Episode 137 of Dragon Ball, first broadcast in Japan on December 7, 1988 and known in the English dub as Anonymous Proposal, is the one where Goku gets engaged without really knowing what that means. The nameless young woman waiting for him in the second quarterfinal of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament turns out to be Chi-Chi, the Ox-King's daughter, and she has come to collect on a promise. Right after that, Krillin steps up against Piccolo Jr.
Summary
The announcer has not even finished the introductions when the stranger charges. Goku dodges her kicks and chops with ease, but he cannot work out why she is so angry with him. She insists they know each other, and the fact that he does not recognize her only makes it worse. The fight takes to the air and back down again, until she finally spells out her grievance: years ago, Goku promised to make her his bride.
His friends are floored. Goku has to ask Krillin what a bride even is. The girl makes him an offer: she will tell him who she is, but only if he beats her. Up in the stands Oolong is the only one who recognizes her. Goku needs no further encouragement. He throws a punch into thin air so fast that the shockwave alone blasts her out of the ring and into the stadium wall. Master Roshi explains to the stunned announcer that the blow never touched her, while Piccolo Jr. notes that the move resembles a technique of his own demon clan.
Once she comes to, the girl keeps her word: she is Chi-Chi. Goku finally remembers the promise, and also remembers that back then he thought a "bride" was something to eat. Still, a promise is a promise. In front of the whole crowd he asks her to marry him, and a beaming Chi-Chi says yes and kisses him on the cheek.
In the waiting area Chi-Chi catches up with her old acquaintances, then dashes off to find pots and pans so she can cook her fiancé his first meal. Piccolo Jr., entered as Ma Junior, floats down from the roof and lets Krillin make the first move. Krillin fires two energy balls that chase the demon into the sky, forcing him to destroy them with eye beams, then catches him off guard with an afterimage and lands a punch. When Piccolo Jr. kicks him back down, Krillin stops in midair: he has learned to fly. Impressed, the demon decides to show him a taste of his true power.
Our take
Goku's wedding proposal is one of the most famous moments in the series, and the secret is the tone. Akira Toriyama does not play it as a love story but as a misunderstanding turned into a commitment. Goku has no idea what a wife is and romance is a foreign language to him, yet he honors his word to a little girl. That is the whole character in a single scene.
Chi-Chi is far more than "the fiancée" here. She entered the toughest tournament in the world just to face Goku, made the final eight, and forced him onto the defensive before going down.
The second half shifts gears. Krillin, for years the lovable friend always one step behind, walks out against King Piccolo's offspring with new tricks he taught himself, flight included.
Trivia
- The episode adapts chapters 171 and 172 of the manga. It drew an 18.9% ratings share in Japan.
- Chi-Chi's kiss on the cheek is an anime addition, as are the waiting-room scene where she greets Goku's friends and Goku's advice to Krillin before the match.
- Oolong is the only one to recognize Chi-Chi before the reveal, even though Bulma, Roshi and Puar had also met her as a child.
- Because of translation changes, the Funimation dub never has Goku actually promise to marry Chi-Chi, and adds a line explaining that his heart knew what his mouth was saying.
Did you know? In this episode Master Roshi is not voiced by his regular actor Kōhei Miyauchi but by Jōji Yanami, the series narrator. The credits still list Miyauchi, and the reason for the substitution was never disclosed.
Characters
- Goku
- Chi-Chi
- Krillin
- Piccolo Jr. (Ma Junior)
- Master Roshi, Oolong, Bulma, Yamcha