Androids Saga
A three-year wait for machines that never tire.
The fourth season of the Dragon Ball Z anime series contains the Garlic Jr., Future Trunks, and the Androids arcs, which comprises Part 1 of the Cell Saga. Produced by Toei Animation, these episodes are based on the final 26 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga series by Akira Toriyama. This 32-episode season originally ran from September 1991 to May 1992 in Japan on Fuji Television. The first English airing occurred later, with Funimation Entertainment's dub running from November 1999 to October 2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami block.
- Primary Antagonists
- Androids 17, 18, and 16
- Key Protagonist Debut
- Future Trunks (Time Traveler)
- Major Transformation Unlocked
- Super Saiyan Full Power
- Critical Plot Device
- Time Machine
- Setting Shift
- Post-Cell Games Era / Alternate Future
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The narrative structure of this season introduces a dual timeline created by the arrival of Future Trunks. The story covers the Garlic Jr., Future Trunks, and Androids arcs, leading into Part 1 of the Cell Saga. While the specific plot details of the androids' origin or the heart virus are not detailed in the provided source, the season is defined by its adaptation of Akira Toriyama's final 26 manga volumes. The production relies on Toei Animation to bring these final volumes to life over a span of 32 episodes. The era marks a shift from the previous seasons, utilizing frame-by-frame restoration techniques in later releases based on the original series masters.
In Their Own Story
The season unfolds across 32 episodes produced by Toei Animation, beginning its Japanese broadcast on Fuji Television in September 1991 and concluding in May 1992. The story encompasses three distinct arcs: Garlic Jr., Future Trunks, and the Androids, with the latter serving as Part 1 of the Cell Saga. While the source does not describe specific battle scenes or character dialogue within these arcs, it confirms that the entire season is derived from the final 26 volumes of Akira Toriyama's manga. The narrative progression moves through these three storylines in a single continuous production run before the series moved to later seasons.
Reader's Guide
Fans can access this content through specific release formats. Funimation released the full season as a box set on February 19, 2008. Later, in June 2009, Funimation announced a new seven-volume set called the "Dragon Boxes." These sets were created using the original series masters with frame-by-frame restoration, with the first volume releasing on November 10, 2009. For English viewers, the season was originally dubbed by Funimation Entertainment and aired from November 1999 to October 2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami block.
Did You Know?
- The fourth season covers three distinct arcs: Garlic Jr., Future Trunks, and the Androids.
- This season comprises exactly 32 episodes based on the final 26 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga.
- The original Japanese run aired from September 1991 to May 1992 on Fuji Television.
- Funimation released a seven-volume "Dragon Boxes" set with frame-by-frame restoration starting November 10, 2009.
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