Dragon Ball Z episodes Counting Down
English title Counting Down Series Saga Vegeta Saga Episode number 21 Manga counterpart Closer... Closer... Japanese airdate September 27, 1989 Previous episode Goku's Ancestors Next episode The Darkest Day

Counting Down (いでよ神龍! サイヤ人ついに地球到着, Ide yo Shenron! Saiya-jin Tsui ni Chikyu Tochaku) is the twenty-first episode of the Vegeta Saga in the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. This episode first aired on September 27, 1989. Its original American air date was January 24th, 1997.

SummaryEdit

Goku tests the power of the Spirit Bomb, a life-energy ball technique which he learned along with the Kaio-ken from King Kai himself. Unexpectedly, the Saiyans enter the solar system a whole month earlier than anticipated and will reach Earth the next day. They thought it was not a problem until King Kai realizes that he failed to include the time it would take Goku to return to the world below.

Goku contacts Master Roshi telepathically through King Kai to tell him to summon Shenron with the Dragon Balls and bring him back to life immediately. Master Roshi, Bulma, Oolong and Puar release the dragon, and Oolong wonders out loud if they can't wish the Saiyans to defeat. Shenron answers that he would be unable to fulfill such a wish, since the Saiyan's power is greater than that of Kami, his creator. So instead, they wish Goku back to life.

Goku says his farewells, and streaks back along Snake Way; King Kai estimates that it will now take him just over a day to reach the end. The next day, at 11:43 a.m., the Saiyans' space pods make planetfall in the heart of East City.

TriviaEdit

• The toilet in Kame House is shown to be in a room of its own when previously throughout all of Dragon Ball the toilet was in the same room as the bath like bathrooms in western countries.
• The calender by the toilet at Kame House has 1989 as the year, which is the same year that Dragon Ball Z and this episode first aired in Japan.
• The wish from Shenron later brought forth (or spawned) Rage Shenron.
• The dialogue regarding the King Kai symbol on Goku's new gi is radically different in the Japanese and American versions. In the original Japanese version, Goku sees his Turtle School symbol on the front and is happy Kai did not put on "that ugly Kai symbol", only to find it on the back. In the American version, Goku's dialogue is completely the opposite, he wants to have the Kai symbol because he trained under him.

GalleryEdit

Gregory Goku prepares a Spirit Bomb Goku prepares a Spirit Bomb Goku gathers enough energy to create a Spirit Bomb Goku forms the Spirit Bomb Goku aims for his target Goku fires his Spirit Bomb East City A clock in East City Yamcha Krillin Tien and Chiaotzu Add a photo to this galleryAdd a photo to this gallery