ARTIFICIAL HUMANS ARC

Episode 118 (Are ga Chikyū da yo Papa... Furīza Oyako no Gyakushū) aired on November 27th 1991. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida, Minako Ito and Yoko Arai.

• Great storyboard and direction from Yamauchi.
• I gotta admit Uchiyama gives Chichi some charm.
• Chichi with her hair down has to be the single cutest and most charming thing of the franchise.
• I also like that during Gohan's dream Goku's hunger makes him ignore Chichi.
• Horikawa's tone while saying 'Woman'. It doesn't sound as grumpy as his usual.
• Gohan and Chichi standing up to the abusive tutor...
• ... who is, deliberately or not, a total scumbag. He's really intransigent and commits child abuse. He's even worse than Maron. His presence lowers my episode rating considerably.
• Likewise, bringing him was a terrible idea to begin with.

Episode 119 (Furīza wa Boku ga Taosu... Gokū o Matsu Nazo no Shōnen) aired on December 4th 1991. Script by Aya Matsui, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Kazuya Hisada. Animation by Kazuya Hisada (uncredited), Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masako Misumi, Masahiro Shimanuki and Naoki Tate.

• Wonderful storyboarding and direction from Ueda. All of his well-known leitmotivs are here: from his use of colors (pink and purple during Freezer's cutaway) to his reflections scattered all over the episode.
• Vegeta kinda admiring Bulma's determination.
• Piccolo was there the whole time.
• Shimanuki's closeups showcase thick outlines. They come in handy to give more depth to the dire situation. He's also a master at drawing Freezer.
• Tate's Goku looking smug.
• I should complain about the use of flashbacks, but everything is so great I don't mind them.
• In Freezer's case, it leads to a really well-executed sequence of how he survived, thus it isn't completely pointless.
• Trunks' introduction couldn't be more appropriate: cutting off some minor soldiers. M518 sounds great, of course.
• Shimanuki draws an excessively long neck on Tenshinhan.
• Whilst not that distracting unlike other times, flashbacks could've still been used more mildly.

Episode 120 (Furīza o Ittō Ryōdan!! Mō Hitori no Sūpā Saiya-jin) aired on December 11th 1991. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. Animation by Takeo Ide, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Naoki Miyahara, Chikako Uesugi, Kuniko Iwagami, Akira Inagami, Tetsuya Numako and Naotoshi Shida (uncredited).

• Hashimoto's storyboard is really solid.
• Kenji Yamamoto's Battle Point Unlimited.
• Trunks' Super Saiyan transformation is really well-executed, and Freezer's traumatized reaction makes it even better.
• Vegeta insulting Bulma for learning nothing during her days on Namek.
• Yamcha saying what everyone thinks of Bulma.
• Trunks cutting Freezer in half is a memorable moment, especially if you get a certain someone to animate it.
• Nakatsuru's supervision dominates all over the episode. As a result, it looks pretty consistent art-wise. He even changes a few character stances.
• Unfortunately, his expressions don't stand out at all. Instead, they look really stock and safe, and also mildly boring at times.
• Infamous facial highlights. I know Nakatsuru was inspired by Toriyama's illustrations, but they don't feel that necessary. Not only his expressions are vacant and his shading is mostly minimal, but adding this makes character look more like plastic. Much like modern Yamamuro.
• Once again, Tenshinhan is a giraffe.
• After 120 episodes, soldiers STILL rely on power levels.
• Bulma is annoying on every planet, not only on Namek.
• Naotoshi Shida being uncredited is something unforgivable, especially considering the historic importance of his cut.

Episode 121 (Ossu!! Hisashiburi... Kaette Kita Son Gokū) aired on December 18th 1991. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard by Kazuhisa Takenouchi, direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Toshiyuki Kan'no.

• Proto-Koala nose?
• The artistic gap between this and the last episode is immediately evident during the very first shot. Ebisawa's proportions and animation leitmotivs are pretty debatable.
• Takenouchi's board is pretty bland.
• King Cold forgets about his son right after his death, by offering him to take Freezer's place.
• How can he possibly believe a Super Saiyan would depend on his sword EXCLUSIVELY?
• His death feels really weak: in spite of looking so tall, bulky and intimidating, he begs Trunks to spare his life. How unoriginal.
• Why don't Yamcha and Tenshinhan accept Trunks at first? Especially the former, who agreed to host Vegeta, who would eventually "steal" his pseudo-girlfriend.
• Gohan asking Piccolo why he didn't go living with his Namekian fellows sounds like an unpolite and insensitive question.
• M1108 is totally misplaced. Too overdramatic.
• Another Chichi paranoia cutaway??? Did we really need it?

Episode 122 (Boku no Chichi wa Bejīta Desu... Nazo no Shōnen no Kokuhaku) aired on January 8th 1992. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard by Kazuhisa Takenouchi, direction by Junichi Fujise and animation supervision by Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Animation by Tadayoshi Yamamuro and Teruhisa Ryu.

• First time for Yamamuro as an animation supervisor. And his approach looks so different from Shindo's. Definitely a welcome addition.
• His key animation isn't very fast-paced, but it's certainly well-executed.
• Piccolo's reaction to Bulma being Trunks' mother.
• Considering this is a blatant exposition episode, it's no wonder Takenouchi's board and Fujise's direction stand out mostly during Trunks' narration. The bit with Dr. Gero getting killed looks so intense.
• Of course, this is also when the confusing time travel theories are being introduced. For example, Trunks telling Goku to keep the secret of his birth is basically pointless, since even if he had told Vegeta and Bulma about their son, he and his future timeline wouldn't be erased anyhow.
• Moreover, it feels like a true coincidence that Trunks had to intervene to stop Freezer. Goku could've easily used his new Shunkan-Ido technique to sense his ki and to finish him off on Earth. Why did Goku take it so easy, despite knowing Freezer's thirst of revenge?
• Incidentally, if Future Bulma was really that smart to build a time machine, she could easily build a spaceship to go to Namek, in order to use their Dragon Balls to revive their comrades. Then again, considering the scarce resources of Trunks' timeline, I don't think it would be that doable.
• During Trunks' narration, we hear M1120A, the alternate version of the organ track of M4. Unlike the regular version, organs are louder, muffled and also tone-deaf at some point. While it fits the scene, it's certainly a worse version of M1120B.
• As for Goku's imminent heart virus, it kinda makes sense for him not to take the medicine without any symptoms showing off.

Episode 123 (Gokū no Shinhissatsuwaza!? Mite Kure, Ora no Shunkan-Idō) aired on January 15th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara and Naotoshi Shida.

• The montage of Goku escaping from dying Namek is such a great addition over the manga version. It's very well-executed, well-animated and well-directed by Yamauchi. M1120B (the organ track) is an appropriate BGM.
• Shida's art stands out so much, even with Uchiyama's corrections. Soft traits with rather complex shading.
• Last House get way too little credit, animation-wise. Pretty unfair.
• For once, Bulma has a fairly good point. The idea of killing off Dr. Gero before he activates the androids makes sense. It's in line with her attitude, since she's not a warrior and wants to avoid deadly conflicts.
• However, this would make more sense if all of them didn't try to stop the androids afterwards. Why postponing something they could do previously? Because otherwise this arc would be over too soon, I guess...
• Goku can't possibly pilot a space pod.
• Chichi's non-existent reaction to Goku coming back, as she keeps complaining about Gohan's education. Stop it.

Episode 124 (Koete Yaru... Gokū o!! Sentō Minzoku Saiya-jin no Ō) aired on January 22nd 1992. Script by Aya Matsui, storyboard and direction by Kazuhito Kikuchi and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda. Animation by Takeo Ide, Masaki Satou, Hideko Okimoto, Naoki Miyahara, Akira Inagami and Tetsuya Numako.

• Good storyboard from Kikuchi, which mostly stands out during Vegeta's nightmare segment.
• This forementioned moment is actually pretty fascinating. Vegeta feels so powerless and inadequate because of not being able to transform. His psyche gets some deserved spotlighting. He's a pretty relatable character in this case.
• Maeda's corrections look pretty bland and unpolished.
• As for Yamcha, punching the air doesn't count as training.
• By the way, both Toei and Toriyama himself like to humiliate Yamcha, not only by stressing his fear, but also by making him fail at everything, like enduring a heavier gravity.
• Bulma suddenly loves Vegeta. To think that she was afraid of him more or less 70 episodes ago...
• Mascaraed Vegeta?
• Awkward transition on Piccolo.

Episode 125 (Menkyo Kaiden? Gokū no Arata naru Shiren) aired on January 29th 1992. Script by Aya Matsui, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Kazuya Hisada. Animation by Kazuya Hisada (uncredited), Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masako Misumi, Masahiro Shimanuki and Naoki Tate.

• One of the most popular fillers of the franchise. For a quite good reason. Some parts are pretty funny.
• Chichi being chased by a boar.
• Piccolo's casual outfit.
• His instructor likes to stalk him. I guess she doesn't mind green men.
• The action segment near the end, with M1216 as BGM.
• With a different animation studio, this episode wouldn't probably share the same charm.
• The main flaw of this filler is its premise. It doesn't hold up that much. Why would Chichi insist on Goku obtaining his driving license when we saw her driving in a few ending sequences? Maybe it's just a blatant excuse for being a pain in the arse.
• On top of that, what happened to that car she drove during the Saiyan arc? Which means she presumably has a driving license, too. What's her point of bitching about it, then?
• The "powerful warrior fearing his wife" trope is so annoying and unfunny.
• Why does she force Piccolo, too? He can certainly survive without eating.

Episode 126 (Kehai o Motanu Satsujinki　Doitsu ga Jinzōningen da!?) aired on February 5th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Toshiyuki Kan'no.

• Krillin considering Vegeta malicious.
• Much like in episode 63, the anime removed the decapitation bit. Pretty reasonable, since it looks pretty crude and unsettling.
• Apart from the ending, Hashimoto's direction is middle of the road.
• M1212 when Yamcha is impaled by Dr. Gero sounds off.
• A few episodes ago, Bulma suggested to stop Dr. Gero before he activated the androids, whereas here she appears on a dangerous place, CARRYING A BABY. Very bad decision.
• Goku leaving senzus to Bulma is another very bad decision, despite dealing with dangerous opponents.
• This line. It's actually really important in hindsight, which is either Trunks' fault for not giving correct info, or simple plot timing in order to give Vegeta some chances to shine.
• This episode is basically Toei and Toriyama's middle finger to Yamcha's character: first he's shown humiliated by Trunks being Bulma and Vegeta's child, then he's the one who's afraid of the androids the most and lastly, he gets impaled by Dr. Gero, nearly dying.

Episode 127 (Reiketsu Nijū-Gō no Akugyaku Hidō!! Gokū · Ikari no Chō-Henshin) aired on February 12th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Junichi Fujise and animation supervision by Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Animation by Tadayoshi Yamamuro, Teruhisa Ryu, Hitoshi Ehara and Akemi Seki.

• Fujise's directional output stands out mostly during the first half. Not his best work, as a whole.
• Yamamuro's corrections dominate all over this entry. As a result, it turns out to be pretty solid and consistent-looking.
• In a few shots, Yamcha's scars are missing.
• Goku telling Krillin to heal Yamcha confirms how leaving Senzus behind was a terrible idea.
• Goku trying to stop Dr. Gero from destroying the city confirms how letting him live was another terrible idea.
• Bulma forgetting Yajirobe can't fly.
• The spy robots explanation raises a relevant doubt: they may not have detected the whole conflict on Namek, but they presumably saw Goku turning Super Saiyan after Trunks asks him to transform. So... what's the reason behind the androids' shock?

Episode 128 (Gokū, Daburu Shokku!! Yamai to Teki no Hasamiuchi) aired on February 19th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida and Masayuki Uchiyama.

• This episode is the definition of 'mixed bag'. The main plot is an 8/10, whereas the Kame House subplot is a 2/10. My rating is the exact average between the two stories.
• Overall, the fight between Goku and 19 is pretty enjoyable, yet conservative.
• Ohara's extremely sweaty expressions.
• Even with corrections, Shida's output is really pretty.
• I like that each character expresses his point of view, from Krillin, Tenshinhan and Yamcha cheering for Goku, to Gohan and Piccolo noticing something wrong.
• The progression of Goku's deteriorating heart disease is pretty well-timed.
• While I cannot positively disdain Shida animating Maron's cleavage...
• ... I just can't bear her at all. What's the point of bringing the worst character ever created back? Even if they explain the whole situation to her, she isn't able to understand it, because she's brainless.
• And no, I don't buy her change of mind, either.
• Even though Yamauchi's use of the lamp lights is kinda creative, this is perhaps his weakest output on the series.
• Also, FIVE MINUTES OF FLASHBACK MONTAGES. Again, if I ever wanted to see Red Ribbon arc flashbacks, I'd rather watch the whole Red Ribbon arc, instead.
• Krillin's undershirt is missing in a couple of shots.
• Yamcha saying 'I was wrong about them being able to drain one's energy'. I... can't even find proper words to describe how stupid this line is. Especially if it's coming from someone whose energy got drained TWO EPISODES AGO. What's the point of this line?

Episode 129 (Bejīta Tsuyoshi!! Mezameru Sūpā Saiya-jin no Chi) aired on February 26th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Takeo Ide. Animation by Takeo Ide, Naoki Miyahara, Chikako Uesugi, Kuniko Iwagami, Akira Inagami and Tetsuya Numako.    7,5/10

• You either love him or hate him, but Takeo Ide isn't for everyone. His characters aren't pretty close to the model sheets, they look very expressive and display square jaws, which make them more masculine.
• Pretty competent storyboarding and direction from Ueda. His output certainly improves the entire Vegeta segment, through his frequent use of colors.
• Nice catch.
• Super Saiyan Vegeta being pure evil. Makes quite sense.
• I wish the flashback montage were far shorter.
• Krillin should be wearing boots. Not these.
• What's the point of Piccolo's faking his faint plan?
• Why does Dr. Gero let Yamcha escape while carrying Goku? Isn't he supposed to be his main target?
• Bulma is so dense she wants to see the androids, even though he's aware of putting a baby in peril.
• A highlight attempt?

Episode 130 (Nijū-Gō no Futeki na Warai... Dokutā Gero no Himitsu) aired on March 4th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Kazuhito Kikuchi and animation supervision by Kazuya Hisada. Animation by Kazuya Hisada (uncredited), Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masako Misumi, Masahiro Shimanuki, Naoki Tate and Hideko Okimoto (uncredited).    7,5/10

• Good, but not great storyboarding from Kikuchi. Not his most impressive work.
• A cyborg can actually feel pain and fear.
• The Big Bang Attack is probably a more uninteresting technique than the Galick Gun and the Final Flash, but Hisada made it justice.
• M518 being used for the very last time in the series. Too bad.
• First and only time to feature a halo around a Super Saiyan.
• Why does Krillin hesitate to give a Senzu to Vegeta? Sure, he doesn't like him, but he's not his enemy right now.
• Why does Piccolo consider Vegeta a fighting genius? In the previous episode, he seemed to know they could drain energy from their palms, so why did he need a further proof?
• Also, why would Vegeta lose against Dr. Gero? He's stronger than him and presumably knows his ability of draining energy. What's the point?
• It's true cyborgs cannot be sensed, since they don't have any ki, but Vegeta actually throws an energy blast, therefore aren't they supposed to sense him, in this case?
• Again, bringing a baby to a dangerous place is a terrible idea.

The sixth Dragon Ball Z movie (Gekitotsu!! Hyaku-Oku Pawā no Senshi-tachi or Clash!! 10,000,000,000 Powerful Warriors) was released on March 7th 1992. Script by Takao Koyama, direction by Daisuke Nishio, executive production by Chiaki Imada and Rikizo Kayano, animation supervision by Minoru Maeda, with assistant animation supervisor Masaki Satou.

• For once, no Piccolo saving Gohan trope (since he's here from the start).
• Ohara and Shida deliver the most engaging fight of the movie, with Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo against Metal Cooler's army.
• Horikawa's performance is amazing.
• Kikuchi's M13XX compilation are pretty good: it has some nice tracks like M1303, M1306, M1311 and M1318, and also some of his most iconic pieces like M1307, M1308 and M1312, which are recurring BGMs of the Cell arc. On the other hand, M1319 is one of the sappiest themes from Kikuchi. Not a very good happy track. Either way, the soundtrack cannot be positively considered a flaw.
• Nishio's direction isn't bad, but I usually tend to expect something more from a film. Good, but not great output.
• Satou's corrections are pretty frequent in the 2nd half of the movie, and look definitely better than Maeda's unpolished and hybrid traits, despite his expressions not being the greatest.
• To put it simply, Cooler didn't deserve another movie. He's not as great as Freezer and Nakao's voice doesn't work on him, because he's not as over-the-top as his brother.
• Even though he's never been a good villain, at the very least he had some understandable motivations in the previous movie. On the other hand, here his motivations are weak, if non-existent. He never mentions his brother again, and talks about generic revenge concept.
• This movie isn't remembered for having particularly good animation, but it's not a matter of ugly in-betweens, but rather of stiff and choppy movements and of a downright mediocre and dull choreography.
• In this movie, Dende is already the God of Earth. It's true the anime is behind the manga plot-wise, but he actually becomes the new God in episode 173. Is it foreshadowing or what?
• I can understand Kamesennin and Yajirobe's presence (especially the latter for senzus), but... WHY DO THEY BRING OOLONG, TOO? He's never been a fighter to begin with, and he's not the bravest character out there. He's a scaredy cat... or better, a scaredy pig.
• As you know I hate seeing flashback montages at full length, and this movie is no exception. Again, if I want to see a M5 clip, I'd better go watching the whole film, then. It's a waste of time.
• M2 did a much better job at using Kamesennin's character. He's basically a butt-monkey in this movie.
• Krillin being humiliated trope. Toei see him as another butt-monkey, after humiliating Yamcha. It's not funny.
• The only way to defeat robots is to hit them really hard. Yes, Piccolo pretty much meant this. Unoriginal and predictable.
• I doubt some machine guns would worry Piccolo.
• Vegeta's hostility.
• The weird transition after Goku and Vegeta go Super Saiyan against a Metal Cooler army.
• Cooler is so stupid he reveals his weakness right in front of Goku and Vegeta.
• After three Genkidamas and a beam clash killing off the previous villains, Cooler dies by a simple ki blast inside his core. Easily the most underwhelming, rushed and anticlimactic death for a movie villain. Then again, I shouldn't expect more from Cooler in the first place.
• All in all, I'm thoroughly disappointed by this movie. It feels more like a much longer regular episode, filled with cutaways. Not very well-executed, with a boring villain, the fights are pretty dull and quite honestly, the content is pretty boring and uninteresting.

Episode 131 (Jijitsu wa Mirai yori Osoroshī!? Torankusu no Giwaku) aired on March 11th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Toshiyuki Kan'no.     7/10

• Quite good storyboarding from Hashimoto.
• For once, it's Gohan who gets to save Piccolo.
• This episode showcases some interesting interaction between Piccolo and Vegeta. Pretty unusual thing.
• Piccolo kicking Dr. Gero without any warning.
• Ebisawa can express pain quite well.
• The only time M1206 is used in the series, excluding the TV special. Too bad.
• Vegeta's dazed reaction to Trunks having the same name as his son.
• Although, he should've seen that coming.
• Piccolo's telepathy out of nowhere.
• Dr. Gero not sensing Gohan behind him.
• Speaking of which, Krillin, Vegeta and Tenshinhan can sense Gohan attacking Dr. Gero. Then why did none of them sense Vegeta's ki blast in the previous episode?
• Ebisawa's Vegeta. His output during the fight between Piccolo and Gero looks dreary, too.

(For the full version of the card, click on the underlined word)

Episode 132 (Tsuigeki!!! Dokutā Gero Nazo no Kenkyūjo o Sagashidase) aired on March 18th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida and Masayuki Uchiyama.    6/10

• HA.
  
• Baby Trunks understood everything.
• 17 and 18's headlights during Trunks' narration.
• For the first time in ages, Chichi is worried sick about Goku's health conditions.
• On one hand, it's pretty unusual to see Vegeta talking normally with Bulma and the others (at this very point).
• I also kind of appreciate him being proud of Trunks since he can transform like his father.
• However, he's indeed a bad father. He doesn't care about his wife and son, as he neglects them and doesn't rush to save them.
• And, if it weren't for Bulma's denseness, Dr. Gero would never escape.
• Vegeta accusing Trunks of giving wrong info about the androids makes quite sense, since he should've been more specific.
• Bulma conveniently knows who Dr. Gero is and how he looks like. How about telling it before time?
• This episode continues the bad decisions string, as Piccolo rightly suggests to find Gero and to stop him from activating the androids, but Vegeta wants to fight them so badly. Let's see how much he's going to last...
• Uchiyama's traits look unpolished and pretty lame and his key animation is pretty slow. His corrections are pretty inaccurate, too. It gives the idea of an all but solid-looking episode.
• What about Tights?

Episode 133 (Soshite Kyōfu ga Genjitsu ni... Mezameru Jūnana-Gō to Jūhachi-Gō!) aired on March 25th 1992. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Animation by Tadayoshi Yamamuro, Noriko Shibata, Hitoshi Ehara and Akemi Seki.    7,5/10

• Excellent storyboarding and direction from Ueda. The use of purple and pink during Goku's nightmare is really impactful. It sort of recalls the purple segment of episode 98.
• This.
• 17 and 18 are well-introduced. They start off being polite towards Dr. Gero, then they crush his remote control, so that they won't ever be deactivated. They're portrayed as intimidating characters, but not as 100% pure villains. That's the best thing about them.
• Koyama apparently likes the Krillin humiliation trope so much he adds it here, too. We could definitely do without it.
• Dr. Gero apparently forgets Piccolo and the others can actually sense his attacks, even if they cannot sense him directly.
• Trunks insisting on waiting for Goku to recover is in line with his personality, but at this point, he's not stronger than Vegeta. Maybe a dumb thing to say.

Episode 134 (Subete ga Teokure ka!? Gokū o Korosu Saishū Heiki) aired on April 1st 1992. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Junichi Fujise and animation supervision by Kazuya Hisada. Animation by Kazuya Hisada (uncredited), Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masako Misumi, Masahiro Shimanuki, Naoki Tate, Chikako Uesugi, Kuniko Iwagami and Koji Nashizawa.    7/10

• Hisada's corrections try to elevate a quite rushed-looking episode.
• 18's glacial glare at the very end.
• Albeit really impulsive, I appreciate Trunks doesn't just stand there while waiting for his opponents to make a move.
• I quite like that 17 and 18 totally ignore Vegeta and the others after activating 16.
• Trunks is missing hair on his temples in one shot.
• Takeuchi's art isn't known for looking particularly good, sadly.
• Koyama's characterization showcases some evident flaws. I'm sure he doesn't like Krillin that much: he either humiliates him or makes him a coward. His Vegeta is also more conceited and arrogant than his usual.
• Vegeta is an abusive father.
• This episode is also known for Trunks' 'NO' in the Funimation dub. Either it's a meme or not, Falcouner's track sounds terrible and the script isn't very accurate. Not a good version of the scene.

Episode 135 (Kawaī Kao de Chō-Pawā!? Jūhachi-Gō ni Shikaku Nash) aired on April 15th 1992. Script by Aya Matsui, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Toshiyuki Kan'no.    4,5/10

• This is cool.
• Hashimoto's board is quite good. Vegeta literally and figuratively seeing red after 18 headbutts him is a nice touch.
• Miki Ito's weird laugh.
• I adore 17 clapping Vegeta's despicable speech. It totally gives the idea of a carefree and nonchalant character.
• Horikawa's painful scream is simply astounding.
• Even though the anime gives a unique location to the main battle...
• ... it still remains a really lame fight. Its execution is pretty bad and there is something wrong with the characters' role.
• Vegeta is shown blasting random rangelands, causing car accidents, wreaking havoc on the road, destroying other people's trucks, insulting his son and frien... acquaintances, rejecting teamwork... and 18 is supposed to be the actual villain. Why????
• 18 simply sticks to dodge his attacks. She doesn't care about hurting people. She only wants to make fun of Vegeta. Between the two, it's Vegeta who commits more crimes, but still, 18 is considered the villain because the plot demands it.
• Besides, it's perfectly sensible if you happen to root for 18, considering Vegeta's disagreeable attitude.
• Speaking of which, Vegeta rejects teamwork, as he'd rather die than getting some help from Goku or anybody. To think that he actually promoted teamwork against Freezer...
• Animation-wise, this fight is incredibly dull. Ebisawa's choreographies are abysmal, his character art is extremely debatable and Iida's output is middle of the road. And despite Kan'no being a better artist, his movements are really slow and weak, too.
• 18 breaking Vegeta's arm is a dramatic moment. Unfortunately, the excessive slow-mo completely ruins it.
• Baby Trunks' pee on Yajirobe's face joke is terribly unfunny and gross.
• ANOTHER MARON CUTAWAY. YOU CANNOT BET ON A DEAD CHARACTER (who has never been actually alive, to begin with). The main fight is already flawed by itself, we don't certainly need Maron's zoophilia or Kamesennin's depravation as a side dish of this crappy luncheon.

Episode 136 (Dare ni mo Yatsura o Tomerarenai... Zetto Senshi Zenmetsu ka!?) aired on April 22nd 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida and Masayuki Uchiyama (uncredited).    7,5/10

• Albeit not his best output, Yamauchi's board and direction are quite great. His scenes are pretty dynamic thanks to characters taking up different layers.
• The action-packed first half is clearly the main focus of this episode.
• Uncorrected Ohara is pretty expressive. Love his "golden" impact frame.
• Vegeta trying to save Tenshinhan (?) might be a chance of redeeming his character after his crimes of the last episode. Might be...
• 17 and 18 are so unique because they just want to have fun. 17 in particular, as he considers finding Goku a game. He could easily fly, but wants to get a vehicle since it's part of his human memories.
• Krillin standing up to them.
• Miki Ito's 'bye' sounds adorable.
• 18's wide forehead.
• I know I'm repetitive, but WHAT'S THE POINT OF MARON'S CUTAWAY???
• First, I hate that they give spotlight to the worst character ever created.
• Second, she's shown whining after falling from her windsurf, despite her being able to swim.
• Third, wasn't Umigame's power level supposed to be only 0,001? Thus, those two guys are weaklings, after all.
• Fourth, Maron's zoophilia doesn't make her charming at all, but only more awkward than she already is.
• Fifth, Maron's response to Umigame's 'Wait for Krillin' line utterly confirms how her regret in episode 128 was simply HOT AIR. 'Krillin is not the only man out there' is such an immature and childish reply. Its meaning is basically 'I don't give a shit about him, since there are so many other men in the world'.
• Sixth and MOST IMPORTANT, this cutaway is so annoying it lowers my rating from an initial 8/10 to a 7,5/10.
• Seventh, you know something's off when her sole fanservice purpose does no longer act upon a pervert like Kamesennin.
• Eighth and FINAL point, have I ever mentioned she's a terrible person? She exists only for fanservice. She has no value. She has no charm. She has no common sense. She is a mistake I hope they'll never make again.

Episode 137 (Pikkoro no Ketsui!! Totte Oki no Saigo no Shudan) aired on April 29th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Kazuhito Kikuchi and animation supervision by Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Animation by Tadayoshi Yamamuro, Hideko Okimoto, Noriko Shibata, Hitoshi Ehara and Akemi Seki.    8/10

• Everyone is being pretty livid in this episode. Like A LOT.
• Plenty of cool impact frames.
• Piccolo's outrage is actually meaningful. He doesn't want to become evil again. He just hates being humiliated.
• Pretty good storyboarding from Kikuchi. In particular, Kami-sama's memories montage showcases really competent directional picks.
• Unfortunately, this episode is written by Toda, so he lets an ENTIRE MINUTE of reused clips slip out. Once again, if I ever want to see a clip from the Piccolo Daimao arc, I'd better go watching etc, etc...
• How does Tenshinhan forget Piccolo Daimao's evildoings? He killed Chaozu, I mean.
• Although he's reassuring and rational, I doubt Krillin would be so smart to deduce Piccolo's real intentions. As though he knew the exact coordinates of Kami-sama's place.
• Lastly, how and why were Toei so willing to give screen time to such an unbearable character??? At the very least, her cutscene is much shorter here, but once again, she proves to lack of a backbone. She never cared about Krillin in the first place. She only wants an orgy, apparently. No, wait... she doesn't want it because... she CAN'T DECIDE. Everything is part of a gag. An incredibly asinine and repetitive gag.
• Either way, I'm so glad this is her VERY LAST APPEARANCE. Hallelujah.
• (Between us, now I understand why 18 threatened 17 when he mispronounced her daughter's name in Dragon Ball Super.)
• Back to the main plot, I'm betting this won't be the only time Yamamuro draws characters in this very stance...

Episode 138 (Aruku Chō-Hakai Heiki!! Jinzōningen ga Gokū ni Semaru) aired on May 6th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Takeo Ide. Animation by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Naoki Miyahara, Akira Inagami, Tetsuya Numako and Yoichi Onishi.    8/10

• Second time for Ide as a supervisor. I like his approach. It looks pretty expressive.
• This.
• This line. Kami-sama is the only one who admits 17 and 18 didn't actually start the fight.
• Vegeta is still very livid. Horikawa delivers a tremendous performance. So powerful.
• The best part is clearly the truck chase sequence. 17 wants to have fun, while 18 is annoyed by the biker thugs. Glad to hear the hystorical M814 and M811 once again.
• Ueda's storyboard looks pretty great, too.
• Unfortunately, nearly two minutes of reusing clips. I don't want to say anything else. I don't like this device and I never will.
• Moving Goku to Kame House isn't a very good idea, since it's technically the second place the androids would sift through after his own house.

Episode 139 (Fukitsu na Yokan! Buruma ga Shiraseta Misuterī) aired on May 13th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Toshiyuki Kan'no.    7/10

• This episode contains what's possibly Hashimoto's best output so far. Absolutely great storyboard and direction, which mostly stand out during Trunks' memories montage and Goku's nightmare scene.
• Nice use of the MIND POWER...KI insert song during Trunks' memories.
• 17 pointing a gun with a blank expression. Cool stuff.
• Okay, I might buy Umigame eating ramen.
• Another fantastic performance from Horikawa during Vegeta's cutscene.
• I'd rather watch a filler about Chaozu's cooking lessons than any of the material with Maron.
• Goku's nightmare sequence is indeed filled with nightmare fuels. Once again, Ebisawa quite knows how to make convincingly dead expressions...
• ... nevertheless, his traits are simply hideous. His characters look flat out ugly.
• Speaking of which, how does Goku know how 17 and 18 look like? And most of all, how does he know 18's EXACT battle damage after her fight against Vegeta? That's just anime-exclusive material done sloppily.
• Pretty sure Trunks' eye lines are closed in reality...
• We clearly didn't miss Chichi's obnoxious obsession with Gohan's studying.
• I'm not going to explain anything. Trunks' timeline theory is terribly confusing. He definitely ignores the consequences of this (bad) decision.
• Yeah, and also if he hadn't come, we would've never heard of a psychopathic green-skinned Kaio-shin, who would've decided to get rid of the mankind because of future Bulma and Trunks' bad idea.
• Reusing M1122 twice...

Episode 140 (Jāku no Tamago o Hakken!! Kyōfu Suru Torankusu) aired on May 20th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Kazuya Hisada. Animation by Kazuya Hisada (uncredited), Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masako Misumi, Masahiro Shimanuki and Naoki Tate.    7/10

• Bulma's mother opens her eyes. Marvelous.
• This transition. Foreshadowing something?
• Overall, I like the mysterious atmosphere of this episode, with Gohan and Trunks investigating.
• Don't know why, but Bulma running away after discovering Cell's cocoon is kinda funny.
• Even Oolong realizes hiding Goku at Kame House is not a smart idea.
• I expected more from the interaction between Gohan and Trunks, considering their strong bond in the future timeline.
• There's a limit to Bulma's vanity. Or isn't?
• In any case, there's no limit to Chichi's annoyance.
• Despite Seigasha animating it, this episode is pretty static.
• As usual, Hisada's corrections are pretty frequent, which come in handy to mask some flawed drawings, like in Takeuchi's case.

Episode 141 (Katsute Nai Teki ni Mukete... Sūpā Namekku-seijin Tanjō!!) aired on May 27th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida and Masayuki Uchiyama.    8/10

• Nishio's most compelling directional output after a long while. The way he handles the new villain's introduction is amazing. From the use of M602 and M1002 to his use of different angles in a desolate city, Cell gets the better introduction among the DBZ villains.
• Cell's first form is easily the best one for him: it looks eerie, sinister and mysterious.
• 8 episodes after their activation, this is their most serious damage. They're only injured. Which pretty much shows how these artificial humans are more shallow and less cruel than their future counterparts.
• Kami-sama merging with Piccolo is another solemn moment. Takeshi Aono's performance is excellent and M1312 as BGM sounds perfect.
• Uchiyama brings back Toriyama's expression on Kamiccolo.
• Unfortunately, his traits are getting flatter and more pedantic. His characters look quite cartoony.
• Popo's reaction to Kami-sama's decision is far more subtle in the manga. In this episode he's a crybaby, as usual.
• Last time for Naotoshi Shida at Last House. Definitely a huge loss for the studio.

Episode 142 (Kamehameha!? Gokū no Ki o Motsu Monsutā) aired on June 3rd 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard by Daisuke Nishio, direction by Junichi Fujise and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda. Animation by Takeo Ide, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Masaki Satou, Hideko Okimoto, Naoki Miyahara, Chikako Uesugi, Kuniko Iwagami, Akira Inagami, Tetsuya Numako and Koji Nashizawa.    8/10

• The moment Cell literally drinks an unfortunate ningen is incredibly spooky and unsettling. In a good way. The disturbing imagery works.
• Of course, the absorption sound effect is memorable.
• Re-of course, Norio Wakamoto as Cell is just the perfect choice for the character.
• The music placement is very coherent and fitting. M1313B, M816 and M817 are well-placed.
• Re-re-of course, Piccolo is Satou's best-looking character...
• ... but his Gohan looks way too mature for his age.
• "Even a life such as his is still a life". Piccolo pretty much discriminating a human for being rich.
• I really don't get Piccolo's dismay to Cell charging a Kamehameha. I may understand it for his Makankosappo, but the Kamehameha isn't a big deal anymore. Up to now, at least 4-5 people can use it.
• Whilst not being that frequent, Maeda's corrections look bland.

Episode 143 (Zōo to Hakai no Seimeitai!! Yatsu no Na wa Jinzōningen Seru) aired on June 10th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Animation by Tadayoshi Yamamuro, Noriko Shibata, Hitoshi Ehara and Akemi Seki.    5/10

• Hashimoto's direction may stand out during Cell's narration...
• ...but, as a whole, this feels like a downgrade over his previous output in ep. 139. Definitely a really weak direction, with lengthened reuse of clips.
• Has there ever been a time the army were actually useful in the series?
• I still don't buy the spy robots contradiction: if it's still present to absorb the warriors' data, and IF it's actually been there the whole time, then why was Dr. Gero so clueless about the existence of the Super Saiyan?
• While we're at it, why is Cell so astonished to see Piccolo regrowing his arm? Isn't he supposed to have Piccolo's DNA, too? And if he still did know it, how could he forget it?
• Apparently, there was a timeline Trunks actually defeated the androids, and was killed by Cell, thus stealing his time machine. However, according to the multiverse theory, isn't there supposed to be a chance of the two Trunkses meeting each other, if one of them was still alive? Shouldn't the time-space continuum be affected by this phenomenon? It's pretty contorted.
• This episode also shows the main flaw of Cell's character: his motivation. While Freezer wanted to rule the whole universe as main goal, or Piccolo Daimao wanted to take over Earth, Cell just wants to be the strongest, making him a blatant Saiyan copy and paste. He's not interested in the universe domination. He's just uncertain.

Episode 144 (Pikkoro Tsūkon no Dai-Shippai! Seru ga Machi ni Hanatareta!) aired on June 17th 1992. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Toshiyuki Kan'no.    7/10

• Albeit not a great output from Ueda, I like the background going red and black after Cell absorbs the coach driver.
• Cell can indeed use the Genkidama. Too bad they never show it. Video games aside.
• It's actually weird to hear Vegeta name other characters.
• Krillin casting doubt on Piccolo's new name.
• I usually criticize Vegeta for his frustration and envy, but in this case it works, as he cannot accept to be surpassed by a Namekian and even asks Goku's opinion thereupon. Strangely underrated character moment.
• Not sure about the reason, but Cell licking his... beak has always been funny.
• Is there an alternate timeline where Chichi doesn't have a broom stuck in her rear? She won't ever stop being annoying.
• Again, Krillin is surprised to hear Cell can use the Kamehameha. It's not a big deal. At the very least, he later says the Taiyoken isn't a big deal, either.

Episode 145 (Seru Tanjō no Himitsu! Kenkyūjo no Chika ni Nani ga Aru!?) aired on June 24th 1992. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara and Masayuki Uchiyama.    6,5/10

• Krillin gets some more deserved screen time.
• By now Piccolo is the only character who doesn't make bad decisions in this arc. His propositions have been pretty painstaking.
• Painstaking isn't a term to describe Vegeta's decisions, though. His idea of letting Cell absorb 17 and 18 would eventually be a crucial point for the arc (and its absolute worst decision).