Raditz is still standing. Piccolo has a plan. And Gohan is about to show that, under the tears, he has a Saiyan heart.

This week on Toonami Absolution, Alyx, Jon, and Sam cover Dragon Ball Z Ocean Dub Episodes 3 and 4: "Gohan's Hidden Powers" and "Goku's Unusual Journey."

Episode 3 escalates the Raditz fight in the worst way, as Raditz seems completely untouchable. That is until Gohan deploys Dragon Ball Z’s funniest named attack “Leave My Daddy Alone!” stunning Raditz for just long enough for Goku to get into the fight. However, Goku still has to make the ultimate sacrifice to put his brother down for good.

Episode 4 turns the victory into a defeat though, as Raditz's dying taunt that two far more powerful Saiyans are already on their way makes Piccolo takes Gohan for special training, realizing that when Vegeta and Nappa arrive, he’ll need all the help he can get. At the same time, Goku startss his long trek up Snake Way to meet King Kai.

We dig into what makes this opening arc so effective as a tonal reset from Dragon Ball, what the Ocean voice cast brings to these early episodes, and how Saban’s edits change Dragon Ball Z’s feel.

🔔 Subscribe for our ongoing watch-through of Dragon Ball Z from the very beginning!

📌 Topics covered this episode:

– DBZ Ocean Dub Episode 3 "Gohan's Hidden Powers" recap & review

– DBZ Ocean Dub Episode 4 "Goku's Unusual Journey" recap & review

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Toonami Absolution is a weekly podcast where Alyx, Jon, and Sam revisit the Toonami and Adult Swim shows that made them, and you, you.

From the block's early days with shows like Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Transformers: Beast Wars to the imported anime that made Toonami and Adult Swim appointment television for a generation of kids, such as Cowboy Bebop, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball.

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