Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans (1993)

Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans feels like a tightly wound “greatest-hits” adrenaline shot for DBZ fans, built around a rare, satisfyingly dark angle: the cost of Saiyan history finally coming back with a vengeance. Director Shigeyasu Yamauchi keeps the pace brisk and the vibe urgent—heroes splitting up, time running out, and familiar faces colliding in a way that’s pure Saturday-afternoon hype without demanding a huge emotional buy-in. It’s the kind of animation special that trades long arcs for momentum, letting Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, and Piccolo each get moments to shine while the threat escalates into something delightfully over-the-top. If you’re looking for deep character drama or canon-defining revelations, this isn’t that—but if you want concentrated action, a fun twist on classic villains, and a revenge-fueled sci-fi menace that screams “DBZ,” it’s an easy watch to recommend.

Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans is clearly trying to deliver a bite-sized DBZ “event” with a revenge hook, familiar faces, and nonstop fights, more like an extended special than a proper movie. The problem is it feels thin and game-like: lots of running to objectives, recycled villain cameos that don’t carry much weight, and a new big bad who’s more “loud power-up” than memorable character. The animation and pacing show its early-90s TV roots, so if you’re expecting the polish, stakes, or emotional punch of the better DBZ films, you’ll probably be underwhelmed. But if you just want a quick hit of classic voices, transformations, and team attacks with minimal story homework, it does that job efficiently.