"Flashpoint" is the twenty-second episode of the third season of Team Four Star's DragonBall Z Abridged and is the fifty-second episode overall. It was first uploaded to the official website on February 16, 2016, and later uploaded to YouTube on February 18, 2016.
Summary[]
In the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku announces, to Gohan's horror, that he is going to teach Gohan how to dodge by way of firing a Super Saiyan blast at him that Gohan could not possibly survive.
Gohan can't bring himself to move out of the way. Trying in vain to hold the blast back, reflecting on his helplessness, and desperate to survive, Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan and forces the blast away. Goku is elated, but Gohan is too caught up in the intensity of his transformation to respond with more than manic growling.
On Earth, Krillin throws a Kienzan disc at Perfect Cell in grief and rage, but it dissolves harmlessly on impact, prompting Cell to cheerfully kick Krillin in the neck hard enough to send him flying through a plateau. Trunks flies away to help Krillin, while Android 16 blames Cell for 'eating his family'.
Vegeta approaches Cell confidently as Cell mockingly expresses his admiration for Vegeta's dedication to dooming the world to suit his own ego.
Krillin recovers from his injury with a Senzu Bean, and immediate claims that Vegeta is about to die, implying that Cell held back massively in his devastating attack, as Krillin can tell when people are playing around, a fact he directs accusingly at Trunks.
Cell interrupts Vegeta's posturing with a simple challenge to hit Cell as hard as he can. To Vegeta's shock, an impulsive kick lands harmlessly on Cell's head, and Cell kicks Vegeta through several rock outcroppings and drops him into the ocean.
Trunks admits that he discovered a way to surpass Vegeta in power but has hidden that fact to save his father's pride, claiming that the realization would shatter Vegeta. "AND BECAUSE OF THAT 18 HAD TO DIE!?" Krillin shrieks. Trunks asks why it matters because it was the plan to detonate the bomb in her. He then sees Krillin crying and glaring at him with all his might. Realizing Krillin had fallen in love with the android, Trunks apologizes in a moment of genuine regret for his stupid action.
Vegeta drags himself back onto land as Cell mocks him, offering him one last chance to attack Cell with everything he's got. Vegeta flies into the air and begins to summon a terrifying amount of power, to the point where Trunks and Krillin belief that Vegeta intends to destroy the entire planet just to kill Cell. Vegeta unleashes his 'Final Flash' attack, prompting a moment of concern from Cell as the blast engulfs him and skims the Earth, parting the ocean for miles before shooting out into space.
Relieved to have survived, the three are further elated to see that Cell has had most of his torso blown off in the blast. Vegeta laughs as Cell screams in apparent agony and frustration, before Cell suddenly regains his composure, and instantly regenerates the missing portion of his body.
Vegeta panics and begins to pelt Cell with ki blasts, only for Cell to effortlessly walk through the hail and knock Vegeta across the island again. Krillin insists that Vegeta's life is in danger, reminding Trunks that they no longer have Dragon Balls to resurrect Vegeta with, while Trunks continues to hesitate.
Cell mocks Vegeta one last time, suggesting that Vegeta should do what everyone else does, and "Wait for Goku" before breaking Vegeta's back. As he's about to destroy Vegeta's unconscious body, Trunks begins to power up, as Cell watches curiously.
In a post-ending scene, Gohan has gotten a short new haircut, and is called over to eat by Goku. Goku lets Gohan 'cook' his portion by throwing it up into the air for Gohan to blast it with his ki, but the food bursts into flames and sets Goku's hair on fire. Gohan's attempts to warn his father fall on deaf ears, as Goku focuses on chastising Gohan's lack of control, while Goku's entire head bursts into flames. (Beautiful karma).
Cast[]
- MasakoX â Gohan, Goku
- Takahata101 â Cell
- Lanipator â Krillin, Vegeta
- KaiserNeko â Trunks
- Remix â Android 16
Music[]
- Shunsuke Kikuchi - Cha-La Head-Cha-La (Variations)
- Kenji Yamamoto - An Unfamiliar Menace
- Hironobu Kageyama - Cha-La Head-Cha-La
- Kenji Yamamoto - A New Foe Rears His Head
- Kenji Yamamoto - Symphonic Transformation
- AinTunez â Super Saiyan Vegeta (Fauxchestral Vers.)
- Shunsuke Kikuchi - Prevent It! Cell's Perfect Body
- AinTunez â Perfect Cell X Hikari no Willpower
- Kenji Yamamoto - Bubbles' Dance
Running Gags[]
- Krillin Owned Count 35: Krillin gets kicked through a plateau by Perfect Cell.
- "Dodging" comes up again.
- Gohan mutters "Damn you, Pavlov." when Goku fires at him; echoing Piccolo from Episode 8.
Cultural References[]
- The echoing effect on Vegeta's voice when he's defeated evokes the 'death cry' of a defeated character in a Street Fighter game. Everything Cell says afterwards is in reference to fighting game announcements.
- Coincidentally, this episode was released on the same day as Street Fighter V.
- The title of the episode, Flashpoint, is a reference to the DC comic storyline where Barry Allen, AKA The Flash, goes back in time and creates a timeline called flashpoint. Similarly, Trunks time travels to create a better world but ends up causing a new threat, much like Barry in most flashpoint arcs.
- This is also the 52nd episode of the series. The original flashpoint comic story directly led into DC's 2011 reboot, known as The New 52.
- Cell's demand that Vegeta "Hit me as hard as you can." references a famous line in the 1999 movie Fight Club.
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the debut of Gohan's Super Saiyan form. The sequence was made as part of a director's cut for The "Perfect" Guy. Originally, it was to be shown along with Perfect Cell's transformation, but they ultimately decided not to.
- This is the first episode of 2016.
- This episode marks the first time that Team Four Star used custom music by AinTunez. In this case, the song is an arrangement of "Vegeta's Super Saiyan Theme".
- In the stinger, Goku was singing a variation of "Dragon Soul", the theme song for Dragon Ball Kai. A full version of the song was released on MasakoX's YouTube Channel.
- Months after the release of the video, Team Four Star released a full version of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZl890jSvQI, it was arranged by AinTunez.
- Cell tells Android 16 not to "lose his head", foreshadowing 16's eventual decapitation.
- Gohan speaks during the end sequence, making him the third character to do this, following Vegeta and Trunks. During this, he is trying to help Goku put out his flaming head. The sequence concludes with panic over Goku lighting the Hyperbolic Time Chamber door on fire.
- Gohan is also one of the two characters to read the disclaimer and speak in the ending sequence in the same episode, the other one being Trunks.
- The Episode Breakdown segment admitted to a writing error when Krillin tells Trunks that he knows how strong Cell is. What the viewer is intended to be informed, is that after years of physical abuse and attacks from various characters throughout the series, Krillin can evaluate how powerful an opponents attacks can be based on his perception of their power level, and Krillin evaluated Trunks as intentionally performing at less than his full capacity.
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Episode Transcription (English)[]
GOKU: Alrighty Gohan, I hope you got plenty of sleep, 'cause today, we're gonna do some *special* training!
GOHAN: This is going to be utterly terrifying or completely silly, isn't it? There is no in-between with you.
GOKU: Naaaw, we're just gonna focus on a little bit of basic combat training that Piccolo told me you've been struggling with.
GOHAN: No, you aren't...!
GOKU: Today, I'ma teach you⊠HOW TO DODGE!
GOHAN: I *really* don't think you--
GOKU: YAAAAAAAAAHH!!
GOHAN: HUEH!
GOKU: NOW, this is gonna be a Super Saiyan blast! As a non-Super Saiyan, you have no option but TO DODGE IT!
GOHAN: Dad, you really need to listen--!
GOKU: Because if you don't dodge this, you'll almost certainly, probably, definitely die!
GOHAN [terrified]: DAD, I'M SERIOUS!!
GOKU: Reaaady? Aaaaaaaand...!
GOHAN: (Mentally) âDamn you, Pavlov...'
GOKU: HAAAAAAAAAAAH!
GOHAN: Huuh⊠...huh... ggh... uhh⊠...hugggh...!
[Gohan continues to grunt in exertion]
GOHAN: (Mentally while continuing to grunt in exertion) 'Mr. Piccolo! Krillin! Anyone?! No⊠...nobody is here to save me this time⊠...to save me like always⊠...I can't run from this⊠...I can't dodge this⊠...but if I can't dodge⊠...IF I CAN'T DODGE⊠...THEN...!'
GOHAN: UUUUGGHAAAAAAAAAAHH!!
GOKU: Whoa!
{BOOOM}
GOKU: EEEEEEE!!
[Gohan continues to grunt in exertion]
GOKU: Well, look at you! And for a moment there, I thought you were *actually* gonna dodge. [Gohan continues to grunt in exertion]
GOKU: Good thing that was only half strength, or...
Yeah, the first time is pretty intense⊠*My* first time was with Freezer, and *boy*, was that rough!
[Gohan continues to grunt in exertion]
GOKU: ...So who wants a haircut~?
[â« "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" â«]
TRUNKS: (Gasp)
VEGETA: (Grunt of approval)
KRILLIN: (Holding back tears angrily)
PERFECT CELL: So, who's first?
KRILLIN: GIVE HER BACK! (Gasp)
[Ominous music]
KRILLIN: Uh!
PER. CELL: Ah⊠a volunteer.
KRILLIN: UGHH!
TRUNKS: Krillin! Are you OK?!
KRILLIN: (High pitch wheezing)
TRUNKS: Do you need a Senzu bean?!
KRILLIN: (Continues wheezing)
TRUNKS: You're right; that is a stupid question.
PER. CELL: Hey!
ANDROID 16: Hello.
PER. CELL: So, are we cool?
16: You ate my family!
PER. CELL: Hey, don't lose your head! They were my family too.
VEGETA: So ya broke the bald one's neck. BRAAA-VO! I hope you're not *too* proud of yourself.
PER. CELL: Oh, Prince. I am proud. Not of that, no... but of you. It takes a big man - not necessarily a tall one - to do what you did. Sticking to your guns and just *throwing* everyone's lives away! And for that, I tip my⊠Huh... what *is* that on my head? Would you call it a crown? Sixteen, would you call this a crown?
16: I hate you.
PER. CELL: We'll call it a crown.
KRILLIN: (Gasping for breath)
TRUNKS: Oh good, the Senzu worked. KRILLIN: (Gasping for breath)
TRUNKS: You know, it's too bad you don't have Saiyan biology;
KRILLIN: (Gasping for breath)
TRUNKS: at this point you'd probably be unstoppable.
KRILLIN: (Panting) I know, right?! Also, Vegeta's gonna die.
TRUNKS: What? How do you--
KRILLIN: Trunks, do you have *any* idea how many times I've been hit by someone stronger than me since I became an adult?
TRUNKS: How would I know that?
KRILLIN: Every time! Barring your mother and Chi-Chi, literally. Every. Time!
TRUNKS: And?
KRILLIN: And I know when someone's holding back... *Trunks*.
TRUNKS: OK, I can explain.
KRILLIN: I don't think you can.
VEGETA: All right, "Perfect" Cell...
PER. CELL: Mmh, love the ring to that..
VEGETA: I'm going to enjoy wearing down the knuckles on these gloves.
PER. CELL: OK, I know that wasn't supposed to sound sexual, but--
VEGETA: Now if you don't mind, it's time to turn your little coming out party into a funeral.
PER. CELL: Aaand time's up.
VEGETA: Uh...?
PER. CELL: Prince, while there's absolutely nothing I'd rather do than stand here and listen to you bluster at me 'til the heat death of the universe...
VEGETA [annoyed]: Hmmmummm! PER. CELL: and listen to you bluster at me 'til the heat death of the universe⊠I literally have a million better things to do. So here's the deal: I want you to hit me as hard as you can.
VEGETA: Oh, is that righ--
PER. CELL: Now hold on, you might have misheard me.
VEGETA: Hmph.
PER. CELL: Not "half as hard", not some arbitrary percentage⊠I want you. To hit me. As hard. As. You. Can!
VEGETA: And if I don't play along?
PER. CELL: Well, then I guess your father was right about you--
VEGETA: RAAAAAARGH! Ugh! Uhh!
PER. CELL: Ooooo, consider that nerve *touched*!
VEGETA: Wha--?! Ugh? How?!
PER. CELL: Because, Prince... like a soon-to-be-broken man once said:
VEGETA: Haaahhaahh...!
PER. CELL: "You're either perfect, or you're *not me*."
VEGETA: Ugh! WAAAAAAUGH! UGHH! AUGH! ERGH! ERGH! AAGH! Grr-urh...! I'm OK...! I'ma... I'mmaah⊠ffuuuuuuuu--
{SPLASH}
KRILLIN: You've been holding back this entire time!
TRUNKS: OK, you're right! When I was training in the Time Chamber, I found a way to surpass my father. But he doesn't know! And if he found out...
KRILLIN: Then he'd be *mad* at you?! Listen, I like the guy, but his default emotion is "angry"!
TRUNKS: It's more than anger, it's pride! It would shatter him!
KRILLIN: And because of that, Eighteen HAD TO DIE?!
TRUNKS: What does it matter?! That was your plan the entire⊠...oh. Shit.
TRUNKS: Wait, where is my father?
VEGETA: (Gasp), Haaaah, haah... (Pant)
PER. CELL: See, Prince, that's what you get for not listening.
VEGETA: (Panting)
PER. CELL: But, since I know you have trouble following directions, I'm gonna give you one last chance. You. Me. Hard as you can. Are we clear?
VEGETA: *Crystal*.
KRILLIN: Maybe you should tell him before he does something completely reckless.
TRUNKS: There is literally nothing left that he could do to make this situation worse. Save blowing up the *planet*.
VEGETA: Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
TRUNKS: He is going to blow up the planet (!)
KRILLIN: BUT I LIVE HERE!
[Dramatic music; Vegeta straining]
PER. CELL: Hoho, that's much better! I can actually *feel* that.
VEGETA: In mere moments, all you'll be feeling... IS OBLIVION!!
PER. CELL: That, or disappointment. Go ahead... flip that coin.
VEGETA: Raarrgh!
TRUNKS: FATHER! Your pride isn't worth destroying the *planet*! Come on!
KRILLIN: Waayy past the bargaining stage here...
VEGETA: FINAALL FLAAAASH!!!
PER. CELL: Aw, how cute, he named it--OH SHIT!
{BOOOM} [Inspirational music]
[Rumbling]
KRILLIN: Ah, cool. He missed the planet.
TRUNKS: Thank God, he's not completely insane. "Completely" being the operative word.
VEGETA: Hahh... hahh... *hard enough for you*?
PER. CELL: (Gasping and groaning)
KRILLIN: Bonus! It actually did something.
TRUNKS: See? Everything worked out. I mean, he's not dead but, it's a start.
PER. CELL: (Gasping and groaning)
VEGETA: (Malicious laughter)
PER. CELL: You... you think this is funny?
VEGETA: (Signature evil laughter)
PER. CELL: You think this is funnyyyyy?!?
VEGETA: (Signature evil laughter continues)
PER. CELL: It's not... as funny⊠...as your face.
VEGETA: (Stops laughing)
{SPLORCH}
VEGETA: Huwoh...! Hu-ohh...!
TRUNKS: HOLY...
KRILLIN: ...SHIT!
PER. CELL: You know, it might sound weird, but I kinda liked the old arm better. Oh well. I'll just have to brrreak it in!
VEGETA: (Screaming) WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!?
PER. CELL: Prince... has this *ever* worked?
VEGETA: (Shocked grunt) Waaagh-waah-ck!
PER. CELL: Don't need to answer that.
KRILLIN: OK Trunks, you're out of excuses now. He's gonna kill your Dad.
TRUNKS: Y-you don't know that... he could just knock him unconscious, and then I'll--
KRILLIN: WE DON'T HAVE DRAGON BALLS, TRUNKS!
PER. CELL: Some advice, Prince... for the future: Next time, why don't you remember your place like the rest of them⊠And wait for Goku?
{CRUNCH}
VEGETA [echo]: DORRAAGH!!
{BOOM}
PER. CELL: K.O.! I win~ Perfect. Hm?
TRUNKS [distant]: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!
PER. CELL: Oh.
TRUNKS [distant]: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!
PER. CELL: Here comes a new challenger...
[â« Closing theme (DBZ intermission) â«]
GOKU: âȘ I like food 'cause it is yummy âȘ I will put this in my tummy... âȘ
GOHAN: Huh? GOKU: Gohan!
GOKU: Grub's up! Now I mighta gotten a liittle ahead of myself and already finished. But, I made sure to save you this. So cook 'er up, son!
GOHAN: Hii-yah!
GOKU: Mmm, *yeah*! Charred meat with no seasoning. Just how Grandpa used to mak--
{FWOOOM}
GOKU: Gohan~, what did I tell you about controlling your power level?
GOHAN: Well I'm sorry Dad, I'm just not used to my new strength yet.
GOKU: No excuses Gohan. You have to eat. And just because the fridge *magically* restocks, doesn't mean we can waste valuable food.
GOHAN: Uh, Dad? I think your hair is on fir--
GOKU: Don't change the subject, Gohan.
{FWOOM}
(Sniff sniff)... Who's cooking pork? WAAAAAH!
GOHAN: Dad, hold still!
[Goku continues to wail] GOHAN: Uh, geez, uh... listen, I gotta make this quick.
GOHAN: If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe. And if you wanna see other content from Team Four Star, check out their gaming channel.
GOKU: THE FIRE'S SPREAD TO MY GLOVES!
GOHAN: Oh no... uh... eh, check out TFS plays Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, and uh, oh and Guns of Icarus, where TFS and the Super Best Friends go up against Normal Boots, including JonTron.
GOKU: WHY DID I BLOW UP THE TUB?!
GOHAN: STOP, DROP AND ROLL DAD! Oh, they have a patreon too! Donate there to support the team! And, um, uh Shark Robot! Uh, shirts! I helped make a shirt commercial once ya know. I'm, ah-ha, kind of a voice actor...
GOKU: OK, good news Gohan, I put out the fire...
GOHAN: Oh, thank goodness.
GOKU: Bad news is, I set the door on fire.
GOHAN: Dad, NO!
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)