| Dragon Ball: |
| Type: | film |
| Director: | Yoshihiro Ueda |
| Music: | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
| Studio: | Toei Animation |
| Runtime: | 35 minutes |
| Type: | manga |
| Author: | Naho Ōishi |
| Publisher: | Shueisha |
| Demographic: | Shōnen |
| Magazine: | V-Jump |
| First: | March 21, 2009 |
| Last: | April 21, 2009 |
| Volumes: | 1 |
Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! is a 35-minute Japanese animated short film based on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series, shown on the Jump Super Anime Tour from September 21 to November 23, 2008. It was the first animated Dragon Ball film in twelve years, following the tenth anniversary film The Path to Power.
Two years after Majin Buu's defeat by Goku, Mr. Satan, feeling guilty that his new hotel is in honor of what the majority of Earth believes to be his victory over Buu, invites Goku, Vegeta, and their families to a banquet. During dinner, two Saiyan spaceships land and a mysterious Saiyan and his wife confront the heroes at the hotel. Vegeta's younger brother, Tarble, introduces himself and explains that he was deemed weak by their father and sent to a distant planet before the destruction of Planet Vegeta. He also introduces his wife Gure, a small alien humanoid. Tarble asks his brother for help in dealing with Abo and Kado, soldiers from remnants of Frieza's army, who are causing havoc on his planet.
As Abo and Kado arrive on Earth, the heroes pick radishes from Goku's garden to determine who will battle the duo and Goten picks the longest. Pressured by his father, Trunks picks out a radish that stretches for miles. Goten joins Trunks in the fight and the children easily defeat the two soldiers until Abo and Kado create doubles of themselves. With encouragement from Gohan, Goten and Trunks gain the upper hand. Abo and Kado merge into their larger, more powerful form, Aka.
Aka devastates Goten and Trunks so they perform the Fusion Dance, fail their first attempt, but succeed with in the second. Now fully powered as Gotenks, he quickly appears to defeat Aka. However, while everyone is celebrating, Aka attacks again after Gotenks taunts him; but Piccolo blocks the attack. Aka destroys most of the hotel and with the threat growing, Goku and Vegeta join the fight; but Goku tricks Vegeta into looking away while he defeats Aka with a Kamehameha wave. With the battle over, everyone returns to what is left of the hotel and continue the banquet. Abo and Kado join in on the feast. The special ends with Goku and Vegeta fighting over food, transforming into Super Saiyans as they argue.
The film was first announced in the April 21 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Stating that it would premiere along with One Piece: Romance Dawn Story at the Jump Super Anime Tour and visit ten Japanese cities to celebrate Shōnen Jumps 40th anniversary.[1] In the June 9 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump it was announced that the story would be based on an original concept by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, revisiting the comedic story-telling seen early in the series.[2] [3] The following August issue of V Jump revealed a small hint of the plot and that at least three new characters would appear.[4]
The site Jumpland began streaming the film to both Japanese and English speaking viewers on their website on November 24, 2008, the Monday following the final stop on the Super Tour and was discontinued on January 31, 2009.[5] Shortly before ending, it was announced that the film would be made available along with One Piece: Romance Dawn Story and Tegami Bachi: Light and Blue Night Fantasy on a triple feature DVD that would only be available though a mail-in offer exclusive to Japanese residents.[6] The special was included as a bonus feature on the more widely available, limited edition home release of the 2013 film on September 13, 2013.
In the February issue of V Jump it was announced that a manga adaptation illustrated by Naho Ōishi was in the works; it was published in the magazine's March 21 and April 21, 2009, issues.[7] It was collected into a single tankōbon volume on September 3, 2010.[8]