Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast - podcast cover

Final Forum: A Dragon Ball Podcast

Final Forum Podcastfinalforumpodcast.podbean.com
Dragon Ball has a wealth of cultural context and inspiration that’s often overlooked because the fights are cool. Though not averse to fawning over animation and allowing for the Rule of Cool, Jelli and Bekinney delve into the world of Akira Toriyama, and discuss lesser-known facts about the worldwide manga and anime phenomenon that is one of the most well-known and popular Japanese pop culture exports of all-time. Want to learn about the cultural importance of moments, literary inspirations behind scenes and characters, production facts, and more? Whether you‘re a fan of Goku, Vegeta, or any of the cast of characters including Piccolo, Gohan, Frieza, or even Broly, there should be something for you to enjoy as we cover all things Dragon Ball, including DBZ, GT, Super, Daima, and more! We‘ll have discussions, guests, interviews, reviews, and commentaries so grab a senzu bean, power up your fan level to Super Saiyan, and get ready to learn about Kakarot and his friends; and of course, thank you for helping us achieve our FINAL FORUM...We hear it‘s over 9000.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

The Magic Begins Commentary (100th Episode! ft. Eric Hates Dragon Ball Z)

It's our 100th Episode! And we didn't want to celebrate on our own, so we brought in some new friends, Spencer and John from the show Eric Hates Dragon Ball Z to do a commentary-slash-reaction to the second live-action bootleg movie, Taiwan's Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney are celebrating 100 episodes We reveal our title and instruct listeners where to find this one We discuss some of the production facts about the film, its 1991 release, and the production te...

Jul 01, 20251 hr 50 minSeason 4Ep. 100

Saibamen and Attack Balls (S4E8)

Could Akira Toriyama have pulled inspiration from The Thing for Dragon Ball Z? What would the effects of Saiyan space travel be if it were real? What happens when we come across five stellar episodes of DBZ? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 21 through 25: "Counting Down," "The Darkest Day," "Saibamen Attack!" "The Power of Nappa," and "Sacrifice." We continue discussing the Saiyan Sag...

Jun 17, 202556 minSeason 4Ep. 99

King Kai (S4E7)

What do centuries of isolation with only a monkey as company do to a martial arts master? Is the blue catfish man really a martial arts master? What's with all the dad jokes? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 16 through 20: "Plight of the Children," "Pendulum Room Peril," "The End of Snake Way," "Defying Gravity" (and to think, we barely make any Wicked references), and "Goku's Ancesto...

Jun 03, 202558 minEp. 98

Daima Discuss-DONE. The Future of Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Daima is over. The dub has been released in full. What now? Where does the franchise go from here? Where CAN it go from here? What would we LIKE for it to do now? Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of Dragon Ball's "State of the Union." Recapping where things stand in the animated area of the franchise, the manga and of course, current video games. We talk about where Dragon Ball Super last left off with t...

May 27, 202556 minSeason 4Ep. 97

Snake Way (S4E6)

Do you walk this lonely road? Is it the only one you've ever known? Do you not know where it goes? But it's home to you and you walk alone? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 11 through 15: "Terror on Arlia," "Global Training," "Goz and Mez", "Princess Snake," and "Dueling Piccolos." We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga and talk about Snake Way, and Princess Snake. In this episode: Je...

May 20, 202550 minEp. 96

King Yemma - Enma Daio (S4E5)

What does it take to be the 'man' sitting in front of the entry to the afterlife, judging souls? Why did we accidentally slip in to a discussion of the Ox King? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 6 through 10: "No Time Like the Present," "Day 1," "Gohan Goes Bananas," "The Strangest Robot," and "A New Friend." We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga (now that the Raditz Arc is officially...

May 06, 202551 minSeason 4Ep. 95

It's Rad! Raditz! (S4E4)

What could Goku's next challenge possibly be now that he's the Strongest Under the Heavens? A sibling rivalry? Is that really all you got, Toriyama? Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by breaking down episodes 1 through 5: "The New Threat," "Reunions," "Unlikely Alliance," "Piccolo's Plan," and "Gohan's Rage." We begin discussing the Saiyan Saga (or the Raditz Arc under the new terminology), and talk about Ra...

Apr 22, 202554 minSeason 4Ep. 94

Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone Commentary (S4E3)

It's FINALLY time for Dragon Ball Z! Kind of! Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon by ...getting into our first DBZ discussion by tackling the 1989 movie, Dead Zone. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney recuperate from their hard-fought battle We sync up our audio commentary for the listeners We discuss some of the production facts about the film Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone such as its 1989 release at the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival, th...

Apr 08, 202550 minSeason 4Ep. 93

March Madness 2025 Tenkaichi Tournament Pt 2 (S4E2)

Jelli and Bekinney continue their break from breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon, and pivot away from tearing into the manga and anime that are the most crucial parts of the Dragon Ball franchise to have a little themed fun! In this episode: It's TOURNAMENT SEASON! Kick off your shoes, relax, and listen as we break down 32 of Dragon Ball's most popular (?) characters and discuss who would win in a theoretical game of Win Ben Stein's Money, with a Jeopardy kicker W...

Mar 25, 20251 hr 4 minSeason 4Ep. 92

Daima Discussion 4 Episodes 16-20

WILL we find out why Piccolo is here? Is Super Saiyan 4 really canon now? Does that matter? What's the meaning of canon? What's the meaning of life? Why are we here? Does anything matter? Are we just on a big ball of entropy careening towards the heat death of the universe? Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of Dragon Ball Daima, and its final five episodes: "Degesu," "Gomah," "Awakening," "Betrayal," and "Maximum." T...

Mar 18, 20251 hr 5 minEp. 91

March Madness 2025 Tenkaichi Tournament Pt 1 (S4E1)

Jelli and Bekinney take a break from breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon, and pivot away from tearing into the manga and anime that are the most crucial parts of the Dragon Ball franchise to have a little themed fun! In this episode: It's TOURNAMENT SEASON! Kick off your shoes, relax, and listen as we break down 64 of Dragon Ball's most popular (?) characters and discuss who would win in a theoretical episode of Win Ben Stein's Money with a Jeopardy kicker. We dis...

Mar 11, 20251 hr 15 minSeason 4Ep. 90

Akira Toriyama Revisited (Summer Convention Series) (S4E0)

It's Summer Convention Season! You think it's not, just because it's winter? Well, tune in to find out why it is! Jelli takes you into the world of our summer conventions by presenting one of the panels we held this year, at Colossalcon Texas in Austin, TX (well, technically Round Rock, TX) from Colossalcon. This panel was also presented at Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) in (obviously) Atlanta, GA and the Q&A portion of that event is retained here. In this episode: Jelli is on his own. We talk ...

Feb 25, 202549 minSeason 4Ep. 89

Daima Discussion 3 Episodes 11-15

What happens when Vegeta goes even further beyond? When will we find out why Piccolo is here? What's Daima's terrible behind-the-scenes secret? Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of Dragon Ball Daima, and its next five episodes: "Legend," "True Strength," "Surprise," "Taboo," and "Third Eye". Why is Majin Kuu best boi? Is his brother, Majin Duu also best boi? Piccolo forgot how to speak Namekian? What is he DOING here...

Feb 18, 202557 minSeason 4Ep. 88

Season Three Finale - Final Forum vs A Planet (S3E30)

Jelli and Bekinney have no time to continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime Dragon Ball. In this episode: The climactic battle! Join us and find out if we will ever continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more. https://www.facebook.com/FinalForumPodcast https:...

Feb 11, 202539 minSeason 3Ep. 87

Super Secret Movie Commentary (S3E29)

A LIVE-REACT COMMENTARY?!?! What is the hidden mystery of this episode? Jelli and Bekinney are still on a break from Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon (don't worry, it's still Dragon Ball related this time) by pivoting slightly and taking a look at the 1990 film: Dragon Ball: Fight Son Goku, Win Son Goku, aka Dragon Ball: Zero. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney are closing in on the power reading We reveal our title and instruct listeners where to find this one We discuss s...

Jan 28, 20251 hr 58 minSeason 3Ep. 86

Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater (S3E28)

What was Toriyama's manga like before he made the big time? What was bubbling in his brain even while he was working on Dragon Ball? Jelli and Bekinney take a break from Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon (are we ever getting back to that?) by breaking down some early manga from the man himself. We're talking about Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater....welll...most of it In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney have landed A note on some very different formatting because notes were har...

Jan 14, 20251 hr 6 minSeason 3Ep. 85

Dragon Ball Movies: Good, Bad, or Ugly? (Summer Convention Series) (S3E27)

It's Summer Convention Season! You think it's not, just because it's winter? Well, tune in to find out why it is! Jelli takes you into the world of our summer conventions by presenting one of the panels we held this year, at Anime Texas 2024, in Spring, TX from Fandom Events. This panel was also presented at San Japan in San Antonio, TX but the audio got too blown-out sounding to put out the full episode...but the Q&A portion of that event is retained here. The panel was also presented at Fa...

Dec 31, 20241 hr 3 minSeason 3Ep. 84

Daima Discussion Pt 2 (Eps 6-10) - BONUS EPISODE

There is new Dragon Ball for the first time in years and we felt it was important to share our thoughts and opinions. Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of Dragon Ball Daima, and its next five episodes: "Lightning," "Collar," "Tamagami," "Thieves," and "Ocean". Who is Glorio, and what are his motives? Have we learned anything new? What does the recently-introduced Panzy bring to the table? What of the minotaur who wan...

Dec 24, 202443 minSeason 3Ep. 83

Dale D. Kelly Interview [Ginyu, Narrator] (S3E26)

Was the original voice of Dragon Ball Z's narrator almost arrested before he ever got a chance to work on the show? To paraphrase his most famous saying: Find out [THIS] Time, on [Final Forum]! Jelli and Bekinney are still on a break from format and Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball, and are interviewing one of the voices of our childhood, Dale D. Kelly, the original voice of The Narrator and Captain Ginyu, as well as Porunga. In this episode: We dive into Dale's ...

Dec 17, 20241 hr 24 minSeason 3Ep. 82

Dragon Ball Video Games Part 2 (S3E25)

Gaming. Dragon Ball. They go hand-in-hand. Did they always? Jelli and Bekinney take a break from Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon (because we don't do enough of that, right?) by breaking down some early video games. We're talking about Dragon Ball 3: Goku Den, aka Dragon Ball: Goku's Story from the Famicom; Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure for the Gameboy Advance; Dragon Ball: Origins and Dragon Ball: Origins 2, for the Nintendo DS In this episode: Bekinney is checking the sh...

Dec 03, 20241 hr 1 minSeason 3Ep. 81

Masako Nozawa (S3E24)

What does it take to be one of the most well-respected voice actors of all-time? Jelli and Bekinney have finished the "Dragon Ball" portion of Dragon Ball. That means it's time for Dragon Ball Z, right? Welllll....let's take a break from format and Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by pivoting and talking about the life and personality and career of one of the most important figures in Dragon Ball, the voice of Goku himself: Masako Nozawa. In this episode: Jelli h...

Nov 19, 202454 minSeason 3Ep. 80

Daima Discussion (Eps 1-5) - BONUS EPISODE

The world of Dragon Ball is all abuzz so we felt we needed to put together a special BONUS episode for everyone. There is new Dragon Ball for the first time in years and we felt it was important to share our thoughts and opinions. Join Jelli and Bekinney as we continue looking at Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise by tackling a discussion of Dragon Ball Daima, and its first five episodes: "Conspiracy," "Glorio," Daima," "Chatty," and "Panzy". Who is Glorio, and what are his motives? What wil...

Nov 12, 202458 minSeason 3Ep. 79

Dragon Ball Wrap-Up ft. Kame House Party and We Gotta Podcast (S3E23)

We couldn't do this one alone, so we reached out to some new friends. Joining us on Final Forum this week, we have Vince and Aaron of Kame House Party and Randy of We Gotta Podcast as we tear into the original Dragon Ball one more time and wrap up the first 153 episodes (194 manga chapters). We run through the arcs, talk about favorite moments, funniest bits, best animation and give our rankings along the way. Who's got the hot takes? What's a show like with five voices on it? Tune in and find o...

Nov 05, 20242 hr 2 minSeason 3Ep. 78

Dragon Ball-oween MINISODE - Jelli's Top Ten Dragon Ball Villains

Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this special Jelli-only mini-sode we take a complete break from format, and from breaking down Akira Toriyama's manga and anime smash success to continue our October/Halloween Festivities and on this episode, it's all about villainy. Because dastardly evildoers are a big part of Halloween. That makes sense right? Right? Sure. So, who will make Jelli's Top Ten Dragon Ball Villains? The pool to choose from is ENORMOUS: Vegeta, Tien Shienh...

Oct 29, 202413 min

Castle in the Sky: Commentary (S3E22)

Why are we talking about Castle in the Sky and Studio Ghibli on our Dragon Ball show? Tune in to this episode to find out! It's time for Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this episode, Jelli and Bekinney break down the 1986 movie, Castle in the Sky directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released by Studio Ghibli via a watch-along commentary. It's part of our October/Halloween Festivities where we're taking a break from breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon an...

Oct 22, 20242 hr 16 minSeason 3Ep. 77

Dragon Ball-oween MINISODE - Bekinney's Top Ten Dragon Ball Villains

Welcome to Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this special Bekinney-only mini-sode we take a complete break from format, and from breaking down Akira Toriyama's manga and anime smash success to continue our October/Halloween Festivities and on this episode, it's all about villainy. Because dastardly evildoers are a big part of Halloween. That makes sense right? Right? Sure. So, who will make Bekinney's Top Ten Dragon Ball Villains? The pool to choose from is ENORMOUS: Vegeta, Tien ...

Oct 15, 202411 min

Sand Land (S3E20)

George Miller recently imagined a world where water is a scarcity in Mad Max: Fury Road (and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga). What happens when Toriyama does the same? AND adds in DEMONS?!? It's time for Final Forum's Dragon Ball-oween Spooktacular! In this episode, Jelli and Bekinney break down Akira Toriyama's manga, anime, and video game Sand Land. It's part of our October/Halloween Festivities where we're taking a break from breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon and de...

Oct 08, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 3Ep. 76

Piccolo Jr Manga Review (S3E19)

Dragon Ball gives way to Dragon Ball Z, but what about the manga? How does it stack up to the anime adaptation? Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by jumping into comparing the Dragon Ball anime to the Dragon Ball manga. We continue discussing Piccolo Jr arc, and talk about Goku's character growth. In this episode: Jelli and Bekinney are almost back to their ship We recap the story a little bit Goku's character growth from ...

Sep 24, 202455 minSeason 3Ep. 75

Bansho Fan Filler (S3E18)

Is this just a perfunctory tack-on to the end of Dragon Ball or is there more to this crop of filler episodes than it would appear at a glance? Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 149, 150, 151, 152, and 153: "Dress in Flames," "The Fire-Eater," "Outrageous Octagon," "Mystery of the Dark World," and "The End, The Beginning." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about the filler that...

Sep 10, 20241 hr 1 minSeason 3Ep. 74

23rd Tenkaichi Budokai Finals (S3E17)

Who will win? Do the physics here make any sense? Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 144, 145, 146, 147, and 148: "Super Kamehameha," "Junior No More," "Goku's Trap," "Goku Hangs On," and "The Victor." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about the ending of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. We wrap up our last mystery reveals, and spend some time talking about Piccolo's regeneration abi...

Aug 27, 202454 minSeason 3Ep. 73
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android