Does Tree Of Might Hold up?

Copyright: Dragon Ball z and Dragon Ball z: Tree of might are property of Shonen Jump, Fuji TV and Akira Toriyama. 

Ethics and brevity: I have no affiliation with Dragon ball z or  Akira Toriyama. I'm just a fan

 Our story begins in the vastness of space, where a mysterious spacecraft charts a course for a small blue planet we know well—Earth. But before we get too serious, we switch to a peaceful scene of our heroes—Krillin, Bulma, Oolong, and Gohan—enjoying a good old-fashioned camping trip. Well, mostly enjoying it. Gohan, poor kid, brought along some schoolwork, which earns him a fair amount of teasing from his pals. It’s a lighthearted start, setting the stage for the action-packed chaos to come.  As night falls, the tranquility is shattered when that earlier spacecraft crash-lands, igniting a massive wildfire. The flames rage through the forest, displacing wildlife and decimating the landscape. But this is Dragon Ball Z, after all, and when in doubt—power up and blast it out! A few well-placed energy waves later, the blaze is extinguished, showcasing not just their strength, but also the compassion of our heroes—even Bulma, despite her usually selective interest in heroics.  

Their relief is short-lived as they take in the aftermath—the forest is in ruins, and the creatures are without a home. But then, hope springs! They spot a tiny, helpless dragon amidst the destruction, sparking an idea: the Dragon Balls. Using them to wish the forest back to its former glory? Now that’s a noble cause! And much better than wishing for, say, a BBL or, in Oolong’s case, a pair of panties.  With a flash of light, Shenron grants their wish, restoring nature to its rightful state. Bonus: Gohan even gets a cute little dragon companion out of it. Everybody wins! Well… not everybody. Because unbeknownst to our heroes, that crashed spaceship is busy deploying probes, scanning the planet for its lifeforms. And that’s when things get spicy—we discover that the newcomers aren’t just any aliens; they’re Saiyans. Worse, they’re here because they know about Goku’s past and plan to track him down.  

But for now, we get a rare moment of family fun as Goku, Gohan, and Chi-Chi share a relaxing bath together. Even Gohan’s new dragon buddy, Icarus, wants in on the fun! Chi-Chi, of course, is having none of it, and Gohan’s caught between wanting to please his mom and not wanting to break his new pet’s heart. After a bit of sneaking around (with Goku acting more like a mischievous big brother than a dad), Gohan hides Icarus safely in a nearby cave.  Meanwhile, our new Saiyan villains waste no time in making their presence known by planting the titular Tree of Might deep within the Earth’s core. And this is no ordinary tree—it’s a planet-sapping, world-dominating monstrosity that bursts forth from the ground, its roots tearing through the Earth’s crust like a bad case of root rot. The lead Saiyan, who remains nameless for now, ominously declares that the tree will set the planet “right.” What he doesn’t mention is that “right” means destroying the planet entirely in the process.  

As the colossal tree spreads its roots, ripping through forests and demolishing cities, we cut to our heroes—completely unprepared for this environmental disaster. But hey, leave it to Yamcha to keep things in perspective by… mourning the loss of his car. Yeah, his car. Even the dragon has more sense, swooping in to warn Gohan of the impending danger. Luckily, King Kai steps in with some actual useful information. He explains that the Tree of Might bears fruit that grants god-like power, but only at the expense of draining every bit of life from the planet it’s rooted in. With Earth on the brink of annihilation, Goku and the gang spring into action, heading straight for the tree. That’s when our main villain finally steps forward: Turles, the mystery Saiyan. And plot twist—he looks exactly like Goku! Turles takes great pleasure in explaining that, yes, all low-class Saiyans look alike. But he’s not just here for casual destruction; he has his eye on Gohan, believing he can shape the young warrior into his perfect protégé.  

A clash of power and ideals is about to unfold, and one thing’s for sure: it’s going to take everything Goku and the Z Fighters have to stop this twisted version of “terraforming.”  In a delightful display of cosmic irony, Turles mocks Gohan, declaring Goku to be a “weak and pathetic Saiyan.” He gleefully reminds Gohan that his dad was sent to obliterate Earth—and oops! He flopped! Gohan, in a fit of rage, lets out a scream that could shatter glass, prompting Turles to taunt him further, suggesting he should either join the winning side or face extinction. Just when Turles is reveling in his villainy, his scouter goes haywire, picking up a significant power signature right next to him. The camera pans dramatically to reveal everyone's favorite green guardian: Piccolo! But alas, Turles, with the confidence of a cat who just knocked over a vase, mocks Piccolo, completely unaware of the Namekian’s power. Undeterred, Turles decides to throw Gohan into Piccolo like a football, using him as a distraction to sneak attack Big Green from behind.

In a moment of comedic cruelty, Turles steps on Gohan, delighting in the young Saiyan's plight. And in a twist worthy of a sitcom, Gohan’s tail makes a surprise reappearance—ta-da! Turles, smirking, conjures an energy ball to create a fake moon, since Piccolo conveniently destroyed the original in the Saiyan Saga. With a villainous grin, he grabs Gohan's head, forcing him to stare at the fake moon, which catalyzes the transformation into the Great Ape Ozaru. Because why not? 

Turns out, children in Ozaru form are more chaotic than adults—a little family secret we didn’t see coming! The scene escalates into a whimsical and bizarre showdown as Goku finds himself in a desperate fight against his own son in Great Ape form, who’s lost all sense of reason. Goku, ever the compassionate father, is forced to confront the unimaginable. Piccolo, always the voice of reason, shouts to Goku, advising him to cut Gohan's tail. But before he can implement any parental wisdom, Turles blasts the ground beneath them, sending everyone plummeting into a watery cave below.

In the depths of the cave, Gohan, in full ape mode, squeezes Goku’s ribs like they’re a stress ball. Just when all hope seems lost, Gohan’s pet dragon, Icarus, swoops in like an adorable lifeline, distracting the raging beast with its cuteness. Turles, now fuming that his plans are thwarted by a dragon, launches a deadly energy blast. But wait! Thanks to Krillin's earlier thrown Destructo Disk, Gohan’s tail takes a hit, reverting him back to his normal self. Cue the classic “What just happened?” expression on Turles' face.

Now thoroughly irate, Goku's not just fighting for his pride anymore; he’s defending everything he holds dear—his friends, his world, and most importantly, his son. As time slows down, the surrounding nature seems to wither away into dust, making way for an epic showdown. Turles’ goons foolishly charge at Goku, only to be swatted aside like pesky flies.  Meanwhile, Piccolo attempts a sneak attack on Turles, but our villain is all swagger and no substance, easily deflecting Piccolo's moves. Turles, full of bravado, offers Goku the chance to surrender, mocking him for the predicament involving his son. The environment continues to decay, mirroring the tension rising in the air. Turles hopes this grand display of power will intimidate Goku, but little does he know, Goku has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Ascending to the top of the Tree of Might, Turles indulges in its forbidden fruit. The moment he bites into it, his physique bulges, and his power skyrockets. He revels in his newfound might, plotting to conquer the universe like it’s some intergalactic game of Monopoly. But Goku, with a gleam in his eye, activates Kaio-Ken—because what’s a classic showdown without a little nostalgia? However, Turles unleashes a relentless barrage of ki blasts, taunting Goku with insults about his weakness. But Goku, fueled by his friends’ telepathic encouragement (“You’re powerful but not unbearable!”), 

prepares his ultimate weapon: the Spirit Bomb. As Turles decimates the Z Fighters, he’s oblivious to Goku’s crafty plan. Goku hurls the Spirit Bomb, but the Tree of Might absorbs the planet's energy like a thirsty sponge, leaving Goku's plan in jeopardy. The environment around them crumbles, and just when it seems all hope is lost, Goku taps into the warmth of the sun, reigniting his fighting spirit. Baffled by Goku’s resilience, Turles demands to know how he continues to stand against him. Goku simply replies, “I have the power of nature inside me,” while the desolation of their surroundings serves as a haunting backdrop to their clash. 

The final battle rages on, Turles’ scouter shatters under the strain of their immense powers as Goku launches a Kamehameha that pierces through Turles’ defenses. As the Tree of Might begins to crack, its lifeblood spills forth, revitalizing the land and awakening the wildlife. The climax is explosive, with the tree imploding into a cascade of vibrant particles, bringing the ecosystem back to life. King Kai’s voice rings through, casually explaining that Goku used the tree’s energy against itself. As the dust settles, we find our heroes camping out, celebrating the end of their calamity. 

It’s a heartwarming conclusion to a bizarre story, but it's too inconstant for me to say it holds up. The turles is a great villain, he's menacing and knows what he's doing and how he's going to do it. But the story itself is just inconsistent. For example Gohan lost his tail in the end of the sayajin saga. So how did turles force him to become oozaru when he needs a tail for it. The fact that they had to have king Kai tell the viewer that he was using the tree of mights energy to stop turles at the end feels like they didn't have anything for an ending. 

But I will say, the animation itself is really good. The scene where Goku and turels will have their Final bout and Goku is half dead looking. Looks amazing. It's beautiful animated. And for that alone it's worth a watch.