August 30, 2022

The Red Ribbon Army Debuts (S1E21)

46 minutes

What happens when Toriyama begins earnestly incorporating Western references into his Eastern mythology-based manga? Do we have the wherewithal to do some psychological analysis?

Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon by breaking down episode 34 of the show, "Cruel Commander Red" and we dig into the Red Ribbon Army

In this episode:

Jelli and Bekinney are finally safe(?) on a Frieza Force planet

We recap Cruel Commander Red and discuss our favorite bits

Bekinney talks about how Toriyama once again inverts the narrative of Dragon Ball and Goku

We talk about some of the upcoming references that we will come across such as James Bond, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Terminator, Alien, and other favorites of the eccentric manga ka

Jelli discusses Goku's new two-fold goal and how he for the first time, has some agency of his own in the story in his pursuit of Grandpa Gohan's Four-Star Dragon Ball

We break down some of the psychology of Dragon Ball and how Goku is always a positive force who interacts with others who have one major character flaw, and how Goku's nature brings this character flaw to light

Goku shows us how confidence can overcome doubt, how strategy can overcome strength, how humility can overcome pride, and we're here to talk about that

Does Dragon Ball have a deeper message? We take a peak at that question

We discuss how the anime and manga start bleeding into one another a little bit, as this arc of the manga takes place as the anime finally begins airing

We discuss how the Red Ribbon Army was influenced by the red armies of China, and the USSR as well as the fascist Nazi Party, as well as its fictional sources of inspiration such as from the crime syndicate Shocker of the Kamen Rider series and Spectre of the Bond franchise

We talk about whether this Red Ribbon Army is a political statement and if Toriyama is propagating some US-Japan alliance propaganda, as well as some capitalism over communism ideals, or if this is just fun nonsense

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.

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By Final Forum Podcast

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