Episode 98 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on July 10, 1991 and titled A Final Attack in Funimation's dub, stages one of Goku's most debated choices. With Namek about to explode and his enemy on the ropes, the Saiyan could end the fight right away. Instead, he gives Frieza time to reach his full power.
Summary
The duel resumes and Goku has a clear advantage. Frieza blasts him back with a shockwave unleashed by a shout alone, but the Saiyan returns almost unhurt. The tyrant then reveals he has been fighting at 70% of his strength and plays on his opponent's warrior instinct to persuade him to wait while he powers up.
Goku lunges to attack, then stops, struck by how fast the enemy's power is rising. King Kai reaches him telepathically and begs him to destroy Frieza before he hits 100%. Goku refuses: he wants to beat him at his best, or the victory would mean nothing. King Kai, dismayed, realizes this is not the man he knew anymore: he is a Super Saiyan now.
Meanwhile, Gohan finds Bulma just before she is caught in the cataclysm and flies her toward his father's spaceship. On Earth, Chi-Chi can no longer contact Goku's ship, and Dr. Brief explains that the cause is probably strong electromagnetic waves, a sign the planet is about to blow.
Frieza completes his power-up and the two clash again at such speed that even King Kai cannot follow them. This time the tyrant seems to have the upper hand. Goku manages to catch his fists and taunts him, but Frieza breaks free and drives a knee into his stomach, warning him that he was only warming up. Goku, doubled over, replies that he is glad: he would have been disappointed if that had been all.
Our take
Goku's decision is the heart of the episode, and it fits what the series has just shown. The Super Saiyan is not only stronger: he is harder, prouder, closer to the nature of his people. Letting the enemy reach his peak, with the planet crumbling and Gohan still in danger, is a choice the Goku of the early episodes might not have made. King Kai's line spells it out, and for the viewer it is a small chill: the hero is playing with fire.
In terms of pacing, we are deep inside the famous countdown. The five minutes announced in episode 97 will only end with the explosion in episode 106, and this installment is a textbook example of the stretching. In the manga, Goku and Frieza do not fight between the core blast and the shout that pushes the Saiyan away, while the anime slips in another exchange; and after the 100% power-up the comic moves almost straight to Goku's line about being disappointed, which here only comes after new fight sequences. The Dr. Brief scene with Chi-Chi and Roshi is confirmed filler too.
There is a production factor as well: two weeks passed between episode 97 and this one, because no episode aired on July 3, 1991. For viewers watching live, the wait for those five minutes was even longer.
Trivia
- It adapts the end of chapter 320 and part of chapter 321. Written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, directed by Yoshihiro Ueda, with animation direction by Kazuya Hisada; 23.3% ratings share in Japan.
- Once again, half of the original next-episode preview was devoted to a ticket lottery for Cooler's Revenge; the Dragon Box replaced it with the rerun version.
- In the English dub King Kai giggles at one of Goku's jokes; in Japanese he is shaking with frustration and calling Goku a fool for letting Frieza power up.
Did you know? Before persuading Goku to wait, Frieza claims he has been fighting at 70% of his power. Only a few episodes earlier he had boasted he could win using just half.