DRAGON BALL -- The Red Ribbon Saga Didn't End?

You know, I assumed the destruction of the Red Ribbon Army’s headquarters would’ve marked the end of the “Red Ribbon Army Saga” - - but that’ll teach me not to consult the episode guide.

Goku’s little four-episode visit to Bulma’s home town would seem to constitute this arc’s epilogue, but the defeat of our alluring mistress-of-disguise doesn’t seem too conclusive actually. Also, when I do consult that episode guide, it seems the next arc’s going to be titled “the Commander Blue Saga” and - - remembering the RRA’s penchant for colorful names - - I’ll assume it’ll be Goku fighting another high-ranking officer in this outfit. The arc after that seems to be the same, with yet another RRA member as the Big Bad, so I guess the “Red Ribbon Army Saga” actually goes on for much longer than the naming reflects.

== TEASER ==

So… cool? I was actually a little disappointed the RRA didn’t get to live up to its name last time, so it’s a nice surprise to find out that our little buddy is going to have to fight through a legitimate legion of these creeps. It also puts a point on how shonen series (or DRAGON BALL, at least) got progressively tidier about structuring these arcs. Or perhaps, the whole notion of breaking a strip into arcs is silly to somebody like Toriyama. It’s just DRAGON BALL, week in and week out.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but I really am starting to appreciate DRAGON BALL CLASSIC a lot more than DBZ. Goku’s outing to the futuristic city, fantastical theme park and the Briefs’ laboratory of wonders is just a delightful feast for the imagination. It’s almost like watching a Rhold Dahl story with a character who just happens to kick ass, and it actually plays better because he isn’t kicking ass the whole time. Not every dilemma is solved by Goku blasting the bad guy to smitheerins with a Ki attack (sometimes, tickling will suffice), and the focus isn’t always entirely on him (Bulma and Yamcha’s lover spats are such a hoot). I can’t predict what they’ll find at the bottom of the sea in Roshi’s submarine, so it'll be that much more interesting to find out.

Check this arc out in Hulu's extensive library of episodes and decide for yourself.

from Anime Vice Site Mashup http://ift.tt/1FBScfh