Surprising Connection: Johnny Bravo and Dragon Ball Z Share Canon Universe

Many 90s and 2000s kids will fondly remember the beloved Cartoon Network shows of that era, including the iconic Johnny Bravo. These shows often featured cross-overs or nods to one another, and a recently unearthed episode of Johnny Bravo has caught the attention of fans. Unlike other American Cartoon Network shows, this episode referenced the popular anime Dragon Ball Z, which was airing at the same time. Discovered by internet archivists, the episode has been uploaded to the Internet Archive for all to enjoy. YouTuber LSuperSonicQ, known for rediscovering lost episodes of classic cartoons, shared the news on Twitter. The episode in question was actually from a spin-off series called JBVO: Your All Request Cartoon Show, originally airing on May 5th, 2000.

The JBVO show on Cartoon Network featured Johnny, who broke the fourth wall and took call-in requests to air and add commentary to other cartoons. Typically, the featured episodes were crossovers with other shows that Johnny appeared in, allowing him to share his "experience" in his unique style. In this particular episode, Johnny started with a Johnny Bravo x Scooby-Doo episode when a request came in for a viewer's favorite episode of Dragon Ball Z. As Johnny believed that he "knew" characters from the same channel, he assumed that he also "knew" the characters from Dragon Ball Z. However, due to time constraints, he aired an extremely sped-up version of episode 103, "Pathos of Freiza."

Rewritten: Despite the fact that "Pathos of Freiza" is just one episode in a lengthy 20-episode battle between Goku and Freiza, Johnny may have made the wise decision by fast-forwarding through it. Although there were other shonen anime shows airing on Cartoon Network at the time, Dragon Ball Z was the only one showcased on JBVO, making it an official part of the Johnny Bravo universe - a fact that would have been hard to imagine two decades ago. Johnny expressed his love for the show and his appreciation for the caller, Jennifer, who he referred to as "pretty momma". However, he admitted that the fast-forwarded playback may have lost some of its appeal.

Source: Kotaku