Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

By Final Forum Podcast

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 a... more

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FAQs about Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast:

How many episodes does Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 109 episodes available.

Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast episodes:

September 24, 2024Piccolo Jr Manga Review (S3E19)
Dragon Ball gives way to Dragon Ball Z, but what about the manga? How does it stack up to the anime adaptation?
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by jumping into comparing the Dragon Ball anime to the Dragon Ball manga. We continue discussing Piccolo Jr arc, and talk about Goku's character growth.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are almost back to their ship
We recap the story a little bit
Goku's character growth from being overly impetuous and rash to a little more measured and intentional with his fights and how this is doled out over thousands of pages, making it subtle
How Goku becomes the stand-in for Sun Wukong and Xuanzang as the series progresses and that feeding into his character development meant
Brief discussion of Toriyama's editors as the series progressed
A callback to Jelli's theory about the gods being like middle management
Comparing the manga to the anime, as we do when we wrap up an arc
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
56min
September 10, 2024Bansho Fan Filler (S3E18)
Is this just a perfunctory tack-on to the end of Dragon Ball or is there more to this crop of filler episodes than it would appear at a glance?
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 149, 150, 151, 152, and 153: "Dress in Flames," "The Fire-Eater," "Outrageous Octagon," "Mystery of the Dark World," and "The End, The Beginning." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about the filler that ends the original Dragon Ball series.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are trying to get back to their ship and escape
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Some notes on our assumptions when it comes to breaking down these episodes
Talking about Azuchi Castle, Oda Nobunaga, the FX series Shogun, and Octagons
The Basan, Japan's legendary fire bird, similar to a phoenix and how the Pokemon Moltres took inspiration from this as well
Hakkakke's name, meaning literally chipped-tooth
The yuki-onna, or Snow Woman, a yokai of Japanese folklore
A brief tangent into Kwaidan, Tales from the Darkside and Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
The five elements of Chinese and Japanese culture and how they compare to the four elements of Western thought
The Bansho Fan and its inspirations from the Banana Leaf Fan of Journey to the West
A discussion of Daode Tianzun, one of the Three Pure Ones of orthodox Daoism and his connections to Journey to the West, Laozi, and Annin
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
1h 2min
August 27, 202423rd Tenkaichi Budokai Finals (S3E17)
Who will win? Do the physics here make any sense?
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 144, 145, 146, 147, and 148: "Super Kamehameha," "Junior No More," "Goku's Trap," "Goku Hangs On," and "The Victor." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about the ending of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. We wrap up our last mystery reveals, and spend some time talking about Piccolo's regeneration ability.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are trying to get back to their ship
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Some notes on weighted clothing
Goku's abs
A discussion on the use of nuclear blast imagery
Piccolo vs Piccolo Jr vs Piccolo Daimao vs Demon King Piccolo - What's the difference?
The announcer's actions are inspired by kaiju cinema, especially Godzilla movies like King Kong vs Godzilla
Piccolo's size growth is both a role reversal from the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai when Goku went Oozaru to fight Roshi and a reference to both Ultraman and Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers)
Goku's trip into Piccolo's mouth and a parallel to Journey to the West
Goku's surprise reveal that he can fly
Why Kami can create clothes from nothing
Discussion on Piccolo's regeneration
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
54min
August 13, 202423rd Tenkaichi Budokai Semifinals and Kami (S3E16)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 140, 141, 142 and 143: "Goku Gains Speed," "The Four Faces of Tien," "Kami vs Piccolo," and "Battle for the Future." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about Kami, who he is, what his goals are, and whether he's bad at his job.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are attempting to relax
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Some notes on weighted clothing
A discussion of the Namekian language
All things Kami
Why Kami looks like Piccolo
Why Kami's design is the way it is
What the name Kami means
The importance of kami in Shintoism
The significance of the titles Kami-sama and Chikyu no Kami
The introduction of the bureaucracy of Dragon Ball's afterlife
How this all differ from Judeo-Christian beliefs in God
Thoughts and discussion about whether Kami, as "guardian of the Earth" is bad at his job
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
47min
July 30, 202423rd Tenkaichi Budoaki Round of 8 (S3E15)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 136, 137 and 138 : "Tien Shinhan vs Mercenary Tao," "Anonymous Proposal," and "THe Mysterious Hero." ...and the Jelli realizes he wanted to do one more, so we also cover episode 139, "Rematch." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about characters chasing Goku in his growth.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney make a final approach to a new planet
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Why Tsuru Senin suddenly reappears now
Theorizing on the training of Yamcha, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu
A note about love angles in Dragon Ball and the push-pull between Toriyama and Torishima
More about Tien's tenme
Ties between Tao Pai Pai and Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Enter the Dragon
Briefly delving into Tien's lifelong scar received from this battle and whether we want to draw a correlation between Vegeta's now-infamous consistently injured left arm.
Talking about the significance of Chi Chi withholding her name
Ties between Piccolo and tokusatsu
Jelli takes a totally unusual (sarcasm) side trek into kaiju fandom with a parallel between Shen (Kami's human vessel) and Ichiro Arishima's character Mr Tako from King Kong vs. Godzilla and Japan's salary man culture
We talk about the sokidan
An interesting corollary between the anime's use of the movie Zu, Warriors from the Magic Mountain, and Toriyama's own use of a motif from the film
Talking about whether Piccolo's disguise is acceptable
A brief discussion of the history of wolves in Japan, including a mention of Haiyao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, and its inspirations from the Emishi people and their conquest by the Yamato tribe, and how the movie draws on the Meiji restoration policy of slaughtering wolves in order to stem the spread of rabies throughout Japan
A brief discussion of whether Yamcha, Krillin, Ten Shinhan, and Chiaotzu being stated as having trained with Korin and likely drinking the various divine waters undermines Goku's accomplishments in having done so.

and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
49min
July 16, 202423rd Tenkaichi Budokai Begins (S3E14)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 133, 134, and 135: "Changes," "Preliminary Peril," and "Battle of the Eight." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about consistency of character development
In this episode:
Bekinney is crawling around the duct work while Jelli "encourages" him
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Some notes about the tournament as a whole and our new Budokai Tenkaichi theme: Mysteries
The significance of everyone's outfit changes: Goku exemplifying his connection to nature, Chiaotzu and Tien exemplifying their commitment to their own values instead of Crane Hermit's, Yamcha's new scars, and Krillin's relative lack of change
A note about the shift in tone and style
A discussion of whether the change is a good thing (it is)
A whole bunch of word play with paper, god, kami, and drawing lotteries or fortunes, and Toriyama's subversion of expectations
A probably longer-than-necessary discussion of Piccolo saving two children
A detour into the world of WWE, including the films The Wrestler, and Iron Claw.
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
47min
July 02, 2024Mr. Popo's Training Episode 69 -Nice- (S3E13)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 128, 129, 130, 131, and 132: "Secret of the Woods," "The Time Room," "Goku's Doll," "Walking Their Own Ways," and "Hotter than Lava." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about another controversial Dragon Ball topic: Filler
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are heading to a new planet
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Some notes about the episode Quicker than Lightning, on the character of Chuu Lee, and the Sacred Crown (more on this later)
Talking about delicious desserts, and the cream puff franchise Beard Papa's
A brief note on the Japanese custom of Yaochun
Why The Time Room episode doesn't work for us
Possible inspiration behind Goku's Doll from the Phantos as seen in Super Mario Bros. 2 (or Doki Doki Panic)
A brief history of Doki Doki Panic, how it became Super Mario Bros. 2, and its connection to the 1987 festival: Yume Kojo 87
A brief note on the Odango Hairstyle sported by the Street Fighter character Chun Li (as well as many other kawai anime girls)
An in-depth discussion of Sun Wukong's golden headband, and whether it matters that Goku does not have this feature
Why we're not going to talk about Kami-sama, Piccolo Jr, the dragon being repaired, or other items that are debuted in these episodes...yet
Jelli crams in Godzilla references by brining both Godzilla Minus One and Shin Godzilla to the table
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
1h
June 18, 2024The Mr. Popo Episode (S3E12)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 125, 126, and 127, , "Earth's Guardian Emerges," "Eternal Dragon Resurrected," and "Quicker than Lightning." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about one of Dragon Ball's most controversial topics: Mr. Popo.
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are cataloging a new species
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Trigger warning: This episode contains in-depth discussion of racial stereotypes and problematic depictions of people of color. While it is only our intention to discuss and educate, and not at all to condone, there are non-flinching discussions of potentially upsetting items.
Why we're not going to talk about Kami-sama, Piccolo Jr, the dragon being repaired, or other items that are debuted in these episodes...yet
Then we do it, we talk about Mr. Popo
First, we contextualize his appearance using the setting and similar characters in 1001 Arabian Nights
Then, we discuss the story of Little Black Sambo, and its popularity throughout the world and in Japan
We talk about minstrel history
We discuss whether Mr Popo is a problem
Jelli crams in Godzilla references by brining both Godzilla Minus One and Shin Godzilla to the table
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
1h 4min
June 04, 2024Kami’s Lookout (S3E11)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 123 and 124, , "Lost and Found," and "Temple Above the Clouds." We begin discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, look at Kami's Lookout and discuss what makes the gods of Dragon Ball unique (hint: they suck).
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are on a new planet
We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments
Talking about getting started on a new saga
Why the decision was made to go to gods
Why Krillin, Chiaotzu, and Master Roshi don't get to meet King Yemma or receive an invitation to train with King Kai (aside from those characters not having been introduced yet)
The meaning of "kami-sama"
How the upper realm of jokai has existed all this time with nobody knowing about it
How the nyoi-bo or power pole compares to the vajra, a Buddhist weapon
The significance of the bell Korin hands Goku, and its inspiration from Suzu
The importance of formlessness vs form
Kami's Lookout - how its appearance mirrors Korin's Tower and draws further on the inspiration from Bespin from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Kami's shrine, or shinden and what a typical Shinto shinden looks like vs that of Kami-sama's
Freudian analytics
Why fighting is the bar to meet god
Parallels to Jackie Chan
Of course Jelli manages to sneak in references to Ultraman Blazar and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris
Why the gods of Shintoism and Eastern philosophy in general are different from the Judeo-Christian God.
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
53min
May 21, 2024Mystical Adventure Commentary (S3E10)
Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon by ...jumping off the manga and onto our third feature film commentary!
In this episode:
Jelli and Bekinney are nearing the end of Frieza-controlled space
We sync up our audio commentary for the listeners
We discuss some of the production facts about the film Dragon Ball Mystical Adventure such as its 1988 release at the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival, the film's box office, and the production team working on the film
We talk about the other films released alongside the movie: Bikkuraman, Tatakae Ramenman, and Kamen Rider Black Terrifying the Phantom House of Devil Pass
We delve into the background behind the Toei Manga Matsuri – Toei Cartoon Festival and its inception in 1969 and other such festivals around the country such as Toho's Champion Festival
Contextualizing the box office of the film
Shedding light on co-directors Kazuhisa Takenouichi (who worked on Dr Slump, Sailor Moon, One Piece and Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, which is a companion piece to the Daft Punk album, Destiny) and Minor Okazaki (who worked on Doraemon, Dr Slump, Gegege no Kitaro and others)
Discussing the film's producer: Chiaki Imada and his career at Toei which began with the release of Tower of Lilies
We discuss the different dubs created for the film by studios such as Harmony Gold, Speedy, and Funimation
The difference between the 2005 original Funimation release and the 2010 remastered version
A reference to a Godzilla fan film turned "real" movie, Dragon Lizard Lord Super Monsters
Really digging into the Speedy Dub
Talking about Ceyli Delgadillo, the original voice of kid Goku
Discussing the Mifan Empire seen in the film
Talking about timelines and continuity
and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual as we react to this wickedly fast-paced film
Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise.
https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast
https://twitter.com/finalforumpod
...more
1h 5min

FAQs about Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast:

How many episodes does Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 109 episodes available.

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Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

FAQs about Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast:

How many episodes does Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast have?

Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast episodes:

FAQs about Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast:

How many episodes does Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast have?

More shows like Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

The Joe Rogan Experience

Retronauts

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

Trash Taste Podcast

Club Shay Shay