Review: Everything I Thought It Was by Justin Timberlake

  

 

Justin Timberlake was the biggest male pop star of the 2000s, but ever since his 2013 comeback The 20/20 Experience, he's gradually lost respect and relevancy. 2018's Man of the Woods did not impress most people with its heavy Southern influences, and with 2024's underwhelming Everything I Thought I Was, it's clear that he's become a legacy artist. Despite the moderate success of lead single "Selfish", none of the other songs have made any real impact and the album was Timberlake's first since 2002's Justified not to hit No.1 on the Hot 100. Timberlake had a good run, and certainly longer than his contemporaries like Usher, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera, but perhaps it would have been a bit longer if not for scathing memoirs by his ex-girlfriend and embarrassing DUI arrests. We won't be discussing his somewhat hectic personal life, however, as this article is only about his latest album.

     To be honest, calling this an "album" may feel a little off, because it comes across as more of a compilation of random songs that don't mesh well when put together. None of the tracks feel particularly connected, and with 20 of them clocking in at over 76 minutes, the album definitely would have benefited from trimming. It normally takes Timberlake longer to release an album than most artists, so perhaps the sheer number of songs here is slightly justified, but none of them really impress. Some songs, namely the opener "Memphis" and the closer "Conditions", are rather cringe-inducing with their bandwagon trap beats and corny verses laced by Timberlake; he even tries to rap on "Memphis", and it falls flat. At 40-something-years-old, he comes across like an awkward dad trying to be down for teens and young adults in their 20s. "Uh, they say, 'life's a bitch/And then you die'/So please, if you're pennin' my eulogy, just say I tried/And that's word to Phineas, Jess and Si/And if I don't wake up in Heaven, then it was one hell of a ride". Better leave it to Jack Harlow.

    Timberlake fares better when he's treading familiar ground on the disco-pop songs "Fuckin' Up the Disco", "No Angels", and "My Favorite Drug", but these songs lack the authenticity and charm of Timberlake's earlier hits like "Rock Your Body" and "Summer Love", sounding more like something you'd expect from Dua Lipa. It's not that any of these songs are bad; they're just forgettable. Lead single "Selfish" and "Imagination" sound like they'd be more up Taylor Swift or Nick Jonas's alley than Timberlake's. "Drown" is sort of like "Cry Me a River", but without the beatboxing or hip hop elements that made the song memorable. "Liar" featuring Fireboy DML is expendable. "Sanctified" is another failed rock experiment. The ego-fueled "Play" doesn't leave any real impression and the ballad "Alone" is just boring. Most of these tracks were produced by people Timberlake has never worked with before, and none of them click. Sure, he reunited with Danja and Rob Knox on some of them, but they've never been among his better collaborators (Danja is nothing without Timbaland, btw). Couldn't Pharrell have been brought back instead?

    The very best songs here are the ones that were worked on by Timberlake's longtime collaborator Timbaland, even though most of them sound like outtakes from the 20/20 Experience and Man of the Woods. "What Lovers Do" sounds like a classic Timbaland production with its stuttering beats, "Technicolor" and "Love & War" are serviceable R&B slow jams, and "Infinity Sex" brings to mind Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds heyday. Still, the only track on this album that's truly memorable is "Paradise" (also produced by Timbaland), which has Timberlake reuniting with his fellow 'N Sync members for a sentimental ballad reminiscent of "God Must Have Spent (A Little More Time on You)". As nice as the song is, though, Timberlake suddenly bringing his old boys back is a clear indicator that he's well past his prime. If Timberlake ever releases another solo album, he should cut back on the number of outside producers and stick to working with Timbaland. But people would be more interested in another 'N Sync album at this point. Justin Timberlake's a has-been now.

        Best song: "Paradise" featuring 'N Sync. 

Moving away from anime/manga talk.

        I first started making articles about Dragon Ball all the way back in 2017 on Wordpress. Since 2022, when I moved to Blogger, I've regularly been working on Dragon Ball articles. Now, I feel it's time to move on. I don't want to still be doing this in my 30s. From now on, I think I'll use this blog to make music reviews. The stuff I write won't be as negative. I think we can all agree that life is more enjoyable when you're not always bashing the things you dislike. I'm done with cartoons and comics. 

Why Bulma is useless in a nutshell.

    Doing one thing before a story begins doesn't make you important during the story.

    Doing one thing at the start of the story doesn't make you important for the entire story.

    Doing one thing at the very end of the story doesn't make you important for the entire story.    

    Doing a few things during the story doesn't make you important for the entire story, especially when the things you do are brief and only amount to lazy plot devices at most.

    Doing something off-screen doesn't make you important in a story, because if it's off-screen, it's not an actual point of focus.

    You're not getting any real focus or spotlight when the supposedly important things you do are brief or off-screen. 

    Being used for lazy plot devices doesn't make you important.  

    Constantly being used for perverted fan-service or misogynist gags doesn't make you important. 

    The plot in Dragon Ball is utter bullshit and only the fighting matters, because that's all that gets any focus and that's all people give a shit about. 

    Just made this in case you don't feel like reading the in-depth article. 

The inspiration for Super Saiyan.

     

The most well-known aspect of the massively successful Dragon Ball franchise is the iconic Super Saiyan transformation. Debuting in the three hundred and seventeenth chapter of the manga published on March 19, 1991 in Weekly Shounen Jump, the first Super Saiyan transformation had Son Gokuu's hair spiking upward and changing color. Also changing the color of his eyes and giving him a prominent fiery aura, the transformation made Gokuu significantly stronger as he could finally defeat the evil Freeza, who had just killed his close friend Kurilin in front of him. Gokuu's rage from seeing his friend slaughtered triggered the transformation, and it's one of the most iconic anime/manga moments of all time. There would be many other Super Saiyan transformations in Dragon Ball and the concept would often be homaged or parodied in many other works. But the question is, what truly inspired series creator Toriyama Akira to come up with such a flashy transformation?

    Toriyama's usual explanation for its iconic design was that he wanted to save ink. His assistant would often complain about having to always ink Gokuu's usual black hair, so Toriyama wanted to make his job easier. Appearing as white in uncolored pages of the manga, Toriyama said he eventually made it blonde because he wanted it to look glamorous (here's a translation). In addition, the hair spiking upward was an exaggeration of piloerection. As for why he decided to have Gokuu transform at all, he said it was the most effective way of showing that Gokuu had gotten stronger, and also because he was inspired by a TV show with a hero who would transform when he'd fight; Toriyama would watch this show with his son. These were the answers Toriyama himself had given, but was there more to it than he let on? To get the answer, we'll have to rewind time a bit. In 1964, during the "Greatest Robot on Earth" story arc of the iconic Astro Boy manga (known as Tetsuwan Atom in Japan, literally "Iron-armed Atom" or "Mighty Atom"), titular protagonist Astro Boy (or Atom) undergoes a transformation when he's upgraded to have 1 million horsepower. His synthetic "hair" (or whatever it is that looks like his hair) begins glowing and he becomes significantly stronger, becoming able to challenge his enemy Pluto. This transformation would never be used again after this story arc, not even in any of Astro Boy's many adaptions.

    Tezuka Osamu's Astro Boy is widely considered to be the most iconic anime/manga franchise of all time. Toriyama himself admitted to being a fan of it as a child, so could Astro Boy have been the inspiration for Super Saiyan? Perhaps he had the read the "Greatest Robot on Earth" story arc as a child, but it doesn't look like Astro Boy was the one to popularize the trope of characters changing their hair to get stronger. As said before, Astro Boy's 1 million horsepower transformation would never be seen again. Although I'm not too knowledgeable of manga from back then, it doesn't seem like there were other notable examples of character changing their hair to get stronger during the 1960s. In that case, what series popularized the trope? From what I can tell, it seems like it was Cutie Honey. Created by Nagai Goh and first serialized in 1973 by Weekly Shounen Champion, this manga marked the first time a female character was the protagonist of a Shounen. Protagonist Kisaragi Honey is an android who uses a device from inside of her body to transform into her alter-ego, Cutie Honey. Turning into Cutie Honey makes her go from a blonde to a redhead, and as Cutie Honey, she has many other transformations, many of which have different hair colors.

    Cutie Honey is an ecchi manga, and it's hard to find transformation pages that are safe for work. It seems like she gets naked whenever she transforms. I'm not trying to get this blog flagged. I'll take a risk and post a gif from the 1973 anime that gets the point across. These are some of her transformations in the anime. The show apparently did well in ratings, but was cancelled due to the salacious content. Now who could have seen that coming? Shounen is stupid as hell. Anyway, it makes sense that a series starring women would popularize hair transformations, because hair care is traditionally seen as a feminine interest. But since Cutie Honey starred women, it probably influenced Shoujo series more than Shounen, which normally star boys or men; for example, Sailor Moon is a Shoujo and it was very influenced by Cutie Honey. And Cutie Honey itself is obviously influenced by Shoujo (it was even originally going to be one); transformations have always been a big part of Shoujo, so I'm sure a lot of them had hair transformations before Cutie Honey did. The Dragon Ball character Lunch transforms whenever she sneezes; her hair color changes between blue and blonde, and this was probably an influence from Shoujo, if not a female-led Shounen like Cutie Honey. As far as female-led Shounen go, though, Cutie Honey was definitely a pioneer. Since Dragon Ball doesn't star women, however, this raises the question of whether there was a male-led Shounen predating Dragon Ball with hair transformations. And as it turns out, yes, there was, and it was also created by Nagai Goh.

    Serialized from 1976 to 1978 by Weekly Shounen Magazine, Shutendouji was an action manga that combined traditional Japanese folklore with science fiction. The protagonist was Shutendoh Jiroh aka Shutendouji, a 15-year-old high school student who turns out to be a demon (or "oni", colloquially translated as an ogre). When his demon powers first awaken, his hair spikes up and he grows horns on his head. Later on, his anger from seeing his comrades die triggers a transformation that makes him significantly stronger and causes his hair to change color (or it at least looks like that way). He gains an aura that makes him glow brightly, and he even gets a sword that he uses to fight. Nobody can look at those pages and not think of Dragon Ball, and this series predated Dragon Ball by 8 years. In colored illustrations, we even see that he has golden/blonde hair (although I don't think his hair color actually changed in the manga. In the 70s, he seemed to almost always be colored with red hair. He was given yellow/blonde/golden hair when the manga was first rereleased in 1985, but on these colored pages, he seemed to have blonde hair even when he's not in the glowing transformation. We can see on the original B&W version of these pages that his hair was shaded like it is when he's in his normal state, so if he's given blonde hair on the colored version of these pages, that would suggest his regular hair color is blonde. Note this colored illustration of him with blonde hair in his normal state,, too. In any case, his hair color started turning from brown to blonde as far back as at least the second OVA in 1990, which you'll see in the next paragraph). He looks just like a Super Saiyan, and this series predates Super Saiyans by 15 years. Admittedly, though, while Nagai's other series like Devilman, Mazinger Z, and Violence Jack are all well-known among anime/manga fans, Shutendouji is considered to be one of his more obscure works. 

    Toriyama said he stopped reading manga as he grew up. It wasn't until after he already became a professional mangaka in 1978 that he started reading them again, in order to get a better understanding of what Shounen readers wanted. He'd mainly just read the series that were serialized in Weekly Jump, so he may have not caught eye of Shutendouji back then. However, fast-forward to 1989. Not only is this the year that Dragon Ball Z began airing in Japan, but it's also when Shutendouji was adapted into a series of OVAs that were released until 1991. Here's a scene from the second OVA, released on July 1, 1990. There's no way you can see this without thinking of DBZ ... and it came out almost a year before Super Saiyans debuted in 1991. The chapter in which Gokuu turns Super Saiyan came out on March 19, 1991. Technically, this wasn't the first appearance of a Super Saiyan; it was just 10 days earlier on March 9, 1991 that Gokuu turned into a Super Saiyan in the fourth DBZ movie Super Saiyan, Son Gokuu (better known as Lord Slug in America). The Super Saiyan form that appeared in the movie still spiked the hair up and had a golden aura, but it kept the hair black. Because it looks so different from the Super Saiyan that appears in the story proper, it was retroactively labeled "Pseudo Super Saiyan". 

    Some people dismiss it as a non-canon transformation that Toei made up, but Toriyama was involved in the development of the movie. He designed Slug and his henchmen, and most importantly, he was the one who suggested having Gokuu's hair spike up as a Super Saiyan in the movie. It can be assumed that the movie's version of Super Saiyan was the prototype design before Toriyama decided to make it blonde in the manga. The second Shutendouji OVA came out on July 1, 1990, a week before the third DBZ movie Super Decisive Battle for Earth (better known as Tree of Might in America) came out in theaters on July 7, 1990. The fourth DBZ film entered development around the time the third one was released in theaters in July 1990, which also happened to be around the time the second Shutendouji OVA was released. Less than a year later, in March 1991, Gokuu turns into a Super Saiyan both in the manga and a movie, basically looking just like Shutendouji (minus the horns) in the former. It seems highly likely that Toriyama or someone at Shuiesha or Toei saw the Shutendouji OVA and got the idea to have Gokuu get golden, spiky hair in his Super Saiyan form. Another thing, Future Trunks debuted and turned into a Super Saiyan in the manga on July 2, 1991, not long after the form debuted in March of that year. He uses a sword like Shutendouji did. Now where could Toriyama have gotten the idea for a teenage swordsman who transforms by getting golden spiky hair? It all points to Shutendouji. 

    While Shutendouji may not be one of Nagai's most popular works, it still had OVAs coming out from 1989 to 1991, and as well as a videogame in 1990. Clearly, it had a fair amount of popularity from the late 80s to early 90s, so it's very likely Toriyama or somebody he was working with saw it. The similarities are too strong to ignore, and the timing is too convenient. Also of note is the anime Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel, which aired from 1983 to 1984. Episode 45 "The Psychic Boy of Sorrow" featured a psychic boy named Makoto whose hair spikes up and turns yellow when he gets angry (his skin would turn red, too). This anime came out after Shutendouji's manga, but before Dragon Ball and long before Super Saiyans. With not one, but two series that predated Dragon Ball in having yellow hair transformations, it's plausible to theorize that there could be even more. Note that it's not even just the appearance of the characters when they transform; it's also the fact rage serves as the trigger to their transformations. Also, remember that piloerection has been a trope in anime/manga for the longest time; it's meant to convey intense emotions such as anger and shock. Sometimes, when a character with black or darker hair undergoes piloerection while in stress or shock, their hair also turns white (and note that Shutendouji's golden transformation and Super Saiyan are white in the standard black and white pages of their respective manga). It's normally done for the sake of gags, but it makes sense that this would lead to someone playing it straight and using it for a genuine transformation. Toriyama was evidently not the first to do it. 

    And there you have it. I gotta say, though ... Nagai's works are fucking disgusting. Goddamn, I thought Toriyama was bad, but this guy is even worse. Not necessarily in terms of writing, but there's so much fucked up, nasty shit in his works. "Look, here's another woman getting violently raped or murdered!" Dude was literally drawing women getting fucked by dogs. Good thing most of his works are obscure. Shounen was disgusting in the 70s.

Why JC Chasez's solo career flopped.

    It's 2025 and Justin Timberlake's reign as the biggest male pop star is long over. His Everything I Thought It Was album released last year flopped, partly overshadowed by rather scathing claims in his exgirlfriend Britney Spears's memoir, as well as his DUI arrest. He hasn't released a successful album in over a decade now, so he's clearly a legacy artist by this point. Still, he had a good run and nobody can deny he ruled the 2000s. But forget about Timberlake. I'd like to talk about his fellow former 'N Sync vocalist JC Chasez and why his solo career flopped. This is an article I've wanted to make for years, and I feel now's an alright occasion (but yeah, the 20th anniversary of Schizophrenic last year would have been better lol). 

    There were many so-called "boy bands" (or rather, "male vocal groups", as they're more accurately termed) in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the biggest were the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. While Backstreet Boys sold more records overall, 'N Sync held the record for fastest selling album in a week (since Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991) with the tremendous success of their sophomore album No Strings Attached in 2000. A five-piece group, the lead singers were Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez. Both had already been on the New Mickey Mouse Club, so it's no surprise they were more talented than everybody else in the group. Of course, Timberlake was easily the most popular member of the group, being younger and famously dating pop superstar Britney Spears.

     But while Chasez was only the second most popular member of the group, most people agreed he was the best singer; even Timberlake himself admitted Chasez was better. Boasting an impressive four octave vocal range, Chasez could sing a ballad like no other and sang lead vocals all by himself on a few 'N Sync songs ("Sailing" on their 1997/1998 self-titled debut and "Bringin' the Noise" on 2000's No Strings Attached). He was also the only member to feature on Blaque's hit single "Bring It All to Me" in 1999. Despite his talent, Chasez lacked the confidence to go solo, which was further exacerbated by the fact Timberlake beat him to the punch. Benefiting from his recent breakup from Spears, Timberlake's 2002 debut solo album Justified was a success, featuring hit singles produced by the likes of Timbaland and the Neptunes. With Timberlake now a star in his own right, people wondered if Chasez could follow in his footsteps.

    It was only after receiving encouragement from producer Dallas Austin that Chasez gained the confidence to embark on a solo career. Austin produced Chasez's debut single "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" for the Drumline soundtrack in December 2002, and while it was only a modest hit, peaking at no.35 on the Hot 100, it convinced Jive that a solo album of his was worth investing in. With his record label's support, Chasez finally began work on his solo album at the start of 2003. Released on February 24, 2004, Chasez's debut solo album Schizophrenic ended up being a total flop, only selling around 120,000 copies and failing to yield any hit singles. Chasez would leave his label and no follow-up album would be released. 'N Sync eventually broke up and Timberlake went on to become more successful on his own while everybody else who was in the group faded away into obscurity.

    That raises the question of where it all went wrong for poor ol' Chasez. "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" wasn't a huge hit, but no.35 isn't terrible for a song that was only for a soundtrack; it showed that Chasez had some potential for a solo career. Beyonce's debut single "Work It Out" was for the Austin Powers in Goldmember soundtrack in 2002 and it did far worse, not even cracking the Hot 100. Despite that, Beyonce still became a superstar. Granted, she was the youngest member of her group just like Timberlake was the youngest member of 'N Sync. Her fellow Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland also attempted to go solo, but it didn't pan out despite having a hit debut single like Chasez did ("Stole" off of Rowland's debut solo album performed moderately, peaking at no.27). It's rare for musical groups to produce even one solo star, let alone two; notable outliers like the Beatles, the Jacksons, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, One Direction, and Fifth Harmony aren't the rule. That's not to say Chasez shouldn't have bothered trying at all, but the odds were always stacked against him. 

     With such low chances of success, you would think Chasez wouldn't reduce them even further by taking high risks with his music, but he did exactly that. Asking Jive for complete creative control on his album, Chasez was allowed to do whatever he wanted and he opted to go for a highly sexual vibe. There are songs about having sex all day long, having sex in 100 different positions, one night stands, masturbating, and girl-on girl dancing. It's clear that Chasez wanted shock value by making such a drastic departure from the more family friendly music he made with 'N Sync. For a solo artist just starting out, this was obviously the wrong decision right from the start. Total creative control isn't something that should just be handed out; artists should prove themselves by first becoming successful under guidelines. 

    Chasez hadn't achieved much of any solo success when he was given full creative control on his album; "Blowin' Me Up" was not a significant hit by any means and you would think its unimpressive performance would have convinced Chasez not to go totally sexual on his album, seeing as the song was notably raunchier than anything 'N Sync had ever put out. At least Timberlake was smart enough to wait until his second album to really get his freak on (and even then, he did so more tastefully than Chasez did. There's nothing on FutureSex/LoveSounds that sounds as utterly embarrassing as "ALL DAY LONG I DREAM ABOUT SEX"); Chasez simply couldn't keep it in his pants. Any pop singer is taking a risk when they put out highly sexual songs. When you're coming out of a squeaky-clean boy group that already produced one solo star, erotic songs aren't in your best interest. Sex only sells when it's handled carefully, and when you're already likely to fail as a solo singer, you should play it safer. Some sex songs are fine. "ALL DAY LONG I DREAM ABOUT SEX" and "SOME GIRLS DANCE WITH WOMEN" are not.

    Titling his album "Schizophrenic" and making the cover art him in a straitjacket didn't help matters, either; it should have been blatantly obvious that he was gonna offend mental health groups by doing so. You don't name your album after a mental disorder accompanied by a photograph of yourself in a straitjacket, as if you're making light of said disorder. Chasez said it was to reflect the album's musical variety ... but couldn't he have just named it "Chameleon" or some other crap like that? It could have also been named after the song "Everything You Want" or "100 Ways" if the intent was to reflect the album's eclecticism. Compare Justified's cover art to Schizophrenic's, and it's obvious which album flopped. On top of making himself look like a degenerate pervert, he made himself look like an ass. How could he lack such self-awareness? You'd think someone in his camp or Jive would've told him, "Hey, man, you gotta think of another name and use a different cover, because this is just asking for trouble". Clearly, Chasez was surrounded by yes-men.

    But indeed, true to its name, Schizophrenic features songs of many different styles as it's basically one big tribute to all the music Chasez listened to throughout his life up to that point, from the 1970s all the way to the early 2000s. There's George Michael-type pop rock on "Something Special", Prince-type funk rock on "100 Ways", Led Zeppelin and Lenny Kravitz-type funk rock on "If You Were My Girl", Police and Sting-type reggae rock on "Everything You Want", Bee Gees-type R&B on "Build My World", Michael Jackson and Jamiroquai-type disco on "She Got Me", Seal-type soul on "Lose Myself", Giorgio Moroder-type synth-pop on "One Night Stand", Corey Hart-type new wave on "Come to Me", and Gary Numan and Cars-type new wave on "All Day Long I Dream About Sex". There are also homages to more recent music, like the 'N Sync-type teenybopper pop tribute "Right Here (By Your Side)". "Mercy" is also very 'N Sync-influenced with its grimy electro-pop soundscape. Basement Jaxx contributed the electronic "Shake It" and it's very much in their own style. Oh, and there's whatever the hell "Some Girls (Dance With Women)" is supposed to be. The only song that seems entirely like Chasez's own unique style is probably the adult contemporary ballad "Dear Goodbye", and it's certainly one of the album's best cuts.

    Obviously, Chasez intended for the album to be all over the place; the title alone makes this blatantly obvious. One could say that having all these influences was versatility, but one could also say that he was indecisive and simply didn't know what he wanted to do with his album. Timberlake knew what he wanted Justified to be; he wanted to make an R&B album. Chasez, on the other hand, wanted his album to be, well, everything, which might have made it harder to market. But even with a lack of musical direction, an overabundance of sexual content, an awful title, and an awful cover art, I don't think Schizophrenic was doomed. Nor do I think Chasez dropping out of the 2004 Pro Bowl's halftime show had anything to do with the album flopping (the album's fate was sealed long before the Pro Bowl). The main reason the album failed lies in the singles. Released in November 2003, "Some Girls (Dance with Women)" was chosen to be the lead single and it utterly flopped, peaking at no.88 on the Hot 100. 

    It's no surprise that it did. For one, it's produced by Riprock 'n Alex G. They produced a few tracks on 'N Sync's No Strings Attached and Celebrity albums, but none of the singles. That's not to say Chasez needed household names to produce singles for him, but a team with only a few filler 'N Sync tracks on their resume obviously wasn't going to make hits for him. Making matters worse, the subject matter of the song is stupid. There's nothing wrong with girl-on-girl dancing, but this song fetishizes it from a horny male's perspective. Doesn't help that it isn't the least bit catchy, not even with a verse from Ol' Dirty Bastard aka Dirt McGirt. The song was awful, as was the second single "All Day Long I Dream About Sex". Releasing yet another single produced by Riprock 'n Alex G after the first one flopped was beyond stupid, and when it's literally called "All Day Long I Dream About Sex"? Jesus Christ. Frankly, this article is a little redundant; if anybody wants to know why JC Chasez's solo career flopped, then just watch the music video. A total embarrassment.

     Following Schizophrenic's failure, Chasez began work on his next album by the end of 2004. Titled The Story of Kate, Chasez intended to tone down the sexual content and zero in on a single, specific musical style for himself. In 2006, Chasez enlisted the help of Timberlake to produce a few songs for the album, including the planned lead single "Until Yesterday". At the time, Timberlake was preparing to release his sophomore album FutureSex/LoveSounds, so the fact he took time off of his own schedule to help an old friend out was quite cool of him. However, by then, it was simply too late. Jive refused to release Chasez's second album and it ended up being shelved. Frustrated, Chasez left Jive in 2007 and that effectively marked the end of his solo career. It's no surprise that Jive wouldn't release his next album; they already gave him a chance on his first one and he blew it. Not to mention, Chasez was 31 by this point. The ship for solo stardom had obviously sailed for him, so it was time to let him go.

    Listening to the songs that were planned for The Story of Kate, it's clear Chasez wanted to adopt a more contemporary pop rock sound for himself, but the results were very generic. As unfocused as Schizophrenic was, at least it was the music Chasez genuinely wanted to make. While the album was obviously derivative of older music, it was unlike any other pop album at the time. The planned songs for The Story of Kate may have been more radio-friendly, but they could have been given to any pop singer. The fact Timberlake helped on some of them was essentially Chasez admitting defeat, too. It should have never even come to that point. Schizophrenic could have done at least moderately well if it had different singles. Firstly, none of the songs produced by Riprock 'n Alex G should have been picked. The best tracks on Schizophrenic were the ones produced by Robb Boldt. He was a little known producer (who unfortunately went on to rape a woman years later. True story, his Discogs photo is his mugshot and his crime was raping an intoxicated woman. His full name is Robert Karl Boldt), but I believe he had the potential to become as big as Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes, etc. If only Chasez had more faith in Boldt's cuts on Schizophrenic, because the album could have been a breakthrough for both of them (Chasez and Boldt later worked on music for Paris Hilton's debut album in 2004, but it ended up getting delayed to 2006 and none of their songs were released on it).

    All of the songs produced by Boldt on Schizophrenic—"100 Ways", "Build My World", "Come to Me", "Dear Goodbye", "Lose Myself", "She Got Me", and "Something Special"—have a raw, organic vibe to them. With the exception of "Come to Me", they seem to have all been made with bands and not beat machines. "Dear Goodbye" is a standout and damn near the best track on the album as I said before, but it wasn't really single material. I believe the George Michael-inspired "Something Special" should have been the lead single; the song was very upbeat and radio-friendly, plus the harmonies remind one of 'N Sync. There was a big audience for that type of pop rock back in 2003-2004. And then, the second single should have been "Build My World". Obviously inspired by the Bee Gees tribute 'N Sync did at the 2003 Grammy Awards (but far from a shameless ripoff), "Build My World" is arguably Chasez's greatest song and I believe it would have been his definitive single; it's the exact type of ballad that would have been a smash on the radio. Finally, the third and final single should have been "She Got Me". It wouldn't have been as big as "Something Special" or "Build My World", but it'd have been a fine song to end the album's promotion with. 

    When you look at the other producers on Schizophrenic (Riprock 'n Alex G and Basement Jaxx), releasing Boldt's cuts as singles should have been a no-brainer; he may have been a nobody, but when the alternatives are Basement Jaxx (niche electronic group) and Riprock 'n Alex G ('N Sync's B-team with no hits under their belt), you may as well give him a shot. For crying out loud, why have him produce nearly half of your album if you weren't gonna release any of his songs as singles? Sure, Riprock 'n Alex G produced the same number of songs on the album ("All Day Long", "Everything You Want", "If You Were My Girl", "Mercy", "One Night Stand", "Right Here", and "Some Girls"), but none of their songs with 'N Sync were popular or even singles for that matter. "Space Cowboy"? "Digital Get Down"? "No Strings Attached" (the song, not the album)? "Bringin' da Noise"? "The Game Is Over"? "The Two of Us"? "Up Against the Wall"? Nobody knows those songs but 'N Sync nerds. It's better to release songs produced by a nobody you've never worked with before (Robb Boldt) than nobodies you've already worked with  (Riprock 'n Alex G). Especially when the former has never even been on a major album before (so they come across like newcomers) and anybody with a working set of ears can tell their songs are far superior to the latter's. Boldt's productions were quality. Riprock 'n Alex G's productions were not.

    With "Something Special", "Build My World", and "She Got Me" as the singles, plus a different title and cover art (this photograph would have made a perfect cover. As for the title, I would have just called it "JC Chasez"), I believe Chasez's debut solo album would have done alright (and make sure to excise "Some Girls" and "All Day Long" because fuck those songs). At least well enough to ensure Chasez would have been able to release another album with Jive. Chasez was never going to be as big as Timberlake, but I think he could have been like an alternative to John Mayer or Adam Levine. Sadly, Chasez sabotaged his own career with laughably stupid decisions and he'd never release another album again. He went on to be a judge for America's Best Dance Crew on MTV for a few years before the show was axed in 2012. Then, he tried mentoring a 12-piece (smh) girl vocal group called "Girl Radical" in 2013. Despite Chasez's hopes that the group would blow up, it went absolutely nowhere. It really looked like he was having a life crisis during that period. Nowadays, you only hear about Chasez whenever 'N Sync gets back together for one-off appearances. They released their "comeback" single "Better Place" for the Trolls Band Together soundtrack in 2023. In 2024, they released "Paradise" on Timberlake's last album, although it wasn't a single (should've been, though). Maybe Timberlake will get back together with his old crew long-term, but nobody really cares anymore. 

    (P.S.: It actually turns out that JC released another album at the end of 2024. I think it was supposed to be about Frankenstein for some reason. A fitting analogy for his dead career, I guess) 

 

Left to right. 
Chip Skylark, Not Justin, Sean Parker, Sephiroth, and Cousin Angelo. 

 

Streamlining the "Super Saiyan sucks" and "Super Saiyan 2 sucks" articles.

     To be honest, my articles about why Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 suck are rather outdated. I wrote the latter in 2017 and the former in 2019. My writing skills have evolved, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading those articles, although the main sentiments in them are still correct. I probably won't fully remake those articles in extensive depth, as I'm too tired from writing (and constantly updating) the DB sucks, Bulma sucks, Gokuu sucks, and Gohan sucks articles. So, I'll just sum up all the main points here. 

    First, why Super Saiyan 2 sucks :

    Let's see here. SS2's design sucks ass because it looks practically no different from SS1. The hairstyle? It changes the hairstyle from SS1 for some characters (for others such as Gokuu, it just causes them to lose bangs, which is minor. For some characters like Vegeeta and Adult Gohan, it doesn't change the hairstyle from SS1 at all. And no, SS1 Gohan isn't required to have a tiny, extra bang or any dumb shit like that, as he often only has a single bang as you see in those two pics), but we see that SS1 itself can be a variety of hairstyles. It varies from character to character and for some like Trunks, it's not even consistent what their hair is supposed to look like in SS1. 

    Look at Future Trunks and Kid Trunks (here and here). Different hairstyles and he's still SS1 all the same. In Dragon Ball Super's anime, Future Trunks's SS1 and SS2 hairstyles are exactly the same. In the manga, he loses his bangs when he turns SS2, but we already saw that he didn't have any bangs when he turned SS1 as a kid. Why should no bangs randomly equal SS2 for Future Trunks when it doesn't for Kid Trunks, not even Kid Future Trunks? No reason. It's just arbitrary. All the scenes where characters' bangs flow up due to the wind from when they're powering up or flying don't help matters, either. Those screenshots and scans end up becoming widespread; there ends up being confusion because bangs or lack thereof are dumb indicators for transformations.

    Changing the hairstyle at all doesn't stop SS2 from looking like the same general form as SS1. You shouldn't have to know what a character looks like in SS1 to be able to tell when they're SS2. One glance should be enough. You can tell when a character's SS3, SS4, SSG, SSB, SS Rose, UI, UE, Beast, etc without having to see what they look like in other forms. It's harder to distinguish SS1 and SS2 with one look because of how SS2 Kid Gohan blends right in these group shots of him with SS1 Gokuu, SS1 Vegeeta, and SS1 Trunks; they all look like they could be in the same form. Same right here. And here. And here. They all look like different characters, but they all look like they could be in the same transformation. Again, SS1 can be a variety of hairstyles; if one didn't already know how Kid Gohan actually looked as an SS1, they would assume him to be SS1 here like Gokuu, Vegeeta, and Trunks are. You can't expect everyone to have everyone's specific hairstyles memorized form-by-form.

    There are even some SS1 who look just like SS2 Kid Gohan. SS1 Gogeeta basically has the same hairstyle as SS2 Kid Gohan. So does SS1 Shallot. If an SS1 character can look exactly like SS2 Kid Gohan does, then it goes to show that SS1 and SS2 look the same in general. SS2 Kid Gohan's hairstyle is different from SS1 Kid Gohan's hairstyle in the same way that SS1 Trunks's hairstyle looks different to SS1 Gokuu's hairstyle. They still just look Super Saiyan in general. Frankly, Kid Gohan's SS2 hairstyle is what his SS1 hairstyle should have been in the first place, because Super Saiyan is supposed to spike one's hair upward (unless it was already spiked up beforehand a la Vegeeta). It never made sense why Kid Gohan's hair is hardly spiked up when he turns SS1; his hairstyle is barely any different from his base. 

    Granted, you could say that Super Saiyan 3 looks like the same general transformation as SS1, too. It dramatically lengthens the hair and removes the eyebrows, but we've seen Saiyans with ridiculously long hair in their base form, as well as Saiyans who lack eyebrows in their base forms. Imagine how a long-haired, eyebrow-less Saiyan is going to look in SS1; they'd look exactly like an SS3. When you really get down to it, SS1, SS2, and SS3 all look like the same form (actually, every humanoid Saiyan form looks like the same when you really get down to it, because they all just look like humans. Human beings come in all colors, sizes, types, whatever. It's established that all Saiyans naturally have black hair, but that's arbitrary and it doesn't stop them from looking human. Aside from having tails, Saiyans look just like humans). But while SS3 sucks plenty, too, it's not often that you see Saiyans with really long hair or no eyebrows. There aren't many transformations that lengthen the hair or remove the eyebrows, either. For these reasons, it's not as hard to confuse SS3 with another form as it to confuse SS2 with SS1 and vice versa.

    (It's funny, though. A few years ago, I argued with an idiot who claimed someone with Raditz's hairstyle wouldn't have SS3-type hair if they turned SS1. According to this idiot, SS1 would cause their hair to go up, which would make it look "different" to SS3 because SS3 makes the hair come hanging down. First, it's false to say that SS1 always causes the hair to come up as we see SS1 barely spikes up Kid Gohan's hair (if at all). But the funny thing is that in Daima, we see that Vegeeta's hair isn't hanging down when he's SS3. So, even if SS1 caused someone with Raditz's hair to go up, that wouldn't stop their hair from looking just like SS3. Not like it'd matter either way, though, because freakishly long spiky hair going up still greatly resembles freakishly long spiky hair going down; these basically look like the same shit)

    Spikier hair? Inconsistent across the map. How spiky the hair is drawn depends on the artist or art style; people just draw the hair however they want. Sometimes the hair can be drawn less detailed and not as spiky. Other times it can be drawn spiky and detailed. It's still the same form (some idiot is gonna say "b-that's 'Grade 4'!", missing the point, but all too easy now). Trunks' hair is literally as spiky as humanly possible in these pictures, but he's only SS1 in them. If spikier hair was such a noticeable difference, then "Was Gohan SS1 or SS2 against Darbra?" wouldn't be an endless argument. It doesn't matter at all.

    The lightning? An inconsistent trait that's easy to overlook. There are plenty of times when SS1 has lightning (loads more in the anime, too. "B-but non-canon" said the stunted nerd. The average person isn't a nerd who gives a shit about that; all official content is relevant as they affect the way viewers perceive the forms. And yes, this is in fact SS1 Gokuu Black, not SS2) and plenty of times when SS2 doesn't have lightning. At the end of the day, the lightning isn't part of someone's physical appearance, so it's not a big difference. It's not like Nappa with lightning looks like he's in a different form from Nappa without lightning. He just powered up and that was it.

    It changes the aura? Inconsistent as well. In the original manga, SS2 usually has a more intense aura than SS1 does, but there are times when SS1 has an intense aura as well. Hell, just look at these fully colored pages and try to name any difference in the auras alone. They look the same. In the anime, SS1 and SS2 have the exact same aura with no difference. At the end of the day, stuff like aura and lightning are just external substances separate from the actual physical appearance. SSB has a completely different aura from SS1 most of the time, but most people still dismiss it as a lazy recolor because that's all it really is. It's completely arbitrary to say external crap like aura and lightning make you look transformed. You don't. You just look like you've powered up if anything.

    For a trait to truly be distinctive, it has to be present at any and all times the transformation is in use. If it's a trait that disappears when the characters power down, then it's not a useful trait to rely on when determining a transformation. There's bound to be plenty of confusion when people are relying on arbitrary crap like aura and lightning. Those things aren't consistent and they're not always present. The average person would just assume Vegeeta to be Super Saiyan here despite the fact he's actually SS2 in both screenshots; if an intense aura and/or lightning indicate SS2, then most people will assume he's SS1 when he lacks those things and his hair is still golden. Maybe changing the color of the irises would have helped somewhat; if nothing else, there probably wouldn't be any endless debates like "Was Gohan SS1 or SS2 against Darbra", but the artists and animators would have surely screwed up, anyway. At the end of the day, changing any part of the eyes isn't significant.

    There are idiots who say, "SS1 only briefly has lightning. SS2 has lightning longer, so there shouldn't be confusion", completely missing the point. If lightning is supposed to indicate SS2, then that means an SS1 is going to resemble an SS2 in the time that they do have lightning, even if only for a few seconds. Because they're going to look like an SS2 in the time that the lightning is present, then there will be people who think they're SS2. Doesn't matter how "long" the lightning is present; the average person isn't a geek who actually waits to see how long a trait is present to determine what transformation is being used. Imagine if there were scenes where SS1 Gokuu suddenly got blue hair. If the blue hair only appears for an instant, then there will be people wondering if Gokuu turned SSB in that instant. Likewise, when an SS1 gets lightning for an instant, then there will be people wondering if they turned SS2 in that instant. There will be people thinking they're still SS2 even after the lightning disappears, too, because SS2 often lacks lightning.

     Isolated screenshots and gifs of SS1 with lightning wind up spreading online. So do isolated scans of the panels of an SS1 with lightning (actually, there's a bit of a debate on whether Vegeeta was SS1 or SS2 there. The thing is, though, if SS2 truly had a distinct design to SS1, there wouldn't be any debate at all). When people see those isolated screenshots, gifs, and scans, and they're under the impression that lightning indicates SS2, then there's a high chance they'll assume what they're looking at is SS2. It doesn't matter if one already knows that it's not actually SS2; the point is that plenty of other people will think it's SS2, and that creates confusion. You're a fucking idiot if you don't see the issue in SS1 having lightning and SS2 lacking lightning if lightning is supposed to indicate SS2.

    Crap like "it makes the physique buffer" and "it makes the skin lighter" are completely false. Some animators might make SS2 look buffer than SS1 as an artistic liberty, just like they might make SS1 look buffer than base as a liberty. More often than not, though, their physiques are exactly the same. Good luck trying to find a pic of SS2 Gokuu that's buffer than these pics of SS1 Gokuu. Artists draw the physiques however they want, regardless of whether it's SS1 or SS2. "Lighter skin" is also false. SS1 lightens the skin from base in the anime most of the time, but SS2 doesn't lighten it any further. Powering up can make someone's skin look lighter due to the light being reflected from their aura onto their skin, but this isn't specific to SS2 at all; this happens in SS1, too. And oh god, some idiots actually think SS2 changes the face or facial features. It doesn't change the facial features from SS1 at all. Sometimes when Gokuu turns SS2 from SS1, he'll look a bit angrier. That's not actually because he turned SS2, but simply because the artist felt like drawing him more pissed in that frame or panel. SS1 can look plenty pissed off; there's basically no more pissed than this. Looking more pissed off doesn't make you look "transformed", anyway.

    Toriyama forgot what SS2 looked like and thought SS3 was SS2. Characters poke fun at SS2 not looking much different from SS1 all the time (bonus: TeamFourStar). And it's left out of various promotional illustrations when all of the other main transformations get shown. That tells you how forgettable it is for most people. Let's be real. To a normal person (not a fucking nerd), all this shit looks the same.

    Now, why Super Saiyan in general sucks:

     Look, it's stupid and childish. Nothing about changing your hair makes you look stronger or more legendary. Changing your hairstyle, changing your hair color, it doesn't matter. You look like a regular human being all the same. You don't look like you've entered a different, higher, stronger, etc state of being when your hair changes at all. We see Gohan's hairstyle change all the time, but all of these pictures are him in his base form. Future Trunks and Present Trunks are supposed to be the same person, but they're both in their base forms here despite their hair colors being different. Even Toriyama flip-flops between purple and blue for Trunks's base hair color; despite that, he remains in base. Frankly, changing his hair color doesn't actually make him look any different; he still just looks like himself regardless of his hair color or hairstyle. And yes, that includes when he turns Super Saiyan. 

    "But Super Saiyan makes his hair spiky". We've seen his hair turn spiky without fully becoming a Super Saiyan, though, and he still looks like himself. It doesn't make a real difference if you recolor his hair on top of that; he'll still look like the same person. While you can argue these could qualify as looking like different characters, you could just as well argue that they look could be the same character, and they are indeed both Trunks. The point is, despite the hair differences, those two pics of Trunks don't actually look that different; he just looks like a regular human being in both. The only way someone can objectively look "stronger" is if they put on more muscle. Obviously, more muscle makes you look physically stronger. But that doesn't actually make you look like you've entered some special state of being; it just makes you look like you've been working out. Buff, skinny, fat, whatever; your physique doesn't matter. You look like a regular human being all the same.

    An aura and other substances can make you look like you've powered up in the sense you have more energy or whatever, but we see characters get auras and other types of plasma around their bodies in their base forms all the time. It doesn't make them look like they've "transformed"; it just makes them look like they've powered up. Doesn't matter what sort of aura or plasma they have around their body. Super Saiyan gives you a golden aura, but we've seen base Saiyans get golden auras before. There's nothing that even makes a golden aura look any more special than a different-colored one; colors are just colors, so whatever meaning you try to assign them is gonna be subjective and arbitrary. Really, it doesn't matter how a transformation looks. Different hair color, different hairstyle, different eyes, different physique, monkey fur, tail, etc; they're all worthless (and gaining a full outline around your eyes is an especially worthless indicator of a transformation. It's not any real difference; it doesn't even make you look "more serious". Base and SS1 Gokuu look equally serious here. Not any surprise people constantly get Base and Mystic Gohan (oh, excuse me, "Ultimate" Gohan even though it's not actually his "ultimate" form anymore) mixed up with each other; a change in "eye outline" is worthless. It's not the outline of someone's eyes that affects their facial expression; rather, it's just the size and shape of their eyes, if anything. But different facial expressions don't equal looking "transformed"; Gokuu didn't look "transformed" here). 

    A lot of people hate on newer transformations like Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, Super Saiyan "Rosé"  (fuck that stupid "é" with the accent. Excuse me, but it should have just been called "Super Saiyan Rose", no accent. The "é" is so fucking tacky, ugh), Ultra Instinct, and Beast for only being recolors. The thing is, Super Saiyan was never much better or different than a straight recolor. It spiking Gokuu's hair up is ultimately worthless, because even if it left his hair exactly the same (oh, yeah, there are pupils in this picture, too, but that's inconsequential as it's minor), it'd still look about the same. Super Saiyan can be a variety of different hairstyles and it's even a straight-up recolor for some characters like Vegeeta. Even for some characters who don't have fully spiked up hair in their base forms like Kid Gohan, SS1 barely spikes their hair up, so it's just a recolor for them. Gokuu with recolored yellow hair would blend right in a picture with other Super Saiyans, because his specific hairstyle is irrelevant. As long as his hair is spiky at all, he'll still look like a Super Saiyan. It's dumb to say that his hair spiking upward makes any significant difference when it doesn't.

    Super Saiyan God could have given Gokuu a different hairstyle, but that wouldn't actually make it look any better or much different (and for the record, Super Saiyan God slimming Gokuu down a few pounds and giving his irises pupils are insignificant changes, too. An anorexic recolor is still just a fucking recolor and tiny dots inside of his irises are insignificant). Super Saiyan Blue could have given him a different hairstyle, and you could also throw in eyeliner and a tail; it wouldn't look any better or much different. Ultra Instinct could have given him a different hairstyle and a tail and it wouldn't look any better or much different. Ultra Ego could have given Vegeeta a different hairstyle and it wouldn't look any better or much different. They'd still essentially just be recolors (and for the record, a recolor that removes the eyebrows like Ultra Ego does is still essentially just a recolor).

    Super Saiyan just looks like a blonde guy (or a guy who just put on yellow hair dye), buff Super Saiyan just looks like a roided blonde guy, Super Saiyan 2 just looks like a blonde guy, Super Saiyan 3 just looks like a blonde guy with long hair and no eyebrows, Super Saiyan 4 just looks like a furry cosplayer, Super Saiyan God just looks like a ginger (or a guy who just put on red hair dye), Super Saiyan Blue just looks like someone put on blue hair dye, Super Saiyan Rose just looks like someone put on pink hair dye, Ultra Instinct just looks like someone put on white hair dye, Ultra Ego just looks like someone put on purple hair dye and shaved their eyebrows, Beast just looks like someone with long hair put on gray/silver hair dye and got electric shock, etc. If anything, only Oh-zaru looks like a legitimate "transformation" because it makes Gokuu look like he's turned into a different species (but he still looks primate, so not a completely different species lol), but turning into a giant monkey still isn't creative. It really doesn't matter how a transformation looks.

    Everything about the "transformation" trope in fiction is stupid. Undergoing these immediate changes in appearance to represent becoming stronger or whatever is just silly. For someone to look stronger, all they have to do is build muscle. No matter how buff they get, though, they still look human all the same and when the visual change is instant (a la the Incredible Hulk and Buff Roh-shi) instead of gradual from consistently working out, it's just childish because it's over the top and unrealistic. Ultimately, it's all just flashy, childish crap to sell toys. Having personal preferences is fine, but those are all arbitrary at the end of the day. Arguing about transformations, which ones look better, which ones look worse, etc just makes you a manchild. It doesn't matter if it's a "simple" transformation or a "complex" one. They're all stupid shit. Grow up already.

 

Dragon Ball Proper Names/Translations.

The Son family:

1. Son Gokuu: Japanese reading of the corresponding kanji. The same kanji as the Journey to the West character known as Sun Wukong, the Chinese reading of the kanji. Could be interpreted as "understanding emptiness" or "understanding the sky".

2. Son Gohan: Japanese reading of the corresponding kanji. Could be interpreted as "understanding food" or "understanding rice". The Chinese reading of the kanji would be Sun Wufan.

3. Son Goten: Japanese reading of the corresponding kanji. Could be interpreted as "understanding the heavens", which is similar to Son Gokuu's name, but on a higher scale. The Chinese reading of the kanji would be Sun Wutian or Sun Wut'ien.

4. Pan: Named after "pan", a variant (or the original spelling) of paõ, the Portuguese term for "bread".

5. Son Gokuu Junior: Son Gokuu's descendant.

Saiyans: All have vegetable-related named/puns.

1. Kakarott: Pun on "carrot". I use "k"s instead of "c"s  because I'd rather not use "Caca" lol and I include two "t"s so I can use "Vegett" for the Potala fusion with Vegeeta.

2. Raditz: Pun on "radish".

3. Vegeeta: Pun on "vegetable". The middle syllable is elongated.

4. Nappa: Named after "nappa", Japanese term for leaf vegetables. No kanji is used for his name.

5. Tahless: Pun on "lettuce". "Tarless", "Terless", and "Turless" are also fine, but I think "Tahless" sounds the closest to "lettuce".

6. Burdack: Pun on "burdock". The only difference is the "dock" is replaced by a "dack" or "duck". "Burduck" works, but I prefer "Burdack".

7. Tohma: Pun on "tomato".

8. Totappo: Pun on "potato".

9. Pumbookin: Pun on "pumpkin".

10. Sleypar: Pun on "parsley" ("Selipa" would technically be more correct, but "parsley" is usually approximated as "paseri" in Japanese, not "paaserii" even though that would be most proper. Japanese is very inconsistent on how it approximates English words lol. I kinda prefer "Selipa", though; looks more feminine, so I might switch to that)

11. Broly: Pun on "broccoli".

12. Paragus: Pun on "asparagus".

13. Onio: Pun on "onion".

14. Tarble: Pun on "vegetable". "Tahble" also works.

15. Gine: Pun on "negi".

16. Cabbe: Pun on "cabbage".

17. Caulifla: Pun on "cauliflower".

18. Kehl: Named after "kehl". You could use "Kale" instead, but that's just an Americanization of "kehl".

19. Renso: Pun on "horenso", Japanese for "spinach".

20. Beats: Named after "beats".

21. Leek: Named after "leek".

22. Taro: Named after "taro".

23. Nion: Pun on "onion".

24. Shallot: Named after "shallot".

25. Giblette: Pun on "ciboulette".

26. Cumber: Pun on "cucumber".

27. Pumpkin: Named after "pumpkin".

28. Brocco: Pun on "broccoli".

29. Vegeeta Junior: Vegeeta's descendant.

30. Yamoshi: Pun on "moyashi", Japanese for bean sprouts.

The Briefs family: All have underwear-related names.

1. Bloomers: Named after "bloomers" (She's called "Buruma" in Japanese, which is a variant of "buruumaa", the approximation for "bloomers". Other variants are "buruuma" and "burumaa".  "Buruma" and "burumaa" are specifically used for the athletic bloomers that this character is named after. While "Buruma" doesn't literally translate to "bloomers", it would translate to "bloomers" in any other scenario, so I think it would be better to just romanize this character's name as that. It's not like "Buruma" is a name Toriyama invented like "Kakarotto", "Bejiita", "Kuririn", etc. For what it's worth, he did spell her name as "Bloomers" in a 2007 illustration. I suppose, though, if I had to spell her name as something other than "Bloomers", I'd probably go with "Blumma").

2. Dr. Brief: Named after "brief".

3. Trunks: Named after "trunks".

4. Bra: Named after "bra", short for "brassiere".

5. Tights: Named after "tights".

6. Bikini: Named after "bikini". At one point, Toriyama considered naming her "panchy", pun on "panty".

Fusions:

1. Gotenks: "Goten" from Goten. "nks" from "Trunks". The names are joined right at the "n".

2. Gogeeta: "Go" from Gokuu. "geeta" from "Vegeeta".

3. Vegett: "Vege" from "Vegeeta". "tt" from "Kakarott" (if you go with "Kakarot" or "Cacarot" instead of "Kakarott", though, then you can go with "Veget").

4. "Vekuu": "Ve" from "Vegeeta". "Kuu" from "Gokuu".

4. Kefla: "Ke" from "Kehl". "Fla" from "Caulifla". You could use "Kafla" if you want, though; just make sure to use "Kale" instead of "Kehl".

5. Aca: "A" from "Abo". "Ca" from "Cado".

6. Kibitoshin: He's Shin fused with Kibito.

Dragon Team & associates:

1. Yumcha: Named after the Cantonese phrase "yum cha" (or "yam cha"). Could also be spelled Yamcha.

2. Chichi: Named after "chichi", Japanese term for breasts.

3. Kurilin: "Kuri" as in the kanji for chestnut and "kurikuri-something" meaning clean-shaven head. "Lin" from Shaolin.

4. Jackie Chun: Pun on "Jackie Chan".

5. Lunch: Named after "lunch".

6. Tenshinhan: Japanese reading for the kanji. The Chinese reading is "Tianjinfan" (Pinyin), "T'ienchinfan" (Wade-Giles), or "Tientsinfan" (Postal).

7. Jiaozi: Chinese reading for the kanji. In the Wade Giles is "Chiaotzu"; Pinyin is the standard now, so I went with that. The Japanese reading for the kanji is "gyoh-za".

8. Karin: Pun on "karintoh", a Japanese snack.

9. Mr. Popo: Possibly a pun on "Nag Po Chen Po" (meaning "Great Black One"), the Tibetan term for the deity Mahakala.

10. Mr. Satan: A tacky ring name. It's especially silly when his fans chant "SATAN! SATAN!" as if to say "Hail Satan".

11. Mark: Pun on "akuma", Japanese for "devil". His wife was also named "Miguel", a pun on "Michael", name of a biblical archangel.

12. Veedel: Pun on "devil". Syllables are swapped around the first syllable is elongated.

13. Lapis: Pun on lapis lazuli.

14. Lazuli: Above.

15. Mahron: Pun on "marron", French for "chestnut". The katakana can also translate to "Marlon", which is what I would have used for her if she was a boy.

Pilaf Gang: Fun fact, Shuu's name was originally "Soba", named after "Soba (buckwheat) noodles", but Toriyama forgot.

1. Pilaf: Named after "pilaf", a type of rice meal.

2. Shuu: From "shuumai", the Japanese reading for the Cantonese term "Siu maai". In Pinyin, it's "Shaomai".

3. Mai: Above.

Piccolo and his Demon Clan: All are named after musical instruments.

1. Piccolo: Named after "piccolo".

2. Tambourine: Named after "tambourine".

3. Piano: Named after "piano".

4. Cymbal: Named after "cymbal".

5. Drum: Named after "drum".

Dragons:

1. Shen Long: Named after the Chinese dragon.

2. Pornga: Pun on "organ".

3. Pornga of Demon World: He's the Pornga from the Demon World Dragon Balls.

4. Trombo: Pun on "trombone".

5. Dragon of Black Smoke: Literal translation of "Kokuen no Ryuu". He's a dragon that comes from black smoke.

6. Ultimate Shen Long: He's a stronger version of Shen Long.

7. Super Shen Long: Above.

8. Mr. Poko Poko: Pun on "Mr. Popo" and "Pokkii", a Japanese chocolate.

Evil Dragons: These are all in Pinyin, btw.

1. Yi Xing Long: Chinese term for "One-star dragon".

2. Liang Xing Long: Can be a Chinese term for "Two-star dragon", but "Er Xing Long" would have been more proper. "Liang" is closer to "pair" than "two", so this is technically "Pair-star dragon". Toei screwed up here, because the Two-Star Dragon Ball is called "Er Xing Qiu"; this dragon should be called "Er Xing Long".

3. San Xing Long: Chinese term for "Three-star dragon".

4. Si Xing Long: Chinese term for "Four-star dragon".

5. Wu Xing Long: Chinese term for "Five-star dragon".

6. Liu Xing Long: Chinese term for "Six-star dragon".

7. Qi Xing Long: Chinese term for "Seven-star dragon".

Namekkians: They're all slug-related names/puns.

1. Nail: Pun on "snail".

2. Dende: Pun on "denden-mushi", Japanese term for snail.

3. Cargo: Pun on "escargot", French term for snail.

4. Muuri: Pun on "katattsumuri", Japanese term for snail.

5. Katattsu: Above.

6. Slug: Named after "slug".

7. Saonel: Pun on "snail".

8. Pilina: Named after "pilina", type of mollusk.

9. Monite: Pun on "ammonite", an ammonoid.

10. Neba: Named after "neba", Japanese onomatopeia for "sticky".

11. Tsumuri: Pun on "katattsumuri".

12. Esca: Pun on "escargot".

13. Kagyuu: Named after "kagyuu", Japanese term for "snail".

Animals & pets:

1. Pu'er: Named after the tea. Could also be rendered "Pu'ar" or "Pu'erh".

2. Oolong: Named after the tea. Could also be rendered "Woolong" or "Wulong".

3. Sea Turtle: He's a sea turtle.

4. Scratch: Named after "scratch" (he's a cat).

5. Beh: Pun on "Boo" (can be romanized as "Bee" using the Hepburn system, but the pronunciation would be "Beh". "Boo" would be converted to "Buu" in Hepburn and "e" comes after "u" in Japanese the syllable chart).

6. Bubbles: Named after Michael Jackson's pet chimpanzee.

7. Gregory: Possibly a reference to Gregory from Franz Kafka's novel "The Metamorphosis".

8. Hire Dragon: He's a dragon that takes you places like a "taxi-for-hire".

9. Prophetic Fish: Literal translation of "Yogen-gyo".

10. Tokitoki: Pun on "toki", Japanese for "time".

11. Chocolay: Pun on "chocolate".

12. The rabbit that turns people into carrots: Literal translation of "Toninjinka".

Freeza's race: Various cold-themed names.

1. Freeza: Pun on "freezer".

2. Kold: Pun on "cold". The Japanese approximation for "cold" is "koh-rudo", but this character's name is "korudo" in romaji, so it's not quite the same. You could just spell it as "Cold", but I prefer "Kold" to reflect it's not the usual spelling. Plus, I think it thinks cooler (and look who's below lol).

3. Koola: Pun on "cooler". It's also a pun on "kuu-ra" from the Japanese phrase "meshi demo kuu-ra", which roughly means "let's chow down". I think romanizing it as "Koola" gets both puns across. Also, I like the idea of Freeza's father, brother, and son all having names that start with "K".

4. Kurieza: Pun of "kuri", Japanese term for "chestnut" and "Freeza".

5. Chilled: Pun on "chill".

6. Frost: Named after "frost".

7. Froze: Named after "froze".

8. Rezok: Pun on "reizoh-ko", Japanese for "refrigerator.

Freeza Force: Various refrigerator-themed food names.

1. Ginyuu: Pun on "gyuunyuu", Japanese for "milk".

2. Jheese: Pun on "cheese".

3. Burtta: Pun on "butter".

4. Reac'm: Pun on "cream".

5. Ghurd: Pun on "yoghurt".

6. Zarbon: Pun on the zamboa, Portuguese word for pomelo fruit, which is approximated in Japanese as "zabon". "Zahbon" also works.

7. Doduria: Pun on "durian".

8. Apoole: Pun on "apple".

9. Kewi: Pun on "kiwi". Hard to translate, though; the romaji is "Kyui", not "Kyuui". "Kewi" is a proper translation of "Kyuui", but "Kyui" only has one "u", so it's not elongated. I just use "Kewi" for convenience.

10. Cranberi: Pun on "cranberry".

11. Abo: Pun on "avocado".

12. Cado: Above.

13. Sorbet: Named after "sorbet".

14. Tagoma: Pun on "tamago", Japanese for egg.

15. Shisami: Pun on "sashimi", fresh meat or fish cut into thin pieces.

16. Berible: Pun on "blueberry".

17. Chelye: Pun on "lychee".

18. Lemo: Pun on "lemon".

19. Bonyuu: Named after "bonyuu", Japanese for "mother's milk".

20. Eel: Named after "eel".

21. Fisshi: Pun on "fish".

22. Daigen: Most likely a pun on a Japanese food or fruit that goes in the refrigerator. Not sure what, maybe "daidai", a type of bitter orange? Probably not lol. "Daigen" can also means "braggadacio" in Japanese, and this character was a braggart, but I don't think that's the meaning.

 

Gero & associates:

1. Gero: Named after "Gero", Japanese onomatopoeia for vomit.

2. Vomi: Pun on "vomit".

3. Gevo: Pun on "Gero".

4. Hedo: Another vomit pun.

5. Cell: Named after "cell".

6. Cell Junior: The children of Cell, hence "Cell Junior".

7. No.21: The twenty first android (not counting Cell lol)

8. No.20: The twentieth android.

9. No.19: The nineteenth android.

10. No.18: The eighteenth android (she's actually a cyborg or genetically modified human)

11. No.17: The seventeenth android (he's actually a cyborg or genetically modified human)

12. No.16: The sixteenth android.

13. No.15: The fifteenth android.

14. No.14: The fourteenth android.

15. No.13: The thirteenth android.

16. No.8: The eighth android.

17. Metallic: He's an android, so I guess that makes him "metallic".

18. Gamma One: Gamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. Before the Gammas, there were the Alpha and Beta series of robots.

19. Gamma Two: Above. He's the second Gamma.

20. Cell Max: It's a clone of Cell that's much stronger than the original.

21. Genome: Named after "genome".

Red Ribbon: All named (or codenamed) after colors.

1. Red: He's the namesake leader. Apparently, "Red" is his real name according to DBS and "Rybon" is his surname. "Rybon" is a pun on "Ribbon".

2. Black: He's black, so he's called "Black" (smh).

3. Silver: He could move rather quickly against Gokuu, so maybe the joke is "quicksilver"?

4. White: Maybe relevant that his base was in the (white) snow.

5. Blue: Perhaps he's named afer the fact he has blue eyes.

6. Violet: She also has violet hair.

7. Murasaki: Japanese for "purple". His name is in kanji.

8. Carmine: Purplish red color.

9. Magenta: The son of Red. Magenta is a purplish red color.

Bibbidi, Bobbidi, Boo & associates:

1. Bibbidi: From Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, song from Cinderella.

2. Bobbidi: Above.

3. Boo: Above.

4. Oob: "Boo" backwards.

5. Darbra: Pun on "abracadabra". "Dahbra" also works.

6. Yakon: From "tekumaku-mayakon", magic spell in the 1960s anime Himitsu no Akko-chan (Secret of Little Akko).

7. Pui Pui: From "chin chin pui pui", Japanese chant for making pain go away.

8. Coo: Pun on "Boo". C comes after B.

9: Doo: Pun on "Boo" and "Coo". D comes after C.

10. Marba: Probably a pun on "Mababa", which can translate to "Demon/Magic Hag" or "Hag Witch".

11. Fin: I think his name is literally just supposed to be "fin". Like, what fish have.

12. Ms. Boo: Boo's wife.

13. Titima: Pun on "titties", I guess. Another name for her is "Faran", not sure what that's based on.

14. Doban III: Maybe named after "doban", what the Japanese call a copper tray.

Miscellaneous demons:

1. Lucifer: Named after Lucifer, another name for Satan.

2. Gastel: Pun on "gas" and "table".

3. Hirudegahn: Pun on the Japanese name "Hiruta" and "gan", Japanese onomatopoeia for "jaw dropping". Fun fact: Toriyama suggested the name "Abira Gatapira" for Tapion, which Toei planned to use for Hirudegahn at one point. It might have been a pun on "abracadabra", which is approximated to Japanese as "aburakadabura".

4. Janemba: Pun on the Japanese term for "evil thoughts wave".

5. Glorio: Pun on "gloriosa", flower genus.

6. Pansy: Named after "pansy", a flower.

7. Kadan: Named after "kadan", which means "flowerbed" in Japanese. No kanji.

8. Hibis: Pun on "hibiscus", a flower.

9. Pelar: Pun on "pelargonium".

10. Amazoness: Pun on "amazon".

11. Gomah: Pun on "goma", which means "sesame" in Japanese. "Gomar" also works.

12. Mira: Pun on "Mirai", which means "future" in Japanese.

13. Towa: Named after "Towa", which means "eternity" in Japanese. No kanji.

14. Fuu: Probably a pun on the word "future".

15. Ozotto: Pun on "zotto", meaning "scary" in Japanese.

16. Demigra: Pun on "demi-glace", a French sauce.

17. Arbra: Pun on "abracadabra" and "abura", which means "oil" in Japanese. "Ahbra" also works.

18. Robel: Pun on "sauce robert", a French sauce.

19. Chamel: Pun on "béchamel sauce", a French sauce.

20. Putine: Pun on "poutine", a Canadian fast food dish.

21. Gravy: Named after "gravy".

22. Salsa: Named after "salsa".

23. Shroom: named after "mushroom".

24. Mechickabla: Pun on "mechicka boola", a lyric from the "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" song.

25. Sacher: Pun on "sachertorte".

26. Shura: Pun on "ashura", Japanese term for certain supernatural beings in Buddhism and Hinduism. The Japanese term "Ashura" comes from the Sanskirt term "Asura".

27. Gora: Pun on "Gozu", a figure in Japanese mythology, and "Shura".

28. Mera: Pun on "Mezu", a figure in Japanese mythology, and "Shura".

Military Police Special Fighting Force: Literal translation of "Kempei Tokusentai".

1. Kademu: Pun on "mukade", Japanese for "centipede".

2. Danima: Pun on "madni", Japanese for "tick".

3. Hiria: Named after "hiria", Japanese for "fire ant".

4. Mashimu: Pun on "mamushi", Japanese for "pit viper".

5. Gaimoi: Pun on "imogai", Japanese for "cone snail".

Afterworld martial artists:

1. Paiguhan: Named after the Chinese term "Paigu" ("P'ai ku" in Wade Giles) meaning "Spare ribs", with "han" added at the end. "Han" means "rice" in Japanese. However, no kanji was used for this name. "Paikuuhan" works if you want to follow the Wade-Giles spelling of "Paigu".

2. Olivoo: Pun on "olive".

3. Arqua: Pun on "aqua".

4. Caterpee: Pun on "caterpillar".

5. Chapuchai: Named after "chapuchai", a type of chop suey.

6. Foorog: Pun on "frog".

7. Malaigao: Pun on malay cake, called "Ma Lai Gao" in Chinese.

8. Migoren: Pun on "mie goreng", Indonesian fried noodles.

9. Sarte: Pun on "satay", an Indonesian food.

10. Tapica: Pun on "tapioca", a starch.

11. Tolbee: Pun on "beetle".

12. Papoye: Pun on "popeye".

Miscellaneous martial artists:

1. Guillan: Godzilla-esque monster name. You could also go with "Gilan", "Gillan", ""Guillain", "Gylun", etc but I'll go with "Guillan" because the katakana "Giran" seems to based on "Giron", which is the Japanese approximation of "Guillon", the name of a monster from a Godzilla movie. "Guillon" is a pun on "guillotine".

2. Namu: From the Japanese Buddhist chant "Namuamidabutsu".

3. Linfoun: Pun on "lingerie & foundation" (just make sure to pronounce "lin" with a French accent, so you say it like "lahn"). Also, her husband's name was said to be "Trunks" in a guidebook.

4. Bacterian: Pun on "bacteria".

5. Panphut: Thai name. Could also be spelled "Panphud".

6. Man-Wolf: He's a werewolf.

7. Taobaibai: Chinese reading of the corresponding kanji. Literally means "Peach White White". In Wade-Giles, it's "t'ao pai pai".

8. King Chappa: Pun on "chapati", an Indian flatbread.

9. Shen: Pun on "Shen Long".

10. Idasa: Pun on "dasai", Japanese term for being uncool or unfashionable.

11. Ikose: Pun on "sekoi", Japanese term for being simple-minded.

12. Spopovich: Pun on "Popovich" and/or "Raspopovich", European surnames.

13. Yamuu: Probably a pun on "yamu" and/or "nayamu", Japanese terms for being ill or troubled.

14. Puntah: Pun on "tapun", Japanese onomatopoeia for the movement of fat or flab.

15. Mighty Mask: Pun on "Mighty Mouse".

16. Keela: Pun on "killer".

17. Jewehl: Pun on the word "jewel".

18. Moh Kekko: Pun on the Japanese term "mo kekkoh", meaning "that's enough".

19. Knock: Named after "knock" because he gets knocked out.

20. Kirahno: Probably a pun on "kiran" and/or "kiraan", Japanese onomatopoeia for "sparkling" or "shining".

21. Captain Chicken: Pun on Captain America.

22. Otoko Sukii: Pun on the phrase "Otokosuki", which basically means "I Like Men" in Japanese. He's a gay stereotype (smh).

Universe 2: Meat-related puns.

1. Brianne de Chateau: Pun on "chateaubriand steak"

2. Sanka Kuu: Pun on "sankaku", Japanese for "triangle", as in "sankaku bara", meaning "tri-tip steak".

3. Soo Roas: Pun on "roast", like "steak roast".

4. Jii'mizu: Pun on "misuji", a type of beef.

5. Zarbuto: Pun on "zabuton", a Japanese cushion for sitting.

6. Rabanra: Pun on the Japanese term "baraniku", meaning "part of beef".

7. Bikal: Pun on "kalbi", Korean-style marinated barbeque ribs.

8. Zirloin: Pun on "sir loin" steak.

9. Prum: Pun on "rump".

10. Harmira: Pun on "harami", meaning "skirt steak" in Japanese.

Universe 3:

1. Borarehta: Pun on "borareta", Japanese for "ripped off".

2. Catopesra: Pun on "pescatora", Italian for "seafood".

3. Koitsukai: Named after "koitsukai", Japanese for "so, this is the guy" in Kansaiban dialect.

4. Maji-Kahyo: Pun on "majikayo", Japanese for "Seriously?"

5. Narirahma: Pun on the sauce "marinara".

6. Nigrisshi: Pun on "grissini", Italian pencil-sized sticks of bread.

7. Panchea: Pun on "pancetta", an Italian bacon.

8. Paparoni: Pun on "pepperoni".

9. Biarra: Pun on the sauce "arrabbiata".

10. Za Priccio: Pun on "capriccio", a type of Italian music, or "capricciosa", an Italian pizza style.

11. Koichearehta: Fusion of Koitsukai, Panchea, and Borarehta.

12. Anylaza: Pun on "lasagna".

Universe 4:

1. Ganos: Pun on "oregano".

2. Dercori: Pun on "coriander".

3. Damom: Pun on "cardamom".

4. Shosha: Pun on "shoh-ga", Japanese for "finger", or "sanshoh", Japanese pepper.

5. Caway: Pun on "caraway".

6. Monna: Pun on "cinnamon".

7. Nink: Pun on "nin'niku", Japanese for "garlic".

8. Majora: Pun on "marjoram".

9. Gamisalas: Pun on "garam masala".

10. Xiangca: Pun on "Xiangcai", Chinese for "coriander".

Universe 9: Plant-related names/puns.

1. Bergamo: Pun on "bergamot", the flower.

2. Lavenda: Pun on "lavender", the herb.

3. Basil: Named after "basil", the herb.

4. Hop: Named after "hop". She's a cat lady, so she hops.

5. Sorrel: Named after "sorrel", a salad vegetable.

6. Roselle: Named after "roselle", a plant species

7. Oregano: Named after "oregano", a herb.

8. Chappil: Probably a pun on "chervil", a type of plant, or "chepil", a type of herb.

9. Comfrey: Named after "comfrey", also spelled "comphrey".

10. Hyssop: Pun on "hyssopus", a plant.

Universe 10: Chemical element-related names.

1. Mulithim: Pun on "lithium".

2. Rylibeu: Pun on "berylium".

3. Dyrasem: Pun on "praseodymium".

4. Murisarm: Pun on "samarium".

5. Napapa: Pun on "napalm".

6. Rubalt: Pun on "cobalt".

7. Zircor: Pun on "zirconium".

8. Obni: Pun on "niobium".

9. Dium: A lot of elements end in "dium" like "vanadium" and "radium".

10. Methiorp: Pun on "methium".

Universe 11: Various kitchen-related puns/names.

1. Geran: Pun on "range".

2. Toppo: Pun on "pot".

3. Dispo: Pun on "disposal".

4. Cocotte: Named after the cocotte, the French variant of a Dutch oven.

5: K'nsi: Pun on "sink".

6. Carcerol: Pun on "casserole".

7. Tupper: Pun on "Tupperware".

8. Zoireh: Pun on "reizoh-ko", Japanese for a refrigerator.

9. Kettle: Named after kettle.

10. Voo'on: Pun on "oven".

Moro & associates: All have puns related to the Tochigi Prefecture in Japan.

1. Moro: Named after Moro, what the Japanese call a shark cutlet.

2. Sagambo: Named after Sagambo, what the Japanese call a horned shark cutlet.

3. Miza: From mizaru, Japanese for "does not see". One of the "Three Wise Monkeys".

4. Iwaza: From iwazaru, Japanese for "does not speak". One of the "Three Wise Monkeys".

5. Kikaza: From kikazaru, Japanese for  "does not hear". One of the "Three Wise Monkeys".

6. Shimorekka: Pun on the dish "Shimotsukare".

7. Yumba: Pun on "Yumba", a food made from tofu skin.

8. Zauyogi: Pun on "gyoh-za", the Japanese reading for jiaozi/c'hiaotzu.

9. OG-73i: Pun on "i37-goh", some shit to do with strawberries.

Macareni Gang: Pasta-related names/puns.

1. Pastah: Pun on "pasta".

2. Penne: Named after "penne", a type of pasta.

3. Ghetti: Pun on "spaghetti".

Galactic Patrol:

1. Jako: Pun on "zako", Japanese for "small-fry".

2. Iriko: Named after "iriko", a sardines food.

3. Calamis: Pun on "calamari".

4. Shii'rasu: Pun on "shirasu", a sardines food.

Gurindians:

1. Shin: Named after "Shin", the Japanese reading for the kanji that means "God". No kanji is used for his name, though.

2. Kibito: Pun on "tsukibito", Japanese for "assistant".

3. Nahare: Named after the Japanese verb "nahare", meaning "to do".

4. Degesu: Named after the archaic Japanese verb "degesu", meaning "is".

5. Dr. Arinsu: Named after the archaic Japanese verb "arinsu", meaning "to exist".

6. Zamasu: Named after the Japanese verb "zamasu", meaning "to be".

7. Gowasu: Named after the Japanese verb "gowasu, meaning " to be".

8. Chronoa: Pun on "chronos", Greek term meaning "time".

9. Anat: Named after a Semitic goddess.

10. Peru: Pun on "Perun", name of a Slavic god.

11. Ea: Named after a Sumerian god also known as Enki in Babylonian mythology.

12. Kur: Named after the Sumerian term for the underworld.

13. Ogma: Named after a Celtic god.

14. Huwa: Pun on "Huwawa", a Mesopotamian monster.

15. Ill: Named after the Akkadian term for "gods" (it's "ill" in case the "I" being uppercase is too hard to read lol)

16. Roh: Named after "roh", which means "old" in Japanese.

17. Kai: Named after "kai", which means "world" in Japanese.

18. Ag: Pun on "Agni", a Hindu god.

19. Aeos: Pun on "Aeon", a Greek god of time.

Destruction Gods: Aside from Birus, they're all just alcohol-related names/puns.

1. Birus: Originally a pun on "virus". Retroactively made a pun of "beer".

2. Champa: Pun on "champagne".

3. Vermoud: Pun on "vermouth".

4. Geen: Pun on "gin".

5. Quitela: Pun on "tequila".

6. Mosco: From "moscow mule".

7. Mule: From "moscow mule".

8. Iwen: Pun on "wine".

9. Jerez: Named after "jerez".

10. Cidra: Pun on "cider".

11. Liqeer: Pun on "liquor".

12. Arak: Named after "arak". Could also be spelled "araq".

13. Rumoosh: Pun on "rum".

Angels: Mostly alcohol-related names/puns.

1. Whis: Pun on "whiskey".

2. Vados: Pun on "calvados".

3. Marcarita: Pun on "margarita".

4. Kusu: Named after "kusu".

5. Camparri: Pun on "campari", Italian liquor.

6. Conic: Pun on "cognac".

7. Awamo: Pun on "awamori".

8. Sawah: Pun on "sour".

9. Cucatail: Pun on "cocktail".

10. Martinu: Pun on "martini".

11. Mojito: Named after "mojito". 

12. Koln: Pun on "korn".

13. Merusu: Pun on "surume", a Japanese snack, and/or named after the Latin term "merus", which is used for pure wine.

Miscellaneous deities:

1. Enma: The Japanese reading for the Chinese term Yanmo (Yenmo in Wade-Giles). Based on the Hindu god of death and justice Yama. "En" means "village gate" and "ma" means "demon". I think this is supposed to literally be his name, so it should be untranslated.

2. Limes: Pun on "slime".

3. Zalama: Pun on "salamander".

Tamagami: Named after "tamagami", meaning "sphere/ball god".

1. Tamagami One: He holds the one-star ball.

2. Tamagami Two: He holds the two-star ball.

3. Tamagami Three: He holds the three-star ball.

Don Kiah & associates: Money and credit-related puns.

1. Don Kiah: Pun on akindo, Japanese for "merchant".

2. Gehl: Probably a pun on "geld", German for "money". The katakana could also be romanized as "Gale".

3. Scheela: Probably a pun on "schilling", Austrian for "money". The katakana could also be romanized as "Shiela".

4. Redic: Pun on "credit".

Ts'fruians & Machine Mutants:

1. Dr. Lychee: Named after "lychee".

2. Hatchihyakku: Pun on "hyakuhachi", Japanese for "one hundred and eight".

3. Baby: Named after "baby" (technically, the katakana would more properly be romanized as "Beby". The word "baby" is approximated in Japanese as "beibii" whereas this character is called "bebii". Since "bebii" normally translates to "baby", I think it's better to romanize the name as that. Bandai, Toei, and Funimation all go with that for this character).

4: Dolltakki: Pun on "doll" and "otakki", colloquial Japanese for "geeky". He's a weirdo obsessed with dolls (also a pedo).

5. Mutchii-Motchii: Pun on "muchi mochi", meaning "whip hold" or "holding a whip" in Japanese. He fights with a whip.

6. Lood: Pun on "doll".

7. Rilld: Pun on "drill".

8. Dr. Mew: Pun on "mutant". You could argue that it should be "Mu" instead of "Mew", but "Mew" makes the intended pronunciation clearer. It's a direct translation of the katakana "Myuu", too. "Meu" also works.

9. Giru: Named after "giru", Japanese for "to steal". The first thing he does is steal the Dragon Radar.

10. Leon: Named after "leon". He's a lion robot.

11. Oren: Pun on "orange".

12. Kamin: Pun on "mikan", Japanese for a mandarin orange.

Mega Cannon Sigma: Nuts and bolts-related names.

1. Nehji: Pun on "neji", Japanese for "screw".

2. Veis: Pun on "vis", French for "screw".

3. Rivet: Named after "rivet".

4. Nut: Named after "nut".

Yardratians: All have rodent-related names/puns.

1. Hatsuka: From "hatsuka nezumi", Japanese term for house rats. No kanji.

2. Pybara: From capybara.

Cerealians: All have cereal-related names/puns.

1. Granola: Named after "granola".

2. Oatmill: Pun on "oatmeal".

3. Muezli: Pun on "muesli".

4. Flake: Named after "flake" for flaked cereal.

Heaters:

1. Elec: Pun on "electricity".

2. Gas: Named after "gas".

3. Oil: Named after "oil".

4. Maki: Named after "maki", Japanese for firewood. No kanji.

Garlic & associates:

1. Garlic: Named after "garlic".

2. Garlic Junior: He's the son of Garlic.

3. Sansho: Named after "sansho", Japanese for a Sichuan pepper. No kanji.

4. Nikkii: Pun on "nikki", Japanese for "cinnamon".

5. Ginger: Named after "ginger".

6. Gash: Pun on "sugar".

7. Vingear: Named after "vinegar".

8. Zald: Pun on "salt".

9. Tard: Pun on "mustard".

Willow & associates:

1. Dr. Willow: A pun on "uiroh", a Japanese snack. However, the katakana for his name can also be romanized as "Willow" and it seems Toei now intends for his name to be spelled with a "W" because he's called "Dr. W" in Heroes.

2. Dr. Cochin: From "cochin", a type of chicken.

3. Misokattsun: Pun on "miso" and "katsu". "Miso" is a Japanese seasoning and katsu is Japanese for deep-fried pork.

4. Kishii'me: Pun on "kishimen", Japanese term for noodles made in flat strips.

5. Ebifryah: Pun on "ebi fry". "Ebi" is "shrimp" in Japanese.

Space Crusher Army Corps:

1. Amond: Pun on "almond".

2. Cacao: Named after "cacao".

3. Da'iizu: Pun on "daizu", Japanese for soy.

4. Rakasei: Pun on "rakkasei", Japanese for peanuts.

5. Resin: Pun on "raisin".

Slug Army: Mostly puns on "Andromeda galaxy".

1. Angyla: Pun on "andromeda" and "Angylas", the Godzilla character.

2. Dorodabo: Pun on "andromeda" and also "dorotaboh", meaning "mud field monk", a monster from a Japanese folktale.

3. Medamatcha: Pun on "andromeda". Also a pun on "medama", Japanese for "eyes". He has big eyes.

4. Zeh'un: Pun on "seiun", Japanese for "galaxy".

5. Kakuu'ja: Pun on "kagakusha", Japanese for "scientist". He's a scientist.

Koola's Armored Squadron:

1. Thousar: Pun on "thousand" from the dressing "thousand island".

2. Dohre: Pun on "dressing".

3. Naise: Pun on "mayonnaise".

Bohjakku & associates: All have names/puns on Japanese phrases for being evil.

1. Bohjakku: Pun on "boh-jakubujin", Japanese for "arrogance, audacity, outrageousness", etc.

2. Buu'jin: Above.

3. Zangya: Pun on "zangyaku", Japanese for "cruelty".

4. Gokua: Pun "gokuaku", Japanese for heinousness. Also "gokuakubidou", Japanese for "heinous and inhuman".

5. Bidoh: Pun on "bidou", Japanese for "inhuman". Also "gokuakubidou".

Jagah & associates: "Korii", "Nain", "Menmen", and "Hei" are all a reference to the novel Hei no Naka no Korinai Men-Men, which would translate to something like "Unrepentant People Within the Walls".

1. Jagah Butta: "Jagah" is a pun on "jagaimo", a type of Japanese potato ("jaga" originates from the Indonesian term "Jakarta", which originates from the Sanskirt term "jayakartaa"). "Butta" is a pun on "butter". So, his name essentially means "buttered potatoes". Also, he holds the title of baron, which in Japanese is "danshaku". Irish cobbler potato is called "danshakuimo", so his name coupled with his title is a pun on that.

2. Dr. Korii: Pun on "korinai".

3. Nain: Above.

4. Menmen: Named after "menmen", Japanese for "people".

5. Hei: Named after "hei", Japanese for "wall".

Conutians: Coconut and tropical-related names.

1. Tapion: Pun on "tapioca", a starch.

2. Minoshia: Pun on "yashi no mi", Japanese for "coconut". It's also a pun on "ashi-nomi", which means "only the legs" or "leg section" in Japanese. He was killed by Hirudegahn's lower half.

Miscellaneous Toei characters:

1. Gourmeth: Pun on "gourmet".

2. Pasta: Named after "pasta".

3. Vongo: From "spaghetti alle vongole", Italian for "spaghetti with clams".

4. Pansy: Named after "pansy", the flower.

5. Husky: Named after "husky", for a low-pitched, horse voice. It can also mean "strong".

6. Dr. Frappe: Named after the drink "frappe".

7. An'nin: Named after "an'nin", Japanese for "almond".

8. Gozu: Named after "Gozu", a figure in Japanese mythology.

9. Mezu: Named after "Mezu", a figure in Japanese mythology.

10. Piguero: The katakana for his name can be romanized as "Piguero", a Latin surname, which I would guess is what his name is supposed to be. It could also be "Piguerro". I dunno how common "Piguero" and "Piguerro" are, though lol. Maybe it's a pun on "pierogi", filled dumplings originating from Poland? Probably not lol. But his name in romaji is "Pigero", which kinda sounds like "Pikkoro" (Piccolo in romaji). They're also voiced by the same actor.

11. Bun: Probably named after "bun", as in bread.

12. Zeshin: "Zeshin" is an actual Japanese name, so I'm inclined to believe that his name comes from that. It's only in katakana, though.

13. Emi: Generic girl name.

14. Zahkuro: Pun on "zakuro", Japanese for "pomegranate".

15. Lychi: Pun on "lychee".

16. Marron: Named after "marron", French for "chestnut".

17. Lime: Named after the fruit.

18. Lao Jiu: Named after a Chinese beer.

19. Carony: Pun on "macaroni".

20. Pirozhki: Named after "pirozhki", a Russian fried bun.

21. Peeza: Pun on "pizza".

22. Angela: Generic girl name. I guess you could also go with "Engela", since the katakana can also be romanized as that.

23. Coco: I guess she's named after "coco".

24. Psych Ogre: Translation of "Saike Oni". "Saike" is the Japanese approximation of "psych", short for "psychadelic"; he likes psychadelic music. "Oni" roughly translates to "ogre".

25. Hoi: Named after "hoi", a common chant that comes up in Japanese magic spells.

26. Palace: Named after "palace". Goes along with "Goten", which means "understanding the heavens". "Heavenly Palace".

27. Bish: Pun on "fish".

28. Pack: Named after "pack" from "backpack".

29. Mamba: Pun on "Yamamba", a monster from a Japanese folktale.

30. Rakkaru: Pun on "rakka", Japanese for "fall", and "sagaru", Japanese for "hang".

31. Gettoh : Probably a pun on "gecko", which is approximated to Japanese as "gekkoh", or "tokage", which is Japanese for "lizard". He's a lizard. The katakana can also be romanized as "ghetto".

32. Gre: Probably a pun on "grey" as in "grey alien".

33. Watagasshu: Pun on "watagashi", Japanese for "cotton candy".

34. Amaguri Cocoa: Named after "cocoa" and "amaguri", Japanese for "sweet chestnut".

35. Yulin: Pun on the Chinese city of the same name or "Yu Lin Chi", Chinese fried chicken. Probably the chicken.

36. Hearts: Probably named after "hearts", but the katakana could also be romanized as "Hurts".

37. Lags: Pun on "glass".

38. Vidro: Named after "vidro", Portuguese for "glass".

Dragon Ball Heroes:

1. Beat: Named after "beat", a music beat.

2. Note: Named after "note", a music note.

3. Baserk: Pun on "berserk".

4. Elit: Pun on "elite".

5. Leggings: Named after "leggings".

6. Moden: Pun on "demon".

7. Kabra: Pun on "abracadabra". He's instead named "Palette" in Ultimate Mission X, after "palette" as in color palette.

8. Viola: Named after "viola", the instrument.

9. Forte: Musical term for "loud" or "strong".

10. Salaga: Named after "salaga", opening line in the Cinderella song "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo".

11. Niko: Pun on "ni", Japanese for "two", and "go", Japanese for "five". She becomes Android No.25.

12. Nimu:  Pun on "ni", Japanese for "two", and  "juu", Japanese for "ten"; "nijuu" together means "twenty". He becomes Android No.26.

13. Sora: Named after "Sora", Japanese for "sky". No kanji.

14. Hiro: Pun on the word "hero".

15. Tama: Named after "tama", Japanese for "ball". No kanji.

16. Momo: Pun on the actress's name "Haruna Momono".

17. Yoshito: Pun on the actor's name "Nagayama Yoshitaka".

18. Tsubasa: From the actor's name "Yonaga Tsubasa". No kanji.

19. Dr. Auto: Named after "auto".

20. Pokoh: Lookalike of "Poco" from Toriyama's 1997 manga "Alien Peke".

21. Mizore: Named after "mizore", Japanese for "sleet".

22. Mirego: Pun on "Migoren", Toei filler character from the afterworld.

23. Armadillo: Named after "armadillo", as in the animal.

Miscellaneous manga characters:

1. Granny Baozi: Old lady who lives at or near Mount Baozi.

2. Hedge: Pun on "Hedgehog", name of a plastic tank model.

3. Hog: Above.

4. Lee: Named after a tank.

5. Sno: Pun on "snow".

6. Buyon: Pun on "buyo", Japanese onomatopeia for soft and flabby things.

7. Bora: Possibly named after Bora, what the Japanese call mullet fish. Also might also come from the Japanese Tahitian-style tropical drinks called Bora-Bora, Upa-Upa, and Noa-Noa.

8. Upa: Probably named after Toriyama's assistant's family dog. That dog's name might come from what the Japanese call an axolotl or the Ainu term "upas", which means "snow". This character's name might also come from Japanese Tahitian-style tropical drinks called Bora-Bora, Upa-Upa, and Noa-Noa.

9. Dracula Man: Pun on "Dracula", name of iconic fictional vampire character.

10. Transparent: Literal translation of "suke".

11. Mirra: Named after "mirra", Portuguese term that means "myrrh" and is used in Japan to refer to mummies.

12. Akkuman: Pun on "akuma", Japanese term for "devil".

13. Erasa: Pun on "eraser".

14. Shapner: Pun on "sharpner".

15. Idasa: Pun on "dasai", Japanese for "lame" or "unfashionable". The joke is that his mullet looks lame.

16. Ikose: Pun on "sekoi", Japanese for "small-minded".

17. Barry Quarn: Pun on "bariquand", a French company that manufactures hair clippers. The company's name is approximated to Japanese as "barikando". In Japan, it's shortened to "barikan" as a slang term for hair clippers in general.

18. Zuno: Named after "zuno", Japanese for "brain". No kanji.

19. Monaka: Named after "monaka", Japanese snack.

20. Hit: Named after "hit". He's a hitman.

21. Auta Magetta: Pun on "ottamageta", Japanese for being very surprised.

22. Botamo: Pun on "botamochi", Japanese snack.

23. Dr. Rota: Possibly named after "rota", Latin for "wheel". It could also be a pun on "rotor".

24. Roola: Pun on "ruler".

25. Compass: Named after "compass".

26. Scale: Named after "scale".

27. Fila: Pun on "file".

28. Chalk: Named after "chalk".

29. Clean God: He's a superhero who cleans stuff.

30. Ohmori Tokunoshin: Pun on "ohmori" and "toku", which refer to large servings of food in Japanese.

31. Azuki An: Pun on "adzuki", Japanese for "red bean".

32. Katayude Tamagoro: Pun on "kata-yude tamago", Japanese for "hard-boiled egg".

Dr. Slump characters:

1. Norimaki Arare: "Norimaki" means "seawood roll". "Arare" is a small Japanese cracker.

2. Norimaki Sembei: "Sembei" is a Japanese rice cracker.

3. Norimaki Midori: "Midori" means "green".

4. Norimaki Turbo: Named after the word "turbo".

5. Norimaki Gajilla: "Gajilla" is a pun on the names "Gamera" and "Gojilla" from the series Gojilla (better known as Godzilla). The nickname "Gatchan" is a pun on the onomatoepia "gajigaji", which means to gnaw on something. "Gazilla", "Gajzilla", and of course, "Gadzilla" are also valid romanizations.

6. Kimidori Akane: "Kimidori" means "pea green". "Akane" means "red".

7. Kimidori Aoi: "Aoi" means "blue" or green". Also, they don't appear in Dragon Ball, but Akane and Aoi's parents are named "Murasaki" (purple) and "Kon" (navy blue).

8. Soramame Taroh: The surname "Soramame" means "sky bean". "Taroh" is means "first born son".

9. Soramame Peasuke: Pun on the vegetable "peas" and "suke", a common suffix in Japanese names.

10. Soramame Kurikinton:  “Kurikinton” refers to mashed sweet potatoes sweetened with chestnuts.

11. Soramame Mame: "Mame" is Japanese for "bean" or "pea".

12. Tsun Tsukutsun: The kanji for the surname "Tsun" means "pick". "Tsutsuku" means "poke" or "prod". The kanji for the "tsun" in the first name is "packed" or "crammed".

13. Tsun Tsururin: The kanji for "Tsuru" means "crane" and "rin" means "phosphorus".

14. Tsun Tsuruten: The kanji for "Tsuru" means "crane". "Ten" is heaven".

15. Tsun Tsuntsunodanoteiyugo: Comes from an old marketing jingle by Japanese bike manufacturer Tsunodo. But I'm not breaking down the kanji in "Tsuntsunodanoteiyugo" lol what a ridiculous name. Her name is often shortened to "Tsunoda", though; "Tsuno" is "horn" and "da" is field.

16. Dr. Mashirito: Pun on "Torishima", the surname of Toriyama's first editor.

17. Suppaman: Pun on "Superman" and "suppai", Japanese for "sour".

Nekomajin characters:

1. Mix: One of the Nekomajin. I don't think there's any particular reason why he's called "Mix".

2. Mike: One of the Nekomajin. I don't think there's any particular reason he's called "Mike".

3. Z: One of the Nekomajin in that series. "Z" from the letter "Z", also a reference to the title "Dragon Ball Z".

4. Kobayashi Pete: "Kobayashi" means "small woods" or "small forest". "Pete" is probablyfor "Peter".

5. Honey: Named after "honey".

6. V: "V" is probably short for "victory" since he appears in Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission.

Titles:

1. Turtle Sage: Literal translation of "Kame-sen'nin".

2. Crane Sage: Literal translation of "Tsuru-sen'nin".

3. Heavenly Old Martial Master: Literal translation of "Muten Roh-shi".

4. Martial Guru: A translation of "Mutaito". "Mu" means "martial" and "taito" means "great authority". It's used for distinguished figures in fields. I'd translate it as "guru".

5. Fortunetelling Hag: Literal translation of "Uranai Baba".

6. Ox Demon King: Literal translation of "Gyuu-maoh".

7. Great Demon King: Literal translation of "Daimaoh".

8. Monster Demon King: Literal translation of "yohmaoh".

9. Snake Princess: Literal translation of "Hebihime".

10. National King: Literal translation of "Koku-oh".

11. Supreme Old Lord: Literal translation of "Taijoh Rohkun".

12. Galactic King: Literal translation of "gingaoh".

13. God: Literal translation of "Kami".

14. World King: Literal translation of "Kaioh".

15. World King God: Literal translation of "Kaioh-shin".

16. Creation God: Literal translation of "Sozoh-shin".

17. Destruction God: Literal translation of "Hakai-shin".

18. Angel: Literal translation of "Tenshi".

19. Grand Priest: Literal translation of "Daishinkan".

20. All King: Literal translation of "Zenoh".

21. Dragon God: Literal translation of "Ryuu-shin".

22. Great Saiyaman: Pun on "Saiyan" or "Saiyajin". "Jin" literally means "person" and can also be roughly translated as "man". So, he's called "Saiyaman" and he's "great" because he's a superhero.

23. Great Saiyaman 2: Great Saiyaman's sidekick.

24. Papayaman: He's a superhero on Papaya Island. Papaya is a fruit.

Items:

1. Compliant Rod: Literal translation of "Nyoi-boh". The Chinese reading is "Ruyi Bang".

2. Somersault Cloud: Literal translation of "Kinto-un".

3. Sage Beans: Literal translation of "Senzu".

4. Z Sword: Worth noting that the pronunciation of "Z" is typically approximated as "Zetto" in Japanese, which is closest to the German pronunciation "zet". The European pronunciation is "zed" and the American pronunciation is "zee". But it really doesn't matter how you pronounce "Z".

5. Potala: Named after the Tibetan palace Potala, short for Potalaka, which can also be called Potaraka. So, "Potara" is equally valid.

6. Hoi Poi Capsule: "Hoi" and "poi" are Japanese onomatopoeia for tossing things. These capsules are meant to be tossed.

7. Banana Palm Fan: Literal translation of "bashoh-sen".

8. Scouter: Device that "scouts" for energy or combat power (literal translation of "sentoh-ryoku").

9. Super Holy Water: Literal translation of "Choh-shinsui".

10. Dragon Radar: A radar that locates Dragon Balls.

11. Dragon Ball: They're balls that bring out a dragon when gathered.

Techniques:

1. Breath: Literal translation of Ki. But we can see by Mr. Satan and Veedel's reactions to hearing "Ki" that it's not a common term on Earth. Nor is it a common term in the Demon World as you see by Glorio's reaction to hearing it. I may just translate it as "aura" instead.

2. Breathwork: Literal translation of Kikoh.

3. Breathwork Wave: Literal translation of Kikoh-ha.

4. Breathwork Gun: Literal translation of Kikoh-hoh.

5. New Breathwork Gun: Literal translation of Shin Kikoh-hoh.

6. Shout: Translation of "Kiai".

7. Breath Gun: Translation of "Kiai hoh".

8. Energy: Contextual translation of Genki.

9. Energy Globe: Contextual translation of Genkidama. I think "Energy Globe" sounds less generic than other equally valid translations like "Energy Sphere" and "Energy Ball".

10. Sky Dance Technique: Translation of Bukuu-jutsu.

11. Kamehame Wave: Literal translation of Kamehameha.

12. Super Kamehame Wave: Stronger Kamehame Wave.

13. Big Bang Kamehame Wave: Big Bang Attack + Kamehame Wave.

14. Final Kamehame Wave: Final Flash + Kamehame Wave.

15. 10x Kamehame Wave: 10x stronger version of Kamehame Wave or Super Kamehame Wave.

16. World King Fist: Literal translation of Kaioh-ken.

17. Wolf Fang Gale Fist: Literal translation of Rogafuu-fuu-ken. "Fuu" literally means "wind". It's repeated twice for emphasis, indicating a strong wind, which would be something like a gale. "Fuu-fuu" can also be translated as "hurricane" or "whirlwind", but I prefer "Gale" as it's shorter lol.

18. Dodom Wave: Literal translation of Dodom-Pa.

19. Sun Fist: Literal translation of Taiyoh-ken.

20. Teleportation: Literal translation of Shunkan-idoh.

21. Gallick Gun: Literal translation of "Gyarikku-hoh". "Gyarikku" is a pun on "garlic" and it can also translate to "Garrick" or "Galrick". "Hoh" can also translate to "Cannon".

22. Super Gallick Gun: Stronger Gallick Gun.

23. Big Bang Attack: Reference to the big bang.

24. Final Flash: It's really bright and it's supposed to kill you; it meant to be the "final flash" you'll see in your life.

25. Final Shine: Same meaning as "Final Flash". It's basically an upgraded version do it.

26. Gamma Burst Flash: Reference to a gamma-ray burst. Also an upgraded Final Flash.

27. Demon Flash Light: Literal translation of "Masenkoh".

28. Demon Pierce Light Murder Gun: Literal translation of "Makankoh-sappoh".

29. Winding Breath Bullet: Literal translation of "Soh-kidan".

30. Breath Disc Slash: Literal translation of "Kienzan".

31. Demon Seal Wave: Literal translation of "Mafuu-ba".

32. Demon Seal Wave Reflect: Literal translation of "Mafuu-ba Gaeshi".

33. Kaikai: A play on "Kaikai", which means "World World" in Japanese. The name is only in katakana.

34. Kaikai Matoru: Play on "Kaikai Matoru", which means "World World Magic Steal" in Japanese. The name is only in katakana.

35. Galactic Donut: Tacky name for energy rings that bind their target.

36. Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack: They're sentient ghosts that explode on their target like the kamikaze (Death Wind) bombers in WW2. The name is in all katakana, so "Kamikaze" isn't to be translated.

37. Continuous Die Die Missiles: Literal translation of "Renzoku Shine Shine Misairu". Tacky name for energy blast spam.

38. Crashing Boo Boo Volleyball: Tacky name for binding Boo with the Galactic Donuts into a ball and smacking him down like a volleyball.

39. Boar Attack: Tacky name for headbutting your opponent.

40. Rolling Thunder Punch: Tacky name for a punch.

41. Dynamite Kick: Tacky name for a punch.

42. Rolling Attack Satan Punch: Tacky name for a punch.

43. Satan Miracle Special Ultra Super Megaton Punch: Yeah, I really shouldn't list all of these lol.

44. Dragon Fist: Literal translation of "Ryuu-ken".

45. Rock Scissor Paper Fist: Contextual translation of "Janken". It could translate to just "Rock Scissor Paper", but I want to make it clear it's a martial arts technique like "Wolf Fang Gale Fist" and the other "Fist" moves. Mind you, "Janken" doesn't literally translate to "Rock Paper Scissor" at all; the meaning of "Jan" is ultimately unknown and "Ken" translates to "fist".

46. Heavenly Cross Fist: Translation of "Tenkuu-pekijiken".

47. Drunken Fist: Translation of "Suiken".

48. Crazy Fist: Literal translation of "Kyoh-ken".

49. Mad Dog: Literal translation of "Kyoh-ken" (different kanji).

50. Afterimage Fist: Literal translation of "Zanzoh-ken".

51. Volleyball Fist: Literal translation of "Haikyuu-ken".

52. Good Boy Sleep Sleep Fist: Literal translation of "Yoiko Minmin Ken".

53. Four Curse Fist: Literal translation of "Shiyoh-ken".

54. Eight Hand Fist: Literal translation of "Hasshuken".

55. Worldwide Shock Palm: Literal translation of "Bankoku Bikkuri Shoh".

56. Guruguru Gum: "Guruguru" is Japanese onomatoepia for something going "round-and-round". It's in katakana, so I'll leave it untranslated.

57. Crush Cannon: Tacky name for an energy blast.

58. Crystal Wave: Sparking energy ball that looks like a crystal ball. The original name for what later became "Soul Punisher", "Stardust Breaker, "Stardust Blaster", etc.

59. Sword of Breath: Literal translation of "Ki no Tsurugi". Also called "Spirit Sword".

60. Hope Sword: Also called "Energy Globe Sword", literal translation of "Genkidama Ken".

61. Brutes Waves: It could be "brutes", a pun on "fruits", or a pun on "burutsu", which is Japanese onomatopoeia for shaking and shivering. Seeing as characters shake and shiver when they turn into Giant Monkeys, I think that could be a possibility.

62. Key of Instinct: Contextual translation of "Migatte no Goku'i". "Migatte" would normally be translated as "Selfishness", but the context is that this technique is the key to your body moving on its own. I also like "Key of Reflex", but I went with "instinct" so it goes more with "Key of Ego"; you know, instinct and ego.

63. Key of Ego: Literal translation of "Wagamama no Goku'i".

Races:

1. Earthling: Literal translation of "Chikyuu-jin".

2. Saiyan: Pun on "yasai", Japanese term for "vegetable".

3. Ts'fruian: Pun on "fruits".

4. Namekkian: Pun on "namekuji", Japanese term for "slug".

5. Yardratian: Pun on "rat" and possibly "yado", Japanese for "house", or the word "yard".

6. Demon: Translation of "Majin".

7. Phantom Demon: Translation of "Genmajin".

8. Cerealian: Pun on "cereal".

9. Gurindian: Pun on "donguri", Japanese term for "acorn".

10. Cultivated Man/Men: Literal translation of "Saibaiman".

11. Bio-Man/Men: Literal translation of "Baioman".

12. Nekomajin: Named after "Neko Majin", meaning "Cat Demon", "Demon Cat", or "Magic Cat" in Japanese. The name is only written in katakana, though.

Transformations:

1. Great Monkey: Literal translation of "Oh-zaru".

2. Super Saiyan: It's a super strong Saiyan, I guess.

3. Super Saiyan 2: It's the next level.

4. Super Saiyan 3: Next level.

5. Super Saiyan 4: You'd think it's the next level from this name, but Toei only picked this name because they were lazy.

6. Super Saiyan God: You'd think it's a Super Saiyan that has become a God (or obtained Godly ki) from this name.

7. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan: Worst name ever. The explanation is that it's a Super Saiyan with the power of a Super Saiyan God. But this makes no sense because a Super Saiyan God should be a Super Saiyan to begin with. Smh, the red form should have been "Saiyan God" and the blue one "Super Saiyan God".

8. Super Saiyan Blue: It's a blue Super Saiyan.

9. Super Saiyan Rosé: It's a pink (or rose) colored Super Saiyan. But it's called "rosé" instead of "rose" to force a dumb alcohol pun even though Gokuu Black isn't a Destruction God nor is this a form used by Destruction Gods. Awful name.

10. Super Saiyan Blue Evolved: Literal translation of "Suupaa Saiyajin Buruu Shinka".

11. Super Saiyan Rage: Literal translation of "Suupaa Saiyain Ikari".

12. Rage: Literal translation of "Ikari".

13. Super Saiyan Stage 2: Literal translation of "Suupaa Saiyajin Ni Dankai". The first buff SS form. Easy to get mixed up with SS2, I know.

14. Super Saiyan Stage 3: Literal translation of "Suupaa Saiyajin San Dankai". The second buff SS form. Easy to get mixed up with SS3, I know.

15. Pseudo Super Saiyan: Literal translation of "Giji Suupaa Saiyajin". It was supposed to be SS in the film, but retroactively made a pseudo form. Toriyama helped design it, so you can think of it as the original SS design before he decided on blonde hair.

16. Golden Great Monkey: Literal translation of "Goruden Oh-zaru".

17. Beast: "The beast has been awakened".

18. Orange: It makes Piccolo orange.

19. Golden: It makes Freeza golden.

20. Black: It makes Freeza black.

21. Key of Instinct Sign: Incomplete, so it's just a "sign" of the whole transformation.

22. Key of Instinct Complete: It's the complete transformation.

Places:

1. Mount Baozi: Named after "Baozi", Chinese steamed buns.

2. Earth: Literal translation of "Chikyuu".

3. World's Best Martial Path Meet: Literal translation of "Tenka'ichi Budoh-kai".

4. Namekku: Pun on "namekuji", Japanese term for "slug".

5. Vegeeta: Pun on "vegetable".

6. Sadala: Pun on "salada", Portuguese term for "salad".

7. Yardrat: Pun on "rat" and "yard" or "yado", Japanese for "house".

8. Fortune Furnace: Literal translation of "Hakkero".

9. Afterworld: Literal translation of "Anoyo".

10. Afterworld's Best Martial Path Meet: Literal translation of "Anoyo'ichi Budoh-kai".

11. Hell: Literal translation of "Jigoku".

12. Demon Realm: Literal translation of "Makai".

13. World King God Realm: Literal translation of "Kaioh-shinkai".

14. World Core: Literal translation of "Kaishin".

Honorifics:

1. Little: Approximation of "chan".

2. Fellow/fella: Approximation of "kun".

3. Mister/miss/missus: Approximation of "san".

4. Instructor/master/mistress: Approximation of "sensei".

5. Lord/lady: Approximation of "sama" and and "dono".