Episode 267 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on June 7, 1995 and titled Ready to Fuse? in Funimation's dub, hands Goku the weapon that should end the war: the Potara earrings. The plan is to fuse with Gohan, but a dropped earring, a desperate stand by Tien and yet another trick from Super Buu wreck it. By the end, Goku is alone with an earring in his hand and nobody to share it with.
Summary
On the Sacred World of the Kai, the Elder Kai has Supreme Kai and Kibito test the Potara with their own earrings. They instantly merge into Kibito Kai, a taller and far stronger god. Only once it is done does the old man mention the crucial detail: the fusion is forever. He also reveals he once used the earrings himself with an old witch, which explains how he looks today. Then Goku sets off with Instant Transmission.
On Earth, Dende heals Gohan after Buu slams him into the ground. Annoyed, the monster fires at the little Namekian; Mr. Satan empties his pistol at the blast to no effect, and it is actually deflected by the Tri-Beam of Tien. Buu responds by preparing a huge energy ball to wipe everyone out.
Goku appears behind the monster and slices him in two with a Destructo Disc, clipping off the tip of his antenna as well. Mr. Satan, who was firing with his eyes shut, is convinced he did it. Buu's legs, left on the ground, knock Tien out with a single kick, and the two halves rejoin. Goku tosses an earring to Gohan, but the boy fails to catch it and the Potara vanishes into the rubble. To buy time, Goku turns Super Saiyan 3.
While Gohan searches, the fusion of Goten and Trunks wears off inside Super Buu: the monster changes shape and loses much of his strength. Goku relaxes, sure that Gohan can handle him alone now. But Buu planned for this too. The piece of antenna the disc cut off turns into a rubbery mass, engulfs Gohan and returns to its owner. Buu absorbs the boy and becomes stronger than ever. Desperate, Goku runs through his options: Tien is down, Dende is no fighter, and the only one left standing is Mr. Satan.
Our take
The Japanese title speaks of a miracle that only happens once, and the episode plays on that: fusion with Gohan seems within reach and slips away over an earring lost among the rocks. It is an almost slapstick defeat that makes the real one, the absorption, even crueler. It also shows how much Buu has changed. With Piccolo's brain, he has learned to keep an insurance policy.
The Potara demonstration is a small comic gem. The Elder Kai uses two gods as test subjects and only afterwards tells them they can never separate. Goku will pull the same move on Vegeta in the next episode. The contrast with the Fusion Dance is the real theme here: Goten and Trunks' fusion has an expiry date, and it runs out right in this episode, while the Potara have no way back, so the price becomes part of the choice.
Tien's moment deserves a mention. A human throwing himself into a fight at this level, knowing he cannot win, is a tribute to the original cast, long since left behind but no less brave for it. The anime even gives him a second Tri-Beam that is not in the manga.
Trivia
- It adapts chapter 501 from page six and chapter 502. Written by Hiroshi Toda and directed by Yoshihiro Ueda, with Naoaki Hōjō as animation director.
- It drew a 14.8% share in Japan.
- In the manga, Goku never actually fights Buu as a Super Saiyan 3: Gotenks unfuses as soon as he transforms. The anime adds a brief exchange.
Did you know? In the manga, Goku asks whether he should go Super Saiyan before fusing. The Elder Kai says there is no need, since they can do it afterwards, and the strain could even shorten their lives.
Characters
- Goku, the Elder Kai, Supreme Kai, Kibito and Kibito Kai
- Gohan, Super Buu and Dende
- Tien
- Mr. Satan and Bee