Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

Return to Monke. Reject modernity, embrace ape. Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon by tackling episodes 12 and 13 of the anime, "A Wish to the Eternal Dragon" and "The Legend of Goku" then have a discussion about the Great Ape, Oozaru, and its inspirations from kaiju film and television In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney find themselves trapped after an unfortunate encounter A call is placed for outside assistance Special Guest: Matt Parmely from the Kaiju Transmissions podcast joins our discussion Brief plot synopsis of episodes 12 and 13 of the Dragon Ball anime Brief discussion of favorite moments from the anime episodes Breaking down the most obvious influence of Oozaru, King Kong and his popularity in Japan, which bolstered that of Godzilla A debunking of the claim that Kong was Japan's first kaiju via an unearthing of some facts about the films King Kong Made in Japan and King Kong Appears in Edo What leads most people to claiming these are Japan's first kaiju films, and what we know to the contrary, despite the films being lost forever due to the bombing of Hiroshima A recommendation to check out the book, Kong Unmade, by John Lemay How King Kong influence Donkey Kong and Godzilla and Eiji Tsuburaya and Akira Toriyama The original name of Oozaru, kaibutsu-zaru, and its meaning How the Wolf Man (1941) influenced Oozaru Discussion of Sun Wukong's transformation abilities and how those literary roots influence Oozaru as well What Eastern mind-sets about one's consciousness and subconsciousness have to say about Goku's transformation Why cutting off the tail is the method of de-transformation A discussion of how the Oozaru form has ceased to be used in more recent years A bit of praise for Dragon Ball GT for bringing the form back to use A very brief discussion of what 'canon' is in the Dragon Ball franchise How the appearance of Oozaru affects all the characters, even the Pilaf gang, and makes them work together to survive What the most memorable moments of the Oozaru are How the form does some inversion of tropes and ideas, and potential ideas for how it could further be used for Toriyama's favorite idea of subverting expectations A plug for Kaiju Masterclass, an online convention, which includes interviews with Ryhuei Kitamura, Bear McCreary, Shusuke Kaneko, and more creators behind the Godzilla, Ultraman, Gamera, Evangelion, and other kaiju, tokusatsu, and related franchises. and more, including some general pop culture, kaiju trivia, and editorializing, as usual. Join us, and Matt,  as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise.   https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social 

What do WWE/WWF, King Kong Bundy, Bam Bam Bigelow, Junkyard Dog, David Bowie, the 80s punk rock movement, voice actor Sumi Shimamoto, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have to do with Dragon Ball? We'll present the information, you tell us if the answer is "anything at all" Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 51 through 55: "Vegeta Has a Ball," "The Past and Future," "Zarbon's Surprise," "Guru's Gift," and "Piccolo vs Everyone." We continue discussing the Namek Saga and take a look at Frieza's right-hand men, Zarbon and Dodoria In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney are traveling through space The episodes are solid Notes on Dodoria's name pun, and physical appearance, including whether he was originally intended to be yellow rather than pink Confusion about the appearances of a durian fruit, horned melon, jackfruit and pineapple The differences between a tankoban and kanzenban and attempting to equate it to American comics with trade paperbacks and omnibuses King Kong Bundy, his life and career including his run at the top of WWF alongside Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, and his appearances on Married with Children Mentions of Bambam Bigelow and Junkyard Dog Musing about whether Dodoria's design was influenced by punk culture Brief notes on Japan's punk scene in the 80s Sliding over to Zarbon Notes about his name pun and appearance The cultural importance of the zabon fruit (aka the shaddock) in Southeast Asian festivals Whether Zarbon is at all influenced by voice actress Sumi Shimamoto from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind David Bowie and his obsession with Japanese culture Musing on Zarbon's transformation and whether it's a nod to reptiles, or possibly frogs, and then a detour into the realm of TMNT 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

#1 will surprise you! #10 will titillate you! [insert other clickbait phrase]! Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this special Bekinney-only mini-sode we take a complete break from format, and from breaking down Akira Toriyama's manga and anime smash success to continue our October/Halloween Festivities and on this episode, it's all about attacks....and attempting to pick ten DIFFERENT attacks than Jelli previously picked. That's...scary...right? Probably. So, what will make Bekinney's Top Ten Dragon Ball Attacks? The pool to choose from is ENORMOUS: Vegeta's Final Flash and Galick Gun and Big Bang Attack and Final Explosion, Tien Shienhan's Kikoho, General Blue's Hypnosis, Tao Paipai's Dodonpa aka Dodon Ray, Piccolo's Makonkosappo aka Special Beam Cannon , Frieza's Laser Blasts and Death Ball, Android 16's Hell's Flash, Majin Buu's Candy Beam and Human Extinction Attack, Dabura's Stone Spit, Beerus' Hakai, King Kai's Kaioken, Goku Black's Sickle of Sorrow, Hit's Time Skip, Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist, Gohan's Masenko and of course Goku's Kamehameha ....and more...? Bekinney threw all these (AND MORE) in a pile and picked out just TEN of his favorites. Who will they be?

What is it about giant fire-breathing turtles that can become airborne flying saucers that delights children and even worms its way into the hearts of cynical adults? Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this episode, Jelli and Bekinney break down the 1969 film, Gamera vs. Guiron. It's part of our October/Halloween Festivities where we're taking a break from breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon and delving into times our franchise's creators have "put on a costume" and worked on other shows and movies. In this case, we're talking about Shunsuke Kikuchi, the composer behind Dragon Ball. And since we felt like we couldn't do it alone, we've brought along a friend: John DeSentis is a composer, musician, and kaiju fan who has conducted orchestras, scored films, and helped organize kaiju conventions. His credits include the anthology Worst Laid Plans, the short film The Conduit, and Kaiju Crescendo: An Evening of Japanese Monster Music. He has appeared on the Kaiju Transmissions podcast, as well as Imaginary Worlds, Growing up with Godzilla and is a frequent guest on the Gen X Lounge. (He also loves Vin Diesel memes and enjoys being confused with Ron DeSantis.)   In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney say hello to Johnny We discuss why we chose to look at Gamera vs Guiron Production facts and history behind 1969's Gamera vs Guiron, including its place in the Gamera pantheon of films, budget, and release history Brief discussion of Daiei studios as a company Why Gamera exists and how it kept Daiei afloat for close to a decade Discussing the film's "stars" including Yuko Hamada, Khan Omura (aka Kon-Chan, aka Cornjob), and Christopher Murphy A look at the life of director Noriaki Yuasa, his filmmaking prior to Gamera, including Nezura and If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands, how Gamera became his signature franchise, and how Yuasa differed from his contemporaries, especially Ishiro Honda Yuasa's filmmaking philosophy and his thoughts on the 1990s Heisei Gamera films directed by Shusuke Kaneko How budgetary limitations affected the production of the film including the creation of Space Gyaos and the Guiron suit Daiei's financial struggles in the late 60s leading to their bankruptcy in 1971, as well as a unique agreement worked out with screenwriter Niisan Takahashi and how that may have influenced some of the Showa Gamera crew's feelings about the 90s Gamera films A discussion of Counter Earth or Opposite Earth and the Greek philosopher Philolalus, a disciple of Pythagoras and Aristotles thoughts on Philolalean cosmology as well as Pythagorean discipleship Shunsuke Kikuchi, his life, his background, and his career including Doraemon and Grendizer A comparison of Gamera films to fantasy and fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilock and the Three Bears, Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel (including a recommendation to check out the 2025 film The Ugly Stepsister) A brief discussion of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (aka MST3K) and their history with the Gamera franchise including the KTMA season of the show A closing in which we talk about our Halloween viewings including the Hammer Dracula films (and particular focus on The Satanic Rites of Dracula), Blacula, Tales from the Hood, Let the Right One In, the Grudge films, Sadako vs Kayako, Weapons and the documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror ...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....or in this case, the Gamera franchise....for our special Dragon Ball-o-Ween event! https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod   John DeSentis: https://www.instagram.com/johndesentis/?hl=en  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5044010/  https://www.youtube.com/user/JDeSentis3  https://genxlounge.buzzsprout.com/ 

Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this special Jelli-only mini-sode we take a complete break from format, and from breaking down Akira Toriyama's manga and anime smash success to continue our October/Halloween Festivities and on this episode, it's all about attacks. Because of the punching. That's...scary...right? Sure. So, what will make Jelli's Top Ten Dragon Ball Attacks? The pool to choose from is ENORMOUS: Vegeta's Final Flash and Galick Gun and Big Bang Attack and Final Explosion, Tien Shienhan's Kikoho, General Blue's Hypnosis, Tao Paipai's Dodonpa aka Dodon Ray, Piccolo's Makonkosappo aka Special Beam Cannon , Frieza's Laser Blasts and Death Ball, Android 16's Hell's Flash, Majin Buu's Candy Beam and Human Extinction Attack, Dabura's Stone Spit, Beerus' Hakai, Goku Black's Sickle of Sorrow, Hit's Time Skip, Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist, Gohan's Masenko and of course Goku's Kamehameha ....and more...? Jelli threw all these in a pile and picked out just TEN of his favorites. Who will they be?

What makes the 1986 adaptation of Journey to the West so endearing? Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this episode, Jelli and Bekinney break down the 1986 Chinese television event, Journey to the West. It's part of our October/Halloween Festivities where we're taking a break from breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon and delving into times our franchise's creators have "put on a costume" and worked on other shows and movies. In this case, it's a little bit different, as we talk about Wu Cheng'en and the inspiration behind the Dragon Ball franchise.   In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney say hello to Halloween We discuss why we chose to look at Journey to the West The life of Wu Cheng'en, novelist, poet, and politician who is the most likely author of Journey to the West Why the authorship of Journey to the West is up for debate and assertion from Anthony Christopher Yu, scholar, theologian, sinologist, and professor who translated JTTW that Cheng'en did in fact write the novel originally The production history of the show and how that ties into Mao Zedong, the Cultural Revolution, and China's moves towards embracing its traditions The struggles that Yang Jie, director, showrunner, producer, writer, editor, location scouter, casting director, and budget overseer had while making the show, including a single camera and accusations of theft The cast being largely derived from Peking Opera backgrounds Liu Xiao Ling Tong's performance as Sun Wukong The dangers of the show The reception of the show and its legacy Plans to continue breaking down the show in the future ...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....or in this case, the Halo trans-media franchise....for our special Dragon Ball-o-Ween event! https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod

Quarks! Quantum entanglements! Relativity! Non-Einsteinian simultaneity! What do these have to do with Bulma making a phone call from Namek to Earth? Everything, it turns out. Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 46 through 50: "Defying Orders," "Namek's Defense," "The Hunted," "The Prince Fights Back," and "Unexpected Problem." Wedive into the Namek Saga and tackle the problem of faster-than-light communications and time travel. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney are being cagey Back to a solid run of episodes Putting some SCIENCE into our science fiction How long it SHOULD take to send a message to Namek Ursula K LeGuin and her creation of the ansible What is an ansible? Why is it called an ansible? How does an ansible work? Robert Heinlein's (Starship Troopers) answers to how faster than light communication would work Non-Einsteinian simultaneity and how early work on non-simultaneity and relativistic speeds influenced Einstein's theory of relativity Lorentz transformations and Einstein's train thought experiment How the term ansible and the work of Le Guin influenced people like David Langford and Orson Scott Card A brief slagging of Card Research done into tachyons and reverse time travel The work of physicists Ben Tippet and David Tsang in the math behind reverse time travel Whether changing the past changes the future 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

We've still never heard of editing but we HAVE heard of Dragon Ball this time...kind of. Join Jelli and Bekinney as we catch up after just a couple weeks. Bekinney discusses a new book series he's reading, while Jelli delves back into Japan, walking through Osaka, Dotonbori, Tanuki statues, the Orix Buffaloes, Expo 2025 (which leads us into a brief discussion of the movie Gamera vs Jiger) the Curse of the Colonel and the Hanshin Tigers, Hiroshima and Peace Park, and the Hotel Gracery or the Godzilla Hotel in Tokyo. Jelli also talks about some general tips for travel and alludes to a video that may or may not ever happen. We also discuss The Princess Bride, and the Buffalo Bills, and Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra   Join us for this more casual conversation as we dig through our lives. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social 

How do you pad for time between arcs? Are those Crows? What awaits us as we begin a new story arc? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 41 through 45: "Look Out Below," "The Search Continues," "A Friendly Surprise," "Brood of Evil," and "Frieza Strikes." We begin discussing the Namek Saga and attempt to break down some filler episodes and preview this new arc. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney try to plot their next move The run of great episodes is over, but let's not lose hope. Breaking down the names for Raiti and Zaacro, as well as Cui Attempting to evaluate the Treedon birds through the lens that they might be crows and looking at how crows are viewed in Japan Cannibalism? One of us totally would. Which one will (not) shock you Jack and the Beanstalk and its origins as a very different story from the one we know A little bit about Group TAC, which allows us to talk about the voice talents behind Pokemon's Mewtwo, and get tangentially into a wild tokusatsu movie... ...Rex: A Dinosaur's Story, the tale of how a baby tyrannosaurus rex is raised by a little girl, gets in a food fight, escapes marketing executives on a snowmobile after stealing a Christmas cloak from Colonel Sanders and the story of how the movie's production led to the arrest of the head of Kadokawa for smuggling drugs A bit about Japan's Sesssho-seki, or Killing Stone famous in Tochigi Prefecture Nautilus, their shells, the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci Sequence, and illusions We're not grasping at straws AT ALL Setting the stage using examples from X-Men, DCEU and Journey to the West Vegeta's history as the heir to the throne, and his early life Some of Toriyama's thoughts on Vegeta, at least early in the story Vegeta and Goku: Opposite sides of the same coin How Vegeta so internalizes the lessons he learns as a child that it shapes his entire worldview, and how the very existence of Goku flies in the face of said worldview The Six-Eared Macaque from Journey to the West, one of Sun Wukong's most formidable foes Some researched theories about the relationship between Wukong and Six-Ears and how that is mirrored by the relationship between Goku and Vegeta The Lego series Lego Monkie Kid and its portrayal of Six Ears Why Vegeta is always invoking his prince status as if it is a boast, despite there being only a handful of Saiyans left Why Vegeta is so relatable 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

Dragon Ball? Editing? Never heard of those things. Join Jelli and Bekinney as we catch up after six weeks of not talking much. Bekinney discusses a family reunion and riding sketchy rides on the boardwalk, including the Himalayan, and Jelli regales everyone with the first week of his trip to Japan, with his usual penchant for rambling and self-indulgence We also discuss Superman, Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, Better Man, Robbie Williams, Paddington in Peru, James Gunn's DC universe, Jurassic World Rebirth, and provide one of the only reviews you're likely to hear about the movie Brush of the God.   Join us for this more casual conversation as we dig through our lives. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social 

What would have happened if they saved Hitler's brain and put it in the body of a robot with a bubble-dome? What does the film Phantasm have to do with Dragon Ball? How did we manage to work in a reference to the Aum Shinrikyo cult that carried out multiple poison attacks on Japanese public transit in the early 90s?  The answers to these, and similar questions, abound as Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon by tackling the 1990 movie, The World's Strongest. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney narrowly escape disaster We sync up our audio commentary for the listeners We discuss some of the production facts about the film Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest such as its 1990 release at the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival, the film's box office, and the production team working on the film We talk about the other films released alongside the movie: Akuma-kun: Welcome to Devil Land, and Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Sally the Witch movie. A little history about Misuteru, including his creation of Tesujin 28, Babel II, Iga no Kagemaru, Sally the Witch, and adaptations of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water margin Contextualizing the box office of the film Shedding light on Shinji Fukumitsu, the editor, who worked on Dragon Ball Z, Gegege no Kitaro, One Piece, and Transformers: The Movie A little bit on Motoaki Ikegami and his career spanning Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dr Slump, Pokemon, Inuyasha and Twilight of the Cockroaches Discussing the film's unique antagonists, Kishime, Ebifurya, Misokatsun, Dr. Kochin, and Dr. Wheelo (or Uiro) Misokatsun --> Buyon --> The Blob --> horror movies --> Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (yes, really) A bit about the Funimation composer, Nathan Johnson and his career, including his time as a Texas state senator (Nathan) Johnsons, (Anthony) Wieners, adult film parodies of Chinese classic novels...things are coming unglued A bit about the Metaluna Men from This Island Earth, Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Universal Monsters movies, especially Ghost of Frankenstein and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual as we react to this wickedly fast-paced film Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod  

We've reached the end of the Saiyan Arc. How do we feel about it having reached its end and being primed for the next adventure? Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by jumping into comparing the Dragon Ball anime to the Dragon Ball manga. We continue discussing Saiyan arc, and talk about pacing. We also discuss five episodes of the anime, episodes 36-40, "Picking Up the Pieces," "Plans for Departure," "Nursing Wounds," "Friends or Foes," and "Held Captive." In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney destroy the gravity generator We recap the story a little bit Wukong Hospital and Goku's unique looking hospital bed, with a possible inspiration from Alien Bulma's outfit being inspired by Alien, and its possible influence on Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion A theory about Bulma's evolving hairstyles A brief discussion of Frank Frazetta, the "godfather of fantasy art" who was a well-renown illustrator who worked on Conan the Barbarian and John Carter of Mars among other things in his career A conversation about the Russian attempts to place mirrors in space, and a brief tangent into discussing Archimedes' Sun Death Ray Wrapping up the arc with grades and comparing the manga to the anime 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, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod  

How do you handle introducing a rival? Why does Vegeta always call himself the Prince of All Saiyans? Is there any basis for this character in the story Journey to the West? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 30 through 35: "Goku vs. Vegeta," "Saiyan Sized Secret," "Spirit Bomb Away!" "Hero in the Shadows," "Krillin's Offensive," and "Mercy." We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga and talk in detail for the first time about one of the franchise's most iconic characters: Vegeta. We talk about his in-universe history, and his psychology, as well as his possible sources for inspiration, and what makes him so popular In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney enter into the gravity well Just how good are THESE episodes? For really real. Who is Vegeta? Setting the stage using examples from X-Men, DCEU and Journey to the West Vegeta's history as the heir to the throne, and his early life Some of Toriyama's thoughts on Vegeta, at least early in the story Vegeta and Goku: Opposite sides of the same coin How Vegeta so internalizes the lessons he learns as a child that it shapes his entire worldview, and how the very existence of Goku flies in the face of said worldview The Six-Eared Macaque from Journey to the West, one of Sun Wukong's most formidable foes Some researched theories about the relationship between Wukong and Six-Ears and how that is mirrored by the relationship between Goku and Vegeta The Lego series Lego Monkie Kid and its portrayal of Six Ears Why Vegeta is always invoking his prince status as if it is a boast, despite there being only a handful of Saiyans left Why Vegeta is so relatable 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

Could Akira Toriyama have pulled inspiration from WWE for Dragon Ball Z? Did he really have nothing to do with the anime portion of the show? What happens when we come across five more stellar episodes of DBZ? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 26 through 29: "Nappa's Rampage," "Nimbus Speed," "Goku's Arrival," and "Lesson Number One" We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga and talk about one of Dragon Ball's most infamous villains: Nappa. We also talk about filler moments such as the character Gregory, Snake Way, and Goku's misadventures in Hell and what influence Toriyama may have had on those elements. WE ALSO discuss some of the new ki attacks namely: the kienzan, or Destructo Disc, and the Masenko In this episode: Jelli manages to stave off further adventure, much to the chagrin of Bekinney Just how good are these episodes? For real. How much input did Toriyama have on anime filler? We know he designed the character Gregory, and came up with the idea for Goku to be chased by a giant snake as well as Goku eating clouds. What does this say about how involved Toriyama may have been in filler? We briefly discuss the guidebooks, or Daizenshuu A note on a filler moment from very early in Dragon Ball, with regards to Muscle Tower and some possible foreshadowing to Goku's Saiyan heritage What inspired Toriyama to create the Destructo Disk? What would Gohan's use of the Masanko tell his intended audience (Japanese people) about Gohan and Piccolo at this point? It's over 9000! A discussion of the meme Nappa: his name, his design, and the team dynamics between he and Vegeta Bolo Yeung, Hulk Hogan, Bruce Lee, and King Boxer An attempt to tie-into Journey to the West, at least thematically 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of where we sit currently at Final Forum. Recapping where things stand in the animated area of the franchise, and just providing a general update for the upcoming couple weeks. Bekinney discusses watching Full Metal Alchemist and then Jelli gives an SEO-friendly (hopefully...gotta get them clicks RIGHT?!) update on some movies he watched including: The Monkey, Predator: Killer of Killers, 28 Years Later, Mickey 17, Pee-Wee as Himself, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, Companion, Heart Eyes , Novocaine, Nickel Boys, Love Hurts and the little-seen Bob Trevino Likes It.   Join us for this more casual conversation as we dig through the franchise in a post-Daima world and continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social 

It's our 100th Episode! And we didn't want to celebrate on our own, so we brought in some new friends, Spencer and John from the show Eric Hates Dragon Ball Z to do a commentary-slash-reaction to the second live-action bootleg movie, Taiwan's Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney are celebrating 100 episodes We reveal our title and instruct listeners where to find this one We discuss some of the production facts about the film, its 1991 release, and the production team working on the film Discussing the history of Taiwanese cinema Why this movie is on Tubi, Amazon Prime, and official YouTube channels A theory about why this movie looks like it has a budget Forays into the history of China and Taiwan A wild combination of everything being absolutely right and ABSOLUTELY wrong and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual as we react to this insane fever dream of a film Eric Hates Dragon Ball Z Links: https://www.rocktopusnetwork.com/eric-hates-dbz  https://erichatesdbz.libsyn.com/  https://x.com/erichatesdbz  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8rUZoC6KaDgEo9cnFnMRLw  https://www.instagram.com/erichatesdragonballz/?hl=en  https://discord.gg/7pUnfRf29k  Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.   https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

Could Akira Toriyama have pulled inspiration from The Thing for Dragon Ball Z? What would the effects of Saiyan space travel be if it were real? What happens when we come across five stellar episodes of DBZ? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 21 through 25: "Counting Down," "The Darkest Day," "Saibamen Attack!" "The Power of Nappa," and "Sacrifice." We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga and talk about some new foes: The Saibamen. We also talk about the Saiyan Space Pods, or Attack Balls. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney's situation has become most desperate Just how good are these episodes? For real. Were Saibamen inspired by the Bio Men from This Island Earth? Or perhaps by The Thing from Another World? Maybe by the Xenomorphs of Alien? Perhaps by the titular monsters from The Day of the Triffids? Maybe the pod people from Invasion of the Body Snatchers? More? None? All? Are there any ties between the Saibamen and The Red Ribbon Army? (not really, but there is a minor reference made by the hosts) A possible pull from Osamu Tezuka's manga, Lost World Potential inspiration from Dragon Quest Other variants of Saibamen that appear in video games and a tangent on their naming conventions How fast do Saiyan space pods travel? Is that speed feasible?  What does Saiyan deep space exercise look like? Something to think about when we talk about the exercise requirements of astronauts in space. The gooification of people inside the Attack Balls when they land and the Iron Man problem A possible tie back to Journey to the West, as well as the Chinese emperor Yu the Great A discussion of Soyuz rockets, used by Russian cosmonauts for space travel A brief look at Vostok-1 and Yuri Gagarin's historic feat The Rule of Cool 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social

Dragon Ball Daima is over. The dub has been released in full. What now? Where does the franchise go from here? Where CAN it go from here? What would we LIKE for it to do now? Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of Dragon Ball's "State of the Union." Recapping where things stand in the animated area of the franchise, the manga and of course, current video games. We talk about where Dragon Ball Super last left off with the Super Hero arc being completed and the big Black Frieza teaser left out there. We talk about the four big video games currently being supported in the Dragon Ball world that led to Dragon Ball being Bandai Namco's number one money earner for the past fiscal year, namely The Breakers, Xenoverse 2, Kakarott, and Sparking Zero. We also talk about James Gunn's Superman, Sinners, Friendship, Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson, I Think You Should Leave, The Dark Tower, Stephen King, Holly Gibney, and of COURSE....lawnmowers.   oin us for this more casual conversation as we dig through the franchise in a post-Daima world and continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod https://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social 

What does it take to be the 'man' sitting in front of the entry to the afterlife, judging souls? Why did we accidentally slip in to a discussion of the Ox King? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 6 through 10: "No Time Like the Present," "Day 1," "Gohan Goes Bananas," "The Strangest Robot," and "A New Friend." We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga (now that the Raditz Arc is officially already over), and talk about King Yemma. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney make ready for their next planetary expedition It's WWE time. Full Nelsons, Ruffy Silverstein, Hans Mortier, Bruno Sammartino, Hulkamania, The Warlord, the Powers of Pain, the Road Warriors, and Superstar Billy Graham. What do they have to do with Dragon Ball? Maybe nothing! The connection between King Yemma in Dragon Ball Z and the character Enma from Dr Slump The Hindu version of Enma, or Yama, and his history and mythology The Buddhist version of Yemma, Yama, and his role in the afterlife How these two characters fuse into the depiction of King Yemma Possible inspiration points from Dante's Inferno, as well as the depiction of St. Peter guarding the Pearly Gates A note about Nemuria and its connection to Lemuria, Mu, Atlantis and other Lost Continents Yamcha's team, the Taitans and why it's not spelled Titan with our tokusatsu reference for the day in the form of Ultraman (and Ultraman Tiga vs Ultraman Taiga) Somehow, a discussion of the Ox King and his ability to be Gohan's grandfather while navigating the parenting styles of both Goku and Chichi 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod  

What could Goku's next challenge possibly be now that he's the Strongest Under the Heavens? A sibling rivalry? Is that really all you got, Toriyama? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by breaking down episodes 1 through 5: "The New Threat," "Reunions," "Unlikely Alliance," "Piccolo's Plan," and "Gohan's Rage." We begin discussing the Saiyan Saga (or the Raditz Arc under the new terminology), and talk about Raditz as well as the pivot into DBZ. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney recuperate from their hard-fought battle We talk about the pivot into Dragon Ball Z Why is it called Dragon Ball Z? What role did Kozo Morishita, Takao Koyama, Kazuhiko Torishima, Yuu Kondo, and Akira Toriyama play in the decision to rebrand the show DBZ? We discuss whether this pivot is good or bad and talk a bit about everyone's favorite topic in Dragon Ball: Power Levels Raditz. His design, his inspirations, and his motives, we take a look at them and break them down in our typical fashion, talking about Saiyans and Toriyama's puns in the process. How does Raditz compare to Darth Vader, play on David vs Goliath, tie into Osomatsu-kun, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, and the Bible? How does Jelli sneak in a kaiju/Godzilla reference this time? 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. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https://twitter.com/finalforumpod