Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks
Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks Uncut DVD cover
Directed by	Daisuke Nishio
Written by	Akira Toriyama (Original Story)
Starring	(Japanese Cast) Takeshi Kusao Masako Nozawa Shigeru Nakahara Miki Itou Joji Yanami (English Cast) Eric (Johnson) Vale Dameon Clarke Chuck Huber Meredith McCoy Dale Kelly
Music by	Shunsuke Kikuchi
Distributed by	Toei Animation Co. LTD.
Release dates	February 23, 1993 (1993-02-23) October 24, 2000
Running time	~ 50 minutes
Languages	Japanese, English

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks, (Dragon Ball Z: Zetsubō e no Hankō!! Nokosareta Chō-Senshi Gohan to Trunks (ドラゴンボールZ 絶望への反抗!!残された超戦士・悟飯とトランクス, Doragon Bōru Zetto Zetsubō e no Hankō!! Nokosareta Chō-Senshi•Gohan to Torankusu (Japanese), literally Dragon Ball Z: Defiance in the Face of Despair!! The Remaining Superwarriors - Gohan and Trunks), is an approximately 50 minute television special, part of the hugely successful Dragon Ball Z anime series. The special was released in Japan on February 24, 1993. The story centres eponymously on the history of Future Trunks. It is unique among the Dragon Ball specials. It is based from a brief chapter in the manga, called Trunks the History: The Lone Warrior. The film follows the events of the Dragon Ball Z warriors demise and the life of Trunks as a teenager growing up in the time when Dr. Gero's Androids ravage the cities of Earth. The film explains the alternative events of the original Dragon Ball series when Goku dies from a virus that had infected his heart.

Plot

The opening scenes of the film show Goku's tragic death from a viral heart disease. Six months later the death of the Z Fighters are shown. Android #17 and Android #18 ravage cities and pick off each warrior. This problem is exacerbated when the Z Fighters are unable to be brought back as the Earth's Dragon Balls are rendered useless. It's creator, Piccolo, is the first casualty in the battle. Dragonballs need their creator's powers to grant wishes.

Thirteen years into the future an older Trunks and Gohan appear. Gohan, who is now a Super Saiyan (after witnessing the deaths of the other Z Fighters), attempts repeatedly to challenge the Androids. The Androids prove too strong.

Gohan gives in to train the young Trunks, who eagerly anticipates becoming stronger to defend the Earth against the Androids. Knowing that it was an overflow of emotion that pushed every Saiyan to the Super Saiyan level, Gohan attempts to strike emotional cords in Trunks.

The Androids meanwhile terrorise an amusement park. Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan and battles the Androids. The two androids begin to overwhelm the Super Saiyan. Trunks in anger comes to Gohan's aid and fights with Android #18. He manages to battle her for a brief period of time. He is defeated effortlessly, but Gohan rescues him. They both hide in the debris. The Androids, unable to find them, bomb the entire area and leave.

Trunks and Gohan survive the blast but at the cost of Gohan's left arm. Gohan then gives a senzu bean to Trunks, thus regenerating his energy. Gohan is then brought home where he recovers and they resume their training.

After finishing, Gohan and Trunks talk when a huge explosion erupts in the city before them. Trunks desperately pleads with Gohan to let himself join the battle, which Gohan seemingly accepts, but then knocks him unconscious to keep him out of the battle.

Gohan puts up a long and suspenseful fight. However, he eventually meets his tragic end when the Androids pair up and murder Gohan simultaneously. Trunks is then seen awaking from unconciousness and to his horror realises the battle Gohan was in. He hurries to the ruins of the city and finds Gohan's body lying face down in a puddle of water. Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time and is seen unleashing his rage angrily at the death of his best friend.

Three years later Trunks and Bulma are seen working on a time machine which Bulma is fixing. The radio newscast signals a warning to the city's citizens that the Androids are near. Trunks races off in anger to confront them. He is eventually beaten to near death. However he is rescued when the Androids leave presuming him dead.

Trunks awakens in his house with his mother by his side. After deciding to use the time-machine (named "Hope!!" by his mother) Trunks utilises it to deliver the medicine Goku needs to cure his illness which caused his death years ago. Bulma gives it to Trunks who will attempt to give it to Son Goku. The medicine is the only hope to prevent Goku's death and is the last hope to change everything.

Production

Cast

Further information: List of Dragon Ball characters

• Jouji Yanami (白土 繁満) / Kyle Hebert as Narrator who introduces characters, tells the viewer of certain events happening in time and also states what year the events are happening in such as the rise of the Androids and the demise of the Z Warriors.
• Takeshi Kusao (草尾 毅) / Eric Vale as Trunks (トランクス), Trunks is the central character in the film. Seeks to challenge and destroy the Androids. He is trained by Gohan to become a Super Saiyan.
• Hiromi Tsuru (鶴 ひろみ) / Tiffany Vollmer as Bulma (ブルマ) who is the mother of Trunks. Bulma designs and builds a time machine in the hope that her son will go back in time and change the events of the future.
• Masako Nozawa (野沢 雅子) / Dameon Clarke as Gohan (孫 悟飯), the protagonist of the story and the only remaining Super Saiyan. Begrudges a personal vendetta against the Androids, and who attempts to destroy them. Trains Bulma's son, Trunks, to become a Super Saiyan much like himself.
• Shigeru Nakahara (中原 茂) / Chuck Huber as Android #17 (人造人間17号), the male antagonist of the storyline. Destroys buildings, and kills humans in populated demographic areas. Has a sadistic attitude towards eliminating humankind.
• Miki Itou (伊藤 美紀) / Meredith McCoy as Android #18 (人造人間18号), who is one of the two antagonists created by Dr. Gero. Android #18 works with Android #17 in terrorising human populated cities with the goal of eliminating all humans.
• Kôhei Miyauchi (宮内 幸平) / Mike McFarland as Kame-Sen'nin (Master Roshi) (亀仙人), who is seen hiding from the Androids in a submarine near Kame House. Wants to defeat the Androids in anger but cannot leave his remaining friends.
• Naoki Tatsuta (龍田 直樹) / Brad Jackson as Oolong (ウーロン), who manages to persuade Master Roshi to stay with him and the others in the submarine. Acts as the lookout and is seen observing Kame House in case the Androids appear.

Music

Music in Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Scene Six: Home"	Portnoy	Dream Theater	12:53
2.	"Scene One: Regression"	John Petrucci	Petrucci	2:06
3.	"Scene Two: Part I. Overture 1928"	(instrumental)	Dream Theater	3:37
4.	"Scene Three: Part II. Fatal Tragedy"	John Myung	Dream Theater	6:49
5.	"Scene Four: Beyond This Life"	Petrucci	Dream Theater	11:22
6.	"Scene Five: Through Her Eyes"	Petrucci	Dream Theater	5:29
7.	"Scene Seven: Part I. The Dance of Eternity"	(instrumental)	Dream Theater	6:13
8.	"青い風のHOPE (Aoi Kaze no HOPE, Blue Wind of Hope)"	Dai Satō	Chiho Kiyoka	-

Reception

File:Training gohan and trunks.jpg

An older Gohan training a young Trunks before his death at the hands of Androids #17 and #18. The action sequences were highly praised by critics.

Anime News Network, claiming to be the the "internet's more trusted anime news source", gave the film an overall Grade B. The reviewer, Chris Shepard, states "it is interesting... Gohan and Trunks are both understandable characters who I was really able to get into and sympathise for during their battles" but also feels a "good understanding of the happenings of the TV series is recommended". In addition he feels the action sequences are exceptional which do not "overdo themselves". However he expresses some disappointment in the English dub becuase the storyline sounds "completely alien" to the Japanese subtitles. For his final Grade he notes the "Dub doesn't contain the original music... [it] isn't true to the original" but is pleased overall.

A review from DVDtalk.com also praises the television special which the reviewer, John Sinnott, sees as being separate from the other films of Dragon Ball. He believes this to be a positive attribute of the film. Regarding the Blu-ray release of the film he is less impressed with the color and aspect ratios citing them as not particularly "exciting". However he expresses joy at the occasion of FUNimation leaving the original soundtrack (Japanese) and the English voice dubs in, describing them as "enveloping". For the fans of Dragon Ball he recommends watching the film as it "worked a lot better than the average theatrical film since they follow DBZ continuity and expand the story while filling in details". Like Shepard the reviewer advises those who are not familliar to the Dragon Ball franchise to avoid it but cite that fans will enjoy the specials. In conclusion he feels the film is enjoyable at best.

Another reviewer from DVDtalk.com seems agree with Sinnott. Adam Tyner too feels this is an integral part of the storyline of the main series that must be seen by fans and "neophytes". He in addition also feels that the audio tracks is good and prefers the original Japanese version instead of FUNimation's English version. The video quality is also praised, with Tyner casually emphasising it is "decent".

External links

• Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks at IMDb