The History of Trunks

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The History of Trunks

Japanese poster art
Starring Takeshi Kusao (Trunks)
Hiromi Tsuru (Bulma)
Masako Nozawa (Son Gohan / Son Gokū)
Shigeru Nakahara (Jinzōningen #17)
Miki Itou (Jinzōningen #18)
Naoko Watanabe (Chi-Chi / Pu'er)
Kohei Myauchi (Kame-Sen'nin)
Naoki Tatsuta (Oolong)
Daisuke Ghori (Gyū-Mao / Umigame)
Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo)
Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta)
Toru Furuya (Yamcha)
Hirotaka Suzuoki (Tenshinhan)
Mayumi Tanaka (Kuririn)
Hiroko Emori (Chiao-tzu)
Joji Yanami (Narration)
Release date(s) February 24, 1993, [Japan]
Language Japanese

Resistance to Despair!! The Remaining Super-Warriors, Gohan and Trunks (Japanese: 絶望への反抗!! 残された超戦士・悟飯とトランクス, Rōmaji: Zetsubō e no Hankō!! Nokosareta Chō-Senshi • Gohan to Torankusu) is an hour-long TV-Special (#2) that is part of the Dragon Ball Z series of anime. Originally released in Japan on February 24, 1993, between episodes 174 and 175. FUNimation's title is The History of Trunks & Bridge Entertainment's title is Gohan and Trunks. It tells the story of Future Trunks. It is unique among Dragon Ball movies/specials since it is actually based from a brief chapter in the manga, called Trunks The History - The Lone Warrior. The special changes several key plot points for drama (such as that in the manga Trunks was capable of turning Super Saiyan before Gohan's death).

[edit] Plot

The film opens with Son Gokū's death and the death of the Z-Fighters at the hands of Androids #17 and #18, who are unable to come back because the Dragon Balls are permanently unusable due to Piccolo's death. The TV Special moves into the future where Trunks is 13 years old and 23-year old adult Son Gohan is the only one able to stand against the jinzōningen, ever since he became a Super Saiyan after witnessing the deaths of the other Z-fighters. Gohan trains Trunks in fighting and power, who comes very close to becoming a Super Saiyan as well. One day, The Jinzō'ningen attack an amusement park, where Gohan and Trunks come to the aid of the people. #17 takes on Gohan while #18 sits back and watches. Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan and, despite a few lucky hits by #17, quickly takes control of the fight.

However, #18 joins the fight and begins to beat Gohan. Trunks, though no match for the Androids, comes to the rescue and takes on #18. He manages to fight her for a minute before he is defeated, but Gohan saves him from death, and they both hide in the debris. #17 and #18, unable to find them, figure they left but blow the park up anyway. Gohan and Trunks survive the blast but at the cost of Gohan's left arm. Gohan recovers and resumes training Trunks. The training is stopped short when the androids attack the Capitol. Trunks wants to fight, but Gohan knocks him unconscious because he couldn't afford for Trunks to get hurt again like before. The one-armed Gohan ambushes #17, and despite his handicap, puts up a long and suspenseful fight against the androids, but meets his end when the androids knock him to the ground and shoot ki-blasts like a machine gun from the sky. Trunks is awakened when Gohan's ki vanishes. Upon searching the city, Trunks finds Gohan's dead body. The rage from within him is unleashed and Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan.

The story moves forwards three years later and Trunks is now 16 years old. While Bulma is working on the time machine, Trunks goes off to fight the Androids. Trunks barely puts up a fight and is eventually beaten by the merely-toying Androids. He miraculously survives a large blast of ki from Android #18. Trunks awakens in his house with his mother Bulma by his side. After a brief talk, he decides to go in the time machine (once it's finally ready, which is about six months to a single year later) to give the heart medicine to Goku.

After returning from his trip to the past, Trunks happens to come across the Androids again who expect another vapid fight. Trunks does better, but still needs to improve, and decides to return to the past once again, six months to one year later, to see how the battle with the Androids turned out.

The aforementioned manga version was at the end of volume 37 and the full title was: "Dragon Ball, Trunks The Story, The Lone Warrior (Side Story)"

The following are notable differences between the special and the manga:

  • No scene with both Trunks and Gohan fighting the jinzōningen together.
  • Trunks is already a Super Saiyan, shown when he and Gohan are training together.
  • The Androids do not gang up on Gohan, and only #17 attacks.
  • There is no rain.
  • Android #17 tells him that he didn't even use half his power in their last battle.
  • The viewers see a horrified look on Gohan's face in one panel of the manga, after which the story cuts to Trunks waking and finding his sensei's dead body. Trunks cries and slams his fists into the ground but does not transform.
  • The manga then cuts to 3 years later, where like the special, Trunks rushes to avenge the death of everyone but fails miserably. However the fight between Trunks and the Androids is not seen at all and it cuts to 5 days later, where Trunks is recovering in a hospital.

The conclusion of the TV Special can be seen in the DBZ Episode I'll protect the Future!!! Trunks-san eradicates #17, #18 and Cell (FUNimation title: Free the Future.)

Characters not born due to the Android events:

  • Son Goten (Goku died of a heart disease)
  • Bra (Vegeta was killed by the Androids)
  • Marron (Krillin was killed by the Androids and 18 never had a change of heart)
  • Pan (Gohan was killed by the Androids)

[edit] Cast list

Character Name Voice Actor (Japanese) Voice Actor (English)
Trunks Takeshi Kusao Eric (Johnson) Vale
Bulma Hiromi Tsuru Tiffany Vollmer
Son Gohan Masako Nozawa Dameon Clarke (Adult)
Stephanie Nadolny (Young)
Android 17 Shigeru Nakahara Chuck Huber
Android 18 Miki Itou Meredith McCoy
Chi-Chi Naoko Watanabe Cynthia Cranz
Ox King Daisuke Ghori Mark Britten
Master Roshi Kōhei Miyauchi Mike McFarland
Oolong Naoki Tatsuta Bradford Jackson
Pu'ar Naoko Watanabe Monika Antonelli
Vegeta Ryo Horikawa Christopher Sabat
Piccolo Toshio Furukawa Christopher Sabat
Krillin Mayumi Tanaka Sonny Strait
Yamcha Toru Furuya Christopher Sabat
Tien Hirotaka Suzuoki John Burgmeier
Chiaoutzu Hiroko Emori Monika Antonelli
Narration Joji Yanami Dale Kelly

[edit] Music

Ending Theme

"青い風のHOPE" / "Aoi Kaze no HOPE" / "The Blue Wind’s HOPE"

Lyrics: Dai Satō
Music: Chiho Kiyooka
Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto
Vocals: Hironobu Kageyama
Song Lyrics

(The FUNimation English version includes music by the band Dream Theater)

In other languages