#migoren

Basically, the Grand Kai Planet is like Valhalla, except the honored warriors don’t just enjoy a life of joyful battle and camraderie.   They also continue training to get even stronger than they were in life, so that they can earn the privilege of being trained by the Grand Kai himself.   As we slowly learn in this arc, nobody has ever gotten a lesson from the Grand Kai, though.  At first, this episode suggests that it takes thousands of years of trainging just to get considered, but later on, characters begin to mention how it’s just never happened before.   

I think it does say something about Goku’s character that he’s immediately disappointed about not getting to learn from the Grand Kai right away.   He never even heard of the guy until the previous episode, but now that he knows there is a revered martial arts master, he’s determined to see what he can do.    It’s funny, though, because when he came here, all he wanted was to brush elbows with other strong fighters, and now he’s met a few dozen and he’s still not satisfied.  

Then the other three King Kai’s show up.    We’ve already met the West Kai in the center.   On the left is the East Kai, the only female in the group.    The South Kai is the tall one with the problematic lips.   I’m not real keen on his Japanese voice eiither.  I was wondering if the voice acting for Mr. Popo had some sort of racist aspect to it, and South Kai sounds very similar, which makes me a little more sure than I was before.  I probably need more background on it, though.  

West Kai brought the other two here so they could rib North Kai about being dead, but since they’re all here together for the fiirst time in centuries, he also proposes a tournament to mark the occasion.    The Grand Kai is all in favor of the idea.  

He even has an idea spot for the action to take place, and leads them to a room in his mansion that contains...

... well, whatever this is.    There’s all these little planets and asteroids in it, and everyone seems pretty happy about holding the tournament here, so it’s settled.

To sweeten the pot, Grand Kai offers a private lesson to the winner, and Goku is even more determined to enter and win.    But East Kai objects to this, since Goku literally just got here.    It’s kind of brazen of him to just insert himself in the event, but North Kai vouches for his strength, and so East Kai proposes a race.   If Goku can outrun her, she’ll approve his participation.  

Basically, the East Kai is all into racing, so this is all just an excuse for her to whip out her flying motor-scooter and ride.    The Grand Kai approves, and they’re off.    Goku manages to keep up with her...

But then the Grand Kai appears at the finish line an declares himself the winner.   East Kai protests that he never said he was participating, but he replies that he never said he wasn’t participating either.  

They never exactly spell out how this outcome determines Goku’s eligibility for the tournament, but he’s in the thing, so I guess East Kai dropped her objection.   

This mushroom man hosts the thing, and I guess those vegetable men are referees?    Apparently there was a preliminary competition, which is why there’s so many brackets on the chart.    The actual tournament is only a field of eight, just like the Tenkaichi Budokai format.   The rules are basically the same too, except there’s no rules concerning killing, because everyone in the thing is already dead.    However, there is a rule that if you start to cry during a match, you lose.   Vegeta would do poorly here.  

The first match we see if Oliboo vs. Chapchai from the East Galaxy.    Chapchai is quick, due to the East Kai’s emphasis on speed...

... but he still loses.    It looked like Chapchai was moving so fast that he had an afterimage thing going, but it turns out he was doing a multi-form thing instead, and then all eight of his bodies collided in midair and they all got knocked out.   

So here’s some other shots of the prelims...

And this comedy spot where two fighters are leaping into the air dramatically, only for one of them to hit a low planetoid and knock himself out.    This isn’t exactly making the rest of the universe look very impressive.   

Finally, Goku gets a turn against Caterpie from the South Galaxy.  

Caterpie’s big move is to catch Goku in his multiple arms and tickle him until he taps out.   

Same, tbh.

Apparently the South Galaxy just doesn’t have much super-crime to fight, so all of their guys are weaker in general.   

Goku powers out of Caterpie’s hold, surprisingly easily at that, and Caterpie decides to get serious by transforming.   

I dig this dragon-looking dude in the crowd.    There’s some really great character designs in these episodes.   Some crappy ones too, but it’s fun to just look at the crowd shots.