MOVIE 1: RETURN MY GOHAN
(ORA NO GOHAN O KAESE)
Released: 15 July 1989

This movie takes place somewhere in the 5 year interval between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. It starts off with Piccolo in some barren wasteland, training, when he's suddenly attacked by three or four unseen enemies. The cocky adversaries leave the green warrior, believing him to be dead, therefore rendering Kamisama dead, too.

However, soho, Son Gohan and Chi-Chi are enjoying a nice visit from the Ox King, when suddenly they're attacked by the same three warriors that beat up Piccolo. They knock out Chi-Chi and the Ox King, then chase Gohan for the Dragon Ball mounted on his hat. They capture both the ball and the boy and take them to their hideout.

Goku arrives on the scene, and Chi-Chi tells him what happened. He instantly sets out on after the enemies on Kin'toun. He stops by the Kame House, however, to grab the Dragon Radar so he could follow their trail. Kamesennin calls out his warning to Goku, and Kuririn watches as his best friend disappears into the sky.

The henchmen arrive at the evil sorceror Garlic Jr's hideout with Gohan and the Dragon Ball. Gohan is scared and cries that Goku will come and save him. However, the three henchmen brag that they easily killed Piccolo, and Gohan's sulks, losing confidence in his impending rescue. Garlic, however, realizes Gohan's hidden power and tells him he will become his apprentice.

The three comically struggle with Gohan and his stubbornness. Gohan, hungry, picks a mysterious apple from a tree and eats it, despite warnings from Nikki, one of the henchmen. Gohan basically becomes "drunk" from the apple and wanders around unintelligently, causing trouble all the while with a crooked smile on his face.

However, Garlic Jr. is able to gather all seven balls and summon Shenlong. He's granted immortality. The four-star ball almost hits Goku as it scatters from the other six.

Right after Garlic makes an evil speech to his three henchmen, Goku arrives, screaming, "Return my Gohan!" However, Kamisama also blasts from the heavens as well to join the fight. He explains that the reason Garlic hates him so much is because Kamisama and Garlic Jr's father competed for the role of God of Earth. However, Garlic's evil ambitions were realized by Kamisama's successor and Kamisama was chosen.

However, Garlic was not satisfied with the decision. He lead a futile attack, attempting to destroy both Kamisama and the previous god. However, he was easily defeated and sealed away in the deadzone. Garlic Jr now wants to kill Kamisama, take the throne of god, and create an evil, demonic world filled with death and suffering.

Goku and the three henchmen run into the castle to do battle while Kamisama and Garlic stare each other down outside.

Goku takes on all three, whom introduce themselves as Ginger, Nikki, and Sanchel. They transform into bigger, buffer forms of themselves, but Goku still holds his ground. However, two ki blasts are fired at Goku's back and it seems like our hero's doomed. Another ki blast, however, hits the other two blasts and redirects them. Kuririn makes a very cool entrance to the scene.

Piccolo soon joins them too, assuring Goku he's not here to help him - he's got a score to settle with the other three. After Gohan tinkles on Kuririn's head, his whereabouts are discovered and Kuririn sets out to retrieve the little boy. He skeptically runs past Piccolo, who watches ominously as Kuririn goes.

Kuririn climbs the stairs to where Gohan's walking around, still wearing the effects of the apple. However, Sanchel blocks his way. He charges after Kuririn, but the ground underneath him gives way. He falls to the floor below, and when the dust clears, Piccolo is standing there. "You're going to pay for what you did to me," he says, assuring the terrifed Sanchel that the three of them won't catch him off-guard this time. He easily defeats and kills Sanchel.

However, Kamisama is having a much harder time with Garlic. Garlic beats him up against a stone pillar, then blasts him through it and another one. He holds Kamisama over the edge, taunting him. However, Kami releases the holy powers within him, blasting Garlic back against a far wall.

Goku's having a considerably hard time with his bout as well. Nikki and Ginger sprout swords out of their bodies and begin attacking Goku from both sides. Goku unsheaths his Nyoi-bo and takes the two of them on. Using the Nyoi-bo's extending abilities, he rockets Nikki to another tower of the castle while he fights with Ginger.

He also knocks Ginger towards the tower that Nikki landed on, but Goku isn't letting him off that easily. "Ka....Me....Ha....Me....." he says, and Ginger, realizing the impending danger, throws an energy blast in desperation. "HA!" Goku screams, shooting the Kamehameha. It easily engulfs and destroys Ginger's blast, then blows Ginger into Nikki, where both meet their demise at the hands of the Kamehameha.

Inside the building, Kamisama and Garlic's fight continues. Kamisama wraps his arms around Garlic and begins to self-destruct. Garlic laughs at him, but before he explodes, Piccolo and Goku appear. Garlic tosses Kamisama aside and turns to meet the two warriors.

Piccolo and Goku watch in terror as he transforms into a huge monster. The three engage in a battle. Piccolo fights Garlic one on one while Goku moves Kamisama to a safer place. However, Piccolo alone is no match for Garlic, and Goku joins in. Garlic shoots a ki blast that creates confusion among our heroes. A large pillar falls on Kuririn's head and he falls, unconscious, dropping Gohan who is soon buried in a tomb of rocks.

Goku is sitting, recupperating, in the dark, when Garlic, sounding like a freight-train, comes out of nowhere and grabs him by the back of the head. Piccolo is also kneeling in the dark when he hears Garlic coming. Before he can react, he's grabbed by the side of the head and both Goku and Piccolo are slammed through a stone wall and then plummeted about 5 stories down into the ground, all the while held by Garlic.

The two leap out of the crater and take off their weighted clothing. They attack Garlic again, and this time gain the upper-hand, for he wasn't ready for their upgraded speed and strength. They beat him by blasting him with a cooperated ki blast used by blasts from each of their sets of hands after kicking the snot out of him. He's thrown back and impacts with a tower of his castle, and the whole structure comes down on him.

Goku celebrates their victory, but Piccolo concentrates on his next goal - Goku's death. The two stare off, and just as they are about to fight, Garlic jumps out of the rubble and, angered, announces that he can never die, and begins to form the deadzone. The platform on which Goku and Piccolo where fighting collapses, as well as the rest of the castle, and begins to be sucked into the daunting void.

Goku grabs onto a piece of rubble and holds on for dear life. He also grabs Piccolo's ankle as he flies by, saving him from the massive vacuum. Kamisama also grabs a safely lodged pillar and holds on to it.

Kuririn is awakened and also grabs a pillar and hangs on. He remembers Gohan, then desperately searches for the boys whereabouts, fearing that he may have already been sucked into the deadzone. "GOHAN!!!!!!" Goku screams, desperately worried for the life of his son. Garlic stands upright, however, and laughs at the heroes, taunting them. Piccolo is angered and struggles away from Goku's hold to shoot a weak ki blast in vain. However, he's able to grab onto another pillar and keep from being sucked into the void.

It looks like its all over now. The heroes are hanging on to a thread. Dangerous rocks and stone rubble swirl all around them. Its just a matter of time before they're sucked into the deadzone and trapped for eternity.

Or is it?

A child's innocent cry rings throughout the area, despite the raucus in progress. Confused, the heroes search for its source. The crying becomes less and less innocent and more and more daunting. Suddenly, there's an eruption of rocks, and at its source stands Gohan!

Garlic's in shock. How could some kid be standing despite the horrid vacuum of the deadzone he created!? Gohan stands there, crouched over, growling angrily with tears running down his cheeks. Garlic fires a blast at the boy, but it simply angers him further. Garlic then resorts to using all his power, which begins to suck Gohan forward a few steps. However, he throws his head back and roars. The already destroyed castle behind him explodes even further and Gohan is enveloped in a blue aura.

However, the heroes lose their grip on the pillars they were holding onto. They plummet towards the deadzone. "Goku!" Kuririn and Kamisama scream. "GOHAN!!!!!" Goku screams as his grip weakens to nothing.

"DADDDYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gohan hollars as he watches his father plummet towards the ominous entrance of the eternal void. Gohan's blue aura leaps out, expanding its radius. It races to Garlic and smashes him backwards, hurling him towards the end of the void.

Despite the fact that he's falling, Garlic bellows with laughter. "They haven't beaten me! I can't die! I've been given immortality! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" he sceams maniacally as he vanishes into the deadzone.

The deadzone begins to shatter in the sky, like a mirror that was just dropped. It explodes, and the shards fall to the bottom of the sea as the screen fades.

Kuririn stands up and looks around. All around him lies debris from the once-upright and complex castle. He looks around more and finds Kamisama. The two of them walk to Goku, whose crouching over with his unconscious son in his arms.

Gohan awakens and hugs his father. "I knew you'd come to rescue me!" he claims happily. Goku and the others look at him, confused. "Don't you remember anything of the fight, Gohan?" Goku asks. "I remember that my dad's the strongest fighter in the whole world!" Gohan replies. Kuririn looks over at Kamisama, who smiles and nods his consent.

The four begin to long journey back to their homes as Piccolo watches them go. "I guess I'll have to finish you off.....another time, Goku," he assures himself.

Goku and Gohan fly into the horizon on Kint'oun. Goku thinks about telling Chi-Chi that it was actually Gohan who saved the universe, but comes to the conclusion that she'd never believe it and decides to tell her when Gohan gets a little older.

Written by PJ