death, while accomplishing nothing, then they really should just die, and stay dead... and for good, this time, if you don't mind!

The villains - I refuse to call them androids - aren't really any better. They're just two punks from the hoods, who like to kill, and destroy aimlesly, without any motivation, or goals in set! They say they hate humans, but really... who doesn't sometimes, am I right?! What are they planning to do with themselves, when all of the humanity is dead and gone, and they're the only living things on Earth? Go Casshern Sins on us, and just... rust away?

Besides, these people of Earth, don't even seem to care anymore, what's happening, who's doing the killing, and who dies - I guess they're just too used to that by now - and who can really blame them, since all this world ever sees, is it's habitants getting killed horribly, then brought back from the dead - Buffy knows, it ain't funny! - only to get killed again, when the next bick bad evil comes, either to suck ass in what they're doing, or eat us?! I swear, not as dirty as it sounds! They won't even fight back anymore, what brings me back to my old peeve, of this franchise - why is it, that when the world is threatened, all the humanity needs in order to survive, is some stupid, muscle-bounded psychos, presumably aliens, to save the day?! Why can't humans fight for themselves... just for once?!

And what else, this wolrd is the most nicest, and actually most pleasant apocalyptic-settings I've ever seen! I would totally live in there, since the only thing, that would truly bug me in any day, would be couple of murderous, sociopathic cyborgs - not as bad, as it sounds, really! They had cities, with people in it, doing things, having fun with themeparks, and eating themselves fat and happy, like in any other day of the week! Only thing to remember never to do, would be to listen up radio, and hear all the terrible screams and cries of human incinerating themselves, and you would be just fine!

If theres anything good I can say about this movie, it would be... well, it was short, for the starters. And it actually had Gohan, for the main hero, and not his deadbeat father, nor that obnoxious Veggiemite, Prince of Apes! This movie at last profed to me, that Gohan should have been the hero in DBZ after Frieza-saga, and not his father. Unlike Goku, Gohan doesn't enjoy fighting for the sake of it, but because it just has to be done! He knows, what needs to be done, and he does it, without streching the battles out needlesly, thus endangering innocent lives and partymembers, nor does he let his powers get into his head, thus clouding hes reason and judgment, like Vegeta. By the standards of this franchise - that are relatively low to beging with for someone to be a hero - he's a true hero to me, and it truly pains me, that it's only shown here, in this special movie... which I'm not even certain, is even canon! Trunks on the other hand... well, altough I never truly felt, that he's needed, or that he was ever supposed to be born, for the sake of the story anyway, it's actually nice to see, that even if your father is as horrible as Vegeta is, you can still be somewhat decent guy, so... that's nice, eh? I really did like Trunks as a character on this one, but... yeah, I really have to stand behind my point, on this one. Trunks didn't need to be born, and Gohan - who has freaking three hidden potentials unlocked in tv series... with no prevail! - could have just as well be the one, that got sented to the past, thus making his character arc have a full circle, when battleing with Cell. Oh, no, wait... that would actually reguire some sort of talented writing, from Toriyama... wouldn't it?!

Overall, this movie was a dissapointent, in so many levels, that I almost feel sad for it. I really wanted to like this one - I really did! I liked how this movie, unlike original TV series, was more about characters, and story, and less about mindless action, and pointless fighting! I loved to hear characters talking to eachother, about live, death, power, and faith and responsibility, and I truly liked the fact, that Gohan/Trunks was all about respect, trust and friendship, and not nearly as disturbingly abusive, and bitterly revenge-based, Stockholm-syndrome-ish and always somewhat unequal level, like Gohan/Piccolo was to me, but when judging this as an actual movie and not just a overlong episode... it's just really, really weak! The story, while having a tons of potential to be something truly great - yeah, right... like a DBZ would actually mature a bit! - was just very shallow, and somewhat empty, with very little impact, and satisfaction, on my part. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that this movie finally proved to me, that a DBZ at it's best, can only be to me - as a former pokemaniac - what pokemon movies can be, at their worst. The villains, while likable and somewhat interesting as an consept to the very least, were just... there, for the sake of being evil, and not doing anything special, that hasn't been done about billion times before already, with so ridiculous motivations, that I just wanted to hang my head low, and weep. This movie - much like most of the pokemon movies - suffers ultimately from the oh so deadly sin, of laziness, never really shining on any of the categories for me, and I truly despise laziness, when I'm trying so hard to actually like about something!

I guess what can be said about my feelings towards this movie, would be guilty pleasure, at best - really, really guilty, low and bad pleasure! I guess I would see it again, if forced against my life, but I still wouldn't enjoy it. At all! It's like diving in a deep blue sea, but being too scared to descend all the way down to the bottom, in order to see, what's in there - wich is how I felt, during this whole movie. You get the experience, and the basic idea, but you'll never truly grasp, of what you could have gotten out of it. And it's both sad, and sickening, since this movie had all the potential to be, what DBZ as a franchise, has never ever been to me before; the growing-up tale, about actual losses, sacrifices and consequenses, thus accepting your own destiny, wheter you liked it, or not, for making everything better for everyone. Tried as it might have, it just never bothered to go to that extra mile, thus, leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth, and utter and complete dissapointent. Not quite on the shitpie-levels on the scales of bad animes, but it's still there, and staying, for me.

Story: 4
Art: 6
Sound: 3
Characters: 4
Enjoyment: 4
Overall: 4

When I complete this Dragon Ball Z special, I loved it, especially, for everything.

Well, this special is the story of the young man who came from the future, is called, obviously Trunks, a brave boy who risked his life to kill the androids, although there in his story was with his teacher Gohan, that's where Gohan is different from the counterpart of the past, this one irriego his life no matter that his body is completely destroyed, there began the whole drama, which people cried for emotion of the death of Gohan, and even, that Trunks of this alternate time becomes Super Saiyan in its ... first time.

The villains of this special are, of course, the very Androids 17 and 18, are two inseparable brothers who always have fun as children destroying the cities, and why are they different from the past ?, because their gift is "Master the World", but also, it is because they did not find Goku, since he passed away before the androids arrived, but the good, as they behave, in a childlike, playful way, especially when they visited at the amusement park, had fun enough, and even, we will remember that 18 is in the carousel, there, happy having fun, of which, that teaches that "No matter the age, because the important thing is to have fun."

I saw her three times this special, very interesting, someday I'll see her again, that's why I love this special so fantastic.

Probably the most emotional and beautiful film in the DBZ unverse. No other film has been drawn with so much energy and depth of character. The viewer, usually a Dragonball fan, is immediately thrown in at the deep end in the first scenes, unexpectedly without any warning. The course of the movie is full of tension and action. As a fan while watching this masterpiece, you are really feverish sharing the same hopes as the z fighters do, hoping as you do in every Dragonball fight, but this movie is different than the rest. It doesn't follow the same structures of the other DBZ films ... or the anime, but has its own soul.

Opening remarks: It's important to note that this is a TV special, not a film, nor a series of episodes. This means that the writers have to squeeze all the content of the special into 45 minutes. I think that they do this fine, but that this could have been a lot better if made into 3 episodes in the anime or its own film. I won't go into the plot holes, as I'd prefer to view this film in a vacuum, and not question whether it would be different if Goku communicated with Gohan from other world, or if they travelled to New Namek ... to use the Dragonballs there.

Beginning:
The prologue sets the tone for the film straight off the mark perfectly. We see everybody's reaction to Goku's death, and in the next scene they are all brutally murdered, bar those that don't fight. Something interesting to note is that Vegeta is shown to be a Super Saiyan here, perhaps indicating that Goku's death had a profound impact on him. Whether intentional or not, I thought this was cute.

Fast forward to the future. I liked that they showed us Master Roshi surviving with his animal friends, and the conversation they have shows us again how dire the situation is before we even meet our two main protagonists. It sort of mirrors Trunks and Bulma's conversation immediately after, where she begs him not to go, but unlike Master Roshi, he ignores and flies off. It is quite telling of Trunks' character. He has heart. It's a great way to introduce him. Ten minutes in and Trunks finally asks Gohan "Why are they doing this?". He doesn't get an answer, of course. This made me think we'd get some profound motivation from the androids later on.

"You're pitiful, Trunks - an emotional wreck - just like I was when my mom wouldn't let me train and fight with my father". Although I did like this line, it didn't feel. like it came from Gohan. Gohan hated fighting. Maybe once life became peaceful after Namek he learned to enjoy training the same way Goku did? That's head canon. Not that it needed to be explained, just felt a little odd. Bulma's presence really helps lift the mood in an otherwise depressing plot. The dinner scene was pretty heartwarming when she starts reminiscing. They're able to find happiness and humour in such bleak times.

Middle:
During the training, Gohan notices that Trunks has a lot of potential. It probably would have been better if he made a comparison with himself, since it would explain a lot of his decisions later. "Incredible! He's giving it all he has." Yeah of course, Gohan. Would have been better if you added something to the story with that monologue. I found it funny when Gohan looks into the distance and tries to describe Vegeta in the nicest way possible when Trunks asks. The scene with Chi Chi and the Ox King adds to the mother and son theme this "film" tries to illustrate. The sons need their mothers as much as the mothers need their sons.

The fight scene is yet another tragic scene in the film, nearing on Shakespearean levels! Gohan is portrayed as being stronger than both androids but is handicapped both by them working together and by having to protect Trunks. The scene with the Senzu bean shows us that Gohan values Trunks' life more than his own. Is this because of Trunks' potential, or is it just in Gohan's character? It's not really made clear outside of vague comments like "What would your father do?", but I suppose we can assume it's the former. Gohan probably made up his mind the moment he realised he'd lost his arm.

I feel like the next android attack happened way too soon. It interrupted a great piece of dialogue between Gohan and Trunks where they were venting to each other to find motivation. Gohan knows he's going to die if he fights, but he makes Trunks stay. Again, I think Gohan's internal monologue in this scene wasn't handled well. "I can hear them crying down there, Trunks. That's why I have to go. I know you'll understand someday," could have been elaborated a little. Trunks does understand about being willing to fight a losing battle, and we see that in the first scene he's in. This was a perfect opportunity for him to discuss the "film"'s theme of "hope in dire situations" a little, but we're just left with that. Gohan does go over that in his final words, however, so I'll let it slide lol. Could have mentioned it a little earlier in the film though.


Ending:

Trunks' Super Saiyan scene is a contender with Goku's for being the best in the series. We've been witnessing the build up. We've been witnessing the frustration. We finally have the catalyst. Trunks hasn't yet lost anybody he personally knows, and to make matters worse, Gohan represents hope to him. All of these frustrations boil up and finally erupt.

Bulma reveals her final plan, and probably her reason for remaining optimistic this whole time. We have another argument between her and Trunks about going to fight the androids. Trunks goes and gets annihilated. He realises that his mother was right and sticks with her plan to stop trying to fight the androids and go to the past. I felt like the fight scene dragged on a bit too long, though it did show us two things. Trunks has a "never say die" resolve, and the androids are insanely cruel and powerful. Two things we already knew. What I was hoping it would show, however, is the androids' motivation. Trunks, like me, asks them why. "Dr. Gero created us for the purpose of world domination, but that doesn't matter to us." "Whenever we see humans, it angers us. We hate them". That tells the viewers nothing. I know this story is supposed to be about mother-son relationships and finding hope in nightmares but, given that Trunks has asked this very question twice in the film now, I thought we'd get an actual motivation.

Conclusion:

As far as Dragonball films go, this one is easily one of the better ones. It is meaningful, has themes that are very relatable, and is quite unique. Bulma is my favourite character in this film. She breathes a fresh sense of optimism into every scene, which is very much needed in a film like this. The fight scenes are very well done. Gohan's fights don't feel like the standard "hit them harder and you win" type fights we usually see in this sort of thing. Watching him try to outmanoeuvre the androids was very entertaining. I wasn't a fan of the music in this film outside of the Super Saiyan transformation scene. I guess they were on a low budget. For what it is, I think this film is great. It would have been much better as a film or a run of episodes, as I feel like it would give us slightly more time to understand why Gohan thinks so highly of Trunks and why the androids do what they do. If you like DB, you'll love this.

Excuse me, I'm Spanish and I don't usually write in English. If you want you can read my review in Spanish.

If I regret something about when I was a child, it was not being able to see this special from Dragon Ball Z (1989). It's one of the few times that Dragon Ball Z wasn't doing the same old thing. But let's see what are the merits of this film that, like the Bardock special, manages to separate itself from the rest of films with a recycled scheme.

As the title says, this film tells the story of Trunks before the trip in the time machine. ... Specifically, we are located thirteen years after the death of Goku, something that in the end had not happened in the main timeline due to the intervention of Trunks. It is a good starting point, since we suddenly eliminate two serious drawbacks of the work. First of all, Goku is not the protagonist of this story. You will wonder why it is a negative point. Simply put, Goku is an exhausted character, who has nothing to tell. Hence, it is more interesting that the protagonists are Trunks and Gohan, some guys who can still offer a little more. The disappearance of most of the Z warriors is also appreciated, who, feeling very sorry, no longer contributed a lot.

The second drawback was the existence of dragon balls. Among all the elements that detracted from the series, here is the greatest of them. The ability to resurrect allies eliminated the danger of demise and, of course, also made dying less and less important. A dramatic loss and relevant tension. Without dragon balls and allies, instead, going into battle with the enemy is a great risk. More if we take into account that androids are more powerful than our heroes and, above all, they are not characterized by having any mercy. They probably start from the concept of Terminator (1984), that is, killer machines that aspire to eliminate humanity. However, they are also a rebellious pair of teenagers in edgy mode, whose favorite hobby is terrorizing humans. Slowly but surely. Although they are very flat villains, their conception of this mission of annihilation as a "game" in which they enjoy youth leisure (shopping, attractions, ...) for free and, later, destroy the city in which they were located. above the usual antagonists of DBZ movies.

Against the terror imposed by the murderous machines, the only warriors of this timeline rise: Trunks and Gohan. This medium-length film focuses on the relationship between the two, specifically with Gohan as a teacher and Trunks as an apprentice. It should be noted that Gohan from the future is different from the one we know, since he lacks the sensitivity and insecurity that characterized him. On the contrary, he is stronger, more reliable and more experienced, making him a role model for Trunks. During a good part of the special, Gohan trains his pupil to become a Super Saiyan, as it is the first step in defeating them. But they also share - although to a lesser extent - more personal moments where they talk about their fallen family and friends - taking advantage of the fact that Gohan knew them personally.

Unfortunately, the medium-length film, although progressing at a very promising pace - especially its first half - ends up making inefficient use of available time by wasting it with unnecessary battles with the androids instead of building more appropriately the relationship between teacher and student and the student. Gohan's workout. Not only does the characterization barely reach what is acceptable, especially Gohan being so different from the one we know, but we also need to delve deeper into his reasons for fighting without remaining in mere comments. We notice his anger, but we need to investigate his frustration. However, it is clear that the personal aspect of their relationship was more important. Why not show them in other situations where more of your facets are shown?

Gohan's death scene and Trunks transformation into Super Saiyan would be the highlight of the film. A young Trunks awakens and searches for Gohan amid the ruins and the falling rain. After searching a bit he finds the corpse of his mentor and unable to control his tears, he screams in rage and completes his training. For DB fans it is a long-suffering moment and in my opinion well managed because it is enhanced, in the first instance, through an increase in the quality of the illustration. The color is more vivid, but above all the detail stands out when illustrating. See the drops falling and later, Trunks' tears. But even the way Gohan's inert body is presented, in the middle of the ruins, is more tragic, since they accompany him with those red flashing lights. They leave the image of a fallen hero.

You can read my review here: https://elarmarioanimados.blogspot.com/2019/02/resena-dragon-ball-z-un-futuro-diferente.html

This special is simply a masterpiece. The setting of the film takes place in an alternate timeline than the original universe where Android 17 and Android 18 have all but killed most of the Z-Warriors. The story follows Trunks as he grows up watching the atrocities the Android's are causing to the Earth and it's inhabitants. The story also features Gohan...one of the last surviving members of the Z-Warriors. The story follows both characters as they survive and train together with the goal to finally put an end to the Android's worldwide domination. The best thing about this movie special is the fact that the ... Dragon Balls are not an option following Piccolo's demise at the hands of the Android's. This makes the fights that much more intense and interesting since you can't be revived if you're killed. This movie is also a much darker tone than most of the other Dragon Ball stories, so if you like a darker themed story...then you'll enjoy this movie. It's simply a masterpiece.

Okay the only reason I went out and found this movie back in when I watched it (I don't really remember when) was because I read somewhere on Wikipedia that the English dub soundtrack used songs from Scenes from a Memory, my favorite album, from my favorite band: Dream Theater. 10/10 soundtrack, I don't care that it doesn't fit the source material at all. So obviously there is some bias there, and that's why this gets a higher grade than a Dragon Ball OVA normally would from me.

I like the idea of the story, and again this was one that was covered in the Legacy ... of Goku games. It's cool to see where Trunks came from and gives a bit of context to a character that otherwise feels like a fanfiction OC that came out of nowhere. I mean, come on, the son of two character that previously had like no screen-time together coming from the future and also suddenly being a Super Saiyan even though only Goku could do that up until this point, and he easily kills a robot version of the main villain from the last arc. If you described that to me and I didn't already know the story of Dragon Ball I would have laughed and asked if Bakugo died next.

I think this would have worked really well if they'd opened the arc in the main story with it like they did in Legacy of Goku or even the Future Trunks arc from Super kind of did. By itself it's like some really good flavor text in anime form, it doesn't say anything you didn't already know, but it says it in a pretty cool way I guess. Also Dream Theater was there. I just can't get over that. It's hilarious because they put the song "Through Her Eyes" over the credits, and that's like a song about a guy finding out about how he died in his previous life as a 1920's girlfriend of a corrupt politician, and has nothing at all to do with the content of the movie it's just the song on the album that sounds the saddest so they put it over the sad credits. Peak Funimation.

Do you want to see the good guys get beaten up and destroyed and crushed with not a chance of victory for over 40 minutes? Then I've got the story for you!

I mean, it's alright, it's just not exactly the most rewarding story since it's completely pointless when the show itself establishes everything this movie much more succinctly. And this is Dragon Ball Z we're talking about; ain't nothing succinct about this show.

Sadly, the fact that Trunks's origin story was pretty well-covered in the show itself renders this superfluous. Unlike the other TV special with Burdock, the Trunks special adds no new backstory and exists ... mostly for the fight scenes. And unlike the theatrical films, it sadly doesn't have much more of a budget than any random TV episode. So it's decent, but it doesn't really need to exist at all.

Dragon Ball in an apocalyptic reality where the androids won against the Z warriors, with just two of heroes that still live: Trunks and Gohan.

SPPPPPPPPOiler

It's a simple idea, but it sounds very interesting. This movie gives future Trunks a past, a horrible past.
It's very simple, too much I say. Half of it are battles and scenes that are not so important. The plot twist and the reason of Trunks SSJ is predictable, so it hasn't the waited effect to see Gohan dead.
Trunks is bland till he has his transformation, the real star of the first half of the movie is Gohan, who is now ... a big and strong boi, almost like Gaku.
This movie had a scene that impressed me a lot when I was young: Gohan losing his arm. Seven years ago, I was like: :0000000, when that happened, and even know it impressed me, I was like: 0.o
I don't have much to say, it's just good if you want to know with all your soul what happened to future Trunks (Who is obviously superior to the original boy Trunks). It's a six, thats all. It can be boring sometimes with nothing happening.