ADVANCE REVIEW: ANIME REVIEW: DRAGONBALL Z TV SPECIALS DOUBLE FEATURE: THE HISTORY OF TRUNKS/BARDOCK THE FATHER OF GOKU

Dragonball Z The TV Specials: Double Feature: The History of Trunks/Bardock The Father of Goku
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 96 Mins
Audio: English and Japanese DD 5.1
Due Out: 16/04/2018
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes 

For real fans of the series, here is a double bill of TV specials many will remember from way back. 

The History of Trunks

The first is a time travel story set in the timeline where there is an alternate version of the future where Goku died from the virus that took a hold of him in the Androids Saga, and a teenage version of Trunks has to train with Gohan to take out Androids #17 and #18. What would make everything right again? In order to save Goku, they must go back in time and get the medicine to make him well and prevent his death. 

Goku has died, and his family mourn, but after half a year has passed, two bad aliens appear to cause trouble for our heroes. Even though they put up a valiant fight, Piccolo, Vegeta, Yamicha, Karinrin and Tenshinhan die in the battle. While the world plunges into despair, they think what might have been if all of them had been destroyed, leaving the artificial humans to run amok. 

Gohan and Trunks are the only survivors of the battle and have a duty to protect the humans under their watch. Thirteen years later, the artificial humans are busy attacking Peppertown once again. These two are cold and calculating and like to taunt and tease their prey before killing them. They have already defeated the might of the army, leaving the population vulnerable and the town in ruins. 
Gohan and Trunks know that if Goku had lived, he would have been able to put up a fight against the evil might, but they have to be careful as Trunks wants Gohan to train him, even if this determination isn't enough.

There is something else they can do, but they will need help to do it - and going back in time isn't always what it is expected to be.


Bardock: The Father of Goku

On planet Vegeta, Goku is born and no one thinks the boy will have a future being the son of a lowly alien in the military. Goku will most probably be sent to a frontier planet to live a normal life, but little do they know of his potential as a warrior.

To witness the birth of ones child should be the most rewarding experience for a father, but to Bardock, it means failure and endless ridicule for him as his abilities have been rated as poor. Bardock is unhappy with his lot and on a mission for Freeza where Karnessa has energy that has psychic ability and he wants to harness it for his own ends.

When their enemy makes their presence known, their leader tells Bardock and his crew about the curse he will put on him, one where he gets to see his own future and feel the pain of what he will do endlessly, but have no power over it.

I enjoyed both of these as they expand on the characters a bit more than I thought they would. Bardock is made to realise what his son could become even if he might not have been strong enough first time around, and being bad isn't all fun and games; some day he has to think about what he is doing to others and make a change to his personality for the better.



Bonus Material: None

Summary: Fun, action-packed and a great addition to an anime maniac's collection!