"Cell Reception" is the fourteenth episode of Season 3 of Team Four Star's DragonBall Z Abridged and is the forty-fourth episode overall. It was first uploaded on YouTube on September 30, 2014. Master Roshi reads the disclaimer for this episode and says "HA! Release." after finishing. As of this episode, the character reading the disclaimer no longer says "non-profit", which was also removed from the text on the screen.
Synopsis[]
Cell manages to escape from the Z-Fighters but gets lost on the way to the next city. While reading the confusing signs, he gets called out by a bus full of Battle Ball players who are running late for a game. Cell then devours the entire team.
Meanwhile, Piccolo is angry that he let Cell getaway, while Vegeta, who has just arrived, is pissed that Piccolo got stronger due to the fusion between him and Kami. Tenshinhan arrives soon afterwards and Piccolo reveals to the group that Cell is another android from the future, causing Vegeta to ask Trunks if there's a fifth android he left out. Worried about what could happen if Cell joins forces with the other androids and what would happen if he finds what he needs to become Perfect, the group is stumped on what to do. Vegeta, however, brushes off the fact Piccolo is stronger now and declares that he will find a way to ascend his Super Saiyan powers. Tien teases him about the names for them, causing a fuming Vegeta to leave. Trunks then realizes that if Cell came from the future, there might be one in the current timeline. Krillin theorizes that while Dr. Gero' lab was destroyed, the present Cell might be hiding out in an underground lab since, as he implies, most mad scientists usually have basements. Trunks and Krillin go off to look for the lab, while Tien and Piccolo go off to look for Cell.
Meanwhile, back at Kame House, Chi-Chi tells everyone to come upstairs. It seems that Goku is getting better from the medication and is having dreams that he is a pirate and a ninja.
Returning to the mountains, Krillin and Trunks shoot energy beams at the debris until they find the entrance to the basement. They manage to find the Larva Cell, and blueprints of the androids. Said blueprints reveal their real names (Lapis and Lazuli), and built-in bombs placed inside them. Trunks is a bit reluctant to kill present Cell like this, but Krillin insists on doing so. They blow Larva Cell and the underground lab up and fly out.
Piccolo and Tien find the remains of the Battle Ball group but can't find Cell anywhere. Unknown to the group, Cell has reached a city called Nicky Town, and devours all the inhabitants.
Cast[]
- Takahata101 – Cell, Bucko (Battle Ball Player)
- Lanipator – Piccolo, Krillin, Vegeta, Master Roshi
- KaiserNeko – Trunks, Oolong, Unnamed Cell Victim on Radio
- Hbi2k – Nail
- MasakoX – Gohan, Goku
- Ganxingba – Tenshinhan
- Hnilmik – ChiChi
- 1KidsEntertainment – Roger (Coach), Random Citizen
- Ricepirate – TJ
Music[]
- Shunsuke Kikuchi - Cha-La Head-Cha-La (Variations)
- The Puppini Sisters - Jeepers Creepers
- Hironobu Kageyama - Cha-La Head-Cha-La
- Shunsuke Kikuchi - Kaibutsu Furiza Vs. Densetsu no Supa Saiya-jin
- Kenji Yamamoto - Shock!
- The Aquabats - Chemical Bomb
- Toshio Masuda - Naruto Main Theme
- Kenji Yamamoto - An Unfamiliar Menace
- Johnny Pearson - Romance at Midnight
- Paddy Kingsland - Finders Creepers
- Kenji Yamamoto - Frantic Cover
- The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men
- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - Spanish Flea
- LMFAO (feat. Lil Jon) - Shots
- Scott Schreer - NFL on FOX Theme
- The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
- Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
Running Gags[]
- Vegeta asking Trunks if there were other androids he left out.
- Tien teasing Vegeta, revealing he does this because if Vegeta kills him, Tien will still win. And Vegeta knows this.
Cultural References[]
- The dream sequence that Goku have are from One Piece and Naruto. Goku is dressed up as Luffy and Naruto Uzumaki. Piccolo is dressed up as Zoro during the One Piece sequence.
- Interestingly, both Piccolo and Zoro are voiced by Christopher Sabat in the FUNimation dub.
- Additionally, Colleen Clinkenbeard, the character who voices Luffy in the FUNimation dub, also voices young Goku and Gohan in Dragon Ball Z Kai.
- The sequence could also be a reference to the fact that Goku was the inspiration for Luffy and Naruto.
- However, the dream sequence of pirate Goku and ninja Goku predates the 2019 Shonen Jump crossover video game Jump Force.
- Krillin makes a Lost in Space reference by saying "Danger Will Robinson".
- Cell makes several jokes about his devouring towns, by listing off Hungry as the Wolf, Killing Me Slowly and All by Myself as the next three songs at the end.
Trivia[]
- The bus driver listens to Jeepers Creepers, by The Puppini Sisters.
- The track "24-7 Crazy" from Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 is briefly heard during the 98.5 The Nick radio show.
- "Chemical Bomb" by The Aquabats plays in the background at Kame House.
- Despite being covered in soot after the explosion, Krillin doesn't increase his Owned Count. This could be because him killing Present Cell cancelled it out.
- This is the first time since her debut that Android 18 does not appear.
- Tien has a fantasy Battle-Ball team.
- This is the first time since Super Saiyan Swagger that Goku speaks without screaming.
- When Trunks finds the schematics for the androids, he notes that 17 & 18's real names are Lapis and Lazuli, and that 16 was modeled after Dr. Gero's son. This information was never stated in the original series, but was revealed in a 2014 Q&A with Akira Toriyama.
- In a deleted/alternate scene, Yamcha mentions that with Goku recovering quickly, he can fight the androids with Gohan, only for Oolong to stop him. Chi-Chi, in turn, threatens Yamcha, and forbids Gohan and Goku from fighting the androids. They scrapped it when they decided it wasn't different enough from the original scene, and more importantly, it wasn't funny.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Episode Transcription (English)[]
MASTER ROSHI: Heh! "Release".
IMPERFECT CELL: All right… so South City is to the North, North City is to the West, and East City is... also to the North. Where the f**k am I?
[The coach radio is tuned to a music station] COACH ROGER: Raaagh!
[Music continues to play despite the crash]
COACH ROGER: Sir, I need to ask you to move off the road. We have a very important game today against the West City Southerners and we're already running late.
IMP. CELL: (Gasp) (Mentally) 'Aww, East City has a Panda Sanctuary, that's cute.'
COACH ROGER: I am now going to start applying the horn.
{HONK}
COACH ROGER: I am *now* going to use it again.
{HONK HONK}
COACH ROGER: I will now continue to use the horn until you *politely* move!
{HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK}
{HONK} IMP. CELL: Beep!
{HONK} Beep!
{HONK} Beep!
[etc...]
{HOOOOOOONK} BEEEEEEEEEEP!
IMP. CELL: (Mentally) 'Now, I just need to find my brother and sister before--'
BUCKO: Hey, ya giant green pylon! You ain't no car, so get off the road! Else me and the boys are gonna have ta make yer face look like yer ass, and yer ass look like yer face!
IMP. CELL: Mmm... (inhales)... hey you, I wanna make a joke about your team. What's its name?
BUCKO: The East City Westmen!
EAST CITY WESTMEN: Hoo-Hah!
IMP. CELL: 'Oh, I am too hungry for this *shit*.'
BUCKO: WOOH-HAH!
IMP. CELL: Beep beep!
COACH ROGER: UWAAHAAH...!
[♫ "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" ♫]
PICCOLO: Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!
KRILLIN: Wow, Piccolo's pulling a your dad.
VEGETA: Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!
KRILLIN: Ah, yeah. See?
TRUNKS: And now we have *this*.
VEGETA: You! Namekian! Too strong! Explain now!
TRUNKS: He fused with Kami so he could become stronger.
VEGETA: The f**k's a "Kami"?
KRILLIN: Basically God.
VEGETA: But I'm still here!
TRUNKS: Do you really believe your own hype that much?!
VEGETA: I AM THE HYPE!!
TENSHINHAN: Hey, finally found you guys. Just followed Vegeta's screaming. What did I miss?
KRILLIN: Piccolo fused with Kami.
TENSHINHAN: Oh, that finally came full circle.
PICCOLO: More importantly, there's a new threat: *Another* Android created by Dr. Gero!
VEGETA: DO I HEAR FIVE?!
CHI-CHI: Everyone! You have to come quickly!
GOHAN: Aww, but we're about to drink our lima bean and lentil smoothies.
MAS. ROSHI: Eh, they taste like vomit but they keep me regular. I'm like a soft-serve ice cream machine in the mornin'!
CHI-CHI: No time for those! Come upstairs!
MAS. ROSHI: I'm comin'! I'M COMIN'! I came. Heh!
CHI-CHI [off-screen]: Look! Look at Goku!
GOKU: Mmm...
OOLONG [deadpan]: What a miracle we have witnessed. Allow me to go call the local news.
CHI-CHI: I've had to deal with him screaming bloody murder for the last three hours; I'll take what I can get.
MAS. ROSHI: I wonder what he's dreamin' about…
[Inside Goku's dream]
"MONKEY D. LUFFY": Yay! I'm Pirate Goku! Are you ready for an adventure, Sword-Guy Piccolo?
"RORONOA ZORO": Uh, actually, I think you need to wake up. The Androids are--
"MONKEY D. LUFFY": Wait, look! It's *Ninja* Goku!
"NARUTO UZUMAKI": Hey, Pirate Goku! Let's go on an adventure!
"MONKEY D. LUFFY": Yeah!
[Back in the real world...]
GOKU: Yeah...
PICCOLO: So yeah, that's basically it in a nutshell.
KRILLIN: You mean a nut*cell*--
PICCOLO: Shut up! TENSHINHAN: Shut up! TRUNKS and VEGETA: Shut up!
TENSHINHAN: So if Cell manages to find whatever he's missing, he'll become even stronger?
PICCOLO: I guess? He was pretty vague about it; no matter what though - if he and the Androids join forces… none of us will stand a chance.
VEGETA: Says you.
TENSHINHAN: Aaand here we go...
VEGETA: I don't care how many people you fuse with. You'll never be as strong as a Super Saiyan.
PICCOLO: Not really much of a milestone anymore.
VEGETA: As for me, I will find a level *beyond* a Super Saiyan!
TENSHINHAN: So, what? Like a Mega Saiyan? *Ultra* Saiyan?
VEGETA: ...You're mocking me--
TENSHINHAN: *Maximum* Over-Saiyan!
VEGETA: F**k off, Triclops!
KRILLIN: Why do you antagonize him like that? You know he can kill you, right?
TENSHINHAN: At this point, it's a game. If he gives in, I win...
TENSHINHAN: At this point, it's a game. If he gives in, I win... and he knows that.
TRUNKS: Crazy thought - if that Cell's from another timeline, then's there gotta be one in this timeline too.
TENSHINHAN: Pretty sure that *emotional episode* you had earlier levelled Gero's lab.
KRILLIN: Well, he was a mad scientist. Shot in the dark - maybe he's got a basement?
TRUNKS: Ah, crapbaskets.
KRILLIN: Oh, you say that too.
PICCOLO: Alright then. Trunks, you go back to Gero's lab. I'm going after Cell.
KRILLIN: I'm going with Trunks to go after Cell.
TENSHINHAN: Aaand I'm going with, Piccolo to... go after... Cell...?
KRILLIN: Brreak!
PICCOLO: So, now that I have the chance to say this, um… sorry my Dad killed Chiaotzu.
NAIL: '...Aaand you made it awkward...'
IMP. CELL: Hey there, cherry. What's your name?
"NICKY TOWN" (Imperfect Cell talking falsetto): My name is Nicky Town. Who are you?
IMP. CELL: Name's Cell... [licks his, uh, orifice]... and you are lookin' fiiine.
"NICKY TOWN": Well, thank you Mr. Cell, but you're just sayin' that.
IMP. CELL: Oh, I don't say that to *every* town I come across.
"NICKY TOWN": Mr. Cell, please absorb me.
IMP. CELL: Oh don't worry, I'll get around to it.
"NICKY TOWN": But I need you right *now*, Mr. Cell.
IMP. CELL: OK-OK-OK, I'm in the middle of something right now--
"NICKY TOWN": No! Right *now*, Mr. Cell! Right *now*!
IMP. CELL: *BITCH I DO WHAT I WANT*!!
[Scene shifts to Trunks and Krillin at Gero’s lab]
KRILLIN: (Shivers)... oh my God, was it always this cold? We were here at noon, it was not this cold!
TRUNKS: Well, if you need to warm up, start looking.
KRILLIN: You know, I sometimes complain about our lifestyle, but honestly - shooting lasers is fun! (Imitating laser sounds) Pe-choo! Pe-choo! Pe-choo!
TRUNKS: Are you... making laser noises?
KRILLIN: All the time in my head. Why; is that weird?
TRUNKS and KRILLIN (making laser sounds together): Pe-pew! Pe-pew! Pe-choo! Pe-choo!
TRUNKS: Hey, there it is!
KRILLIN: Well, we can't climb down that - it's broken.
TRUNKS: Just come on.
KRILLIN: Weeeeeee...! Wehee!
TRUNKS: I need to ask you a favor.
KRILLIN: What's that?
TRUNKS: If we find any more Androids down here… please don't tell my father.
KRILLIN: I swear on my life. Unless he threatens my life... in which case… (Trails off)
KRILLIN: ...Wow. Danger, Will Robinson.
TRUNKS: Who's Will Robinson?
KRILLIN: The future is no fun...
TRUNKS: It's really not... huh? Hey, so, if I were a gambling man...
KRILLIN: Huh? Oh my God… It's adorable! Well, time to waste it.
TRUNKS: No, wait!
KRILLIN: Awww!
TRUNKS: These... these are the schematics for the Androids! We could use these to find a way to turn them off!
KRILLIN: (Mentally) 'Don't ask how to turn them on.' 'Don't ask how to turn her on!' 'Don't ask how to turn Android 18 on!'
KRILLIN: How do you turn Android 17 on?
KRILLIN (Mentally): '*Shit!*'
TRUNKS: Also, it lists their real names: "Lapis" and "Lazuli". And apparently, Android 16 was modeled after Gero's son!
KRILLIN: Are you making that up? It sounds like you're making that up.
TRUNKS: No, it's all here, really!
KRILLIN: Well, OK. Grab those and let's kill Cell!
TRUNKS: Hold on, I-I've been thinking… Technically, its never done anything wrong... so, doesn't it have the right to life?
KRILLIN: This isn't about a right to life… It's about making a choice. A choice we both need to make. A choice between a terrible mistake that can ruin lives, and– F**k it, I'm dropping the pretenses; we're aborting Cell! BOIYAHH!
TRUNKS: Alright, let's get out of here before this place comes down on our heads.
KRILLIN: Sorry, just a little caught up in gloating. III~ KILLED CELLLLL~! Hasta la vista, baby!
{BOOOOOOM}
KRILLIN: Probably should've backed up first… (Hacking coughs) That was fun! We should hang out more.
[Scene shifts to Piccolo and Tenshinhan]
PICCOLO: Nothing but clothes with stab marks. Cell's calling card.
TENSHINHAN: Naw dammit, he killed my star battle back! My entire fantasy team just went straight to hell.
PICCOLO [incredulous]: Are you serious?
TENSHINHAN: What? I have hobbies.
PICCOLO: (Scoffs)... no you don't.
TJ [Radio Broadcast]: Hey there, Nicky Town. This is your local station 98.5, *The Nick*, where TJ--
WOMBAT [RB] (decreasing pitch): And the Wombat! Wombat! Wombat!
WOMAN [RB]: Me so horny.
♫
TJ [RB]: What's the weather looking like out there, Wombat?
WOMBAT [RB]: Wombat Weather Forecast!
♫
WOMBAT [RB]: We're in the middle of an impossible heat wave - a balmy 104 degrees - so make sure you stay hydrated! *Real* hydrated!
RANDOM MAN: Ergh... RAAUGH!
♫
TJ [RB]: And in local sports news, many of our listeners are still waiting at the stadium for the East City Westmen,
VARIOUS: (Gasping, screaming and squelching) TJ [RB]: who are becoming increasingly late to the game. Probably hit some traffic on the turnpike...
VARIOUS: (Gasping, screaming and squelching) WOMBAT [RB]: Or maybe, they're just *scared*!
RANDOM WOMAN: AHHHHHHHH!
TJ [RB]: Oh, looks like we got our first call-in of the segment! Hello there, caller. What can TJ...
WOMBAT [RB]: And the Wombat!
TJ [RB]: ...do for you?
IMP. CELL [phone via RB]: Hello there, I--
VICTIM [phone via RB]: UUGH, HAHH--!
IMP. CELL [phone via RB]: OK, hold on, hold on...
(Kills and consumes victim with vigour)
IMP. CELL: ...Ah, there. OK. Could you play "Video Killed the Radio Star"?
TJ [RB]: Wow, uh, we usually only do the top 20...
WOMBAT [RB]: But today, we'll make an exception for you, *killer*!
[♫ "Video Killed the Radio Star" ♫]
IMP. CELL [phone via RB]: Dohh, shucks! Thanks, fellas! I'll be right in.
TJ [RB]: Uh right, wh-what'd he say?
[Imperfect Cell breaks into the studio]
TJ: Oh, God...! Oh, God! WHAT IS THAT THING?! NO! NO, GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM WOMBAT! NO! PUT HIM DOWN!
♫ Video killed the radio star ♫
TJ (Beneath the music): NO-HO-HO! WHY, GOD?! OHHHH GOD, I LOVED YOU, WO-HOMBA-HA-HAT!! I LOVED YOU SO MUCH!! GAH! OH, MY GUHH--
♫ Video killed the radio star ♫ [Screaming continues beneath music]
♫ Pictures came and broke your heart ♫
[Fade-out - Music and Visuals]
[♫ Closing theme (DBZ intermission) ♫]
IMP. CELL [RB]: Hey, welcome back to 98.5, The Cell. We have another caller making a request...
CALLER [RB]: Please don't kill me!!
IMP. CELL [RB]: Sorry, that's not in the lineup. Speaking of the lineup, in the next half-hour, we've got: "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran, "Killing Me Softly With His Song" by Lauren Hill, followed by "All By Myself" (by Eric Carmen). Now, don't touch that dial...
This transcription was produced by Splendaaa/1plainicecreamcone by taking the original English Captions by (Anonymous) and editing them slightly to have more clarity when read without video accompaniment. (If you edit this transcription, please leave this original credits segment <and add your own name, if you wish> so that my hours of effort aren't all for nothing! - thank you, Splendaaa)