This is my first review, so please don't take it too seriously. This is the first Dragonball animation in 11 years. I don't know about you, but I was really looking forward to this when I first heard about it. -Story- Nothing too revolutionary, But not as boring as the older Dragonball Z movies. Its kept the Dragon ball Z fighting and humour style. -Art- I thought this was going to be just like the old Dragonball Z series, but I was wrong. They re-did it, it now looks new and clean. The animation is great and the fights are good also. -Sound- At the beginning you get introduced with theclassic music, but with a new opening. It still has the same good punching, kicking and energy blast firing sound effects. The Japanese cast (this isn't dubbed in english...yet) did a very good job, although I wasn't too fond of Goku or Gohan's voice. -Characters- It has the original cast. Goku is still funny and always hungry, Piccolo is a loner, and Vegeta is still really angry at something. Master Roshi is still the same old pervert too. There's a particularly funny scene where he pulls up a lewdly shaped turnip. Goten and Trunks also fuse into Gotenks to fight the invaders. -Enjoyment- I got a kick out of this. It was good to see Goku and friends in another adventure, even though it probably will be their last (unfortunately). -Overall- I recommend this to any Dragonball Z fan. If you are new to the series, you might want to watch the Episodes before going into this movie to know all the characters and their personalities. I give it an 8/10

I cannot believe it has really been eleven years. It seems like just yesterday I saw "Wrath of the Dragon" and "A Hero's Legacy." Though it's true, Goku and company are back in the latest installment of Dragon Ball: Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! First off, I'm going to solely recommend this to existing Dragon Ball fans. 9/10's of the enjoyment of this special is the nostalgia it emits. For starters, almost the entire main cast is featured, from Goku and Vegeta to Old Kai and Bubbles the monkey (who, as we all remember, passed on many a year ago thanks toGoku). However, there is the odd absence of Tien and Chaozu. This really bothered me, not because I am a particular fan of the Crane School, but just because I respect the roles they had to play in both "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z". Although, seeing the faces of all the other characters did warm my heart. Another nostalgic aspect of this chapter, is that they revive the "Dragon Ball" humor and incorporate it into "Dragon Ball Z" style fighting sequences. You might say they took both series and did a fusion-ha....no applause please. The story of "Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!" isn't that impressive. However, the audience does get to meet Vegeta's long lost little brother, Tarble. This is as interesting as it is cheesy but I'm just glad to know there was at least one more stupid monkey out there that Freeza wasn't able to finish off. The old theme song is back with new animation to fit the time period and I honestly believe it couldn't have been done better. However, I do take up issue with the Japanese voice acting. Though, this is probably just because I grew up watching the dub on Cartoon Network, I just can't get over the fact that Goku sounds like a little girl. And it's not just because the voice actor if Japanese and has a higher pitched voice than we westerners do, Goku actually sounds like he's being voice by a twelve year-old girl. Now the animation is the one aspect of this special that fails in almost no way. It's wonderful to see Bird Studio breathe new life into classic characters. If nothing else, watch this anime to relive something that you've possibly long forgotten, I promise you won't be disappointed, unless you're a Tien or Chaozu fan, then don't watch it.

This is my first review! Although there is no a big fight with powerful enemies I felt that this special was just to bring the anime back to life in the memory of many fans, after 11 years. I loved the way they redid the opening "Chala-Head-Chala" introduced the current characters (Goten and Trunks). The comic side still remains, with the "brawl" between Goku and Vegeta. At the end everyone ends up participating in the battle. is a great special, more not as interesting as the "Episode of Bardock".

Now don't get me wrong here, i am a huge DBZ fan. I recently joined this site a few days ago and came across Yo Son Goku n Freinds Return so i had to check it out. On the good side The animation definitely is cleaner and more well done. Now for the cons... Goku did not act like Goku at all, Vegeta cant have a brother that young, his father died when he was only about 5 years old, remnants of the Frieza force would NEVER be able to last a second against Goten or trunks, who each at that time have an individual fighting strengthof about 30 million, Gotenks..... now where the hell does he get off doing the wolf fang fist????? LOL All in all i would give this a 3/10... thats all its worth... think about it.... how is it possible for vageta to have a yunger brother.... lol its not, that is why if you go to the dragon ball z web site he is no where to be seen!!! this whole movie was a contradiction to DBZ, and well, pretty much this movie spitts in my face and in DBZ's face.. its pathetic... save your self the time

I know this was the first piece of Dragon Ball media in about 11 years when it first came out, and is a pretty weightless 35-minute filler episode designed mostly just to bring back all the old characters in a fanservicey way, but I sure wish it was a little bit less bad. The story is about Vegeta's long-lost brother who turns up alive after some evil dudes are chasing him. This is pretty good fodder for an actual plot, you know! But instead it's a silly "lol these dudes are weak so let's not take it seriously at all" story where the characters banterwith each other and not much else. Vegeta's brother completely disappears from the story about halfway through! I wanna know more about this dude! But whatever, back when it came out in 2008, it was probably a welcome sign for fans that the franchise hadn't been completely abandoned. But a decade later, after a whole new 120-episode TV series just finished, this feels completely superfluous.

After so many years we had a chance to see DB again..It isn't new story or sth bigger just special.I thought that it could be uber cool but..New art is ok but Sayians aura sux kinda without details...And new characters?Where is their part in other episodes of DB>. But all in all it is something good to give fans another piece of DB!:)

This semi-canon anniversary special loses a lot of it's value in the post-super era, but it's still worth a watch for Dragon Ball fans who want something short and sweet. The special takes place in between the end of the Buu saga and (at the time non-existent) Super, and really it's just an excuse to see our characters we like hanging out only to transition to a low stakes action setpiece predominately featuring (kid) Trunks and Goten. I mistakenly skipped over this when I watched Battle of Gods but now that i've circled back around, I feel like Battle of Gods actually might have takenfrom this special, mostly in terms of structure and focus (ie, old weaker characters mattering, a focus on comedy and the action setpiece at the end). I think overall Battle of Gods did a better job with this formula, but I do prefer the production aspects of this special, which surprised me with consistent art and a lack of garish digital coloration/bad CG (which means above average for digital Toei). The characters all felt a little flanderized, but never too ridiculously far that it felt offensive (though Vegeta was getting there). Overall this is a low stakes, simple side story with the characters you know and love from the manga and original anime. Totally skippable, but totally watchable too. Random additional thoughts: -Launch was remembered! -Vegeta having a little brother stretches belivablity in canon a bit -Power scaling is a bit fucky (main villain should have been obliterated in two seconds lol)