SAIYAN ARC REWATCH

Episode 1 (Mini Gokū wa Obotchama! Boku Gohan Desu) aired on April 26th 1989 on Fuji TV. It's written by the series' composer Takao Koyama, storyboarded and directed by the original series' director Daisuke Nishio, and supervised by Last House studio, with Masayuki Uchiyama as the animation supervisor. It's animated by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida, Tetsuya Saeki and Akio Katada.

• Great storyboard from Nishio. 
• Pretty polished Last House episode, which makes sense since it's a series premiere.
• The Dragon Ball opening easter egg.
• Raditz gets a proper introduction.
• The segment with Piccolo and Raditz is the best part by miles.
• The sequence with Gohan getting lost in the forest and being in danger drags out too long.
• Gohan's constant crying gets pretty annoying immediately.
• As a result, this whole sequence distracts from the real point, that is Raditz's arrival.
• Somehow I wish they focused on Goku and Chichi's relationship much more.

Episode 2 (Shijō Saikyō no Senshi wa Gokū no Ani Datta!) aired on May 3rd 1989. Script by Takao Koyama and Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Osamu Kasai and animation supervision by Katsumi Aoshima and Freelance studio. Animation by Katsumi Aoshima, Hideko Okimoto and Kiyoshi Matsumoto.

• Pretty nice-looking board from Kasai.
  
• Aoshima's output is quite dynamic and his horizontal lines as shading look original.
• Raditz is a quite interesting character. Nonetheless, he lasts only 5 episodes despite being the main character's older brother.
• What's up with Aoshima drawing Krillin without a tooth?
• The animation reuse is pretty distracting sometimes: 4 times of Raditz dashing towards the camera and twice of Kamesennin's sunglasses reflection.
• Despite providing some neat board, Kasai's direction isn't always effective. The reveal of Goku's Saiyan origins is way too overdramatic and outdated.
• Some tracks of Kikuchi's score are either misplaced or looped more times. Some of them also sound distorted for some reason. As if they were high-pitched or something.
• Why did Kamesennin never tell Goku about his origins before?
• If their original idea was to make a reunion, why didn't they invite all of their friends?
• And why would they wait no less than 5 years to meet again?
• Small note: during the recap, there are some mistakes: Piccolo holds a stance, but isn't talking while the camera moves, and Raditz's mouth has disappeared.

Episode 3 (Yatta! Kore ga Chijō Saikyō no Konbi da!) aired on May 10th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Kazuhisa Takenouchi and animation supervision by Mitsuo Shindo and Shindo Pro. Animation by Teruhisa Ryu, Noriko Shibata and Tadayoshi Yamamuro.

• The title card looks like those from the Digimon anime.
• Piccolo stating he doesn't care about Gohan's health is really ironic.
• Albeit predictable, Goku and Piccolo's alliance is well portrayed.
• Considering Maeda's softer and rounder designs of this era, Shindo's traits look pretty incongruous. They are a bit fitting on Piccolo, but not that much on the remaining characters.
• His corrections don't give enough value to key animators' works.
• Takenouchi's storyboard is lackluster. It has a few decent bits, but is mostly bland.
• His direction is decent, but some BGMs are either misplaced or overused.
• Gohan's incessant crying gets really bothersome eventually.
• If Raditz thinks he's that intelligent, why did he never make up for his tail weakness?

Episode 4 (Pikkoro no Kirifuda! Gohan wa Nakimushi-kun) aired on May 17th 1989. Script by Toshiki Inoue, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Tomekichi Takeuchi and Seigasha. Animation by Yoko Iizuka, Masahiro Shimanuki, Tomekichi Takeuchi, Masako Misumi and Kazuya Hisada.

• Ueda's output is great, both storyboard- and direction-wise: props to his use of silence before the fight begins and to his use of colors.
• When it comes to animation, Seigasha were the most complete DB studio.
• Shimanuki animates the first clash against Raditz and Piccolo firing his Makankosappo: snappy pacing and top notch visual effects.
• Hisada makes his debut as a key animator taking on Raditz's "Saturday Crush" on Goku. Pretty solid debut.
• As a whole, the idea of strategy prevailing over pure strength is quite interesting.
• It's also the only time in DBZ Goku uses his Homing Kamehameha.
• Chichi's cutaway is utterly random and unnecessary.
• In the previous episode she was concerned about Gohan not finishing his homework, while now she's happy of his notes. Something's wrong.

Episode 5 (Gokū Shisu! Rasuto Chansu wa Ichido dake) aired on May 24th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Kazuhisa Takenouchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama and Last House. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida, Akio Katada and Tetsuya Saeki.

Animation highlights: "Gohan headbutting Raditz" by Naotoshi Shida and "Piccolo's Makankosappo at Raditz and Goku" by Tai'ichiro Ohara.

• Raditz's death is one of the most painful and brutal of the entire franchise. Pretty well executed.
• Remember when Bulma actually used to care for Goku?
• Nappa mentioning Super Saiyans for the very first time.
• Takenouchi's storyboard is very inconsistent. Raditz's final episode deserved something better.
• His directional picks look pretty old-fashioned, with plenty of repeated reaction shots.
• This.
• Goku still has his boots on in a couple of wide shots and Krillin's gi is miscolored and lacks of the Turtle Hermit symbol in one shot.

Episode 6 (Enma-sama mo Bikkuri  Ano-yo de Faito) aired on June 7th 1989. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa and Studio Live. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa himself, Hiroshi Takeuchi and Yoshimatsu Takahiro.

• While Hashimoto's board isn't that brilliant, his transitions are quite unique.
• Krillin thinking Piccolo wants to eat Gohan.
• Piccolo showing the first signs of his change by deciding to train his enemy's son.
• Gohan's crying is still annoying, but to his plea, he got kidnapped by his uncle, then found out his father died and now he's with an alien (Gohan is also 1/2 alien, anyway).
• Despite his really evident visual limits, Ebisawa's Goku looks mostly fine.
• Unlike his every other character, especially women.
• This episode starts off a pretty abysmal trend, that is Chichi's flanderization. She's apparently fine in the manga, but she's become a frustrated, obsessed and utterly annoying housewife, whose only purpose is to bash whoever interferes with Gohan's studies. It's true a mother must care about her children's education, but this is just too much. Whether it's played for laughs or not, it isn't funny. It's unneedly overdramatic and obnoxious.
• Bulma and Kamesennin order Krillin to tell Chichi the bad news. Why couldn't they tell her alltogether? Aren't they Goku's friends, too? Really bad friends, no less.

*The framed pic is actually drawn by Masaki Satou. Maeda's corrections used to be relatively light in earlier episodes.

Episode 7 (Kyōryū to Sabaibaru! Gohan no Tsurai Shugyō) aired on June 14th 1989. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard and direction by Minoru Okazaki and animation supervision by the character designer of this era Minoru Maeda and Studio Junio. Animation by Takeo Ide, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Hisashi Eguchi and Masaki Satou.

• Maeda's "fantastic 4" provide some excellent artwork.
• Satou's young Goku looks really confident and his Piccolo appears more like a demon.
• The design for the Other World coffee bar.
• I like Junpei Takiguchi's Uranai Baba (male voice) way better than the squeaking voice Mayumi Tanaka (Krillin and Yajirobe's seiyu) currently provides for the character.
• The section with Piccolo and Gohan is really strong. Piccolo telling Gohan to curse his own fate is such a deep and intense moment, probably because he knows he's going to die.
• As a result, Kami's moment is also genuinely felt, since his life is linked with Piccolo's and whether one of them passes, the other one dies, too.
• Sadly, this moment is so much better portrayed in the manga, since the BGM of this scene sounds completely unfitting. Also one of the most tasteless tracks Kikuchi has ever composed.
• Okazaki's direction is mostly mediocre and his board is pretty bland and dull, which kinda clashes with the great art of this episode.
• The segment with Krillin at Chichi's house is middle-of-the-road.
• Small note: the slowed down version of M723 has been used for the first time here. It's pretty weird the former version will eventually be used a lot more times than the original.

Episode 8 (Tsuki no Kagayaku Yoru ni Dai-Henshin! Gohan Pawā no Himitsu) aired on June 21st 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama and Last House. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Akio Katada and Naotoshi Shida.

• Ueda's board shows some nice contrasts between light and shade.
• Yamcha's desert cameo.
• The segment with Oozaru Gohan and Piccolo is the clear highlight of this episode.
• Chichi's reaction to Goku's death.
• Bulma is annoying.
• Goku's limbs are disproportionate.

Episode 9 (Gomen ne Robotto-san　Sabaku ni Kieta Namida) aired on June 28th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Osamu Kasai and animation supervision by Katsumi Aoshima and Freelance. Animation by Katsumi Aoshima and Hideko Okimoto.

• Kasai's storyboard has a pleasant atmosphere.
• I quite like how Gohan is more erudite than his father.
• Gohan walking in front of the sunrise.
• Note for the upcoming episodes: I don't think every filler is bad. I judge them according to their entertainment factor, execution and level of annoyance and/or boredom.
• This filler in particular is pretty boring. Gohan's constant whining isn't helping, either.
• I praise the idea of letting Gohan deal with danger, but the execution leaves to be desired.
• The animation often looks like a slideshow with fade out transitions.
• Kasai's direction is really poor: not only the timing of cutaways isn't correct, but his BGM placement is all over the place. M721 when the predators fight over Gohan or M705 when Gohan escapes. Not to mention the unreleased "Gohan's crying theme" being played three times, which can be pretty annoying in the long run.

Episode 10 (Naku na Gohan! Hajimete no Tatakai) aired on July 5th 1989. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard and direction by Kazuhisa Takenouchi and animation supervision by Mitsuo Shindo. Animation by Teruhisa Ryu, Tadayoshi Yamamuro and Noriko Shibata.

• Yamcha's baseball cutscene.
• Takenouchi's board shares some nice atmosphere...
• ...unfortunately, his output is really hit and miss. Does lack of consistency.
• His music placement is also pretty questionable: the slowed down M723 is used three times, two of which being completely out of place. Especially in the very end, in which Gohan witnesses the remains of the herbivorous dinosaur.
• Both the anime and manga fast forward Gohan's progression. In the anime, some time must've passed from eps. 9 and 10, and Gohan's change seems almost sudden. No gradual process around him.

Episode 11 (Uchūichi no Kyō-senshi Saiya-jin Mezameru!) aired on July 12th 1989. Script by Toshiki Inoue, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Tomekichi Takeuchi. Animation by Tomekichi Takeuchi (uncredited), Masahiro Shimanuki, Yoko Iizuka, Masako Misumi, Kazuya Hisada and Kiyoshi Matsumoto.

• Ueda's output is quite great.
• We get to see some early in-betweens from Naoki Tate.
• Nappa licking Yedi's blood from his face is kinda funny.
• Vegeta and Nappa's evil laughter in the end.
• Despite some tracks being reused more than once, it's not much of a problem since they're placed quite correctly. Like M721 on a couple of scenes involving Gohan.
• The fight between the Saiyans and the Arlians is one-sided and a tad predictable.
• Gohan using a ki blast out of nowhere.
• Lunch's cutscene feels random at this point.
• The two Arlians' romance is probably unnecessary.

The first Dragon Ball Z movie (Doragon Bōru Zetto Ora no Gohan o Kaese!! or Dragon Ball Z: Return My Gohan!!) was released on July 15th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio, executive production by Chiaki Imada and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda.

*The upper animation card only illustrates the known key animators' work. The animation staff is far bigger in movies. Among these, Tai'ichiro Ohara and Naotoshi Shida are not credited.

• This movie stands out for not following the "Goku time" leitmotiv of the following movies.
• Nishio's storyboarding is downright fantastic. Great DBesque atmosphere with competent battle choreographies.
• I really like secondary characters having an actual chance of fighting, like Chichi or Kami-sama.
• This shot is quite funny.
• Despite intoxicated Gohan's montage being a proto-"big lipped crocodile moment", it's a fairly nice sequence.
• Maeda's corrections are almost everywhere, which makes spotting animators quite a challenge.
• Kikuchi's M8XX compilation features some of his best tracks, such as M806, M810, M811, M814, M816, M818 and also the unreleased M802. Rather consistent soundtracks.
• As for the villains, Garlic Jr's henchmen are quite fun characters. At least they don't look like generic henchmen (unlike the Spice Boys...).
• As for Garlic Jr., he is portrayed decently to a degree. He actually differs from other villains since he does the most logical thing someone would do with the Dragon Balls: ask for eternal life. However, this plan is completely overshadowed by a really stupid idea...
• ... if Garlic Jr. truly knew Piccolo and Kami were the same guy once, and both die along with Dragon Balls, why would he bother to attack Piccolo at the beginning? That's basically an own goal.
• Was kidnapping Gohan that necessary? They could've easily taken the Dragon Ball out from his hat.
• If Gohan is scared at first, then why does he play tag with Nicky?

Episode 12 (Hebi no Michi de Inemuri　Gokū ga Okkochiru) aired on July 19th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida and Akio Katada.

• The unreleased Out of Control (first used in the very first episode of DB) being played when Goku falls down to Hell.
• Uchiyama's softer traits fit female characters quite well.
• Hirotaka Suzuoki was and STILL is the best Tenshinhan's seiyu.
• Gohan chasing the dinosaur.
• Which sort of clashes with what he said at the beginning, that he wants to go home. Sudden change of mind?
  
• On top of that, why is he supposed to go home? What about Piccolo told him?
• Lunch isn't a good character, her subplot is really dull and she basically has nothing to bring anymore. She's just there for her sneeze gags.
• This could've been a right opportunity for some genuine character moments. Unfortunately, the relationship between Tenshinhan and (blonde) Lunch is very one-sided. The former doesn't even care for the latter. It seems like he ignores her all the time.
• How is it possible to cause an earthquake after Piccolo blows up a pyramid?
• As a whole, this episode consists of a bunch of several subplots. None of these manages to be engaging, though.

Episode 13 (Te o Dasu na! Enma-sama no Himitsu no Kudamono) aired on July 26th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa and Hiroshi Takeuchi.

• The Home for Infinite Losers design.
• A decent transition.
• Ebisawa struggles with proportions for both kids and girls.
• Enma-sama's drawer is a really poor deus ex machina.
• Lunch's cutscene is really unnecessary.
• The chase sequence might not be that bad, but it's a bit distracting.
• This filler feels like a genuine waste of time. The story doesn't even go on... i.

Episode 14 (Amāi Yūwaku! Hebi Himesama no Omotenashi) aired on August 2nd 1989. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Minoru Okazaki and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda. Animation by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Takeo Ide, Masaki Satou and Hisashi Eguchi.

• Wonderful artwork from Maeda's staff. His corrections are relatively light.
• Goku mistaking Princess Snake for Kaio-sama fits his nature. I buy it.
• The tango scene.
• Much like the previous entries, it's another nothing episode.
• The twist around Princess Snake's real identity is a tad predictable.
• M707 when Goku escapes from Snake's castle sounds a bit unfitting. It's way too upbeat for the moment.
• Speaking of which, if Goku flies to escape from Snake's clutches, he could fly instead of running through the Serpentine Road.
• The ending is basically filler inside the filler, with M725 being looped a couple of times.

Episode 15 (Pikkoro kara no Dasshutsu! Arashi o Yobu Gohan) aired on August 9th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Kazuhisa Takenouchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida and Masayuki Uchiyama (uncredited).

• Piccolo sparring with himself is the highlight of this episode.
• The recap shows an unfiltered shot of Vegeta and Nappa from the previous episode.
• Quite animated filler, thanks to Ohara and Shida's effort.
• The saber-toothed tiger is a sympathetic one-hit character.
• Kikuchi's tracks from Piccolo Daimao arc are glorious.
• Takenouchi's storyboard sort of recalls Kiyosato Yamamoto's output in Dragon Ball Super. It does bring some authentic atmosphere.
• His direction, though, is pretty lacking. The Makankosappo footage from episode 4 lasts over a minute and gets pretty distracting.
• Some cuts are reused, like Eguchi's Goku running from the 7th episode or Piccolo flying from the 12th.
• I highly doubt a 4/5-year-old is actually able to build a boat or even a raft.
• While we're at it, why does Gohan want to go home all of a sudden, after staying lonely for approximately six months?
• As a whole, this filler is saved by its interesting visuals.

Episode 16 (Hashire Gohan! Chichi no Matsu Natsukashi no Paozu Yama) aired on August 16th 1989. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard by Katsumi Aoshima, direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Katsumi Aoshima. Animation by Katsumi Aoshima and Hideko Okimoto.

• First DBZ episode to feature storyboarding and direction being handled by two different people.
• Aoshima is also the first animation supervisor to provide storyboarding in the series. And in a pretty nice way.
• The 2nd half is more enjoyable than the 1st one.
• The chase sequence is pretty funny.
• Piegero's seiyu is Takeshi Kusao, a.k.a. Trunks' seiyu.
• While Piegero's decision to leave the orphans behind is quite reasonable, it's also pretty contradictory: if he doesn't want them to become delinquents, then why did he allow them to go stealing for living in the first place?
• The orphans are really bland one-hit characters, with very little to no personality.
• The "cops" are portrayed as villains, even though they are simply doing their job.
• The excessive slow-mo transitions of Aoshima's episodes.

Episode 17 (Asu Naki Machi! Shōri e no Tōi Michinori) aired on August 30th 1989. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Osamu Kasai and animation supervision by Mitsuo Shindo. Animation by Teruhisa Ryu, Noriko Shibata and Tadayoshi Yamamuro.

• This.
• Yamcha and Tenshinhan's simulated death has nice graphics.
• On paper, the idea of spotlighting Krillin, Yamcha and Tenshinhan's training is interesting.
• Unfortunately, the execution doesn't hold up sufficiently.
• The two Saiyans have forgettable designs and personalities.
• Shindo's corrections look way too radical.
• The fight choreographies are a bit lacking, with a recurring overuse of energy attacks, like Yamcha's Soukidan.
• Speaking of which, Tenshinhan's strategy is also pretty stupid: by the time he uses his Shishin no Ken (Multi-Form), his power is reduced to 1/4 of his maximum. What's the point?
• As a whole, not a well-animated entry.

Episode 18 (Shūtennn Hebi no Michi! Omē Kaiō-sama ka?) aired on September 6th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Naotoshi Shida, Akio Katada, Tai'ichiro Ohara, Tetsuya Saeki and Masayuki Uchiyama (uncredited).

• Definitely the most entertaining filler so far.
• Ueda's board is pretty well-executed.
• When it comes to battles, Last House are a guarantee at providing some quality action.
• Goku mistaking Bubbles for Kaio-sama.
• Goku imitating Bubbles.
• The pod Goku landed as a baby is destroyed by Piccolo, but reappears more or less 20 episodes later. It's also conveniently positioned in the same spot Gohan trains with Piccolo.
• Gohan throwing a tantrum against Piccolo theoretically makes sense, since it was him who actually killed Goku. However, he doesn't know it because he was unconscious, as he dreams of Raditz, who kidnapped him.
• The pod projector is so efficient it can project a very clean full moon.
• For some reason, that full moon can also be seen in farther locations, like Kame House.

Episode 19 (Jūryoku to no Tatakai! Baburusu-kun o Tsukamaero) aired on September 13th 1989. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Kazuhisa Takenouchi and animation supervision by Tomekichi Takeuchi. Animation by Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masahiro Shimanuki, Masako Misumi and Kazuya Hisada.

• Kaio-sama's puns are dreadful.
• Gohan and Piccolo share a genuinely nice moment.
• However, when did Goku tell Gohan about Piccolo's change, since he had never met him before Raditz's arrival?
• Goku proudly tells Kaio about his Saiyan origins...
• ...which he constantly denies in movies.
• Takenouchi's board isn't bad, but lacks of consistency.

Episode 20 (Yomigaeru Saiya-jin Densetsu! Gokū no Rūtsu) aired on September 20th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa and Hiroshi Takeuchi.

• Kaio-sama laughing at bad puns.
• Yajirobe biting Krillin's rear out of nowhere.
• Toriyama's manga panels being used in the very end, only recolored.
• Hiroshi Takeuchi's proportions look unsuitable on children.
• I can buy Kaio-sama not knowing Beerus asked Freezer to destroy planet Vegeta in the first place, but why doesn't he know about Freezer, at least? He thinks a meteor collision destroyed Vegeta, like Raditz stated. Since he's basically a god, he should know the truth.

Episode 21 (Ide yo Shenron! Saiya-jin Tsui ni Chikyū Tōchaku) aired on September 27th 1989. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard and direction by Minoru Okazaki and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda. Animation by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Takeo Ide, Masaki Satou and Hisashi Eguchi.

• Piccolo showing some glimpses of regret after roasting Gohan with his eye lasers.
• Okazaki's direction is quite good. I appreciate how he builds up tension before the Saiyans' arrival.
• Maeda's staff deliver another outstanding artistic output.
• This is the first episode to feature Kikuchi's M8** compilation from the first movie.
• How did Kaio-sama ever lose track of time? If he knew how many days were left 2 episodes ago, why does his forget about it now?
• I guess this is the first instance of the series which establishes Goku's role of entering the fight scene at the right moment. Kind of a plot device that gets overused plenty of times.

Episode 22 ('nna Baka na!! Tsuchi kara Umareta Saibaiman) aired on October 11th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Kazuhisa Takenouchi and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Akio Katada, Tetsuya Saeki, Tai'ichiro Ohara and Naotoshi Shida.

• Takenouchi's most convincing board so far. His use of lights and shades during the Saiyan's arrival is really on-point.
• Horikawa's Vegeta sounds so calm, as opposed to his current characterization.
• I really like how Vegeta and Nappa discredit power levels.
• Why are Piccolo and Kami-sama so surprised after realizing they're not humans? Have they never looked themselves at the mirror?

Episode 23 (Yamucha Shisu! Osoru Beshi Saibaiman) aired on October 18th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Katsumi Aoshima. Animation by Katsumi Aoshima, Hideko Okimoto, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru (uncredited) and Yukio Ebisawa (uncredited).

• Ueda's board manages to create some fairly good, yet short choreographies.
• Piccolo telling Gohan to sense ki.
• Unlike in the manga, the anime shows Bulma and Puar's grief after Yamcha's death. It works since it gives more impact to sad moments.
• The constant slow-mo of Aoshima's entries.
• Piccolo's massive eye.
• The battle between Tenshinhan and the Saibaman is a bit short and mediocre.
• Yamcha's death is already revealed in the episode title.

Episode 24 (Sayonara Ten-san! Chaozu no Sutemi no Senpō) aired on October 25th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard by Osamu Kasai, direction by Tatsuya Orime and animation supervision by Mitsuo Shindo. Animation by Teruhisa Ryu, Tadayoshi Yamamuro and Noriko Shibata.

• I like how Kamesennin is relatively calm after Yamcha's demise, as though he knows death almost has no consequence whatsoever.
• Piccolo killing off the last Saibaman in a pretty cool fashion.
• I quite like how nobody is actually horrified by Tenshinhan losing his arm, beside Chaozu. Not even Gohan.
• Chaozu's death is portrayed in a pretty powerful way: unlike Yamcha's, his death has far more weight, since the Dragon Balls already resurrected him once.
• Of course, Suzuoki's performance as Tenshinhan is excellent.
• Piccolo telling Gohan not to look off is a strong message, and his respect towards Chaozu's sacrifice is a very nice touch.
• Orime's direction stands out during Tenshinhan's sorrow, through his distinctive usage of imagery. In this case, his memories of his fallen comrade.
• Kasai's storyboard uses shades and colors during crucial moments...
• ...but his repeated reaction shots feel quite outdated.
• Shindo's corrections dominate all over the episode, whose art style isn't known for looking particularly polished and/or appealing.

Episode 25 (Tenshinhan Zekkyō!! Kore ga Saigo no Kikōhō da) aired on November 1st 1989. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio and animation supervision by Tomekichi Takeuchi. Animation by Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masahiro Shimanuki, Masako Misumi and Kazuya Hisada.

• Nishio's output is quite on-point. He knows how to build up some plausible tension and some pretty solid choreographies.
• Even though it clashes with the previous fillers around his personality, Gohan's terror makes total sense. He's only five.
• Normally I would complain about Chaozu's flashbacks in the middle of a battle, but I think it's quite fitting this time, since Tenshinhan is shown mourning for his dead friend.
• Much like Chaozu's, Tenshinhan's death is another powerful moment. Probably even more powerful, thanks to Kazuya Hisada's key animation.
• The fight between Tenshinhan and Nappa looks quite stiff, with some awkward poses.
• M706 playing when Goku has a bad presentiment.

Episode 26 (Hitasura Matte Sanjikan! Dangan Hikō no Kinto'un) aired on November 8th 1989. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard by Kazuhisa Takenouchi, direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida, Tetsuya Saeki and Akio Katada.

• Gohan insulting Nappa with Vegeta laughing at him.
• The climax of Goku finally finishing the Serpentine Road is well-handled.
• Piccolo motivating Gohan.
• Chichi's drama can get pretty annoying.
• Being a pretty rushed episode, it's not a surprise to see some recycled animation.
• Back in Dragon Ball, Karin used to have a jar full of senzus. Now he only has two. Why?

Episode 27 (Boku ni Makasete! Gohan, Ikari no Daibakuhatsu) aired on November 22nd 1989. Script by Toshiki Inoue, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Takenori Kudo.

• Hashimoto's output is quite solid and his storyboard displays some nice glimpses.
• I also quite like some of his transitions.
• It's a good thing neither Vegeta or Nappa has the tail weakness, unlike Raditz.
• We learn a lot from Vegeta's very impulsive side of his character: if he paid more attention while talking about the Namekian Dragon Balls, Freezer would never find it out.
• Gohan kicking Nappa.
• Piccolo's sacrifice is such a meaningful and intense moment: it works because they've had time to build up their master-pupil relationship for a year, thus it comes full circle.
• M424EXT fits the scene, of course.
• Chichi's drama.

Episode 28 (Saiya-jin no Mōi! Kami-sama mo Pikkoro mo Shinda) aired on November 29th 1989. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Minoru Okazaki and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda. Animation by Hisashi Eguchi, Masaki Satou, Takeo Ide and Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru.

• Eguchi's sketchy execution of Piccolo looks stunning.
• As a whole, Maeda's team deliver another outstanding output. The supervisor's corrections can be spotted, but are relatively light.
• It's quite strange to see Vegeta so calm while talking with Goku, as opposed to his current grumpier attitude.
• Goku dedicating every attack on Nappa to his fallen friends is a nice touch.
• Although, I don't remember Goku ever interacting with Chaozu before.
• Okazaki's output is very inconsistent, though. His board falls flat quite often and his music placement isn't always effective. For example, an upbeat M707 is played when Goku arrives at the battlefield. It does sound way too cheerful for a supposedly solemn moment.
• Kame House cutaways don't feel that necessary.
• The fight between Goku and Nappa has a solid general idea, but some of Nappa's moves look slightly rigid.

Episode 29 (Tōsan Sugē ya! Kyūkyoku no Hissatsuwaza · Kaiō-Ken) aired on December 6th 1989. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Tai'ichiro Ohara, Naotoshi Shida, Tetsuya Saeki and Akio Katada.

• Nappa's expression before dying.
• Not a particularly polished episode, as opposed to the previous one.
• The whole Bulma-Uranai Baba segment.
• Ueda's direction is decent, but not great.

Episode 30 (Genkai o Koeta Atsui Tatakai! Gokū Tai Bejīta) aired on December 13th 1989. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard and direction by Tatsuya Orime and animation supervision by Katsumi Aoshima. Animation by Katsumi Aoshima and Hideko Okimoto.

• Krillin comforting Gohan is a nice moment.
• Goku and Vegeta's pre-battle dialogue is indeed memorable.
• It's quite ironic Vegeta has the upper hand here, unlike their following fights, in which they're evenly matched.
• Solid board from Orime, especially in the first half.
• Lunch's last appearance on the series is pretty unsettling, with her alcoholism after Tenshinhan's death.
• Then again, she was never an actual character to begin with.
• The overall fight between Goku and Vegeta is not that well-animated, despite a solid start.
• The second half is slightly weaker than the first.

Episode 31 (Ima da Gokū! Subete o Kaketa Saigo no Ōwaza) aired on December 20th 1989. Script by Toshiki Inoue, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio and animation supervision by Tomekichi Takeuchi. Animation by Tomekichi Takeuchi, Yoko Iizuka, Masahiro Shimanuki, Kazuya Hisada and Masako Misumi.

• This fight portion is memorable: its techniques, its gestures, its choreographies. Any requirement for a big battle.
• Clearly, this is also thanks to the series' director Nishio's great board. 
• This fight also stands out because every attack is felt: characters are indeed injured, but in Goku's case, his body suffers a gradual breakdown after using a three-times Kaioken.
• Shimanuki's legendary Kamehameha-Galick Gun beam struggle: his gestures look slightly jerky, but his character art, debris and beam effects are incredible.
• Takeuchi's corrections are minor and not that dominant, but his massive ears look quite disproportioned.
• Once again, the Kame House cutaways are not that necessary.

Episode 32 (Sentō-ryoku Jū-Bai!! Bejīta Dai-Henshin) aired on January 17th 1990. Script by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, storyboard and direction by Yoshihiro Ueda and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Naotoshi Shida, Tai'ichiro Ohara, Tetsuya Saeki and Akio Katada.

• Gohan deciding to go back to help Goku is an arrival point of his character development.
• Ueda's storyboarding is pretty solid.
• Why does Goku ask Tenshinhan for borrowing his Taiyoken? I think he's been borrowing other people's techniques since the very beginning.
• Once again, Chichi's drama is played for laughs, but actually manages to be pretty bothersome.

Episode 33 (Shinanaide Tōsan!! Kore ga Gohan no Sokojikara) aired on January 24th 1990. Script by Keiji Terui, storyboard and direction by Mitsuo Hashimoto and animation supervision by Yukio Ebisawa. Animation by Yukio Ebisawa, Tomoya Iida and Takenori Kudo.

• I really like the idea of a red and blue sky at the beginning.
• Chichi telling Gohan to fight back is a bit out of character, but I find it a decent return to her DB self.
• Art-wise, it does look quite limited. Ebisawa's traits are not known for being that polished.
• His Vegeta doesn't look particularly great, either.
• Despite not being too bad, the concept of Goku giving his Genkidama to Krillin sort of creaks, since he's able to control it on the first try.

Episode 34 (Ute Kuririn! Negai o Kometa Genki-Dama) aired on January 31st 1990. Script by Takao Koyama, storyboard and direction by Minoru Okazaki and animation supervision by Minoru Maeda. Animation by Takeo Ide, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Hisashi Eguchi and Masaki Satou.

• Okazaki's solidest output so far. Nothing particularly fantastic, but his board is quite well-executed and his music placement is fairly correct.
• Really strong output from Maeda's team, with glimpses of great animation.
• Despite not liking the Kame House cutscenes, I sort of like Bulma and Chichi's solidarity. These character moments are always welcome.
• Regardless, these cutaways get in the way. They interrupt the battle quite often.
• Goku telling Gohan the Genkidama only hurts bad people sounds a bit forced. If he did not deflect it, it would hurt him, either way.
• M742 being played when Vegeta is hit by the Genkidama sounds quite generic and not that dramatic.

Episode 35 (Kiseki o Okose! Sūpā Saiya-jin Son Gohan) aired on February 7th 1990. Script by Hiroshi Toda, storyboard and direction by Daisuke Nishio and animation supervision by Masayuki Uchiyama. Animation by Masayuki Uchiyama, Naotoshi Shida, Tai'ichiro Ohara and Tetsuya Saeki.

• The idea of half-breed Saiyans being able to rationalize in their Oozaru forms is quite interesting. Gohan's rampage stops after hearing Goku's voice.
• Kikuchi's unreleased 'Son Goku's Redemption Day' being used during Gohan's Oozaru transformation. Unfortunately, for the very last time.
• Which makes a specific scene of the third movie a lot more stupid.
• Nishio's board and direction is really solid. Perhaps not as great as his output in #31.
• I totally buy Goku's decision to spare Vegeta's life, since it's in line with his personality. Unlike a future instance, he actually has a few reasons for it, as they belong to the same Saiyan race.
• Overall, it's a pretty great arc finale. The conflict is well portrayed, there are spurts of great animation and it gets seldom interrupted.
• Uchiyama's supervision isn't always on-point.

SAIYAN ARC FINAL THOUGHTS

• Every single villain gets a proper introduction.
• Every death has a lot of weight one way or another.
• The constant evolution of Piccolo's change, alongside his relationship with Gohan.
• Fillers around Gohan are kind of useful to verify his character progression: from a pampered child to a warrior.
• The Goku vs Vegeta showdown.
• During the final battle, every character is injured and shows physical problems, like limping, not being able to stand or even to move. This is quite in line with the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai arc, where both Goku and Piccolo were both wounded and with several handicaps. It feels realistic.
• A pretty good arc finale.
• This arc is mostly slow-paced.
• Some fillers are not that good, like the Princess Snake episode or the robot episode.
• The Tenshinhan-Lunch filler is a missed opportunity to get some genuine character moments, which didn't happen at all.
• Action scenes being interrupted by unneeded cutaways.
• The beginning of Chichi's flanderization in the anime.

FINAL RATING: 7/10