Episode 233 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on July 13, 1994 and titled The Losses Begin in Funimation's dub, reveals the terrifying strength hiding behind Majin Buu's goofy exterior. Two blows are enough to drop Dabura, and soon Gohan falls too. Meanwhile, Vegeta ends his duel with Goku in his own way: he strikes him from behind and leaves alone.
Summary
As Gohan and the Supreme Kai stare in horror at the newborn creature, Goku stops Vegeta: their fight is what released the monster, and if they do not act now everyone will die, Bulma and Trunks included. Vegeta accuses him of stalling and lashes out, shouting that those bonds mean nothing to him anymore. Goku hits back and calls him a liar. Finally the prince seems to give in: he proposes a truce so they can deal with Buu together and asks for a senzu bean. While Goku rummages through his pouch, Vegeta strikes him on the back of the neck, knocks him out and takes the last senzu. He will handle Buu himself.
Outside the spaceship, Babidi reminds Majin Buu that without him he would still be locked up. Buu turns away in silence, then pulls a face at him, shouts his own name and bursts out laughing. Dabura loses patience: he insults the creature and claims the Buu of legend must have been far stronger. The monster blows off steam and punches him in the eyes; Dabura swings back and misses, and a kick sends him crashing into a mountain. Babidi is thrilled, but to keep Buu in line he has to threaten to seal him back in his ball.
Gohan wants to finish off the wizard at once, but the Supreme Kai holds him back: only Babidi can seal Buu again, so it is better to wait for that moment. It is already too late. Babidi orders Buu to kill them both, and Gohan grabs the Supreme Kai and takes off. The head start lasts an instant: Buu appears right in front of him, smashes him on the head and sends him plummeting, unconscious. The Supreme Kai is left alone with the monster.
Our take
The Japanese title speaks of the Supreme Kai's grief, and the episode is built around his point of view. He knows what Buu is, and every childish gesture confirms that the catastrophe has only just begun. The way Majin Buu brushes off Dabura, until a moment ago the most feared enemy of the saga, settles the pecking order in seconds.
The key scene, though, belongs to Vegeta. The blow from behind looks like betrayal, and it is that too, but his reasoning is more complicated: he is the one who freed Buu and he wants to make amends alone, without Goku in the way. Anyone who knows The History of Trunks will recognize the move future Gohan pulls on young Trunks, and Vegeta will repeat it soon enough with Goten and Trunks. Claiming he cares about no one while acting to protect someone is the contradiction his whole arc rests on.
Compared to the manga, the anime adds an exchange of punches before Goku calls Vegeta a liar: in the comic the two had already stopped fighting when Buu emerged. Goku reverting to his base form as he passes out is also anime-only; in Toriyama's version he stays a Super Saiyan on the ground.
Trivia
- The full literal translation of the Japanese title is "A Straight Line to Despair!? The Grief of the Supreme Kai".
- It adapts chapter 461 from page four and the first twelve pages of chapter 462. Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, with Masayuki Uchiyama as animation director.
- It drew a 19.5% share in Japan.
- Mr. Satan reminiscing about the Cell Games fighters during his interview is another anime addition.
- In one shot Vegeta appears without his gloves, which are back in the next.
- The next episode aired two weeks later, on July 27, 1994.