Clearly, I need to stock up on more sleep, for this weekend, I face the dread menace of Anime Weekend Atlanta (dramatic chord). Yes, yet another anime convention in my area, and I shall, nay, I MUST seek it out in all its glory. Perhaps they'll have the Goku guy with the giant shaped foam hair. Because, really, everybody wants prosthetic foam hair on their real hair.
Well, what CAN I talk about? We've got the Russians invading Chechnya (while simultaneously denying that they're doing it, no, no, those tanks advancing on the Chechen capitol are, um, just going for a visit, yeah...). And they actually have half a brain about it this time, using their professional troops instead of levies and conscripts, and airstriking the hell out of the Chechens. And they're still willing to put wave after wave of their own men behind the cause of Russian imperialism! Now where did those Cossacks get to... It just amuses me that they're denying this isn't actually an invasion, perhaps to save face. If they fail, well, they never intended to re-conquer the whole thing, and they can claim victory. If they succeed, then they can say "Oops! Damn, we ended up crushing them. Oh well."
I could also talk about Jesse "Where's my brain?" Ventura, who recently made headlines by scoffing at organized religion being a sop for the ignorant and unwashed masses. Yes, but you just can't go around SAYING that. Hmm... what was that flushing sound... oh, wait, I think it was his political career. On the other hand, the memories of the proletariat are short and rubbery, and this will certainly be forgotten come election day, assuming he can do some cool stuff like legalize prostitution (thus providing material for very, very interesting voter registration parties).
Or I could talk about the Princeton professor who advocates euthanizing severely handicapped babies. He doesn't, however, take this to the logical extreme postulated by Jonothon Swift in A Modest Proposal, so we are sadly left without him advocating that not only should they be killed, but eaten as well. I find it interesting (although not unexpected) that there's so much backlash against this, even from people like Steve "I want money, lots and lots of money" Forbes. The guy's a freaking bio-ethics professor. It's his job to generate debate. Crikey. It's certainly an interesting question, albeit one that can't be properly addressed this early in the morning.
The Prince of the Vegetable People meets his end against the implacable juicer of Frieza!
While Goku gets a feel for his new powers and the location of the battle, Frieza continues to beat on Vegeta. Gohan feels like intervening a couple times, but is prevented by Piccolo. Gosh, there couldn't be any enmity between Piccolo and Vegeta, could there?
Frieza finally decides to finish Vegeta, but then, at last, Goku shows up. Naturally, Frieza drops Vegeta and stares a bit as Goku chats happily with Gohan, Krillan and Piccolo, then does the same stupid thing Piccolo and Vegeta have done, namely say "Enh, let me take care of this big guy, y'all just stay put."
Vegeta greets Goku shakily, but uses his Saiyan name, Kakarrott. Frieza recognizes this as a Saiyan name, and even recognizes Goku's face, similar to that of his father. Then we get a flashback to the Saiyan Rebellion, where Goku's father was the one who led the rest of the Saiyan army against Frieza, only to die when Frieza detonated the planet.
Goku and Frieza square off, while Vegeta wonders to himself if Goku could have possibly achieved the power of Super Saiyan, which Vegeta himself failed to do. Frieza finally cuts to the chase and attacks Goku, only to receive... a boot to the head! Frieza goes flying, and gets really annoyed, falling back on the old villain gamble "Hah, nice kick, but your shoelaces came untied." [Goku: "Nice try, but I don't HAVE shoelaces."]
Frieza uses his finger blasts against Goku, only to have them smacked aside. This continues for a bit, with the deflected blasts shattering the surrounding terrain. Finally Frieza fires one into the ground at Goku's feet to distract him, and then seems to hit at last... only to find that Goku blocked it with one hand.
Vegeta busts out laughing, remarking that he's delighted to see this day, for Goku truly must be a Super Saiyan, and Vegeta relishes the chance to see Frieza get his butt kicked by a Saiyan.
Frieza, surly, 'shoots' Vegeta through the heart with a puny blast, griping about how Vegeta just won't shut up.
Then we get Vegeta's dying speech, which is much more substantial than any other character has gotten so far. Vegeta remarks that he and the other Saiyans always did whatever Frieza wanted, on threat of death, but he pushed them to rebel and destroyed them anyway, because he feared a Super Saiyan would emerge. (During this, we get more flashbacks, of Vegeta cheerfully blowing up planets along with the rest of the royal Saiyans, then of Frieza killing King Vegeta, and cackling over the destruction of the Saiyan home world.) Vegeta begs Goku to stop being so soft on his opponents, because Frieza must not be allowed to do to anyone else what he did to the Saiyans. And especially to Vegeta, who never got a chance to be anything other than the cruel warrior Frieza forged him into. Vegeta actually cries during this, but, being manly, he at least doesn't sob or any of that. And then Vegeta finally snuffs it.
A nice little shpiel that's troubled only by two things, one, we know Vegeta's not going to stay dead, so this little death-bed catharsis isn't quite as meaningful, and two, Goku talks during it. Goku's voice actor just can't seem to manage non-perky emotions, so lines like "Oh no! Vegeta!" come out a bit like "Oh no! I over-cooked the noodles!"
Also, we get things like Goku saying "Save your strength". He's been SHOT THROUGH THE HEART. He's DEAD (especially since you blew up the last healing tank, you moron).
Goku blows a hole in the ground by the sheer force of his will, and takes a moment to bury Vegeta. (Which, as the laws of drama outweigh the laws ofc common sense, Frieza just watches impassively.) Goku, apparently moved by the realization that he is, indeed, the last of the Vegetable People, states to Frieza that the villain's reign of evil ends here. Or something to that effect.
Next time, kung-fu fightin'!
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