Episode 140 of Dragon Ball, first broadcast in Japan on January 11, 1989 and known in the English dub as Goku Gains Speed, was the series' first episode of the new year, and it stages one of Goku's best-loved reveals. His semifinal against Tien at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament seems to be slipping away, until Goku asks for a timeout and starts undressing. What he had under his clothes was a heavy secret.
Summary
Tien finally lands a clean hit, a headbutt that sends Goku flying. The two lock up in a grappling contest that looks even until Tien flares his energy and breaks free. After trading compliments, he announces that he has been working above all on one thing, speed, and shoots up into the sky. Goku follows, but he is always a beat behind: an elbow to the back of the neck, a kick to the face on landing, and the fight belongs to Tien.
The former Crane School pupil spells out the problem with some confidence: Goku's eyes can follow him, but his body cannot keep up. A kick to the gut sends Goku almost out of bounds, and only a last-second spin keeps him in the ring. Tien declares that the match is his.
That is when Goku asks him to wait a moment. He peels off the top of his gi, then his wristbands and his shoes, and they hit the ring with a telling thud. Tien tries to lift the shirt and can barely manage it: all told, Goku's outfit weighs 100 kilograms. These are the weights he trained in at Kami's Lookout, and as he sheds them Goku remembers the days he spent chasing Mr. Popo.
Free of the load, Goku treats the stadium to a burst of speed that leaves everyone speechless. When the fight resumes, Tien cannot touch him. Worse, at one point he realizes his pants are falling down: Goku has slipped off his belt so fast that not even Tien's eyes caught it. Goku hands it back with a grin. Red with embarrassment, Tien announces that with twelve eyes he will surely be able to see him, and starts gathering his ki.
Our take
Weighted clothing is one of Akira Toriyama's favorite tricks: it already appeared with Master Roshi's turtle shells, and it will return in Dragon Ball Z with Piccolo's cape and turban in the fight against Raditz. It works especially well here because it arrives just as Goku seems genuinely outmatched, and it flips the fight in an instant.
The belt gag is the perfect touch. Instead of humiliating his friend with a devastating blow, Goku beats him at play, the way the little boy of the early episodes would have. Tien, who has always drawn strength from his pride, takes that harder than any punch.
The anime stretches Tien's early dominance compared to the manga, and the choice makes sense: the longer Goku struggles, the more his comeback lands. The flashback with Mr. Popo, meanwhile, reminds viewers where that speed comes from.
Trivia
- The episode adapts chapter 177 and the first three pages of chapter 178 of the manga. It drew a 15.4% ratings share in Japan.
- In the manga Tien hits Goku only twice before the weights come off. The opening stretch of the fight, the training flashback with Mr. Popo and Goku's speed demonstration are anime additions.
- Toei's own synopsis puts the combined weight of Goku's gear at 100 kg, while some English sources give a different figure.
Did you know? Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989, and the Heisei era began the next day, which makes this the first Dragon Ball episode broadcast in the new era.
Characters
- Goku
- Tien Shinhan
- Mr. Popo (flashback)
- Shen, Piccolo Jr., Master Roshi, Oolong