THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERSThis is a review of the original Japanese dubbed versionI started watching Dragon Ball as a kid but have always wondered who the heck could Goku's dad be and the answer lies within this Special.
Story(8/10)
In this TV Special we meet true merciless saiyans. It is the only time we get to see real saiyans besides in the Saiyan Saga in the Z
The story is good, we are shown how the saiyans operate and a little bit of their culture and how their way of living lead to their destruction.
Characters(7.5/10)
Not many characters got to shine and that's why I wish that this special was a bit longer. I would have liked getting to know a bit more about the squad and the saiyans in general as many of them barely even had any dialogue.
It would have been cool if we were introduced to the Goku's original mother as well.
But oh well, Bardock's character was very well portrayed here. A proud Saiyan warrior who isn't afraid to kill.
I've honestly seen alot of Goku in him when he stood up for his squad, I honestly believe that Goku inherited his tenacity from his dad. The way Bardock fought was brilliant and outstanding. As a low class warrior he stood up to the countless soldiers and even challenged the most powerful being in the universe (at the time). It may have been foolish but his tenacity as a warrior and his pride as a saiyan were brilliantly portrayed all throughout the Special.
Frieza just casually laughing while the planet was blowing up still sends shivers down my spine to this day and just shows how ruthless of a being he truly is.
Pacing(6/10)
Everything went a little too fast for me, as I said I wish it was longer (atleast about 20 minutes)
Art/Animation(10/10)/(9/10)
Animation was very good while featuring my favorite early Z art style and while there weren't that many fights I loved every one of them.
Music/Sound(8/10)Solid State Scouter is ONE OF THE BEST freakishly unique soundtracks that came out of the Dragon Ball!
The constantly rising power level on a scouter all throughout the song has made me believe that Bardock may have a chance, that he may get a victory only for it to read Frieza's 530.000 power level and scare the living hell out of me.
The sound of Frieza's energy ball rising will forever be engraved into my head.
Personal Enjoyment(8/10)All in all it is a very unique story and the only one like this out there when it comes to Dragon Ball. Whenever I'm rewatching DBZ Movies I always watch this Special first because It's simply very nice.
Conclusion(8.2)This Special will forever have a place in my heart. For me, this will forever be the real Bardock. A proud and tenacious saiyan warrior who isn't afraid to kill!
My final rating for this Special is a 8.2/10. It may seem a bit low considering I hyped the hell out of this Special but it would have been much much better if the other characters got more screen time :)~~~~~~
