Director: Minoru Okazaki
Starring: Stephanie Nadolny, Eric Vale, Elise Baughman, Andrew Chandler, Kyle Hebert
Running Time: 800 Minutes
Certificate: 12
After gathering an international following, spawning a lacklustre Hollywood film, and producing a trilogy of series’ totalling in 508 episodes, the DRAGONBALL phenomenon finally draws to a close with DRAGONBALL GT SEASON 2.
After the first season ended with such an intense and climactic cliff-hanger, this second part very quickly deals with the events of DRAGONBALL GT’s action-packed first part. The story picks up after the destructive artificial intelligence known as ‘Baby’, managed to infect the world’s entire population (similar to INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) and migrate them to his new ‘planet Tuffle’, leaving only Goku behind to save the human race and the entire galaxy. Goku soon realised that his new adolescent body would not be enough to stop Baby and his army of Tuffles and as a result gained extraordinary new powers in the form of a devastating giant gorilla. After learning to control his new powers through his love for the planet Earth and his granddaughter Pan, Goku then reached the form of an almighty Super Saiyan 4 and subsequently regained his adult body.
This storyline is finished off relatively fast although some may argue that the battle between Goku and Baby lasts far too long and should have been concluded sooner. I would agree that as a more annoying and less interesting villain, Baby should have been retired from the show much faster. However, with that in mind it should be remembered that the Dragonball franchise has built a reputation around long, drawn-out battles to the extent that it has impressively crafted them into an art form. It should also be noted that DRAGONBALL GT Season 2 acts largely as a tribute to the series as a whole, and as a result could confuse viewers who have not seen any prior instalments in the long-running franchise. The fact that season 1 finished on such a huge cliff-hanger after a long build-up, could also make season 2 hard to understand for an audience uninitiated in DRAGONBALL mythos. Although I would say that if you’re looking to watch this part of the series, a viewing of DRAGONBALL GT SEASON 1 will give you adequate knowledge to enjoy this collection.
After such an expansive, thrilling and occasionally convoluted run, DRAGONBALL GT Season 2 had the mammoth task of wrapping up each storyline in an exciting manner, as well as sending off the show’s multiple characters in a satisfying way. After 508 episodes worth of developing a universe of characters, that can seem like an incredibly daunting task. However I can thankfully say that this DVD collection successfully delivers the best set of episodes the series has seen since DRAGONBALL Z’s ‘Cell Games’ saga. The fact that DRAGONBALL GT (in its entirety) only consists of 64 episodes helps the series rather than hinders it due to a fast-paced, adrenaline fuelled narrative. With three main antagonists to DRAGONBALL GT, 64 episodes is certainly a short amount of time to get through them meaning that the stakes are constantly at their highest.
Long time fans of the show will be extremely happy to see a vast number of familiar faces re-appear, with near-enough every antagonist in the DRAGONBALL universe making a comeback at some point (even for a brief cameo). A particular highlight among the series’ returning foes is the return of both Cell and Frieza for a short time after a portal to hell is opened. Cell and Frieza are widely considered to be the most famous villains of DRAGONBALL Z and as a result it’s fitting to see them again briefly before the show bows out. Various heroes previously seen fighting for the earth in past instalments, are also referenced through either brief returns of cameo appearances, which is definitely a treat for any fan that’s followed the adventures of the Z-fighters over the years. It’s also worth mentioning that Pan is easily the best developed character over the course of DRAGONBALL GT, as the series’ heart and soul as well as moral centre which is driven by the bond between her and her grandfather Goku. This relationship is beautifully concluded in the shows final episode and bonus movie at the end of series.
Overall DRAGONBALL GT Season 2 is an excellent adventure series with enough action to keep Michael Bay entertained, however it’s the long time fans of the show that will truly enjoy this DVD collection to its fullest. The series wraps up in an extremely satisfying way that will bring a tear to the eye of even the hardest DRAGONBALL fan, and also manages to send off almost every character we have grown to love in a beautiful and fitting ending. Even if you have yet to discover this incredible series, DRAGONBALL GT Season 2 will definitely peak the interest of any casual viewer and delight hard-core fans of Goku and all his wonderful friends. Be sure to check out DRAGONBALL GT Season 2 as well as the brilliant seasons that preceded it with DRAGONBALL and DRAGONBALL Z.
[usr=5] DRAGONBALL GT SEASON 2 is available on DVD now via Manga Entertainment!
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