I like this scene because it was never about them actually doing damage to him. It was just the principle of standing on business even if it meant certain death
It wasn't so much risking their lives for the greater good (because, Vegeta aside, they'd never question it to begin with), but rather, it was about the fact that death seemed completely unavoidable, no matter what they did... and as such, the Z Fighters helping Gohan was a pointless gesture, and they knew it, but chose to do the right thing regardless... it was an optimistic conclusion born from a pessimistic outlook. Many can say "well, if things can't get worse, let's just do whatever we want", but not many could say that to then perform an act of (relatively) selfless heroism... and this showing of their indomitable warrior spirit, was exactly what saved them in the end, influencing Vegeta enough to make the greatest difference, and ultimately save the world from impending doom.
@@Eldoofus Yeah you explained it better than i could. Articulaating my thoughts clearly is still something i find difficult esspecially when discussing something im really into. But you got it down. They stood on business depsite believing they were certainly going to die. My head canon will always be that vegeta pride just would allow it to end that way. And i dont even like vegeta, like at all. But bro stepped up
Yeah. When KaiserNeko explained that the reason the Z Warriors didn't do anything in TFS is that it didn't make sense to him that their attacks didn't do anything to Cell even though Vegeta's attack could (which is its own can of worms), the only thing I could think of at the time was "So your alternative was for them to just stand around and do nothing?"
This scene hits so much harder when you watch the show from the beggining of Dragonball all the way to this point in Z. It highlights just how much Goku has influenced his friends to to the point they're willing to put down their lives for his son. Moments like this is why the Androids saga as a whole is my favorite arc on Dragonball. It really felt like all the Z fighters worked as a team and weren't relying on Goku the entire time
Need to emphasize something, Dragonball means original Dragonball where Goku was a kid and when he met these group of people he fought and became friends with
@@meesteranonymous8177 yup exactly. I recently rewatched the show from the old Dragonball all the way to the buu saga, and this moment just hit harder after watching everything the Z fighters have been through for 20+ years and them becoming friends
"It really felt like all the Z fighters worked as a team and weren't relying on Goku the entire time" Except half of them were practically useless and some of them even actively contributed to Cell's continued growth
@@littlemoth4956 yeah yeah we know about your problem with balancing but guess what? Not everybody's born with the potential to send shockwaves to the universe and destroy planets just like in real life where not everybody's born with the potential to be chads or power lifter or athletes or world class chess players. If you can't deal with that then it's your own problem.
The main reason I like all the Z-fighters attacking Cell is because it allows them to essentially leave the franchise on a high note. By the time the Buu saga begins, all of them become useless side characters, with the biggest contribution anyone has being Piccolo's role as main cheerleader for Gotenks, who ended up being a largely irrelevant character himself. They do no more to defeat Buu than any random human who raised their hands for the spirit bomb. They become a bunch of master Roshis, a group of has-beens who stand on the sidelines doing nothing while the saiyans do all the fighting. By adding their attack on Cell, the anime gives them one last hurrah, and their reflecting on their character growth as they get back up after being repeatedly knocked down is the perfect capstone to their stories and allows them to essentially retire from the franchise gracefully and lessen the sting of them being discarded by the franchise for the crime of not being named Goku or Vegeta after this.
@garywillig5143 I like the anime just fine, but in retrospect the z fighters helping does diminish what Vegeta chooses. All along Trunks keeps asking them all to be reasonable snd just cheat, gang up on cell, give goku a senzu, and they refuse him. Their warrior pride won't allow it, even if it ends the world. After Trunks dies Vegeta embraces the truth his son tried to impart, lives are more than pride. It's meaningful that Vegeta who most embraced the pride holding the others back, is the one who lets it go. The anime continues to bable about Vegeta's pride to this very day, but he threw it away long ago, now he fights for love.
Keep in mind that Akira Toriyama-sensei was writing the Manga under pressure, week per week, in parallel with the anime... He didn't have a long-term plan for each character, so it's beautiful that they managed to give each character their moment to shine. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, AKIRA TORIYAMA-SENSEI 😢 RIP
When I first watched that scene, I cried. Piccolo hit me so hard with his devotion to Gohan. Refused to let him die alone. He never had a single friend in the world until he met Gohan.
@@mAcChaosCh Yeah if you're not a fan of the series or are a bit dumb, you would think that. What's holding back Vegeta and what he was struggling with, was his role as merely a 'side character'. He wants to be where Gohan is - the most powerful and influential, even if it kills him. What he doesn't want is to be is some weakling, as he would call it, making pathetic attempts from the side (like the remaining Z-Fighters). So him joining the Z-Fighters in attacking Cell is just him admitting that he is a side character/some weakling. So it took a lot from him to push himself to finally join in the battle.
DBZ is one of the few anime shows where the filler improves the experience rather than detracting. And on your final point, I definitely agree, moments of intensity in real life have this feeling of time slowing down. So I could totally see the beam struggle taking an entire episode, because for Gohan it was probably the longest minutes of his life.
Great analysis! This is the scene I chose to highlight when Toriyama passed to put an emphasis on how great the story of DBZ is. Though he claimed to have never actually watched the show in full, he laid the foundation for a character like Vegeta to have this kind of development. Anime pioneering moment.
In my opinion this is one of the best examples when filler outdoes the source material. It shows the resolve the Earthlings had, seeing the kid of their best friend or oldest rival having the weight of the world on his Shoulders and even if it was hopeless they still decided to act, with Vegeta topping the situation off at the end.
Doesn't this take away from Vegeta's remorseful moment. Remember he was the reason Gohan got injured. If the Z fighters attack first then they were the reason he help vs him being remorseful for what he did to get Gohan injured.
@@sonnywoods6846whuh? The reason Vegeta attacks is because Cell still needs to die. Everyone being on the same page about that shouldn't take away their character development really.
@@sonnywoods6846 Vegeta can still repay Gohan without having to make the others useless though. That's why Vegeta still scoring the decisive shot still does a lot for his character. Without expending the use of the others to do it.
I think people like this aspect of the Garlic Jr. saga. They just dislike the execution of it. The Garlic Jr. saga also does a lot for Gohan’s character development up through the end of the Cell Saga.
@@bellowingsilence the only thing that is confusing about the Garlic Jr saga is that most of the movies don't fit in the timeline, so it's kind of weird to acknowledge some of the movies in the show. Dead Zone at least makes sense if it takes place one year before Raditz, but it does add a continuity error where Krillin was surprised to find out Goku has a kid before Raditz shows up. Tree of Might just doesn't fit in the timeline at all, so it's weird Icarus is there.
After the Frieza saga Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin should have steamrolled Garlic Jr. and his men. Garlic Jr. and his men should no have lasted that long.
@@brandonking5111 Deadzone doesn't make sense because Goku didn't know Gohan was that strong. Also Krillin Bulma and Master Roshi didn't know that Gohan had a kid until raditz. When Goku came to Roshi island with 4 year old Gohan was the first time Krillin ever seen him.
I can't believe you didn't mention the best part of this segment. The one that baffles my mind as to why people say this scene shouldn't've been added. The thematic aspect to Cell, an amalgamation of the Earth's greatest fighters, being defeated by all of the people who shaped him into who he became. It just doesn't make sense to me that people genuinely think Cell being defeated by a bunch of Saiyans with the same abilities is genuinely better than him being defeated by everyone, especially since his Namekian Regeneration was arguably one of his scariest abilities. Even the only valid argument, that it emphasizes Vegeta having to put down Cell after he built him up by letting him take 18, is flimsy. Not only do people forget that Krillin was *also* to blame for that, so him fighting Cell helps wrap that arc, but as you mention in the video, Vegeta being completely humiliated by his own failures is actually strengthened in the anime version.
@guyverjay1289 well of course they don't, in the story they were too weak at the time. That was Toriyama's fault and they couldn't really change that without possibly fucking up the powerscaling. If anything what they did was definitely the best case outcome. They made these characters still useful and relevant even if their power had long been eclipsed, and it STILL doesn't steal the spotlight from Gohan. Also, as said in the video, in his last moments it just makes Cell even more formidable.
@guyverjay1289 They distracted him and forced him to use energy blowing them away. Allowing gohan small breathing moments to keep his beam going. Id say thats still something👍🏾
The reason I’m not a huge fan of it is that it takes away from what makes Gohan vs Cell such a thematic matchup. Cell is the embodiment of everything great about the Z-fighters and other people, but also the bad things. The only DNA he didn’t have was of Gohan, Gohan was an unpredictable, Gohan corrected all of the mistakes by beating Cell. Vegeta’s blast didn’t even really do anything, it was just character growth for Vegeta.
@@thelettucebarrel7784 If I may? Gohan wouldnt be much without the support of the other Z fighters. They went b4 him and it was in watching and learning from them that he grew. I'd argue them attacking cell with him is their way of reassuring him that he isnt alone in that fight. The embodiment of the Z fighters is being attacked by the dna he is composed of. I refuse to think that multiple grown ass men would sit on the sidelines grunting and "awe"-ing as an 11 year old CHILD single handedly fights for their, earths, and his own life/lives.😂 To make matters worse hes the son of the man who "saved" them all in some capacity. Yall really gone leave his spawn to the wolves like dat?😂 They couldnt do much, sure, but them being there shows when the chips are down they'll still fight till the end and help him, as they should do. Also, vegetas attack did jostle cell, making him lose focus and allowed gohan to capitalize and get the W.
All dbz anime is cannon z is its own continuity, Anime is anime. Made for a reason show what goes on in the background manga cant display, even "filler" moments was brought up in kai super and manga so it make it cannon
The Anime version of this moment ALWAYS made me smile & root for the Z-Fighters, cause it really showed Gokus Team come together one last time to help his son, knowing they're gonna die, but they're doing it together as a Team, and then seeing Vegeta wanting to help, but was struggling with his pride, like how Gohan was struggling with his one arm blast against Cell & then watching the Team struggle to help Gohan was just Dope & showed so much Emotion, cause the whole scene was basically about Struggle vs when I learned in the manga they all just sat there and accepted there fates & only Vegeta is seen helping out Gohan, I love both the Anime & Manga, but when it comes to the Anime, some fillers actually work out in their favor....Great Video Bro!! 💯💯
I think Vegeta smiling at the end was just him being petty that he messed up Cell's plan and that he helped avenge Trunks. It's not common for people to be happy for one second, then become depressed once the adrenaline hits them
He was the reason they almost died. His action was why Gohan was injured. He was smiling because he made up for it. He was sad later on because he knew he was the reason everyone almost died. Not to mention the fact that GOku was his sole reason for getting stronger and now its gone.
@@velodushonestly I kind of like how TFS actually explained how in their version of Dragon Ball Z how the scene actually played out does let's be real if the other characters were doing their ultimate attacks on cell during that moment he would have been killed just like it was when Vegeta helped Gohan out in the manga. not to discredit your opinion rating yes I do like the fact that they did help in the manga though.
I've watched the anime front to back probably 6 times, but I'm not a Manga reader. Today I learned that people don't like the Z Fighters attacking Cell! Lol. It does answer the question of why so many Cell vs Gohan beam struggle vids on CZcams cut those parts out and edit to make it seem like only Vegeta attacks Cell. This scene is my top scene in the entire show as well. I can't imagine it happening any other way than Z Fighters trying, failing, and Vegeta slowly putting his pride aside after seeing them get thrown aside by Cells' power. I've enjoyed other anime, and other scenes certainly make me hype, but I still get goosebumps still to this day when I even think about this episode of DBZ. Even when Krillin asks where Piccolo's mind went, thinking he could do anything to Cell, and Tien says "He didn't think he could, buy he tried to anyway." as his energy starts swirling around him and you know that Tien has already made up his mind that he's going to try as well. So, so, so good. "Now's your chance!" "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I'm total agreement. It would just feel weird if they never did anything - especially Piccolo. Like Piccolo was ready to go down and fight Cell when Cell was squeezing Gohan, it'd just feel really inconsistent to me if he just sat back and didn't do anything the whole time the beam struggle was happening.
If you look for any big torrents of the show from big anime torrent sites, they'll pretty much all come with the Faulconer score as one of the audio tracks (as well as usually the english dub w/ the Japanese score too). It's a shame it's not on some of the newer Funi releases or on Crunchy Roll, but fans are very good about including the Faulconer score in them.
TFS posits the argument that it takes away from Vegeta's development, and I can sorta agree. @Velodus argues that Vegeta's pride was broken when Cell knocked him down, but that's not true, his pride had been _consistently_ taking a beating throughout this entire saga. He _starts_ the saga low, and rides an extreme high when he comes back with Super Saiyan. After this, every minor victory he achieves is followed with a crippling loss. He takes down 19, then he gets knocked down several pegs when 18 wore him down then broke his arm. Then he tears apart Second Stage Cell, but is convinced to let him become Perfect Cell, who then proceeds to completely dismantle Ascended Vegeta. At this point, you can argue that Vegeta's pride is already completely dead. If he still had his pride, he'd have entirely been all for challenging Perfect Cell again at the Cell Games, but no, he actually waits for Goku. The scene at the end completely flips that script. When he attacks Cell again, it was his _first_ selfless(relatively) action made not out of pride, he did it because Trunks died and he felt rage for someone not himself for the first time(at least, in a long time). Then when he attacked when Cell had his back turned, that was his first actual, _tangible_ victory this entire saga. The third time is a crippling loss followed by a critical victory. We can't even say it came out of nowhere, Vegeta was already set up for it when Trunks died, he completely threw away his personal pride when he attacked somebody for someone else's sake for the first time ever. And, if there's _one_ thing we can say Vegeta is consistently throughout the entirety of DBZ, it's that he's stubborn. He's not going to let the his failure to avenge his son deter him, he's already committed himself to this path. And that's before even considering other factors that would aid in pushing him into making this decision. Honestly, I personally believe it depends on what you value in a narrative, but not all fans or enjoyers of the material simply hate all additions as filler. I don't necessarily dislike this scene, but I do think that the Vegeta only version is ultimately better for his development.
@@aliesterus1.023You make some great points. I would say the filler does somewhat detract from Vegeta’s moment of individual development in this scene, but given his trajectory in the early Buu saga, it’s an entirely valid inclusion. As it turns out, this wasn’t *supposed* to be Vegeta’s defining moment of selflessness. He really doesn’t reach it until the final battle against Kid Buu in the manga. The filler then serves as an elegant bridging moment that qualifies Vegeta’s actions here. Vegeta, having developed a connection with his son too late, now sees the rest of the dragon crew give everything they have for the sake of Gohan. He doesn’t yet connect with them on a personal basis, but he *does* connect with their actions, and this is what moves him to make the conscious choice to help.
The Anime saved the Cell Saga imo. In the manga, so many crucial elements and pieces of development were either relegated to a panel or page, or simply not *there* and it made the emotional moments seem very rushed and unsatisfying. Trunks especially gets the short end of the stick in this arc, paying eternal rent off of his great introduction for decades despite only really being a glorified plot device that spoke every once in a while. The anime gave filler scenes to so many characters, like 16 and Gohan, or Trunks and Gohan, that fleshed out the themes of the saga more. It also again gives the Z fighters their last amount of shine in Z before becoming truly sidelined all the way until Super, as GT pretty much sidelines all of its legacy cast. It was shocking seeing stuff like the Gohan/Goku time chamber sequence literally only being a page in the manga lol
A lot of good points I never thought of. I always saw it as it made the rest of the Z Fighters look even more useless that they couldn't even touch Cell due to crazy power scaling.
See I liked it because it showed that regardless of how weak the other Z-Fighters were and how little it might do they weren't going to just let Gohan lose and the earth be destroyed laying down. They were going to help in whatever way they could. I don't necessarily think that they did it with the intention of "convincing Vegeta" but seeing them all abandon their pride for the sake of a common goal convinced Vegeta to do the same.
It took away Vegeta showing remorsing and making up for his mistake. He was the reason Gohan got injured when Cell returned. In the anime Vegeta was reluctant to help out and was like why are these loser trying to help they can't do anything. It made it look like they were the reason he help out. The manga showed that he started to change
Finally. Somebody said it. I love this version of the event so much more. Thank you for explaining this topic better than i ever could, ive gotta show this to my buddy.
This was a very refreshing video to watch from a Dragon Ball fan. You discuss story-telling aspects of these scenes. You break it down and explain thoroughly. You should really do more of these scene breakdowns. This was great.
Another angle on Vegeta's hesitation is that he had to get over his pride. That kind of cheap shot is something that Vegeta would see as beneath him, regardless of the stakes. It being his fault that Gohan was at a disadvantage, it made sense for him to have to fix it, but thay rationalization would take time.
Honestly, I love this scene as well, and I'm hugely vocal when I hear people say "it wasn't in the manga!" as a reason why it shouldn't have been in. Yeah, they never did damage, but their decision to help despite the overwhelming odds did what this arc was all about doing with the introduction of characters like Future Trunks; show the consequences of the honor trope. Goku's habit of sparing people? Consequences; one Red Ribbon scientist escaped. They could have found Gero before the androids were activated but chose not to because he 'hadn't done anything wrong yet'? Consequences; the androids turned out to be a true threat. Cell wanted to achieve perfection and Vegeta let him so he could test his power in a 'fair' one on one? Consequences; Perfect Cell wiped the floor with him. Gohan wanted to toy with Cell once he'd achieved Super Saiyan 2? Consequences; it cost Goku his life, and Trunks for a moment as well. Meanwhile, characters like Future Trunks would kill as quickly as possible, not let the villains get a word in before attacking, and basically deconstructed the tropes Dragonball had become famous for up to this point. His inclusion in an arc all about consequences was perfect; he was from the future, a future that had essentially become a hellscape as a consequence of Goku's assault on the Red Ribbon Army. Vegeta getting a pot shot in at Cell at the end was an important part of his character, and towards this angle of writing, but having it just happen wheras no one else - not ONE of the other much more reasonable characters in the cast even gave a THOUGHT to trying to get a similar attack in, felt very wrong in the manga and I have always stood by that. The anime doesn't always add great filler content, but this right here? Was an amendment. It made Vegeta's decision feel all the more potent. Seeing others throw themselves into the fray, despite the overwhelming odds they'd be killed or have zero effect, while I MAY arguable cheapen his development just slightly seeing as it would ultimately not be his decision to do so first, still felt like a much more natural conclusion. Not only that, but it allowed all the others to stand up to the superpowered big bad, all together, for the first time in the franchise. We would later see this technically happen again for the Spirit Bomb vs Buu, but it would be joined by all of humanity, which feels like an escalation of the trope. This arc was all about consequences, particularly the consequences of honor and fairness in a high-stakes conflict. It showed that sometimes, you can't afford to draw things out, to show off, to have that self-defining moment if it means the enemy may overcome you. You must be decisive and strike true.
It was their planet before it was Vegeta's. Vegeta wasn't fully an Earth protector at that point, he was still doing right things for the wrong reasons or doing things for his ego sake. I agree that the moment was made better by everyone attacking Cell. I've always liked the other team members because I watched OG Dragonball when I was younger, so I'm partial to the others 😊
I liked the fact the other fighters helped too. Tien has always jumped in when needed so he should have been in it at the very least. I think that its kinda disrespectful that he wasn't in the manga for this. The man has confronted King Piccolo, the first to damage Nappa, held down Semi Perfect Cell, he followed Piccolo to help Gohan with Cell with no hesitation, he even confronted Buu when he realized he was the only person left that could even try. Then they shit on him in Super. Dude has a Dojo continuing marital arts while Krillin stops training and becomes a cop and somehow is the strongest human and give him several wins t the TOP and make Tien have to eliminate himself to get one elimination. That was just a little rant, but my point is, if Cell is about to defeat Gohan, there is no way Piccolo at the very least would sit back and just watch Gohan get overpowered and neither would Tien. Yamcha and Krllin not helping would be totally understandable, but Tien and Piccolo? The disrespect.
Not only that, but that episode where you find out about his dojo in Super is like... the worst episode of that show by far. It's so bad and all the Roshi stuff in it is creepy and uncomfortable. Plus, I've always seen Tien as a guy who'd just live in total isolation with Chiaotzu if there was never any threat to earth, so seeing him as a teacher was kind weird to me.
@@velodus It was weird. Tien, Roshi, and Goku Its like the new writers watched DBZA and thought Goku was actually braindead and continued writing their characters that way lol.
This was an amazing video theres one point you forgot to mention, didn't Kai actually keep the good filler you mentioned as an example? Like this scene?
Hey thanks! It did, although I guess one could hypothetically argue that some of it was kept in because it was so intertwined w the anime that it was inexorable - like Gregory for instance, who's another anime-exclusive addition I liked.
As someone who's read the manga and watched anime, the added scenes and episodes do so much to add to the overall narrative. The characters and world feel so much more fleshed out. The manga is iconic but personally, scenes like these make the anime legendary
Agreed. They're Earth's guardians. It doesn't matter if they're going to die, they're going to fight either way (even Krillin, whose nervous jitters are often played for comic relief).
I actually had no idea this wasn't in the manga. It makes perfect sense in my honest opinion. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. This is honestly the type of stuff that is missing from DBS. I'd argue even the Buu saga was weak in comparison to Saiyan/Namek/Android saga for Z. The big threat for the saga began feeling like "Well is it going to be Goku or Vegeta?" As opposed to what it should be - literally every Z fighter contributing someway somehow. It heightens the struggle and the villain and feels much more organic.
My perspective on the issue of canon vs filler is this: If it's not in the original manga, it didn't happen in the story and counts as filler. However, just because something is filler doesn't mean it doesn't enhance the story being told. There can be such a thing as good filler and bad filler. Take the Super Saiyan transformation scene when Goku transforms for the first time on Namek for example; in the manga the transformation is very quick and to the point. In the anime, the scene gets a bit drawn out to really put emphasis on and focus on Goku's emotional turmoil and Freeza's shock and horror at what he knows he's witnessing Goku turning into. It did not happen that way canonically in the story, but I still prefer it. It's way better that way, and helps cement that scene was way more iconic than it ever could have been if they had remained perfectly faithful to the manga. Basically what I'm saying is just because something is or isn't canon doesn't mean it is or isn't quality. Canon only means that it's what officially happened in the narrative, it doesn't mean that another interpretation couldn't be an improvement despite not being canon.
Sounds like maverick talk to me.... Nah im jk, u arent wrong I definitely prefer this ovr the others just sitting on their ass as an 11 year old single handled fights for their and his survival. That shit never sat right with me
The issue is the same studio put filler in that showed that the z fighters attacks were so insigficant to normal perfect cell that he didn't even notice when they attacked him. They had Krillin and Trunks wail on him with repeated attacks and a destructo disc only for him to literally ignore them whilst he admired his new body. So in keeping in line with that SUPER perfect cell should have been able to just stand there beam battling with Gohan they whilst they all blasted him and he shouldn't have even reacted let alone blasted them away (which should have killed everyone barring Picollo anyway as Cell can one shot them all easily)
The best thing to compare it is to how you can be concentrating in an activity, be it videogames, a movie or anything else, and there is a fly buzzing around the room. That fly cannot do anything to you, at most it can land on you and make you swat it away. That is essentially what the Z-fighters are doing to Cell. They aren't inflicting any significant damage on him, but given that Gohan was putting more of a fight than he expected he needed to fully concentrate, it adds to his growing frustration.
I'm glad to see this being spoken about. I love this scene so much and I was disappointed when I learned it wasn't in the manga. It's one of the reasons I really want new fans to watch the anime since it feels like such a pivotal scene. These are fighters who came here to defend the world and it never made sense why they wouldn't jump in. Plus, with it being the end of Goku's story (at least at the time), it made sense the the 4 guys who were with Goku for his journey. With Vegeta being the only guy to jump it, it just reinforced how the non-Saiyans became irrelevant by the second half of Z. I was happy to see this scene retained in Kai, which is the optimal to watch the Z portion of the series, so anime-watchers can still see this in its glory.
It is so funny that you uploaded this today. I was rewatching your Lost series when you did! I'm not as big of a DB fan, but a great friend of mine is and I'm happy to share it with him. I haven't seen this video yet but I have to be honest; your attention to critical details, structure and prose, has been as influential to me in a nonfiction sense as something like Battlestar or Breaking Bad is in a fictional sense. You really took a show I enjoyed, like Lost, and applied critical thinking that I hadn't been really "taught" yet. I was in high school when you were uploading it for the first time, so it ended up teaching me WAY more about how to write and how to coherently organize a massive amount of information while remaining engaging. I know it's probably weird to hear some random guy on the internet tell you just how much of a profound impact you had on their early growth, so I won't drone on forever, but I do want to say: THANK you. It's helped me practically, with my own writing, and in finding my own speaking voice, but it also really helped me swiftly analyze newer shows (it's almost like a superpower - I can see when a show is going to pull a Lost WAY earlier than most, now, and I'm right about 80% of the time, haha.) It saves me a TON of time on all accounts and frees me up for other projects, and other people. Thank you for your efforts, and I'm always interested in the other content you put out (like your video on Dune, for example, or the Batman v Superman analysis.) Grace and peace, good sir!
I loved it because the Z fighters wouldn't stand there and let Gohan die after they saw Goku die they would try their hardest rather than just standing there letting Gohan take the full brunt of the attack
I really enjoyed this change as a kid, this was the second DBZ fight I ever watched, especially the moment when piccolo went in first the theme they played (Bruce Falconer) was a banger
This was definitely one of the best scenes added in the anime that wasn't in the manga that outdid it. But that being said, it caused some confusion for me, even as a kid watching it. Everyone the whole time is trying to blast Cell and does nothing to him, he eaily pushes them away, then here comes Vegeta who throws a blast at Cell and manages to distract him and is somehow surprised at Vegeta, right after everyone else did that same thing. It's another one of those filler scenes that doesn't mesh well with the manga adapted stuff. I also wish the anime didn't show the part of Vegeta getting ready to join the battle because his appearance was supposed to be a surprise for the audience. Aside from those little issues, this episode is one of my favorites.
Probably the canon explanation is that its Vegeta. Who would expect Vegeta to suck it up and help Gohan? When he’s currently one of the strongest Z Fighters on top of that, thats why it’d surprise Cell.
It makes sense though? The others were annoying him because they were too weak to damage so it makes perfect sense for him to be legitimately caught off guard because unlike them Vegeta CAN have an impact because he is much stronger and because he is distracted. Also it helps because up until this point in the saga Vegeta has been an unhelpful c*nt so of course him actually doing something good is gonna be shocking lol
This was the last big moment all the z warriors had a chance to shine together. They should always be together like this at the end. This was my favourite scene of Dragonball z
Hey thank you!! Yeah, the algorithm has been less than charitable to me in the past, but hopefully this is an indication that that might be changing, or something, haha
I love the manga, it's amazing, but something it lacks sometimes is characterization or "character moments" for its large cast. The anime does this really well with its filler, some are bad but most are really fun, which is why I prefer it over the manga. I love both but for different reasons.
I think the one complaint I always had on this scene is that instead of each shooting a beam at cell from behind, why didn't they line up alongside Gohan and add to his Kamehameha? That being said Cell blowing away the humans so easily does make sense due to their differences in power. Piccolo, not so much.
Orginal idea was that Z-Fighters are standing side by side with Gohan just like in Brolly 2nd encounter movie with Goku, Goten & Gohan. It was dropped due difficulties in drawing this scene. One of the best moments in DBZ maybe even in Anime
There is very little filler is either DB or DBZ. We just put up an episode with several scenes that are anime specific, which we believe add to the story we covered, Korin Tower.
This always has been one of my favourite scenes in the series, filler or not. The idea of guys so much weaker standing and doing everything they can to save the planet, it really feels like a reward to the viewer if you've been watching since the beginning for these characters to be involved in this scene. It ups the scene in every way compared to just Vegeta helping Gohan, though Vegeta actually saying sorry to Gohan and helping deal the finishing blow is also awesome for his character.
I always interpreted the final rush everyone does during the clash, not as really having any effect on his power output, but instead it's showing everyone give their all which finally hammers into Gohan that he can't be scared to use his power when all his friends were willing to give their lives for the slightest advantage. With his self-confidence boosted and the world on the line he lets it ALL out and it's just too much for Cell.
"It's not fear that's holding me back it's..." I love that line. To me it means what's holding back Vegeta and what he was struggling with, was his role as merely a 'side character'. He wants to be where Gohan is - the most powerful and influential, even if it kills him. What he doesn't want is to be is some weakling, as he would call it, making pathetic attempts from the side (like the remaining Z-Fighters are). So him joining the Z-Fighters in attacking Cell is just him admitting that he is a side character/some weakling. So it took a lot from him to push himself to finally join in the battle. I never thought of the bravery aspect you said.
I've never read the manga, I didn't know that. And you're right, this is an AWESOME change. One of the best moment in the entire anime/manga. Very deep moment... ⭐
Yeah 100% agreed it made the scene alot better and more realistic. You are all about to die if Gohan fails at the case you do what ever you can to stop this making the scene look more like a desperate survival situation which considering the stakes it made sense. Also it portrayed the slight changes Vegeta as a character was making, i.e swallowing pride and trying to do whats best at the time.
Exceptionally Great Vid. Very inspirational. I’m sure u know. All filler in Kai is Canon, synonymous to the manga. Just subscribed notifications bell on!!!
you cooked bro, you've earned a like! Also vegeta not smirking but being unsatisfied in the anime works way better when you think about Majin Vegeta's speech. About how humiliated he felt that a low class warrior's son surpassed him AND as a child. Btw I understand Vegeta's speeches are dub only and not in the manga or sub but they're iconic BECAUSE they were added and they all build up to that amazing moment 🔥
my favourite scene of all time. ive always loved real world war stories where a soilder or soilders would. Like the Australians in Tobruk in WW2 or Tien holding back cell
Pre watch: Ngl, i never vibed with the notion the Z characters just sat on they ass, grunting and sweating, as an 11 year old with a busted up arm fought ALONE to save them all. "Cell was too strong" Guess what? If gohan loses, everyone dies anyway. What do u have to lose? 😂 "Gohan was the only 1 who could handle him" Gohan is an 11 year old kid. Powerful or not, no grown man should be sitting on his ass watching a pre pubescent CHILD fight for them. "What could they do?" Bite the mfs ankles, or heck, have 1 of them dash off and grab dende or make a wish to heal gohan or give him a power boost. "It had thematic reasons" Again, there should be no reason the grown men let a child fight their battles. They had multiple ways to help but sat there. And I'd argue it would mean more for everyone that is in cells dna to fight agaisnt him. I called them Z characters, because the way they sat on they ass while gohan fought alone? Yeah, they are no fighters.
This video helped me understand this scene on a deeper level. The Z-fighters despite being weaker still helped. I noticed Vegeta assisting in Cell's defeat was much different when he was processing Goku's death and gives up on fighting. Oh yay the Z-fighters never jump yay Cell was a threat. That was the only time i ever saw them do that. Well except when the fought Broly in the movie.
The more I think about DBZ and the differences not only between manga and anime, but even dub vs subs, the more I realize there is no 'perfect' dragon ball canon.
A good amount of hatred towards changes and filler is from other series that either ended prior to the source material's conclusion or buying time and make seasons of filler that amount to nothing of note. Another good addition to the Android and Cell Saga they did was show Goku and Gohan's training in the Time Chamber.
the filler hate comes from people caring too much about "Toriyama accurate" and "canon", also the GT PTSD, 90% of the community hates GT with a burning passion
There was an explanation i heard years ago as to why the Frieza fight was dragged out as it was, apparently the anime was dangerously close to surpassing the manga so Toei decided to stretch it out as much as possible to give Toriyama more time to finish the arc, I could be wrong though.
Of course you liked it. A lot of people do too. It's part of a good story when characters at least try to act like they exist. Even today, a lot of the characters are irrelevant to the point the author himself is hesitant to even use them.
Garlic Jr Saga isn't good on a technical level, but on a story concept level I think it works well, because it's the first step on the 'we don't need to rely solely on Goku' arc. (Albeit one that the Buu Saga goes back on, but it is what it is). Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin save the day (with help from Kami and Mr. Popo).
I completely agree with this, oddly enough. I have no problem with it existing and in fact I think it was good to have more time building up Goku's return and to give the others a chance to be heroes. It's concept was good but the actual fighting was just kind of... blegh. But I don't hate it either. I don't think it was all that great, but there have been way, way worse filler arcs out there. It's not the Bount Arc or anything, haha
@@velodus it's still amusing that the best episode of that filler arc is the one right at the end where Krillin gets a girlfriend and self-sabotages the relationship out of insecurity. But that works out amazingly when you consider that he did a lot better with 18 (Lazuli). He'd got that sort of stupidity out of his system.
There are a few good things Toei executed better than Toriyama and this is one of them. This is a show about characters pushing past the odds no matter how insurmountable they seem. It bothered me when i read the manga to see the Z-Fighters not even try and just let an 11 year take on this monster on his own. Yes, their attacks don't do shit, but it's a much better narrative to have them TRY and persevere in the face of the death and inspire Vegeta to do the same. Having everything focus on the Saiyans alone sucks, especially when we fell in love with these human characters way before. This moment is the ultimate culmination of everything up to that point from episode 1 for all characters. Not just Goku. Great video dude. I'm fine with filler if it doesn't contradict anything or undermine the actual circumstances of the story.
I thought it was awesome and touching that everyone that was left to fight cell was at one point against Goku. Yamcha tried robbing Goku in the desert and tricking him and Bulma to give him the Dragonballs, Krillin was Gokus first actual rival and was actually pretty mean to him in the first few episodes they met, Tien was basically a menace and wannabe assassin when he was first introduced and hated Goku guts, Piccolo was the literally final major villain of the og Dragonball and the Piccolo we know today was literally born/created to kill Goku and finally Vegeta who was still pretty antagonistic even leading up to the Cell saga. All of them who at one point hated and were against Goku (Vegeta kinda still was lol) were all now giving it their all to save Gokus son and Earth. It basically unified the original series and Z which honestly felt like an actual proper conclusion to the entire series....you know until they told Toriyama to continue it since it was too popular.
I don’t like it because it made them look very weak (especially piccolo) and accomplished nothing, when an injured Vegeta was somehow able to distract him. The idea is great, don’t get me wrong, but it just ended up being not only pointless, but humiliating. Lame.
I couldn’t agree more with your take, and it always bothers me in other adaptations when you *don’t* see the other Z fighters’ contribution. Most notably with DBZ: Kakarot, which is otherwise an amazing game!
so personally i will always prefer Vegeta being the only one to assist because its whilst vegetas character arc started on namek his growth is pretty miniscule but this moment is the actual turning point of his development which can still be inferred from either version but the manga version definitely makes that more clear. im also glad we have both because both outcomes are pretty hype but both also have there drawbacks that make up for each others losses allowing people to pick which take they prefer.
Either way you slice it, this was Vegeta coming full circle. When Vegeta died on namek he told Goku to fight more aggressively to embrace his Saiyanness. Goku didn't want to accept that but the moment he went super Saiyan is also the moment he took Vegeta's advice. Just B4 Goku forfeits against cell Vegeta goes on about Saiyan pride and how Goku wouldn't want help or a sensu and gets mad when Goku quits. But deciding to help in this one on one exchange is him learning from Goku (future trunks getting blasted probably helped) and he fights in a different way. Not for pride but more like we need to just team up a take him out. The opposite of when bulma suggested using dragon balls to get rid of gero but obviously he wanted the challenge also that's how semi p. convinced him to let him absorb 18 so yeah I guess he learned his lesson
Vegeta attacking Cell by himself while everyone else sat by was the closing arc for Vegeta being a good father. His attack on Cell was like the last “F.U.” Get back he did, it was in line with his characters pride in his family. The participation trophy every one gets a shot at cell while Vegeta does nothing just devalues vegeta whole father arc for literally no other reason other than to make the other Z fighters seem less useless than they were.
I like this scene because it was never about them actually doing damage to him. It was just the principle of standing on business even if it meant certain death
It wasn't so much risking their lives for the greater good (because, Vegeta aside, they'd never question it to begin with), but rather, it was about the fact that death seemed completely unavoidable, no matter what they did... and as such, the Z Fighters helping Gohan was a pointless gesture, and they knew it, but chose to do the right thing regardless... it was an optimistic conclusion born from a pessimistic outlook. Many can say "well, if things can't get worse, let's just do whatever we want", but not many could say that to then perform an act of (relatively) selfless heroism... and this showing of their indomitable warrior spirit, was exactly what saved them in the end, influencing Vegeta enough to make the greatest difference, and ultimately save the world from impending doom.
@@Eldoofus Yeah you explained it better than i could. Articulaating my thoughts clearly is still something i find difficult esspecially when discussing something im really into. But you got it down. They stood on business depsite believing they were certainly going to die. My head canon will always be that vegeta pride just would allow it to end that way. And i dont even like vegeta, like at all. But bro stepped up
Yeah. When KaiserNeko explained that the reason the Z Warriors didn't do anything in TFS is that it didn't make sense to him that their attacks didn't do anything to Cell even though Vegeta's attack could (which is its own can of worms), the only thing I could think of at the time was "So your alternative was for them to just stand around and do nothing?"
This scene hits so much harder when you watch the show from the beggining of Dragonball all the way to this point in Z. It highlights just how much Goku has influenced his friends to to the point they're willing to put down their lives for his son. Moments like this is why the Androids saga as a whole is my favorite arc on Dragonball. It really felt like all the Z fighters worked as a team and weren't relying on Goku the entire time
Need to emphasize something, Dragonball means original Dragonball where Goku was a kid and when he met these group of people he fought and became friends with
@@meesteranonymous8177 yup exactly. I recently rewatched the show from the old Dragonball all the way to the buu saga, and this moment just hit harder after watching everything the Z fighters have been through for 20+ years and them becoming friends
"It really felt like all the Z fighters worked as a team and weren't relying on Goku the entire time"
Except half of them were practically useless and some of them even actively contributed to Cell's continued growth
@@littlemoth4956 yeah yeah we know about your problem with balancing but guess what?
Not everybody's born with the potential to send shockwaves to the universe and destroy planets just like in real life where not everybody's born with the potential to be chads or power lifter or athletes or world class chess players.
If you can't deal with that then it's your own problem.
I liked the Namek Saga for the same reasons.
Stand proud, you've cooked
haha, thanks!
Is there carbonara
Cooked what?
@@velodusfacts u did
I like this change because it's one of a few bones thrown to Yamcha
He's my fave character
The main reason I like all the Z-fighters attacking Cell is because it allows them to essentially leave the franchise on a high note. By the time the Buu saga begins, all of them become useless side characters, with the biggest contribution anyone has being Piccolo's role as main cheerleader for Gotenks, who ended up being a largely irrelevant character himself. They do no more to defeat Buu than any random human who raised their hands for the spirit bomb. They become a bunch of master Roshis, a group of has-beens who stand on the sidelines doing nothing while the saiyans do all the fighting.
By adding their attack on Cell, the anime gives them one last hurrah, and their reflecting on their character growth as they get back up after being repeatedly knocked down is the perfect capstone to their stories and allows them to essentially retire from the franchise gracefully and lessen the sting of them being discarded by the franchise for the crime of not being named Goku or Vegeta after this.
Piccolo has slowly started to become more relevant again as one of Earth's main defenders now that Goku and Vegeta spend most of their time in space
@garywillig5143 I like the anime just fine, but in retrospect the z fighters helping does diminish what Vegeta chooses. All along Trunks keeps asking them all to be reasonable snd just cheat, gang up on cell, give goku a senzu, and they refuse him. Their warrior pride won't allow it, even if it ends the world. After Trunks dies Vegeta embraces the truth his son tried to impart, lives are more than pride. It's meaningful that Vegeta who most embraced the pride holding the others back, is the one who lets it go.
The anime continues to bable about Vegeta's pride to this very day, but he threw it away long ago, now he fights for love.
@@drewsachs6238 nope
I love this comment bro 😂😂😂
The scene where the z fighters go onto the battlefield and try to help gohan even when they knew it was damn near useless was so heartwarming
I cried as a teen
Keep in mind that Akira Toriyama-sensei was writing the Manga under pressure, week per week, in parallel with the anime... He didn't have a long-term plan for each character, so it's beautiful that they managed to give each character their moment to shine.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, AKIRA TORIYAMA-SENSEI 😢
RIP
When I first watched that scene, I cried. Piccolo hit me so hard with his devotion to Gohan. Refused to let him die alone. He never had a single friend in the world until he met Gohan.
"No Gohan, I won't let you die all alone out there... cause kid, you were the first person to show me.. what it means to have a friend"
Based filler enjoyer
I never really got the filler hate with dragonball. It adds so much to the world and characters
@@no-ic5gwdrivers test filler was essential to building goku and piccolos characters
@@liamdean9410 100%
Fr tho
I welcome filler with open arms
Anime version was so much better. There's no way the zfighters would of just sat there and did nothing. So glad they added this in the anime
I love the lines he says before he decides to join in the anime, it shows his struggle with his own pride.
"It's not fear that's holding me back it's just ... it's just" 😮💨
@@kaseyines its just fear lmao
@@mAcChaosChit's his pride
@@mAcChaosCh Yeah if you're not a fan of the series or are a bit dumb, you would think that.
What's holding back Vegeta and what he was struggling with, was his role as merely a 'side character'. He wants to be where Gohan is - the most powerful and influential, even if it kills him. What he doesn't want is to be is some weakling, as he would call it, making pathetic attempts from the side (like the remaining Z-Fighters). So him joining the Z-Fighters in attacking Cell is just him admitting that he is a side character/some weakling. So it took a lot from him to push himself to finally join in the battle.
Before the internet filler wasnt even heard of dbz was dbz every bit of it.⚡️
DBZ is one of the few anime shows where the filler improves the experience rather than detracting. And on your final point, I definitely agree, moments of intensity in real life have this feeling of time slowing down. So I could totally see the beam struggle taking an entire episode, because for Gohan it was probably the longest minutes of his life.
I 100% agree its what elevates DBZ to legendary status imo.
DBZ filler is just as good as the “canon” portions. Love it
Great analysis! This is the scene I chose to highlight when Toriyama passed to put an emphasis on how great the story of DBZ is. Though he claimed to have never actually watched the show in full, he laid the foundation for a character like Vegeta to have this kind of development. Anime pioneering moment.
Thanks!, and I totally agree.
Actually Vegeta's development to good was very bad in the manga
@@yorutheshipgirl No it wasn’t.
Back in 2001/2002 The end of the Cell saga was peak for me too, everything that came after that was just chasing that high point.
In my opinion this is one of the best examples when filler outdoes the source material. It shows the resolve the Earthlings had, seeing the kid of their best friend or oldest rival having the weight of the world on his Shoulders and even if it was hopeless they still decided to act, with Vegeta topping the situation off at the end.
Doesn't this take away from Vegeta's remorseful moment. Remember he was the reason Gohan got injured. If the Z fighters attack first then they were the reason he help vs him being remorseful for what he did to get Gohan injured.
@@sonnywoods6846whuh? The reason Vegeta attacks is because Cell still needs to die. Everyone being on the same page about that shouldn't take away their character development really.
@@sonnywoods6846 Vegeta can still repay Gohan without having to make the others useless though. That's why Vegeta still scoring the decisive shot still does a lot for his character. Without expending the use of the others to do it.
I don’t get the hate for the Garlic Jr saga. it gives the distract the villain until Goku arrives team, the main character role for a change.
Exactly!!
I think people like this aspect of the Garlic Jr. saga. They just dislike the execution of it. The Garlic Jr. saga also does a lot for Gohan’s character development up through the end of the Cell Saga.
@@bellowingsilence the only thing that is confusing about the Garlic Jr saga is that most of the movies don't fit in the timeline, so it's kind of weird to acknowledge some of the movies in the show. Dead Zone at least makes sense if it takes place one year before Raditz, but it does add a continuity error where Krillin was surprised to find out Goku has a kid before Raditz shows up. Tree of Might just doesn't fit in the timeline at all, so it's weird Icarus is there.
After the Frieza saga Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin should have steamrolled Garlic Jr. and his men. Garlic Jr. and his men should no have lasted that long.
@@brandonking5111 Deadzone doesn't make sense because Goku didn't know Gohan was that strong. Also Krillin Bulma and Master Roshi didn't know that Gohan had a kid until raditz. When Goku came to Roshi island with 4 year old Gohan was the first time Krillin ever seen him.
I wish DBZA left this moment in
Was just thinkin the same thing lol
First thing I thought before clicking this video.
I can't believe you didn't mention the best part of this segment. The one that baffles my mind as to why people say this scene shouldn't've been added.
The thematic aspect to Cell, an amalgamation of the Earth's greatest fighters, being defeated by all of the people who shaped him into who he became. It just doesn't make sense to me that people genuinely think Cell being defeated by a bunch of Saiyans with the same abilities is genuinely better than him being defeated by everyone, especially since his Namekian Regeneration was arguably one of his scariest abilities.
Even the only valid argument, that it emphasizes Vegeta having to put down Cell after he built him up by letting him take 18, is flimsy. Not only do people forget that Krillin was *also* to blame for that, so him fighting Cell helps wrap that arc, but as you mention in the video, Vegeta being completely humiliated by his own failures is actually strengthened in the anime version.
Yeah but the others attacks didn't actually do anything, those guys were all too weak
@guyverjay1289 well of course they don't, in the story they were too weak at the time. That was Toriyama's fault and they couldn't really change that without possibly fucking up the powerscaling.
If anything what they did was definitely the best case outcome. They made these characters still useful and relevant even if their power had long been eclipsed, and it STILL doesn't steal the spotlight from Gohan. Also, as said in the video, in his last moments it just makes Cell even more formidable.
@guyverjay1289
They distracted him and forced him to use energy blowing them away. Allowing gohan small breathing moments to keep his beam going.
Id say thats still something👍🏾
The reason I’m not a huge fan of it is that it takes away from what makes Gohan vs Cell such a thematic matchup. Cell is the embodiment of everything great about the Z-fighters and other people, but also the bad things. The only DNA he didn’t have was of Gohan, Gohan was an unpredictable, Gohan corrected all of the mistakes by beating Cell. Vegeta’s blast didn’t even really do anything, it was just character growth for Vegeta.
@@thelettucebarrel7784
If I may?
Gohan wouldnt be much without the support of the other Z fighters. They went b4 him and it was in watching and learning from them that he grew.
I'd argue them attacking cell with him is their way of reassuring him that he isnt alone in that fight.
The embodiment of the Z fighters is being attacked by the dna he is composed of.
I refuse to think that multiple grown ass men would sit on the sidelines grunting and "awe"-ing as an 11 year old CHILD single handedly fights for their, earths, and his own life/lives.😂
To make matters worse hes the son of the man who "saved" them all in some capacity. Yall really gone leave his spawn to the wolves like dat?😂
They couldnt do much, sure, but them being there shows when the chips are down they'll still fight till the end and help him, as they should do.
Also, vegetas attack did jostle cell, making him lose focus and allowed gohan to capitalize and get the W.
All dbz anime is cannon z is its own continuity, Anime is anime. Made for a reason show what goes on in the background manga cant display, even "filler" moments was brought up in kai super and manga so it make it cannon
Heck yeaa‼️
The Anime version of this moment ALWAYS made me smile & root for the Z-Fighters, cause it really showed Gokus Team come together one last time to help his son, knowing they're gonna die, but they're doing it together as a Team, and then seeing Vegeta wanting to help, but was struggling with his pride, like how Gohan was struggling with his one arm blast against Cell & then watching the Team struggle to help Gohan was just Dope & showed so much Emotion, cause the whole scene was basically about Struggle vs when I learned in the manga they all just sat there and accepted there fates & only Vegeta is seen helping out Gohan, I love both the Anime & Manga, but when it comes to the Anime, some fillers actually work out in their favor....Great Video Bro!! 💯💯
Thanks man!
I think Vegeta smiling at the end was just him being petty that he messed up Cell's plan and that he helped avenge Trunks. It's not common for people to be happy for one second, then become depressed once the adrenaline hits them
He was the reason they almost died. His action was why Gohan was injured. He was smiling because he made up for it. He was sad later on because he knew he was the reason everyone almost died. Not to mention the fact that GOku was his sole reason for getting stronger and now its gone.
This pops up while I'm watching the lost series you made haha
Good stuff, keep it up
Thanks man, will do!
@@velodushonestly I kind of like how TFS actually explained how in their version of Dragon Ball Z how the scene actually played out does let's be real if the other characters were doing their ultimate attacks on cell during that moment he would have been killed just like it was when Vegeta helped Gohan out in the manga. not to discredit your opinion rating yes I do like the fact that they did help in the manga though.
Everyone deciding to jump cell in the last moments out of desperation makes the whole arc so much cooler.
I've watched the anime front to back probably 6 times, but I'm not a Manga reader.
Today I learned that people don't like the Z Fighters attacking Cell! Lol.
It does answer the question of why so many Cell vs Gohan beam struggle vids on CZcams cut those parts out and edit to make it seem like only Vegeta attacks Cell.
This scene is my top scene in the entire show as well. I can't imagine it happening any other way than Z Fighters trying, failing, and Vegeta slowly putting his pride aside after seeing them get thrown aside by Cells' power.
I've enjoyed other anime, and other scenes certainly make me hype, but I still get goosebumps still to this day when I even think about this episode of DBZ. Even when Krillin asks where Piccolo's mind went, thinking he could do anything to Cell, and Tien says "He didn't think he could, buy he tried to anyway." as his energy starts swirling around him and you know that Tien has already made up his mind that he's going to try as well.
So, so, so good.
"Now's your chance!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I'm total agreement. It would just feel weird if they never did anything - especially Piccolo. Like Piccolo was ready to go down and fight Cell when Cell was squeezing Gohan, it'd just feel really inconsistent to me if he just sat back and didn't do anything the whole time the beam struggle was happening.
Where can I watch the version with falconer music? I want my kids to experience what I did with DBZ.
If you look for any big torrents of the show from big anime torrent sites, they'll pretty much all come with the Faulconer score as one of the audio tracks (as well as usually the english dub w/ the Japanese score too). It's a shame it's not on some of the newer Funi releases or on Crunchy Roll, but fans are very good about including the Faulconer score in them.
TFS posits the argument that it takes away from Vegeta's development, and I can sorta agree.
@Velodus argues that Vegeta's pride was broken when Cell knocked him down, but that's not true, his pride had been _consistently_ taking a beating throughout this entire saga.
He _starts_ the saga low, and rides an extreme high when he comes back with Super Saiyan. After this, every minor victory he achieves is followed with a crippling loss. He takes down 19, then he gets knocked down several pegs when 18 wore him down then broke his arm. Then he tears apart Second Stage Cell, but is convinced to let him become Perfect Cell, who then proceeds to completely dismantle Ascended Vegeta. At this point, you can argue that Vegeta's pride is already completely dead. If he still had his pride, he'd have entirely been all for challenging Perfect Cell again at the Cell Games, but no, he actually waits for Goku.
The scene at the end completely flips that script. When he attacks Cell again, it was his _first_ selfless(relatively) action made not out of pride, he did it because Trunks died and he felt rage for someone not himself for the first time(at least, in a long time). Then when he attacked when Cell had his back turned, that was his first actual, _tangible_ victory this entire saga. The third time is a crippling loss followed by a critical victory.
We can't even say it came out of nowhere, Vegeta was already set up for it when Trunks died, he completely threw away his personal pride when he attacked somebody for someone else's sake for the first time ever. And, if there's _one_ thing we can say Vegeta is consistently throughout the entirety of DBZ, it's that he's stubborn. He's not going to let the his failure to avenge his son deter him, he's already committed himself to this path. And that's before even considering other factors that would aid in pushing him into making this decision.
Honestly, I personally believe it depends on what you value in a narrative, but not all fans or enjoyers of the material simply hate all additions as filler. I don't necessarily dislike this scene, but I do think that the Vegeta only version is ultimately better for his development.
@@aliesterus1.023You make some great points. I would say the filler does somewhat detract from Vegeta’s moment of individual development in this scene, but given his trajectory in the early Buu saga, it’s an entirely valid inclusion. As it turns out, this wasn’t *supposed* to be Vegeta’s defining moment of selflessness. He really doesn’t reach it until the final battle against Kid Buu in the manga.
The filler then serves as an elegant bridging moment that qualifies Vegeta’s actions here. Vegeta, having developed a connection with his son too late, now sees the rest of the dragon crew give everything they have for the sake of Gohan. He doesn’t yet connect with them on a personal basis, but he *does* connect with their actions, and this is what moves him to make the conscious choice to help.
Was not expecting the video to be THIS GOOD. Also, hell yeah, filler is cool
Hey thanks, and I agree!
Thanks for watching for all these years!
Watch ippo my boy
The Anime saved the Cell Saga imo. In the manga, so many crucial elements and pieces of development were either relegated to a panel or page, or simply not *there* and it made the emotional moments seem very rushed and unsatisfying. Trunks especially gets the short end of the stick in this arc, paying eternal rent off of his great introduction for decades despite only really being a glorified plot device that spoke every once in a while.
The anime gave filler scenes to so many characters, like 16 and Gohan, or Trunks and Gohan, that fleshed out the themes of the saga more. It also again gives the Z fighters their last amount of shine in Z before becoming truly sidelined all the way until Super, as GT pretty much sidelines all of its legacy cast.
It was shocking seeing stuff like the Gohan/Goku time chamber sequence literally only being a page in the manga lol
I just wished the anime didnt show Mr.Satan all the time
Anime filler saved cell saga and destroyed freeza saga, poetic
A lot of good points I never thought of. I always saw it as it made the rest of the Z Fighters look even more useless that they couldn't even touch Cell due to crazy power scaling.
See I liked it because it showed that regardless of how weak the other Z-Fighters were and how little it might do they weren't going to just let Gohan lose and the earth be destroyed laying down. They were going to help in whatever way they could. I don't necessarily think that they did it with the intention of "convincing Vegeta" but seeing them all abandon their pride for the sake of a common goal convinced Vegeta to do the same.
It took away Vegeta showing remorsing and making up for his mistake. He was the reason Gohan got injured when Cell returned. In the anime Vegeta was reluctant to help out and was like why are these loser trying to help they can't do anything. It made it look like they were the reason he help out. The manga showed that he started to change
It's a great humbling moment for him and great character development
Glad you made this. This is hands down better
Hey thanks!
Great analysis I never thought of this!
Finally. Somebody said it. I love this version of the event so much more.
Thank you for explaining this topic better than i ever could, ive gotta show this to my buddy.
This was a very refreshing video to watch from a Dragon Ball fan. You discuss story-telling aspects of these scenes. You break it down and explain thoroughly. You should really do more of these scene breakdowns. This was great.
Hey thanks! I've definitely been thinking about doing another one in the near future.
Another angle on Vegeta's hesitation is that he had to get over his pride.
That kind of cheap shot is something that Vegeta would see as beneath him, regardless of the stakes.
It being his fault that Gohan was at a disadvantage, it made sense for him to have to fix it, but thay rationalization would take time.
Ah dbz at its peak back when the z fighters where relevant
I like this change too it’s really awesome seeing other z fighters help defeat perfect cell.
Honestly, I love this scene as well, and I'm hugely vocal when I hear people say "it wasn't in the manga!" as a reason why it shouldn't have been in. Yeah, they never did damage, but their decision to help despite the overwhelming odds did what this arc was all about doing with the introduction of characters like Future Trunks; show the consequences of the honor trope.
Goku's habit of sparing people? Consequences; one Red Ribbon scientist escaped.
They could have found Gero before the androids were activated but chose not to because he 'hadn't done anything wrong yet'? Consequences; the androids turned out to be a true threat.
Cell wanted to achieve perfection and Vegeta let him so he could test his power in a 'fair' one on one? Consequences; Perfect Cell wiped the floor with him.
Gohan wanted to toy with Cell once he'd achieved Super Saiyan 2? Consequences; it cost Goku his life, and Trunks for a moment as well.
Meanwhile, characters like Future Trunks would kill as quickly as possible, not let the villains get a word in before attacking, and basically deconstructed the tropes Dragonball had become famous for up to this point. His inclusion in an arc all about consequences was perfect; he was from the future, a future that had essentially become a hellscape as a consequence of Goku's assault on the Red Ribbon Army. Vegeta getting a pot shot in at Cell at the end was an important part of his character, and towards this angle of writing, but having it just happen wheras no one else - not ONE of the other much more reasonable characters in the cast even gave a THOUGHT to trying to get a similar attack in, felt very wrong in the manga and I have always stood by that. The anime doesn't always add great filler content, but this right here? Was an amendment. It made Vegeta's decision feel all the more potent. Seeing others throw themselves into the fray, despite the overwhelming odds they'd be killed or have zero effect, while I MAY arguable cheapen his development just slightly seeing as it would ultimately not be his decision to do so first, still felt like a much more natural conclusion.
Not only that, but it allowed all the others to stand up to the superpowered big bad, all together, for the first time in the franchise. We would later see this technically happen again for the Spirit Bomb vs Buu, but it would be joined by all of humanity, which feels like an escalation of the trope. This arc was all about consequences, particularly the consequences of honor and fairness in a high-stakes conflict. It showed that sometimes, you can't afford to draw things out, to show off, to have that self-defining moment if it means the enemy may overcome you.
You must be decisive and strike true.
It was their planet before it was Vegeta's. Vegeta wasn't fully an Earth protector at that point, he was still doing right things for the wrong reasons or doing things for his ego sake. I agree that the moment was made better by everyone attacking Cell. I've always liked the other team members because I watched OG Dragonball when I was younger, so I'm partial to the others 😊
This was a good sendoff to all of the other z fighters that wouldn't matter anymore.
I liked the fact the other fighters helped too. Tien has always jumped in when needed so he should have been in it at the very least. I think that its kinda disrespectful that he wasn't in the manga for this. The man has confronted King Piccolo, the first to damage Nappa, held down Semi Perfect Cell, he followed Piccolo to help Gohan with Cell with no hesitation, he even confronted Buu when he realized he was the only person left that could even try. Then they shit on him in Super. Dude has a Dojo continuing marital arts while Krillin stops training and becomes a cop and somehow is the strongest human and give him several wins t the TOP and make Tien have to eliminate himself to get one elimination. That was just a little rant, but my point is, if Cell is about to defeat Gohan, there is no way Piccolo at the very least would sit back and just watch Gohan get overpowered and neither would Tien. Yamcha and Krllin not helping would be totally understandable, but Tien and Piccolo? The disrespect.
Not only that, but that episode where you find out about his dojo in Super is like... the worst episode of that show by far. It's so bad and all the Roshi stuff in it is creepy and uncomfortable. Plus, I've always seen Tien as a guy who'd just live in total isolation with Chiaotzu if there was never any threat to earth, so seeing him as a teacher was kind weird to me.
@@velodus It was weird. Tien, Roshi, and Goku Its like the new writers watched DBZA and thought Goku was actually braindead and continued writing their characters that way lol.
This was an amazing video theres one point you forgot to mention,
didn't Kai actually keep the good filler you mentioned as an example? Like this scene?
Hey thanks! It did, although I guess one could hypothetically argue that some of it was kept in because it was so intertwined w the anime that it was inexorable - like Gregory for instance, who's another anime-exclusive addition I liked.
As someone who's read the manga and watched anime, the added scenes and episodes do so much to add to the overall narrative. The characters and world feel so much more fleshed out. The manga is iconic but personally, scenes like these make the anime legendary
Agreed. They're Earth's guardians. It doesn't matter if they're going to die, they're going to fight either way (even Krillin, whose nervous jitters are often played for comic relief).
I actually had no idea this wasn't in the manga. It makes perfect sense in my honest opinion. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said.
This is honestly the type of stuff that is missing from DBS. I'd argue even the Buu saga was weak in comparison to Saiyan/Namek/Android saga for Z. The big threat for the saga began feeling like "Well is it going to be Goku or Vegeta?" As opposed to what it should be - literally every Z fighter contributing someway somehow. It heightens the struggle and the villain and feels much more organic.
My perspective on the issue of canon vs filler is this: If it's not in the original manga, it didn't happen in the story and counts as filler. However, just because something is filler doesn't mean it doesn't enhance the story being told. There can be such a thing as good filler and bad filler. Take the Super Saiyan transformation scene when Goku transforms for the first time on Namek for example; in the manga the transformation is very quick and to the point. In the anime, the scene gets a bit drawn out to really put emphasis on and focus on Goku's emotional turmoil and Freeza's shock and horror at what he knows he's witnessing Goku turning into. It did not happen that way canonically in the story, but I still prefer it. It's way better that way, and helps cement that scene was way more iconic than it ever could have been if they had remained perfectly faithful to the manga.
Basically what I'm saying is just because something is or isn't canon doesn't mean it is or isn't quality. Canon only means that it's what officially happened in the narrative, it doesn't mean that another interpretation couldn't be an improvement despite not being canon.
Sounds like maverick talk to me....
Nah im jk, u arent wrong
I definitely prefer this ovr the others just sitting on their ass as an 11 year old single handled fights for their and his survival.
That shit never sat right with me
The issue is the same studio put filler in that showed that the z fighters attacks were so insigficant to normal perfect cell that he didn't even notice when they attacked him. They had Krillin and Trunks wail on him with repeated attacks and a destructo disc only for him to literally ignore them whilst he admired his new body. So in keeping in line with that SUPER perfect cell should have been able to just stand there beam battling with Gohan they whilst they all blasted him and he shouldn't have even reacted let alone blasted them away (which should have killed everyone barring Picollo anyway as Cell can one shot them all easily)
I made a similar comment. This was my first thought as well
The best thing to compare it is to how you can be concentrating in an activity, be it videogames, a movie or anything else, and there is a fly buzzing around the room.
That fly cannot do anything to you, at most it can land on you and make you swat it away.
That is essentially what the Z-fighters are doing to Cell. They aren't inflicting any significant damage on him, but given that Gohan was putting more of a fight than he expected he needed to fully concentrate, it adds to his growing frustration.
3:14 imagine how cool it’d be if Tien and Yamcha had Ultimate forms.
I'm glad to see this being spoken about. I love this scene so much and I was disappointed when I learned it wasn't in the manga. It's one of the reasons I really want new fans to watch the anime since it feels like such a pivotal scene. These are fighters who came here to defend the world and it never made sense why they wouldn't jump in. Plus, with it being the end of Goku's story (at least at the time), it made sense the the 4 guys who were with Goku for his journey. With Vegeta being the only guy to jump it, it just reinforced how the non-Saiyans became irrelevant by the second half of Z. I was happy to see this scene retained in Kai, which is the optimal to watch the Z portion of the series, so anime-watchers can still see this in its glory.
It is so funny that you uploaded this today. I was rewatching your Lost series when you did! I'm not as big of a DB fan, but a great friend of mine is and I'm happy to share it with him. I haven't seen this video yet but I have to be honest; your attention to critical details, structure and prose, has been as influential to me in a nonfiction sense as something like Battlestar or Breaking Bad is in a fictional sense. You really took a show I enjoyed, like Lost, and applied critical thinking that I hadn't been really "taught" yet. I was in high school when you were uploading it for the first time, so it ended up teaching me WAY more about how to write and how to coherently organize a massive amount of information while remaining engaging. I know it's probably weird to hear some random guy on the internet tell you just how much of a profound impact you had on their early growth, so I won't drone on forever, but I do want to say: THANK you. It's helped me practically, with my own writing, and in finding my own speaking voice, but it also really helped me swiftly analyze newer shows (it's almost like a superpower - I can see when a show is going to pull a Lost WAY earlier than most, now, and I'm right about 80% of the time, haha.) It saves me a TON of time on all accounts and frees me up for other projects, and other people. Thank you for your efforts, and I'm always interested in the other content you put out (like your video on Dune, for example, or the Batman v Superman analysis.) Grace and peace, good sir!
Awe, thanks man!
100% agree dude.
I loved it because the Z fighters wouldn't stand there and let Gohan die after they saw Goku die they would try their hardest rather than just standing there letting Gohan take the full brunt of the attack
I really enjoyed this change as a kid, this was the second DBZ fight I ever watched, especially the moment when piccolo went in first the theme they played (Bruce Falconer) was a banger
Great video! I enjoy hearing you talk about DBZ and shows you're passionate about.
Thanks! I should absolutely make more anime videos
This was definitely one of the best scenes added in the anime that wasn't in the manga that outdid it. But that being said, it caused some confusion for me, even as a kid watching it. Everyone the whole time is trying to blast Cell and does nothing to him, he eaily pushes them away, then here comes Vegeta who throws a blast at Cell and manages to distract him and is somehow surprised at Vegeta, right after everyone else did that same thing. It's another one of those filler scenes that doesn't mesh well with the manga adapted stuff. I also wish the anime didn't show the part of Vegeta getting ready to join the battle because his appearance was supposed to be a surprise for the audience. Aside from those little issues, this episode is one of my favorites.
Probably the canon explanation is that its Vegeta. Who would expect Vegeta to suck it up and help Gohan? When he’s currently one of the strongest Z Fighters on top of that, thats why it’d surprise Cell.
It makes sense though? The others were annoying him because they were too weak to damage so it makes perfect sense for him to be legitimately caught off guard because unlike them Vegeta CAN have an impact because he is much stronger and because he is distracted. Also it helps because up until this point in the saga Vegeta has been an unhelpful c*nt so of course him actually doing something good is gonna be shocking lol
I think the Anime did it way better than the manga
This was the last big moment all the z warriors had a chance to shine together. They should always be together like this at the end. This was my favourite scene of Dragonball z
You deserve more subs for sure can't believe you just came on my algorithm.
New fan
Hey thank you!! Yeah, the algorithm has been less than charitable to me in the past, but hopefully this is an indication that that might be changing, or something, haha
I love the manga, it's amazing, but something it lacks sometimes is characterization or "character moments" for its large cast. The anime does this really well with its filler, some are bad but most are really fun, which is why I prefer it over the manga. I love both but for different reasons.
I think the one complaint I always had on this scene is that instead of each shooting a beam at cell from behind, why didn't they line up alongside Gohan and add to his Kamehameha?
That being said Cell blowing away the humans so easily does make sense due to their differences in power. Piccolo, not so much.
imagine if you would have seen tien use the tri-beam to make a hole under cells feet, causing him to lose balance and then gohan could overpower cell?
Orginal idea was that Z-Fighters are standing side by side with Gohan just like in Brolly 2nd encounter movie with Goku, Goten & Gohan. It was dropped due difficulties in drawing this scene. One of the best moments in DBZ maybe even in Anime
The weird thing is as good as this change is, i feel team four star improved on it even more
There is very little filler is either DB or DBZ. We just put up an episode with several scenes that are anime specific, which we believe add to the story we covered, Korin Tower.
This always has been one of my favourite scenes in the series, filler or not. The idea of guys so much weaker standing and doing everything they can to save the planet, it really feels like a reward to the viewer if you've been watching since the beginning for these characters to be involved in this scene. It ups the scene in every way compared to just Vegeta helping Gohan, though Vegeta actually saying sorry to Gohan and helping deal the finishing blow is also awesome for his character.
Great video.
Hey thanks!
@@velodus you’re welcome ^w^
I always interpreted the final rush everyone does during the clash, not as really having any effect on his power output, but instead it's showing everyone give their all which finally hammers into Gohan that he can't be scared to use his power when all his friends were willing to give their lives for the slightest advantage. With his self-confidence boosted and the world on the line he lets it ALL out and it's just too much for Cell.
"It's not fear that's holding me back it's..."
I love that line. To me it means what's holding back Vegeta and what he was struggling with, was his role as merely a 'side character'. He wants to be where Gohan is - the most powerful and influential, even if it kills him. What he doesn't want is to be is some weakling, as he would call it, making pathetic attempts from the side (like the remaining Z-Fighters are). So him joining the Z-Fighters in attacking Cell is just him admitting that he is a side character/some weakling. So it took a lot from him to push himself to finally join in the battle.
I never thought of the bravery aspect you said.
I've never read the manga, I didn't know that. And you're right, this is an AWESOME change. One of the best moment in the entire anime/manga. Very deep moment... ⭐
Greatest episode of DBZ
Yeah 100% agreed it made the scene alot better and more realistic. You are all about to die if Gohan fails at the case you do what ever you can to stop this making the scene look more like a desperate survival situation which considering the stakes it made sense.
Also it portrayed the slight changes Vegeta as a character was making, i.e swallowing pride and trying to do whats best at the time.
Exceptionally Great Vid. Very inspirational. I’m sure u know. All filler in Kai is Canon, synonymous to the manga. Just subscribed notifications bell on!!!
Awe thanks! That's awesome of ya!
8:04, that smile is NOT out of satisfaction for *himself*
for a video essay, this has a casual non-linear execution
you cooked bro, you've earned a like! Also vegeta not smirking but being unsatisfied in the anime works way better when you think about Majin Vegeta's speech. About how humiliated he felt that a low class warrior's son surpassed him AND as a child. Btw I understand Vegeta's speeches are dub only and not in the manga or sub but they're iconic BECAUSE they were added and they all build up to that amazing moment 🔥
19:07 Nooooo no no no no no... we all LOVE her
haha. Krillin loved her so much he gave his daughter almost the same name as her
Excelent moment! I didn't know it wasn't canon
my favourite scene of all time. ive always loved real world war stories where a soilder or soilders would. Like the Australians in Tobruk in WW2 or Tien holding back cell
Pre watch:
Ngl, i never vibed with the notion the Z characters just sat on they ass, grunting and sweating, as an 11 year old with a busted up arm fought ALONE to save them all.
"Cell was too strong"
Guess what? If gohan loses, everyone dies anyway. What do u have to lose? 😂
"Gohan was the only 1 who could handle him"
Gohan is an 11 year old kid. Powerful or not, no grown man should be sitting on his ass watching a pre pubescent CHILD fight for them.
"What could they do?"
Bite the mfs ankles, or heck, have 1 of them dash off and grab dende or make a wish to heal gohan or give him a power boost.
"It had thematic reasons"
Again, there should be no reason the grown men let a child fight their battles. They had multiple ways to help but sat there. And I'd argue it would mean more for everyone that is in cells dna to fight agaisnt him.
I called them Z characters, because the way they sat on they ass while gohan fought alone? Yeah, they are no fighters.
This video helped me understand this scene on a deeper level. The Z-fighters despite being weaker still helped.
I noticed Vegeta assisting in Cell's defeat was much different when he was processing Goku's death and gives up on fighting.
Oh yay the Z-fighters never jump yay Cell was a threat. That was the only time i ever saw them do that. Well except when the fought Broly in the movie.
The more I think about DBZ and the differences not only between manga and anime, but even dub vs subs, the more I realize there is no 'perfect' dragon ball canon.
Which makes dragon ball the greatest anime 😁
15:20 piccolo is taking a huge risk here ... lol If Gohan defeated Cell right then , Piccolo would have vanished
A good amount of hatred towards changes and filler is from other series that either ended prior to the source material's conclusion or buying time and make seasons of filler that amount to nothing of note. Another good addition to the Android and Cell Saga they did was show Goku and Gohan's training in the Time Chamber.
the filler hate comes from people caring too much about "Toriyama accurate" and "canon", also the GT PTSD, 90% of the community hates GT with a burning passion
it was an improvement.. would have been awesome if Piccolo used a fully charged special beam cannon though...
I agree
The anime improved the Manga here
There was an explanation i heard years ago as to why the Frieza fight was dragged out as it was, apparently the anime was dangerously close to surpassing the manga so Toei decided to stretch it out as much as possible to give Toriyama more time to finish the arc, I could be wrong though.
The others don't need to encourage Vegeta to attack Cell. He did is to avenge his Baby boy.
Of course you liked it. A lot of people do too. It's part of a good story when characters at least try to act like they exist.
Even today, a lot of the characters are irrelevant to the point the author himself is hesitant to even use them.
Garlic Jr Saga isn't good on a technical level, but on a story concept level I think it works well, because it's the first step on the 'we don't need to rely solely on Goku' arc. (Albeit one that the Buu Saga goes back on, but it is what it is). Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin save the day (with help from Kami and Mr. Popo).
I completely agree with this, oddly enough. I have no problem with it existing and in fact I think it was good to have more time building up Goku's return and to give the others a chance to be heroes. It's concept was good but the actual fighting was just kind of... blegh. But I don't hate it either. I don't think it was all that great, but there have been way, way worse filler arcs out there. It's not the Bount Arc or anything, haha
@@velodus it's still amusing that the best episode of that filler arc is the one right at the end where Krillin gets a girlfriend and self-sabotages the relationship out of insecurity.
But that works out amazingly when you consider that he did a lot better with 18 (Lazuli). He'd got that sort of stupidity out of his system.
There are a few good things Toei executed better than Toriyama and this is one of them. This is a show about characters pushing past the odds no matter how insurmountable they seem. It bothered me when i read the manga to see the Z-Fighters not even try and just let an 11 year take on this monster on his own. Yes, their attacks don't do shit, but it's a much better narrative to have them TRY and persevere in the face of the death and inspire Vegeta to do the same. Having everything focus on the Saiyans alone sucks, especially when we fell in love with these human characters way before. This moment is the ultimate culmination of everything up to that point from episode 1 for all characters. Not just Goku.
Great video dude. I'm fine with filler if it doesn't contradict anything or undermine the actual circumstances of the story.
I thought it was awesome and touching that everyone that was left to fight cell was at one point against Goku. Yamcha tried robbing Goku in the desert and tricking him and Bulma to give him the Dragonballs, Krillin was Gokus first actual rival and was actually pretty mean to him in the first few episodes they met, Tien was basically a menace and wannabe assassin when he was first introduced and hated Goku guts, Piccolo was the literally final major villain of the og Dragonball and the Piccolo we know today was literally born/created to kill Goku and finally Vegeta who was still pretty antagonistic even leading up to the Cell saga. All of them who at one point hated and were against Goku (Vegeta kinda still was lol) were all now giving it their all to save Gokus son and Earth. It basically unified the original series and Z which honestly felt like an actual proper conclusion to the entire series....you know until they told Toriyama to continue it since it was too popular.
I don’t like it because it made them look very weak (especially piccolo) and accomplished nothing, when an injured Vegeta was somehow able to distract him.
The idea is great, don’t get me wrong, but it just ended up being not only pointless, but humiliating. Lame.
Becase It makes sense. why would they just stand there and watch???
I couldn’t agree more with your take, and it always bothers me in other adaptations when you *don’t* see the other Z fighters’ contribution. Most notably with DBZ: Kakarot, which is otherwise an amazing game!
so personally i will always prefer Vegeta being the only one to assist because its whilst vegetas character arc started on namek his growth is pretty miniscule but this moment is the actual turning point of his development which can still be inferred from either version but the manga version definitely makes that more clear.
im also glad we have both because both outcomes are pretty hype but both also have there drawbacks that make up for each others losses allowing people to pick which take they prefer.
Either way you slice it, this was Vegeta coming full circle. When Vegeta died on namek he told Goku to fight more aggressively to embrace his Saiyanness. Goku didn't want to accept that but the moment he went super Saiyan is also the moment he took Vegeta's advice. Just B4 Goku forfeits against cell Vegeta goes on about Saiyan pride and how Goku wouldn't want help or a sensu and gets mad when Goku quits. But deciding to help in this one on one exchange is him learning from Goku (future trunks getting blasted probably helped) and he fights in a different way. Not for pride but more like we need to just team up a take him out. The opposite of when bulma suggested using dragon balls to get rid of gero but obviously he wanted the challenge also that's how semi p. convinced him to let him absorb 18 so yeah I guess he learned his lesson
11:40 my filler fights always end like this
Vegeta attacking Cell by himself while everyone else sat by was the closing arc for Vegeta being a good father. His attack on Cell was like the last “F.U.” Get back he did, it was in line with his characters pride in his family.
The participation trophy every one gets a shot at cell while Vegeta does nothing just devalues vegeta whole father arc for literally no other reason other than to make the other Z fighters seem less useless than they were.