Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

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Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast episodes

October 21Street Fighter II (S5E15)
Hadouken! Sonic Boom! Anime?
Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular!

In this episode, Jelli and Bekinney break down the 1994 film, Street Fighter II aka Street Fighter II The Animated Movie aka Street Fighter II The Anime. 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 the original voice of Bulma, Hiromi Tsuru (as well as the voices of Mr. Satan, Android 8, and more).
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney welcome you to October
We discuss why we chose to look at Street Fighter II
Production facts and history behind 1994's Street Fighter II, including its place alongside the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme film
Brief discussion of Gisoburo Sugii, the director, whose credits include Touch, Journey to the West, and The Tale of Genji.
Tetsuya Komuro, one of Japan's most popular (and infamous) musicians.
Kazuyoshi Ishii, founder of K1, and his contributions to the film
Group TAC's work on the movie
The Street Fighter franchise including its debut cabinet in 1987 and its inspiration from the game Kung Fu Master (aka Spartan X) and a reminder that this game was inspired by the Bruce Lee film Game of Death which inspired Toriyama to create Muscle Tower
The odd pneumatic system of the original Street Fighter game
Street Fighter II's 1991 debut
How the characters M. Bison, Balrog, and Vega have different names in the Japanese vs American versions of the game due to the boxer Mike Tyson
Voices for Nappa, Turtle, Ox King, Colonel Yellow, Cymbal, Drum, Mr. Satan, Tao Paipai, Burter, and Tien being featured in characters like E Honda, T Hawk (Thunder Hawk), Seno, and Ken
Hiromi Tsuru's life and career
Tsuru's thoughts on Bulma's character both initially and over the years
Tsuru and Masako Nozawa's friendship
The unfortunate circumstances around Hiromi Tsuru's passing
The film's release history and editing/censorship over time
Similarities between this film and the Dragon Ball franchise
Our thoughts on the Street Fighter franchise
Our history with fighting games
Evo Moment #37 or Daigo Parry
Our thoughts on the new Street Fighter movie from 2026
...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 Street Fighter franchise....for our special Dragon Ball-o-Ween event!

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2 hr 5 min
October 13 Dragon Ball-oween MINISODE - Jelli's Top Ten Tournament Matches
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 tournaments. 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:
The 21st Tenkaichi Budokai featured Krillin vs Bacterian, Ranfan vs Namu, Jackie Chun vs. Yamcha, Goku vs Giran, Krillin vs Jackie Chun, Goku vs Nam, Jackie Chun vs Goku
The 22nd tournament featured Yamcha vs Tien, Goku vs Panput, Krillin vs Chaotzu, Jackie Chun vs Man Wolf, Krillin vs Goku, Tien vs Jackie Chun, Goku vs Tien
The 23rd tournament featured Tien vs Tao Paipai, Goku vs Chichi, Krillin vs Piccolo, Shen/Hiro vs Yamcha, Goku vs Tien, Piccolo vs Kami, Goku vs Piccolo
The 25th tournament has Trunks vs Goten, Videl vs Spopovich, Piccolo vs Supreme Kai Shin, Gohan vs Kibito, Krillin vs Punta
The Baba tournament has Krillin vs Fangs the vampire, Yamcha vs Fangs, Yamcha vs Mummy-kun, Goku vs Mummy-kun, Goku vs Devilman, Goku vs Grandpa Gohan
The universe 6 vs universe 7 tournament features Goku vs Botamo, Goku vs Frost, Piccolo vs Frost, Vegeta vs Frost, Vegeta vs Magetta, Vegeta vs Cabba, Vegeta vs Hit, Goku vs Hit, Monaka vs Hit
The other world tournament features Olibu vs Chapuchai, Goku vs Caterpy, Torbie vs Tapkar, Mariakoh vs Froug, Goku vs Arqua, Goku vs Olibu, Goku vs Maraiko, Goku vs Pikkon

We decided no Cell Games and no Tournament of Power.

Jelli threw all these in a pile and picked out just TEN of his favorites. Who will they be?
19 min
October 06Kamen Rider Black Sun (S5E14)
Why are we connecting Dragon Ball to a show from 2022 about anarcho leftists fighting back against a corrupt conservative government? Probably no reason that's fitting with the current sociopolitical times.
Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular!

In this episode, Jelli and Bekinney break down the 2022 Japanese television series, Kamen Rider Black Sun. 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. We have a long list of reasons for looking at this show, but you'll have to listen to the episode to find them out.

In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney say hello to Halloween...and a special guest!
A couple of content warnings: political discussion, detailing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and mentions of assassination
We discuss why we chose to look at Kamen Rider Black Sun
A reminder that Kamen Rider ties into the Ginyu Force via Super Sentai, as well as people like Toshiki Inoue, Shunsuke Kikuchi, Riku Sanjo, and characters like Android 16
A primer on Kamen Rider in general
Why Toei chose to aim for a more adult-oriented Kamen Rider show
A bit about some of the show's creators including showrunner Kazuya Shiraishi, Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan, the Heisei Gamera trilogy), and Kiyotaka Taguchi (Neo Ultra Q, Ultraman X, Ultraman Blazar, Gemstone Godzilla shorts)
Unit 731, Japan's secret military scientific research station that experimented on people throughout World War II
The history of Marxism (socialism and communism) in Japan
The Freedom and People's Rights Movement
The Meiji Constitution
The Japan Socialist Party
Post-War socialism in Japan as American Occupation forces rebuilt the country literally and philosophically
The rise of the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party)
The Shimoyama Incident, and terror attacks on Japan's railway system that led to a mistrust of Japanese leftists
The rise of the Japan Red Army or JRA and its attack on Lod Airport near Tel Aviv
Shinzo Abe and his rise to power, politics, and beliefs that led to his assassination
Japan's history with regards to its treatment of minorities including people of color, foreigners, and the LGBTQIA+ Community
...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! And of course, special thanks to our friend, Lux Edwards, for helping us with this episode!

Lux Edwards:
https://bsky.app/profile/soulmass218.bsky.social

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https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
2 hr 34 min
September 22Androids 17 and 18 (S5E13)
The Z fighters come up against their worst threat ever....TEENAGERS.

Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 131 through 135, "More Androids?!" "Follow Dr. Gero," "Nightmare Comes True," "Goku's Assassin," and "Deadly Beauty." As we continue into the Androids Saga, we discuss Androids 17 and 18.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are back outside space and time
Senzu don't work on viruses?
A couple notes on Android 17 solo as well as his personality and his interactions with Goku
A few notes on Android 18 as her own character including her being platinum blonde
Torishima's push to create these characters and his reaction and disappointment in their creation
The sleuthing skills of Von at Manga Barcelona in December 2025 and her discovery from Toriyama's long-time assistant Takashia Matsuyama as to the involvement of Toriyama's wife in the creation of Androids 17 and 18
Toriyama's thoughts on 17 and 18 as time went on
Possible inspiration points behind Androids 17 and 18, reminding listeners of Toriyama's use of punk and visual kei in the past
The emergence of a darker version of visual kei, known as Nagoya Kei with Silver Rose and Kuroyume
B'z, Japan's highest-selling musical artist of all-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://bsky.app/profile/finalforumpod.bsky.social
discord.gg/KGGeyt2jWD
https://www.youtube.com/@finalforum8985
https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
49 min
September 08Androids 19 and 20 (S5E12)
What could be more threatening than *checks notes* an elderly man and a porcelain doll?!?!? Wait....what?

Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 126 through 130, "The Androids Appear," "A Handy Trick," "Double Trouble for Goku," "Upgrade to Super Saiyan," and "The Secret of Dr. Gero." We get into the Android Saga proper, and discuss Androids 19 and 20.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are ready to leave again
Vegeta's transformation to Super Saiyan and how it is the mirror of Goku's
Akira Toriyama's challenge from Kazuhiko Torishima to create different villains for this arc
Android 19
Traditional Turkish clothing and its significance in Ottoman history, including its roots as religiously important and into its post WWI meanings
Traditional Japanese dolls
Okiagiri-koboshi dolls or basically Weebles
Gosho dolls and their importance to Japanese culture
Karakuri dolls, early automata that are puppets without strings
Android 20
Gero Jeh-roh, Guh-roh...ruh-roh
Vomit
Gero's visual similarities to Albert Einstein, Christopher Lloyd as Emmet Brown in Back to the Future, Dr. Wily from the Mega Man franchise, Victor Frankentsein, and Dr. Rotwang from Metropolis
Gero's stunning and uncanny resemblance to the Greek general Theodoros Kolokotronis
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
discord.gg/KGGeyt2jWD
https://www.youtube.com/@finalforum8985
https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
58 min
August 25The Driving Episode! (Goku's Traffic Safety) (S5E11)
The greatest filler episode in anime history PLUS: A very special surprise. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?!?!?!

Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 124 and 125: "Z Warriors Prepare," and "Goku's Ordeal." As we take a look at perhaps the greatest filler episode in anime history.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are ready to leave again
The best episode of DBZ. Periodt.
Details about Japan's traffic and road history
Statistics about car ownership in Japan
The explosion of paved roadways in Japan from 1950 to 1965
The commensurate explosion in traffic accidents and fatalities over this time period
PSAs: what are they, and why were they a thing
Our super special surprise!
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
discord.gg/KGGeyt2jWD
https://www.youtube.com/@finalforum8985
https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
55 min
August 11Nepotism and Cyborgs (S5E10)
What happens when the most evil man alive is revealed to just have Daddy issues? No, this episode isn't about Donald Trump; we're talking about Frieza and the revelations that he's a nepo-baby.

Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 118 through 123: "Frieza' Counterattack," "The Mysterious Youth," "Another Super Saiyan?" "Welcome Back Goku," "Mystery Revealed, and "Goku's Special Technique." As we begin the Androids Saga. We discuss nepotism's history in Japan and get into cybernetic enhancements, such as they are in 2026.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are ...back?
A very good-looking batch of episodes
Bulma's underrated look
Gohan's tutor and the meaning behind his name
King Cold and what he represents
Nepotism's history in Japan, with the imperial lineage tracing its way back 2600 years, lines of patriarchal succession in the Edo Period, and the continued heritage of "political families" in Japan even in the post-war era
Toriyama's potential social commentary, but also his potential inspiration points such as Star Wars, the Six Million Dollar Man, and the kaiju film Gorgo
Mecha-Frieza's possible design inspirations from DC's Cyborg and Marvel's Deathlok
How this trope has influenced other storytellers moving forward, including, possibly, Star Wars
A brief history of mecha and cyborgs in kaiju cinema including Gigan, Mechagodzilla, and Zone Fighter
A discussion of cybernetic appendages and their use in the modern world
A reminder that current-day cyborg technology is not as cool as it seems in fiction
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
discord.gg/KGGeyt2jWD
https://www.youtube.com/@finalforum8985
https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
59 min
July 28Pearls and Fog (S5E9)
What do true crime stories about pearls whose tale consists of hired murder, money laundering, and Osama Bin Laden have to do with Dragon Ball? You have to listen to this one to find 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 112 through 117: "Call for Restoration," "Suicidal Course," "Extreme Measures," "The World Awakens," "Brief Chance for Victory," and "Krillin's Proposal." As we finish The Garlic Jr Arc. We discuss humanity's fascination with giant pearls, discuss the use of mist and fog in legends and folklore and wax poetic about cryptids and mythology and what it means to believe in such things.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are going to force their way back
We...liked these episodes
We compare Garlic Jr to that lovable villain of the Simpsons franchise, Sideshow Bob
Mermaid Tears, aka beach glass
The Pearl of Lao Tzu, aka the Pearl of Muhammed aka the Pearl of Laozi
A tale of death, murder, court trials, Ripley's Belive It or Not, and overvalued gems
The Pearl of Puerto
The use of mist and fog in storytelling including Irish feth fiada, a mist that ensures elvish supernatural beings known as Tuatha de Danann remain invisible to humans; Dutch Witte Wieven, mysterious figures of wise women; and the Norse Niflheim, which translates as World of Mist
Japanese yokai including enenra, azuki abba, and yuki onna
Stories of Lake Mashu, in Hokkaido
Discussing the Terragen Mists of the Marvel universe and how important it is to the Inhumans and mutants/X-Men
Stephen King stories including Wizard and Glass (and The Dark Tower), The Mist, Dr. Sleep and IT
Bigfoot, for some reason, and we talk about Harry and the Hendersons, Sasquatch Sunset, the Asylum's Bigfoot featuring Alice Cooper
Mermaids and we talk about gillmen and The Shape of Water and The Cabin in the Woods, the Polish movie The Lure, the film Blue My Mind and of course the Tom Hanks-Daryl Hanna film Splash
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
discord.gg/KGGeyt2jWD
https://www.youtube.com/@finalforum8985
https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
1 hr 1 min
July 14Spice Boys (S5E8)
Spear fishing. Male boob windows. These are Dragon Ball things, right? They are now.

Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 108 through 112: "The Heavens Tremble," "Black Fog of Terror," "Battle in Kami's Lookout," "Fight with Piccolo," and "Call for Restoration." As we delve into a filler saga with The Garlic Jr Arc. We discuss the history of spear fishing and break down the Spice Boys who are a reference to what you think they are.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are trying to get back home
We...liked these episodes
The Spice Boys. Yes, they are referencing the Spice Girls
Groups that owe their success to the Spice Girls such as No Doubt, Britney Spears, All Saints, B*Witched, Atomic Kitten, Girl Thing, Girls@Play, Girls Aloud and more
The Four Demonic Monarchs...or the Four Heavenly Kings
Equating each Spice Boy to a Heavenly King
How the manga staff picked up Toriyama's tendencies again
A note about our Bansho Fan filler episode
Notes about Maron and her design as it potentially appears prior to this in Savings Soldier Cashman, a Toriyama manga that appeared in V Jump.
Spearfishing, its history and how advances have led to regulation but also modern diving technology in general
Math!
We talk about Klein bottles, four dimensional space, and potential real-world applications for studying mathematically esoteric concepts
The ab window as the male equivalent of a boob window
We manage a reference to Evil Dead and Army of Darkness
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
discord.gg/KGGeyt2jWD
https://www.youtube.com/@finalforum8985
https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
58 min
June 30Frieza Arc Manga Review (S5E7)
It's the end of Frieza, forever, for real, with NO chance of him retur...he returns before the arc is even over? What? Anyway, how do we feel about the Frieza Arc having reached its conclusion?
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 finish discussing Frieza arc, and talk about pacing and intended endings. We also discuss six episodes of the anime, episodes 102-107, "Duel on a Vanishing Planet," "Pathos of Frieza," "Frieza Defeated!!" "Mighty Blast of Rage," "Namek's Explosion...Goku's End?" and "Goku's Alive!!"
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney prepare to return to their own universe
We recap the story
We discuss whether the end of the Frieza Saga was the intended ending of Dragon Ball
Animation difficulties, both with continuity and overall quality
Toriyama's workload at this time
A brief note on reading burning leaves to tell the future
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
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https://www.instagram.com/finalforumpod/
1 hr 5 min

About Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Dragon Ball has a wealth of cultural context and inspiration that’s often overlooked because the fights are cool. Though not averse to fawning over animation and allowing for the Rule of Cool, Jelli and Bekinney delve into the world of Akira Toriyama, and discuss lesser-known facts about the worldwide manga and anime phenomenon that is one of the most well-known and popular Japanese pop culture exports of all-time. Want to learn about the cultural importance of moments, literary inspirations behind scenes and characters, production facts, and more? Whether you‘re a fan of Goku, Vegeta, or any of the cast of characters including Piccolo, Gohan, Frieza, or even Broly, there should be something for you to enjoy as we cover all things Dragon Ball, including DBZ, GT, Super, Daima, and more!

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Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast episodes

About Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast