Manga Madness! A Look Into Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods

Dragon Ball fans rejoice! Check out this DBZ: Battle of the Gods article!

Check out this guest article from Jamey Nunley on Dragon Ball Z!

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Have you heard the latest episode of the JustUs Geeks Podcast yet?

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Dragon Ball Z is an anime that my generation grew up watching. This nostalgic brand created loved characters that are known world-wide. Following the main character Goku, we have watched him push the limits of his abilities as a martial artist. The creator, Akira Toriyama, for the first time in years has returned and created a new movie that has fans geeking out to the max! Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods, the only official cannon movie, has been released in Japan and has already been a major success.

DBZ: Battle of the Gods takes place during the 10 year gap at the end of the Buu Saga. This places us a few years after Kid Buu is defeated ,yet before Pan is born and the tournament were Uub is introduced. One of the best things about this movie actually has to do with how it fits into the cannon rather than the movie itself. It practically flips off GT right in the face! With the introduction of a new transformation after Super Saiyan 3, GT becomes nothing more than the fan fiction of someone with enough money to put it on TV. While there has not been an English version made yet and there has been no confirmation yet as to if there will be, the anime community has come together and translated the movie with English Dubs. To find these translated versions simply look on nearly any anime site. I watched it on: http://www.animeultima.tv/dragon-ball-z-movie-14-kami-to-kami-episode-1-english-subbed/Dragon Ball Z Movie 14: Kami to Kami Episode 1

The new transformation, Super Saiyan God, is interesting because it takes a direction that Goku has never used, nearly defying his principles. According to Shenlong , the eternal dragon, Super Saiyan God can only be achieved by 6 pure hearted Saiyans passing on their power into one. This is the first form that Goku is simply given rather than earned. While I didn’t know how much I liked how this was done, I have to give them credit where credit is due because Goku mentions not liking it as well.

The new villain isn’t evil. Honestly, I wouldn’t even call him a villain. He is the God of Destruction and has been sleeping for the last 30 years. With the form of an Egyptian cat, he does his job destroying planets at a whim. When he awakes he believes that his dream was a vision and begins to search for the “Super Sayian God” with his assistant Whiz. When he finds Goku they have a match and Super Saiyan 3 Goku gets his “amputated” tail handed to him with two hits (one of them was only a thump to the forehead that knocked him around Kiao-planet.) He and his assistant hold the slot for the 2 most powerful beings in the universe. However, it is reviled that there are ll other universes with beings even more powerful than him.

Overall, this is an amazing show that everyone who knows DBZ should watch! The show was done with modern technology and is designed to impress. There is even word that in a press conference Akira Toriyama is going to make new DBZ episodes. Unfortunately, this press conference can neither be confirmed nor denied and has turned into an internet debate. The movie does leave a lot open for new content with there being new strong opponents, a Goku that wants to reach Super Saiyan God on his own power, and the opponent sleeping for only three more years. Let’s just hope the rumors are as true as we hope they are!

If You’re A Fan Try:

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

This is about a no-talent, high school, book- loving coward that is bullied by everyone. However, he loses his fear when someone else is the victim. He meets a new girl that lives in a dojo with masters in different martial arts including Muay Thai, Jujitsu, Karate, and Kung Fu. He becomes the disciple of all the masters in order to defend his values and protect those he cares about. This is a anime/manga about never giving up on your principles and covers multiple martial arts.

Jaco the Galactic Patrolman

This is actually a new manga that has not been made into an anime. The first chapter has only recently been released and was created by Akira Toriyama as well. Not much is known about this anime except that the main character is an alien that is crash landed and has amaizing powers. Fans even speculate that this manga could be one of the other universes that is mentioned in Battle of the Gods.