GOKU
Adapted from the manga Dragonball & Dragonball Z
By
CHARLIE BORCHARD
1. Black
The blackness of space stares back at us, stars glisten in the backdrop.
As time draws by one star of the billions shines brighter and larger than the rest.
It then becomes apparent that it isn’t a star at all, but a ship.
The ship is small and spherical, big enough to withhold one man comfortably.
INT. SHIP INTERIOR/COCKPIT. MOMENTS LATER
Inside the ship’s cockpit lays a small, naked child of eight months. This child has unusually long black hair for his age and has the peculiar appendage of a monkey’s tail originating from his spine. The child bites playfully on his tail with toothless gums, laying in a glass cradle with red padding inside.
Written on the child‘s name tag is the name: KAKAROT. KAKAROT is our protagonist, later to be re-named as the titular character GOKU.
The peace within the womb-like pod is disturbed by a BEEPING red light, moments later a small, high-tech hologram fills half the pod.
In this hologram stands a man in strange battle fatigues, caked in blood and badly wounded, one eye a slashed bloody mess. This man is BARDOCK, GOKU’S father.
BARDOCK
Kakarot! Kakarot my son, I don’t have long, our planet, our people-. I know your too young to understand this right now, but in the future, when you’re a man, I hope you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done. I’ve sent you to planet 361, our ancient home world. Traditionally, a Sayain child is sent to a planet to grow strong and claim the planet for his own later in life, but that’s not the future I want for you. You’re the last of our race, don’t make the same mistakes we made, don’t live your life in hatred and fear, live to love! Learn this from your father if you learn nothing else, learn to love and nothing can beat you… They’ll come and you’ll have to fight, I can’t tell you how sorry I am, goodbye, son. (An explosion disrupts the hologram) Kakarot!
The hologram cuts off as BARDOCK cries his sons name, seemingly after an explosion hit the hologram device on the other end. KAKAROT, too young to understand, stares innocently at the absent space where the hologram of his late father once was.
2. Titles roll
Outside of the ship now, it floats through space, the repulser technology that powers the ship kick starts with a mighty roar as the ship glides further and farther.
Soon a grey planet approaches, in no time at all the pod descends to the planet’s surface, soaring a meter above the ground at hundreds of miles per hour. A sandstorm of sorts trails the ship as it continues it’s journey, the dust of the barren land floats weightlessly up into space in the low gravity. It’s beautiful, KAKAROT watches from an small window, he coos happily.
The pod reaches the reaches the other side of the planet, another, far larger planet rises into view, a blue planet with little green blotches. Earth.
INT. SHIP COCKPIT. MOMENTS LATER
Inside the ship a robotic woman’s voice speaks;
ROBOTIC VOICE
Planet 361. The ancient Sayian home world.
EXT. OUTER SPACE. MOMENTS LATER
KAKAROT’S pod clears the distance between the moon and Earth’s atmosphere in seconds.
Cut to:
INT. SMALL HUT. DAY - MOMENTS LATER
An OLD JAPANESE MAN, aged seventy, sits hunched over a bowl of bowl of rice with chopsticks in his hands. This man will later be revealed as GOHAN.
A loud SONIC BOOM, can be heard far outside the hut, like a distant POP. The hut shudders slightly.
Back to:
EXT. OUTER SPACE.
KAKAROT’S pod has entered the Earth’s atmosphere. White hot flame and scorching wind pelt the Pod to no effect.
EXT. CLIFFTOP. DAY - MOMENTS LATER
GOHAN hobbles to the top of a steep cliff top from which a great expanse of wild forestation can be seen, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Back to:
KAKAROT’S pod punching it’s way powerfully through the clouds and impacts around the centre of the wild forest.
The GOHAN watches in astonishment. He quickly turns on his heels and hobbles back down the cliff top, with the vigour of a man in his twenties.
EXT. IMPACT ZONE. TWILIGHT - HOURS LATER
The GOHAN pushes his way through the thick trees and vines of the forest into a clearing made by KAKAROT’S landed pod, steam rises off the ship as it cools in the damp mud which lies crushed beneath it.
The GOHAN tip toes carefully towards the ship. With a HISS the ship opens up like a clam. KAKAROT lays crying in his glass cradle. Forgetting about himself, the GOHAN runs to the cries of the infant. GOHAN picks him up and cradles him in his arms.
He takes one look at the ship and turns back into the dense forest, cradling KAKAROT. GOHAN disappears into the darkness of the trees. Leaving the ship behind.
INT. GOHAN’S HUTT. NIGHT - HOURS LATER
The GOHAN looks down at the happily gurgling KAKAROT who lays on a small table where GOHAN ate his rice.
Gohan notices the infants peculiar tail.
GOHAN
What do we have here?
GOHAN holds the tail delicately in the palm of his hand, immediately KAKAROT stiffens and winces in pain. GOHAN realises the effect it has on KAKAROT and lets go. KAKAROT’S lip quivers as tears form in his eyes. GOHAN picks him up and cradles him once more.
GOHAN
There, there don’t cry little one, it must hurt when I touch your tail huh? I’ll leave it alone. There, there, that’s a good little one. You know, I never had a son of my own, it’s just me out here in the mountains, what do you say about living with me for a little while…eh? Oh my I don’t even know your name. Hmm. My father was called Goku… yes! Perfect, Goku it is then. Son Goku.
3. Titles stop
4. Fade to Black
5. Fade to:
EXT. ROCKY TERRAIN. NIGHT
A desert landscape, barren sand in all directions.
A FOX approaches quickly from the distance, it’s eyes glow yellow in the moonlight. The fox scuttles atop a large mound of sand where the it stays static for a few moments before gazing up towards the sky. We wait a few moments before the fox YELPS in fear and scuttles away as fast as it can.
Seconds later a large, meteoric object plummets powerfully into the desert sand. We can see nothing for a short while as sand is whipped upwards from the impact.
The sand slowly disperses to reveal… a second ship half buried in the sand, larger and more aggressive in appearance than the previous.
A luminous green and yellow light shines from within.
A force suddenly begins to POUND and STRIKE the large pod from within, like an animal trying to escape from it’s cage. Being half buried in the sand, the ship’s doors can’t open.
The POUNDING and TEARING of metal stops for the briefest of moments before the upper half of the pod is sent hurtling high into the night sky, falling somewhere in the distance.
A tall, green-skinned, hairless, alien humanoid crawls out of the broken remains of the ship, bleeding profusely across several areas of it’s body. This creature is of the NAMEKIAN race.
The NAMEKIAN lurches out of the ship and feebly tumbles down the sandy mound, GROANING and RASPING in pain. The NAMEKIAN rises to his knees, holding his stomach, about to vomit. For a moment the NAMEKIAN’S eyes bulge with pain before it chokes up a large, green egg large enough to contain a small child.
The NAMEKIAN’S are an asexual race.
The alien looks down at the egg which already begins to hatch. A small, green hand, like it’s father’s carves it’s way smoothly out of it’s egg. The NAMEKIAN opens the remainder of the unopened egg to reveal another small, helpless NAMEKIAN child, the human equivalent of three years old.
The NAMEKIAN holds it’s chest as nature takes it course, the NAMEKIAN dies in the sand. Leaving it’s newly born child alone in the night.
As we fade to black we see the NAMEKIAN child rise out of it’s egg and wonder out into a world not of it’s own.
Fade to:
A montage begins of GOKU growing into adolescents.
EXT. VAST LAKE. DAY
Four years on, we see GOHAN sitting on a large rock, watching GOKU splash water happily in the shallow lake water, five years old now.
EXT. WILD FOREST. DAY
Another three years on, GOKU climbs the tallest tree in the wild forest and looks out in amazement at a twilight sunset. GOKU childishly cries in delight, birds flutter from the trees up into the sky.
EXT. HUT CLEARING. DAY
Two more years into the future. GOHAN stands in the middle of the clearing practicing his martial arts technique, GOKU, age ten, watches atop the hut in keen interest. GOHAN has perfect form and balance, slowly moving from one stance to another.
GOKU jumps down from the hut and runs up to GOHAN. GOKU tugs on GOHAN’S clothes.
GOHAN
(Without Looking at GOKU, continuing his Martial art)
Yes, Goku?
GOKU
Whatcha’ doing?
GOHAN
A martial art that has been past down through the generations of my family. It has been called many names, the style of “Enlightenment” or “Wisdom”
GOKU
Enlightenment style, huh? Can you teach me how to do it?
GOHAN
(laughs)
I was waiting for you to ask, you’ve been watching me like a hawk these past couple of days. (PAUSE) For now, do as I do.
Excited, GOKU stands slightly behind GOHAN and begins to copy his movements. GOKU picks up the style with a natural flare, a possible hint of his alien heritage shining through here.
EXT. VAST LAKE. DAY
Back to the lake. GOKU and GOHAN continue to practice the “Enlightenment” style Taijutsu.
EXT. OUTSIDE HUT, CLEARING. DAY
GOHAN sits smoking a long pipe in the shade of the hut as the sun beats down outside. GOKU, now aged fourteen, looks towards his guardian.
GOHAN
Goku, gather some wood for the fire tonight.
GOKU nods with a grin and runs off into the forest that boarders the small clearing. Several moments later a hard CRACKING noise can be heard, followed by a loud THUMP. Leaves RUSTLE and then, from the dense forestation GOKU walks out, pulling an entire tree log behind him with both hands.
GOHAN looks in astonishment, his pipe drops from his mouth comically. GOKU claps his hands together, removing the dirt and bark from his hands.
Slowly, GOKU strides to the hut and picks up a small axe, he turns on his heels and strides back to the tree trunk and begins to hack away at the log with the strength of a fully grown man.
INT. HUT. NIGHT
GOKU lies in a hammock whilst GOHAN sits by a crackling fire, boiling water. Something is playing on GOKU’S mind, he looks up at the ceiling with his brows furrowed in concentration.
GOKU
Grandpa, I was wondering.
GOHAN pinches some herbs into the boiling water.
GOHAN
Go on.
GOKU
Why am I (pause) Different?
GOHAN removes the boiling water from the fire and puts it to one side. He gives GOKU his full attention.
GOHAN
Not unless you choose to be.
GOKU
What does that mean!
GOKU sits up in the hammock, his tail swaying behind him through a whole made in his trousers.
GOHAN
Goku, you are a very wise and very selfless boy, I’m proud to call you my son. But you must see that it’s not where we come from that makes us the men we are it’s where we’re going.
A tear streaks down GOKU’S cheek.
GOKU
(Solemnly)
Where do I come from.
GOHAN
Goku…
GOKU
Please! Tell me.
GOHAN takes a deep, ragged breath, his old age shows now more than ever, deep set lines in his face deepen.
GOHAN
Okay. You must know this know this before I show you what I’m about to show you.
GOHAN stands and sits next to GOKU on the hammock, he puts his arm around him in a fatherly embrace.
GOHAN
Goku, you’ve given this lonely old man something to live for these past nine years. For that I thank you more than you can ever know. But you must listen to what I tell you, like I said before; it’s not where you come from that defines who you are, it’s where your going. Now, I’m going to show you something that will not change a thing between us. Okay?
GOKU nods, confused.
EXT. POD CRASH SITE. NIGHT - AN HOUR LATER
GOHAN leads GOKU by the hand into the crash site where GOKU’S pod crashed all those years ago. The pod is rusted and covered with vines and leaves that have grown over it in the past nine years.
GOKU looks at the pod in awe at the strange object. He looks up at GOHAN for answers.
GOHAN
Remember. It’s where you going that counts.
They both approach the ship, GOHAN pulls away the vines and leaves, revealing the ship cockpit, weathered and beaten inside but ultimately unchanged. GOKU lets go of GOHAN’S hand and crawls into the pod. GOKU kicks the ships inner control panel accidentally. A hologram, just like before, bursts to life within the cockpit.
It’s BARDOCK again, the message he left for his son replays. GOHAN waits hunched over, away from the ship, waiting.
Cut to:
INT. SHIP COCKPIT.
GOKU watches as the message ends, tears rolling down his cheeks, his hand stroking the hologram.
GOKU
Kakarot…is that my name? Is that who I am? That-that was my father…I’m the last one left. I’m alone.
GOHAN
Your name is Goku and your not alone.
GOHAN has lent his head into the ship. Offering his hand to GOKU. GOKU thinks for a moment, smiles, then takes his hand. GOKU begins to crawl his way out of the ship just as a second hologram bursts to life. GOKU turns alarmed.
A spherical hologram of Earth illuminates the cockpit.
ROBOTIC VOICE
A second ship has landed. Nine years ago, hours after this pod.
GOKU looks starry eyed at this revelation.
ROBOTIC VOICE
A Namekian ship. The Namekian’s are a dangerous race, approach with caution.
GOKU
Where can I find this Nam-ek-ian?!
From the cockpit control module a small, circular object ejects. GOKU swipes it up and holds it.
ROBOTIC VOICE
A device used to track certain racial genetic codes on foreign planets, making it easier to track down one’s target. This device will lead you to the Namekian.
GOKU turns back to GOHAN as he pockets the Genetic Tracker device. GOHAN looks at him, deep in thought.
INT. HUT. NIGHT - AN HOUR LATER
GOKU is beside his hammock packing his things into a bindle. GOHAN enters the hut, dismay In his eyes.
GOHAN
Goku are you sure this is what you want, finding this thing won’t give you any answers.
GOKU continues to pack.
GOKU
I have to go grandpa.
GOHAN
Why? You know all there is to know about your past.
GOKU
Not everything. But that’s not why I’m leaving. What if this Namekian doesn’t know about it’s past, what if it’s just like me and feels alone, scared. I’d want the Namekian to do the same thing. Even if it means I have to travel the world, I’ll find it. I’ll return when it’s over, I promise.
GOKU ties up his bindle on a stick and stands before GOHAN, looking up at him, pleading with his eyes. GOHAN claps in on the shoulder and smiles.
GOHAN
I’ve raised you well.
GOKU nods, and they both embrace in a loving hug,
GOKU
I promise I’ll return.
GOHAN
I know.
EXT. HUT CLEARING. NIGHT
GOKU walks out of the hut, looks at his home of fourteen years and smiles. He turns and heads down the trodden forest path. GOHAN watches solemnly from the hut entrance.
EXT. GRASS PLANE. DAY
The Genetic Namekian Tracker or GNT for short, BEEPS rhythmically like a radar device, pointing north-east. GOKU walks confidently through the knee high grassy plane, occasionally looking down to check he’s on course. Then something approaches into view that GOKU has never seen before, he stops, curious. GOKU’S tail is hidden beneath hole less trousers.
We see what he sees, a road, cutting directly across his path. GOKU cocks his head to one side, thinking.
He decides to think nothing of it and continues on his way. He steps over the metal barrier and onto the hard concrete, he stops for a moment, taking note of the unusual sensation of a surface that doesn’t give any way to his step, like grass or wood.
Again, he adjusts and walks on, head down looking at the GNT. GOKU reaches the middle of the road, just as a ROARING truck driving ninety miles per hour hurtles into view, heading straight for GOKU.
Cut to:
INT. TRUCK.
A pretty woman, aged nineteen, with dyed blue hair punches down on the breaks, gripping the steering wheel with all her strength, eyes almost closed hoping not to hit GOKU.
Back to:
GOKU standing in the middle of the road, mere seconds from being crushed by several tonnes of hard steel.
At the last moment GOKU realises the danger he’s in and back flips with all his strength out of harms way. As he does so the GNT slips through his fingers, smacking the truck’s bonnet with an audible CRACK.
The truck SCREECHES to a stop, smoke rises from the stressed tires. GOKU watches the truck, eyebrows raised in a mix of confusion and interest. A truck adds to the long list of things GOKU hasn’t experienced.
Moments later the woman with dyed blue hair opens the truck door and looks towards GOKU.
GIRL WITH THE DYED HAIR
Are you crazy! What the hell do ya’ think your doing?! Standing in the middle of the road like that, I coulda’ pancaked you!
GOKU simply looks confused at the girl who looks at him, eyes full of rage. GOKU’S eyes then drift towards the now broken GNT that lies several meters away from the truck, parts scattered all over the place.
GOKU runs to the broken GNT and tries to gather up all the pieces, futilely he tries to piece it back together like a puzzle.
The WOMAN approaches GOKU.
GIRL WITH DYED HAIR
Did I break your phone?
GOKU
It’s not a…phone, it’s a tracking device…thing. Now I’m lost.
GIRL WITH DYED HAIR
Well look, I’m sorry for breaking your tracking device but you really shouldn’t be standing in the middle of the road like that. Plus, what’s a kid your age doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Look, I can give you a ride to the nearest town if you want, from there you can decide what to do. Yeah?
GOKU looks at the girl for a moment then smiles, taking her up on her offer.
INT. TRUCK. A MINUTE LATER
GOKU climbs into the passenger seat of the truck, all the while looking in interest, again everything is new to him. Moments later the GIRL climbs into the drivers seat. She turns the ignition and pushes down gently on the pedal. The truck moves on.
GOKU
What’s your name?
GIRL
Huh?
GOKU
Your name. I only just thought to ask.
GIRL
Oh, right, yeah sorry, my name’s Bulma O’Hara. Yours?
GOKU
Goku.
BULMA
Goku what?
GOKU
Just Goku, no last name.
BULMA
Cool. Look, I really am sorry about your tracking device, really I am. Y’know, My father could take a look at that for you, he’s good with stuff like this.
GOKU’S eyes light up with hope.
GOKU
Really! That’s great!
Cut to:
EXT. ROAD. DAY
The truck drives off into the sunset, the radio plays a song curiously similar to the theme tune from the Dragonball Z anime…
EXT. CAPSULE CORP. NIGHT
BULMA’S truck parks up outside Capsule Corp, her home. GOKU and BULMA exit the truck and step round to the front of the building. BULMA knocks three times on the steel doors of the building. They wait outside, movement can be heard within the building. BULMA turns to GOKU and gives him a reassuring smile which he returns.
The steel doors open slowly, a little old man with a big grey moustache and a lab coat pokes his head out of the door, light from within the building shines invitingly onto the street. This old man is Dr.Brief.
BULMA
Hey Dad, sorry to drop by so late.
DR.BRIEF
Nonsense, nonsense! Your always welcome here. Come in, come in.
BULMA and GOKU step into the building.
INT. DR.BRIEF’S LIVING QUARTERS. NIGHT
The living quarters of a busy scientist, hardly lived in at all. GOKU sits at a steel table, eating some fruit from a bowl. BULMA sits opposite GOKU with DR.BRIEF.
BULMA
So there I am just driving, listening to the radio and then out of nowhere this little guy pops up in the middle of the road, he does some kung fu back flip and dodges the truck, one thing led to another and I offered in a place to stay for the night, it felt-feels like the right thing to do. Oh, he broke this tracker device.
BULMA hands DR.BRIEF the broken GNT. DR.BRIEF’S light up in scientific fascination.
DR.BRIEF
Oh my! This! This! This is advanced technology, sophisticated equipment indeed. It’s of no design I’ve ever encountered and is certainly not a device one would expect a fourteen year old boy to be carrying. Say, how did you come across this device.
GOKU ponders the question, he answers honestly.
GOKU
It’s from a ship that brought me to Earth thirteen years ago.
Silence ensues from BULMA and DR.BRIEF. GOKU sits, nonchalant, thinking his answer was the right one, the honest one.
BULMA
(Unbelieving)
Right…
GOKU
I can prove it, I guess. If you want.
DR.BRIEF
Please do.
GOKU’S tail whips out from the back of his trousers, it wags slightly above his head. BULMA’S and DR.BRIEF’S mouths hit the floor.