Episode 35 of Dragon Ball, first broadcast in Japan on October 22, 1986 and known in the English dub as Cold Reception, takes Goku into brand-new territory: the frozen lands of the north. There he meets Suno, a kind little girl who saves him from freezing to death, and learns that her village lives under the Red Ribbon Army's thumb. It is the start of one of the saga's best-loved arcs, the assault on Muscle Tower.
Summary
After the plane crash, Goku is a block of ice. Suno, the girl who found him, drags him all the way to her house in Jingle Village. At his base, Muscle Tower, General White orders two of his men to follow the tracks in the snow: the boy who beat Silver might still be alive.
By the fire Goku thaws out, burns his tongue on a hot drink and explains what he is looking for. When they hear about Dragon Balls, Suno and her mother get scared and ask whether he is with the Red Ribbon Army. Goku reassures them, shows them the ball he is carrying and explains what the balls can do, recalling the day he saw Shenron appear.
Meanwhile the two soldiers are going house to house through the village, threatening the residents. When they reach Suno's home, Goku is in the bathroom; they shoot through the door, but he walks out unharmed and puts them out of action in an instant.
Now Suno and her mother can explain. The Red Ribbon Army treats the village men like slaves, forcing them to search the ice for a Dragon Ball. To make sure they obey, General White is holding the mayor prisoner in Muscle Tower, and if nobody works, he will kill him. Goku does not hesitate: he promises to rescue him and runs out the door. He is back a few seconds later, teeth chattering. Suno gives him warm clothes, and this time he leaves for real.
At the tower he is greeted by a hail of bullets. Goku deflects them by twirling his staff, knocks out the guards at the entrance and, rather than using the door, has his extending Power Pole lift him straight up to the second floor.
Our take
After the run of Pilaf chases, the episode lets the story breathe with a domestic interlude. Suno's house, the crackling fire, the caring mother: for a boy who grew up alone in the mountains it is almost a new experience, and the series handles it with a light touch. Suno is a small but well-drawn character, brave without being heroic, and her affection for Goku gives the coming assault real stakes.
The Red Ribbon Army, meanwhile, shows its ugliest face. It does not just hunt Dragon Balls: it occupies villages, takes hostages and exploits the locals. This is where the saga finds its moral engine. Goku is no longer fighting only for his grandfather's memory, but for people who cannot defend themselves.
The gag of him rushing back in from the cold is pure Toriyama. The anime adds the burnt tongue and the soldiers firing through the bathroom door, details that change nothing but make the episode livelier.
Trivia
- The episode adapts chapter 57 of Akira Toriyama's manga and drew a 27.7% ratings share in Japan.
- In the manga White's men follow Goku's tracks on foot; in the anime they arrive in a large vehicle and bully an elderly couple first.
- Two of the soldiers Goku meets on the way to the tower look a lot like the Orin Temple bullies who used to torment Krillin.
Did you know? The Blue Water dub kept the original idea for the title, Suno, a Little Girl in a Northern Village, while Funimation went with the pun Cold Reception.
Characters
- Goku
- Suno and her mother
- General White
- Red Ribbon soldiers
- The mayor of Jingle Village (mentioned)