Retsgip’s Anime Blog

Darkshaunz walks down memory lane…In the Future

The word GAR has been flying around quite a bit these days. When I was younger GAR meant “Get a Room”, of course today it means all manner of manly, epic and stoic macho-ness. Derivative of a one “typo” when an anonymous described he was smitten by Archer’s manhood, GAR has been used ever since. Though Guts and “Garcher” have always been contending for the grand title of men amongst men, I always felt that it was a pretty radical tie between Future Trunks and Alternate Gohan. Alternate Gohan is the Gohan version I feel fits best with who he really is. Not the shitty bookworm/girlfriend-entertaining version portrayed in the crappier, later arcs of DBZ. So this one’s for you, Alternate Gohan. May your Masenko beam shine upon future anime generations.

A(n) Hero’s Passing.

Backdrop for the End of Days

Our world has been obliterated. All of it was caused by two playful cybernetic beings who call themselves Android 17 and 18. On the outside, they seem to be a pair of young and attractive teens. 17 is a hotshot young lad and 18 is a boner-inducing blonde bombshell, both have looks that kill along with enough firepower to obviously terrorize all of mankind. I still think 18’s still hot compared to some of the moe-garbage on offer today (clang, clang), but seriously, there’s something about a blondie which can muster a beam which puts the Z-warriors out of commission. Programmed to hate human beings with some ironically, “human”-like AI built inside, the Androids made their existence known by slaughtering indiscriminately anything human. Though utterly merciless and thorough in what they do, they are a guilty pleasure for a lot of DBZ fans, we can’t help but love them.

Kang and Kodos.

The Androids celebrate their life by taking others.

Goku is dead. It was not a power level above ten trillion which took him out, but a Heart disease. Vegeta, Krillin, Picollo, Tien and Yamcha are all killed as a result of the combined firepower of 17 and 18. Leaving the Earth’s Special Force almost fully devastated. With the exception of Gohan and an extremely young Trunks. Even during the period of the North Island Massacre, Gohan was still far too young to do anything about it, and trained in seclusion for a good thirteen years. After this period, Trunks had begun to form anger and resentment caused by the constant Android strikes against innocent civilians. Amidst an apocalyptic setting, the two make their way into the future. A future which will lead to the past.

All dead.

Welcome to the Future.

Imagine

Living in a world where the only emotion you know is endless fear. There’s always ambiguity lurking in the corner, teasing your primal instinct to survive. That at any moment, your most precious people could all vanish from one energy beam released from an unthinking killing machines (albeit, Hot killing machine). The worse thing than being completely powerless, is knowing that you have some measure of power, but it always comes up short to stop the neverending carnage and bloodshed of millions of innocent people. It’s a world where everyone’s high strung and just waiting for their number to come up in an infinite lottery of death, so on this note, I’d love to welcome you all to Trunks’ childhood. There’s no candy here, folks.

17 takes a car for a spin before crashing it into a helicopter (not really).

A Young Trunks looks on as the explosions settle.

All great sagas have a beginning. And upon listening to a city being preyed on via radio, Young Trunks announced to a worried Bulma that he was going to make a stand against the two rampaging androids. He finds a city just freshly culled and instantly knows that the androids had to be close. Just like you’d know Garcher had been around because each building is now a Sword shopping complex. At the same time Trunks arrived on the scene, Gohan shows up, wearing Goku’s old battle garb. Gohan definitely looks like Goku, save for the trademark short hair of course. However, the two do not engage the androids and return to the safety of the now battered and run-down, Capsule Corp headquarters. After some reminiscing back at Capsule, Gohan agrees to be Trunks’ new combat master. The circle of friends enjoy one of the few peaceful dinners they have left together.

Gohan tells Trunks that Purple makes him look “Fabulous”.

Gohan eating Rice, it’s like dividing by Zero.

Need a hand, Gohan?

After eating like there was no tomorrow, and they rightfully should (as there may not be a tomorrow), the pair leave for their first ever training session together. Gohan was very impressed with Trunks’ raw state, as it would seem that the purple haired warrior already begun some of his own training. He was able to pour a lot of his rage into achieveing Super Saiyan 0.5, which was nearing it’s maxed out limit, but the Trunks failed to pull off the required motivation. There was a scene in this special which had Chichi holding a family picture of the three of them together, as she lamented the fact that Gohan had been off skirmishing the Androids alone. This was one of those really sombre moments where, although everybody in the picture was smiling, you just knew that disaster was about to hit. Death stops for nobody, and so Androids 17 and 18 proceed to do what they love doing, hogging the roller coaster all to themselves and vapourizing those who actually waited in line.

“Nice Sneakers!”

She can cut my line anyday. My zipline, that is.

Though it would seem that Gohan and Trunks arrive at the Clown park just in time to “save the day”, the mood hardly convinced viewers of any triumphant victory any time soon. Gohan tells Trunks to back down from this engagement, and he goes into the trademark golden fire stance we all know and love. What does concern viewers is not just that the Androids had very little to no difficulty in tracking Gohan’s lightning-quick movements, but they also absorb his attacks like they were mere child’s play. The two androids continue to knock Gohan’s face in and just as our hero looks like he is about to cark it, Trunks intervenes on 18 to prevent sudden death. Due to his lack of preparation, Trunks is easily dispatched by an annoyed 18 who was about to get her miniskirt in a twist after Trunks called her a “hag”. Upon saving the young warrior, Gohan hightails to get Trunks to safety.

Saiyans can cling to walls like Spiders.

To his horror, Gohan catches a glimpse of Android 17’s crotch.

The hightailing strategy was successful. Hiding behind a piece of derelict wall, Gohan waits it out in the hopes that the Androids would get bored of the explosions (as they usually do) and give upon searching the pair. It would seem that the Androids wanted to collect a little insurance this time, and after a cute bicker between the two, they decide that they would raise their arms and summon a massive tidal surge or flames upon the already battered landscape. The ensuing debris outblast takes both Gohan and Trunks to the danger zone. In the process, Gohan loses one arm and gains a gash across his face. Realizing there was only one senzu bean left, Gohan did the Goku thing and sacrificed it to save the young Trunks. Luckily, Trunks manages to save an injured Gohan and the two continue training until that fateful, stormy evening.

Android 18 shows the world some sunshine.

You could say, he was “Disarmed”. That was terrible.

Gohan’s Last Stand

There are few times where an anime will move me and overwhelm my sense of pride, needlessly to say this was one of them. This sits right up there along with Guts taking on the demons in Griffith’s rebirth and Revy/Mr.Chan’s dual shootout in Black Lagoon. From the beginning of the encounter, Gohan was not unlike a shooting star, a glimmering, brief beacon of hope streaking across the sky before eventually fading away. The nightmare begins when during a training break, after Trunks failed to achieve Super Saiyan for the third time, the pair spot two new suns forming in a city. Basically, the androids were back, and cooked human flesh was on the chef’s special. Trunks sees this as an opportunity to decommission the two hate machines once and for all. Gohan feigns allowance of this suggestion, and just before Trunks could fly off, Gohan knocks him out cold. Gohan knew that Trunks was not ready, despite his talents and training. After a somewhat paternal goodbye to his comrade, Gohan goes out to pit his will against the lords of destiny.

This week, on “Postcards Tokyo”.

Karate Chop’d, Austin Powers style.

People often ask, why didn’t Alternate Gohan achieve Super Saiyan 2? The answer’s simple, in the alternate timeline, they didn’t get to see Perfect Cell and Gohan did not get to see Android 16’s head get crushed, causing him to “snap” and go power-crazy. Though SSJ 2 Gohan is markedly badass when he hands Cell’s own ass to him, watching Alternate Gohan go Super Saiyan fighting with one arm and that scar across his face is markedly even moreso, although in a more tragic way. It was like a nod to The Terminator movies. Except instead of John Connor leading the Earth’s resistance against the Skynet machines, it was the world’s last true super saiyan against Dr. Gero’s two nefarious androids. Gohan manages to dance around the androids quite well at the start of the encounter, but the androids keep up pace with him leisurely and then some. Gohan does all he can by launching powerful bolts from his last remaining arm, and even pulls off an “Energy Shield” move which deflected all the hostile beams.

Quick Gohan! become the new Autobot leader!

Paper beats Rock.

But Rock beats Gohan.

Despite his valiant effort, Gohan was beginning to tire against the synchronized attacks of 17 and 18, whom never tired from their exchanging of blows. Things degenerated further when he cops crippling blows to the chest and head from both androids. Realizing that he was running out of room for even the slightest error, Gohan quickly decides to buy some time for himself, and flies away to a narrow corridor of building rubble in a vain attempt to shake off his menacing pursuers. Despite the desperation of the situation, the two androids playfully chased him around until they decided that playtime got boring and so they proceeded with taking out a pile of stacked building ahead of Gohan to stun him. The ploy was successful, and Gohan found himself ramming against a pile of debris, completely stopping him. This sends him falling, but the androids wanted to make sure that this time, the annoyance that was Gohan, was forever silenced. With their palms facing downwards, the two machines let loose a massive rain of beams down on Gohan. The Saiyan warrior is brutally ripped apart by this torrent of energy and cries out in agony.

The not-so-great escape.

Gohan gets his christmas presents early.

The new energy bolt spa wasn’t as relaxing as he’d hoped.

You’re all alone now, Trunks

Trunks awakes from his passing out, realizing that Gohan had left to fight without him. He overlooks the city, which is now smouldering and all it’s inhabitants, left for the vultures. Amidst the debris, he spots Gohan, who now laid dead within a small concrete slab, his lifeless eyes half buried in a puddle of water. It was as if it was a mockery of a funeral of the last warrior of a “great” race of space mercenaries. Even before his demise, Gohan knew that his pupil would far surpass his strength and replace him. However, the young Trunks was beset by such a rush of sorrow and disbelief, as he sat down on the stormy night contemplating the battery of assaults his master had to endure. Beset by the confusion of the young and inexperienced, Trunks wailed in rage for his dead comrade, and with the “right” motivation, he finally pulled off a Super Saiyan ignition. This moment is quite the raw-cinematic moment for the viewer, in a way we’re glad that he’s finally achieved the state after many failures, but realizing it came at a heavy price.

Gohan got wasted too early in the pub crawl.

Trunks, after having to pick up Gohan’s tab.

After an attempt at avenging his Master three years after the incident, which resulted in failure, Trunks decided to take his mother’s offer and travel back in time to assist Goku and the Z-Warriors in the main timeline. Trunks’ tour of duty begins at the Android Saga (obviously), and ends with the Cell Saga, which allowed him to accumulate much needed combat experience, power level increments and a time to train harshly with his father in the hyperbolic time chamber. The final results of these battles resulted in a dramatic upsurge in Trunks’ power level, allowing him to finally face his main adversaries back home. After he was wished back by the Dragon Balls, he returns home to the future, and to avenge Gohan. He does so with extreme ease, 18 is first to bite the dust, with a vendetta-beam as a first strike from Trunks. This beam turns her into ash, and the following 2-hit combo attacks also result in 17 being turned into scrap metal. For a war that has been raging 16 years strong, it was sure over very quick. The killing of the two androids was a significant milestone for Trunks and the events that had transpired prior to his “back to the future” stint.

Screw Hair Salons!!!

INSTANT GEL AND DYE HYAAAH!!!!

More than just Power Levels?

Alternate Future DBZ was a grim place. The sunniest days would have been illuminated by countless city carcasses, dead children and telltale signs of the carnage which took place at those locations. It was a hardass place with no happy ending in sight. Trunks had is tough, Sparta tough. He had to watch Gohan perish and then, he traveled back in time to get stronger, having to face off with one of the mightiest Z-villains in the Cell Games….not a peaceful walk in the park (well, if you weren’t RaptorJesus). Even after avenging Gohan by destroying the androids (and in few years, Cell), he could not reverse the near limitless volume of deaths and destruction caused by them. Trunks would not be greeted by cheers or a parade upon a Hero’s return. The only thing which greeted him was a smouldering, and broken piece of humanity, and the silent relief within himself that he can now put the demons of the past (future, I mean past, no…future-past, this shit gets confusing) behind him.

How do I destroyed Humanity?

I personally found that the English version of The History of Trunks to be superior. This is influenced a lot by the alternative soundtrack during a lot of the sequences. Bruce Faulconer composes much of the English Dragon Ball Z tracks, and he has done a stellar job in promoting the necessary atmospheres for each saga. There’s a particular track, especially when Trunks sees the dead body of Gohan, which really brings out the tragedy and full effect of what the boy sees before his eyes. The track itself is called “Slaughter - Prelude”, and it’s a harrowing low keyed guitar strumming accompanied by heavy metal riff. To top it all off, the track begins and ends with several seconds of spirits whispering to the listener. Whether it was a allusion to the voices playing in Trunks head as he held Gohan in his arms, or otherwise, truly elevated and enhanced the scene from it’s Japanese original. If you haven’t gotten your hands on his Best of DBZ music volumes, you should, there’s some pretty electic and powerful stuff crammed in there.

Android 17 is watching you masturbate.

So the next time you and your peers start a debate on tough, hard-as-nails anime characters from any genre (You might be having one as you read this entry!), never forget to mention Alternate Future Gohan and Future Trunks in the discussion. The drenched and sombre tale of the One-armed Master and his Talented, righteous student. The journey of selflessness, preserving a warrior’s honour and the final act, which finally sees the stage ripe for the demise of the two villains at the hands of a vindictive pupil. The History of Trunks remains one of my favourite “Time-Slip” concepts within anime (Zipang is up there too, I’m still in the process of watching that though), why bring only two dimensions where you can converge three alternate dimensions? (That takes skill). Don’t accept anything but the absolute maximum when it comes to arguments on hardassery, an apocalyptic-bred Saiyan hybrid is sure to deliver on all accounts.

“Point” taken there, Trunks.

Cheers,

Darkshaunz

PS: Does liking Android 18 count as Robo-fetish?