Dragon Ball Z Movie 09: Ginga Girigiri!! Bucchigiri no Sugoi Yatsu

Fun and different!

This was the first film where the focus truly shifted to Gohan, and this change in protagonism was very fun and refreshing to watch. After so many films and sagas centered mainly on Goku, seeing Gohan take on the main role brings a sense of novelty and even a certain charm, especially considering the potential the character had at that point in the story.

The plot takes place shortly after the events of the Cell Saga, an important moment both for Gohan's development and for the overall direction of the Dragon Ball story. Precisely for this reason, it wouldn't be strange if this film ... were considered canonical, since the events, the setting, and even the power levels make perfect sense within the chronological period in which it supposedly fits. Nothing here seems exaggerated or out of the norm for the time, which makes the film even more fluid to watch.

One of the most interesting points is the idea of ​​a new martial arts tournament with Gohan participating. This was something different for the period, as the story remained largely distant from tournaments after the series' more cosmic threats. Seeing Gohan enter this context reinforces the idea of ​​him trying to follow in his father's footsteps, which is represented not only in his actions but also in his appearance. The clothes he wears in this film are directly inspired by Goku's, and curiously, it's a combination that Gohan from that era only wore here, giving the film a unique charm.

Regarding the villain's threat, it's not exactly the central point of the narrative. What really grabs attention is the initial premise of the plot and the decision to place Gohan as the absolute protagonist. The focus isn't so much on the danger itself, but rather on the character's journey, his attitude towards challenges, and how he carries the legacy of being the son of Earth's greatest hero. This type of approach makes the film light, enjoyable, and with an almost nostalgic vibe, even for those watching it for the first time.

Overall, it's a film that fulfills its role as entertainment well. It's fun, easy to watch, and would definitely hold my attention if it were on TV. The mix of action, simplicity, and focus on Gohan gives the production a special touch.

My final score was 7, and I think that's more than fair. It's not a grand or revolutionary film, but it has charisma, good ideas, and an execution that works very well.

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Divertido e diferente!

Esse foi o primeiro filme em que o foco realmente se volta para o Gohan, e essa mudança de protagonismo foi algo muito divertido e refrescante de acompanhar. Depois de tantos filmes e sagas centrados principalmente no Goku, ver o Gohan assumir o papel principal traz uma sensação de novidade e até um certo charme, especialmente considerando o potencial que o personagem tinha naquela época da história.

A trama se passa logo após os acontecimentos da Saga Cell, um momento importante tanto para o desenvolvimento do Gohan quanto para o rumo geral da história de Dragon Ball. Justamente por isso, não seria nada estranho se este filme fosse considerado canônico já que os acontecimentos, a ambientação e até os níveis de poder fazem bastante sentido com o período cronológico em que ele supostamente se encaixa. Nada aqui parece exagerado ou fora do padrão da época, o que torna o filme ainda mais fluido de assistir.

Um dos pontos mais interessantes é a ideia de um novo torneio de artes marciais com o Gohan participando. Isso foi algo diferente para o período, já que a história se manteve por muito tempo distante de torneios depois das ameaças mais cósmicas da série. Ver o Gohan entrando nesse contexto reforça a ideia dele tentar seguir os passos do pai, o que é representado não apenas em suas atitudes, mas também no visual. As vestimentas que ele usa nesse filme são inspiradas diretamente nas do Goku, e curiosamente, é uma combinação que o Gohan daquela época só usou aqui, o que dá um charme único ao filme.

Sobre a ameaça do vilão, ela não é exatamente o ponto central da narrativa. O que realmente prende a atenção é a proposta inicial da trama e a decisão de colocar o Gohan como protagonista absoluto. O foco não é tanto o perigo em si, mas sim a jornada do personagem, sua postura diante dos desafios e a forma como ele carrega o legado de ser o filho do maior herói da Terra. Esse tipo de abordagem torna o filme leve, agradável e com uma vibe quase nostálgica, mesmo para quem está assistindo pela primeira vez.

No geral, é um filme que cumpre bem o papel de entretenimento. É divertido, fácil de assistir e com certeza prenderia minha atenção se estivesse passando na TV. A mistura entre ação, simplicidade e foco no Gohan dá um toque especial à produção.

Minha nota final foi 7, e acho mais do que justo. Não é um filme grandioso ou revolucionário, mas tem carisma, boas ideias e uma execução que funciona muito bem.

The first one without Goku being in the story turns out to be the best one yet, probably because the story is unable to rely on constant deus ex machina spirit bomb stuff (aside from the almost-literal deus ex machina found near the end, but whatever).

Most of the movie is a fun tournament where all the characters get to beat each other up and have races and tell jokes. This part is great. You know the entire time that it's gonna get ruined by a boring fight scene with boring villains, but it's great while it lasts.

Like with Broly, the very fact it mixes ... up the formula makes it a whole lot more interesting than usual. Yeah, it still devolves into mindless fighting, but the stakes are more fun when you know Goku can't save the day (mostly). There's a couple REALLY iffy moments in the climax though that hurt the movie significantly. With just a bit of editing this coulda been great.

Like the first Cooler movie, this actually fits perfectly in the timeline with no issues. It might even enhance the main series by being included, unlike Cooler. It's a darn fine Dragon Ball movie, even if it's not much of a movie-movie.

Bojack: Unbound is the ninth movie in the long running Dragon Ball Z series, and I have to say it's not only among my most hated movies in the franchise, but also in the anime genre altogether. Even for a DBZ movie, there is no imagination or any attempt whatsoever to at least make the already beaten path the least bit tolerable. It's so by the numbers that after watching the first eight movies, you can actually create a checklist and start marking off plot related elements as you go.

After a few very boring fights and mind-numbingly lame comedy; Trunks, Gohan, and Krillin advance ... in the tournament and leave for a new area to continue fighting. From there they meet Bojack, his minions, and then several brawls occur. DBZ is an all out action anime, this is something we all know and there's nothing wrong with that. However, this movie is just way too by the numbers and very bland. The side characters are nothing but bodies to be dominated. They make very dramatic appearances as if they're going to actually pose a threat, yet they're beaten quicker than they show up. If a new viewer came into this movie first, I can't imagine them wanting to delve deeper because no one comes off looking like a bad ass at all. Bojack and his gang are nothing but cookie cutter baddies with about as much personality as a pimple between them all.

This movie takes place after Goku's death which occurred during the Cell Saga, and his son Gohan arose as Earth's new protector. Instead of developing him in that way, he comes off needing support from his dead father. There was so much potential to develop the entire cast as a team, plus mentor Gohan along the way. Instead, they clearly find a way to cram Goku into it, thus proving there was no way the show could have possibly survived without him. Many fans believe that this movie can actually fit in the DBZ main continuity in between the Cell Games Saga and The Great Saiyaman. Well, without nitpicking in the characters dialog it actually can; but that's not a reason to praise this movie.

While the backgrounds have moments of looking very good, from the peaceful looking prairies, to the dark and menacing ruins in the battle ground. The animation unfortunately is the usual reused-cels found in the DBZ series. In other words, very quick, blurred motions passing off as action, the laziest path to take when it comes down to delivering action scenes. There really isn't much choreography, as there's a heavy reliance on a light show. While plenty of the explosions and energy attacks look nice, the actual fighting has always failed to register with me. Up to this day I still haven't heard the sub, and I have no desire to. However, the dub is pretty good with the usual suspects featuring Chris Sabat playing both Piccolo and Vegeta, along with Eric Vale as Trunks; and please don't come into this expecting the fun rock scores you heard in Cooler's Revenge or Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan. Instead, what you get here is something mums will use to put the kids to sleep.

Everything about this movie screams "lazy money draining succubus". If someone told me it took Toei Animation 10 minutes to come up with this movie, it would be lies to me and I'll swear it took less. In closing, this movie is only for Dragon Ball Z fans. Everyone else do yourself a favor and avoid it. If you're looking for a fun anime feature minus the psycho-babble, Redline or even Read or Die would make better choices. If you want something with a deep storyline that doesn't run for 10 hours, Area 88 OVA will be a great choice. Skip this 50 minute waste of time.

Highs: Makes great anime look greater

Lows: Slapped together boring and cliché story