We all frequent message boards and online forums (such as alt.fan.dragonball), and we all contribute as much as we can. Unfortunately, we don't KNOW of all the places people post questions, so it's impossible for us to reach everyone. However, if you're reading this, you at least know where WE are, so it's possible for you to ask us directly.

What we're going for here is sort of an "Answerman" or "Ask John" (from Anime News Network and Anime Nation, respectively). We'd like you to e-mail in whatever questions you may have, so long as it somehow relates to the world of DragonBall; be it the manga, the anime, merchandise.. whatever. We've been around for a few years, now, and we know the ropes... we like to think we know our stuff.

And we want to help. E-mail your questions to VegettoEX@aol.com with the subject "Ask VegettoEX." We'll try to update this section every weekend with at least one question straight from the fans. Thanks!

[ Last Updated: Sunday, 11 April 2004 ]
[ Past "Ask VegettoEX" Archives ]

Q. Future Trunks told Goku that he would catch "a virus that attacks the heart." Trunks continues to say that "not even a Super Saiyan can fight it off." Well, how did Goku get the virus, and if someone as strong as a Super Saiyan could catch it and die, shouldn't everyone else be worried they could catch it as well? - Katie C.

A. You're right; they should be worried. In fact, they are! Not sure if you remember this, but Yamcha was the one to take Goku back home. They suggested that since Yamcha would be in such close contact with Goku, he should take some of the medication, as well. And he did! Chi-Chi did, also, since she was hanging over Goku's bed at every chance. - VegettoEX

Q. What CD would I buy to get the fifth Dragon Ball GT ending theme "Sabitsuita Mashingan de Ima o Uchinukô"? - Luis

A. It's actually the fourth theme; there is no fifth theme (unless you count the fact that they use "DAN DAN Kokoro Hikarete 'ku" as the ending theme in episode 64). As our almost complete "Music Directory" tells us, the song is only available on its respective CD single. You can also find it on a couple bootleg CDs, but we're not getting into that. Plus, the CD single's got the karaoke version, as well~! Yay! - VegettoEX

Q. At the end of the Majin Buu saga the group made a wish for everyone that was good to come back to life that had been killed correct? If so then why is Pilaf even in GT? Wouldnt he have been killed when the Earth exploded? Another Toei mistake? - Luis

A. I don't think it's so much a "mistake" as it is a convenient "oversight." One could also argue that Pilaf isn't so much "evil" as he is absolutely stupid :P - VegettoEX

Q. I was wondering why are all the Dark Dragons subbed as "Evil Dragons," since they are clearly said as "Daaku Ryuu"... it might be "Daaku Doragon," but I definatly heard "Daaku." And why are they all called Xing Long when the katakana is spelled "Shin"... isn't it supposed to Shenlong? Is this due to the Chinese reference to the stars in the balls? - neo anderson

A. Regarding your first question, that does seem a bit odd... but I supppose it's the translator's prerogative. In the "evil-ness" "dark" and "evil" are used pretty interchangeably in anime. Another possibility (since I haven't seen the episodes) is that either you mistook the word "aku" for "dâku", or the translator did the reverse. It's not a great explanation, I know, but it's the best I can come up with. As for your second question, you're right: these ("Dark" / "Evil") Dragons are called "-- Shin Ron" in the katakana. They were never "shen long," however; this is just a stupid mistake perpetuated by websites whose owners didn't bother to do any fact-checking before stealing other sites' information.

Furthermore, regardless of their being called "shin ron" in the kana, the pronunciation is only there as a guide for the Japanese viewers, because their names are Chinese. (We updated the main page about this a while ago.) Hence, the One Star Dragon is "Yi Xing Long," the Two Star Dragon is "Liang Xing Long" (even though the Two Star Ball is "Er Xing Qiu," but whatever), and so on. DB has a number of Chinese names sprinkled through the series: T'ao Pai-pai, Chiao-tzu, Pu'er, and so on. It's just that most people are so familiar with them that they don't give them a second thought. - Julian

Q. I was wondering when exactly all the "rules" for the Earth Dragon Balls were revealed in the series. For example, I remember Goku telling Kuririn and Kame-Sen'nin that they shouldn't help fight Raditz because they've already been wished back by Sheng Long once and can't be wished back again. But when exactly was this rule, as well as the others, such as if you die a natural death you can't be wished back, first revealed? - me you

A. I'm really not sure... as I said in a previous column, I'm not privy to any one source for the rules governing Shen Long, and if I tried to speculate, I might end up spreading disinformation. But as far as I know, the main rule that (pre-Dende) Shen Long has is that he cannot grant the same wish twice. By extension, people cannot be brought back to life more than once, even if their second revival is part of another, larger-scale wish.

I'm not quite sure where the confusion about one year comes from; people seem to cite the idea that the people Vegeta and Nappa killed on Earth probably didn't come back to life (when Popo made his wish to Shenlong during the Freeza saga), but that isn't logical: it was only a few months between the fight with Vegeta and Nappa, and the events on Namek. The most likely reason for this confusion seems to come from what Shen Long told Mr. Popo when Popo made his wish. The Dragon said that since it was such a large amount of individuals, he could only revive those who'd died up to a year ago, and no more. To me, this suggests that the "one year" rule is only an issue when reviving large groups of people at once.

We know about the "natural death" clause because of the concern shown by Kami and Kaiô-sama about whether or not the Eldest Namekian (Saichôrô) would come back to life with Popo's wish. It's unclear whether a disease like Goku's heart virus would constitute a "natural death" (the virus did kill him in Trunks's timeline, after all), but since he'd died more than once, it wouldn't have mattered.

Finally, we have the question of power. Shen Long states this rule twice: when Oolong asks him to kill the Saiyans before they reach Earth, and when Kuririn asks to make #17 and #18 human. Apparently, Shen Long cannot grant wishes that exceed the power (or jurisdiction) of its creator. For this reason, people cannot be willed to die (because it would be at least partially interfering in the matters of Enma-sama), nor can beings stronger than Kami-sama be altered from their original states (the problem faced with Nappa and Vegeta, and #17 and #18).

So, that's really all I know... I hope it helps sort things out a little better! - Julian

Q. I was wondering what the title is for the song that plays in the background during Vegeta's first Super Saiya-jin transformation. Could you please let me know? Thank you. - Gobolatula

A. The particular track doesn't really have its own title. On the 5 CD daizenshuu set, all of the BGMs are placed in little sets on each track (for example, each track will have anywhere between, say, 2 and 5 pieces of BGM in it). The track you're looking for is on disc four of the set, track 15 ("Soshi Seyo! Seru No Kanzentai") - VegettoEX

Q. I'd really like to know where I could read Neko Majin Z online, especially the one where Vegeta makes an appearance. Or if you don't know maybe you could give me a brief synopsis of what happens? - Verity Burke

A. Toriyama's World does have the first two chapters of Neko Majin Z (as well as the original Neko Majin) up for download and viewing. We can't make any guarantees on the translation, but hey... should do well enough ^^. As far as we know, no-one's scanslated the third chapter of Neko Majin Z, which is where Vegeta makes his baby-sitting appearance (Kuriza appears in the second Neko Majin Z chapter). - VegettoEX

Q. Do you think there's going to be new Dragonball Z or Dragonball GT game this winter? I heard about DBGT game coming this winter for PS2, and I heard that there's going to be new Gamecube and PS2 game called Dragonball Z: Super Smash. - Sam Cooper

A. It's impossible for me to say whether or not there will be a new game this winter (I'm assuming you mean for X-Mas 2004, since this winter's essentially over). I'm not a game developer for Infogrames or Dimps, so I've got no inside information. Of course, there's been new DBZ fighting games out for the holiday seasons two years in a row, so it's pretty much a no-brainer that there will be another one. Whether or not the next Budokai will be based on DBGT, we don't know; it's a pretty damn good assumption, though. Also, Super Sonic Warriors (or Bukû Tôgeki) will be out very soon in the US on the GameBoy Advance.

As for Saiyan Smash on the Gamecube, all signs point to no. Apparently it was a slip-up on some official Nintendo release date forms, and the folks at Atari have been denying its existence on their own forums. - VegettoEX

Q. First of all, kudos on the AF thing. It takes skill to produce something so elaborate... But, I don't think a new DB series is as far-fetched as you think. I've gone to numerous sites saying things about the Dragonball series being re-animated with higher quality animation and audio. Episodes that did not appear in the manga storyline will be erased (such as the entire "Garlic Jr." arc). I also heard a new manga artist, I forget his name but I think (JUST THINK) it's Doridaiiwa Tetsuo, is writing with permission from Toriyama-sensei a new DB manga to be published as tankôban as part of the series! But tell me, is there any reason I should believe this? - Makankoposo

A. Oh, man. I hate to say things like this, but it almost seems necessary...

Unless you read it here on Daizenshuuu EX, or some other well-known and well-respected anime news site... it's not true.

Just like we say in the "Rumor Guide"... with news so huge, wouldn't you expect it to be EVERYWHERE on the internet? Here's a break-down of what's true in the world of new DB things:

• Toriyama has been drawing his Neko Majin / Neko Majin Z parody manga
  SOURCE: You can read it over on Toriyama's World

• Toriyama has drawn new cover art for the kanzenban releases
  SOURCE: We've got it available for viewing on the "Images - Covers" page

• Toriyama drew a short new ending for the DB manga in the latest (and final) kanzenban release
  SOURCE: Greg Werner's even got it translated for viewing

• DragonBall Z: Budokai 2 had brand-new animation drawn for its opening theme (and it looks gorgeous!)
  SOURCE: Check out the images from it in our "Animation" gallery

• DragonBall AF is not real
  SOURCE: Common sense; DBAF April Fool's Prank

And there you have it. Moral of the story? Stop believing crappy newbie sites ^^;; - VegettoEX

Q. Why is it that DBZ's theme-song changed on only when the Majin Buu arc began? I would have suspected a change of song at the beginning of each arc or just the same song all that time... - Makankoposo

A. The trend of shows have new opening and ending themes all the time is very recent. Look at Sailor Moon; up until Sailor Stars, it was the same good ol' "Moonlight Densetsu." I think the reason DBZ even opted for a new theme was because the tone and direction of the story was taking such a significant change from the rest of it, previously.

Now-a-days, yeah... we've got shows like Naruto (4 opening and 5 ending themes in under 80 episodes) and One Piece (more ending themes than you can shake a stick at). DBGT was probably the first taste DB fans got of this trend, with the four ending themes. - VegettoEX

THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE BOARD DISCUSSION:

Here we are in the latest week of this new feature! I think it's a really neat thing to add to the section, and I'm glad to see people are getting involved. Please feel free to contribute to the discussion, and even start up your own!

Q. My question comes from volume 16 of the manga and the early Raditz episodes within DBZ. It seems to me that when Piccolo was preparing the second Makankousappou, Goku could have easily grabbed his tail again after Gohan cracked his armour. It just never really made much sense as to why Goku had to sacrifice himself instead of simply grabbing his tail again. My only ideas on the subject would have to be that since later we see Nappa and Vegeta able to continue to function after their tails had been grabbed Raditz too could have completed this training. - Beelz

A. Read over the discussion, here! Besides... what else would we have had you talk about, after this week?! :D.

We're trying to stay with our weekly schedule for the section... so... e-mail us your questions for next week's update! We love getting all these questions, each week, so the more you send us, the more we can (try to) answer for you!

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