Episode 147 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on July 8, 1992 and titled Time Chamber in Funimation's dub, introduces one of the most famous places in the franchise: the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. A freshly recovered Goku needs time to go beyond Super Saiyan, and Kami's Lookout has plenty to offer. While the Saiyans get ready, the Androids reach Kame House and find Piccolo waiting for them.
Summary
Goku asks Chi-Chi if he can take Gohan training. She agrees, on the condition that the boy catches up on his studies afterward, and sends her husband off with a tender goodbye. Using Instant Transmission, Goku pops up aboard the plane Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha are using to chase Cell, and Krillin hugs him so hard that both of them burst through the back of the cabin. Goku explains that he could not beat Cell right now, but he knows a place where a single day buys a whole year of training.
Next, Goku visits Trunks and Vegeta. The prince has spent three days staring at the sky, ignoring his son: he feels he can climb past Super Saiyan but cannot see how. When Goku tells him about the Chamber, he agrees on one condition: he and Trunks go in first.
Meanwhile, the Androids reach Goku's house and find it empty. Android 18 takes the chance to try on Chi-Chi's clothes, and Android 16 points them toward Kame House. At an amusement park, Cell spreads terror; by the time Piccolo and the others arrive, the place is deserted and the monster is watching them from above, amused.
At the Lookout, Mr. Popo leads the four Saiyans to the Chamber and explains how it works. Only two can enter at a time, so Vegeta and Trunks step through the door into an endless white void. That night at Kame House, Piccolo is following the news about Cell on TV when he senses visitors. He wakes the others, steps outside and comes face to face with Androids 16, 17 and 18. He refuses to say where Goku is and suggests they settle things on a nearby island.
Our take
The Japanese title, "Hurry up and train, Saiyans!", sums up the saga's new engine. Cell grows with every victim, the Androids are hunting Goku, and the heroes' answer is a place where time runs differently. The rule is simple: one day outside equals one year inside. The trade-off is a hostile environment, a boundless white space with ten times Earth's gravity, thin air and brutal swings in temperature, which the anime plays up more than the manga does. Goku even hints that he has been inside before, as a boy. It is a simple, brilliant device: Toriyama can age his heroes a "year" in an afternoon without pausing the plot.
The anime's additions are mostly light. The best is the emptied amusement park, because it shows a monster who could kill everyone already and simply chooses not to.
Vegeta's scene matters too. He accepts Goku's help only if he gets to go first: his pride is intact, yet he is still following someone else's plan. Vegeta and Trunks will come out in episode 154, Goku and Gohan in episode 168.
Trivia
- It adapts chapter 366. Written by Aya Matsui and directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi, it drew a 20.3% share.
- Krillin's reaction, Android 18's wardrobe change and the amusement park are anime additions.
- It is the first episode in which Goku's house matches its manga design.
- The two-person limit comes down to the provisions: during the Buu saga, four people end up inside at once.
- In Italy it premiered on Italia 1 on September 19, 2000.
Did you know? There is nothing "hyperbolic" about the Japanese name, Seishin to Toki no Heya: it literally means "Room of Spirit and Time," which is exactly what the Italian version calls it. Hyperbolic Time Chamber was coined for the English adaptation.
Characters
- Goku, Gohan and Chi-Chi
- Vegeta, Trunks and Mr. Popo
- Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha
- Android 16, Android 17 and Android 18
- Cell
- Master Roshi