Episode 234 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on July 27, 1994, two weeks after the previous one, and titled The Terror of Mr. Buu in Funimation's dub, is where Majin Buu shows what he can really do. The Supreme Kai is tossed around like a rag doll, Gohan vanishes into a forest after an energy blast and Babidi declares him dead. Not even Dabura's spear can hurt the monster.
Summary
Left on his own, the Supreme Kai fires an energy blast at Buu that does nothing. For long seconds the god is buried under blows he can neither block nor follow, while Babidi cackles. Just as Buu is about to finish him, Gohan, back on his feet, flies in and kicks the monster away, then urges the Supreme Kai to flee. Buu gets angry: when the boy charges him, he hits him point-blank with an energy attack that hurls him far into the distance.
The Supreme Kai manages to defuse the blast with an invisible eye attack, but Gohan crashes, badly wounded, into a forest. Babidi, who missed all this, congratulates Buu on killing the boy and orders him to finish the Supreme Kai as well. At first the monster ignores him, then decides the god will make a nice meal. At that very moment a battered Dabura runs him through with a spear.
Babidi flies into a rage, but Dabura warns him: a creature like this will never serve anyone and will turn on him sooner or later, so better to get rid of it now. The Demon King has underestimated his opponent. Buu pulls the spear out, the hole closes on its own, and the hungry monster announces that Dabura is now the one he wants to eat.
Meanwhile Goten and Trunks reach the scene. There is no sign of Gohan or their fathers; instead they see Babidi, Dabura, Buu and the Supreme Kai lying on the ground. Climbing the cliff, they find the petrified Piccolo and Krillin and take them for statues. They start tapping on them until Trunks hits too hard and Piccolo's statue shatters. Back at the stadium, Mr. Satan tries to fly like Gohan and Videl, with disastrous results.
Our take
After two episodes of buildup, this is the first in which Buu is genuinely frightening. The direction leans on the monster's speed and unpredictability: the Supreme Kai cannot even tell where the blows are coming from, and Gohan, who beat Cell years earlier, is put out of action like any ordinary kid. The Japanese title talks about the fear of death closing in on Gohan, and his fall into the forest makes it tangible.
Dabura's spear, meanwhile, introduces the trait that will make Majin Buu so hard to beat: he feels no pain and regenerates from any wound. The Demon King's warning will prove prophetic: Babidi has no real control over his creation.
Goten and Trunks's detour lightens the mood without spoiling it, and Piccolo's broken statue sets up a small twist for the next episode. Mr. Satan's gag, landing at the tensest moment, works less well.
Trivia
- The full literal translation of the Japanese title is "The Terrifying Majin!! Death's Dread Draws Near Gohan". The dub title is sometimes listed as The Terror of Majin Buu.
- It adapts chapter 462 from page twelve and chapter 463. Written by Masashi Kubota and directed by Kazuhito Kikuchi, with Keisuke Masunaga as animation director.
- It drew a 17.7% share in Japan.
- Mr. Satan's clumsy attempt at flying is an anime addition.
- One of the girls in Mr. Satan's fan club bears a strong resemblance to Bulma from the early days of the original Dragon Ball.
- It is the first episode to reuse music from the movie Broly – Second Coming.
Did you know? Babidi believes Gohan is dead, but the boy is only injured. The mistake carries real weight in the following episodes, as word of his death reaches his friends.