For many years,Dragon Ballfans have been known to find memes in almost every iteration of the franchise. From Yamcha’s iconic death pose to Vegeta’s memorable line when reading Goku’s power level, Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece has no lack of quotable and hilarious moments. Sometimes, these jokes become so popular that even the writers of the series become aware of their existence.
Such is the case of a subtle but comedic event included in episode #13 of theDragon Ball DAIMAanime series. While fighting against the gigantic beings of Planet Mega, a group of ticks attacks the Z Warriors, prompting Piccolo to question their origin. This moment is a reference toan old but extremely well-liked meme among Japanese fans, started by Vegeta during the 8th installment inthe long list ofDragon Ballmovies.
Dragon Ball Daima Included One of Vegeta’s Most Popular Memes
Ticks Have Often Been Associated With the Prince in Japan
The 8th movie of theDragon Ballfranchise,Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, is among the most beloved in the series. The film was the first introduction tothe original version of Broly, a character that quickly became one of the most popular. It is also the origin of an old Japanese meme,born from Vegeta’s voice actor mispronouncing a word. During the initial scenes of the film, as Paragus explains to the prince that they have found a new planet for the Saiyan race, Vegeta is supposed to say nani, a Japanese word that translates to “What?”
Ryo Horikawa, the iconic voice actor behind Goku’s rival, pronounced the word in a specific way thatmade it sound like dani, the Japanese word for ticks. This moment quickly became a popular meme among fans, who found the idea of Vegeta being shocked by the existence of ticks hilarious. This meme has been used repeatedly in the JapaneseDragon Ballcommunity since 2003, when the movie was first released.DAIMAgave fans a pleasant surprise when Vegeta’s legendary joke was referenced in episode #13.
Dragon Ball Daima: How Vegeta Brings Akira Toriyama’s Original Super Saiyan 3 Design to Life
Dragon Ball Daima has finally given Vegeta Super Saiyan 3, and it’s especially notable for how much of a deep cut it is to Dragon Ball’s history.
As the Z Fighters battle against the gigantic hamsters of Planet Mega, an enormous tick attacks Piccolo. The Namekian shockingly repeats Vegeta’s meme, wondering how such large insects may exist on the planet. For international audiences, this moment did not cause much interest, as it seemed to be just Piccolo surprised by the gigantic ticks of planet Mega. Nevertheless, Japanese fans immediately took to social media to share their excitement about Vegeta’s popular meme becoming canon.
Yamcha’s Iconic Pose Was Reused in Super
Despite Yamcha often being underappreciated, as he hasplenty of moments in which he proved to be a total badass, there is no doubt that his first death is quite humorous. For many decades, the pose Goku’s first rival died in was used as a meme by fans all around the globe. This joke became so popular that it was referenced once again in episode #70 ofDragon Ball Super. To ensure victory for Universe 7’s baseball team, Yamcha threw himself at home base. The warrior managed to win the game, but not without being forced into his death pose.
Dragon Ballis a franchise best known for its epic fights and spectacular transformations, but it is also an amazing comedy. Seeing the team behind the series acknowledging and laughing along with fans about the various memes that surround the series is a truly heartwarming event.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Cast
Dragon Ball Daima sees Goku and his allies inexplicably shrunk into miniature forms, prompting a journey to the Demon Realm. This animated adventure, part of the Dragon Ball franchise, explores their mission to solve the mystery and restore their original statures. Released in October 2024.
