Can you pull cultural references from seemingly mindless punch fights? Was Toriyama a secret thematic mastermind?
Jelli and Bekinney return to format and continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon by tackling episodes 24-28 of the anime. "Krillin's Frantic Attack," "Danger from Above," "The Grand Finals," "Number One Under the Moon?" and "The Final Blow". We'll be discussing the contrasts between the characters and their motivations, and unveiling the secrets behind the success of the Tournament arc.
In this episode:
- Jelli and Bekinney find themselves stuck outside under strange circumstances
- Brief plot synopsis of episodes 24-28 of the Dragon Ball anime
- Brief discussion of favorite moments from the anime episodes
- A talk about whether Dragon Ball has any hidden messages or meanings
- We discuss the nuts-and-bolts of the battles and what the attacks mean
- More discussion about the Japanese honorifics and how those subtleties clue the viewer in to the characters' relationships with one another
- We talk about Goku and Roshi's Kamehameha battle
- We discuss the appearance of the Ozaru in the battle and how it is named for the first time
- The importance of the moon in Japanese culture and its use in making mochi as well as Master Carrot (Monster Carrot) and what happens to him
- The references to the Jackie Chan film Drunken Master
- Whether Toriyama had any plans coming into the tournament and how those plans may have changed based on popular opinions and perception at the time
- We discuss wuxing, genji, go, and other cultural concepts from Chinese traditions that influence the understanding of the tournament
- We talk about the learning curves along the ways from novice to intermediate to master and how one idolizes different levels of people along the way
- and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual.
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise.
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