Story Overview:

This is the story of the bleak future Mirai no Trunks (Future Trunks) was born into. No. 17 and No. 18, two Artificial Humans (jinzoningen) with incredible and unlimited strength, both constructed by Dr. Gero, are unleashed upon the world. Son Goku, the greatest fighter the world has ever known, has died due to a deadly virus of the heart. Without Goku’s strength to assist them, the other Z-senshi fall to the hands of the sinister pair. Piccolo, Vegeta, Yamucha, Tenshinhan, Kuririn; all dead. And with Piccolo gone, the Dragon Balls no longer exist. Only Son Gohan and Trunks remain, and it is up to them to put a stop to the Artificial Human’s evil deeds.

This is the second Dragonball Z Special that aired on Japanese TV. It outlines the story of how Trunks is trained by Son Gohan to become a legendary Super Saiyan (Saiya-jin), and how they try to defeat No. 17 and No. 18. It also explains the events leading up to Trunks going back in time to warn Goku and the other Z-senshi about the terrible future to come. And unlike the movies, the TV specials tie in with the TV series.

The Trunks Special is another well-told Dragon Ball story. It contains very detailed animation, great voice acting, and excellent fight scenes. There are several memorable scenes Dragon Ball fans will never forget, like the deaths of major characters in the series, and the Super Saiyan transformation of Trunks. It is truly a classic piece of animation.

No crap-quality animation here…

Animation/Picture:

The special is drawn by what’s considered the best type of animation for the series. The animation is detailed and keeps that same quality throughout the special. The character designs are great, and fans were able to see what some of their favorite characters looked like when they’re older. When characters fight, the animation isn’t skimped on. Even when the trademarked “fast fighting” occurs, there is still a high level of quality put into the scene. Granted, the same animation is re-used over and over again, but it is put together to where it doesn’t get too redundant. At some points in the series, the fast fighting will be poorly animated, consisting of mostly two animations. But not quite so in the special. Some scenes can contain up to 3-4 different animations. Basically, the animation is top-notch, and you’ll get a high level of satisfaction when the special’s over. The DVD presents the animation with great clarity, despite how old the special is. However, there are some points where there are flaws in quality, but they’re hardly noticeable. This is probably due to how late FUNimation got the rights to the special. In the end, it was unavoidable, but it is presented in the best quality possible.

…today is ai-yai-yai-yai-yai…SPARKING!

Music/Sound:

The story takes place in the series when the intro music to Dragonball Z was still “Cha-La-Head-Cha-La.” A catchy little tune Dragon Ball fans have gotten used to. Orchestral pieces of music are used throughout the special. The music is so well presented, that it just goes to show you that fast guitar riffs aren’t necessary to tell a fighting story. The Japanese voice acting is great as always. They really convey emotion into the voices, and their screams are the greatest. The DVD sound is produced in great quality, but there is still room for improvement. However, this was unavoidable, much like the animation quality, due to the age of the special. But FUNi came through and gave us the best sound possible.

Wait a minute…where’s the friggin’ insert?!

DVD Features:

The DVD is produced by FUNimation Productions (Blue Gender, Yu Yu Hakusho), and plays in Regions 1, 2, and 4. The case features a picture of Son Gohan and Trunks atop a cliff, and in the background is a devastated city, no doubt the work of the two Artificial Humans. On the back are scenes from the special, and pictures of No. 17 and No. 18. Also, near the bottom, it says “Contains Some Violence and Brief Nudity.” Although there isn’t any nudity in the special, I’ve noticed that FUNi puts this same message on all of their DVDs. They must be covering all the bases no matter what. The DVD itself contains the same picture on the front of the DVD, but centered differently. And, like all other DBZ DVDs, there is no insert. I am unsure why FUNi doesn’t include one, but it seems a DVD isn’t complete without one. Perhaps FUNi saves money by not including one. Who knows…

Most of the menus on the DVD contain motion, which is not integral, but just adds depth to the DVD. The main menu features a background motion image of Son Gohan facing off with the two Artificial Humans in the rain. There is also a small box in the center that features clips from the special. There are four options: Play Feature, Language, Extras, and Chapters.

Play Feature: self-explanatory. Moving along…

 There are two language options: English and Japanese dialogue, both with subtitles. What’s great about this DVD is that the subtitles are different for each language. You don’t see that too often with anime DVDs. FUNi really went the extra mile. The Japanese is translated by Steven J. Simmons, and this guy knows his Japanese. It shows by how he translates “jinzoningen.” Normally you’d think he would just put “Android,” when that is not it’s literal translation. No, he goes ahead and puts “Artificial Human,” and translates the rest of the Japanese with great detail. You can just tell by reading the subtitles, and you really don’t need to understand Japanese to see it.

The Extras menu has a motion background of Gohan flying, with No. 17 and No. 18 flying close behind. If you use your imagination, it’s like Gohan and the Artificial Humans are on the same side, flying towards another foe. There is a extra called the “World of Dragon Ball Z” which is an overview of what’s happened in series. The feature is quite long, so you are able to select chapters. There are also commercials for the Trunks saga, Android saga, Cell saga, and the DBZ Store. All in all, not very bad extras, but nothing too innovative. How about character sketches or something? That would be sweet…

The Chapters menu has no motion menus, which is no big deal, but it would be nice to have each individual chapter selection have motion. There are 12 chapters in all, and you can view the opening song and credits too.

Hey, this DVD is great! Who produced it? …What? FUNimation? No way!

Overall:

It all equals out in the end. A great Dragonball Z story gets a great DVD. It really doesn’t make a difference if you see this special first, or see the episodes when Trunks first appears in the series. Either way, they tie in great together, and it works both ways. It’s just personal preference I suppose. You won’t be disappointed with this DVD, despite being produced by FUNimation. You may think FUNi produces some bad voice acting, but their DVDs can compete with the best out there: Bandai, ADV, whoever. A must-buy for a DBZ fan. And if you’re not quite the biggest DBZ fan, you can get this anyway. It’s a one-time purchase; no other volumes to buy. Just a great story on a great DVD. Did I already say that? Feh, whatever…

Zero’s Ratings:

Story:  10/10 - The story of the future that never was…or was it? I dunno…it was good.
Animation/Picture: 9/10 - Animation’s great, but the picture quality was not quite perfect.
Music/Sound: 9/10 - Music was nice as always, but the sound was just below perfection.
DVD Features: 10/10 - Ya did good FUNi.
Overall: 9/10 – This DVD is worth your time, much like this review. HA!

“I am not going to die! Not even if this body is destroyed. There will be another who will arise and carry out my last wish. And he will defeat you Artificial Humans!”
-Son Gohan