Top 10 Things You Never Noticed in Dragon Ball
#10: Mermaids Exist
There are talking turtles, time-traveling androids, and wish granting dragons. But did you know that mermaids were also a thing in the DB-verse? Not that we should be surprised, but it’s still a little jarring to see a mermaid so casually brought into the fold. Literally, Goku just snags one up to present to Roshi as a way to pass one of his trials, only for her to be rejected due to the anatomical blockade it represented. Apparently getting jiggy with a fish hybrid is just one step too far for the turtle hermit.
#9: May 9th is Goku Day
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I’m sorry, but why don’t we in the west get a national holiday dedicated to the original Super Saiyan?! Maybe because it wasn’t approved by the Japan Anniversary Association. Yeah, that’s a real thing. And in their infinite wisdom, back in 2015, they announced that henceforth, May 9th would forever be immortalized as Goku Day. Why choose May 9th? Well, May is the fifth month, and five is read in Japanese as Go, whereas the number nine is read as Ku. It was like it was meant to be.
#8: Bulma Has a Sister
That’s right, the Brief’s family has another child. Granted she’s nowhere near as important as Bulma, though that’s probably because she hasn’t been given any real time to shine outside of a couple of cameos over in Dragon Ball Super. She’s a very blink and you’ll miss it character, with her only real contribution being in the Jaco spin-off manga. Oh, and her name is Tights. Because of course it is. Good to know that all their mad science hasn’t stopped the Briefs family from continuing their tradition of naming their kids after undergarments.
#7: Bardock Can Breathe in Space…Apparently
The Father of Goku has long been a character that divided audiences. Some hated his very existence; others adored his time in the spotlight as a Saiyan rebel who stood up to Frieza. While you can poke holes in his movie all the livelong day, there is one moment that feels like it jumped the shark. During his last stand against Frieza, Bardock flies out into battle …out into the vacuum of space. Something that we know Saiyan’s can’t survive. Forget getting hit by Freiza’s planet killer technique, the void should have snuffed him out way before!
#6: The Japanese Government Funded “Battle of Gods”
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You know you’re a piece of cultural history when you get the powers that be to help fund your latest movie. Battle of Gods was a big deal for DB fans, not only because the quality of its content makes it arguably the best flick of the bunch, but because it had been so damn long since anything connected to DB had been released! Turns out part of the reason it got made was due to it having the backing of a non-profit organization overseen by Japan's top brass. Needless to say, the results can be seen in every frame.
#5: Krillin's Ringtone is One Piece's "We Are"
Granted, to catch this bit of trivia depends how otaku your music library is. Right before he’s called into action, Krillin’s phone lets loose a rather familiar tune – at least for those who keep up with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. That’s right, the song is a snippet from One Piece’s famous first opening We Are. Likely a nod to how Krillin and Luffy share the same Japanese voice actor - Mayumi Tanaka.
#4: Rock the Dragon Uses DBZ Movie Clips
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Remember the glory days of watching Dragon Ball Z’s first opening, and being bombarded with imagery of Goku and company fighting against monstrous, weapon wielding aliens? Everybody powering up? And all other kinds of crazy imagery that never made it into the actual show? That’s because it features scenes from three non-canonical DB movies – Tree of Might, Dead Zone, and The World’s Strongest. They certainly fit the vibe of the song – it's just a shame the movies themselves are so sub-par.
#3: No Super Saiyan for Pan?
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It seems like we’re beating a dead horse here by pointing out the inconsistencies in GT, but this one really takes the cake, because it goes against its own logic. While a proven fighter capable of using ki, Pan never once showed any signs of going golden, even when her back was against the wall. You might think this is because the bloodline has been diluted so much. Then by that logic, how the hell does Goku Jr – Pan’s great-great grandson – easily go Super Saiyan on his first try?!
#2: Gohan Kills Eight Cell Jrs
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Gohan’s rampage as a Super Saiyan 2 is one of the series darkest and most awesome scenes, displaying that the ascended youngster had truly done away with his pacifist ideology, and was ready to turn every bug-faced android into powder. And he does, by slaughtering all eight of them with zero hesitation. Just one problem, we’re pretty sure that Cell unleashed only seven from his back-hole. So…what’s with the extra death? Did Cell have octuplets without realizing it? Or did Gohan kill one twice over?
#1: Goku Only Kills Three People in DBZ
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Not that we’re saying Goku’s lack of a kill count is a bad thing, but you’d think that the strongest Saiyan in the galaxy would have sent a few more fighters to the afterlife during his tenure. Not so. Turns out that honor is regarded solely for the likes of Freiza, obviously, along with the likes of Kid Buu. Oh, and Yakon. You know that giant lizard that Goku fed energy to until it exploded? Not sure why it deserved the same fate as two of the biggest bad’s in DB history, but a kill is a kill!