Many anime have movie spin-offs, and in most cases are not considered canon to the action shows themselves. This is the case for almost all Dragon Ball Z movies, many of which contradict each other or just don’t fit into the narrative of the anime’s events. However, there is one exception, at least in the minds of fans.
bojack unleashed is one of the few dbz films that could fit within the continuity of the series. It follows up on the events of the show, but also doesn’t seem to contradict them in any way. Unfortunately, later information in a sequel series may negate this, leaving Bojack more tied up than some would like.
How could Bojack Unbound be Canon?
Released in 1993, Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unleashed it was the ninth dbz movie, and is meant to take place after the events of Cell Games. To this end, Goku is still dead and dating King Kai, Vegeta has lost his heart to fight, and Future Trunks has returned from his timeline after defeating the androids. The film’s story involves Bojack and his family of aliens participating in a martial arts tournament on Earth, with Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, and the other Z Fighters also joining. Unfortunately, they soon realize the threat Bojack poses and vow to stop his plans for galactic domination.
The movie was very well received by fans, and apparently being canon to the show helps in this regard. It doesn’t directly contradict anything in the show, but instead builds on concepts from the “Cell” arc. These include Goku dying, Gohan going Super Saiyan, and Vegeta not wanting to fight without his rival Goku there to challenge him. With Future Trunks returning to the “past”, it feels like an addition to the “Cell Games” story arc. So it’s hard to argue from here that the movie has no continuity with the show, even though a later show does just that.
Dragon Ball Super makes Bojack Unbound non-canon
The best way to explain the canonicity of bojack unleashed is that it could have been part of the anime’s history until dragon ball super. In this sequel series which replaced Dragon Ball GT, Future Trunks explained that any period of time that passes in the future will also occur in the past. It was also established in this series that Trunks didn’t return to the other timeline until he defeated Android 17 and 18, which took him three years. Therefore, three years after Cell Games is the earliest he would have returned to see his friends.
bojack unleashed it’s clearly meant to take place shortly after the Cell Games, especially since Chi-Chi doesn’t mention her second son, Goten. Therefore, it is impossible for bojack unleashed be really in continuity with the Dragon Ball Z anime or its sequel. Likewise, there’s the fact that anything Toriyama hasn’t worked on is out of canon. However, he designed the character of Bojack, overriding this rule somewhat. Toriyama also designed the Super Saiyan 4 form in GT however, this does not give the film an outlet. Sadly, bojack unleashed is officially out of the real Dragon Ball Z anime canon, even if at one point, it may not have been.
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