Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (ドラゴンボールZ 絶望への反抗!!残された超戦士・悟飯とトランクス) is a single-episode special based on the Dragon Ball manga series. Originally airing in Japan on February 24, 1993, between episodes 175 and 176, the special is based on an extra chapter of the manga series. It depicts an alternate version of the future in which Goku dies from a virus and a teenage Trunks tries to defeat the Androids ravaging Earth.

Plot
The special begins with Goku's tragic death from a viral heart disease and the death of the Z-Fighters at the hands of Android #17 and Android #18 six months later. Also, the Dragon Balls are permanently useless due to Piccolo's death. Thirteen years later, an older Trunks and Gohan appear. Gohan, now a Super Saiyan, repeatedly tries to challenge the Androids but they are too strong. He begins training Trunks, who is eager to defend the Earth. As an overflow of emotion is required to push a Saiyan to Super Saiyan, Gohan tries to strike emotional chords in his pupil.

The Androids attack an amusement park. Gohan transforms and battles them, but is being overwhelmed. Trunks comes to his aid and fights Android #18, but is easily defeated. Gohan saves him and they hide in some debris. Unable to find their targets, the Androids bomb the entire area and leave. Trunks and Gohan survive, but Gohan loses his left arm. They go home where he recovers and then resume Trunks' training.

Just as the training is finished, a huge explosion hits the city. Gohan pretends to agree to allow Trunks to join him in the battle, then knocks him unconscious and goes alone. After a long battle, the Androids kill Gohan. Trunks awakens and hurries to the city to find Gohan's body laying face down in a puddle of water. His rage at the death of his best friend triggers his transformation into a Super Saiyan.

Three years later, Trunks and Bulma are working on a time machine when a warning sounds that the Androids are near. Trunks confronts them, but is badly beaten and left for dead. He awakens in his house with his mother at his side. He decides they must use the time-machine to deliver the medicine needed to cure Goku's heart disease years ago by giving it to Son Goku. They hope this will prevent Goku's death and prevent their future from happening. As the credits roll, clips from the TV series show Trunks' arrival in the past, his delivery of the medicine to Goku, and the awakening of #17 and #18 in Goku's time.

Cast

 * Joji Yanami / Dale D. Kelly (Original), Kyle Hebert (Remastered) as Narrator
 * Takeshi Kusao / Eric Vale as Trunks
 * Hiromi Tsuru / Tiffany Vollmer as Bulma
 * Masako Nozawa / Dameon Clarke as Gohan
 * Shigeru Nakahara / Chuck Huber as Android #17
 * Miki Itou / Meredith McCoy as Android #18
 * Kōhei Miyauchi / Mike McFarland as Master Roshi
 * Naoki Tatsuta / Bradford Jackson as Oolong
 * Naoko Watanabe / Cynthia Cranz as Chi-Chi
 * Naoko Watanabe / Monika Antonelli as Puar
 * Daisuke Gōri / Mark Britten (Original), Kyle Hebert (Remastered) as Ox-King

Releases
In the U.S., The History of Trunks was first released to VHS on October 25, 2000 in two formats, Uncut and Edited. It was released to DVD that same year, with the uncut English version, as well as the original Japanese version. On February 19, 2008, it was released in as part of a remastered double feature DVD with Bardock: The Father of Goku with some minor re-dubbings to the English vocal track. The same double feature was released to Blu-ray on July 15, 2008. The film was released to DVD again on September 15, 2009 in a remastered single-disc edition.

In other Languages

 * Danish: 
 * Swedish: 
 * Spanish: 
 * French: 
 * Italian: 
 * Portuguese: 

Reception
Anime News Network's reviewer, Chris Shepard, states "it is interesting... Gohan and Trunks are both understandable characters who I was really able to get into and sympathise for during their battles" but also feels a "good understanding of the happenings of the TV series is recommended". In addition he feels the action sequences are exceptional which do not "overdo themselves". However he expresses some disappointment in the English dub because the storyline sounds "completely alien" to the Japanese subtitles. For his final grade he notes the "Dub doesn't contain the original music... [it] isn't true to the original" but is pleased overall.

John Sinnott of DVDTalk praises the television special, seeing it as being separate from the other films of Dragon Ball. He believes this to be a positive attribute of the film. Regarding the Blu-ray release of the film he is less impressed with the color and aspect ratio, citing them as not particularly "exciting". However he expresses joy at the occasion of Funimation leaving the original soundtrack (Japanese) and the English voice dubs in, describing them as "enveloping". For the fans of Dragon Ball he recommends watching the film as it "worked a lot better than the average theatrical film since they follow DBZ continuity and expand the story while filling in details." Like Shepard the reviewer advises those who are not familiar to the Dragon Ball franchise to avoid it but cite that fans will enjoy the specials. In conclusion he feels the film is enjoyable at best.